Okay an update!

Sorry it has been almost a week since an update on our little ladybug-been busy busy busy!!

We left Guangzhou last Friday at 10:00AM for Hong Kong. Had a little scare at the airport. When you leave China you have to walk through a temperature sensor to make sure you're not sick or anything. If you have a fever you cannot get on the airplane. Well...Miss Avery set it off-Great!?! We were asked if she had a fever and we said no, if she had been uncomfortable, we said no but we have been waiting in this airport for over an hour, and she was in the carrier, and I had socks on her, and a light sweatshirt. The airport wasn't really air conditioned, so she was hot. I ended up taking her socks off, and the sweatshirt, and the upper part of the carrier, and then had to back up with her again, in the carrier, and she didn't set it off-thank god!! So we were able to leave, it was always my fear we would set that sensor off. We gauged her closely the night before to make sure she was feeling good and she was fine, no fever...but that was only the beginning of our journey home.

The first flight was only 40 minutes long from Guangzhou to Hong Kong. Gary and I weren't sitting together, he was sitting behind me. I was nervous about that but she only fussed a little bit on this flight.

The next flight was from Hong Kong to Chicago and it was 14 hours and 40 minutes long-OMG!!!!!!!!!!! I had been nervous about this flight all week. I didn't feel good, had a sore throat, and stuffed up nose, and headache (woke up this way, had been fine all week). Avery hadn't had a bm in 2 days. So with tight cramped seats in economy, and a long flight ahead of us it was just a set up for disaster!!

About 2 hours into the flight after they served us some funky lunch Avery had a blow out in her diaper-yes on the plane. So here I am with a crying baby, in those small too cramped airplane bathrooms, with no changing table. She had to stand on the toilet while I cleaned her up, and then I had to wash and wring out her pants, while I had her in arm, and steady myself in the bathroom through some light turbulence. I never knew I could do that much with only one hand free. But I got her all cleaned up, nothing on me, or anywhere else. I got her pants washed and rinsed and wrung out. Got her changed into other pants, and everything. Then about 30 minutes later it happened again!! Our poor girl!! But Mommy had Daddy follow us up to the bathroom this time and stand outside the door. I felt like a surgeon. I'd open the door and say, "wipes", he'd hand them to me. I'd close the door. Open it again and say, "regular diaper", he'd hand it to me and I'd close the door again. Now I can laugh about it, but oh my goodness what an ordeal!! Her tummy quieted down after that, I double diapered her and we watched what she ate from then on and gave her only water to drink.

Avery only slept about 90 minutes during the 14 hour plane ride, other than that she fussed, and cried, and fussed, and played a little, and screamed, and it was horrible. I looked at Gary and said, "if we survive this we can do anything!!" -We did!!

The next plane ride was about 2 hours from Chicago to Syracuse. She slept most of the way on that one-thank goodness!! But all the stuff you have to go through when you get back into the states is ridiculous!! You're checked and scanned about 4 times, and then customs, re-check your bags, have them open your paperwork on her so that she is now a US citizen, and then security again. They check your plane ticket when you get to the gate and then once again right before you board the plane, and literally you've only taken 20 steps from one to the other. It was too much, especially after you've been flying since 10:00AM China time-but we got through it all!!

My Mom & Dad and Gary's Mom & Dad, met us at the airport. They were so thrilled to see Avery!! She was sleeping when we came through security, but quickly perked up and did some of her tricks (lip smacking, and tongue clicking, etc), she's quite the ham!

She hated her car seat, and cried and screamed until we got to Pulaski, about 20-25 minutes. Then it was like a switch, she stopped and was fine.

We've been doing good. She has had a hard time adjusting her sleep schedule, and so have Mommy & Daddy. But we've had meals brought in everyday by a lot of people and will have for another week and a half I think. So thank you to everyone who has helped with that.

She has met her Grandparents, and Great Grandparents, Cousins-Noah, Owen, Sammy, Jessica, and Jodi. Her Aunt Beth, and Uncle Steve. Her Aunt Liz, and Uncle Tom, and her Great Aunt Nancy. We had a kitchen full last night. She likes to be around people and will now go to people. I must admit it breaks my heart a little now that she goes to other people (it's a good thing, but I love being her lovey), but she is still a big Mommy's girl. We will still limit the number of people she goes to, she still has to bond more with us, and know that we're Mommy & Daddy and we're the ones who aren't leaving, and the ones she needs to go back to for comfort, and security. So as much as our families love her going to them, we still need to reinforce the bonding, and the rules for everyone.

She has opened up to Daddy a lot in the last 3 days. Especially today, and Mommy could leave the room, and she wouldn't cry or fuss so...big progress!!

She had her first official Dr's appt. today. We actually took her in on Friday, the rash on her leg was getting bigger, she was scratching it and we didn't want it to get worse so we called and got her in quick. It is just bad eczema, like we thought. It isn't scabies, we did a lot of research on scabies before we left and also while in China. She just has extremely dry skin, and also has some scaring on both ankles due to them not treating it in China. So we have a steroid cream for her eczema, and an antibiotic cream for the other marks on her, that they say are also scarred over from being tied. The same on her hips-being tied down. Makes me sick to my stomach to think of what she has gone through in those first 14 months of her life. But she will never have to go through that again, and we are here now to love her, and care for her forever.

It is amazing to me how resilient she is, and how she was able to open up to us, in such a short time. I know we still have a lot of bonding to do, and I know the attachment takes a long time, but we are getting there. She trusts us more and more each day. She is such a happy girl most of the time, giggles and laughs, and shares. The only time she's not is if she's hungry, needs a change, or wakes up in the middle of the night-typical for her age!

She is our Happy Little Hunan Girl!!

More updates to come in the following days...when I have time...

Love to all,
Alli, Gary & Avery :)