Our One in a Billion: Home, Sweet Home!

Wow. I can't believe it's been almost a week since our return to the U.S. Time in China seemed to stand still, and now that we're back it's flying. We have barely emerged from the fog of hibernation. I'll do my best to recap the past week!

The flights back were interesting. The Duke and I were extremely sleep deprived, as expected. Panda was a cute little champ and throughout the entire 36 hour trip, cried for only one hour. That one hour may have included me rocking him in the aisle on the 14 hour flight to sleep while a random older Chinese lady stood with me in show of solidarity and support, rubbing his head. It was touching, to say the least. Multiple times I thought I had him to sleep and went to lay him in his seat, and he'd wake up and we'd begin it all again. So many kind people surrounded us and tried to help in anyway they could. All in all though, only an hour of screaming on a 14 hour flight isn't bad at all! Especially when he slept for the next 10. It was pretty awesome.

He enjoyed being with us throughout the trip, both layovers and flights. We had an umbrella stroller we had gotten in China and used it to roll him through the multiple airports we were hanging out in for hours at a time. His favorite activity was kicking his little feet donning his red Christmas socks and hollering at any lady we passed. If he was lucky enough to get their attention, (which was often; he's loud) he'd blow them a kiss. Seriously. It was the funniest thing ever. By the end of our layover, he was usually a bit of a celebrity amongst the other passengers. His personality was absolutely cracking us up - who knew he'd be such a ham?! Add his outgoing, friendly personality with the face of a 1 year old, and it is easy to quickly become popular. (BTW - based on his cognitive and emotional abilities, he is definitely not 1...closer to 3. But in the body of a 1 year old.)

We arrived home around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, threw Panda in the bath, and went to bed. It was the first time we've really let Panda play in the bath, as the water in China isn't safe to drink and we didn't want him getting it in his mouth. (A good precaution on our part bc one of his favorite things to do in the tub now is drink the water!) I wish I had recorded his first American bath. I have never seen anything like it! The pure joy and excitement at how water works was amazing to watch. He was fascinated by the simplest things: what happened after he dipped his hand in the water, what happened when he built up the courage to slap the water, wiping the water on his face and basking in the wet feeling. He seriously laughed and squealed for 45 minutes straight. We didn't have the heart to take him out! So he just ended up sleeping in there.
Kidding...=)

The Duke had set his alarm for a few hours later so he could get Ladybug up. She was so missed! And the feeling was mutual. She is seriously dealing with more abandonment issues than Panda right now! It was so bad the first few days she was terrified to go to sleep, afraid we wouldn't be here when she woke up.

The first few days home we have spent in survival mode - The Duke and I were severely jet-lagged and had to take turns sleeping while the other watched the kiddos. (napping on the couch, bc one or both kids would freak if one of us was out of sight) We have also been working hard to transition Panda to American time. I'm writing this on Thursday evening, and he's officially there! It's been a successful week at least in that one way!

Panda and Ladybug absolutely adore each other! It has been the most heartwarming thing to watch as they play and interact. Even when they get in trouble together...at least they are doing it together! She has been so nurturing and kind toward him. I've been impressed! She was the only child for 4 and 1/2 years, plus with some special needs which kind of adds extra special attention from parents constantly. Of course we worked hard to prepare her for a brother, and I know there'll be some challenges soon, but for now I'm so proud of her attitude and kindness.

(It's so hard to find pictures where he isn't eating...)

So a quick rundown of how things are going with Panda:

Panda Awesomeness:
- SOOOO happy to be home. He seriously seems to sense that this is his last stop in a long line of hotel rooms and is loving it.
- Playing constantly, with more frequency by himself. Lots of learning!
- Building some major stamina - he can now crawl for almost an hour straight before falling over covered in sweat. The week we got him it was about 1 minute before he was soaked in sweat. Each day it's a little more.
- Loves Ladybug, the Duke, and I, and suspicious of others. Great sign of correct bonding
- The car seat - we worried about this one. We rode in a car everyday in China and they don't use car seats. We weren't sure how he'd respond to being strapped down, but he doesn't mind at all. He absolutely LOVES being in the car.
- Picking up on the concept of language for communication. It looks like Panda didn't even understand the concept of language and how it was used. He didn't understand Mandarine or English. Or that people and objects have names. We think it's because they kept him in the infant section of the orphanage since he still looks so young, and there doesn't seem to have been a lot of speech there. All of his happy sounds sound eerily like an infant crying. It's strange. He now seems to get "hi" and "byebye" and "no" and "all done". That's about it, but he's responding to speech now unlike before. His sounds are beginning to sound more speechlike too.
- Mimicking facial expressions and tones from us.

Panda Challenges:
- Eating. Not sure what our exact challenges are- I think he has a cavity in almost every tooth can can't chew correctly. Maybe some flavor and texture shock as well. We have a very limited list of food he'll eat, and none of it includes fruits or veggies.
- Drinking. He will not drink anything unless it's his Chinese formula in a bottle. No sippy cup of any kind or even a regular cup. No water or juice or milk or even American formula. He's got us trying everything, and to no avail. I kind of wonder if anything cold or room temp hurts his teeth? We've tried all of those warm too....I don't know.
- Sleeping. Getting better, as we have fallen into a routine and the predictable nature helps I'm sure. He's still in our bed as he gets scared a lot at night that we've left him.
- The Dog. Haha! Poor kid. We probably have the smallest, most cuddly and chill dog on earth. But it better not come anywhere near Panda! It's one of the only times he freaks out and cries during the day.
- Brushing his teeth. It is just not going to happen right now. Probably hurts.

All in all, Panda and Ladybug are adjusting really well, praise God!! We appreciate all the the amazing friends and family who have brought by clothes, food, and Christmas presents to help make our lives easier this week. Our support system has been a life-saver. I have cried multiple times out of gratitude for the kindness and love from those around us. Thank you all so much! God bless and happy New Year!