When is Kindergarten??

I find myself looking forward to the day Jen starts school. She'll be more independent, gain confidence, yadda yadda....but really its just to see she and Will separated for a time. They just go at each other. Which is amazing considering they have only known each other for 11 days.

Will has his first dr. appt. on Friday, and Jenna gets to meet her teacher. A big day for both.

We've been home a week...

We've been home 1 week, which means today is the day Greg goes back to work. And today is the day my anxiety level is thru the roof. It has been sooooo hard this week. Soooo miserable, it feels like we've been living in a nightmare, and yet we chose this?

How many tears can we all cry in one day? Jenna has turned petulant, and doesn't want to share, even though she is playing with baby toys. Will still wants to hit and pinch her all the time, and I just want to pull out the gray hair that is now growing on my head.

The upside of yesterday, we all laughed 2 times. Does that balance out the tears?

How bad can it get??

We are miserable. There, I said it. All 4 of us. Happy Will is gone right now. He has become anxious and whiny. He is fighting naps and bedtime, whereas in China he was a champion sleeper. Tonight just sobbing in Greg's arms. He is hitting, pinching and throwing - and we are just so tired of it. I didn't expect this level of grief after 2 weeks, but here it is. He is clearly unhappy and struggling, and so are we. Jenna barely tolerates him, and tells us daily she doesn't want a little brother, doesn't want to share, doesn't want him in her room!!

If I wasn't so tired and frustrated I'd laugh. This morning I truly dreaded getting out of bed. I can only hope I feel differently tomorrow.

Sad isn't it?

Jenna and Will

We are home, and we are exhausted!

We made it home on Saturday, thank goodness! We flew into LA Friday night, and then stayed in a hotel. Forever in the immigration line, till someone took pity on us and a few others with babies. Ordered room service at the hotel at 10:30pm, and it was heaven! Scarfed every last bite.

Our family met us at the airport, which was great. Miss Jenna was so excited, and then she cried because she was nervous about her new little brother. Who could blame her? Things got rough later in the day, lots of tears for all of us. We all went to bed by 8pm. Will slept until 10:30 the next day - a feat I did not think possible!

Will is such an explorer, and I know that one day it will be wonderful, but right now it is really tough. He is touching EVERYTHING, knowing that some of it is off limits. Today, Monday, he was hitting and pinching Jenna like crazy. Not really to hurt her, but to get her attention or make her move out of the way. In any case, lots of no's and redirection. Jenna was sick of him, and we were sick of each other! He still despises getting his hair/face wet in the bath. He was in foster care for over a year, so they had to have washed his hair at some point - but he absolutely hates it. How long can a kid go with greasy hair??

Fatigue is still a major issue, which doesn't help our mood. Greg and I hit a wall about 3pm the last 2 days, so I hope it gets better soon.

We keep saying the mantra, things WILL change, things WILL get better. And I know that in my head, but it is hard to swallow. Jenna cried today that she didn't want a baby brother, and she didn't want to live with us any more. How many times can my heart break for her? Or for myself?

My bed is calling me....

Fw: Our last night in China

--- On Thu, 8/6/09, BethAnn Simpson <gregbeth2004@yahoo.com> wrote: From: BethAnn Simpson <gregbeth2004@yahoo.com> Subject: Our last night in China To: gregbeth2004.will@blogger.com Date: Thursday, August 6, 2009, 8:28 AM We have just finished our last night in Guangzhou!  We leave Friday night at 6pm to fly to LA, and then home on Sat.  Today we had our appt. with the US Consulate, where we got Will's visa for his return trip home.  He really didn't want to cooperate; he is a man on the go after all.   There is a typhoon heading just north of us that will hit tomorrow, so we are crossing our fingers and toes that we can get out of here on time!   I'm attaching some last pictures, one of Will holding onto the chair as he poops.  I know - how sick am I??  But it is so damn funny, he grunts like a caveman.  There is no confusion over what he is doing, and I'm sure one day he will be thrilled that I am commenting on his bodily functions.   Thank you for all the good wishes, it has meant the world to us!

A rainy Thursday

Fw: More pics

--- On Tue, 8/4/09, BethAnn Simpson <gregbeth2004@yahoo.com> wrote: From: BethAnn Simpson <gregbeth2004@yahoo.com> Subject: More pics To: gregbeth2004.will@blogger.com Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2009, 10:03 AM Today we went to the zoo, and wow was it huge.  The air conditioning on the bus was broken on the way back to the hotel, and I thought we would all roast in what felt like a convection oven.  We also took some group pictures on the red couch at the hotel, and Will was looking handsome in his traditional outfit.  He actually cooperated for a few photos!   Later we took a walk to the local herbal market - an absolutely amazing experience.  We saw dried seahorses, starfish, fish stomachs, and sea urchin.  Dried frogs, snakes and deer tendons.  Every herb and root imaginable.  Then there was the live animal street including scorpions and turtles to eat; chicks, bunnies, gerbils, fish, cats and dogs to keep as pets.  The sights and smells were memorable.  Lots of pictures, and no, we did not eat anything!  Will's eyes were huge as he looked around.   We have a large tropical depression headed our way tomorrow, so we will be stuck in the hotel for a few days.  Stir crazy anyone?

The famous red couch, herbal market and more.....

Day 3

We went shopping this morning with our guide, Kelly.  A long, but fruitfull exercise!  After a good nap this afternoon, we took Will down to a play room they have here at the hotel.  It is great, full of fun baby toys and lots of room to run around.  Which was literal in Will's case.  There was only one other kid as active as Will, and she was 3 years old!  He loved the bucket that contained some legos, so much that he decided to wear it as a hat.

Will tasted ice cream for the first time tonight. ( they have some hagen daas at a local store)  Believe it or not, he didn't like it!  It was too cold, and he made a nasty face, and then refused any more.  Just give him starches please.

Tomorrow is the zoo, assuming the tropical depression headed our way hasn't brought any rain.

Fw: Finally in Guangzhou!!

--- On Sat, 8/1/09, BethAnn Simpson <gregbeth2004@yahoo.com> wrote: From: BethAnn Simpson <gregbeth2004@yahoo.com> Subject: Finally in Guangzhou!! To: gregbeth2004.will@blogspot.com Date: Saturday, August 1, 2009, 2:23 AM We finally made it to Guangzhou.  6 days in Fuzhou was enough!  It was a beautiful city, but just too hot to really enjoy.  We spent our last morning introducing Will to his first swimming pool.  Tentative at first, and stayed close to Dad, but I think he enjoyed it.  He didn't much enjoy the other little girl there who liked to splash his face!  Bonked her in the head with an empty water bottle - take that!   We flew to Guangzhou Friday night, and our adventurer was all over the place at the airport.  We got a lot of stares, some laughs and some dirty looks - but he is a toddler on the move people!  We had our first western meal in a week at the airport, KFC.  That's right - and it was the best damn meal ever!  Will promptly fell asleep on the plane.  Got to the lovely White Swan Hotel at 10pm, and couldn't get him back to sleep until 12:30am.  Even then he had a very restless night.  So did we.  Did you know that sleeping on what amounts to a box spring really bites?  So hard my legs would fall asleep if I slept on my side.   Today we had to get Will a visa picture, and then his medical exam.  He did wonderfully, only cried when the doctor had to look at his palate to confirm the surgery for the cleft.  She saw a tiny fistula(hole) right behind a tooth in the hard palate, so perhaps that is why his breath is less than rosy.  He is officially 27 lbs and 31 inches tall.  Greg is off filling out paperwork for the consulate, and I finally got Will down for a nap.   For this quiet moment, I am thankful.   Keep up the emails!!

Guangzhou Day 2 part 2

Today we toured the Chan Family Temple.  Not really a temple per say, more of a compound for the family while in Guangzhou.  Built in 1889, it had the most ornate wood carvings I have ever seen.  It was fun to think of little kids running around the courtyards so many years ago.  They must have been hardy, because the heat is enough to melt paint!   We played with Will at the pool today, and even water doesn't slow him down.  He just babbles constantly.  He now lets Greg wrestle with him on the floor, and it is so cute.    A good day overall.  Tomorrow we do a little shopping, so let's see how my haggling skills hold up.

Guangzhou Day 2

HE SMILES ON CAMERA!!!!!!