Back Home!!
I'm sorry I haven't had time to post at all since we've gotten home. It's been EXTREMELY busy and chaotic around here with a new baby! I guess I'll start from when we got off the plane at the Atlanta airport.
The Adkins (Becky, Doug, Lydia and Elizabeth) and my grandparents (Mama Jo and Big Pop) picked us up and drove us home in the church mini bus. Mama Jo had prepared an AWESOME supper (well, kind of a supper but it was like nine or ten at night) including ham, icebox cake, rolls, salad, fruit, chips, different casserols, and pistachio and marshmallow salad (I forget what it's called!) The Adkins stayed for an hour or so then went home because it was late. I was soooooooooooo glad to be back in my own house, room, and bed when we went to sleep. My room was just as I had left it--not too messy, but enough to make me dread cleaning it up. We all had a good nights rest but woke up around four in the morning. China time is twelve hours ahead of us, so its difficult to sleep a full eight hours at first! We went to church that morning, to the suprise of EVERYONE, including us. We weren't tired at all during church, thank goodness, because we always had a crowd of people around us asking questions about the trip and most of all, Chloe Grace. (I know you are itching to know how she's doing, but I need to explain everything else first or I'll forget something.) As I said, we weren't tired when we were at church, but as soon as we were finished with lunch, Chloe Grace, Hannah, and Daddy crashed. Mama and I were still up, moving, and not really tired at all. The other three slept until around six while Mama and I were cleaning and other things. I decided I had enough energy to go to youth at five thirty, but it was a big mistake. About ten minutes after I got there, I completely crashed. I didn't feel tired during the first few minutes of crashing because I was getting chills and shaking. Then I started actually feeling sleepy. I could have been compared to dead by the time youth was over--seven. Jet lag literally killed all of our energy off the next week. However, I had to go to school because I wasn't sick and had enough energy to walk. Yeah--worst nightmare! I can honestly say that I can't remember anything and I didn't comprehend anything from that week except that I was tired ALL THE TIME. My sleep schedule was unheard of, waking up at five Monday, going to bed at five, getting up at one on Tuesday, somehow managing to stay awake until eight, (when I pleadingly asked Daddy if I could go to bed. We were trying to stay up as late as possible.) getting up at five on Wednesday, going to bed at eight thirty, getting up at four thirty on Thursday, going to bed around eight, getting up at five on Friday, going to bed at nine. Very stressful. I went to swim practice on Saturday, along with play practice for our church Christmas play. Very tiring. I was glad to get around a regular number of sleep hours on Saturday. Very relieving. We kept getting more energy each day until we were pretty much back to normal, except that we were exhausted by the time we were to go to bed. After two weeks even, we weren't entirely back to U.S. time, but after a month, I think we are.
Updates on Chloe Grace that I know you've been dying to hear and I'm sorry I haven't blogged about sooner:
Her first evil act of sisterhood was stealing my phone and hiding it under her bed. Yeah, true story. I didn't find it for a week, which was very hard because I was telling all my friends about Chloe Grace almost every five minutes the first few weeks. She hasn't done anything extremely evil besides that, though.
She is not talking yet, only a few words. She says or has said puppy, kitty, bye-bye, hi, mama, yogurt, crackers, right there, hey baby, pee pie, (we say that instead of peek-a-boo because boo means no in Chinese.) plus, she hisses like a cat and barks like a dog if you tell her to. She also dances if you ask her to dance. Her moves are so cool, involving moving back and forth and side to side.; ) If you say 'Can I have a kiss, Chloe Grace' she comes over to you, hugs you and blows you kisses. It's sooooo sweet and cute! She is VERY much walking and running, and she barely slips or falls anymore. She is like a shadow following people everywhere, and doesn't miss a thing. She catches a cabinet that's slightly open, a door, or something on the floor. She is very curious in a good way, but she really keeps us on our toes BIG TIME. She is generally very sweet and doesn't hit or bite or kick...yet. I can't wait until she starts talking because when she says her few words that she can, her voice is sooooo cute. It's squeaky and high-pitched, but not in an annoying way--just really cute.
I think I'm going to try to keep this blog up at least for a time to update on the things Chloe Grace is doing because she is making drastic progress every day. The social worker came Friday and said that she really wasn't expecting her to be doing so well after only a month. I was so proud and glad about that! You can tell that all Chloe Grace needed was TLC--tender loving care, as Mama and Daddy call it. I have a HUGE piece of exciting, great news that I purposely saved for last. Chloe Grace had a hearst murmur that we knew about, which is a tiny hole that doesn't close all the way in your heart, if you didn't know. Mama took Chloe Grace to the cardiologist to see if it was still there. IT CLOSED COMPLETELY ON IT'S OWN!!!!! So now, she doesn't have to have surgery or anything! Isn't that THE BEST NEWS EVER??
I'll keep posting if you are going to keep reading, so ask me questions or post comments! Life is way better with five people in the family, and Chloe Grace couldn't be doing better or have been a better little sister!!
The Adkins (Becky, Doug, Lydia and Elizabeth) and my grandparents (Mama Jo and Big Pop) picked us up and drove us home in the church mini bus. Mama Jo had prepared an AWESOME supper (well, kind of a supper but it was like nine or ten at night) including ham, icebox cake, rolls, salad, fruit, chips, different casserols, and pistachio and marshmallow salad (I forget what it's called!) The Adkins stayed for an hour or so then went home because it was late. I was soooooooooooo glad to be back in my own house, room, and bed when we went to sleep. My room was just as I had left it--not too messy, but enough to make me dread cleaning it up. We all had a good nights rest but woke up around four in the morning. China time is twelve hours ahead of us, so its difficult to sleep a full eight hours at first! We went to church that morning, to the suprise of EVERYONE, including us. We weren't tired at all during church, thank goodness, because we always had a crowd of people around us asking questions about the trip and most of all, Chloe Grace. (I know you are itching to know how she's doing, but I need to explain everything else first or I'll forget something.) As I said, we weren't tired when we were at church, but as soon as we were finished with lunch, Chloe Grace, Hannah, and Daddy crashed. Mama and I were still up, moving, and not really tired at all. The other three slept until around six while Mama and I were cleaning and other things. I decided I had enough energy to go to youth at five thirty, but it was a big mistake. About ten minutes after I got there, I completely crashed. I didn't feel tired during the first few minutes of crashing because I was getting chills and shaking. Then I started actually feeling sleepy. I could have been compared to dead by the time youth was over--seven. Jet lag literally killed all of our energy off the next week. However, I had to go to school because I wasn't sick and had enough energy to walk. Yeah--worst nightmare! I can honestly say that I can't remember anything and I didn't comprehend anything from that week except that I was tired ALL THE TIME. My sleep schedule was unheard of, waking up at five Monday, going to bed at five, getting up at one on Tuesday, somehow managing to stay awake until eight, (when I pleadingly asked Daddy if I could go to bed. We were trying to stay up as late as possible.) getting up at five on Wednesday, going to bed at eight thirty, getting up at four thirty on Thursday, going to bed around eight, getting up at five on Friday, going to bed at nine. Very stressful. I went to swim practice on Saturday, along with play practice for our church Christmas play. Very tiring. I was glad to get around a regular number of sleep hours on Saturday. Very relieving. We kept getting more energy each day until we were pretty much back to normal, except that we were exhausted by the time we were to go to bed. After two weeks even, we weren't entirely back to U.S. time, but after a month, I think we are.
Updates on Chloe Grace that I know you've been dying to hear and I'm sorry I haven't blogged about sooner:
Her first evil act of sisterhood was stealing my phone and hiding it under her bed. Yeah, true story. I didn't find it for a week, which was very hard because I was telling all my friends about Chloe Grace almost every five minutes the first few weeks. She hasn't done anything extremely evil besides that, though.
She is not talking yet, only a few words. She says or has said puppy, kitty, bye-bye, hi, mama, yogurt, crackers, right there, hey baby, pee pie, (we say that instead of peek-a-boo because boo means no in Chinese.) plus, she hisses like a cat and barks like a dog if you tell her to. She also dances if you ask her to dance. Her moves are so cool, involving moving back and forth and side to side.; ) If you say 'Can I have a kiss, Chloe Grace' she comes over to you, hugs you and blows you kisses. It's sooooo sweet and cute! She is VERY much walking and running, and she barely slips or falls anymore. She is like a shadow following people everywhere, and doesn't miss a thing. She catches a cabinet that's slightly open, a door, or something on the floor. She is very curious in a good way, but she really keeps us on our toes BIG TIME. She is generally very sweet and doesn't hit or bite or kick...yet. I can't wait until she starts talking because when she says her few words that she can, her voice is sooooo cute. It's squeaky and high-pitched, but not in an annoying way--just really cute.
I think I'm going to try to keep this blog up at least for a time to update on the things Chloe Grace is doing because she is making drastic progress every day. The social worker came Friday and said that she really wasn't expecting her to be doing so well after only a month. I was so proud and glad about that! You can tell that all Chloe Grace needed was TLC--tender loving care, as Mama and Daddy call it. I have a HUGE piece of exciting, great news that I purposely saved for last. Chloe Grace had a hearst murmur that we knew about, which is a tiny hole that doesn't close all the way in your heart, if you didn't know. Mama took Chloe Grace to the cardiologist to see if it was still there. IT CLOSED COMPLETELY ON IT'S OWN!!!!! So now, she doesn't have to have surgery or anything! Isn't that THE BEST NEWS EVER??
I'll keep posting if you are going to keep reading, so ask me questions or post comments! Life is way better with five people in the family, and Chloe Grace couldn't be doing better or have been a better little sister!!
MaCayla, I was so happy to see this new post.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you had done this, and it is a
excellent update on our precious Chloe Grace.
Thank you so much and keep up the good work.
You are a terrific writer!!
Love you,
Mama Jo