Sorry for the delay in posting--more to come, so please check back

Sorry to be so long to update Charlotte's blog. It's been a big adjustment since we've been home, mostly because we weren't prepared for a totally mobile toddler before we left for China. Charlotte and I were really sick for at least the first week we were home--we both slept a lot so it's like that week doesn't even exist for me. I had also neglected my house before leaving, as I was extremely busy at work and there was just sooooo much paperwork and things to do to get ready for our big trip. At times, I felt like I was drowning in paper and the business of the adoption process. The last month or so before we left, my days were extremely long, preparing for the trip.

These days our routine is being established by Charlotte. When she naps, I try to get caught up on reorganizing the house for a mobile toddler. I'm sure once this is complete, I will have more time to try to stay on top of my journaling and photo downloading. Now to get some of these photos printed and into an album.

This morning as I was putting away some knitting projects I wondered to myself when I will ever get some time to knit or read again. I'm still working on the book that I took to China--I think I've read 2 chapters now. Well, it's not about me now--it's about Charlotte and our wonderful life we're creating together.

So, here is today's entry about our day:
Charlotte slept until about 8:15 this morning--she used to get up regularly at 6 am, sometimes 5 am, but now she sleeps later, but doesn't usually have an afternoon nap. I was glad that her sleep wasn’t interrupted by the terrible storms that we had during the night—-there was a lot of thunder and lightning. I’m not sure if Charlotte has ever experienced rain storms in China and so don’t know how she would respond, but I suspect like any child she would be frightened with the loud noise.




Today was a weird day for naps for Charlotte. We put her down for a nap at 11 am, as she was yawning and rubbing her eyes. Once she finished her bottle, she started to cry and threw everything out of her crib. We got her up, had lunch, and then played upstairs until Father Roy came to visit at 3 pm to discuss her baptism. Shortly after he left, Charlotte exhibited all the usual signs that she was ready for a nap. Silly us, we thought Charlotte finished her bottle and then went to sleep—noooo. When she started calling to get out, Dave went in to her to find her soaking wet. Our initial thoughts were that her diaper exploded, but the back of her head was soaked and there were a couple of beads of formula on the back of her neck. Once I looked at the bottle, I knew that she didn’t drink it. Upon further investigating, I discovered that Charlotte had emptied her bottle all over her, the sheets, her security bunny that she got in China, and one side of her bumper pads. So, we stripped the crib and her and put her in the tub and the bedding in the washing machine. So, as far as naps today, we were 0 for 2.

Charlotte enjoyed chicken for lunch and dinner. We tried mashed potatoes for dinner, but Charlotte really didn’t care for them. I think they felt strange sticking to the roof of her mouth. I suspect she'll likely have the same response to peanut butter when the day comes to introduce her to it. At lunch time, Charlotte drank from a sippy cup for the first time.




Today, Charlotte was really good at responding to her name. She also gave kisses on the lips when requested to do so. Charlotte continues to like to blink with both eyes. She also honked the horn of her car when asked to do so, most of the time. She also said “bye bye” or something very close to it while waving her hand the right direction.

Charlotte and daddy started playing a new game where daddy lays on the floor and rocks Charlotte on his foot. Charlotte had endless energy to continue playing this game, but I think it wiped out daddy—-he took a nap while Charlotte attempted to this afternoon.



Charlotte seems to get so distressed when I change her diaper and use a baby wipe. I think the baby wipes are cold compared to her hot little body, so today I got her a baby wipe warmer. Daddy thinks I’m nuts but it pains me to see such anxiety in Charlotte’s eyes even before I touch her with the wipe—-she arches her back and straightens her legs to make it more difficult for me to touch her with the wipe. I’ll see if there is any improvement tomorrow morning.

Charlotte was good as always going to bed; however, about an hour later, she started to fuss and it just escalated. When I went in to her for the second time, she was dripping with sweat. I wiped her down with a cool cloth, gave her some Tempra, and sat her on daddy’s knee to calm down--she sat there for the longest time, which is unusual for Charlotte, so I wonder if something is wrong. I don’t know when she’ll go to sleep. She’s still going strong at 10:15—she’s quite content to sit on the floor of the office beside Dave and take some items out of boxes. She’s playing with the boxes and tissue paper. I think she’ll be putting us to bed soon.