Day One with Miss Olivia

It's our official first full day with our Miss Livi and she's been great. Last night we gave her a formula bottle all warmed up and that did the trick. She just didn't like that the water I was trying to give her earlier was room temp.

So she had a bath........

a nice bottle.........

and then fell asleep in my lap.

I wondered if that was the first time she'd ever been cuddled to sleep. It won't be the last, this I know. She slept from about 9:30pm to 6:30 this morning which was wonderful! I actually was wide awake at 5:30 (I know, soooo not like me, but it's been that way every day since we arrived) and read for a bit before she got up.

I could tell when she woke that she had forgotten where she was. She looked frightened and unsure. I picked her up and held her for a while trying to reassure her and remind her of yesterday's events. I gave her a bottle and we got ready to go eat. At breakfast, she was not liking what I picked out for her. The congee was gone for the moment, so I got some warm oatmeal with a little syrup....she didn't like that. I tried some scrambled eggs....the face she made was priceless. I gave her some cut up banana.....she couldn't spit it out quick enough. So, by the time the congee had been refilled and I got her some, along with some steamed buns (two things we know she likes), she did not trust anything I was trying to put in her mouth anymore. She just turned her head and refused to even try. Okay, mom....lesson learned. Fill her with the things she knows and likes first.....then try the new things. Got it.

We met our guide, Lucy, in the lobby at 9:30 to go back to the Civil Affairs Office and do some paperwork. That only took about an hour and then we were back at the hotel by 11:00.

When we got back to the room, I gave her a bottle again with some rice cereal in it. I'd love to give her more food stuff, but at this point, I'm going with what works so she can get her nutrition. She fell asleep and I put her down for a nap.

About an hour later, she woke up and seemed upset. I picked her up and noticed she had a messy diaper. Then I realized she had a VERY messy diaper. It also occurred to me that she had quite a fever. Her cheeks were pitch red and she was steaming. I got her cleaned up and changed and tried to give her some Tylenol. She took it okay, but she wasn't crazy about it. I just held her and she fell back to sleep again.....this was at about 1:30....and she slept until 4:30. I was glad she slept so long, even if it does mean we might be up late tonight, because of her not feeling well....she needed the rest. Well, she woke up like a different girl. She has been totally fine. No fever, no diarrhea and more smiley than we've seen her yet. She's really being playful too......she loves the musical doll from Aunt Mindy. Talk about a difference from just a few hours ago. I'm so glad. I would have hated to have her stay sick for a long time. I really think it's just a response to everything that has happened to her in the last 24 hours. It's been some pretty heavy duty adjusting for this little one. And with so much still to go, I just hope we can make her feel safe and loved. She's just precious.