Merry Christmas to all from the Clements family!!

You can see more pictures of our trip and homecoming at the link below:

http://www.onetruemedia.com/my_shared?z=22859000edad7e6952b17e&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

Sleeping Through the Night!

I talked to my friend Julie yesterday and she suggested I continue updating our blog for awhile, as communication (on my part) may be difficult these first few weeks or months. I hadn't really thought about it but I think she's right. I don't know how many people will continue to follow our progress, but for those of you who do I hope this will help you to feel a part of our journey.
And, as we said from the very beginning, this blog also serves as a sort of journal for us so that later we can look back and remember what these first few days with Daniel were like.

Daniel slept through the night for the first time last night which was a blessing for him and us. He has been so exhausted but we kept him awake all day yesterday (Sunday), hoping that he would be tired enough to sleep all night. Kristen put him to bed about 10:30 p.m. and he slept until we woke him at 7:30 this morning. Neil and I are still suffering from jet lag ourselves, so we are continuing to wake up anywhere between midnight and 2 a.m. and having trouble getting back to sleep. I am relying on mild sleeping pills that my doctor prescribed for me before we left, but the girls have instructed me that I can only take them for another week. :) They are looking out for me!!

Daniel had more visitors yesterday. Our friends Jim and Jodi stopped by with a meal and spent a little bit of time getting to know Daniel. Again, I was surprised by how well he interacted with them. He is making such progress as it relates to meeting new people. He will now make eye contact and say hello (with a little bit of prompting from us) and will usually carry on a bit of a conversation. Although this sounds like a small thing, for Daniel it is a huge step.

Today was Neil's first day back at work and I know he is struggling to get back into a normal routine. I know he is also missing Daniel and Daniel is missing him. Kristen and Lindsay are taking turns keeping Daniel entertained and busy and I am thankful that they are here to help. I wonder how in the world I will keep him occupied when it is just me and him. After the holidays I will need to get busy finding a playgroup for him. After being with other kids 24-7, I know he will be a bit lonely when the girls go back to school and it is just me and him.

We're Home

I have to apologize for not posting sooner. The past two days are a blur. We arrived back in Bloomington at 2:15 a.m. on Thursday after 30 straight hours of travel. Our flight from Chicago to Bloomington was delayed 3 hours due to "crew delay" and by the time we touched down in Bloomington all three of us were beyond exhaustion. We are all suffering from jet lag, but Daniel especially is having a tough time adjusting. He has been up practically all night the past two nights. We have been trying to keep him awake during the day so that he'll sleep at night but of course that is not easy with a 4-year-old. Our girls have been an absolute god-send these past days as they have played with Daniel, cooked meals, done laundry, etc. etc. Today they have gone to Indiana for the Clements family Christmas get-together so the house is pretty quiet and it is once again just the three of us.

We had our first visitors yesterday - Neil's dad and his wife, Carol - and Daniel seemed to enjoy the visit. He actually interacted with them, which surprised me (as he does not always do well with strangers). They had lots of Christmas presents for him to open so naturally that made him very happy. :)

We have had a lot of fun the past two days as a family. Daniel makes us laugh so much. He is learning English quickly and some of the things he says just cracks us up. He obviously loves his new home and family. We plan to try to make it to church tomorrow, depending on how tonight goes. Thanks for all your prayers and for your comments!!

Last of the Pictures before Home

Last Post from China

This will be our last posting from China. We will leave the hotel at 7 a.m. tomorrow to head for the airport. Our itinerary is grueling... Guangzhou to Beijing, 5-hour lay-over in Beijing, Beijing to Chicago, 5-hour lay-over in Chicago, and then Chicago to Bloomington. We have tried to prepare Daniel, but how can you explain all this to a 4-year-old?? I just pray that he sleeps on the flight from Beijing to Chicago. If he doesn't, we may be considering Benadryl! :)

This morning we went to the Guangzhou zoo which Daniel loved. There were lots of monkeys, which are his favorite animal. As usual, he behaved wonderfully. He is so easy to take places. It's only when we return to the hotel room that his personality changes. It's kind of a Jekyll and Hyde thing... :) But as Neil said earlier today, we kind of feel the same way coming back to this room. It gets very old living in a hotel room.

This afternoon we went to the American consulate to pick up Daniel's passport and visa and have our "swearing in" ceremony. There were many families at the "ceremony," two huge buses full. On the way, I sat by a mother whose baby had cried non-stop ever since they got her (and she was screaming her head off as we talked). My heart went out to her. I thought I was tired!! This evening we went to a Thai restaurant here on the island and as always it was an adventure. We are never sure quite what we're ordering until it arrives at the table. And this restaurant did not have forks so I had to struggle through using chop sticks. I decided it was either master the chop sticks or starve, so I managed.

Neil and I still have to pack this evening. If I could give just one piece of advice to adoptive families coming to China I would say, don't overpack!!! We brought WAY too much stuff and are very sorry now!

Well, if you think of us tomorrow (Wednesday) please pray for us as we travel home. Thanks and we'll see you in Bloomington/Normal. Love to you all.

Lora

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