And now Wednesday comes to an end

 

It is now 8:50 pm here in Changsha and our little girl has just gone to sleep.  We all had dinner as a group just around the corner from the hotel at 6 pm.  It is much more affordable to eat locally than to eat at the hotel.  For example, our dinner for the both of us and what little Elizabeth eats totals 100 yuan, or $14 american dollars for dinner for all of us.  The hotel buffet is 138 yuan person, or about $16 or $17 dollars PER PERSON.  So as you can tell, most nites we all go out as a group.  We have been to 3 different restaurants and have never walked further than about 20 storefronts down from the front door of the hotel.

 

Elizabeth was very restless again tonite while we were at dinner.  As I stated in the earlier post as well, she was very reserved and quiet and still when we were out in the park.  We are beginning to think that she has these meltdowns because she is just sensory overloaded.  We were told that in the orphanage the babies just lay in the crib, watch the ceiling or watch TV and there really is not much more interaction.  So, we are assuming that all this activity that we do everyday, getting up, going down to breakfast, hopping on a bus, driving all over, getting on and off the bus, etc is just a little too much come 5-6 pm each day.

 

Thank goodness tomorrow is an "off" day.  Meaning no scheduled activities, do the day at your pace.  Hopefully we will avoid this end of the day meltdown and may beg off dinner with the group just to see how she does and if staying out of the streets and all the people being around will make a difference in how she reacts.  One family in our group is having the same experience but their baby is just the opposite, she just sits there and has very little reaction to anything at all.  All babies function differently and the behaviours we are seeing are just part of their little personalities coming out.

 

We had our first head to toe bath tonite.  The first day we had her we just did a body bath and avoided hair washing since that is usually traumatic anyway.  Then last nite because she was just a mess and inconsolable and could not get her to settle we avoided the bath all together.  Well after rubbing congee, formula, rice, noodles and fruit in her hair today and sweating with the rest of us at the park and the embroidery factory, the girl needed a bath.  She did well until it came time to wash the hair.  She did not like having water poured on her head one bit.  However, once the hair washing thing was over she was back to her chatty, smiley self.  I was a bad mommy however, after the bath I cut her nails and unfortunately, got a little close on the thumb and nicked her.  First the orphanage director tells us we are starving our baby, and now I cut her finger just trimming her fingernails.  I think they may keep us in the country until we can prove we are not a bunch of dumbasses!

 

Overall, this has been a great experience, exhausting but great.  However, I must remember that no matter how we feel at the moment, it is Elizabeth who has been through the worst.  She was just taken from the only place she has ever known and is now being showered with attention like she has never had before, and honestly, is likely just too much at this point.  She is handling it fairly well and we know each day we will make more and more gains as she comes to love us and feel comfortable and not have to worry that every thing will be taken away.

 

I never could have imagined what this experience has turned out to be.  More rewarding than I ever thought, have fallen head over heels in love with someone I just met less than 72 hours ago, physically taxing and mentally challenging.  I have actually enjoyed China more than I thought I would, and am glad for that.  That is not to say I am not looking forward to going home, just that I have been able to sit back now from the whole "getting ready to go" frenzy of last week, and now appreciate what we have in the US and what we have come here to do.  It really is not about the details that I was so worked up about, it is about Elizabeth. 

 

I think we are doing well overall and certainly enjoy being a family of 3.  There were many, many, many days I thought this dream would never happen and now look at us.  We have a beautiful little girl that is starting to bond with us, trust us and will hopefully one day know just how much she was wanted from the very beginning. 

 

Well it is time to turn out the lights, you never know what the nite will bring.  Stay tuned for the next update

 

Until next time..........................