Travel Journal - Day 14

This is our last post and it is hard to believe that this part of our journey is over. Our two weeks in China were amazing and now seem like a whirlwind. We wanted to give everyone an update on how thing are going for the Goff Five.

The first two nights at home were extremely rough. Little Lani did not want to sleep and she sure didn’t want to sleep in her own bed! I sat in a chair next to her bed and then I slept in Meri’s bed just a few feet away. I would pat her and reassure her that I was there but oh… she was upset with me and this whole new world! The first night she screamed for four hours and the second night she screamed for five hours! I can’t believe such a little thing can scream so loudly and for so long. I would alternate holding her, patting her, moving away from her and softly humming and just being quiet. Nothing seemed to work. On day three I had 10 hours of sleep total so I was pretty much spent. Well, Mike came up with a plan and sent the older girls to Nana and Papa’s for the night and said he would take the first shift with Lani. I crawled in my own bed for the first time in over two weeks and I fell sound asleep. Mike ended up staying with Elaine all night and I slept until 7am! He is exhausted and in bed now. That has to be the best gift I have ever received…sleep!!! She did better last night, no screaming, just a little crying and she was consoled with just a pat and whisper from Mike. It looks like we have turned the corner and getting better!

By day, she is an angel. She plays with the girls and the neighborhood kids. She runs around the house and laughs and smiles. She acts so adjusted and familiar with the house. She is still scared of Chaco and she is not sure about being outside. I take her for a little walk around the neighborhood every afternoon and she is pretty quiet and just takes in the sights and sounds. I know this is all so weird to her and she is still trying to figure out all the changes in her little life. She has done so much better than we ever expected. (except for the night screams..haha) Right now she is sitting on my lap and pretending to type on an extra keyboard I had. She loves to do whatever I am doing. Earlier today, I was on the phone and she got the remote and put it up to her ear like it was a phone. She is so smart! She loves music. She loves to listen the girls play the piano and she likes to play it also!

We took Elaine to the Dr. yesterday. The pictures I have included is of her having her first lollipop! At first she didn’t know what to do with it. She tried to bite it and then she figured it out! She loves lollipops! She is behind in a few immunizations so she got two shots yesterday. We will follow up in Jan. with what else needs to be done. We got a referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist. We plan to see him in a couple of weeks. I am anxious to know more about her little eye and what we can do now that she is home. We will watch her speech patterns and growth and see if any speech therapy will be needed. She is already mumbling so we will see if any “re-training” needs to be done. She seems on target with her fine and gross motor skills.

God has truly blessed us with these three beautiful and vivacious girls. I look at the things I could have in my life or all the things I could do in my life and I truly know there is nothing better than this family God has given me! I often neglected to write about Mike and what a true partner and help and friend he is. He is the most “hands on” Daddy I have ever know. His older two girls know how great he is and his youngest will soon learn! Most of you know Mike and you know his character and his heart but I just had to end this with telling everyone again how great he is!

Thank you to everyone that followed along with us and emailed us. We have pulled strength from knowing there are friends and family out there reading about our days and praying for us! We look forward to everyone meeting Elaine Qing-Leigh Goff!

Love,

The Goff Gang