Loooong Update!

Trip Home: Faith did wonderful on our trip home. We were not the only adoptive families on the plane so that made us feel a lot more at ease. We kept her entertained with toys, books and a movie. The plane Brian and I took to China had a screen in front of you in the headrest so you could watch your choice of tv or movie. This plane was much older and had the big screens throughout the plane. We thankfully had Brian's laptop and Faith watched KaiLan. She didn't pay much attention to the tv in our hotel so thankfully she loved KaiLan and watched it 3 times before the battery went out. She feel asleep once around her nap time but was woken after 20 minutes. Then around 9pm she feel asleep and slept the last 3 hours of the flight. We had a 3 hour lay over in Chicago so we had plenty of time to get to the next gate, eat and let Faith stretch her legs before getting on the short flight to Birmingham. We were very happy she slept on the flight to Birmingham. We flew on a very small plane with no room to move around.

November 23rd Wednesday, Airport: Finally we were home! I was so eager to see my boys and family. I think I kissed and hugged Owen and Cade a thousand times within the first hour. I swear Cade grew a couple of inches while we were gone, he seems so much older. The boys were so sweet meeting Faith. They just stared at her, touched her and talked to her. She didn't mind them touching her and just watched their every move. If adults touch her she moves away but is more comfortable with kids.

Faith did well on the ride home. It was the first time she had been in a car seat. I sat in the back and gave her smarties. She pulled at the straps and cried some but overall did good. I remember looking at all 3 of them on the way home and feeling a little overwhelmed....alot of responsibility....but at the same time feeling more like a family. I guess since Brian and I came from families of 3 children, our idea of a family is 3. We went home and gave the boys gifts, ate and got settled. The boys played with Faith and showed her her room. Watching them play was very surreal. It was like 2 different parts of my life were 1. It is hard to explain. Everything became real. Next we opened some gifts from a sweet friend from Selma, Angie. Angie went to school with my younger sister and followed our adoption journey on the blog. God put us on her heart and she posted encouraging comments for us along the way. She was so thoughtful to send bubble blowers for the boys to play with Faith and some girlie toys for Faith. She also put a devotional in for Brian and I. After play time everyone took baths and went off to bed. It took a while to get Faith to sleep and she cried for the first time since those first days of being with us. She only woke once during the night. So overall I think she did great, she had to be exhausted!! Since she is such a great sleeper we are not cosleeping, she is in her crib and I am sleeping on a twin mattress in the floor next to her. We don't want her to wake up and get scared thinking she is alone. This is the closest to how we were in the hotel and it is working for us.

Thursday 24th-Sunday 27th: Mom, Ashley and Joyce fixed us a great Thanksgiving meal before they left Wednesday. All we had to do was heat it! It was delicious and very sweet of them. We are forever grateful for Mom and Joyce taking care of the boys while we were gone. The next couple of days we just hung out and let everyone get to know each other. We loved on the boys and caught up on sleep. Owen was recovering from a tummy bug so he was still a little under the weather. We were able to get everything unpacked and put away within a few days and started catching up on washing clothes. Which was good since Monday starts a school week.

Faith also woke up Thursday and Friday night but after that she has slept through the night. Friday when the boys and Brian left for the first time to go to WalMart, she was whiny for about 20 minutes but then calmed down and played. While it was just she and I, she acted like the happy, 'talkative' little girl we got to know in China. It was nice to see and be reminded soon she will be happy all the time. Not that she isn't happy since we got home she is just quiet and very observant. She is processing her new environment and trying to figure everything out. We have had 2 of our siblings and their families who live out of state come by for visits on their way back home. She has been reluctant for the first 15 minutes of the visit but then has felt comfortable to get down and walk around and play with the kids. She still likes her space with the adults. We wanted to get her use to the car seat so we drove to McDonald's for lunch. She did really well if we were feeding her so I guess I will need alot of snacks for carline.

Monday 28th-Saturday 3rd:
Faith did wonderful in the car this week. I guess she is learning we spend a good amount of our day in it. By the end of the week she was dancing to music. She grabs her feet and bounces them up and down. She loves to clap and bounce to the music. She has unbuckled the harness to her car seat and another time was able to wiggle one arm out.

The first few days she had to get use to our schedule. She was a little whiny and uneasy. I think she had to realize that Brian, Owen and Cade leave and they return. I have enjoyed our alone time on Tuesday and Thursdays while Cade is at school and then it is nice to see them play together on the other days.

Faith is very observant and copies alot of things. Cade threw himself back during one of his tantrums and kicked his legs back. She sat next to him and laid back and threw her legs up. Not exactly what I want her to copy. This comes in handy when I am showing her how to do something, she catches on quickly. She is good repeating words and has learned a few new words. She is now consistently saying: Mama, Dada, Owen, Ca(Cade), ByeBye, Hey, UhOh, up, Mo(more). The first day we took her outside she would not touch the grass. She would hold her legs up when we would go to put her down. Now she is running around the yard, swinging, sliding, riding in the truck with Owen or Cade, playing with riding toys, playing with a ball, and going up and down the porch stairs. She is a climber. She can scale my bedside table to get to my things and pull her self on Cade's bed, the couch and chairs. She likes to jump on the couch and trys to stand on the end table. She scared me the other night when she fell backwards from the kitchen chair. I think I am going to have my hands full for a while :)

The other night she started yelling at the boys in jibber jabber or Mandarin. She would point her finger and put her hands on her hips. It was hilarious!!! We were happy we got it on video. Our little spicy Chengdu girl!! We are starting to see her personality more and more each day. She is getting more comfortable around the boys and getting more affectionate with us. She has all 3 boys wrapped around her finger.

Wednesday we took Faith for her first trip to Walmart. Your not an American until you go to WalMart! I needed a hairdryer since I blew mine the first day in China. I also wanted to shop for foods that Faith likes. She is a really good eater, our grocery bill will go up with her around. Next we went by our hairdresser's house so she could trim Faith's hair. We also were there to pick out the kids' Christmas gift from us...the 6th member of our family. We are getting them a Male Golden Retriever. The boys have been so sad since we had to find Millie, our ShiTzu, a new home due to Cade and Brian's allergies. They seriously ask everyday about her and talk about how they want her back. So since we can't live in the same house with a dog, we knew we would eventually get an outside dog. Brian and I have always had dogs so we want the kids to also have a dog. I know we are crazy to get one so soon since bringing Faith home but we are. The puppy will be ready Christmas Eve. I am soo excited to see their faces when we surprise them. We took Faith by to see how she would react to the mom and dad dogs. She was all over them, she loved it! That afternoon, I stepped away from the house for the first time. Owen had a dentist appointment and cried wanting me to take him. He obviously needed some Mommy time so I reluctuanly left Faith. She loves her daddy and did well while I was gone. Thursday Faith and I went out trying to find her some shoes that fit her and a jacket. No luck on either so we'll try again another day. Friday we cleaned and Saturday we pulled out some Christmas decorations. We don't want to change the environment Faith is getting familiar with so I only pulled out things that the boys would enjoy and a few of my favorites. We decided not to put up our very large Christmas tree. We put the boys tree on the dining room table and I let Owen pick out the decorations to put on it. I am sure the people who know me best are dying right now. This is soo out of my character...but we are going with simple this year. We will still have an extra special Christmas celebrating the most important reason and spending time with all our blessings.

This week our sweet friends took care of us by providing dinner for us all week and bringing frozen dinners for last minute meals in the future. We are blessed with special friends that God put in our lives during this special time. This week we also had visits from Nana, Poppy, Granddaddy, Mimi and Pawpaw. Faith is warming up to them as she is getting more comfortable at home.


The boys as big brothers:
Owen is a great big brother. He can be wild and crazy but as soon as he gets around her he is so sweet and gentle. He runs to her when she falls and helps her up. The first few days when Cade and Faith would fight over a toy, Owen would step in and take up for Faith. He has been so good playing with her and showing her toys. If she has something she isn't supposed to have, he will give her a toy in order to get it from her. Which is much sweeter than just taking it from her. He gives her hugs and kisses all the time. The past few days we have had to tell him to back off, she is starting to push him away :)

Cade and Faith's relationship has had to be nurtured. When we first came home Cade had alot of tantrums because Faith was playing with all his toys. He has never liked to share so we knew that would be an issue. Faith also wants everything he has. So we are trying to teach her she can't just take toys from Cade and Cade is learning not to go bananas every time she reaches for something he has. Cade has learned that she will give the toy back voluntarily if he asks. Faith likes to hit Cade when he starts getting upset so we are also trying to put an end to that. They have had some very sweet moments of hugs and cuddles on the couch.

Maybe I will get some pictures up tomorrow or the next day :)