Sleep is for pansies

It's funny the things that go through your head at 3 am. I was awake at 2 from my jet lag, and just as I began to dose off, Ava woke up.

• Is there was a room in the house that I could put her in where she could safely play, but the rest of us could sleep?
• Is it too late to slip some melatonin into a sippy cup?
• Are there any countries that start with the letter "X"?
• I hope Adam doesn't wake up (I mean early, not ever)
• Is she singing?
• So tired.

After Todd got up, I crawled back to bed for a quick cat nap until 5 am.

• What are they doing out there?
• What was that bump?
• How is she so happy at 5am?
• She's a lot cuter at 5pm.

There are so many things about adoption that are LIES. LIES, I tell you. People who have no idea about adoption say things like: "oh, that's the easy way to have a kid." "You don't have to gain any weight!" "Since you're adopting a toddler, she'll sleep right through the night!"

Oh, and there are no countries that begin with the letter "X".

Random thoughts

Last night was hard. 

We have still been struggling with jet lag, and yesterday Ava became very overly tired at Adam's t-ball game. She wound up napping from 1:30 pm until 9:30 pm and awoke in a panic. She screamed and hit and threw things for about an hour until our efforts to console her made something click. She gave me a big hug, and then we hit the kitchen for a snack. 

It was sometime around 12:30 when I finally crawled back into bed. We were up again at 5:30, but we have our happy girl back. We aren't sure if or when her panic and grief will strike again, but we will be taking things easy for a while. 

She and Jacob shared a big bowl of congee and have been chasing each other with their shopping carts. 

More unexpectedly, Ava has gone to the potty multiple times this morning. 

Days 13 and 14

Day 13 is pretty much a blur. We began our day at 4:30 am in Guangzhou. We left the hotel around 5:30, and traveled by van to the Hong Kong airport. 

Our flight was a bit delayed, but the pilot said we should arrive on time. All of our flights were delayed, but we still managed to arrive on time... It's almost like they plan it that way. 

I won't bore you with all the details of our 16 hour flight. Ava handled the flight way better than expected. She had a couple of bored outbursts (she's two.. It's gonna happen) but slept several hours. 

Our arrival in Newark was a little chaotic. After leaving the plane, we had to go through immigration. Since Ava has a Chinese passport and the sealed brown mystery envelope courtesy of the US embassy in Guangzhou, we were escorted by an armed officer to a strange waiting room while someone reviewed the contents of the brown envelope. 

Five to thirty minutes later ( I lost track... Dementia had set in by that point), an officer stamped some papers and handed us Ava's passport. Welcome to America. She waved bye bye and blew kisses anyway. She's a class act. 

At some point day 13 became day 14. We travelled back in time 12 hours, so I'm not sure when. 

Our flight to Atlanta was great. None of us could keep our eyes open. 

On the drive home, Todd says, "I never thought Atlanta would seem small. And the traffic! It's great." 

We made it home just after 10 pm. We slept ok, partly because we couldn't wait to see our boys in the morning. 

Adam was the first up. Ava recognized him from the photo book we had sent and ran to give him a hug. He was a little reserved, but sometime after we gave him his present (a special edition silver Thomas train), he whispered to Todd that he likes Ava now. He kept sharing toys with her and was an excellent big brother. 

Jacob and Ava hit it off in milliseconds. I wish I had pictures but I didn't want to interrupt the moment. They play trains, chase each other, squeal and laugh better than I could have ever dreamed. 

Our main struggle right now is figuring out what foods she will eat. We do know she likes hard boiled eggs (she ate three for breakfast and fed her fourth to Jacob). She only had a few bites of the noodles I made her for lunch and vetoed the grapes, sandwich, and BBQ Pringles. 

After a long nap, we spent a little time outside riding bikes and trikes, playing in the sandbox, and looking at the lake. 

She ate a little of the congee (mushy rice stuff) that I made for her and a few pieces of mandarin orange for supper. 

She and Jacob ran and squealed and laughed until I hauled Jacob to bed. He kept saying, "I want my sissy." These two are going to keep me busy. 

Our welcome to America selfie. 

She passed right out in her car seat. 

Threes company

Day 12

Outside of the hotel before a quick trip to the supermarket. 

Our hotel lobby. 

Ava loves Kinder Joy eggs, but apparently illegal in the U.S??

Ava napped on the floor today. 

Daddy bought his little girl her first purse. 

Now we are starting our long journey home!! 

Day 12

Outside of the hotel before a quick trip to the supermarket. 

Our hotel lobby. 

Ava loves Kinder Joy eggs, but apparently illegal in the U.S??

Ava napped on the floor today. 

Daddy bought his little girl her first purse. 

Now we are starting our long journey home!! 

Day 11

Day 11 was our big appointment at the consulate. I forget the numbers our guide said, but something like 800 Chinese people apply for travel visas to the U.S. every day. Something like 25,000 people apply for immigrant visas a year. 

There were hundreds of people lined up to get through security. The line for American citizens had one person. 

Upstairs in the waiting room, there were 9-10 other adoptive families also waiting. We were called one by one to the windows (much like at the DMV) and also like the DMV, there were 10 windows but only two were open. 

We basically promised all our paperwork was correct, and they promised we would get Ava's visa tomorrow unless we don't because the system is down.  

The whole thing was pretty anti climatic and a bit disappointing. 

We spent the rest of the day in our room resting and playing. 

Ava did not want to sleep, however. She would pass out as I rocked her but would wake up instantly as I laid her down. The problem was, at some point during the day, I had mentally checked out. I miss home, my boys, and being able to ask where the chocolate is at the grocery store. I'm tired...both mentally and physically drained. And playing "guess who doesn't want to sleep" was not on my agenda for the evening. 

After a major tantrum and a lot of crying, I finally sucked it up and acted like an adult. I brought out the baby lotion and gave Ava a baby massage, which she loved so much she wouldn't let me stop. Around 11-ish, we were both tired and greasy and finally fell asleep. She continued to toss and turn all night. 

It's going to be a long day. 

Wandering around the hotel lobby. Oh how I miss my flat iron. 

A really cool staircase in the lobby. 

Outside the consulate. 

Day 10

Home is where my heart is... But my heart is in two places. Todd and Ava are here with me, but my boys are back home. 

Oh, how I miss my boys. Up until today, we have been so busy that I could keep the homesickness at bay. But tonight, Todd's dad called to tell us that Adam was very upset and didn't want to go to school. 

Thankfully we were able to pass along some helpful tips we learned over the past year in training. We received an update that it worked, and Adam happily went to school. Now maybe I can get my own tears under control. 

On the China front, we spent most of today at Safari Park, a large zoo. At first, Ava was so worked up, we couldn't tell if she was excited or terrified. I *think* she was excited. 

Ava fed a giraffe!

Hot and tired. We had witnessed a lot of people staring at Ava and whispering about her birthmarks. I'm hopeful she did not overhear anything hurtful, and I'm thankful she seemed oblivious to the stares. 

Lil mama made a corner for her baby with a box bed, food, and water.