Packing

Today started very early.  We had to be in the lobby by 7:45 a.m. to go to the U.S. consulate.  We took an oath on Katie's behalf stating that all of the documents submitted were true to our knowledge.  We will be able to get her visa and passport back tomorrow.  We were done by 9 a.m. and able to get a little breakfast from the buffet before we met the rest of our group and headed to the zoo.  

It was extremely hot and Katie had not gotten enough sleep last night, so she was a little grumpy.  She did love seeing the animals though.  Our guide, Lily, was impressed with how many of the animals she could name, all in Chinese, of course.  Lily would translate for us.  Katie talks a lot and will sometimes say several sentences in Chinese, and I feel bad that I don't understand what she is trying to tell me.  Her English is coming along really well though and she repeats everything we say.  I do have to share that we saw a liger at the zoo.  I've heard from a very reliable source that they are bred for their skills in magic.  LOL.  They are actually a very beautiful animal.

We said goodbye to the Maddox's today.  We may see them in Hong Kong, although we won't be there for very long.  I shed a few tears after they left.  It has been so nice to have friends on this journey with us, and has helped us not feel so homesick.  The McClure's will leave sometime tomorrow, but the remaining families' schedules are all different, so we said goodbye to them today as well, just in case things are hectic and we don't get the chance to see them again.    We will tour tomorrow with the Olivet family before we leave for the train station.  Our whole travel group has been wonderful.

Katie is bonding better everyday.  She still only wants Travis to hold her when we are out, but she wants me to put her down for her naps and to bed.  She also sat with me at dinner and we shared an ice cream cone after that.  We found out today that she loves Legos.  Trevor has hundreds of them and brought a few with him.  She doesn't ever try to put them in her mouth, but she dumps them out of the container and puts them back in.  We're going to have to work on eating better foods when we get home.  Katie has quite a sweet tooth and doesn't eat any meat at all.  She will eat noodles and rice, as well as yogurt.  We're going to add in some veggies and try cut the meat into tiny pieces for her.

This may be our last update before we get home.  We will take the train to Hong Kong tomorrow and spend the night.  We're almost done packing, and Travis is amazed that I've gotten it all back in the suitcase.  I'm not sure if we will have a chance to send an update before we fly out on Friday.  Everyone is welcome to meet us at the airport, but I just want to warn you that we aren't letting other people hold Katie just yet.  She is still adjusting and we don't want to confuse her by passing her around to other people.  Our plane is scheduled to land a few minutes after 10 p.m. Friday night.

We want to thank everyone for all of your prayers and for following us on this incredible journey.  So many of you have done so much to help us, and we are so appreciative.  

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

Great Day!

Today has been a great day!  I am feeling mostly better, but being very careful about what I eat.  

We took a taxi back to Shamian Island and let the kids play on the playground there.  Katie had a good fit and threw herself on the sidewalk because Travis wouldn't hold her.  Her independence is shining through, but she still wants to be carried around everywhere.  She has also started cutting her eyes at us in disapproval, but then she laughs.  We can't help but laugh along with her.  It's kind of cute now, but I'm sure I won't think it's so cute when she's fifteen.  

Trevor and Katie had some good bonding time while at the playground.  They are starting to play together a little more.  Katie wants Trevor to be around her and is constantly calling his name.  She is also doing much better with me.  Travis left to get dinner and then again to get water bottles and she was fine with just me.  She is also letting me hold her more and is giving kisses and saying "I love you."  I'll take any affection she's willing to give.  She is very sweet, but a little stubborn, and we are so happy she is ours.

We also made huge progress at the pool today.  Katie was sitting with me in the deck chair and Trevor and Travis were swimming.  She was playing with the water in the cups again.  She dumped all the water, so I took her over to the pool to fill the cups again.  She actually reached down into the water to fill her cup.  Then we went to the stairs and she sat on the edge of the pool with her feet on the first step and splashed and played.  Bath time was also not traumatic at all tonight.  She is doing so well and we are so proud of her.  We keep praising the little steps she is making towards overcoming her fears.

The Pearl River Boat Cruise was this evening and we all enjoyed it.  The lights on all the buildings were so pretty.  The bigger kids had fun playing on the upper deck and they also got to see a magic show.  Katie had not had a nap all day, so she fell asleep before we made it back to the dock.  Now she is wide awake and ready to play.  Meanwhile, we're ready for bed and have to be in the lobby at 7:45 a.m. for our consulate appointment.

Thanks for all the prayers.  I know they made me feel better.  Keep praying for us.  We're almost home!  We need lots of prayers for the long plane ride home. 

Counting Down...

Happy 4th of July!  It's kind of hard to celebrate America while in China.  We wore our flag t-shirts, but we won't get to see the fireworks this year.  It made me a little more homesick.

I have also actually been sick.  I finally decided that I had something wrong with my stomach and started on the antibiotics that we brought.  I think I was in denial that I was really sick, but today after lunch I felt awful.  The medicine seems to have helped, and I've also had 2 bottles of Gatorade which seems to have helped as well.  I was able to eat dinner and have not gotten sick yet.  Yay!

We went back to Shamian Island today to have Katie's TB skin test checked and to do a little more shopping.  Katie's test was normal so we were thankful for that.  She didn't like going back to the doctor, but it was a very quick visit.  After that we were able to walk around Shamian Island.  It has beautiful landscaping and sculptures, lots of little shops, and a playground for the kids by the Pearl River.  We ate at Lucy's, which is very popular with the American tourists.  Katie and I had our first stare down at the dinner table.  She gave me "evil eyes" when I told her to sit down in her chair, and she refused to obey.  I eventually made her cry just by looking at her and took her out of the restaurant.  It was quite amusing.  This was not a scared or confused cry, but an "I'm mad because I'm not getting my way" cry.  The terrible two's sure are fun!

This afternoon was not very eventful since I was not feeling well.  Katie and I both took naps, and then we met for group pictures.  Travis and I had bought traditional clothing as well, but I just didn't feel up to changing into it.  The kids, however, dressed in their clothing and I love some of the pictures we got of them.  We plan to have family pictures done in the clothing when we get back home and can have Ryan and Spencer in the pictures.

I have loved experiencing another culture and have gained a greater respect for China.  This has been such a wonderful trip but I'm glad we will be coming home soon.  I think it has been a combination of being here so long and not feeling well that has made me miss home so much today.  There's no place like home, in your own bed when you're not feeling the best.  We get to sleep in tomorrow morning and will go on the Pearl River cruise tomorrow night.  We're going to take it easy and just relax most of the day.

Shop Til You Drop!

Katie is not yet the shopper that I am.  She was a little overwhelmed being in a huge shopping center.  The mannequins also kind of freaked her out.  So, needless to say, she was attached to Travis' hip the entire time.  I tried to take her for a while and she threw an all out screaming fit.  She did call for me the entire time I was gone when I went to the restroom at lunchtime.  And she has started calling me "mama" more often.  

We ate at Pizza Hut for lunch and Katie loved it.  She ate one and a half pieces of pizza, which is more than I ate today.  At least now I know she can survive when we get home because pizza is a staple in our house.  Travis got her to try the lemon from our drinks.  I wasn't quick enough with the camera, but her face was hilarious.  I haven't felt very well today.  I'm not sure if I was just exhausted or if I ate something that was bad, but I took a nap and took some medicine and feel better tonight.   

 

 

Trevor and Katie have really begun to form a bond.  She calls for him when we are out walking, and they play in the hotel room.  It took a while to settle them down last night because they were laughing and being so silly.  Katie let me rock her to sleep last night and then again for her nap.  She seems to know I'm the person who takes care of her because she lets me brush her teeth, change her diaper, and help her at meals.  But she wants baba to carry her everywhere.  She also likes playing with Marissa, Noah's sister, and was being silly with her on the bus today.  Katie kept trying to put on Marissa's sun glasses and laughing.

 

 

Overall, things are getting easier.  I know once we get home it will be much better.  Katie has far surpassed all expectations I had.  I had prepared myself for the worst and was going to be happy with anything better.  She is pretty easy-going, wakes up slowly but not too grumpy, and has a bubbly personality that you just can't help but love.  

Medical Exam

We are enjoying being with other adoptive families here in Guangzhou.  We met another family who have a son, Conner, who is a little younger than Trevor.  Noah is here as well, so Trevor is having a much better time than he did being alone in Xi'an.  The boys have a lot in common and immediately formed a bond.  I'm so happy for Trevor.  

 

Today was Katie's medical exam.  I was dreading this because I was not sure how she would react.  It was obvious that she knew exactly what a doctor was and that she didn't like them.  She kept screaming "no shot" in Chinese and she cried quite a bit.  There were three parts to the exam: 1. ears, nose, throat 2. measure and weigh 3. medical exam.  The third part was to listen to her heart and check her lungs.  I became a little worried during this part because the doctor called in another doctor and was pointing to her chart and speaking in Chinese.  He then called in another doctor which made me worry even more.  The doctor just wanted to confirm her heart condition.  He was also having a hard time hearing her lung sounds because she was crying so hard.  Katie then had to have a TB skin test and you would have thought someone was killing her.  So far the skin test looks good.  We will go back on Monday to have it checked.  

 

 

McDonald's makes everything better for most kids so we went there for lunch with the Maddox's after the exam.  Katie likes French fries and sprite, but wouldn't touch her chicken nuggets.  I don't think she ate much meat before now and she is unsure of the texture.  She actually wanted me to hold her in McDonald's!  We're making progress and she seems to be bonding a little more each day.  She has begun to call "mama" when I walk away, and she has given me several kisses.

 

 

Another huge step, that may only seem significant to those of you who have adopted before, is she put on different shoes.  This was on Thursday night and I forgot to mention it then.  She loves to wear her shoes and she would only wear the sandals she wore when we first met her.  She went and got a pair of tennis shoes I had brought for her and wanted to put those on instead.  The sandals were the last piece of clothing from the foster home that she was willing to give up.

 

This afternoon I did a lot of paperwork with Rebecca and Lily, our guides here in Guangzhou.  All of Katie's visa paperwork is now ready to be turned in to the consulate.  While I was "working," Travis took Trevor and Katie to the pool so Trevor could play with his buddies.  Katie has an extreme fear of water, but she is making some progress in this area as well.  Travis didn't take her near the water but sat in one of the deck chairs.  He took a spray bottle with him and would spritz her.  She liked this and even played with some cups of water, pouring them back and forth.  Bath time has gotten a little easier as well, and she loves having lotion put on after her bath.  

 

 

We met with two other families for dinner and enjoyed a great meal.  The food is apparently a little different in southern China than in northern China, so we are in for a whole new adventure of trying strange foods.  Katie got to experience her first popsicle tonight (or least the first one we gave her).  She had sticky juice dripping all over her and a big smile on her face.  

 

Today we discovered that Katie loves escalators.  She squealed with delight as we went up at a local store, and then again when we went down.  Our hotel has an escalator to some of the floors and she asks if she can go on it.  Of course Travis obliges.  It's really cute.  I wish you could hear Trevor and Katie right now.  They are playing in the hotel room and there is a lot of laughing and being silly.  She is really warming up to everyone.  

 

 

I included a couple of pictures outside our hotel.  It is pretty swanky.  I'm enjoying having my meals ready for me, my bed turned down, and calling the bellboy to collect my bags.  I'll have to return to reality soon enough.  The picture of the Lamborghini is for all the guys.  Trevor, Noah, and Conner thought it was pretty cool. 

 

 

Tomorrow we go shopping!  It will be a good day for me and a hard day on Travis' pocket book.  :)

Short & Sweet

We had a busy day, so this is going to be very short.  We just relaxed at the hotel until around 3 p.m.  Then we picked up Katie's passport from the civil affairs office.  We got to the Xi'an airport in plenty of time for our flight, only to be delayed for an hour and a half.  We didn't get into our hotel until after midnight and today is going to be busy as well. 

Katie was excited to be on her first plane ride until she fell asleep right after take off.  She slept until we woke her to get off the plane.  Hopefully she'll sleep on the "big" flight home.  I promise to write more tonight when I'm not so exhausted.

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