Life as we know it...is MUCH different....

It's been 7 days, and it's been crazy. Mayla has not yet decided if she likes the USA. Overall I think she is going through Switzerland withdrawal. A few things she misses and why it's different (from the eyes of her mother of course).

-Daily stroller walks. Why can't you go for stroller walks in Michigan? Good question, normally you can, but since we have been home the temperature has ranged from 0 degrees to 10 degrees fahrenheit (-17 to -12 degrees celsius). In fear of her nose freezing and falling off, we have been inside....a lot. I walked by the window today and she started to reach out and she just stared, poor thing.

-being in her stroller in general. In her stroller, mom and dad are directly in her eyesight, and any time she needs anything, we are right there. Riding in the car poses a little bit of a problem when Mayla is in the back seat facing backwards. She can't see outside (one thing she is obsessed with) and only has the same toys that rattle back and forth to keep her attention. And when she cries and spits out her Nuggi (which she does quite frequently), it takes us a bit longer to get it back in again! 

-time change. Overall we are very pleased with how she is doing, but we have had some rough moments along the way. The first morning she decided sleeping till 4:30 am was just right (thankfully daddy got up with her), she then had a hard time making it in between naps during the day, but thankfully we were with family and she was continually entertained or held, so that made the adjustment a little more helpful. The first night she went to bed by 8:30pm and decided sleeping till 3:30 am was the perfect amount of sleep, yes we were making progress at night, but I was a bit worried about that morning wake time. The next night she gave me some encouragement and made it till 5, then the following till 6. Still waiting to get back on the 7pm-7am, but it will come! She has been through a lot and she's been moving around a lot in different beds and different places too, it's got to be hard and she has tried to tell us that with some serious tears over the last few days. 

-Train rides/tram rides where she can see and take in the world around her.

-Heated hard wood floors and tropical like living with a super heated flat (cuz we didn't pay extra no matter how warm we made it). Mayla has been bundled up and has worn all her tights, lined pants and sweatshirts over the past 7 days. We are all missing the warmth under our feet and walking around in shorts and tank tops cuz our flat was so warm. I thought my dad was going to kick us out our first morning living at my parents as even though he had the heat 'turned up', we still complained and insisted on building a fire in our room! Thanks Dad!!!

-Her Friends. She would have 'play dates' with some other boys/girls that ranged from 4 weeks older to 6 months older. She misses slobbering all over toys with the young ones and being attacked by the older ones:)  

-a change of laundry detergent. The new stuff (also Sensitive for babies) doesn't smell as nice as the stuff we had back 'home' (more of a 'problem' for her picky mom than for M&M) and has left Mayla with a nice rash. 

Some things Mayla is enjoying (and her parents): attention of cousins/aunts/uncles/ grandmas and grandpas. She has had her fair share of hugs, kisses and entertainment. The first 3 days we were here I think I changed all of 3 diapers, it was like a holiday! I only saw Mayla when she needed to feed it seemed like:) 

-Mommy's attention. Because it has been so cold, and a serious lack of desire to go out and run errands or go anywhere, I've been inside with Mayla for 4 days now. We have shared a lot of moments together during that time. Some times it's hard but i wouldn't trade these uninterrupted moments for anything. I sometimes have to remind myself that the to-do list is important, but the most important thing on that to-do list is to love my husband and daughter. My 'house' may not be organized or clean or decorated professionally and I may not serve exquisite meals, or always  have the laundry folded, but that doesn't matter!

Will and I started our time here at my sister Kelli's house and we were flooded with love and spoiled greatly! We then transitioned over to my parents basement and have been working on trying to make this a 'temporary' home for ourselves. 

Some observations we have noticed in the last week:

-Tea selection in the grocery stores makes me want to cry (VERY limited)

-The selection of everything else in the grocery store makes grocery shopping take triple the time it took in Switzerland. Some times the extra selection is good, some times bad!

-Everyone speaks English!!! So far anyway...

-Thinks the restaurants are still using air conditioning, even during the winter months.

-It's very easy to go baby shopping here, and MUCH cheaper! And the 2nd hand shops are great.

-Having family around is fantastic and having an onsite babysitter has many perks. 

-being around family for all the hand me downs has already come in very very handy. 

-is missing walking to bus stops, tram stops, train stations, etc.

-People say hi to you, make eye contact with you and are very friendly

On the job front, Will had a telephone interview this past Tuesday with a company located in South Carolina. It went well (from our perspective), his resume will be passed to the hiring manager and we are praying the Lord's guidance! 

Looking forward to see what each new day has in store.....tomorrow it's joining the gym day before we add to the obesity rankings of America! 

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THANK YOU AUNTIE KELLI, This entertainer has been a life saver!

2nd day in the USA, our little polar bear ready to go outside!