After arriving home at 2:00 am on Friday, September 13, I managed to get everyone bathed and in bed by 3:30 am. We had all slept quite a bit on the plane, so I really wasn't sure what to expect. I got some laundry going and got myself into bed. I set the alarm for seven, thinking it'd be better to go ahead and try to get up at a normal time. Josh ended up sleeping until eight and Abby and Will slept until 10:00. Once everyone was up, we ventured out to pick up Ella, our goldendoodle.
As expected, Abby was TERRIFIED of Ella. She shrieked and screamed every time Ella so much as looked at her. Luckily, Ella was pretty tired from her visit at the vet, so she was content to sleep in her crate for most of the day.
Our neighbor came over around lunch and sat and chatted with me for a while. It was so nice....she had done lots of reading on attachment and bonding while we were gone and knew all of the recommendations. I didn't have to explain to her that Abby needed hugs, kisses, and holding only from her family for a while....she knew that already and I was kind of relieved....that is always kind of an odd thing to try and explain to people!
On Saturday, we had a visit from DeeAnna (and Levi, Ethan, and Andrew) and another visit from Holly and her family. Oh, and we made just a bit of progress with Abby and Ella....
On Sunday, we decided to skip church, fearing it would be too much, too soon. We did meet our FireHouse buddies for lunch. It was great to see to see some of our friends and tell them all about our trip to China!
Sunday afternoon, we visited our friends May and Li, who are from China. They both speak Mandarin, so they were able to talk with Abby. Abby's face just lit up when she realized that she could communicate with them! They were able to talk with Abby about the upcoming week....how Will and Josh would be heading back to school, how I would be returning to work for just a few hours, and how she would be staying with Anita. They also talked with her about our dog, emphasizing how sweet the dog is (and she is, at least sometimes!)
On Monday, Abby and I saw Will and Josh off to school. She happily waved goodbye to them both as they boarded the school bus. I dropped her off at Anita's house and she happily waved goodbye to me as well. I hope it is normal that I was both happy and sad that there were no tears as I left her. I headed to work and managed to clear my jet-lag filled brain long enough to teach my two classes. Monday night began the meal service, thanks to my friend Sherry. Sherry coordinated meals to be brought to us several times a week for the first month. I am so happy to not have the worry about dinner for a while! Our friends Jodi, Staci, and Molly brought the first meal.....lasagna, salad, bread, and chocolate pie!
Tuesday brought a minor set back in the Abby/Ella relationship....Ella got a little too excited and scratched Abby's arm. It was a tiny little scratch but with it came tons of tears and what I am sure was some not-so-nice Chinese words! I was finally able to cheer Abby up with some noodles from the Rice Bowl. Tuesday night, our friends Laura, Emma, and Allison brought dinner, but more importantly brought some great girl toys! Abby had so much fun with the costume jewelry!
Wednesday, Abby went back to see Anita while I went to work. I picked her up at 11:30 and found her fast asleep! I guess all the excitement is wearing her out! I got her home for some lunch and she climbed right back into bed and slept until 4:30. I woke her up and we headed to church. I know, I know....we are supposed to be cocooning, but she seems to be doing so well and I feel like getting the boys back into our normal routine will help with the adjustment, so off we went! She really did amazing! She sat down and ate her dinner like it was nothing new. She went outside and played on the playground and then happily headed in with the other kids for the children's program. She was definately a bit of a star as all of the other little girls wanted to sit by her. She smiled the ENTIRE time....this child just loves life! I have a feeling that we will all learn alot from her...I can't wait to see!
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