Making Adjustments

We have been home for one week now, and adjustments are being made to our new lives together. Above is my niece, Bentley who was the first to visit her new cousin. She couldn't wait to see Teagan. Bentley is in the fifth grade and she is doing a year long project on China for school. She has a real life China display in her cousins.

Teagan is doing so much better just the last two days. She is much happier now and plays for short times without me in the room. She actually slept last night for the first from 9PM to 7AM without waking for a bottle or just to be reassured that someone was with her. I hope this continues with her sleep. I realized that she sleeps much better on her stomach even though she doesn't like to lay on her stomach to play. As far as her development, there have been changes there too. She can now sit independently for about 3 minutes by herself before falling over. She is using her hands better too and playing with her toys more. She has rolled off her tummy a few times--this is something we need to work on. She doesn't seem like she can move very easily. The last photo is a picture of her with her foster mother in China. You will see that she is very bundled up (several layers of clothing). I am sure this is why she is having so much difficulty moving. She wasn't able to move for so long being so bundled. I am sure she will catch up quickly. As far as her health, this too is getting better. She is now on a different formula as the Chinese brand is gone. She has been spitting up, but I hope she adjusts to it ok. She had hives the first 3-4 days home, and these too have left. She just went through so much the last 3 weeks with change that I don't think her body knew how to handle it all. She now seems to be in a good routine at home and is eating well, so we are on our way!!

Briley is also doing well adjusting to the changes in her life with Teagan. I think she had the hardest time adjusting back to this time zone. She would be so tired that she would fall asleep at 5 or 6 PM and then be up at 3 or 4 AM. This went on for several nights. She finally (just last night) was able to stay awake long enough in the evenings to make it to 7am in the morning. She enjoys Teagan, but I'm not real sure that she is glad she is here. She tries to help with her feedings, wants nothing to do with poopy diapers, and says she is a lot of work for me. She told my mom that I am always talking to Teagan and holding her. I am trying real hard to hold Briley just as much and I try each day to do something special with just her. I know there will be times that Briley is jealous of Teagan--this is to be expected. For over 4 years, Briley had me to herself. Now she is learning how to share me with her baby sister. Briley was excited to have me take Teagan to preschool with her the first day back so she could show Teagan to her teachers. Right now, Briley is pushing Teagan in her doll stroller!
We have had many visitors. Here is Aunt Lisa holding Teagan. Teagan is doing well with letting other people hold her--she just keeps me in her sight. As for me, I too am adjusting to being a mother of two. I was so tired at first because Teagan was up most of the nights crying. I really needed the help of my parents during the day so that I could sleep. I knew this would be difficult, but never imagined that it would be this hard. We are on the upswing now though and I am feeling so much better about everything. Teagan really is a pleasant child during the day and her personality is really starting to show. She gets excited and her whole body will shake.
Here is a photo of Teagan and her foster mother. They are standing on the grounds of the Fuzhou Social Welfare Institute in Fuzhou, China. You can see how bundled up Teagan is--no wonder she can't move very much. I sent a disposable camera to the orphanage late in December with a few items for Teagan and the foster family. I also sent a small photo album of photos of Briley and myself, our cat, our home, and other family members. The night I got Teagan, they handed me the camera back. I got the photos developed in Guangzhou. Someday, Teagan will be glad she has these photos.

As far as this blog, this will most likely be my last post. I will keep it going, if there are enough comments posted that people want to still see updates on us. I see most people or talk to them regularly that I don't feel the blog needs to go on. I have really enjoyed the blog and being able to keep people informed of us while in China. Thanks for checking in on us and reading the blog.~Debbie