September 14--Getting Settled In

I haven't posted in a couple weeks mainly because we've been busy trying to get settled back into our usual fall routine. It hasn't been easy as I ended up getting a really awful cold/sinus infection just as I was getting over the jet lag. Michael, too, caught it just as he was getting over his stomach bug, and I'm thrilled to say that now Nicholas has caught both at the same time. Poor thing--he tries to be so stoic but ends up being fairly pathetic. Is it awful to enjoy your normally rambunctious sick toddler wanting nothing other than to cuddle on your lap? So far, Sophia is staying healthy, although we've had some difficulty with naps lately that I think is due to her front teeth being about to push through on top. She has made friends with three babysitters and the workers in the church nursery. She is starting to be pretty sad when I drop her off, which I think is a good thing--that means she prefers to be with us and not other people. But she is also fairly social, so usually warms up to people quickly. As far as her development goes, she has learned to roll over, which she practices repeatedly, and has learned several new games, including peek-a-boo. She is no longer stationary, although she hasn't yet figured out how to crawl. Right now she just scoots herself along the ground army-style--or like a snake--whichever analogy you prefer. The fall schedule is busier than ever, and I'm learning to pick and choose what things I can do--Michael is so great about stepping in to give me a little time out with friends once a week or so. He has become very adept at bathing two kids at once--and he and Nicholas are having lots of fun playing trains while I give Sophia her nighttime bottle and put her down. I finally uploaded all of our photos from the trip--here is a sampler for you!

August 31--At Home in Knoxville

We are slowly settling in, although I think it is going to take awhile to feel organized and back in the groove. We are all incredibly jet-lagged. Sophie is sleeping a lot, probably also due to the stress of travel and being in a new place. That's great because Michael and I aren't sleeping much at all, and Nicholas is wanting to play, play, play. Poor Michael has been hit with traveler's indigestion so is really not feeling great. Hopefully it will work through his system before returning to work Tuesday. Nicholas seems to be infatuated with Sophia and wants to hug her, kiss her, play with her, and help feed her. Right now, Sophia is a little scared of Nicholas, but ultimately, I know they will be great pals. I have been so proud of how gentle he is (mostly) with her, and how much he likes her. Hopefully this won't wear off when the novelty does! I made it to church today by myself, and it was good to be a part of that community again. Nicholas and I also went to a barbecue with our play group at my friend Tanya's house last night, and it was great to just hang out with friends and be "normal" after two weeks in a foreign country. Hopefully tomorrow we can make it to the pool one last time before it closes for the season, and then it is back to work and school next week for Nicholas and Michael. This fall is shaping up to be really busy so we have lots to look forward to. I am excited about having Sophia as an errand buddy--she seems to like being out and about--and will be starting Kindermusik with her in another couple weeks. I have missed the baby class!

August 29--Return Home!!!

I can't believe we are finally coming home after 2 weeks in China. The oath-taking ceremony was quick and a huge relief as we also received Sophia's visa to travel to the U.S. When we go through immigration in Detroit she will officially be a U.S. citizen. We went back to the Italian restaurant to celebrate our last dinner in China and tried to get to sleep early as we knew it would be a long day the next day. We had our bags out of the room at 5 a.m. and woke Sophie just before we went downstairs to meet the bus at 5:50. We made it to the airport and made one last-ditch effort to upgrade to business class but it didn't happen. C'est la vie. Fortunately, Sophia picked this day to be a real trouper in the travel department. She managed to sleep a little on each flight (including 6 hours on the flight to Detroit!) and was generally pretty happy sitting in her own seat on the plane. Our first flight (to Tokyo) departed about 8:30 and we arrived about 5 hours later after a brief delay. This meant that we had about 45 minutes to clear immigration and security in Japan and traverse the airport to our next gate. Fortunately, the Detroit flight was waiting for us and had strategically placed Northwest reps at several points along the way to keep us on the right path. Then it was on to Detroit--11 1 /2 hours of sheer torture, mainly due to the fact that it was a packed flight and there was absolutely nowhere to stretch your legs and both Michael and I found it impossible to sleep. By the time we made it to Detroit we were running on fumes and once again had a very short layover to clear customs/immigration, recheck our bags and dash to the commuter terminal for the last leg to Knoxville. Fortunately, we made all our connections and arrived back in Knoxville on schedule about 5 p.m. (5 a.m. China time--yes, we've been awake and traveling for 24 hours). All of our parents and Nicholas were there to greet us, and I've never been so happy to see anyone in my life. Sophia was not excited about the ride home in the car, and she crashed hard once we arrived--no worries about not liking the crib! :-) Michael's parents are staying until Sunday and my Mom and Dad will come back mid-week to help get us over the hump of jet lag. We are so grateful to be home!!!