Day 2 - 12/19

Today was another great day.  We woke sleeping beauty up about 8:00 after she had been sleeping for 12 hours.  She slept in her bed in her room all by herself all night long.  Success!  She does make lots of noises (so I was up about 4 times checking on her) and moves around a lot.  It is a good thing she has a big bed because at one point she was sideways.  We started the morning with scrambled eggs which she helped to stir.  She wanted spaghetti but we opted for later.  She is definitely a girly-girl.  We painted her fingernails and toenails with pink polish and she was thrilled.  She kept saying “Wow.”  We Facetimed Nana so she could show them off.  As I was putting on my makeup, she also wanted some blush and lip gloss.  I also bought a small kid’s purse at a re-sale shop and she has been carrying it around.  We opened the door to the playroom today.  We had delayed it to not over stimulate her.  She immediately went to the Barbies and said mama while pointing to the girl Barbie.  We put together several puzzles and played a little play-doh.  She has also mastered putting shapes into the toddler toy turtle that we have.  We also got out a dry-erase board and she wrote on it for a while trying to copy her name.  We also got to Facetime with Brooke and Kinsley and Kinsley kept signing “More.”  This girl can pack away the food.  Her 11:00 snack was congee but she was ready for spaghetti for lunch at 11:45 and afterwards wanted more congee.  We ventured out of the house for the first time today.  She was adamant that she needed to take her purse with her.  She came with one pair of tennis shoes and we wanted to pick up at least one more pair.  We went to two stores at the Mattoon mall and she did surprisingly (I need a new word; I seem to repeat myself a lot) well.  She picked out anything that was sparkly, shiny, or had bling.  We opted for a dressy pair of black patent leather shoes that she can wear to church and some pink sparkly Velcro shoes for every day.  Both were ones that she indicated she wanted.  I tried for boots but she was not interested in the least.  We did visit Santa while we were at the mall.  She was not scared and did not cry.  We are pretty sure she has no idea who Santa is but we went anyway.  It was a good photo opportunity and as we were leaving she was waving bye and blowing kisses.  She was most excited about the coloring book he gave her and wanted to color as we were driving home (but we had no crayons with us).  When we got home, she did some water color painting.  Dale, Brooke, and Kinsley came over for a visit and girls hit it off right away.  They played Barbies, babies, cheered, colored, hugged, kissed, snacked, etc.  She also was kind to share her headbands with Kinsley so they could both wear one.  We also played Ring Around the Rosy which is one of Kinsley’s favorites.  After 6 or 7 times, she was singing right along with us and she watched Kinsley for what to do at the end.  It was difficult getting these little ones to sit still long enough for a picture.  About 5:00, we headed to Effingham for our first birthday party.  She must have been exhausted after a full day because she slept the whole way.  The party was at K-Bowl and she did GREAT!  She had bacon pizza (minus the pineapple), sprite, and she even got to bowl.  We were there long enough that she even got to cosmic bowl.  She seemed to have fun watching the other kids.  She patiently waited on my lap until it was her turn.  We had a second rendition of Ring Around the Rosy in the car and she fell asleep for the remainder of the trip.  Got home just in time for snack, bathtime and bedtime.  

Loves to "help"

All dressed up and no where to go (notice the purse)

Tickling

Trying on sparkly shoes

Visiting Santa

Watercolor painting

They look so peaceful and innocent.

TROUBLE!!!

Santa's elf

Bacon Pizza

Proud of her bowl

Mimicking what she saw one of the other kids do

Day 1 - 12/18

It looks like we survived Day 1.  Despite our late night, Chris and I were up by 6:00 as usual.  Our house guest, on the other hand, had to be woken up at 9:45 so we could try to get her adjusted to our time zone.  China is fourteen hours ahead of us.  After waking up, she had breakfast which was congee (a Chinese porridge).  Luckily, I planned ahead and made some in the crockpot a couple of days ago.  Super easy - rice with copious amounts of water and broth cooked in the slow cooker for 8 to 10 hours until it breaks down.  Mine was evidently a little thick for her liking because she added water to make it thinner.  At the agency's recommendation, we purchased some Asian spoons.  She used it for a few bites, but went to the drawer and pulled out one of our American spoons.  We had bath time this morning with bubbles.  She seemed to enjoy the water and I was glad to get her cleaned up after her long travel days.  She has severe dry skin at this point so I lathered her up well after bath time.  She seems to enjoy the attention and the affection.  She was excited to have new clothes to put on and does well with dressing herself.  There seems to be a trend with layers because she wanted to wear two shirts all day.  We put up a small tabletop Christmas tree in her room.  She even helped put some of the ornaments on.  The gold presents were a little confusing; she felt the urge to try to open them.  Since she slept late, our morning went super-fast.  We had leftover spaghetti for lunch and she ate surprisingly well .... four small servings.  I guess it must have been a hit because everytime we open the fridge, she points to the container and wants more.  We weighed her today and she is a mere 34.2 pounds.  We are curious to see how much weight she gains during her stay.  We had a pretty low-key afternoon at home, and she seems to be adjusting from the jet lag very well.  Lots more coloring, reading books, and we introduced the waffle blocks.  We tried to watch the Rudolph movie, but she was not interested.  Lots of potty-breaks all day long.  The hand-washing may be the highlight and motivator.  I wanted her to try on some clothes we had purchased to see if any needed to be exchanged for a different size.  She obliged, looked in the mirror, and when it came time to try on the skirt, she shook her booty.  She is very tiny and most everything I bought is too large.  Not a big deal to exchange.  Nana and Smitty came for a visit.  She warmed right up to Nana and really let her personality shine.  Lots of smiles and mimicking actions and sounds.  Before we knew it, it was time to eat again.  I had made ahead some Chinese flavored noodles (i.e. soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar).  I opened the container to show her and she got very excited.  She ate two large helpings.  While Chris and I were eating Manicotti for dinner, she decide she wanted some of that too.  So she had a second dinner because why not?  I'm so glad that she is willing to try new things.  She was not a fan of apple juice, milk, or a juice box but drinks water like a champ.  She did eat some marshmallows, but did not like graham crackers or ice cream (what?!).  There is not much (any) verbal communication happening but she can still let us know what she wants or needs.  She was super sleepy after dinner because she did not take a nap.  Once she realized it was dark, that was her cue and she wanted to brush her teeth and go to bed.  She would put her hands beside her head and lay her head on them.  I intentionally elongated the bedtime process to keep her up as long as possible.  More lotion for her dry skin and she was thrilled when I offered to trim her fingernails.  At 8:00, I laid down with her for a few minutes.  She is sound asleep now.

Chris' Commentary(1 hour of the day):
Kelsey decided to take a short leave of absence today to exchange some items to one of our local clothing stores.  I have to admit I was ready for the challenge that I anticipated but this little girl read me well and knew I was the soft one.  Within minutes she had removed her socks multiple times (I think I quit putting them on after the 4th or 5th time).  Not to mention the 100 trips up and down the stairs in an effort to wear me down.  The last trip up the stairs she decided she wanted to open one of the Christmas presents wrapped under the tree. Luckily by the time I got across the room to stop her, she only pulled a 2" strip of wrapping paper off and the bow which still left the entire gift covered.  Since I was focused on the damage to the present, she decided to try to tear into a gingerbread house kit that Kelsey had under the tree.  At this point I called Kelsey and recommended that if she wanted to return to our standing house, she may want to return sooner than later.  At this point the little one decided she wanted to take a car ride.  She walked back down the stairs and put her shoes on her sockless feet.  I looked at her and asked her where she was going and she put her hands out as if she was driving a car with her hands on the steering wheel at 9 o'clock and 3.  I finally got her to sit down and watch some Rudolph but that lasted for about 5 minutes.  She was wondering around the basement while I was still entertained by a childhood favorite movie while trying to calm down from the previous incidents and still keep an eye on her.  I suddenly hear a jingle from my office and I am really wondering what it is.  Luckily I stepped over to see her trying to open a box packed completely full of thumb tacks.  Shortly thereafter Kelsey walks into the door and the child turns to a perfect angel.  Bring on day 2.

Sleeping beauty

Breakfast

Bathtime

Christmas elf

Double-fisting with spaghetti

My childhood waffle blocks

Waving with Nana (she knows how to blow kisses too)

Dinnertime

Arrival Day Video

As promised, here is a video (takes forever to upload)....

Arrival Day

Wow, what a day!  I am not even sure where to start.  We worked till 11:00, left the house at 12:00 (which was about the time she was landing at JFK from Beijing), stopped for a quick lunch in Champaign (Chipotle is one of our faves) and we were on our way.  Despite heavy nerves, we were surprisingly at peace.  I distracted myself with my first attempt at an adult coloring book and it worked well.  Luckily, no traffic which was a blessing and we arrived well in advance of when we needed to be there.  We met our airport coordinator, Jason; Jill and Wes who are hosting a 10 year old boy; and Tiffany (and her mom) who are hosting the 46 year old pediatrician/chaperone.  We had a bite to eat at the Hilton restaurant and waited what seemed like (and was) a long time.  Jason was hoping to get a gate pass to go meet our small arriving group but Delta said no.  Finally, about 7:15 they rode down the escalator.  As you will see in the video, she immediately came to the poster with her picture.  A huge thanks to Tiffany for capturing these first moments on video.  Surprisingly, there were no tears (for me or her!!).  She seemed to warm right up to both of us and wanted to have her picture taken.  She hammed it up by giving lots of kisses and smiles.  We said good byes to our new friends and headed to the car.  For precaution, she wore her sea band bracelet.  It must have worked because she never had any motion sickness.  She went into her car seat with no issues.  She did come off the airplane with 5 layers of clothes including a puffy vest and winter coat.  Needless to say, we had to remove some layers to fit and be comfy in the car.  We read books, colored (her file says she doesn't like coloring, but I beg to differ), ate fruit snacks and goldfish, and played peek-a-boo.  She even wanted to share her snacks and feed them to me.   We made a few calls to family.  While talking to Nana, she was pretending to be on the phone by holding her hand up to her ear, talking and giggling.  She tries to mimic everything we say.  Other than two bathroom breaks, I am grateful for a peaceful and easy ride home.  Chris says at the gas station, she wanted one of everything, including windshield washer fluid:). The last hour and a half she was pretty quiet and finally fell asleep.  They said she had slept a lot on the plane rides but was still really tired.  She livened up once we arrived home (at 11:30).  She was quite interested in the undecorated Christmas tree, especially the box of candy canes underneath.  This girl definitely knows candy.  She also liked the Bath & Body Works small candle that Kinsley carries around.  We showed her her room and I think she might be a girly-girl.  She thought she should wear a headband to bed.  She found the drawers with her new clothes and was a fan (pulling out a skirt).  She immediately pulled out her slippers, ripped the tags off, and wanted them on.  Good thing they fit :)  She changed into comfy jammies (which at 5T are still plenty big) and brushed her teeth like a champ.  Chris stayed with her the first half of the night and I took the second half.  She went right to sleep and never woke up.  She is still out now.  I'm guessing when she does wake up, we are going to hit the ground running.  So grateful for all of your calls, texts, emails, and FB comments.  We have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support and prayers.  

We will see what adventures today brings.  I'll upload a video or two later.  

Cheesy selfie before leaving

Chicago group

Full of kisses

In the car seat for the first time

Coloring in the car

All tuckered out - about an hour left

Quite the ham - those are candy canes on her head

After I showed her her room, she went to get Chris to show him.  She seemed pretty excited.

Sporting her headband and new fuzzy slippers

FINALLY!!

The waiting is finally over and we are so ready for the next leg of this adventure.  Our girl’s adventure has already begun.  The kids and chaperones are already on the airplane and traveling from China to the USA.  It will take approximately 24 hours from departure to arrival and they change planes twice.  Tomorrow we will drive to the airport to meet her and bring her home. 

We are anticipating not getting much sleep tonight.  Our excitement and nerves are overwhelming.  I’m sure she must be feeling the same way.

She is going to be exhausted after a long travel day and the time change.  We have been told she may sleep for a full day.

Please join us in praying for:

·         safe travels for the children, their chaperones, and host families

·         comfort and courage for the kids as their worlds are turned upside-down

·         smooth transition once she arrives at our house (and the other kids at their host families houses)

We hope to post something soon…

Rules

Please be aware of and respect the following rules:

1.   NEVER mention the word “Adoption” around our little girl.  Period.  Please do not ask us about adoption in front of her.  This can be hurting and confusing.  It also may jeopardize future hosting programs.

2.   In addition, please do not buy gifts for her (for Christmas, her birthday, or otherwise).  She is not allowed to take gifts back with her.  Leaving gifts received behind would be very upsetting for her.  She needs our love and experiences; not material things.

We have to follow these rules as well.  And it will not be any easier for us!

This is likely to be the fastest four weeks of our lives :) 

Introduction

When our agency went on the interview trip to China last June, they took photos, videos, and basic information about the kids available to be hosted.

We would like to introduce you to “Miss Dress-Up”.  This is the nickname she was given by the interview team.  For privacy reasons, we cannot disclose her Chinese name online.

This is what we know so far about our future houseguest:

• 8 year old girl
• Short hair (common for orphanages due to maintenance and lice concerns)
• Very small for her age (equivalent to 4-5 year old)
• Knows numbers, colors, and shapes
• Enjoys playing dress up
• Had corrective heart surgery at the age of 2
• Speaks Mandarin

Isn’t she a doll?  We are anxious for her arrival so we can learn lots more about her.

As part of this process, we wrote her a welcome letter which includes some pictures of us.  Hopefully, she is learning of her adventure about now.