As the post below discusses we got home on Jan 1st. I can't believe that we have been home a full week already. Time is really flying....
First and foremost, if I have not returned your call or email yet, I apologize but everything has been a blur and I am exhausted and am suffering from terrible jet lag and insomnia. I promise to call/email you in the next week or so or as soon as my head stops spinning! :) BTW... for those of you who just wanna look at pictures, scroll down for more!
Now for the update......We are alive and well for the most part. We got home on Friday and after visiting with my parents, we put Madison down for a nap and I decided this exhausted Mama needed one too. John (of course) said he wasn't going to nap and promised that he wouldn't let me sleep more than 3 hours. Well, when I woke up six hours later, John and Madison were both sleeping and Jake was in his room watching cartoons with toys and boxes (yes boxes) of food surrounding him. He was in 7th heaven!! Man I wish I took a picture because it was a sight to see. So I got to be the meanie and wake John and a grumpy Madison up for dinner. That night everyone was exhausted and slept till noon the next day (mistake number 1).
Then it was off to my grandmas to celebrate Christmas and have a amazing home cooked meal. The kids had a blast and Madison quickly got the hang of opening presents and kept asking for more. Jake was shocked and excited that he got a bike, now we just got to teach him to ride it without training wheels! Once there was no more to presents to unwrap Madison of course wanted everything opened and put together so she could check out her haul. Jake and her did what every kid does and played in the boxes and had a blast.
Once home it was off to bed and I was counting a on good nights sleep. HA!! That so did not happen. John and I were wired stayed up till 2am fooling around on facebook and as soon as we were getting ready to go to bed, Madison woke up crying and then Jake woke up wired. They had their days and nights confused. So they both ended up in bed with me and poor John on the couch who declared he wasn't going to sleep at all to try to adjust himself back. So now with both kids in the bed and awake until 6am there was no sleep for me. I finally sleep for a few hours around 8am (mistake 2)
Sunday night wasn't much better as I had insomnia and was up when the kids woke up at 1:45am (Madison) and 3am (Jake). Poor Jake stayed up till 6am and then it was off to school at 8am, he was so exhausted and had a major meltdown during breakfast, but he had to go to school!(There goes my mother of the year award!) So once again no sleep for this Mama. I don't know what kind of day Jake had, I didn't want to know so I didn't ask the sub. After school we got out and ran some errands, I figured fresh air would do us some good and it did as everyone (except me) slept thru the night but, I did get 5 hours - finally I figured we were back on track!
Feeling slightly less exhausted on Tuesday I decided to run errands and get Madison's haircut. Her hair was choppy and driving me crazy. She enjoyed being out and loved getting her haircut especially the sucker she got afterwards. That night I prayed we would all sleep thru again. Yeah right, wishful thinking on my part... only John slept thru and the kids were both up again, Madison with night terrors (2am) and Jake pissed off that there was no room in our bed for him (4am). I of course was up at 2am watching the movie Taken on HBO (mistake 3) so once again no sleep for mama but, daddy came to my rescue (as he had no work) in the morning and got Jake off to school and took care of Madison so I could get 3 hours in so I could function.
This really is worse than having a newborn because now I have 2 who are up on different schedules. Finally today - Thursday everything caught up to us. Jake was having some jealously the night before and was exhausted as was Madison and well everyone slept thru the night but, no one fell asleep until after 11pm (mama after 1am). So of course Jake woke up with a massive headache and distraught and so I let him stay home from school and off to a happy slumber he went, then it was my turn!
We all slept until 11am (I know..I know) and even slept thru the earthquake, once we were up Jake was off to my mom's for some one on one time with grandma and Madison was here being my shadow and Velcro baby. I had enough sleep that I practiced being the perfect housewife by doing 4 loads of laundry (washing and drying), making beds, doing dishes and generally cleaning up. (For those who know me, yes it's really me, I can prove it and no I wasn't abducted by aliens!) Not sure that being a full time stay at home mom/housewife is my forte but, I am going to try to have fun with it until March 1st when I go back to my job (which yes... I do somewhat miss and yes I am still checking email a couple of times a day!). My goal for next week is to get Madison and I on a daily schedule/routine, as much as I want to, we can't stay in my jammies all day :)
Please keep your fingers crossed for me, that the kids will continue to sleep thru the night and that Madison keeps having a fairly easy transition. I admit we do have our moments and melt downs but all in all she is doing excellent and so is Jake. We are working on both of their jealousy issues and today I actually saw huge improvement from both of them and especially Madison (who is having major issues). I was so proud to see her comfort her brother when he was complaining about completing his homework. They are both trying and I keep telling them that both my lap and heart are big enough for both of them! Most importantly lets all hope I get over this jet lag/insomnia cycle I have fallen into!
This weekend is super busy for us. On Sat Madison gets to meet her Nina and great auntie and then it's baseball clinic for Jake in the afternoon, with a family movie and camp out in the living room to round out the day. Then on Sunday we are having Christmas with John's family and then Jake has a date with his mama and friends to see a science show. But, first I have to make it thru the social security office on Friday with my sanity, I hope it's not like the DMV.
Shannon
She is so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you made it home. Hopefully the sleep issues will get better quickly.
I'm sorry things didn't go well with the foster family. Cheeky's foster mom got a really bad reputation the first time one of her foster kids was adopted. She had never been told the child would be adopted and was under the false impression that she'd raise the little girl. Then, the day before the adoptive parents arrived, orphanage staff came and took the little one away. Apparently, China Mom was quite hysterical. She did meet with the adoptive family and cried so hard and clung to the three-year-old so much that the parents thought China Mom was going to steal her.
I'm glad I wasn't there.
Anyway, our guide knew China Mom and told us about the tears and emotions and how the adoptive family felt that China Mom was going to steal the little one. He did not tell us that China Mom had been caring for the baby almost from the day she was found. He did not tell us that China Mom didn't know that fostering meant letting kids go.
We almost didn't meet with the foster family because of that. Thankfully, we went with our instincts and did. China Mom told us her version of the story through her English speaking daughter. She also told our Chinese friend the story. It still hurts her heart.
All that to say, I'm glad you'll maintain contact with your daughter's foster family. When we put ourselves in their shoes and imagine how it would feel to say goodbye to a child we've loved with all our heart, it is much easier to understand the sadness they feel.
Congratulations again! I'm excited to follow the rest of your journey.
oh my she is just so precious!!!!
ReplyDeleteshe has cheeks like my zachary - I just want to squeeze them!
I am so glad to hear your home! Give yourself more than a week to get to those calls and emails... they'll just have to understand!
I remember being exhausted for a month!
-jennifer