threewillcomehome.com

Our little spicy girl is quite the night owl, awakening for her usual evening party. Last night was Catherine’s turn to keep our daughter company from 1:30 to 3:30. I had duty the previous night at roughly the same time. We’re told it takes about two weeks for the jet lag to wear off for the little ones coming home from China. We are closing in on the first week and it’s been tough. We are looking forward to our little “chill baby”, as our friend’s James and Kerin dubbed her in China, returning to being the champion sleeper she was in China, where she averaged 10 straight hours most nights.

A surreal moment happened to me yesterday afternoon. After a pre-New Year’s dim sum lunch with Catherine’s sister, parents and Li Li’s cousin, Catherine was off replenishing supplies – diapers, formula, etc. – and I was catching up on school work – I don’t think I’ll ever catch up – while Li Li was napping. Within minutes I was deep into a reading a Harvard Business Review article about service variability and barriers to efficiency – I know it’s pretty compelling, I can get you a copy if you want. Anyway all of the sudden I heard a baby crying and I thought “wow, that’s strange, why do I hear a baby crying, the windows are all closed…” Then reality came slamming back into my mind and I rushed upstairs to console our little girl who after 15 minutes was done with her nap. In the middle of the night as I stare at her, willing her to sleep, wondering what her life will be like, it’s very easy to feel like a father, even if I feel like a fraud because I’m so clueless. But other times I occasionally forget, only for a second, that we now have a 3rd family member and our lives have been changed forever. Not sure if other parents have had the same thing happen to them, but it’s very disorienting and guilt-inducing all at once.

Although picture taking has fallen off dramatically we have to take and print 10 pictures by the end of next week in order to fulfill China’s requirement to check on how the babies are doing. And they like to see fully clothed babies and parents so there’ll be no semi-naked pictures of anyone despite pleas to the contrary.

Anyway, Li Li is cuter than ever as you can see for yourself.

We are bundled up for a walk on Friday. Cold weather and lots of ice made for treacherous walking. Luckily there were no falls.

Li Li can sit up but sometimes she lists to starboard or port, rather quickly, hence the pillows on each side of her as she plays.

We went out for a pre-New Year’s Dim Sum lunch and yes our little Xiao Bao, had plenty of layers on.

Back to the ever present schoolwork. -t