March 29, 2010

Gotcha Lily !!

It is hard to believe that a year has past and we are celebrating our first anniversary of the day we became a family. Our "Gotcha Day" that took place in Vung Tau, Vietnam last year.

I remember it so vividly. From Auntie and I working hard to get the hotel suite all set for your arrival, to the hydrofoil trip from HCMC to Vung Tau....feeling excited, a little apprehensive of the unknown but mostly just excitement that this day has finally arrived. The hydrofoil also carried a couple other families who we were travelling with us. We were all travelling together to meet you and their babies.

Vung Tau looked very beautiful. A driver took us to your orphanage where we would meet the Director and Vice Director. Here is Mommy and Auntie standing at the front of your building.

We first had to sign lots of paperwork, take photos and finally they walked us down a big hall to the Room of Babies. This is where you, Cedric and Olivia spent your first 5-6 months.

I spotted you very quickly because you were in the play walker sitting pretty in your yellow polka-dot outfit and matching Hello Kitty yellow socks. You had a pretty pink barrette in your hair. I squatted down in front of you so we could both get a good look at each other. My heart was so full of love for you. I was wondering how you felt and knew that I wanted to go slow and not startle you.

We spent about two hours together in the Room of Babies with the other families and your Nou Nou before we gathered you and bottles, congee, and diapers and made our way back to the hydrofoil.

It seemed to be a smooth ride as you slept for most of it but when you woke I got to see how loud you could scream. You were startled as you woke up in my arms and you did not know me very well. I knew you were a bit scared. I held you close to me and told you that all will be OK and you were safe. Then something magical happened Lily. I walked to the back of the boat with you in my arms. You were still crying a little but you were curious to see different things. We both took a look out of the small window to the water and there in from of us was a very big boat with the name "Lily" printed on it. Boy, I wish I had my camera but we both saw it together and I knew then and there that we were meant to be a family. "You", my daughter and "Me", your mother.

Getting Better

The last couple of nights have been good for us. On Monday night Lily only cried for about 5 minutes and last night she was almost asleep just before I put her in her crib. She just rolled over and that was it. We both slept until 7:15am. What a great sleep!!

Thanks so all or your tips on sleeping. What I have realized is Lily really likes routine and if I take her off the routine then we both pay for it. Just not really worth it right now.

I have to interject here b/c as I have not posted this now for almost a week due to not being able to upload a video I need to say that on Wed night we had a big set back so to speak.
I checked on her around 10pm as I put clothes away and I usually go to bed shortly after but I stayed up to watch a show until 11pm. I am so happy I did because when I opened the door to check on her just before crawling into bed I noticed a nasty smell. Lily had vomitted all down the front of her sleeper and on her sheet. That really scared me b/c she only had cried out for a moment as she would when she rolls around in her crib. Well, I can't even go there so I am just thankful that I caught it at night rather than the morning. I took her out of the crib and changed her and then tucked her into my bed where she woke up and snuggled with Bia (blanky). I went back to take all the bedding off. It really stunk. The windows were opend wide and I just shut the door knowing I would deal with this in the morning.

Crap sleep is all I can say when Lily is in my bed. She is all over the place. I woke up once and she was at the end of the bed. I have no idea how she got there as I had pillows all around on the one side. Morning came quickly. I will be so happy to have her back in her crib. And now it is Friday night and she has had two great sleeps (7:15pm to 7:15am) in a row. Knock on wood.

As of Wed at 9:00pm - Ugggg - OK I have tried for two days to upload this video and today it took 6 hours and nothing so no video.

Some recent photos instead:

Lily has recently been interested in building with her blocks rather than throwing her blocks. I am happy to see this as she will sit for a good 45 min just building.

Karla's mom knitted this beautiful sweater and hat set.

We wore it this past week when the temp was near 10.

The "after" of her first hair cut.

Stubborn like the Ox she is...

My beautiful, dependable sleeper is not any longer. I can say this now as it has become a trend rather than a "one off". For some reason she does not want me to give her the bottle in the bedroom rocking chair. On top of that she really does not want to be in her crib.

It started about 3 weeks ago and has been happening on and off now. Sometimes she wants only to have me feed her the bottle when she is in the crib (not much fun for me being hunched over). Sometimes she wants to feed herself the bottle but only if I bring her downstairs on the couch after bath. And then sometimes she wants to be in my bed (of course she does).

So tonight we had our regular books bath books bottle bed routine when she decided she did not want the bottle. I brought her down stairs with only sparkly lights on and she read books (we did spring ahead after all). Then, about 8:15 we went back up stairs. Putting her in her crib she screamed and screamed. I did some cuddling with her and then back in the crib. I shut the door, jumped into the shower and of course through most of my shower I kept hearing her "will". Out of the shower I went back in and tried to cuddled her to calm her down. She kept pointing to her change table so I put her on it, she pulled her blanket up and was quiet. She did not need a change and she was perfectly happy on the change table. Still wrapped in a towel, it was not a great place for me. So with her music playing I stayed with her for 10 min trying to calm her. After that time it was back in the crib where she again freaked out screaming and crying. I shut the door, put on my PJs and came down here to write my blog in hopes that someone can tell me what the heck is going on. Lily has always been a dream sleeper, very easy to put to bed and she sleeps for 12.5 hrs. Is it now pay back?

If you have any insight to this issue please let me know.

On another note we had the best weekend together with lots of play. We got our first library card and took out books, we registered for mom and tot gymnastics and we even went to look at cars. Many walks with the dog and best of all I was able to clean out my back porch, rearrange the pantries and fill up a couple bags of garbage, recycle and a cottage box.

Watch for a new video upload tonight or tomorrow.

Milestone

Well you could say Lily's milestone is that she turned 17 months yesterday but I think the milestone is that she ate spaghetti all by herself and she loved it. Italy here we come!!


It has been a challenging winter with illness, a new daycare move in Feb. interrupted sleep, OFTEN for Lily and my poor Charlotte who is not getting as many walks as she does when the weather is fair. But we have managed and I know we are on the other side of it now.

The new daycare move happened as I had been on a list for over a year but because I went back to work a couple months early I had to find something in the interim for Lily. Well, we fell in love with the interim daycare and the transition to the new one was very hard for both of us. The new daycare offered some subsidy for me which I just could not pass up and as well, it is in walking distance to our home and I just could not pass that up since it would be more walks for Charlotte and I am just not a big believer in using a car if you don't have to.

So after a week of crying and fussing, Lily settled in and we are now on our third week. One of the effects of this transition that I have noticed is that Lily has moments where she is just clinging to me and will not let me put her down. As well, in the night she screams out and when I check on her she is just scrambling from her crib trying to crawl up me as though I am a climbing wall and she is making her way to the top. Once that happens it is very hard to get her to fall back to sleep. Last night it happened again so I brought her into my bed and a few hours later, putting her back in her crib she woke and freaked out. Well, I just said "too bad", "this is your bed and mommy needs hers" I pulled up the railing, closed the door and after 2 minutes of a rant she went to sleep. Moral of the story....perhaps I need to let her cry it out more. Problem being in a semi you feel bad for your attached neighbours who you know can hear EVERYTHING.

On another note, our adoption agency is having their third annul Fundraising Gala. I remember that Lily's orphanage was the benefactor of the first fundraiser and I am so thankful. This year you can join me at a table for a 5 course dinner, cocktails before, silent auction and some other fun. Tickets are $85 each. If you are unable to join then please help a new facility in Vung Tau (near Lily's orphange). Please check out the Gala Details where there are options on the main page to donate to many causes to build and prepare the Long Hai Centre for the infants and children.