Hello cyber world!

I wanted to post some pictures from the trip that I hadn't been able to post yet. Also, I wanted to give an update now that we've been home just over a week.

Update first, pictures second. Go ahead and scroll down if you just can't stand it...

We have... one smart little girl! I know, I know... everyone says that. But do you have a two year old who can already sing part of the ABC song, can count out three things and say "One, two, three," can ask for a "drinka," can ask to go "Pah-tee," can find your shoes, her shoes, brother's shoes, baba's shoes, can take things upon request to the garbage can, her room, brother's room or mama's room? How about repeat four word sentances? How about go grab her coat and shoes when you ask her if she wants to go bye-bye? Can find a tissue if her nose is running? How many two year olds do you know who can go all night without any potty mistakes? Go to bed without crying? Sleep through the night? Chase you around the kitchen asking for a "bee-nan-uh! bee-nan-uh!"

We've been home 10 full days... WOW!

She can/will say just about any word you ask her to say. She doesn't know what most of them mean but we're working on it. I am amazed though at just how much she does understand!

Our relationship (mom & daughter) is getting better each day. It was pretty rough at the beginning. I'm not exactly the world's nicest person when I haven't received my fair share of sleep. Although I was expecting it, the lack of sleep/jet lag the first couple of days pushed me close to the brink. I was SO tired and SO frusterated. I was having a lot of trouble (see last post) getting Charleigh to go to bed. If we even went in her room and I started toward the bed she let loose. And the cry she would let loose was just the closest thing to a "bloody murder" scream I have heard in my life.
Tired, frusterated mom + bloody murder screaming in ear = }:(

Fortunately, we were able to get past that through trial and error. In the end, she likes the lights very VERY low (a night light is TOO bright. I end up leaving a bathroom light on and closing her door all the way. The little bit of light that comes through the door cracks is enough. She also likes me to lay on the twin bed, (she sleeps in a toddler bed) but I have to make a lot of noise for a few minutes or she thinks I've left. So I lay down flamboyantly, sing a little nighty-nite song, yawn loudly, toss and turn a few times and then lay quietly and still. She falls asleep pretty quickly. Tonight was less than 10 minutes.

The only dark spot in everything is that Clyde has had to work a lot lately (two reasons, one being we were out for such a long time he's trying to make up the hours, and two is that the nature of the propane business is that as the weather gets cooler, the propane business gets hotter!). As such, he's been gone from the house a lot, often leaving before the kids get up and getting home near to or after bedtime. Charleigh has become less attached/responsive to Clyde as she becomes more attached to me. I think once she realizes that we're a team and we're BOTH her parents all the time their relationship will rebound quickly. I wouldn't say she's attached in the technical sense of the word, to any of us yet. I think she likes us a LOT, but it's not "attachment" yet. And I'm not surprised, just mentioning it because I think it's important not to expect these children to love us on sight, or even shortly thereafter. It's going to take some time, and PROOF in her mind that we will not abandon her or send her away.

Bubba jr. is doing pretty well. He went back to school for a couple of days last week. I think the routine of school was good for him. Charleigh will go to the sameplace Bubba attends pre-k once I go back to work (late January). I think it's really good for Charleigh to see Bubba Jr get dropped off there everyday and picked up every afternoon. We visited her room, but she wasn't very interested in it... yet. I think she'll do well once it's time for her to go. Everyone there was excited to see her. They had seen pictures of her here on the blog so by the time we got home she was already famous ;) In fact I had a woman I swear I've never seen in my life stop me at church and says, "So this is Charleigh! I saw that cute picture with all the hair bows!" Woah, so hello all you people I don't know!! :)

I left Charleigh with a babysitter for the first time. The sitter was my sister, who was excited to be the first to babysit. I left both the kids, I'm sure it helped Charleigh that Bubba Jr. was there, too. I left strict instructions for my sister to call me if Charleigh got upset. My sister said that Charleigh cried quietly for less than 5 minutes right after I left. After that she had a great time with the other kids (My sister had three of her four with her as well as my two!) When I got back Charleigh kind of looked at me like "Oh. It's you. Nice of you to come back, but don't expect applause or anything." But I squatted down and put out my arms and she ran over... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh :) :) :)

Today we went to the local county park. She had a good time and is definately not shy about playing on the bigger equipment. None of the sissy slides for this girl! In contrast, Bubba Jr is quite the "caution-ist." I think he was four before he would consider going down the biggest slide. The big slide was all Charleigh did today! She also wanted to do this curving ladder thing. I had to draw the line on that one... though I bet by the summer she'll have it mastered.


Well my picture file uploader thing a mah bob is being we-todd-did, so looks like the only picture that's going up tonight is from Adoption Day (11-7). The day after Gotcha we travelled to the civil affairs office to finalize the adoption. It's pretty significant as at the time of gotcha you are just the temporary guardians. After the civil affairs meeting you are PARENTS! This is the entrance to the offices (we're actually on our way out at this point). You go through that elaborate metal door (via a secret passcode your guide knows) and up one level to the offices. First we were led to a holding room, then our guide goes through the paperwork one last time. After that we went to have a "family" photo and a new child's passport photo made. Both of these photos are absolutely hideous... but I guess it's the thought that counts. After the pictures is a brief interview. Why do you want to adopt? Do you like this child? Do you wish to adopt her? After the interview it's time to dole out all that cash I worked so hard to attain. I was frankly happy to be rid of it! And then we're done:

WOOHOO!

B