I miss sleeping...

Amelia has been going to be much easier, but she still can't seem to manage to stay asleep all night.  No matter what time we put her to bed (8:00 or 10:00), she still wakes up around 12:30-1:00 and wants to play until 4:00.  It was a very busy day for Amelia, so I hope that she is tuckered out and will sleep tonight.  I miss being able to sleep all night in my bed with David and Bailey.  I look forward to the day that I can sleep downstairs like normal.  I pray that Amelia will sleep through the night and that I will only have to go upstairs to check on her and not to sleep in the same room with her because she checks to see if someone is there.

Today, we got her up earlier than she has been since we were in China - 9:00.  We went to celebrate Christmas with my side of the family and have breakfast.  It was the first time that my brothers and their families have been able to see Amelia and spend time with her.  She was a bit cranky from lack of sleep, but I think she did pretty well considering how many people were there.  She opened attempted to open her presents and when I couldn't help her anymore, Poppy or Daddy helped her.  She started pitching a minor fit and my sweet nephew, Ford, (2 years old) leaned down and tried to comfort "Baby Melia".  He was so cute and said, "It's okay Baby Melia."  He then started crying because she was sad.  Amelia was so tired by the time we left that she fell asleep in the car on the 3 minute drive home.  David put her down for a nap and she slept for 2 hours before I woke her up.

This evening, David's sister, Laurie, and her two children, Benjamin and Sarah, came to meet Amelia.  Laurie brought pizza and Christmas presents, so it has been a very celebratory day for us.  Benjamin and Sarah had a great time with Amelia and played and played with her in the playroom.  Amelia has started trying to take independent steps between us, and she was thrilled to be able to take steps toward her aunt and cousins.  The children just loved that she would try to walk to them.  It was really cute.  I forgot to take pictures of anything today and am so sad.  I really would love to have documented Amelia's first meeting of her aunts, uncles, and cousins.

An update on the eye:

Yesterday, David and I tried to go back to the American Family Care doctor that we saw Tuesday night.  He was not there and the other doctor told us her eye was looking infected and that we should take her to the emergency room.  It was still swollen, but we didn't think it was emergency room material.  We decided to see if the Children's on Acton Road saw patients, but they only have after hours emergency care.  Dr. Chambers is in that building, but she was not at the office.  We decided to try the pediatrician.  I had looked at joining a certain pediatric practice before we left for China and was not happy that they refused to look at her file because they did not do any "preterm" visits.  I explained that we were adopting a child and would like her file reviewed by her doctor and they declined.  I tried to call this office and there was no answer.  We decided to go across the street to a pediatric office on Acton Road.  It is convenient to David's work, my work, and the preschool, but not convenient to home.  We went in and explained that we had no pediatrician and that the other doctor's office sent us to the emergency room, but we didn't think it was necessary.  A nice doctor decided to see us, and we decided to become her patient full time.  She did a thorough exam of Amelia and told us that she has worked with Dr. Chambers several times and would look forward to her reports.  She thinks that Amelia looks great from what she can tell and that she will have skin issues from what she could tell.  We already expected this, but it was good for her to confirm what we suspected.  She gave us an antibiotic for Amelia's eye and told us that she would NEVER have glued it.  We are to put warm compresses on it to try to break up the glue.  Amelia's eye is looking MUCH better.  There is still a little swelling and a lot of glue, but the redness has gone down and her eyeball is showing through normally.  Unfortunately, the antibiotic began its work on her stomach today, so diaper changing has been fun.  On top of this, Amelia now has two new teeth coming in on the top.  One has come through the gum a good bit and the other is just about to break the surface.

I was going to attempt to try to go to church tomorrow, but I am not sure how the night will go.  I think we need to try some little trips during the week before I take her somewhere and expect her to stay for an extended amount of time.  She HATES the car seat, so I really need to work on her getting use to this.  I have been sitting in the back seat with her, but when I am driving, it will be an entirely different screaming experience.  David is planning to go hunting tomorrow and come back Monday afternoon, so please pray that I will make it with Amelia by myself.  I am not concerned so much for Amelia but for Bailey.  I am afraid that I will be so wrapped up with her that I will forget to feed him and let him out.  I know that David really wants to get together with his guy friends and hunt before the season ends at the end of the month, but I am a bit nervous about having the night time by myself to battle the screaming when Amelia wakes up and wants out of the crib.  David has been great about taking over when he feels that I am getting frustrated (like last night after 2 straight hours of screaming because I wouldn't get her out of the crib).

Please continue to pray for our family as we transition into this new life.  I think we are doing the best we can right now.  I just keep reminding myself that we have only been home for 1 week, we are all still jet lagged, Amelia has never slept in a room by herself, and she is having to learn to live an entirely new life with strange people and a new language.  On a happy note, while I was holding her tonight, she actually reached out for David to hold her.  It only lasted 5 seconds, but she reached for him.  That's a HUGE step!