Looking Back - Last Full Day in China

One year ago today...

Last Full Day in China

Whoo-hoo!! We have Maggie's Visa! We can officially leave the country now.  It's been a day mostly of waiting. We took some pictures with our wonderful group this morning.  We've been blessed with 5 other amazing families to go thru this journey with.  We'll miss seeing them every day, hard to believe we live scattered around the country.  We will definitely be staying in touch with them.  The girls wore their Chinese silk outfits, but none were took happy about having their picture taken this morning.

Maggie slept great again last night, but has been out of sorts all day.  We're hoping to lay her down a little early for bedtime and go to bed early ourselves. We leave at 5:45am for our bus ride to Hong Kong.  We originally though we had to leave at 5am... 5:45 sounds so much more doable!  So we're packing up tonight and getting as much ready as we can.  

We are scheduled to arrive home Friday evening.  We'll be posting arrival pictures as soon as we can! Thanks to everyone for your words of encouragement, prayers and support.  We have the best family and friends!!!!! 

One of the last pics as a family of 3... can't wait to see all my kids together.

Our awesome group.

Six orphans no more!  

These kids have been through so much and have been such troopers this week.  

They are all precious.

Pretty girls.

Done. :)

Yet another fabulous guide, Jason.

Sleeping Beauty.

Looking Back: Consulate Appointment & Some SUPER cute pictures!

One year ago today (these are some of my favorite pictures of her!):

 Consulate Appointment...So Close to the Finish Line!

We had our Consulate Appointment this morning.  We weren't allowed to bring in anything with us into the Consulate Building except a few baby supplies in a clear bag.  No watches, no cameras.  Wish we could have taken a picture to document the occasion.  Inside, we took an oath as a group with other adoptive families.  Basically we had to promise that our paperwork is true and that we've held up our end of the bargain for Maggie's citizenship.  Then we had to complete an "interview", which was basically the handing over of paperwork.  It's the last step to get her Visa tomorrow so we can go home!  Our whole trip was planned around this appointment, so it feels pretty good to have this behind us.

We also went to the pearl market today and got a pearl necklace for both Allie and Maggie.  Pearls here are about the third of the cost of what we'd pay in the states. They typically give them to girls on their 16th birthday, so we thought this would be a neat thing for them both.

Both those outings took place before lunch, so we were all fried by the time we got back.  Thankfully we had the rest of the day free, so we were able to nap and get rested.

This afternoon we walked around the outdoor garden/waterfall area here on the 4th floor of our hotel, then went over to the outdoor pool area. We didn't swim, although we could have. It's in the 70s here and the pool water was very warm.  We hung on the pool deck for quite a while.  Maggie got down and crawled around and had the best time.  It was the longest she had played on her own, and she ventured all around and got dirty and had the best time.  So good to watch her play out in the fresh air versus being cooped up in her crib inside the orphanage.

She was happy yet again today.  Playing more, crying less and getting braver.  She also discovered she likes yogurt.  She had a little of mine at breakfast, then had a whole container of her own tonight!  I think after watching us eat she decided to give it a try. She's still trying to figure out how to do it; her tongue pushes a lot of it back out her mouth.  Then a good amount of it comes back out her nose due to her open palate. It's unbelievably messy and pretty funny.  She doesn't care, she just licks it off her face as it drips back down into her mouth!  We're going to go thru a  lot of bibs and burp clothes at our house cleaning up after this girl as she eats.  I'm so excited she finally ate real food!  She was pretty excited herself.

She also enjoyed her bath tonight instead of crying thru it.  I'm curious to see how she does once we're home. I think she has settled down into our routine here of hotel living, bus and cab rides, and being the center of attention.  As much as we've enjoyed our time bonding with her, and this hotel is amazing, we're ready to move on and start the process of getting home.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is our last day here!  We're basically waiting for our Visa's to come in. We need to start finding a way to get everything to fit into our suitcases!

Friday is travel day.  It will take us about 24 hours to get home, starting at 5am Friday morning.  Here's what getting home will entail:

4 hour bus ride to Hong Kong airport
14 hour 40 minute flight into Chicago
3.5 hour layover
1 hour flight home

Two other families in our group will also be on the long flight home with us.  I can't imagine how we're going to survive it, it seems like such a huge mountain to climb. The flight here seemed like it took days; now we have to do it with a baby. We didn't get her a seat, but we're hoping to make use of a plane bassinet, if she'll sleep in it.  She likes to be on the move, so being stuck in the same seats for that long isn't going to go over well.  We appreciate any prayers sent our way for smooth travels and for safe and on time flights!  I'm literally counting down until I can see all my babies again, so I need flights to be on time!

It's also a little bittersweet as we prepare to leave her birth country.  We're leaving behind all the sights,  smells and culture that she's accustomed to.  We're leaving behind her birth mom, wherever she is.  I can't imagine what she has been thru and we pray for peace for her.  We would love for one day to be able to know her.  We're so thankful for her bravery.

Another bottle and another cab ride.

Didn't love the swing so much.

Taking in the sights.

 Bubbles in the face!

Yummy toes.

Just sweet.

 The rooftop garden at our hotel with waterfall in the back.

Rooftop pool.

Just chillin.

Silly!

 Silly time with Daddy.

The little yellow ring is her favorite toy.

Love this little face.

 Diva.

Smiley!

Where there is Maggie... there is drool.  Lots of it.

See my favorite toy?

 I'm so happy to be outside!

On the move.

Little ham.

Whole lot of personality in a tny little body.

She gives kisses with her tongue. :)

Snuggled up after bathtime.

 

My boys!!!! Can't wait to see these faces in person!!!!

 My big girl. So ready to get home to her!

Looking Back: An "Amazing" Day

One year ago today:

An "Amazing" Day

What a day we've had! It's Tuesday here in China. We opted out of going to the Guangzhou zoo and decided to go to Shamian Island near here instead.  So glad we did!  We got a taxi, it was about a 15 minute ride from our hotel. We met another family there from our group and spend a good chunk of the day there. It's the coolest place!  It's an island that used to be owned by the British and French, so the buildings have a very European feel. It's much less crowded, less cars.  It's very scenic, lots of gardens and greenery and so very beautiful. I loved it there!  It's known for it's bronze statues that are around the island. There are a ton of little shops, too, and we got a bunch of things for our family.  I'm not sure how we're going to get everything home!  We also enjoyed a fun "American" lunch at an outdoor restaurant on the island.  It was a very neat experience, I'd love to go back.

The island experience itself is wonderful, but we happened upon something "amazing" while we were there!  We were walking along when I saw a white guy that I thought looked familiar. At first I couldn't figure out if I knew him from my life or TV.... I flagged Jeremy down and asked if he recognized him... and it's the host from The Amazing Race TV show!  They were filming on the island today and we happened to be there at the same time. There was a big camera crew there and they were prepping to shoot.  We watched for a bit, then went off to shop and eat.  We went back by later hoping to see some action... and we did!!! Right as we were standing there, within 20 feet of the host, 2 teams came flying up in a foot race for first place of that leg of the show.  We got to watch them film it as he told them they were team #1 and 2, then several more teams came running up.  One of the teams was 2 guys from the Harlem Globetrotters, and they literally ran right past Jeremy.  We're so anxious to watch the show to see if he's in the shot! They said it won't be aired on TV for months, but what an experience.  They asked us not to post pictures and video until the show airs... so for now we'll hold onto those little gems, but we have proof that we saw it happen live!

The island is also known for brides getting their wedding photos taken there; we saw countless brides in their gowns being photographed. It was really cool, they were beautiful.  We also saw a few models being photographed as well.  It's a beautiful place, really unique and very peaceful.

Through all the excitement, shopping, eating our Maggie Fei was amazing herself.  She was totally content even though she only napped about 10 minutes on me.  She just loves to be out and about as long as she's with us. She rode in the stroller a bit, but she's happiest in my arms and in her Ergo carrier.    The weather continues to be absolute perfection, in the 70s and so comfortable. The air was cleaner on the island, too, so it was just a perfect day.

Words cannot express how much she has changed in 8 days.  She is SO happy.  She giggles and plays and does silly things to get our attention all day.  We are just enjoying her so much and it is so delightful to see how content she is.  We keep telling her that her world isn't always going to be just us and her... that life at home will be crazy with her siblings!!  I just know she's going to love them once she gets over the initial shock of the noise and craziness. :)  I absolutely can't wait to see them all together.

Tomorrow we go for our Consulate appointment, where we'll take an oath.  Thursday we get her Visa and Friday we leave for home!!!!!!

Cobblestone sidewalks on the island.

The buildings are from the early 1900s.

 We saw a class of school children walking by, they shouted hello to us.

We were photo bombed by a woman and her child watching us get our picture taken.  The locals are fascinated by us.

Looking Back: Medical Exam & River Cruise

One year ago today:

Medical Exam & River Cruise

Sunday night sleep was rough. She was struggling to stay asleep for some reason. She was up from 4am on... we finally went to an early breakfast and came back to try a morning nap, with no luck.  She gets really upset in her crib, but is happy as can be when we pick her up.  However, last night was awesome. She slept until almost 8am!!!!  Perfect timing, too, because we have no obligations this morning, so we were able to sleep in too. However, we completely missed our Skype call home! We usually call them at 7am our time, which is 6pm the night before for them.  I woke up suddenly and couldn't believe it was almost 8am and we missed it!  Thankfully they were still around the computer and we were able to call anyway. Gotta get my Skype fix of my babies at home!

We went with our group for their Visa pictures and medical exams Monday morning.  It was an interesting experience. They each had to be seen by 3 different "stations":  an ear/nose/throat nurse, weight/temperature, and wellness check.  According to the hotel scale, she weighed 16.5 lb when we got her.  Today she was 17.3 lb... hopefully that's accurate that she's already putting on  some weight!  The nurse was able to get a good look in her mouth, which we haven't been able to do yet.  But with the language barrier she couldn't tell us anything.  The doctor thought the scratch on her nose was an infection... ugh! What terrible timing for that.  She didn't seem worried though, and everything seemed to go off without a hitch. The kids over 2 had to have blood drawn for a TB test, which thankfully she didn't have to do.  She fell asleep hard in the baby carrier after that.  Made us think about how  many doctor's appts she'll have coming up over the next months and years.  Anyway, so now we wait for her Visa to be processed-we'll get that hopefully on Thursday.

Last night we went on a dinner cruise on the Pearl River. It was a big boat with most of us from our group with a lot of locals.  The river goes thru downtown and all the buildings have lights on them. It's really beautiful.  We had dinner on the boat, which wasn't great, but it was so wonderful to be out on the deck enjoying the warm night air and the lights.  It was so relaxing and Maggie loved it.

She's been playing hard. She even got on the floor and crawled around for a bit!  And she's not crying as much at diaper changes... overall doing so much better.  She's so happy!  She loves to play and interact and be silly.  She's a completely different kid from a week ago.

She is such a sweetheart.  She's so lovey and so observant.  She has changed so much in the week we've had her.  Makes me so happy for her and we feel so blessed that she's ours.  Also makes me think of all the little ones still sitting in orphanages waiting for their potentials to be unlocked by the love of a family. 

It's Tuesday morning here, and we're going to enjoy our free day by doing some shopping.  Tomorrow is our Consulate appointment!

Looking Back: Playtime!

One year ago today:

Playtime!

We're having a lot of internet trouble here, so this is a little late, but here's how our Sunday the 17th went.:

 

Maggie is doing great!  For some reason she has not been sleeping well the past 24 hours or so. Thinking she's starting a cold and is a little congested.  Naps have been a little sporadic too, but she is definitely coming out of her shell!  She’s starting to do more age-appropriate things like grabbing my glasses and playing more.  I’m so happy to see that now when I feed her or put her down somewhere she doesn’t always stay right in the position. She’s starting to move around more, kick her feet, move her body, wiggle, dance and be silly.   She’s crawling all around on our bed, although she’s not brave enough yet to crawl around on the floor much.  She also managed to scratch herself pretty good on the nose, just in time for her Visa picture tomorrow. :)

It’s amazing to see that she’ll now let us set her down on our bed with a toy and she’ll play with is, as long as we’re close.  She’s even had a few diaper changes without screaming!  She still doesn’t like being on the floor at all, so for right now we’re camped out on our bed with her at playtime.

She is relaxing and not so tense and afraid. I think she’s starting to realize that we’re not going anywhere.  She physically takes great comfort in us; she still loves to snuggle and be right on us.  As hard as this trip is, it has been so good for us to bond with her and her with us before the craziness of home life starts.  We didn’t have that with Allie, and it’s something I wish we had had with her.  

Today (Sunday) we did a little touring of Guangzhou.  We went to a Buddhist temple and to a folk art museum.  Both were outside and the weather is perfect here, in the 70s. Love it! It was so nice to just walk around outside.  Then we went to a craft market and got to do some shopping. We bought her a tradition Chinese silk outfit, a fan, and a few other things. We ordered her a Chinese name chop, which is a stamp that is customized with her English and Chinese names on it, along with her zodiac sign, the dragon.

We hung out the rest of the day. Jeremy went to a paperwork meeting, finalizing some of our last pieces of paperwork for her adoption!! Whoo-hoooo!!!!!  Tomorrow is her medical exam.  We’ve heard it’s not an easy day for the kiddos to be examined by strangers.  Hopefully it will be quick and painless for them!

She is still 100% on bottles for food, but she’s starting to be very curious about our food. She tries to grab what we’re eating. We’re giving her little pieces of food, but she just holds onto it and plays with it, so far doesn’t put anything in her mouth.  I’m sure watching her siblings eat will be a big motivator for her.

We’re in such a better frame of mind here.  New city, new food options, great weather… and best of all, only 5 days left until we can come home!!!!!  Until then, we’re enjoying our time with our yummy little sweetheart.

 

Buddhist temple

 

Her sweet spot.

 

Snuggled in for a snooze.

 

Back to the hotel for playtime.  Happy girl!!

 

 Watching TV.

 

Silly face!

Grabbing for Daddy's Big Mac.

 

No longer the baby who is afraid to move. She can't hold still now!