We have been home six weeks and been through three different illnesses. My favorite was the diarrhea. My idea of a fun evening is changing someone's diaper NINE times between 7:00 and 8:00 pm. The delight of this was then topped off by the dog knocking over the diaper pail to eat the contents and scatter the diapers all over the room. The dog even had a special stash under the crib it took me a few hours to discover. When I finally got everything cleaned up and Addie to sleep I went downstairs to find that the dog had thrown up all over the living room. I was quite pale and shaken by this time and the only thing that could revive me was a decaf latte.

So, how is it at home with the new baby? Actually, fecal matter in the carpet aside we are doing very well. Addie is adapting splendidly and our new family of five is getting along well. I love our new routine because it is so focused. I can't run around volunteering to do a million things. I just take care of the kids and the house and I am loving it. If you had told me this when I was a 25 year old dancer and I was "treading the boards" I would have killed myself. It is funny where life takes you. Lately life has been taking Addie and I to the mall because it has been raining so much. It had better get sunny soon because I'm running out of ready cash.

I even have fond memories of China now. I have a few suggestions for those still to travel. First, do not even consider leaving the country without a tube of Benefits Ooh La Lift under eye de-puffer. If the good people at Benefit would be so kind as to package it in vats I would bathe in the stuff. This is a must have item. Second, pack your bags and then remove half of the things you packed. I should have known that four Louis Vittan steamer trunks were over kill. My last jewel of wisdom is to take along some sort of stain stick for your laundry. Otherwise all those cute little baby outfits you bought will come back from the laundry with stains. That is all I have to offer.

Addie turned one on the 28th. When she got us she could not roll over or crawl. ( Actually pretty convenient for us in the hotel.) Now, a mere seven weeks later she can flip over both ways, army crawl so fast you'd think George Bush was after her, pull herself to standing and say Da, dog, and cat. She is brilliant!!! I am so in love. I am absolutely certain we were all meant to be together and I am so happy I can't stand it.