Below is my third attempt to update our website. The first two attempts have forever been lost in the ether, victims of operator error. Modesty forbids me from bragging about the wonderful prose of my first two drafts, though I suspect Shakespeare and Hemmingway would have been humbled. Now, as my patience wears thin due to my inability to properly operate the website, I fear my third attempt will mediocre.

Before I forget, we have added a few pictures under “My Family Albums” to the left.

It probably goes without saying that we have been busy since we last updated the website. But, fortunately, things have been going very well and Erica taking to her new home nicely.

We traveled back home from Hong Kong on February 3 after spending a night there and visiting friends. As I am sure many of you know, Hong Kong is a fascinating city with a buzz about it that rivals New York or London. Our first flight was to San Francisco, which lasted about 12 hours. Erica did exceptionally well on the flight, especially given how little room she had to play. She passed the 12 hour flight be continuously climbing up and down off the seat, watching a few cartoons, coloring, and napping. Upon arriving in San Francisco, we proceeded through US immigration where Erica became a US Citizen and was officially renamed from Yuan Lai Hui to Erica Laihui Nelson. Erica was so overcome by this experience and by pride at becoming a US citizen that she promptly fell asleep while waiting for our luggage. Erica continued to nap for the duration of our layover and for most of the flight to Newark, which is a 5+ hour flight. This napping gave Carrie and me an opportunity to have a quiet break and to nap a bit ourselves.

Unfortunately, Erica slept so soundly on the plane that we were not able to get her to sleep once we made it to our home. Carrie and I took turns throughout the night showing Erica her new home and helping her play with all the toys that were waiting for her. While she took a couple of small naps, when she fell into a deep nighttime sleep at 1pm on Monday, it became apparent that it would be difficult to get her onto a proper schedule. For the remainder of the week, Carrie operated on Erica’s time while I tried to operate on Eastern US time so that I could run errands and take care of the house chores. With great effort and perseverance, we were able to get Erica onto Eastern US time just in time for me to return to work on Monday, February 11.

We have learned that routine and a consistent schedule are critical for Erica. My returning to work changed our routing and Erica let us know she was not excited about more change in her life. By the time I came home from the office, Erica was a rather unhappy girl and Carrie was nearing the end of her rope. Luckily, Erica soon settled down and the remainder of the week went much better. She now seems quite happy to spend the daytime with mommy before greeting daddy at the door at the end of the day.

Since we have returned home, we have taken Erica to the doctor a couple of times for routine tests and checkups. We are glad to report after having been checked from head to toe and everywhere in between that she is a healthy, growing little girl with no major health concerns. Erica proved to be a real trooper at the doctor’s office, receiving two immunizations and having eleven vials of blood removed. While tears were involved, she didn’t squirm or fight and she received accolades from all the doctors and nurses for being such a good girl.

We yesterday experienced another first for Erica; a trip to the swimming pool. Our local YMCA has a large indoor kiddie pool, complete with slides and fountains. Except for wondering why in the world we were trying to get her to stand in the pool when standing in the bathtub is forbidden, Erica took to the water like…well…a fish. She loved being pulled through the water and sliding down the little water slide. After nearly an hour in the pool, Erica’s full body shivers told us it was time to get out. I suspect swimming lessons will be in the not-to-distant future.

From a food standpoint, Erica tries nearly everything we put in front of her. She loves noodles in most any form, along with eggs and fruit. Meat is still a bit difficult as she is not very experienced with chewing. Given her willingness to try most everything, we are hoping that we will be able to avoid the finicky behavior that many toddlers develop.

Anyhow, Erica continues to amaze us with her happy, smiling nature in the face of unbelievable change. We are thoroughly enjoying seeing the world through her eyes. We love watching explore her new world and experience new experiences: her first snow, her first visit to the pool and her first trip to the doctor. Erica is a curious, happy, playful girl that is adjusting to her new environment better than we could have ever hoped. Carrie and I are truly fortunate to have received such a wonderful blessing.

Now, if we could just get her to sleep soundly…

All our love,
The Nelsons