Tuesday, October 27, 2009

It's OFFICIAL!



Changsha Day 3 - October 27th
We just got back from making Nora an official Metzdorff!
We stopped at a baby store for supplies and along with the diapers and formula I found a couple more pairs of shoes and a nice little sweater.
The sizes are crazy so I'm having a hard time finding shoes for Isabel. The shoes selection in China is truly amazing compared to the U.S. After we got back, Mamie my guide, had arranged for the hotel staff to bring a birthday cake up to the room and sing Happy Birthday to me. It was a very nice treat and the cake was delicious (White cake with oranges in the whipped cream frosting).
Nora is taking a nap. The first few hours yesterday Nora was pretty sad but she really perked up in the afternoon. We spent the afternoon and evening playing with toys. I actually taught her "How Big" (I forgot to mention that in yesterday's post). She's very chatty and will fit right in with Isabel and Mom. But then bed time was approaching and I was getting nervous.
With Isabel we tried putting her in the crib in China and she cried and cried. It was months after we were home that I could set her in her crib awake without her throwing a complete fit. Her whole adoption trip she slept on blankets on the floor with a pillow on either side so she couldn't roll into anything. Isabel also always fell asleep during her bottle and I just put her in her "floor crib" and we were done until she woke up a few hours later and we walked and walked and walked or at home we rocked. Needless to say Isabel was not a good sleeper. She is now, but it took three years to get there. So this was the point where I was getting nervous...
What would Nora be like for sleeping and the crib? Initially my game plan was the following; give her a bottle and she'll get all baby drunk and put her in the crib and we're done. The only hitch is that she is not wanting her bottle. I don't know if it's because it doesn't look like her bottle at the orphanage or what? I tried the bottle at noon yesterday and she drank a little, but not much. Last night she wanted none of it. I found out today that at the orphanage she was rarely given anything but bottles with a thick mixture of formula and cereal. So since I had given her a steamed egg and baby food carrots she wasn't hungry and she didn't want her bottle.
Evening was approaching… I got her ready for bed, she started getting cranky around 7pm so I thought, let's just try to put her in the crib and see what happens. To say I was shocked was an understatement, she was happy in the crib, she babbled for a few minutes and went right to sleep. This is the stuff of urban legends. She woke up around midnight and I just changed her diaper (per the instruction from the orphanage) and put her back in the crib and she went back to sleep quickly and slept until about 6 this morning. Put a child in the crib and the child goes to sleep... who knew there was such a thing?
Let's just hope it continues....

9 comments:

  1. Congratulations! What an amazing birthday. I am so glad she slept well for you, I am sure it was an exhausting day.

    Oh Margaret, we are so happy for all of you!

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  2. Hey Margaret,

    Today is October 27!! Happy Birthday! What a nice birthday present for you! Hope things continue to go well for you and baby Nora!

    Nancy

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  3. I'm with you... SHOCK that you place a child in the crib and go to sleep. Certainly not our experience either! All is well with Miss Isabel - she is VERY excited to meet her new baby sister (and I believe Ivy is jealous - thanks a lot). We are sending you Happy Birthday wishes and lots of love!!! Mel

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  4. Margaret, what a doll. You both look so happy. I am sure Isabel is doing great. Nice that she is able to see pictures of the two of you. I hope all is going smoothly. take care, mp

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  5. Hey Margaret,

    You two look so happy. I can tell that there will be much discussion in your house. The picture of her laughing is priceless. I am glad that things seem to be going well. Maddy and the rest of us are very excited about your trip. Maddy is also very excited for Ms. Isabel's visit. Your blog is excellent, It is a real highlight of my day. Looking forward to meeting Nora. Best of luck.

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  6. A happy sleeping baby! What a blessing for a late in life mom with gray hair. Isn't it wonderful to realize how unique each child is. She is a mystery to be unfolded and awed and loved. It makes my heart overflow with gratitude to know she is yours and a part of our family.

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  7. Happy Birthday Margaret! Happy A-Day Nora! What an amazing couple of days. Hope you both are having a great day! That cake looks so good, I miss the fruit topped cakes from China. I wish I could find one in Minneapolis. Has Nora been to the pool yet? Hopefully you will have a couple of days now to relax, see the sights (sleep on the bus) and just hang out.

    Don't worry about the shoe sizes, just buy a bunch that Isabelle will grow into and if you get the size wrong for the season Nora will get a chance to wear them down the line.

    Have a great day! Looking forward to the next post.

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  8. Happy Birthday Margaret--what a great present, a baby that goes to sleep easily! She is so cute and you look very happy. Ellie also liked her bottles mixed with formula and very hot! It was like oatmeal sludge, but she sucked it down. I had to widen the nipples so she could drink it more easily. We had to wean her off of it to get her to eat anything. We love seeing the updates. By the way, that is Chris' post above mine.

    ~Liz (Chris), Ellie & Stella

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  9. Hello from Isabel! She just had a little cry that I think was mostly about missing you. When we were decorating Halloween cupcakes tonight, she mentioned that she was decorating one for you... I had to remind her that she would not be seeing you for a little while.

    The girls are in the bathtub right now, with supervision provided by Nanc. That means tired girls and lots of water on the floor for me to mop up!

    Nanc just spoke to Dan about the hand-off tomorrow. Isabel seems excited to see Papa but I know we're going to miss her. She and Ivy have enjoyed this time together, despite the competition factor. Nanc finally has an understanding that each plate, cup, etc needs to be exactly the same or we are in for a battle!

    We continue to send thoughts and prayers your way! We hope sleep has gone as smoothly for you both as it did that first night!!

    All our love!
    Mel, Nanc, Ivy & Isabel

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