American Mum: Jet lag!

I think the hardest part about moving or travelling abroad with little ones is the jet lag. Coming from St. Louis, Missouri, we had a 6 hour time change. I was prepared for late nights and unscheduled naps. I wasn't prepared for it to take almost an entire WEEK to get adjusted. Let's just say this past week was one of the most difficult weeks I've had in a long time due to jet lag and crabby children. It did not help that I was feeling under the weather with a sinus infection too. Sure, I had hard weeks when I was "single mom" in Aiken preparing for the holidays and the big move with Eric already abroad. But this past week was different. We were all emotional due to tiredness and lack of a routine and schedule. My kids were not Dylan and Amelia. And at times, I think I was the wicked witch of the west. I was really starting to think, "What did I get myself into by moving over here at 31 weeks pregnant in the middle of winter?" But God has a plan for everyone. I believe He brought us here for a reason. I know it's not always going to be easy, especially as we get settled. In the long run, these are all just going to be lessons from which we learn. I am so thankful for the support from our family and friends. When my good friend, Kristi, called me on the phone the other day, it was like we were just around the corner from each other. I truly appreciate all of the e-mails, posts, and calls during this time of transition.
As hard as we tried to get them to bed a little earlier each night, they would get a burst of energy and stay awake until 4:00 a.m. the first night, then around 2:00 a.m. and then I lost track. We tried getting them up early, but Amelia is just NOT a morning person. I can still hear her yelling at Eric, "DAD! I am NOT ready to get up!" So they would sleep until 10:30 a.m. or even noon. And this is what happened every time we got in the car to go somewhere...

They couldn't even make it 10 minutes in the car...EXHAUSTED!

We did everything possible to get them to sleep at night...movies, books, songs, rubbing backs, and even falling asleep with Daddy (who had to get up for work).