First Week Home

Today is Thursday, and we got home last Thursday, so we've been home one week!

Evie seems to be doing pretty well. She is warming up to Ralphie (the dog) and loves Bigfoot the cat. She is not friends with Cleo the cat, but not scared of her, either. (Evie petted Cleo, Cleo popped Evie, and Evie yelled and popped Cleo back! Now they mostly stay away from each other, but sometimes Evie will yell at Cleo!) She also likes to yell at the bunny, and beat on her cage to make noise. Poor Bunbun will be moving upstairs with Emily soon!

We have started teaching Evie signs. Sometimes she will pat her leg for Ralph or "dog", but she loves to make the sign for "cat"/Bigfoot. (she won't make it for Cleo, though!) Instead of the drawing whiskers motion, she almost pokes her eye, then points away from her face really quickly. It is cute! We've also started "milk". She usually will wave her fist, then point at the cup.

Evie saw our doctor today. He said she is doing well - almost at the 50th percentile for Chinese girls, and off the low end of the charts for American girls! He is not worried, though. He wants us to start whole milk in her bottle, and to keep on feeding her whatever she wants! He thinks we should wean to a sippy cup sometime, but she needs more practice with them. She can't suck, so we have to get the Nuby soft spout cups that she can chew on to get the liquid out. She also doesn't like it when doctors use the stethoscope, and he apparently took too long listening to her back, so she whacked him with her pink bunny! He thought it was funny. He is impressed with her lip repair. We got a referral to the specialist for her cleft palate, and our appointment is on the 7th of September.

I have noticed since we've been home that she doesn't do as many of the self-soothing behaviors that she did when we first met her. On the way back to our hotel from first meeting her, she sucked her thumb and pulled her shirt up to rub on her face. When we gave her the pink bear blanket, she would rub it and pick at it before sleep. She still sucks her thumb, and will still rub her animal or blanket on her face or hand, but not to the degree that she once did. She will also share - she's rubbed her blanket and bunny's ears on my cheek many times. She especially likes to get Daddy and Emily with the blanket after she's gotten it all slobbery! She also doesn't panic and fall apart when you take the (empty) bottle away. She's even learned that Mama and Daddy hold the bottle, but she can hold our other hand if she wants.

She is still really clingy to me. I hope that will change, and that her Daddy's feelings won't get too hurt by it. I can tell if we've been out too long, because she starts to bury her face in my shoulder and try to get as close as possible. Still, I would like to hear my name said with a smile sometimes, instead of a whined or cried "MA-ma-Ma-ma-ma-ma..."

She is having some troubles falling asleep. She won't fall asleep in our bed, so we do put her in her crib. Sometimes she ends up with us during the night, though. Tonight she probably played in her bed for half an hour to 45 minutes before she finally fell asleep. For a while I was in there reading in the rocking chair. I finally went to do dishes, and she was mad! She cried for a couple minutes (I went back in to give her back her bunny and blanket that she threw out, and I rubbed her tummy and head) but she finally settled down. It is hard when you know that they are tired and really need to sleep, but they don't want to!

It is still hard to keep clothes on Evie. I need to go upstairs and dig through Em's old 12 month clothes. Pants fall off of her little bottom, so she's been living in dresses and jumpsuits. (we have some really cute ones that Em only wore a time or two before she outgrew them!) What I really need to do is get out the sewing machine and make some things 18 month length, but 12 month sized around! (who is taking bets on whether or not I will be able to sew with a toddler around? like my family says, I need Sewing for Dummies!)

Evie has started playing peek a boo, and likes it when I ask "Where is Evie? Where is Haihong? Honghong? Mei Gui Hua?" If I throw in a "Where is Mama?" or "Where is Bigfoot?" she really gets the giggles! She is also making what Richard and Emily call the Home Alone face. She especially likes to do it when she's being a bit naughty, as it gives us all the giggles and we forget why she's in trouble! She also has learned the word NO. She will tell me NO, shake her finger at me, and then grab for my glasses. We also hear NO right before she digs in the trash or tries to eat Ralphie's food, etc. She also gets the funniest face when she says NO ~ think the pinched face of an old-timey schoolmarm... it is hilarious!

She loves the bath, and is fascinated by the spout where the water comes out. She loves to hold her hands underneath and feel the water falling. When I turn the water off, she tries to look up in there to find out where it comes from. Sometimes she tries to turn the water back on by herself.

I don't think I've posted here about the Kung Fu story. It made my Mom and Dad laugh, though! At our hotel, we got about 50 channels. Well, about 10 of the channels show those cheesey old Kung Fu movies - the comedy, 3 stooge type ones. Evie ignored the tv the whole time, except if there was music to dance to or one of these Kung Fu movies on. She would instantly get glued to the tv. It was so funny! We are wondering if she watched them with her foster father? We will probably never know...

We will try to go to the parade and maybe the carnival this weekend, so I hope to have some more pictures to post then. Good night, everyone!