Highs and Lows

Today was the best and the worst all combined into one.  It was emotionally exhausting for all of us.  We visited the orphanage and the foster home where Katie stayed.  She did fine at the orphanage, but the foster home was another story.   We were also able to visit the hospital where she was found.  We took pictures and hope that someday they will mean so much to her.

We woke her from her nap to meet the driver to go to her foster home.  After about a thirty minute drive we arrived.  She immediately recognized where she was. The director was not in today, but another lady met us and thankfully she spoke English.  She showed us around and Katie's nanny came out to see her.  This is when things started to go south.  Katie screamed for her and wouldn't even let Travis hold her at that point.  We let the nanny hold her while we walked around the home and saw Katie's room.  

I really felt that it was the right thing to do to visit, but at that point I was thinking, "What have I done?"  If her nanny had been willing to give her back to us it would have gone better, but she followed us and just as Katie was settling down, she came into the room and took her back from Travis.  Travis got very upset and told them "No, I'm not happy."  The English speaking lady knew and understood that this was only prolonging Katie's trauma, so she told the nanny to leave.  At this time, I decided it was probably best if we make a quick exit from the home. 

Katie cried for about half of the trip home and was calling for her nanny.  I felt helpless since my relationship with her is not established.  On the ride home I felt as if I had made a mistake.  

When we arrived back at the hotel though, Katie responded so well to me.  We played for a long time with crayons and stickers and she even let me hold her.    She was laughing and was not calling for baba when he would walk out of the room.  Then at dinner, she sat in my lap to eat and I leaned over and kissed her cheek and she kissed me back!  I started tearing up in the middle of the restaurant.  So, do I regret going to the foster home?  Well, I hated going through the pain, but I think the end result was worth it.  I think it was important for Katie to grieve and to realize that we are now her parents and she will not be staying at the foster home any longer.  It was the lowest and highest possible emotions all in one day. 

Trevor has been quite the trooper throughout everything.  Today was hard on him as well.  He was scared to move in the car on the ride back to the hotel for fear that he would somehow upset Katie again.  She did play with him as well when we got back to the hotel, and she gave him a hug.   It's hard to explain to a ten year old how something so stressful, something that seems so bad, can actually be a good thing.  I have been so proud of him on this trip.  He has stepped in and carried the back pack, made sure we have the room key, and taken some really good pictures.  He says he's not homesick, but I think we will all be glad to be back home. 

My email is not working over here, so I'm not able to check it.  If you want to send an email, send it to ac.plowboy@gmail.com

 

Terracotta Warriors

Today was the highlight of touring for Trevor.  We visited the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum.  We were able to go to the factory where they make replicas.  We got to see the process of how they are made.  It was interesting and we also bought some souvenirs as reminders of our time in Katie's province.  Then we went to the actual museum.  It is estimated that there are 8,000 soldiers in the area, but there may be more as the area is still being excavated.  There were actually three different parts to the museum, each one called a pit.  There are two large pits and one small pit.  One of the larger ones has had very little excavation done, so it will be interesting to see what they discover.  

Trevor is famous in China.  We have random people want to take a picture with him.  The poor boy in the picture had no choice since his parents wanted the picture taken.  I think he was a little embarrassed.  The family also asked our guide if our daughter was Chinese.  Our guide said this was common for the people to ask and there are so many people in this town that they don't often see families who adopt.  

Katie wanted Travis to hold her the entire time.  His left shoulder is really hurting.  This was one time it didn't hurt my feelings at all that she didn't want me.  It was in the 90's and very humid.  We were all drenched in sweat, but Travis was particularly soaked.  Katie really liked the horses at the museum, and Trevor liked  seeing the excavation site and how they were restoring the pieces.  

We were so tired in the van on the way back to the hotel.  Katie had had a power nap in baba's arms while at the museum.  Trevor laid down in the backseat and rested.  Katie likes to put on Travis' visor.  It's got the Auburn symbol on it and we worked on saying "War Eagle."  :)  

We've just relaxed in the hotel room this afternoon.  I think we are going to eat something here and not try to go out again.  Katie let's me attend to all her needs like feeding and changing, so that is a good sign.  She also played stickers with me again and we colored for awhile.  She is talking a lot and repeats things in English, so we worked on colors while creating our crayon masterpiece.  She now knows who Dora and Diego are, and she also knows all the Disney princesses' names from the stickers we have.  It's cute to hear her say things, and she also has the most adorable giggle.  

Today has been a much better day so I know y'all have been praying for us.  Thank you!  We're half way through the trip as of today and I'm feeling like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Your prayers and support mean so much to us.

Ryan and Spencer, we love and miss you so much!  We can't wait to see you soon.    

Difficult Day

Today has been a really difficult day for me.  I started the morning with the realization that we are not even half way through the trip.  I think if I could have one good Southern meal I would be okay.  I love the food here, but you don't have the options that you do back home.  Just imagine going to a Chinese restaurant every night for an entire week.  Tomorrow will be the half way mark, and I'm counting the days until I can see Ryan and Spencer.  I miss you guys so much!

We went to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda today.  It's a Buddhist temple, so we learned more about the Buddhism than we probably cared to know.  Notice the swastika on the Buddha's chest- kind of creepy, don't you think?  It is interesting to hear the history and it helps to understand the culture a little better.  We bought a book at the gift shop about some farm paintings that are unique to the Shaanxi Province.  We had another person at the gift shop tell us, "Your daughter looks a little bit Chinese."  This is totally cracking me up.  It's like they've never had couples here adopting children before.  We also went to the city wall, which was originally built to protect the inner city.    It is about 13K if you want to walk the entire wall.  We were okay with just seeing a small portion of it.  

It has also been a more difficult day with Katie.  She has decided that Travis is her favorite person and she doesn't care much for me.  Travis is having to bear the brunt of carrying things.  He carried the backpack and Katie the while we toured.  She did walk some, but she will only hold his hand.  She did let me hold her for that one picture.  We took a taxi to WalMart and Travis handed her to me and went to get something in another part of the store.  She started screaming and I was getting some very ugly looks.  I kept thinking, "I hope they don't think I just kidnapped this baby."  As soon as Katie saw Travis walking down the aisle, she started yelling "baba" and the people that were staring went about their business.  I'm trying very hard not to be selfish and feel hurt, but it is difficult.  I knew this might happen, and if I had not mentally prepared myself for it I would be really heartbroken.  I know this is a huge adjustment for her and I'm trying to be patient.  She did kiss Travis on the cheek today, which was so sweet.  

It's bedtime here, and I'm exhausted.  More touring tomorrow- we go see the Terracotta Soldiers.    

Officially Ours!

Katie went to sleep really easy last night.  She still takes a bottle at bedtime, so she fell asleep while drinking it.  She slept through the night and we had to wake her to go to breakfast this morning.  

We went to the civil affairs office early to get our provincial paperwork completed.  She did really well this morning, but when we had to return this afternoon, she cried quite a bit.  She had just fallen asleep right before it was time to go, so we had to wake her from her nap.  She was not at all happy about that.  I think she was grieving and being at the office made her remember her caregiver.  All of those things put together were not a good combination for her.  She finally settled down when we got back in the van.  In a way, we were glad she was crying.  It let us know she is feeling emotions and we want her to feel like she can have this time to grieve.  She is really attached to "baba" but when she was crying she wanted me to hold her, which means she's warming up to me.  It felt so good to have her snuggle close and look to me for comfort.  

After signing the final paperwork at the civil affairs office, they gave us our certificate of adoption.  Katie is officially ours now!

Travis and Trevor have introduced her to the iPod.  Trevor taught her how to tap the screen and make the animation move.  She has also figured out how to work the remote control.  She's super smart and is already repeating words in English.  She's not potty trained, but I think this is a stubbornness issue.  I'm not worried about working on that until after we've been home for awhile.  

She likes bubbles and loves to draw, so we kept her entertained in the hotel room while we were here.  She likes to wear bows in her hair, but she also likes to take them out a hundred times a day and ask me to put it back in for her.  She was less than thrilled when I fixed her hair in pigtails to go to dinner tonight.   She's terrified of the swimming pool.  Her caregiver told us she has a fear of swimming, but we thought we'd try it.  She took one look at the pool and started screaming, so I brought her back to the room while Travis and Trevor swam.  

We are getting a lot of stares and I can tell people are talking about us at times, especially since we now have Katie.  One man walked up to Trevor and grabbed his hand to shake it.  I've told Trevor to just be nice and smile.  I have to tell you a funny story that happened after dinner tonight.  We came back to the hotel and one of the bellboys went to call the elevator for us.  He looked at us like he was kind of confused and said, "Your daughter looks Chinese."  I said, "She is.  We just adopted her."  He replied, "Oh."  We politely waited until we got back to the hotel room to bust out laughing.  

One last note...I don't know why I was so concerned about the food over here.  Instead of losing 10 pounds, I'm gaining!  I love most everything, but we've tried to stay away from pig ears and intestines and chicken feet.  :)  

GOTCHA DAY!!!!

We have the most adorable, precious daughter in the world!  

We went to the civil affairs office around 4 p.m. and walked in to see Katie waiting for us.  Her caregiver immediately waved us over and told her we were mama and baba.  We were able to ask questions about her, and we received a package of keepsakes (including a picture CD, footprints/handprints, and other items) from Starfish that we will always treasure.  Katie played with us and with the toys we had brought for her.  

When the time came for her caregiver to leave, she cried for quite a while.  There was a lot of paperwork to fill out and sign, so Travis took care of that while I walked the halls with her trying to calm her down.  It saddened me to see her so upset and I hurt for her knowing that she was scared.  Our guide also helped and would speak to her in Mandarin to calm her.  After Travis finished the paperwork, I had to sign everything as well.  He took her out into the hall and she settled right down.  She has definitely decided that she likes baba, but she's not so sure about me yet.

Trevor was such a big helper while we were there.  He would try to play with her and give her snacks or drink.  He also helped carry things to the van when we were done.  He keeps saying how cute she is, and we agree with him.  

After leaving the civil affairs office we went to have her photo taken for all her documents.  She had completely settled down by this time and seemed to like the ride in the van.  She sat in baba's lap on the way, which was weird for us since our kids always have to be in car seats in the US.  After the pictures, we came back to the hotel, and our guide helped us get our paperwork ready for tomorrow.  

Celine, our guide, walked with us to a local restaurant and helped us order dinner since no one spoke English there.  It was raining outside and Katie loved being carried and helping baba hold the umbrella.  She sat in my lap at dinner and I ordered a sprite.  When the waiter brought it to the table, she began to get excited and point.  So, I gave my two year old sprite the first day we have her.  She ate really well; she liked the corn and rice but would take the meat out of her mouth and tell baba to take it.  

We were able to skype with Ryan, Spencer, Gimi, and Pawpaw.  She already knew the boy's names from their pictures and would point and call them by name on the screen.  It was adorable!  They loved it.  

She wanted to change into her pink pajamas when we showed them to her.  She likes to comb her hair, and take her hairbows out and try to put them back in.  She is quite the stinker and giggles if you tell her no.  She is drawing on a notepad right now, and tried to write on the bed.    

Travis and I are actually a little worried that she is doing so well.  I guess I'll live in the moment and enjoy the happiness and try not to worry.  Tomorrow may be a different story as she realizes she will not be going back to Starfish.  I'm sure she will grieve more, but I have prayed God would prepare her heart and know that He is at work in the situation.  We couldn't be happier with the precious little girl that He made just for us!  We are so in love!

Temple of Heaven

Today was a really fun day.  We went to the Temple of Heaven.  The temple was impressive, but the garden outside was wonderful.  In China, they have outdoor "gyms" that people pay an extremely low annual fee to use.  They have singing, dancing, hacky sack, parallel bars, and the list goes on.  Trevor impressed the local people with his gymnastic ability.  He was able to do the monkey bars, do flips, and jump back and forth on a contraption that looked sort of like a pommel horse.  The people go there to socialize and to be happy.  They are not at all self-conscious of others watching them or of how they look or perform.  Their goal is to be happy and be healthy.  

We were able to visit a pearl market as well today.  Because Trevor was the youngest in our group, he was able to pick a clam from the tank for them to demonstrate how they get the pearls.  These are all freshwater pearls and the pink and lavender can only be found in China.  I bought several things from there including a necklace and earrings for myself.

Next we enjoyed lunch at an authentic local restaurant.  The food was served on a lazy susan again, so we picked what we wanted to eat as it was passed around the table.  The picture at the restaurant shows our group: me, Travis, Cheri, Jeff, Marissa, Noah, and Trevor.  The kids got their picture taken with one of the waitresses who wore a traditional Chinese costume.  Outside the restaurant was another beautiful park.  This one had a lake and many different kinds of flowers and trees surrounding it.  The lotus were in bloom and were very pretty. 

The flight to Xian was not particularly fun for me.  I broke down into tears again about 2 minutes into the flight.  I thought I was going to be sick and I started to hyperventilate.  I was okay after we were in the air (and I took some medicine to calm down).  I only have to fly 3-4 more times depending on a direct or connecting flight from here to Guangzhou.  We arrived in Xian and our guide, Celine, met us at the airport.  We made it to our hotel, The Golden Flower Shangri-La.  They had an extremely busy day and must have overbooked, so we were upgraded to a deluxe suite at no extra cost.  Let me just say "WOW!"  We have a kitchen, living room, huge bedroom, and large bathroom with closet.  They already had an extra bed for Trevor and a crib for Katie in the room.  I'm impressed!  

It's been a long day.  Tomorrow is the BIG DAY!  We will get to meet Katie around 4 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.  Tomorrow morning we are going to try to sleep in and then walk to a park nearby.  I know you all can't wait to see pictures of her, so I'll try to send them as early as possible.  

What A Day!

We started touring fairly early this morning, and packed so much into the day.  First, we went to a jade market.  It was intriguing to see the craftsman carving the jade.  The items were so beautiful and we made several purchases there.  I didn't realize that jade came in several different colors other than green.  The ship in the picture is made entirely of jade.  We couldn't quite afford it and didn't know how to pack it, but Trevor thought it was very cool.

Next we went to the Great Wall.  They don't call it a great wall for nothing!  I'm not sure any of us will be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning.  There were two paths from the main entrance.  We chose the less crowded path, but it was also steeper than the other path.  Trevor would run ahead and then run back to us.  He seems to have an abundance of energy.  We, on the other hand, were a little out of breath and struggled with some of the inclined areas.  There were stairs and also just steep hills to climb.  The pathway is smooth and the steps are uneven, so you have to be careful of your footing.  When we reached one of the towers, I looked out across the mountains at the beauty.  At that moment, I thought "How can these people behold such beauty and not believe in the One who created it?" It was absolutely breathtaking!  After we made the trek back to the entrance, we enjoyed another delicious lunch.  

We went to a cloisonne factory next and made some purchases.  This is such a tedious form of artwork.  The artisan must be very patient as they create the different items by gluing wire onto a copper base and then painting the copper in between the wires.  The item is then heated and polished and is so nice once completed.   

 

Last we went to Summer Palace, which surrounds a huge man-made lake.  It is amazing that the emperors and empresses would only spend the summer in this palace and yet it is bigger than the Forbidden City.  It is hard to capture the enormity of it in pictures.  China has such a rich and long history.  I have thoroughly enjoyed our time touring in Beijing.  The adorable girl in the picture with Trevor is our guide, Jolin.  She has been such a wonderful guide.  She keeps up with Trevor and Noah and gives them a lot of attention.  She is very informative and has become like one of the family.  

Tomorrow we will go to the Temple of Heaven and then head for the airport.  We fly to Katie's province tomorrow night and then will meet her on Sunday morning!