What's going on in The White House.......: We're home!

Leaving China was bittersweet. We were SO ready to come home, but it is our daughters country, where she was made, born, found, and adopted. China is very different from here and we realized just how much we, Americans, take for granted. There are many things about the Chinese culture that we hope to incorporate in Olivia's life, and some we left in China. Number one being that she will grow up in a church, she will grow up knowing about an awesome God that loves her more than me. That without God we would have never found her. A God that will NEVER give up on her. Just as us, we will never give up on her either. She will never be with out a home, family, or love again.

We've been home 5 days now, and things are really going good. I honestly can't complain. The jet lag has been the hardest on Olivia, and she has a cold, but still adorable! Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been all smiles and happiness. No. In the mornings, she is happy and playful but after her nap she is miserable........She's sleepy and wants to sleep more than we'll let her......I think her cold doesn't help either. She has been sleeping pretty good at night, she was waking up about 4:30 evey morning, but last night she slept til about 6:30! She hasn't had a nap yet today, so we'll see what the evening brings. She has done really good with her brothers and sister, and they just love her to death.....honestly, I think they could smother her with their love.

That was written yesterday and I never had a chance to post it.

This morning she woke up about 5 and has not felt very good at all. The cold has moved into her chest and her cough sounds really bad, I gave her some tylenol and she was finally able to go back to sleep and get a good nap. Guess she'll spend her first birthday with us, at the doctor's office......

She just woke up and I'm finally seeing some smiles, hoping they continue.

Anyway, reentry into life is hard, we knew it would be. We just took a child from her home, lived in a hotel for 2 weeks, and then flew her half way around the world where we now sleep when China is awake and visa-versa. I'm thankful that she is happy most of the time and she is bonding so well with us, especially me, now. She loves her brothers and sister and they have done great with her. I had told them before we came home that it may take her a while to get use to the kids and all the change. Sunday, Ella said, "Mom, you said it would take a week for her to get use to us and it's only taken a day!" This morning I had to remind her of why I said that......Olivia wanted nothing to do with anyone but me and wasn't very pleased with me either.

We did go to the doctor already once this week. I had scheduled a pediatrician appointment for her for next week, just to have them check her out and review her vaccination history, and all that kind of stuff, but with her cold we went early. The doctor said she looked really good, she weighed 19 lbs.....but she didn't seem worried, said we would just watch her growth with good nutrition. I will say I broke down a little when I was filling out the new patient paperwork, where it asks for her familial history. It was just a reminder that she doesn't know anything about the first three years of her life. Also, she is my daughter and I wish I could answer these questions, plus the many yet to come, but this is something that comes with adoption (from China) and we will deal and it will be ok. No matter what she will know that she is loved by us and by God and that is what brought us together, forever. We have an appointment in a couple of weeks at Shriner's in Greenville to determine a plan of care for her feet and knees. I'll keep you posted. ;-)

So as I mentioned earlier to day is her birthday! I had prayed from the time we found her, asking God to let us be with her for her birthday, and again He said "Yes"! I plan on a Chinese dinner with cake of course. Mike will be so excited........(not really). I decided not to do anything big (before she got sick) didn't want to overwhelm her too much......There will be lots of pictures taken though.....I have no pictures of her other birthdays, so I want lots of this one!