Complete Female Meltdown

We went to Shamian Island today to scope things out and see what all the shouting was about. The US Consulate is located there and all adoptive families must pass through there. We had always heard about families staying at the White Swan Hotel because the cater to the adoptive families. USAA does not stay there because of that very reason. Everyone else stays there.

So our hotel is just a short cab ride away and we thought we would go and check it out. There are shops every two feet that sell items for families and little girls. The shop keepers usually sit outside and pounce on you if you so much as cast a fleeting glance in their general direction. It was kind of funny. All the stores have pretty much the same items. So we looked in a lot of shops and bought some things here and there.

Along the way, Tenley fell asleep. This was not good. We were going to be heading back to the hotel soon and it was time for an afternoon bottle and then a nap. Not a short cat nap and then bottle because that would just make for a cranky baby later. Sure enough, she woke up on the cab ride back. She had her bottle when we got back but then was wide awake. I thought she would play nicely in her crib and fall asleep when she was ready. So at this point I decided I would go to the fruit stand and pick up my laundry. (More on that topic coming soon)

I was only gone 20 mins and when I got back and got off the elevator I heard a baby having a screaming fit. I thought "Poor parents, glad my daughter doesn't scream like that." As I approached our door I realized that the screaming was louder than before and seemingly coming from my room. I opened the door to find Michelle holding what used to be my cute little daughter. She had turned into a screaming banshee while I was gone. This kid was screaming bloody murder, arching her back, kicking to get away and was in full meltdown mode. Tenley was crying, Michelle was crying and no one was happy.

I thought maybe Tenley was in pain from teething so I put some baby Orajel on her gums. Easy to do when she was screaming. Well, that stopped the crying. Not because of the pain subsiding but she was distracted from the taste. I took her at that point and tried to calm her down. She was really having none of it. I put her on the bed and finally after several minutes of crying/sobbing she fell asleep. Wow, that was fun. Then I had to go and console the other crying female in my life. When that was done Michelled decided that it was time for a nap too. I went to the pool. Several other families were there as well and before I could say anything about the meltdown several of them asked me about Tenley because their daughters were all experiencing the same thing.

We all decided that they woke up on the wrong side of the crib today and that all the emotions of their little lives are finally catching up with them. They are starting to realize that we are it. They will never again see what was familiar in their lives. They just don't yet know that they have traded up!