WE ARE HOME WITH LILI!!!!

Wow, I can't believe we are home!  Finally.  That was a LONG 2 weeks, and I was so bummed I couldn't get on the blog, but I was sure thankful that Donna was able to post things for me.

The flights with Lili were surprisingly uneventful!  She did absolutely great.  Only a little fussing, which is to be expected.  It was so unbelievably hot on the Seoul to Atlanta flight, if I was 16 months old, I would have been screaming!  As it was, I was pretty whiny...
Scott commented during the flight that he couldn't believe how well she was doing, and I said, "you have NO idea how many people are praying for us!"  More about the last several days in a bit.

Right now I want to update you on how things are going here.  Lili has been amazing.  Yesterday she got up and walked, by herself, down the hall!  I was totally not expecting it, and was only able to get the last few seconds on video.  She has done it again a few more times, but never when I have the camera going, of course.  She loves Oliver (one of our cats), and pets him gently if he comes near her.  She also loves their water dish...

Lili is doing as well as can be expected with the 13 hour time change.  She sleeps briefly on and off during the day, and has slept well at night too, with the exception of waking up to exercise her lungs for about 2 hours from 3am-5am (normally she was sleeping about 10 hours straight through in China).  During that time there is nothing we can do to make things better, but today a bottle at least got her quieted down enough that she finally went back to sleep til 9:30.  She took a great nap this afternoon (and so did I, in order to make up for getting 3 hours of sleep every night for the last 3 nights), and is playing contentedly with her new toys, while listening to an 80's Pandora station...she loves to dance and sing--it's really funny.

She is doing pretty well with meals--she does a great job feeding herself, and with her 16 teeth, can tackle pretty much any food.  She is not very picky, and eats heartily.  She has eaten a good variety of food since we have been home (she did not like the green beans, but did eat the bean out of the pod when I gave it to her--we'll keep experimenting!).

The only real problem we've had since getting home (other than the middle of the night stuff): she does not like being strapped into a carseat--I never knew how stiff and straight a kid could make herself when you are trying to get her into a sitting position against her will.  She settles in a minute though.

Scott spent the afternoon getting the main living area baby-proofed, and washing ALL our laundry from China (yey!!!).    We didn't expect Lili to be so mobile yet, but she is not letting anything slow her down.  She was trying to climb in to the bath fully clothed tonight as I was running the water.  She really likes her baths, and after a fresh diaper and a bottle, she is ASLEEP IN THE CRIB (8pm!).  Pray she does not wake up screaming at 3am...

Lauren got back into a normal routing today--Tae Kwon Do this morning, sledding with friends after lunch, and out to a play with friends tonight.  She has been such a big help to me with Lili, yet I know things are not quite what she expected.  She is enjoying being a big sister, however!  She is absolutely wonderful with Lili.

So, back to normal on Monday (except we'll still be jetlagged, I'm sure)--Scott goes back to work, Lauren starts school back up, and I  have to start cooking (drat).  *Sigh*--that hotel breakfast buffet sure was nice every morning for 2 weeks!

I actually did keep a journal while in China, and hope to post some of it soon.  For now, here are a few photos from the Buddhist temple (I did not go in for the blessing on the babies though) and the Chen (Chan?) house.  I haven't downloaded the last batch yet from our last few days in Guangzhou and the trip home.  As soon as I unpack and find the cable for my camera, I will!!