Daddy's little girl

While Andy and Natalie are in the playroom I'll take advantage of my time in the room. Aina is at the consulate and wants one of us available just in case there is a question/problem with our paperwork.

I thought you might want to see more of Natalie and I snapped this at the hotel today. Natalie is wearing her new Gymboree sweater! I think we overpaid, but still, it was only about $8 USD.




Stopping to say 'Hello' to Linden (and Todd), the only one to brave the cool weather and swim in the pool.

The less Westernized Guangzhou

Andy, Natalie and I took a short walk today across the river. The atmosphere changes very quickly. We are staying in a very Westernized hotel and are very sheltered from the reality of Guangzhou I think. Other than the small shops outside of our hotel, everything feels a lot like home. Small hotel rooms with AC and a great view of the river (a different river). However, you walk for about 10 minutes and you notice a difference immediately. I've posted some photos below from our walk this morning.

On our way we found this bronze statue of a boy, girl and dog. Notice how relaxed Natalie is in the carrier. She oftens hums as we walk along! So cute!

Our first glance down a market filled street

Notice the heavy load on the bicycle behind Andy - these Chinese men may be lanky, but they are strong!

Live scorpions anyone? There were also live turtles for sale.

Someone's pet kitten beside their wares. There are a lot of cats roaming through the food laid out. Sometimes they are tasting what is for sale...

Some sort of dried root for sale



Every shop seemed to have a bin of sea horses for sale - dried - not sure how they are used. Sea Horse soup perhaps? mmm-mm-good...

It was an interesting morning and I'm glad to have had the experience of walking the shop-lined streets. I couldn't help but feel like an intruder with my camera and Andy toting his camcorder. As I asked the man with the scorpions and turtles if it was ok to snap a shot, he nodded yes and quickly spoke to his wife. We were brief and I'm sure there were many eyes on us. Natalie still gets a lot of looks and I wonder what is being said as we pass by. No worries though. As Andy and I were saying this a.m. Natalie has been 'ours' since the day she was born. We all just had to wait a little while to be united.

Thanks for all the comments and emails! We enjoy hearing from all of you and miss you! Alicia

What a difference a week makes...

When I think of how far Natalie has come in one week...watching this video taken last night brings tears to my eyes...Alicia

She passed!

This morning Natalie had her Visa Medical Exam. We headed to the medical office around 8:15 a.m. It's a short walk from the hotel. It was good to go early in the morning as it can get very busy throughout the day. We were forewarned that babies will cry, the rooms will be hot, and the doctors will poke and prod. Maybe we had an 'off day', but none of that happened. After submitting her vaccination records we went to the 'ENT' room - Ears Nose and Throat'. As you can see in the picture below Natalie behaved very well, even after being gagged by the tongue depressor! The doctor examined her nose, the exterior of her ears, then squeaked a toy on either side of her head for a reaction. She seemed to do ok and this room so it was off to the next.

A visit with the ENT doctor

In the next room she was weighed and measured, and had her temperature taken. Thankfully her fever has been gone for several days now! She was 16 lbs. She is a long and lean peanut! This was a really quick check-in. She obediently layed on the scale, but squirmed, as she does so well, for measuring her length. We didn't get a glimse of that measurement before being ushered to the final exam where I had to sign some documents and they took Natalie's socks off to examine her feet, then her pants, and a quick look-see at her torso and arms.

Squirming while waiting to be weighed and measured

After we were done in the three rooms they had us wait a few minutes before coming out with a 'thumbs up' sign telling us she passed the exam! Yay! No problem traveling HOME on Friday. We were so happy to have this over and done with. See Natalie below celebrating her success back at the room (in her latest fashion from China)!

Yippee! I made it! I'm going home to see my sisters on Friday!

Later this morning we took another sight-seeing tour at a museum. I felt so exhausted I'm afraid I wasn't much of a note taker. It was a memorial museum for the founder of The Republic of China - Sun Yat-Sen. Apparently there was democracy in China back in the early 1920's. I"ll have to do some homework to get the details straight. Beth assured me there is a 'China for Dummies' out there. We did take some picture of the beautiful grounds with a statue of him in the background. Interestingly enough this memorial is across the street from the Communist Party Headquarters...go figure.

Andy, Natalie and Alicia at the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial

Nap time is over, that's all for now...Alicia

Barbie in China?

Andy and I were getting ready to leave our room this morning when there was a knock on the door. When Andy answered, a hotel staff person handed him a gift for Natalie. It is a 'Going Home' Barbie. She's holding an Asian baby in her arms. On the back of the box there is a message: 'This souvenir is presented by Mattel (HK) Ltd. to adoption parents of Chinese orphan children staying at the White Swan Hotel, Guangzhou, China'. A note came with the gift as well mentioning that the childrens play room, the Swan Room, was designed by Mattel Inc. We've only peeked in the room but noticed that many families enjoy the space with their small children. This hotel is filled with adoptive families, all with stories to tell. Some who have adopted before and have returned to adopt again with their older children traveling with them. Many who have adopted special needs children; children who may never have received the medical attention necessary if not for being adopted. I met a woman from Indiana at the elevators this morning who waited 2 years for her referral. Her daughter is 2 years old and will most likely need a prosthetic leg made in the U.S. for her. This woman is just beaming with joy and is such an example of God's love.

I keep thinking back to the babies at the orphanage and wonder what life will be like for them. Aina said one baby there was only 20 days old. Natalie was one day old when she was placed in the orphanage. One of the pieces of paperwork we received was the newspaper clipping of Natalie being found. It's a pictured of her tiny face and a small caption noting where and when she was found. It's China's last attempt at finding the birth parents. I'm sure we'll continue to process all of what has happened here in the next few weeks, months, and years. In our joy I tend to forget the sad reality of how Natalie came to be with us. She is such a blessing to us all. Alicia

Guangzhou at last

We're in Guangzhou at the White Swan Hotel. All families who adopt a child from China must come through Guangzhou. The consulate is here and this is where the visa medical exam is done for the babies. They must pass the exam before they are allowed to leave the country.

We got in around 6pm last night and were not connected to the internet until this morning. We all were asleep again by 8:30pm. I don't think Natalie moved once in her new crib! She was exhausted!

The traveling went well yesterday. We took a small bus to the airport - about a 30 minute ride - and then checked in at the counter. Our luggage met the low weight requirements again - yay! We boarded the plane and John, Beth, Andy, and I were the only Americans that I could see, and Natalie and Lily were the only babies...nervous much? The girls were great though. Natalie promptly drank a bottle before we even took off, and then literally chugged another about an hour later. The flight was only one hour - I'd better pack an entire package of formula for the 15 hour flight to O'Hare on Friday!

The ride to the hotel was a bit stressful. Although the mini van had AC, the driver didn't seem to want to keep it on. We were sweltering! Then the thunder storm came! Loud bursts of thunder, pouring rain, and flashes of lightning. None of that really worried me, it was the 6x8 space in the windshield that the driver continued to wipe with a towel because the defroster was not working! YIKES! Finally the AC kicked in and the windshield was clear. All of this mind you while Lily and Natalie are NOT in car seats, but sitting on our laps.

When we got to the hotel the van disappeared with our bags - all of our paperwork, and computers. No mention was made as to when we would see those bags again. A twinge of nerves kicked in, but mostly we were just ready to settle in. At last we got to our room and our bags were safely waiting for us.

We went to the 'deli' with Aina to get some food for dinner - never again. It was OK, but my curried chicken with rice was a bit different than what I'm accustomed to. Andy made a trip to the 7-Eleven for bottled water, Coca-Cola Light and some more snacks. During that time I bathed Natalie. She's still not very happy about baths. I got her another bottle and then put her to bed. She was asleep within 5 minutes - no calisthenics last night.

Then I was yet again one of the Griswolds on vacation. I attempted to take a hot shower. Well, the shower is a hand-held sprayer that has a hook of sorts to hang the sprayer during your shower. I hung up the device, turned on the water, and it was like a sprinkler in the bathroom! I managed to grab it before flooding the room and just could not stop laughing. I finally realized that you just need to turn down the water pressure a bit and you're all set. It was a welcomed comedy release for the day.

This morning Andy and I woke up at 6:30a.m. - late for us here! We all went down to the brunch for breakfast and the food was wonderful. Natalie tried some scrambled eggs, pear, and a bit of banana bread. She has only had bottles so sometimes the food just stays in her mouth for quite a long time. She seems to enjoy it. Andy mentioned it felt like Disney World. After breakfast we walked around the hotel a bit - very beautiful. There is a waterfall, and a cage with cockatiels in it. Natalie really was in awe of the birds. I wish I had the camcorder at the time.

Natalie and Mom at The White Swan waterfall

Next we took a brief stroll to get a handle on our surroundings. We found 'Jessica's' where we will get our laundry done, and 'Jordon's' where the Morse's have recommended we shop for baby clothes. Along the boardwalk there were older people playing cards, younger people doing some exercises, and overall a calm atmosphere. It's very different from Changsha here. It feels much safer - perhaps it's the Western influence, I can't be sure.

Just before morning naptime in our room

Another big grin - she is having so much fun!

Mom, seriously, did you get my good side?

Today we are going out with our driver. I'm not sure what he will show us. We have learned much flexibility and patience - good skills for raising a child. :) Alicia

Natalie's emerging personality

Such a beautiful sight!

Some pictures from today

Today was another big day. We had breakfast in the Dolton Hotel restaurant to start the day. Andy and I were really hungry since the previous night we only had Lays potato chips and oreos! Room service didn't even cross our minds after our long day. I think I filled my plate at the buffet about 4 times! Then Natalie and I went back to the room to take a 2 hour nap - much needed by both of us - while Andy went to the fitness center to work out. After naptime Natalie showed us how she is beginning to crawl. She has really made great strides developmentally this week. She is smiling often, laughing, rocking, and seems to be just plain happier. It has been such an amazing transformation to watch. She is feeling so much better now that the fever is gone. Her cold is hanging on, but otherwise she's great!

Natalie loves to peek at you through the bars of her crib

Happily waving one of her cups and smiling at Mommy

We spent a little time in the play room to pass some of the time until we met Amy and Aina for our trip to the museum and Walmart! John, Tod, Sheila, Linden, Andy, Natalie, and I boarded a small bus. The Hunan Provincial Museum is in Changsha and was a quick ride . We toured with Amy while Aina stayed back on the bus to watch our bags - I think she just needed a nap too. :) The museum housed the contents of a family tomb that was excavated in Hunan in 1972. It was dated back to 186 BC! There was a mummy of the mother/wife that was amazing. A lot of interesting information to take in. All the while Natalie was enjoying it so much she was like a Mexican Jumping bean in the baby carrier. Her personality is really coming out.

After our tour was done it was back on the bus for our trip to Walmart - yes, we traveled all the way to China and shopped at Walmart - go figure. We picked up some necessities and then took a look around. In the food area there were tanks filled with live fish to purchase. There was also a tank with eels, and bull frogs! It didn't seem very appetizing to us...

Then it was back to the hotel where we had dinner at the Chinese restaurant on the second floor of the hotel. We shared several dishes - steamed pork dumplings, pan fried dumplings, fried rice, fish, white rice, noodles and vegetables, and a spicy Hunan favorite of pork and spicy peppers. It was all very good!

Andy, Amy, Alicia, Natalie, and Aina at the Dolton Hotel Chinese Restaurant

Aina handed us Natalie's passport as we left the restaurant with specific instructions to review and confirm all of the information. Natalie's passport shows the name Luo Yi Ya - her Chinese given name, with a picture we've never seen on it. It's important that we have this in hand before leaving Changsha tomorrow.

Natalie actually seems to ask to go to her crib when she's tired. She fell asleep shortly after we took this picture. Of course she did some calisthenics first...

Well, after another long day it's time to turn in early. Keep the comments coming - we love to hear from all of you! Alicia

Xiang Yin County Social and Children's Welfare Institute

Where do I begin? How do I convey all the emotions we went through visiting the orphanage where Natalie has been since the day she was born? Andy and I struggled with the decision - should we go? Earlier in the week we were feeling very undecided about visiting. The time with the orphanage director and administrator left us feeling much anxiety and questioning our purpose for wanting to visit. The decision was made that we visit as we felt it was necessary to gain as much understanding about Natalie's first 11 months of care as possible. Although a one-hour visit, not understanding the language or the social culture, we still may never know the real story, but here is our story are some thoughts we came away with.



The orphanage (building in the middle) as we're leaving

Andy, Natalie and I made the trip with Aina, Amy, Beth, John, Lily, and our driver. We all got into a small mini-van - yes, 7 adults, 2 babies, no car seats or seat belts. The drive was about 1.5 hours and we were able to see some of the country-side. The area is very green and lush. We drove through some areas where you could see rice fields, water buffalo, and workers tending the rice. We saw the mountains in the distance, and homes where the architecture is so different and interesting. There were also men driving bicycles loaded with cargo on the highway. Have I mentioned they drive fast? Fortunately our driver was an older gentleman and drove at a much more reasonable speed.



On our way...a bit blurry from the bumpy ride - I wonder what she's going to think of our American baby car seats!

Natalie was so good on the ride out there. She liked looking out the window, talking to Lily who for a time was on Beth's lap beside us, and reading her book. Andy and I tried to take video of the countryside while riding. Hopefully we will be able to have some clarity through the bumpy recording.

As we got closer I found myself praying for strength and protection. I was really nervous. I didn't know what to expect, I wanted to express my thankfulness to the orphanage, I was unsure of the social graces expected during such a visit. When visiting it is customary to bring gifts. We had a gift of clothing for the babies, and tea for the nannies. We also arranged to purchase formula for the orphanage.

We finally arrived at the orphanage and my heart was in my throat. The building is so tall! This building is quite new; it replaced the old orphanage which I think was nearby. The staff of the orphanage came out to greet us before we even had the doors open. Hospitality is not taken lightly in China. John and I were holding the babies, so initially Andy, Beth, Aina, and Amy went in without us. It didn't seem like they were gone very long. I took in the beautiful garden in front of the building while we waited. When Andy came to 'switch' with me he whispered 'just don't cry'. I understood why he said it, but oh, boy! That's a tall order for me these days so I immediately called on God again to help me through.

A young woman came and led us up what seemed to be about 6 flights of stairs. It was so quiet and we didn't see anyone on the way up. She led us into the babies room where our guides and the orphanage officials where. To my right was a room with a couple of slides and other toys. To my left were 2 connecting rooms with cribs...and babies! Some cribs had 2 babies sharing their beds - all bundled. There were about 12 babies in these two rooms. Two nannies per shift, 6 nannies total, care for them all. One baby seemed to be only a couple months old. Now I understand the statement 'when familys visit the orphanage, they come back making plans for their return trip'.

We were able to take a photo of Natalie and Lily's cribs. They were side-by-side. Next we took a photo with the two nannies. They seemed happy to see us and to pose. However, when I look at the photo now they are not smiling. I couldn't take my eyes off the babies we were leaving behind. Some would just gaze at you the entire time.



Natalie's empty crib, Lily's is on the right



The nanny on the right ensured I was in the middle of them for the photo

After visiting the baby room they led us downstairs to a conference room where they had prepared a reception for us. Freshly brewed tea, and fresh fruit - bananas and apples. They seemed eager to answer questions, however in my emotional state my mind went blank. What happened to my plan of bringing a list of questions, or my thought that I would remember? Luckily John pulled through and managed some questions. We spent time talking, apparently too long according to Andy and Beth because when we returned to the van the babies were fussy and ready to leave. One more trip upstairs with Beth at the request of the orphanage led me back to the baby room. One of the nannies had some pop music playing and one child was bouncing to the music in the crib.

We made our way back to the van, through all the thank-yous and goodbyes, and were on our way back. It was a long day and Lily and Natalie were fussy off and on, but they did so great considering another 1.5 hours back without a fresh diaper or second bottle (I can still hear the reprimands in my head), and no nap. Finally Natalie gave in and slept in my arms.


Looking back as we leave the orphanage

Back at the hotel Andy ran to the store for something for us to eat while I bathed and attempted to feed Natalie. She wasn't hungry after all...We were all exhausted and were in bed early, again. The range of emotions took their toll on us and we welcomed the rest.

I woke early this morning (4 a.m.) with such a heavy heart. I can't seem to get the little faces out of my mind - especially the special one we had to say good-bye to. I am so thankful for Natalie. She is so resilient. On Monday she was so tearful, feverish, lethargic, and today at breakfast she was smiling, tasting different foods, dropping toys/spoons on the floor, bouncing in the seat with me, enjoying her book, and smiling at the young Chinese boy and his adoptive family beside us. I can't help but wonder if God hadn't intervened, what her life would have been like (and ours)...Alicia

Thank you all so much for your kind words, support, prayers, emails, comments. It means so much to us. Alicia and Andy and Natalie (Ya, Ya)

Natalie playing with Mom

Touring the Hunan province - Natalie's birth place

Yesterday one of our guides, Amy, took us on a 'field trip' around Changsha, Hunan Province. Amy is from Changsha and knows the area well. She speaks fluent English and apparently used to teach it. It was nice to get out of the hotel for the afternoon. Natalie seems to really like the carrier we borrowed from Amy Adams (thanks Amy!). They encourage using these as close physical contact is very important in the bonding process.

Our first stop was at the Hunan Embroidery Museum of China - well known world-wide for their amazing hand embroidering. The women spend 3 years learning the trade. It requires a lot of patience and skill. Some pieces take up to a year to complete. Apparently they did a piece for Steven Curtis Chapman's family. It was a picture of his daughter and it took two women a full year to complete! He and his wife adopted a child from the Hunan province. He's a very successful Christian singer/songwriter and he and his wife have 3 daughters from China for those of you who don't know. They also created a piece for former President Bush (not sure which one!).

Some of the pieces in the museum are two-sided - a different color of the same image or a different image all together - same piece of cloth! As you can see below some of the pieces are very large. The detail is amazing. There are about 20 women who work here working either together on a larger project or individually on smaller ones.

At the entrance to the museum

John standing beside a beautiful, two-sided embroidered piece.

Natalie's dress hand embroidered by the women of the Hunan Embroidery factory

The funny part was the group of college girls who led us around - they were practicing their English! Children here are taught English at an early age. The schools only offer English, no other foreign languages. When I decided to make a purchase there were at least 4 of them helping me - holding dresses up to Natalie, choosing different styles, sizes "oh, this one is beautiful". Too cute. We did manage to make a purchase for her. Although, she'd look beautiful in a burlap sack!

Next stop was The Martyr's Park that was established after the revolutionary war (I think). I didn't catch everything about the significance, but it was a nice day and there were some interesting sights. A young boy performed for us on a string instrument, then he indulged us by singing a pop song! His teacher was there and then he performed such a soothing and beautiful song. So different from our music.

John, Beth, Lily, Alicia, Natalie & Andy as we enter the park

Andy on the walkway across the lake.

Alicia & Natalie taking in the sights.

When we got back to the hotel we were all exhausted! We went back to our room and gave Natalie her first bath. She didn't care for it much. I'm not sure if they did tub baths at the orphanage or sponge baths. Good question for our trip today. After her bath she took a quick nap. Then we all went down to Beth, John, & Lily's room for Pizza Hut pizza and Chinese beer. Aina joined us and entertained us once again with some of her many stories. She just has so many to tell! We finished up pretty quickly and headed back to the room for the night. Natalie was in bed at 8:15 and I was in bed by 8:30! Must be why I was wide awake at 5:30 this a.m. Still trying to adjust to the time difference, and the emotions can really tire you out!

Still so confused and serious - but isn't she the sweetest thing? When she looks at you with those BIG brown eyes, you just melt...

Please pray for us as we head out this afternoon for a visit to the orphanage. It's about an hour ride away and we have very mixed emotions. Alicia

More pics and a quick video!

Natalie loves her blanket Nana made and the bunny/blanket she sent her!






Playing with Daddy

Oh, and can I just say it was ANDY who had the experience of the spills at the Civil Registration office? I was the one holding the feverish, crying baby, and trying not to cry myself! So stressful, but we can laugh now. She is SO worth every minute! I can't wait to introduce her to her sisters. They're just going to surround her with so much love! I am so excited for that!

Take good care, Alicia

Tomorrow

We are back from breakfast and Natalie seems to need some more rest - she's trying hard to get well. She did enjoy some bean curd (tofu - Andy's favorite) and banana. Andy was reading some of our documentation about attachment and we decided to pull out the bottle of bubbles. We are noticing that Natalie is pulling away and avoiding eye contact, so we want to be sure we are remembering all of the tips they give to encourage attachment with your child. We just love her to pieces and can't wait for the day when she's happy to see us, or holds her arms out to us. For now we're happy to just be with her and to see her health improve.

Tomorrow we have been cleared to visit the orphanage. It is the Xiang Yin County Social and Children's Welfare Institute. It's about an hour away and we will both travel there with Natalie as well as Beth, John, and Lily. Once there we'll take turns going inside to meet her nanny and to see the place that has been home to her for her first 11 months of life. One of us will stay in the bus with Natalie while the other takes a tour as Aina has advised. We don't want Natalie to see her nanny or the orphange for fear that this will only confuse her and cause her more pain to leave again.

We met the orphange's director, Wang Chu Fei, and the administrator whose name I don't know at the Civil Registration office. We're not sure what to make of them. It's a strange position for us to be in. Much is said about you in a different language, fingers are pointed, and you can't help but feel you're not entirely welcomed. We're both anxious about the visit but feel it's important in order to get as much information as possible for Natalie about her past. I look forward to meeting the woman who has cared for her, and who it seems Natalie continues to look for and grieve for.

Please pray for safe travel, and that God would guide us in what to say, and how to convey our appreciation to the staff for taking good care of Natalie. Oh, and that Andy won't spill or knock anything over while we're there! :)

Today's itinerary

It's 8:10 a.m. and we're waiting for Natalie to wake up from a nap so I thought I'd post and let you in on our plans of the day. Natalie had a really good night of sleep. The antibiotic is starting to do it's work and she's feeling a little better. Still had a temp of 99.5 when she woke up so we'll continue the Motrin today along with the antibiotic. She was hungry and downed a bottle of congee (formula with rice cereal) in record time! She seems to like the taste of her medicine now, so I'm not forcing it into her sweet little mouth! She didn't like that at all. One dose ended up on my face as well as hers! There are times I look at Andy and say "Can you imagine doing this as a first-time parent?". It's been stressful, but it's been good to be able to rely on some of our experience with Amanda and Kelsey as babies.

This afternoon we are going on a quick trip to see some of Changsha - Natalie's birth city. Amy will meet us in the lobby at 2:30 to take us to an embroidery factory. I'll let you know the significance of this business in Changsha in a later post. After the factory we will visit a local park. The weather is forecasting 60-65 degrees. It will be a challenge (not) to bundle Natalie in this weather. It is customary in China to dress babies in many layers. With her temp it goes against everything I want to do! We've been told that when babies sweat it means they are 'weak'. I'm not sure if something is lost in translation, but I don't understand. She's quick to sweat when she's in so many layers! We'll figure something out to keep from insulting the beliefs and customs of the people of China and not jeapardizing our dear daughter's well-being. (Did you catch that 'OUR' daughter!)

Beth and I will try to make it out to buy some clothes for the girls today. We only brought a few items, and some are for really warm weather. Lately it's been rainy and damp so we need some warmer things for her. She did wear her new pink fleece to dinner at the restaurant last night., along with one of the outfits I packed from home - including some shoes! You have to walk through the lobby to get to the restaurant and it can be quite cold. She looked awesome!

Tonight I think I'll skip the buffet at dinner. Not too many western options and the authentic Chinese food is very different from Wok Inn! Some of last nights choices were: webbed ducks feet, fried (entire) fish, calf blood soup, boiled turtle (displayed in the shell) snails, and some things I think I'm trying to block out. Andy fortunately was able to order spaghetti with red sauce from the menu - sounds good to me. Last night a local woman wanted Beth and John to experience some local fare and sent over some fish (definitely not haddock!), snails, and fruit soup. Beth managed the fruit soup - not sure about John. I think I'll become a vegetarian...

Hopefully we'll get some good pictures from our outing today, however it appears very foggy out right now. More later...Alicia

PIctures from Tuesday

Natalie playing with her cups in the morning.


Our little gymnast?


In the playroom with Linden, one of the MAPS family's son.




Not very happy today, still running a temp.

A comedy of errors-I think!

Today was a very interesting and anxiety producing day. Things are done in such a different way here it is absolutely amazing. Last evening our guide, Aina, had the men over to fill out paperwork. There was a discussion on what type of pen to use and last night I was the hero, I was using the right type of pen to fill out the paperwork. Today was a different story. At 9am we proceeded back to the Hunan Adoption Administration building to finalize our adoption here in China. They make you take a picture with the two parents and the baby. They want it to look good and poor Natalie is running a 101 temp and she just won't keep her head up. The lady that is taking the picture of the three of us is doing every thing she can to make Natalie perk up. Nothing really worked but we finally passed and we were now on to the signing stage. We sat down in front of a Judge/ Official and she quickly discovered that I used the wrong pen (in her opinion) and she sternly sent me away to copy over it with the right kind of pen. I felt like I had a limited time to correct it or else. We were finally called again, I got so flustered I knocked over a plant on the table I was using and then picked up my case that holds all of our papers. I had not re-zipped it and thus all our documents spilled on the floors. My heart was in my throat. I took a deep breath, apologized for all of my inadequecies (which were numerous today of all days) and we made it official. Natalie officially is reconized as our daughter here in China. I only wish we had captured this event on video, not only for the true sentimental value of it, but I know Kelsey and Amanda would have laughed forever if they were to see this unfold. Oh well, Natalie is doing better it seems. Still running a temp and a bit fussy. She is starting to eat and hopefully we will see a happier and healthier baby in the morning. We are very blessed and God continues to watch out for us. Thank you all for your prayers. See you all soon. Andy

The Harmonious Period

When adopting a child in China the first 24 hours are what is referred to as "The Harmonious Period". This time is sort of an introductory period whereas parents (and children) take the time to get to know each other and determine if the parent-child match is a good one. Sometimes health issues become apparent that were not disclosed, or perhaps an older child makes it clear they do not want to be with the family they've been placed with. One day is not a long time!

Poor Natalie was not feeling well most of the day, still had a temp and really runny nose. She typically has 6 'meals' per day - all bottles, no solids - according to the orphanage - 2 of formula only, and 4 bottles of formula mixed with rice cereal. She didn't finish even one bottle for us. We were able to get her to sip at some formula, some water, and some apple juice. Hopefully it was enough to prevent dehydration. If she doesn't improve tomorrow we will take her to the nearby hospital for a pediatrician to take a look.

She took a nap on my chest for a bit today - it felt like she was beginning to bond with me. She isn't looking away from me as much or pushing at me. She doesn't hold her arms out for me/us, but that will come with time and trust. Andy hasn't been able to spend as much time with her as he's been taking care of paperwork with Aina, and going to the market. She doesn't cry when he holds her but she tends to look for me now and then. But if you look at the picture above I think you'll agree that they're going to get along just fine!

Aina held a small celebration in her room. She brought in a cake and we toasted our babies with Chinese beer. As soon as Natalie and Lily saw each other they both perked up! I had not heard Natalie speak yet and she babbled to her friend, and Lily answered! It was awesome - they were so happy to see each others familiar faces.

So we're at the half-way point and things continue to improve. She's been very serious and sad most of the day, but tonight while we were on Skype she noticed herself in the mirror behind the laptop. She smiled and chuckled a bit. It was so great to see her joy! She is really sweet!

Tomorrow we sign the adoption paperwork and make it official! We've waited for her for so long she just felt like our daughter from the first moment. She's sleeping in her crib now - I just laid her in there about 8:15pm and she fell asleep quickly! I wonder how long that will last...do I dare hope?

Sweet Ya Ya

The moment we've been waiting over 3 years has arrived! We were united with Luo Yi Ya (Ya Ya is what they call her) this morning at 9:30 a.m. I am so overjoyed I don't know where to begin! We left the hotel at 8:50 for the Civil Registration office. We were all so excited! We arrived before the orphanage staff and babies. Aina took us to the 'Waiting Room' to wait. Beth was looking out the window to call us over - they have arrived with the babies! We could only see the tops of their heads, but there were three. The pictures below are of Natalie with a care giver, then of all the babies - notice Lily is the one with the 'touch down' arms! She's so cute - she does this a lot.

Natalie, Lily, and Tova with their care givers.

Then they came in the room. We recognized Natalie pretty quickly! She had the same look on her face from the photos we had from November. One of the care givers was holding her and kept her on her lap until we showed the appropriate paperwork/passports/etc. She was in a puffy yellow fleece jacket and brown fleece pants, with a couple of layers of pants underneath! It took about 15 minutes before we could actually hold them, but we were all just taking them in from across the room. It was obvious Natalie has a cold and did NOT like to have her nose wiped.

When they handed her to us she first went to Andy. She began to cry and continued to cry off and on the entire time we were there. I found she liked to sit in the seats on her own - it was calming for her. I think partly because she was running a temp and was really hot in all the bundling. We took off her jacket to help cool her down a bit and that helped some.

Bus ride back to the hotel...Natalie snoozed a bit. The emotional morning wiped her out!

When we got back to the hotel Andy changed her diaper while I mixed a bottle for her. Then we got on Skype to introduce her to Amanda and Kelsey. They were both so sweet and excited! We took Natalie's temp and she's running a fever of 101.3. We gave her some Motrin, a bottle, and she's now taking a nap - isn't she the sweetest? Well, that's all for now. I'll continue to upload photos and keep you posted. Please pray that her fever will fall and she'll feel better quickly.

Arrival in Changsha

We arrived safely in Changsha today. We took a smaller plane here from Hong Kong - traveling China Southern airline. The picture to the left was taken at the gate for Changsha. We met the other family in our group while waiting. They are from western MA and have a 6 year old son. The flight was about an hour - very quick. We are now finally in the Province where Natalie is! We will leave the hotel tomorrow morning at 8:30 for the Civil Registration office and be united with her at 9:30!!! Aina even mentioned the nannies may arrive early with the babies.

After we checked in we spent some time getting settled into our room. The first thing I noticed was the little crib in the corner. It brought tears to my eyes. I can't believe we are so close! I immediately took out the blanket my mom made and hung it over the side in preparation for Natalie. I hope she actually sleeps in it. The next thing I noticed were two cozy-looking twin beds. I asked Andy if he wanted me to take the bed next to the crib and he was very quick to agree!

At 3:30 p.m. Aina and Amy took us to a local market to pickup a few items for our rooms. It was really interesting to look at the groceries with the Chinese labels and try to figure out what was in the package by the picture. We managed to figure out Oreos and Chip Ahoy cookies! We bought some large bottles of water as this is a necessity here. The only time we are to use tap water is to bathe. Other than that, even for brushing our teeth, we must rely on our bottled water supply. We are very fortunate to have clean water at home - something many of us take for granted.

Tonight we will be eating at one of the restaurants in the hotel. Aina has told everyone that Andy is SPECIAL! She is taking personal responsibity for Andy's safety, ensuring he doesn't get into any peanuts or peanut oil. She even had us buy some sesame oil at the store to give to the cook to use when preparing Andy's meal! She's a character and I think we're really going to enjoy getting to know her during our stay.

Well, I'm off to clean up a bit before dinner. Andy is taking a quick snooze - it's been a long day, starting at 3:30 a.m! Our next post will be the one we've all been waiting for! I hope we can sleep tonight - it feels like Christmas! Thanks so much for your prayers!