On December 9, 2008.
I wrote about it in my livejournal blog.. which is probably the one I will use the most from now on... as it involves EVERYTHING in my life -- random writings, stuff about the kids, etc.
Click here for my entry on that day (including pictures) :D
Monday, December 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Update readoption
Got a letter on Friday from the courts/Masters' office. Turns out they need two pieces of information...and I wanted to call on Monday for clarication, thus no entry until now. One piece was easy enough to figure out: physician's certificates/physicals for the petitioners (my husband and myself) as well as one for the adoptee (Georgia). The other was an "order for adoption". Basically it is a document that the courts can sign off on that make the whole deal official.
And, for those wondering, a fine example of those (as well as a good example of an adoption petition can be found in "The Practice Manual for the Maryland Lawyer", available in the reference section at the public library. It is definitely in PG county public libraries for sure...and I do believe its in all of them but I'm not 100% certain.
Both Georgia and I have been seen recently enough by a doctor that they are willing to fill out the physicals for us... poor Royce had to get an appointment for a new physical. Luckily they had an opening for next week...so it shouldn't be too much longer before we can turn these last pieces of information in. Once that happens we can submit another written request for a court date. Then Miss Georgia will be readopted in Maryland, and an offical citizen.
And, for those wondering, a fine example of those (as well as a good example of an adoption petition can be found in "The Practice Manual for the Maryland Lawyer", available in the reference section at the public library. It is definitely in PG county public libraries for sure...and I do believe its in all of them but I'm not 100% certain.
Both Georgia and I have been seen recently enough by a doctor that they are willing to fill out the physicals for us... poor Royce had to get an appointment for a new physical. Luckily they had an opening for next week...so it shouldn't be too much longer before we can turn these last pieces of information in. Once that happens we can submit another written request for a court date. Then Miss Georgia will be readopted in Maryland, and an offical citizen.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Polite Ear-chewing, it gets answers
Even though I wanted to rant and holler, I limited myself to a bit of teary-frustration in my voice as I spoke with people...and this is what I found out:
Basically, we were told stuff completely bass-ackwards. We were supposed to send the certificate of adoption form, the check to vital records and the DHR form to the HOWARD COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT for it to be put with our file. Then once we had our court date and adoption hearing they would issue a Maryland birth certificate and THEN the division of vital records would issue the certificate of adoption.
I spoke with the supervisor of the adoption clerk.... related the whole story to her and she is going to mail us another DHR form since I had mailed (as i was TOLD to) the first one to the address on the form. We have the certificate of adoption form that vital records returned to us, along with our check which is still good.....so once we get the new DHR form, we sent it, the check, and the other form to the circuit court...where it will be put with our file and THEN once the master's office reviews it we should get a court date unless they need more info.
So let this be a lesson to folks readopting: always keep a log of who you spoke to (I recommend full names), and time, date and exactly what was said. I kept a partial log only because I (niavely) trusted I was being told the correct thing. Hahahaha.
I just hope this was the worst and hopefully only bump in this readoption road.
Basically, we were told stuff completely bass-ackwards. We were supposed to send the certificate of adoption form, the check to vital records and the DHR form to the HOWARD COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT for it to be put with our file. Then once we had our court date and adoption hearing they would issue a Maryland birth certificate and THEN the division of vital records would issue the certificate of adoption.
I spoke with the supervisor of the adoption clerk.... related the whole story to her and she is going to mail us another DHR form since I had mailed (as i was TOLD to) the first one to the address on the form. We have the certificate of adoption form that vital records returned to us, along with our check which is still good.....so once we get the new DHR form, we sent it, the check, and the other form to the circuit court...where it will be put with our file and THEN once the master's office reviews it we should get a court date unless they need more info.
So let this be a lesson to folks readopting: always keep a log of who you spoke to (I recommend full names), and time, date and exactly what was said. I kept a partial log only because I (niavely) trusted I was being told the correct thing. Hahahaha.
I just hope this was the worst and hopefully only bump in this readoption road.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Ooooh, I just love bureaucracies!
ooooh, I'm so mad right now I could chew nails and spit bullets!
As part of the readoption process, we were told to send off for a birth certificate..and our request was refused because the one we provided was not certified.
It came from #$%^& CHINA. How are we supposed to get it certified, and by whom? This is beyonsd ridiculous... I know we aren't the only MD couple to adopt from China.
They gave a number at the bottom of the paper to call if there are questions, and believe me, I have questions to ask and venting to do. As soon as that office is open, my butt is going to be on the phone. (well, as soon as i get home from putting my boy on the bus in the morning)
GRRRRR Freaking bureaucracy!!
As part of the readoption process, we were told to send off for a birth certificate..and our request was refused because the one we provided was not certified.
It came from #$%^& CHINA. How are we supposed to get it certified, and by whom? This is beyonsd ridiculous... I know we aren't the only MD couple to adopt from China.
They gave a number at the bottom of the paper to call if there are questions, and believe me, I have questions to ask and venting to do. As soon as that office is open, my butt is going to be on the phone. (well, as soon as i get home from putting my boy on the bus in the morning)
GRRRRR Freaking bureaucracy!!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Gratuitous cute kids picture
Taken yesterday as they were goofing on couch together.
Georgia absolutely adores Thomas,and he likes her quite well.:D
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Readoption
As of right now, Georgia is a permanent resident of the United States... because she entered the country on an I-4 visa. If both Royce and I had traveled, she would have become a citizen at the first US port of entry.
So we have to readopt her. Some people choose to use an attorney, but its also possible to file the petition yoursself...which is the route we are going. Our first step was to contact our county courthouse and speak to the clerk in charge of filing adoption petitions. She sent us a memorandum detailing what was necessary for an adoption in Maryland. Some of it applied to us, some of it didn't...(because we weren't adopting so much as re-adopting...confirming the adoption that took place in China. We already had most of the documents from our original paperchase and documents given to us in China.
The tough thing was the wording of the adoption petition itself. There were no examples to look at..all we had to go on was from the memorandum: "petitions for adoption are governed by the provisions of Family Law Article 5-3A-01 et seq. and 5-3B-01 et seq and shall be filed in accordance with the provisions of rule 9-103 and shall contain the information required therein." <- clear as mud? Well, it does give specific citations to Maryland's family Law articles and from the Maryland Rules...both of which can be found at your local library. (Said the librarian) :) Librarian's aren't allowed to give legal advice: forms, etc..but they can help you find the references to read.
Anyways, what I was lamenting was a lack of examples... now since we only JUST filed the petition today, I can't say our format was correct...although I think and hope it was!! What I might do later, to help those that follow is post (omitting details) in general how I wrote our petition.
So we have to readopt her. Some people choose to use an attorney, but its also possible to file the petition yoursself...which is the route we are going. Our first step was to contact our county courthouse and speak to the clerk in charge of filing adoption petitions. She sent us a memorandum detailing what was necessary for an adoption in Maryland. Some of it applied to us, some of it didn't...(because we weren't adopting so much as re-adopting...confirming the adoption that took place in China. We already had most of the documents from our original paperchase and documents given to us in China.
The tough thing was the wording of the adoption petition itself. There were no examples to look at..all we had to go on was from the memorandum: "petitions for adoption are governed by the provisions of Family Law Article 5-3A-01 et seq. and 5-3B-01 et seq and shall be filed in accordance with the provisions of rule 9-103 and shall contain the information required therein." <- clear as mud? Well, it does give specific citations to Maryland's family Law articles and from the Maryland Rules...both of which can be found at your local library. (Said the librarian) :) Librarian's aren't allowed to give legal advice: forms, etc..but they can help you find the references to read.
Anyways, what I was lamenting was a lack of examples... now since we only JUST filed the petition today, I can't say our format was correct...although I think and hope it was!! What I might do later, to help those that follow is post (omitting details) in general how I wrote our petition.
Friday, August 8, 2008
A Visit to Grammy's
"Grammy" was what we always called my own great-grandmother, whom I was fortunate enough to know and remember. (I was a teenager when she passed away at age 99.)
Thomas calls my mom "Boo-boo" (long story on that name), and Royce's mother, "Grandma"...and my grandma (his great-grandma) "Grammy".
She is a lovely, lovely woman...even though she herself would scoff at my saying so. And while I truly loved all my grandparents, I can with total honesty say that she was always my favorite, the one I felt closest to. (and not just because she is my only surviving grandparent.) What a shame that Alzheimers is slowly robbing her of the bits that make her herself...her memories.
But today was a good day. She remembered me (or seemed to), and was thrilled to see my son Thomas.
And also thrilled to meet her newest great-grandchild from half a world away.
So often, I've heard stories of people in my parents generation...nevermind Grammy's generation who just don't "get" adoption, and some who display blatant (and in my mind unreasonable) favoritism to those grandchildren (or great-grandchildren) that they are genetically related to.
Not my family! From Grammy on, everyone has been so accepting and welcoming of Georgia. So willing to love her. Granted, I know she's quite loveable... but this natural acceptance and love....to me, that's the true miracle of adoption.
Thomas calls my mom "Boo-boo" (long story on that name), and Royce's mother, "Grandma"...and my grandma (his great-grandma) "Grammy".
She is a lovely, lovely woman...even though she herself would scoff at my saying so. And while I truly loved all my grandparents, I can with total honesty say that she was always my favorite, the one I felt closest to. (and not just because she is my only surviving grandparent.) What a shame that Alzheimers is slowly robbing her of the bits that make her herself...her memories.
But today was a good day. She remembered me (or seemed to), and was thrilled to see my son Thomas.
And also thrilled to meet her newest great-grandchild from half a world away.
So often, I've heard stories of people in my parents generation...nevermind Grammy's generation who just don't "get" adoption, and some who display blatant (and in my mind unreasonable) favoritism to those grandchildren (or great-grandchildren) that they are genetically related to.
Not my family! From Grammy on, everyone has been so accepting and welcoming of Georgia. So willing to love her. Granted, I know she's quite loveable... but this natural acceptance and love....to me, that's the true miracle of adoption.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Clouds and Sunshine
X-posted from my livejournal
****
The clouds being things like my ear still feels like its got water in it..... (and I went thru the antibiotic and the ear drops I got in China)...AND the fact that both Georgia and Thom thought 4:30AM was an excellent time to wake up. Thom I get, because he's never been a great sleeper and the fact he went to bed around 7pm.
Georgia, on the other hand stayed up until 10pm courtesy of the nap she took earlier in the day.... and she has been a better sleeper (around 8-10 hours a night). So either its still jetlag/China time still to blame-- or the fact that Royce got up around then to take his shower. (Although as I think on it, that might not be it...as I've run a bath for myself after he and both kids are in bed asleep.)
Sunshine tidbits: Georgia nodding or shaking her head in response to a question I've asked her in English. So while she isn't speaking much other than some babytalk mandarin and the occassional words in English ("Yay", "Uh Oh", a garbled "kih-he ga" [kittycat], "No", "mao" [meyow], "muhr" [more]) she is definitely understanding quite a bit.
She also has demonstrated her considerable intelligence by picking up a few sign language words already: more, cracker mostly...and sometimes she will imitate "baby" and "cat" from a board book we have "My First Baby Signs".
And last but not least: she indicated she wanted up in my lap...usually this is to be held for a few seconds before getting down and scurrying off to the next activity...but she snuggled in for a min or so, then pressed her face to mine, lips closed and went "Mmmppp" (giving me kisses).
Mommy puddle of goo time! It pretty well makes up for the 4:30am wakeup!
****
The clouds being things like my ear still feels like its got water in it..... (and I went thru the antibiotic and the ear drops I got in China)...AND the fact that both Georgia and Thom thought 4:30AM was an excellent time to wake up. Thom I get, because he's never been a great sleeper and the fact he went to bed around 7pm.
Georgia, on the other hand stayed up until 10pm courtesy of the nap she took earlier in the day.... and she has been a better sleeper (around 8-10 hours a night). So either its still jetlag/China time still to blame-- or the fact that Royce got up around then to take his shower. (Although as I think on it, that might not be it...as I've run a bath for myself after he and both kids are in bed asleep.)
Sunshine tidbits: Georgia nodding or shaking her head in response to a question I've asked her in English. So while she isn't speaking much other than some babytalk mandarin and the occassional words in English ("Yay", "Uh Oh", a garbled "kih-he ga" [kittycat], "No", "mao" [meyow], "muhr" [more]) she is definitely understanding quite a bit.
She also has demonstrated her considerable intelligence by picking up a few sign language words already: more, cracker mostly...and sometimes she will imitate "baby" and "cat" from a board book we have "My First Baby Signs".
And last but not least: she indicated she wanted up in my lap...usually this is to be held for a few seconds before getting down and scurrying off to the next activity...but she snuggled in for a min or so, then pressed her face to mine, lips closed and went "Mmmppp" (giving me kisses).
Mommy puddle of goo time! It pretty well makes up for the 4:30am wakeup!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thursday July 10 / Friday July 11
This picture is of little miss Georgia on the plane ride home. It's hard to tell, but she is leaning over the foldout tray and attempting to bite one of her stacking cups. (lol) She also stacked them, knocked them over a few times (and we ended up losing one under one of the seats...oh well, I got them from Target and will just go and get more at some point. I didn't know much about keeping a toddler occupied on any sort of plane ride, much less one that long. And to tell the truth I dont know that there IS any one thing or several things that will keep a young, physically active child occupied for that long. The first hour or two of that flight was pretty aggravating -- and it wasn't really any one thing other than the fact that I was dreading the flight..and poor Georgia is your average two year old, lol
There's also the fact that the flight attendants, at least at take off seemed a bit.. er...strict, at least at take off. And not to me, personally..but to some of the Chinese passengers. Admittedly, some of the passengers didn't seem to understand the idea that when the seatbelt sign was lit that they needed to stay in their seats and be buckled up. But the way these ladies (most of the flight attendeats were female) hollered.. let's just say I wanted to nickname them flight Nazis. ;)
After the first hour or two..or maybe it was three... Georgia fell asleep. And she pretty much stayed asleep the entire flight. It helped that she and I were in a row to ourselves near the back rear of the plane. I was able to lift up the bar between our seats and make one bench area for her to stretch out on. It didn't leave much room for me to be seated, but as long as the fasten seatbelt sign wasn't lit, I wasn't too worried... I could even get up and walk around for a bit. My mom was in an seat on the asile just across from where Georgia and I were -she was willing to make sure Georgia was okay and didnt roll off or anything like that.
The only real "problem" with Georgia sleeping on the flight was that by the time we landed just before 7pm was that she was awake and raring to go. To her body it was 7AM China time. Mom and I had dozed on the plane, but it wasn't anywhere near a deep or complete rest. Royce, his sister Rae and our nieces Tracy and Erica had come to meet us at the airport...and it was so neat to see my calm and laid-back husband running around the gate area with a patriotic balloon and another balloong that said "Welcome Home" to greet us. I don't know if it was the balloons, or the fact that I was there..or that Georgia was more used to caucasian faces..but she was pretty laid back meeting all of these new folks and did NOT scream at her baba/daddy -- and that was a fear that I had. That she would scream and cry at him like she had when she first met me...and even tho he knew she might that he would get hurt feelings. (Thomas was not there at the airport. Our good friend Steve came over to watch Thomas while Royce picked us up..since we didn't know how long we would be getting through customs and immigration for Georgia.) And Thomas was asleep by the time we got home.
We got home and Royce cooked us some burgers on the George Foreman grill. Then mom dozed on the couch for a little bit and Royce went to bed. Our thought was that he would go to work as usual. Now by this point, I was exhausted beyond all belief...with a 2year old that thought it was "wakey-wakey" time. Thomas had not seen either of us yet..so I was worried how that would go.. I also pictuerd myself alone in the house the next day (Friday) with two kids who would both want me and I wasn't sure how they would react to each other or how I would handle it. I knewe there was no way Thomas would willingly go to daycare when I had only just gotten home -- and there was no way I was going to make him -- or set him against his sister by making him feel he had been shunted aside in favor of her. I was overwhelmed already... I cried and cried.
Eventually I got Georgia to nap on the couch and my mom sent me to bed - saying she would get me if Georgia woke up. (She didn't come get me, but had caught a short nap when Georgia was asleep and was okay with watching her... bless you mom!!)
And bless my husband for calling out to work explaining that he had a sick and jetlagged wife and needed to be home. His job is a long-term temp job and it made him a bit short on time -- but I really appreciate it. I slept until about 5am, and came down to find Georgia playing happily.
My mom took this picture not long after Thomas came down the stairs.. I wish I could adequately describe the beaming smile on his face when he came down the stairs and caught sight of me. He rushed over..and Georgia (who is a bit scared of our two cats) rushed over..and I took them on my lap..and cried... I was so glad to be home..so glad for both my children...and even after being asleep for 4 or 5 hours, still so exhausted...I think it shows in the photo. LOL
At one point later in the day Thomas would come up behind me and exclaim - "I love this mommy!" I think that makes a good caption for this photo.
So basically we got Georgia to sleep at 9am (which would be about 9pm China time) and we woke her up at 1pm. We went to my workplace headquarters to show documentation of her adoption -- to make my Family Medical Leave legal, and to get her enrolled on my medical, dental and vision plan. (I have a family plan, so my premiums will stay the same...but we have to get her enrolled asap.)
We also took her to the Columbia Association to get her an ID card so she could go to the swimming pool with us.
Now we're home, and its about 6pm as I write this... we're hoping to keep Georgia awake until at least 7pm or later... that will give us a good start to getting her on our time schedule. She's getting drowsy, so another splash in the bathtub might be in order..it will wake her up a bit... and if baba/daddy gives the bath, it will help the two of them bond.
Before I forget to mention it... Thomas and Georgia seem to at least get along..no major jealousies on either one's part.
All in all, its been a good first day.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Wednesday, July 9
There it is, the infamous red couch photo of our kids in their traditional chinese clothing. Our group had one boy and two older girls..and I think all of the kids look adorable, but boy was it hard to keep them all still so we eager parents could take their picture.
There is a closeup of little miss Georgia. She loves to suck the pointer finder on her hand.
After the photo mom, Georgia and I walked around for a little to do some last minute shopping... we also got lunch... and there we discovered that Georgia likes peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches. She ate a whole one all by herself - meaning we cut it up and gave it to her ad she consumed the whole thing. .) I don't know if its a sensory thing or what..but if she gets too much of something in her mouth, she spits it out... hence mom and I cutting things into tiny bites and cotrolling how much she gets at any one time.
Little Miss has also taken to acting her age when mom sets limits -- ie throwing a very vocal (screaming) temper tantrum. But so far I have been able to keep playing it cool -- telling her that I love her and that she is fine. She actually gets over her hissies fairly quiickly.. I think part of it stems from her age..and part is frustration over the language barrier.
After lunch we met the group to take the busride to the consulate. There we took the oath and received an immigration packet and a visa for our child's entry into the US. I was under the impression there was some sort of interview -- but it wasnt like any sort of interview I imagined... oh well.
Then when we got back to the hotel, our guide Kelly went with me to the third floor of the White Swan so I could go to the doctor. A day or two ago, I had taken little miss G swimming in the pool...and got her to giggling by falling (deliberately) backwards into the water and coming up blowing bubbles. Unfortunately for me, somewhere around that time I also got water in my left ear and rapidly developed swimmers ear/ear infection. Yeah..the day before we are due to spend most of our time flying in aircraft, subject to various levels of air pressure. Brilliant, eh?
The doctor gave me some drops...and started me on an antibiotic momt had been smart enough to get HER doctor to prescribe pre-trip as a just in case. Thank goodness she did...
at any rate, its after 11pm china time as I write this in the dark... tommorrow morning mom, Geeorgia and I make the flight from Guangzhou to Beijing, then Beijing to Dulles. Royce will meet us at the airport along with his sister Rae. Since we aren't getting in until a bit after 7pm, and Thomas usually is asleep between 7-8pm, our good friend Steve will watch Thomas at our house. I really appreciate he is willing to do that for us.
Not sure if I'll be able to write in this or not until after we get home.. I hope both our flights are uneventful!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Tuesday, July 8th
No real pictures today, sorry.
Today there actually was a tour, and my mom and Georgia went on it while I went with a small group of ladies to go power shopping under the guidance of a lady who calls herself Ann. Her business Red Thread China is really good. Royce and I ordered a care package through her and she was excellent in making sure it arrived at the orphanage...and even calling to get updated measurements on our girl. I count myself as a highly satisfied customer.
I was also quite satisfied with this shopping expedition. I bought some nice gifts for friends at very good prices... and even two wooden "marriage boxes" that probably would have sold for 2-3 times what I paid if I had bought them in the tourist trap areas.. lol.
One of my good online friends, "Captain" Angela asked about the weight restrictions.. lol.. well, each person is allowed one checked bag at 44lbs weight. Since we purchased a seat for Georgia she is entitled to a checked bag at that limit too...and her stuff doesn't weigh nearly that amount (and its packed in my bag anyway) so we picked up a reasonably priced suitcase to use to put the souveniers on.. hehehe
Tommorrow: in the morning a "red couch" photo...and in the afternoon, our consulate appointment, interview, oath and getting Georgia's visa for entry into the USA!
** the red couch photo is sort of a tradition (not sure who or how it got started) by adopting parents who stay at the White Swan hotel... babies/kids in the group are usually dressed in traditional Chinese clothes and posed on this particular red couch for a group photo.
Today there actually was a tour, and my mom and Georgia went on it while I went with a small group of ladies to go power shopping under the guidance of a lady who calls herself Ann. Her business Red Thread China is really good. Royce and I ordered a care package through her and she was excellent in making sure it arrived at the orphanage...and even calling to get updated measurements on our girl. I count myself as a highly satisfied customer.
I was also quite satisfied with this shopping expedition. I bought some nice gifts for friends at very good prices... and even two wooden "marriage boxes" that probably would have sold for 2-3 times what I paid if I had bought them in the tourist trap areas.. lol.
One of my good online friends, "Captain" Angela asked about the weight restrictions.. lol.. well, each person is allowed one checked bag at 44lbs weight. Since we purchased a seat for Georgia she is entitled to a checked bag at that limit too...and her stuff doesn't weigh nearly that amount (and its packed in my bag anyway) so we picked up a reasonably priced suitcase to use to put the souveniers on.. hehehe
Tommorrow: in the morning a "red couch" photo...and in the afternoon, our consulate appointment, interview, oath and getting Georgia's visa for entry into the USA!
** the red couch photo is sort of a tradition (not sure who or how it got started) by adopting parents who stay at the White Swan hotel... babies/kids in the group are usually dressed in traditional Chinese clothes and posed on this particular red couch for a group photo.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Monday July 7
Today our group went to get our babies photos taken for their visa application...and then to a clinic for the medical exam.
The visa photo was no problem at all, and for the most part neither was the medical exam. In terms of the exam, it was really for the most part a curosry thing to make sure there was nothing grossly wrong with any of the children...they took their height, weight and temperature...and listened to their hearts, looked in their mouths and gave them a once over in terms of spine, chest, legs, etc. The only time Georgia really squawked was at the weight and temperature. But she got over it pretty quickly.
The rest of the day was pretty free. Mom, Georgia and I walked around the island and did a little shopping. The above photo is of little miss G playing with some bells in one of the store... we bought a pair of bells, not the whole bunch she had loaded her arm with! I bought a ladybug dress for Georgia, a gift I hope my husband will like, and a traditional chinese boy's outfit for big brother Thomas. I really look forward to getting a picture of both my kids wearing traditional chinese clothes together. I think they will be a gorgeous study in contrasts... my boy so blonde and fair skinned, and my girl with her glossy black hair and lovely brown skin.
added at 11pm china-time: I forgot to write one thing... we bought our girl a pair of white sandals with sparklie butterflies on them...and she just HAD to put them on right away. LOL She also saw one of her new dresses and wanted to put that on too, but I had already given her a bath and gotten her into her jammies by that point, so I told her no..not now -- she was not amused. LOL Mom laughs and calls her our little fashionista. ;)
Tommorrow... is a fairly free day... there might be a tour scheduled, but I am skipping it in favor of another activity --- shopping with the aid of a contact one of our group has made...this person has a reputation for being a skilled bargainer and power shopper..so I hope to get a few things at "deals" and it might make up for the times I am sure I got fleeced. (LOL)
The visa photo was no problem at all, and for the most part neither was the medical exam. In terms of the exam, it was really for the most part a curosry thing to make sure there was nothing grossly wrong with any of the children...they took their height, weight and temperature...and listened to their hearts, looked in their mouths and gave them a once over in terms of spine, chest, legs, etc. The only time Georgia really squawked was at the weight and temperature. But she got over it pretty quickly.
The rest of the day was pretty free. Mom, Georgia and I walked around the island and did a little shopping. The above photo is of little miss G playing with some bells in one of the store... we bought a pair of bells, not the whole bunch she had loaded her arm with! I bought a ladybug dress for Georgia, a gift I hope my husband will like, and a traditional chinese boy's outfit for big brother Thomas. I really look forward to getting a picture of both my kids wearing traditional chinese clothes together. I think they will be a gorgeous study in contrasts... my boy so blonde and fair skinned, and my girl with her glossy black hair and lovely brown skin.
added at 11pm china-time: I forgot to write one thing... we bought our girl a pair of white sandals with sparklie butterflies on them...and she just HAD to put them on right away. LOL She also saw one of her new dresses and wanted to put that on too, but I had already given her a bath and gotten her into her jammies by that point, so I told her no..not now -- she was not amused. LOL Mom laughs and calls her our little fashionista. ;)
Tommorrow... is a fairly free day... there might be a tour scheduled, but I am skipping it in favor of another activity --- shopping with the aid of a contact one of our group has made...this person has a reputation for being a skilled bargainer and power shopper..so I hope to get a few things at "deals" and it might make up for the times I am sure I got fleeced. (LOL)
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Sunday July 6
Today we visited what was listed on our itinerary as the Chen Family's temple. It wasn't a temple like a place of worship - rather it was more of a "clan building" and place where the Chen family and relations(?) could study for the provincial level and other examinations needed to become a governmental official. (In Ancient China people had to pass examinations in order to qualify for these posts.
It really was a peaceful place, and there were many nooks and crannies and exhibits devoted to traditional chinese handicrafts, etc. I probaby could and should have taken more pictures than I did. But to be honest, I'm getting temple'd out. Also, it was murderously hot and humid when we went...so once mom and I located a vendor selling drinks... well, I just wanted to get out of there.
Eventually, we left and stopped on the way back to the hotel to do some shopping. I saw a totally cute little chinese outfit..and to my surprise, Georgia indicated she liked it too... we tried the jacket part on her to make sure it fit...it did, so it was sold! When we got back to the hotel, she got so excited when she saw it come out of the bag, that she started tugging on her shirt right away, indicating she wanted me to put it on her.
I did.. and doesn't it look so cute on her? I think the pale lilac color suits her skintone so nicely...and she seems to love the "foofy" skirt...And boy oh boy did she get mad at me when it was time to take it off and put back on regular clothes. She's a messy eater, so there was no way I was leaving her in that "princess" outfit for dinner! It's just so cute and endearing to me that she seems to be a girly-girl especially considering I can be so lackidaysical about how I dress.... but that's cool if she likes girly clothes... I am happy to indulge her in them.
Tommorrow: medical exams for the visas, and maybe more shopping?
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Saturday July 5
Today we left Nanjing to fly to Guangzhou. Here we will do the babies' medical exams, apply for visas, etc because the American consulate is in Guangzhou.
This is the famous (or infamous) White Swan hotel. I think sometimes its known by another name, the "White Stork" hotel since its the hotel of choice of many American groups adopting in China. The American consulate used to be right down the road from the White Swan, but I believe it moved off Shamian Island..but it is still rather convenient. It also has a kid-friendly playroom sponsored by Matel -- not that I've found that yet...msybe tommorrow.
Our room is on the 11th floor. I think I saw buttons for 28 floors in the elevator.
Its a very nice room...and I have to say the airconditioning is the best (coldest) we've had in any of the hotels we've stayed in. And the ice is made from purified water, so its safe. (Tap water isn't safe to drink in China unless its boiled, so most of the time the ice isn't safe either.) Not to mention that for the most part, the Chinese don't seem to DO ice like we Americans...and they aren't big on airconditioning...so to have both seems like heaven to this spoiled person. lol
This waterfall is actually inside the White Swan itself. Just too cool, I think.
This was the view outside of our hotel room. I believe the river is named the Pearl River.
After taking a brief walking tour of the island, and spotting some local shops I have read about in other adopting parents adoption blogs, we ate dinner at Lucy's which is known for having good prices and a decent selection of american food... Mom got a cheeseburger and fries, while I got something grilled and we got Georgia something from the baby menu -- noodles and egg soup. People might laugh, but I swear I've got a chinese girl who dislikes rice.... she prefers noodles.
After we got back to the hotel, I gave Ms G a bath, and this time washed her hair... and she is in bed asleep...so once more I'm writing in the dark. Its almost impossible to do any typing with her awake...lol...she's just so busy and into everything. Well, she IS two. ;)
Tommorrow: a bit of sightseeing at another temple, I believe.
This is the famous (or infamous) White Swan hotel. I think sometimes its known by another name, the "White Stork" hotel since its the hotel of choice of many American groups adopting in China. The American consulate used to be right down the road from the White Swan, but I believe it moved off Shamian Island..but it is still rather convenient. It also has a kid-friendly playroom sponsored by Matel -- not that I've found that yet...msybe tommorrow.
Our room is on the 11th floor. I think I saw buttons for 28 floors in the elevator.
Its a very nice room...and I have to say the airconditioning is the best (coldest) we've had in any of the hotels we've stayed in. And the ice is made from purified water, so its safe. (Tap water isn't safe to drink in China unless its boiled, so most of the time the ice isn't safe either.) Not to mention that for the most part, the Chinese don't seem to DO ice like we Americans...and they aren't big on airconditioning...so to have both seems like heaven to this spoiled person. lol
This waterfall is actually inside the White Swan itself. Just too cool, I think.
This was the view outside of our hotel room. I believe the river is named the Pearl River.
After taking a brief walking tour of the island, and spotting some local shops I have read about in other adopting parents adoption blogs, we ate dinner at Lucy's which is known for having good prices and a decent selection of american food... Mom got a cheeseburger and fries, while I got something grilled and we got Georgia something from the baby menu -- noodles and egg soup. People might laugh, but I swear I've got a chinese girl who dislikes rice.... she prefers noodles.
After we got back to the hotel, I gave Ms G a bath, and this time washed her hair... and she is in bed asleep...so once more I'm writing in the dark. Its almost impossible to do any typing with her awake...lol...she's just so busy and into everything. Well, she IS two. ;)
Tommorrow: a bit of sightseeing at another temple, I believe.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Friday, July 4th
Happy American Independence Day!
Today our group visited Xuanwu Park. Xuanwu was named for the first emperor of the Ming dynasty if I am remembering what Veronica said correctly. ;)
It was a beautiful park, with lots of wide open spaces, places to rent boats to go out onto the lake, and many walking and biking paths. I think I would have appreciated it more if it had been a bit less hot and humid...it didnt take too long before I was plastered in sweat...and if it had been cooler, and we had more time, it might have been neat to try and walk farther than we did. I'm not sure how many miles or kilometers all away around the lake would have been, but it really was lovely.
We did attract quite a bit of attention as a group of caucasians with Chinese children -- but again, none of it seemed hostile. (I had forgotten our explanation card in our room and wished I had brought it just in case.) Many people smiled at us and waved or said "Hello". I would like to think they liked our greeting them with "Ni Hao".
After the park, we came back to the hotel. Veronica had to stop at the notary office to collect some corrected documents, and then to the Civil Affairs office to pick up our children's Chinese passports. So as of this evening, little miss Yang Qianya has her own passport from the PRC. When we are in Guangzhou she will receive an immigration visa from the American consulate. If both Royce and I had traveled, she would be an American citizen the minute we landed at the first US airport.... as it is she will receive a permanent resident card, I believe..and become a citizen once she is readopted in our home state.
At any rate, while Veronica was doing all of the official stuff, we could do what we liked. Some families chose to take a nap.... mom and I tried to get Georgia to nap, but she had had just enough sleep on the busride back to be up and raring to go. So I got into my swimsuit, and put Georgia in a swim diaper and her summer reading Tshirt (I thought I had packed a swimsuit for her, but evidently not)...
I wasn't too sure how she would react to being in the pool -- given I had read she didn't like baths...and she had most likely never been in a pool before. But she did fine...more than fine even. Judge for yourself:
One last note -- mama was good to pack sunscreen... bad not to use it...so I now have a mild case of sunburn ouchies to help remind me to do better!
Today our group visited Xuanwu Park. Xuanwu was named for the first emperor of the Ming dynasty if I am remembering what Veronica said correctly. ;)
It was a beautiful park, with lots of wide open spaces, places to rent boats to go out onto the lake, and many walking and biking paths. I think I would have appreciated it more if it had been a bit less hot and humid...it didnt take too long before I was plastered in sweat...and if it had been cooler, and we had more time, it might have been neat to try and walk farther than we did. I'm not sure how many miles or kilometers all away around the lake would have been, but it really was lovely.
We did attract quite a bit of attention as a group of caucasians with Chinese children -- but again, none of it seemed hostile. (I had forgotten our explanation card in our room and wished I had brought it just in case.) Many people smiled at us and waved or said "Hello". I would like to think they liked our greeting them with "Ni Hao".
After the park, we came back to the hotel. Veronica had to stop at the notary office to collect some corrected documents, and then to the Civil Affairs office to pick up our children's Chinese passports. So as of this evening, little miss Yang Qianya has her own passport from the PRC. When we are in Guangzhou she will receive an immigration visa from the American consulate. If both Royce and I had traveled, she would be an American citizen the minute we landed at the first US airport.... as it is she will receive a permanent resident card, I believe..and become a citizen once she is readopted in our home state.
At any rate, while Veronica was doing all of the official stuff, we could do what we liked. Some families chose to take a nap.... mom and I tried to get Georgia to nap, but she had had just enough sleep on the busride back to be up and raring to go. So I got into my swimsuit, and put Georgia in a swim diaper and her summer reading Tshirt (I thought I had packed a swimsuit for her, but evidently not)...
I wasn't too sure how she would react to being in the pool -- given I had read she didn't like baths...and she had most likely never been in a pool before. But she did fine...more than fine even. Judge for yourself:
One last note -- mama was good to pack sunscreen... bad not to use it...so I now have a mild case of sunburn ouchies to help remind me to do better!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Thursday, July 3
Today we visited Georgia's orphanage. ("We" being Georgia, my mom, myself and the family of another youngster adopted from Yangzhou.)
But before I get more into the visit itself, I have to tell everyone of a priceless gift little miss "G" gave me... first off, she only woke up once in the middle of the night, the night before -- no crying, just looked to make sure I was nearby, then went back to sleep. Then this morning, she wakes up, sits up and does not immediately cry like she had been doing and said, as clear as day, "Mama" Why yes, I became a puddle of goo, how did you guess??
When it was time to get into the van to drive to Yangzhou, Georgia took one look at the van and began to scream bloody murder! It was the same, keening, grief-striken sobs and screams she did when she first saw me. The only thing I can think of is that the van was very similar to the one she arrived in that day... maybe she thought she was going back...and she was - but to visit, not to stay, but of course she had no way of knowing that.
The drive itself was close to two hours long. We drove on a major expressway... and saw a lot of cool sights, including the Yangtzee river -- I would have taken pictures during the drive except for the fact that Georgia fell asleep with her head pillowed on my chest. But Bob, the father of Faith, the other little girl in our group from Yangzhou got a lot of nice pictures and has promised to share them with me. I'm quite grateful and I'm sure Georgia will be too, someday.
This picture is of Georgia with the head of the children's services. I know Veronica, our guide, told us her name, but I'm blanking on it. If I can, I'll fill it in later. At any rate, she seemed quite happy to see Georgia -- and for her part, Georgia went to her willingly enough. She (Georgia) would also start crying for no apparent reason -- although I think we all understood it was from recognition of where she was, stress, confusion. It was also QUITE hot and humid in Yangzhou when we were there, so I'm sure that didn't help any.
This is a picture from one of the older children's rooms. Georgia probably spent some time in a room much like this one, if not this exact one. We were told the little one on the bed on his/her(?) hands and knees was 3 years old, and soon to be adopted.
As you can see, Georgia got quite a warm reception from the nannies. The greeted her with smiles, pats and happy cries of "Qian Ya!" It really reassured me to see how much she was loved and how happy the nannies seemed for her that she had a family. I will be forever grateful for the love and care they gave her -- no wonder she grieved so very hard on Monday!!
Now, I'm not 100% certain if this gentleman is the director or the assistant director of the orphanage. At any rate, he too showed a lot of care and concern for my girl.... and she was quite easy and comfortable with him. He also gave us parents gifts for the girls (true gifts) -- an envelope with several exquisite and delicate papercuts -- a handicraft...and some of the best of them are done in Yangzhou. They are defintiely being framed when we get home - they are gorgeous!
A picture of the head of the children's services and me. I said "Xie Xie" to her any times -- but thank you isn't really enough words to express what I feel to the nannies and the director for the priceless gift of a daughter. My only hope is to show them that our family is worthy of their gift by helping Georgia appreciate her Chinese heritage...and perhaps sending at least yearly updates/photos of her... it would be well worth the cost to get our letters to them translated -- and I'm sure they'd appreciate it.
After touring the orphange itself, we were taken to our daughter's finding spots. Finding spots are pretty much exactly what you might imagine -- the places where our children were found when they were abandoned. Typically first parents will choose a location where a baby will be quickly found -- say a marketplace, or maybe the steps of a police station, etc. This is quite risky for them because abandonement is illegal and they would be severely punished if caught. (By the way, none of the above possibilities I listed were where Georgia or the other little girl was abandoned -- but I don't want to say more than that.... the specifics belong to the girls themselves to share or not as they wish.)
But I will say that Georgia's finding spot WAS in a well-trafficked area.. I took a few pictures of the area...and our guide took 2 shots of Georgia and I in that spot.
The last picture is of Georgia goofing off on the ride back to Nanjing. After all of the bawling and temper displays, the goofiness was quite a relief... I almost think that she realized when we left Yangzhou that she truly belonged to us and we to her... because she really blossomed out after it was all done.
For instance... after we got back to our hotel room, she and my mom were playing near the beds, and I had gone into the bathroom to grab a cool washcloth to wash my face. I hear this little voice call out loud and demandingly, "Mama!" and when I came she indicated she wanted my help getting some juice to drink. ;)
Then later, I thought I caught a whiff of "Eau de Toddler" and when I asked her, "Do I smell a stinky?" I'll be darned if that smart little miss didn't go to my suitcase, get out a diaper and bring it to me!!
I think her daddy and I are going to be in a LOT of trouble -- especially if she and mr Thomas combine their smarts against us! (hahaha)
Tommorrow: our group visits Xuanwu Park. We also get our child's passports that evening!
But before I get more into the visit itself, I have to tell everyone of a priceless gift little miss "G" gave me... first off, she only woke up once in the middle of the night, the night before -- no crying, just looked to make sure I was nearby, then went back to sleep. Then this morning, she wakes up, sits up and does not immediately cry like she had been doing and said, as clear as day, "Mama" Why yes, I became a puddle of goo, how did you guess??
When it was time to get into the van to drive to Yangzhou, Georgia took one look at the van and began to scream bloody murder! It was the same, keening, grief-striken sobs and screams she did when she first saw me. The only thing I can think of is that the van was very similar to the one she arrived in that day... maybe she thought she was going back...and she was - but to visit, not to stay, but of course she had no way of knowing that.
The drive itself was close to two hours long. We drove on a major expressway... and saw a lot of cool sights, including the Yangtzee river -- I would have taken pictures during the drive except for the fact that Georgia fell asleep with her head pillowed on my chest. But Bob, the father of Faith, the other little girl in our group from Yangzhou got a lot of nice pictures and has promised to share them with me. I'm quite grateful and I'm sure Georgia will be too, someday.
This picture is of Georgia with the head of the children's services. I know Veronica, our guide, told us her name, but I'm blanking on it. If I can, I'll fill it in later. At any rate, she seemed quite happy to see Georgia -- and for her part, Georgia went to her willingly enough. She (Georgia) would also start crying for no apparent reason -- although I think we all understood it was from recognition of where she was, stress, confusion. It was also QUITE hot and humid in Yangzhou when we were there, so I'm sure that didn't help any.
This is a picture from one of the older children's rooms. Georgia probably spent some time in a room much like this one, if not this exact one. We were told the little one on the bed on his/her(?) hands and knees was 3 years old, and soon to be adopted.
As you can see, Georgia got quite a warm reception from the nannies. The greeted her with smiles, pats and happy cries of "Qian Ya!" It really reassured me to see how much she was loved and how happy the nannies seemed for her that she had a family. I will be forever grateful for the love and care they gave her -- no wonder she grieved so very hard on Monday!!
Now, I'm not 100% certain if this gentleman is the director or the assistant director of the orphanage. At any rate, he too showed a lot of care and concern for my girl.... and she was quite easy and comfortable with him. He also gave us parents gifts for the girls (true gifts) -- an envelope with several exquisite and delicate papercuts -- a handicraft...and some of the best of them are done in Yangzhou. They are defintiely being framed when we get home - they are gorgeous!
A picture of the head of the children's services and me. I said "Xie Xie" to her any times -- but thank you isn't really enough words to express what I feel to the nannies and the director for the priceless gift of a daughter. My only hope is to show them that our family is worthy of their gift by helping Georgia appreciate her Chinese heritage...and perhaps sending at least yearly updates/photos of her... it would be well worth the cost to get our letters to them translated -- and I'm sure they'd appreciate it.
After touring the orphange itself, we were taken to our daughter's finding spots. Finding spots are pretty much exactly what you might imagine -- the places where our children were found when they were abandoned. Typically first parents will choose a location where a baby will be quickly found -- say a marketplace, or maybe the steps of a police station, etc. This is quite risky for them because abandonement is illegal and they would be severely punished if caught. (By the way, none of the above possibilities I listed were where Georgia or the other little girl was abandoned -- but I don't want to say more than that.... the specifics belong to the girls themselves to share or not as they wish.)
But I will say that Georgia's finding spot WAS in a well-trafficked area.. I took a few pictures of the area...and our guide took 2 shots of Georgia and I in that spot.
The last picture is of Georgia goofing off on the ride back to Nanjing. After all of the bawling and temper displays, the goofiness was quite a relief... I almost think that she realized when we left Yangzhou that she truly belonged to us and we to her... because she really blossomed out after it was all done.
For instance... after we got back to our hotel room, she and my mom were playing near the beds, and I had gone into the bathroom to grab a cool washcloth to wash my face. I hear this little voice call out loud and demandingly, "Mama!" and when I came she indicated she wanted my help getting some juice to drink. ;)
Then later, I thought I caught a whiff of "Eau de Toddler" and when I asked her, "Do I smell a stinky?" I'll be darned if that smart little miss didn't go to my suitcase, get out a diaper and bring it to me!!
I think her daddy and I are going to be in a LOT of trouble -- especially if she and mr Thomas combine their smarts against us! (hahaha)
Tommorrow: our group visits Xuanwu Park. We also get our child's passports that evening!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Wednesday July 2
Today our group went to a temple of Confucius. And even though it is called a "temple", it's not a place of worship. Confucianism isn't a religion... more of a philosophy of thought and living. Confucius was a thinker and social philosopher.
This is the view coming into the temple area.
A statue of Confucius. There were also statues of some of his more famous students. Inside the temple we saw many panels detailing the life of Confucius.
We were also treated to a demonstration of bronze(?) and brick(?) bells...and some classical music from the time of Confucius, as well as a traditional folk song from Nanjing, it really was quite beautiful to listen to. Mu Georgia Grace took to the touring like a champ - since we were smart enough to buy a stroller in Walmart yesterday...she really enjoyed being pushed around..and carried...and even walking about on her own two feet.
We got an opportunity to do some shopping.. the shopkeepers do enjoy bartering.. Mom and I weren't terribly comfortable doing that...even though we know perfectly well it is expected and part of the culture. I had inteded to do zero shopping, but ended up trying my hand at bargaining for a rather cheap toy that made Georgia giggle. I probably got fleeced, but at least I did try to bargain a little. (The toy stopped working in the hotel..but I'm saving it in my suitcase... maybe Uncle Dave can try his hand at fixing it for our girl. If not, its not a big super-big loss.
We were told to meet each other at the KFC. (Yup, they have KFC in China... I've also seen Burger King, McDonald's and Pizza Hut to name a few others). Anyway, earlier in the day, Veronica had given us a laminated card written in Chinese characters, telling what we were doing with these Chinese children...people might ask, and it was an easy way to explain since most of us speak little to no Mandarin.... and some of the people we met might have little to no English.
And at one point a gentleman did ask, and when I handed him the card, he read it then looked at Georgia...looked at me -- grinned and gave a "thumbs up" sign. It really made me feel good. To be honest, our group did attract a lot of attention, but as far as I could see, none of it was hostile. We got quite a few smiles... The Chinese people really love their children and it shows. (There are other reasons for abandonment besides wanting a boy, but that could be another long, separate post.
After the temple tour, it was back to the hotel... the afternoon and evening were "free"...Georgia was clearly exhausted despite a catnap on the bus. But boy, did she get ticked at me when I pulled the curtains, darkened the lights and tried to get her to nap. Ticked or not, she did give in and ended up sleeping for 2hrs! Amd after she woke up, she was so fine. I think each day we are seeing her blossom a bit more...it doesn't seem like its been "only" 48-72 hours since we got her. Had you told me on Monday I would get as many grins and giggles as I've gotten so far, I'm not sure I would have believed you.
I was also able to give our girl her first bath with us... I kept my swimsuit on and got into the tub with her...and after an initial squawk of protest, she was fine... more fine than I would have given her credit for since she was purported to not like baths.
Its almost quarter after 9 in the evening, but she has been playing nicely and is still going strong...probably because of the nap. I'm going to let her play for a bit more before I probably tick her off by suggesting its bedtime. (LOL)
Tommorrow: one other family and mom, Georgia and I are going to visit the Yangzhou orphanage -- Georgia's home for the first two years of her life. I think we are also going to get an opportunity to visit her finding spot (or as close as we can.)
This is the view coming into the temple area.
A statue of Confucius. There were also statues of some of his more famous students. Inside the temple we saw many panels detailing the life of Confucius.
We were also treated to a demonstration of bronze(?) and brick(?) bells...and some classical music from the time of Confucius, as well as a traditional folk song from Nanjing, it really was quite beautiful to listen to. Mu Georgia Grace took to the touring like a champ - since we were smart enough to buy a stroller in Walmart yesterday...she really enjoyed being pushed around..and carried...and even walking about on her own two feet.
We got an opportunity to do some shopping.. the shopkeepers do enjoy bartering.. Mom and I weren't terribly comfortable doing that...even though we know perfectly well it is expected and part of the culture. I had inteded to do zero shopping, but ended up trying my hand at bargaining for a rather cheap toy that made Georgia giggle. I probably got fleeced, but at least I did try to bargain a little. (The toy stopped working in the hotel..but I'm saving it in my suitcase... maybe Uncle Dave can try his hand at fixing it for our girl. If not, its not a big super-big loss.
We were told to meet each other at the KFC. (Yup, they have KFC in China... I've also seen Burger King, McDonald's and Pizza Hut to name a few others). Anyway, earlier in the day, Veronica had given us a laminated card written in Chinese characters, telling what we were doing with these Chinese children...people might ask, and it was an easy way to explain since most of us speak little to no Mandarin.... and some of the people we met might have little to no English.
And at one point a gentleman did ask, and when I handed him the card, he read it then looked at Georgia...looked at me -- grinned and gave a "thumbs up" sign. It really made me feel good. To be honest, our group did attract a lot of attention, but as far as I could see, none of it was hostile. We got quite a few smiles... The Chinese people really love their children and it shows. (There are other reasons for abandonment besides wanting a boy, but that could be another long, separate post.
After the temple tour, it was back to the hotel... the afternoon and evening were "free"...Georgia was clearly exhausted despite a catnap on the bus. But boy, did she get ticked at me when I pulled the curtains, darkened the lights and tried to get her to nap. Ticked or not, she did give in and ended up sleeping for 2hrs! Amd after she woke up, she was so fine. I think each day we are seeing her blossom a bit more...it doesn't seem like its been "only" 48-72 hours since we got her. Had you told me on Monday I would get as many grins and giggles as I've gotten so far, I'm not sure I would have believed you.
I was also able to give our girl her first bath with us... I kept my swimsuit on and got into the tub with her...and after an initial squawk of protest, she was fine... more fine than I would have given her credit for since she was purported to not like baths.
Its almost quarter after 9 in the evening, but she has been playing nicely and is still going strong...probably because of the nap. I'm going to let her play for a bit more before I probably tick her off by suggesting its bedtime. (LOL)
Tommorrow: one other family and mom, Georgia and I are going to visit the Yangzhou orphanage -- Georgia's home for the first two years of her life. I think we are also going to get an opportunity to visit her finding spot (or as close as we can.)
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Tuesday July 1
Actaully, first off here is a picture from our first meeting on Monday June 30th.
I had forgotten to mention I was a little bit smart that day -- I brought a bribe. I knew from pictures I had received from other parents who had adopted from Yangzshou orphanage that little miss Georgia had experience with - and liked - lollypops. So I brought a few for that first meeting. It definitely helped quiet some of the crying and she didnt struggle to be let down after that.
I just want to say..all of the comments gave me real joy and heart. Especially the ones from my brother. ((hugs)) and one reason I wrote about the doubts and everything else.... to reach out for reasurance, primarily..but to also show other prospective adoptive parents that if they have those doubts..its okay..its normal. I think too often some adoptive parents are a bit afraid to write about the realities and the doubts. Maybe they are afraid of censure..or maybe by the time they get to write in their journal or blog, things are already getting better..so they allow themselves to forget their fears and wild imaginings. It isn't all sunshine and roses...although those who are lucky enough to have smooth transitions -- I don't begrudge you that! I just hope you realize and appreciate how lucky you are.
****
Tuesday morning started out with our first venture as a threesome (mom, Georgia and I) to the hotel's breakfast buffet. Georgia did not want to be put down and since she was fairly calm, I didn't want to needlessly upset her by sitting her in the highahir... so I held her in my lap while mom got food for herself and us.
Georgia ate a few bites of food - but not really a lot...but she did indicate by pointing that she wanted some juice. And with me holding the cup, she drank from it. I'm qute sure she could hold a cup on her own...but her hands were full -- she had an orep cookie in one hand (snagged from our room) and her photo book in the other. She would nibble on the cookie once in awhile, but mostly just enjoyed holding it... it was like a security thing to have that bit of food in her hand.
After breakfast, most of our group got into the bus to go to the Walmart in Nanjing. It was in a large shopping mall and took up 2 floors...and there was even this sloping escalator that you could take your shopping cart from one level to the other. We bought some food supplies (more bottled water, some soda and junk food as well as juices for Georgia) -- and some nonfood items - like a toy phone for Georgia and a pair of nonsqueaky tennis shoes.
Georgia came to us in a pair of sandals that squeak when she walks...squeaky shoes are big for little kids in China. And they are real cute -- but after a few minutes, they do get a tiny bit annoying, at least to me. lol We also bought an umbrella stroller to use here in Nanjing, and maybe gate-check when we fly out to Guangzhou. Our girl isn't fat or anything like that...but she is stocky and solidly built.. I think a good solid 30 lbs or so. So I think some of the one piece 24 month outfits I bought/brought are going to be too small... I haven't even tried them. But the 2T and 3T things should work.
After Walmart, there was just a bit of time to go back to the room to put things away, and we had to be off again -- back to the civil affairs office. This was truly it now... we had our 24 hours harmonious period...time to decide - did we truly want to adopt this child or not. And while it may not have seemed like it in my previous posts... even with my momentary doubts, I knew that Georgia was my daughter.... and no matter what rough bumps might come up, I had already committed my heart to her.
When we arrived at the civil affairs office, it was not as crowded as the day before... evidently for the finalizations they broke it up a bit -- seeing some groups in the morning, and our group in the afternoon. As we entered the inner office, a gentleman greeted Georgia by her Chinese name. It was the orphanage director. (I have his name written down elsewhere - but again, I'm typing in the dark as Georgia sleeps, so I'll write it down later.)
Anyway, she screwed up her face and bawled when she saw him at first... I think maybe she was afraid she was going back or something. But when I continued to hold her she seemed to realize she wasn't, and brightened back up.
The director truly radiated love and caring for "his" kids (there is one other child from his orphange being adopted by a oouple in our group.) He had a digital camera of his own, and took a few pictures of the girls with their new families. Then, later, once the paperwork was filled out, he came back to play with the kids and give them some gifts. (Well, not gifts in terms of being free -- but I was willing to pay the nominal fee for them -- a photo album with pictures of Georgia - and it had a few infant pictures of her...as well as a lock of her hair from her first haircut...and some tapes of chinese children's music, and a chop with her chinese name.)
I think a smile is the best place to end the day's post. Wasn't that smile worth waiting for?
Tommorrow: sightseeing tour to Fuzi temple.
I had forgotten to mention I was a little bit smart that day -- I brought a bribe. I knew from pictures I had received from other parents who had adopted from Yangzshou orphanage that little miss Georgia had experience with - and liked - lollypops. So I brought a few for that first meeting. It definitely helped quiet some of the crying and she didnt struggle to be let down after that.
I just want to say..all of the comments gave me real joy and heart. Especially the ones from my brother. ((hugs)) and one reason I wrote about the doubts and everything else.... to reach out for reasurance, primarily..but to also show other prospective adoptive parents that if they have those doubts..its okay..its normal. I think too often some adoptive parents are a bit afraid to write about the realities and the doubts. Maybe they are afraid of censure..or maybe by the time they get to write in their journal or blog, things are already getting better..so they allow themselves to forget their fears and wild imaginings. It isn't all sunshine and roses...although those who are lucky enough to have smooth transitions -- I don't begrudge you that! I just hope you realize and appreciate how lucky you are.
****
Tuesday morning started out with our first venture as a threesome (mom, Georgia and I) to the hotel's breakfast buffet. Georgia did not want to be put down and since she was fairly calm, I didn't want to needlessly upset her by sitting her in the highahir... so I held her in my lap while mom got food for herself and us.
Georgia ate a few bites of food - but not really a lot...but she did indicate by pointing that she wanted some juice. And with me holding the cup, she drank from it. I'm qute sure she could hold a cup on her own...but her hands were full -- she had an orep cookie in one hand (snagged from our room) and her photo book in the other. She would nibble on the cookie once in awhile, but mostly just enjoyed holding it... it was like a security thing to have that bit of food in her hand.
After breakfast, most of our group got into the bus to go to the Walmart in Nanjing. It was in a large shopping mall and took up 2 floors...and there was even this sloping escalator that you could take your shopping cart from one level to the other. We bought some food supplies (more bottled water, some soda and junk food as well as juices for Georgia) -- and some nonfood items - like a toy phone for Georgia and a pair of nonsqueaky tennis shoes.
Georgia came to us in a pair of sandals that squeak when she walks...squeaky shoes are big for little kids in China. And they are real cute -- but after a few minutes, they do get a tiny bit annoying, at least to me. lol We also bought an umbrella stroller to use here in Nanjing, and maybe gate-check when we fly out to Guangzhou. Our girl isn't fat or anything like that...but she is stocky and solidly built.. I think a good solid 30 lbs or so. So I think some of the one piece 24 month outfits I bought/brought are going to be too small... I haven't even tried them. But the 2T and 3T things should work.
After Walmart, there was just a bit of time to go back to the room to put things away, and we had to be off again -- back to the civil affairs office. This was truly it now... we had our 24 hours harmonious period...time to decide - did we truly want to adopt this child or not. And while it may not have seemed like it in my previous posts... even with my momentary doubts, I knew that Georgia was my daughter.... and no matter what rough bumps might come up, I had already committed my heart to her.
When we arrived at the civil affairs office, it was not as crowded as the day before... evidently for the finalizations they broke it up a bit -- seeing some groups in the morning, and our group in the afternoon. As we entered the inner office, a gentleman greeted Georgia by her Chinese name. It was the orphanage director. (I have his name written down elsewhere - but again, I'm typing in the dark as Georgia sleeps, so I'll write it down later.)
Anyway, she screwed up her face and bawled when she saw him at first... I think maybe she was afraid she was going back or something. But when I continued to hold her she seemed to realize she wasn't, and brightened back up.
The director truly radiated love and caring for "his" kids (there is one other child from his orphange being adopted by a oouple in our group.) He had a digital camera of his own, and took a few pictures of the girls with their new families. Then, later, once the paperwork was filled out, he came back to play with the kids and give them some gifts. (Well, not gifts in terms of being free -- but I was willing to pay the nominal fee for them -- a photo album with pictures of Georgia - and it had a few infant pictures of her...as well as a lock of her hair from her first haircut...and some tapes of chinese children's music, and a chop with her chinese name.)
I think a smile is the best place to end the day's post. Wasn't that smile worth waiting for?
Tommorrow: sightseeing tour to Fuzi temple.
Continuing the story of Monday June 30th
Little Ms G is playing on the floor with some stacking cups...so it looks like I have some time to continue my story from where I left off.
Well, I kept telling her "I love you. Mama loves you." But she really wanted no parts of me...she even fought and struggled to get down and away. But I continued to hold her...and eventually she just let me hold her. Then once the "Family photos" were taken (these would go on the actual certificates issued on Tuesday when the 24 hour harmonious period was over and the adoption finalized.) Once those were done we got into the bus and went back to the hotel to spend the evening bonding with our babies.
Well, first there was bawling from Ms Georgia in the elevator. Then she bawled when we got into the room. Mom and I tried some toys to distract her.... she really loved looking at and holding on to the photo book I had sent in the 2nd care package. She seemed to like bubbles too...and she would be quite calm..then every once in awhile nothing in particular seemed to set her off and she'd just screw up her face and bawl. Then in a few minutes she'd be fine.
So we thought, well maybe she's hungry. We ordered some room service and got her to eat a few bites with me very inexpertly feeding her with chopsticks. (The fork seemed to scare her.) But after awhile it was clear she didn't want to eat any more.
But still...it was gratifying to see some of her first smiles then...but then again, out of nowhere would come the bawling.
So we decided maybe she just needed or wanted to walk around. Now I have to say, during this time, I was feeding her... I hadn't gotten much (okay, nothing) to eat myself. And we went out walking...so I was running on an emotional high and stressed (all at the same time)...and I had a child who was clearly distressed...nothing I was doing seemed to help or make things better. To be honest, I guess I was starting to take it a little personally...and I knew I shouldn't.
My mom was definitely a godsend at that point. She said, "You need to take a step back. Why don't you go up to the room, change into your swimsuit and take a dip in the hotel's pool... I'll keep walking with Georgia." I almost didn't... I kept thinking I needed to work through this with this little girl...that the bonding had to happen today.
Which is silly. True bonding takes place over a long time... Knowing my mom was right, I went upstairs... grabbed a couple of bites to eat and a few swigs of regular coke (ah, calories, sugar, caffiene!) changed into my suit and came downstairs to the hotel's outdoor pool. The water was cold and heavenly. (and very clear despite the fact its an unchlorinated pool.) Mom and Georgia were walking all around the area surrounding the pool.
When I had enough of that I took over chasing my girl, allowing mom to go back up to the room to cool off and get a drink. The whole time I'm walking around with her I've got these wild doubts running through my mind...what if she never gets any happier? What if this is the totally wrong thing to do? There are so many people waiting to adopt from China, I know there are many that would kill to be in my place right now.
Intellectually, I knew it had only been hours.... but I was emotionally wrung out, and it seemed like almost everyone in our group was having a smooth (or smoother) 1st day/transition. It didn't help that there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reaosn to what set her to crying..
But eventually mom and I noticed that Georgia would tense up...then cry as she passed gas. Then it was clear that either because of..or in addition to the normal stress of the day, she was having diarhea and definite stomach discomfort.
Luckily I had packed a children's herbal "tummy soother" (with chamomile and ginger). I gave her some..then changed her diaper and stripped her out of the clothes she was handed to me in..and put her into a pair of pajamas. She hollored and cried a bit, but rested her head on my chest.... we pulled the room curtains shut and turned off the lights...and she fell asleep on my chest.
Well, I kept telling her "I love you. Mama loves you." But she really wanted no parts of me...she even fought and struggled to get down and away. But I continued to hold her...and eventually she just let me hold her. Then once the "Family photos" were taken (these would go on the actual certificates issued on Tuesday when the 24 hour harmonious period was over and the adoption finalized.) Once those were done we got into the bus and went back to the hotel to spend the evening bonding with our babies.
Well, first there was bawling from Ms Georgia in the elevator. Then she bawled when we got into the room. Mom and I tried some toys to distract her.... she really loved looking at and holding on to the photo book I had sent in the 2nd care package. She seemed to like bubbles too...and she would be quite calm..then every once in awhile nothing in particular seemed to set her off and she'd just screw up her face and bawl. Then in a few minutes she'd be fine.
So we thought, well maybe she's hungry. We ordered some room service and got her to eat a few bites with me very inexpertly feeding her with chopsticks. (The fork seemed to scare her.) But after awhile it was clear she didn't want to eat any more.
But still...it was gratifying to see some of her first smiles then...but then again, out of nowhere would come the bawling.
So we decided maybe she just needed or wanted to walk around. Now I have to say, during this time, I was feeding her... I hadn't gotten much (okay, nothing) to eat myself. And we went out walking...so I was running on an emotional high and stressed (all at the same time)...and I had a child who was clearly distressed...nothing I was doing seemed to help or make things better. To be honest, I guess I was starting to take it a little personally...and I knew I shouldn't.
My mom was definitely a godsend at that point. She said, "You need to take a step back. Why don't you go up to the room, change into your swimsuit and take a dip in the hotel's pool... I'll keep walking with Georgia." I almost didn't... I kept thinking I needed to work through this with this little girl...that the bonding had to happen today.
Which is silly. True bonding takes place over a long time... Knowing my mom was right, I went upstairs... grabbed a couple of bites to eat and a few swigs of regular coke (ah, calories, sugar, caffiene!) changed into my suit and came downstairs to the hotel's outdoor pool. The water was cold and heavenly. (and very clear despite the fact its an unchlorinated pool.) Mom and Georgia were walking all around the area surrounding the pool.
When I had enough of that I took over chasing my girl, allowing mom to go back up to the room to cool off and get a drink. The whole time I'm walking around with her I've got these wild doubts running through my mind...what if she never gets any happier? What if this is the totally wrong thing to do? There are so many people waiting to adopt from China, I know there are many that would kill to be in my place right now.
Intellectually, I knew it had only been hours.... but I was emotionally wrung out, and it seemed like almost everyone in our group was having a smooth (or smoother) 1st day/transition. It didn't help that there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reaosn to what set her to crying..
But eventually mom and I noticed that Georgia would tense up...then cry as she passed gas. Then it was clear that either because of..or in addition to the normal stress of the day, she was having diarhea and definite stomach discomfort.
Luckily I had packed a children's herbal "tummy soother" (with chamomile and ginger). I gave her some..then changed her diaper and stripped her out of the clothes she was handed to me in..and put her into a pair of pajamas. She hollored and cried a bit, but rested her head on my chest.... we pulled the room curtains shut and turned off the lights...and she fell asleep on my chest.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday June 30: a brand new Day*
Has finally arrived...and boy, what a day it has been!
I'm writing this at almost 8pm China time, 8am EST. Georgia is finally asleep. She never napped, and ooooh boy!!
But I'm getting ahead of myself. The day started off with mom and I waking up around 5am. I was torn between excitement and nervous anticipation...and that laced with a bit of fear. How was Qian Ya - soon to be miss Georgia Grace Qianya Day going to react? I knew that she might cry and scream. It would be a perfectly normal reaction. In her eyes we don't look right, we don't sound right...you name it! The adults in our family may have been anticipating this day for the past 2, almost 3 years....but she hasn't. She was perfectly content with her life just as it was, thankyouverymuch.
But again, I'm getting ahead of myself. We had breakfast around 6:30 am and came back to the hotel room to kill time...and somewhere in there I managed to get hold of Royce on the Skype and talk to him. He, Steve and Thomas had an eventful day themselves, but that's a post for another time. ;) At last, it was time to go. The ride to the Civil affairs office was not quite an hour, I think...and we families were just about hyper with excitement. Veronica once more stressed what our children's reactions might be...and how the screaming and crying was normal, and she reassured us that eventually our children would feel our love and grow to trust us... it might not happen in one or two days...it might take quite awhile, but it would happen.
This is the Civil Affairs office. As I followed the group, I just had no idea of what was in store. When we got in past the main doors, we could hear many voices. Ours was not the only group receiving their children this day...there were a large group of families from Sweden, at least one Australian family (waves at Penelope) and who knows what other nationalities... and there were the sounds of babies crying.
My heart did a flip-flop when I saw this sign. Yes, this really was real..and not some crazy thing I imagined. (You would think being in China itself would have made it seem real, but I do have a vivid imagination...)
Another view, this time inside the office itself. Here I had to present my passport to prove I was the parent of this particular child. Actually, at this point I am still not the legal parent.... I basically signed a 24hr temporary custody agreement. See, China adoption law requires a "24 hour harmonious period" - which gives prospective adoptive parents a chance to observe the child and be 100 percent sure that everything is okay (within reason) and that they want to proceed with the adoption. Then, after that is concluded, the parents either adopt the child -- or go home childless (unless the Chinese officials and the prospective parents agree there is a good reason not to proceed -- like an child that has a previously undisclosed special need or something)
It was a mass of confusion... babies crying (not our groups yet, they weren't due for another 10 minutes or so...) moms and dads crying, etc. There really wasn't a dry eye in the house. Many parents were crying tears of joy, of course...this was a long awaited and much anticipated and worked for dream come true. But some parents were crying in sympathy with the clearly confused and upset children. There was just so much overwhelming emotion in the room its impossible to describe unless you have been there and lived through it yourself.
And then I saw her.
I recognized her even with her back turned toward me. She was wearing a pink shirt, a white dress and a pair of squeaky sandals. Standing and holding someone's hand... I am not sure if it was her nanny or the director or what... I only had eyes for her, And when Veronica pointed to me...and whomever it was turned her to face me... our eyes met....
And she screwed up her face and began to wail. Loud, unconsolable sobs. Well Veronica and the officials talked to her in Mandarin...reasurring her, or trying to. And for my part, since I honestly was prepared to get just such a reaction, I held her despite her struggles to get away and kept patting her back and saying "Wp aye nee Qian Ya. Wo aye nee. Mama aye nee Qian Ya. Mama aye nee Qian Ya."
*The Brand New Day is similar to what we said in our announcement when Thomas was born, it seemed appropriate to repeat it here for his sister.
***to be continued tommorrow sometime... I am writing this at 9:21pm China time... Georgia finally fell asleep at 8pm...and I turned off the lights, which also killed the circcuit the laptop is plugged into. The battery is down to 20% and I don't want to push my luck and lose this.
I'm writing this at almost 8pm China time, 8am EST. Georgia is finally asleep. She never napped, and ooooh boy!!
But I'm getting ahead of myself. The day started off with mom and I waking up around 5am. I was torn between excitement and nervous anticipation...and that laced with a bit of fear. How was Qian Ya - soon to be miss Georgia Grace Qianya Day going to react? I knew that she might cry and scream. It would be a perfectly normal reaction. In her eyes we don't look right, we don't sound right...you name it! The adults in our family may have been anticipating this day for the past 2, almost 3 years....but she hasn't. She was perfectly content with her life just as it was, thankyouverymuch.
But again, I'm getting ahead of myself. We had breakfast around 6:30 am and came back to the hotel room to kill time...and somewhere in there I managed to get hold of Royce on the Skype and talk to him. He, Steve and Thomas had an eventful day themselves, but that's a post for another time. ;) At last, it was time to go. The ride to the Civil affairs office was not quite an hour, I think...and we families were just about hyper with excitement. Veronica once more stressed what our children's reactions might be...and how the screaming and crying was normal, and she reassured us that eventually our children would feel our love and grow to trust us... it might not happen in one or two days...it might take quite awhile, but it would happen.
This is the Civil Affairs office. As I followed the group, I just had no idea of what was in store. When we got in past the main doors, we could hear many voices. Ours was not the only group receiving their children this day...there were a large group of families from Sweden, at least one Australian family (waves at Penelope) and who knows what other nationalities... and there were the sounds of babies crying.
My heart did a flip-flop when I saw this sign. Yes, this really was real..and not some crazy thing I imagined. (You would think being in China itself would have made it seem real, but I do have a vivid imagination...)
Another view, this time inside the office itself. Here I had to present my passport to prove I was the parent of this particular child. Actually, at this point I am still not the legal parent.... I basically signed a 24hr temporary custody agreement. See, China adoption law requires a "24 hour harmonious period" - which gives prospective adoptive parents a chance to observe the child and be 100 percent sure that everything is okay (within reason) and that they want to proceed with the adoption. Then, after that is concluded, the parents either adopt the child -- or go home childless (unless the Chinese officials and the prospective parents agree there is a good reason not to proceed -- like an child that has a previously undisclosed special need or something)
It was a mass of confusion... babies crying (not our groups yet, they weren't due for another 10 minutes or so...) moms and dads crying, etc. There really wasn't a dry eye in the house. Many parents were crying tears of joy, of course...this was a long awaited and much anticipated and worked for dream come true. But some parents were crying in sympathy with the clearly confused and upset children. There was just so much overwhelming emotion in the room its impossible to describe unless you have been there and lived through it yourself.
And then I saw her.
I recognized her even with her back turned toward me. She was wearing a pink shirt, a white dress and a pair of squeaky sandals. Standing and holding someone's hand... I am not sure if it was her nanny or the director or what... I only had eyes for her, And when Veronica pointed to me...and whomever it was turned her to face me... our eyes met....
And she screwed up her face and began to wail. Loud, unconsolable sobs. Well Veronica and the officials talked to her in Mandarin...reasurring her, or trying to. And for my part, since I honestly was prepared to get just such a reaction, I held her despite her struggles to get away and kept patting her back and saying "Wp aye nee Qian Ya. Wo aye nee. Mama aye nee Qian Ya. Mama aye nee Qian Ya."
*The Brand New Day is similar to what we said in our announcement when Thomas was born, it seemed appropriate to repeat it here for his sister.
***to be continued tommorrow sometime... I am writing this at 9:21pm China time... Georgia finally fell asleep at 8pm...and I turned off the lights, which also killed the circcuit the laptop is plugged into. The battery is down to 20% and I don't want to push my luck and lose this.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Still June 29th
Let's see....after the last entry I wrote our group walked to a local bank to change our money for the in-province fees. i think it took a little bit longer than Veronica was expecting....but eventually we got it done.
After that, we hit a community store to buy snacks and drinks.... I wasn't thinking as clearly as one of our travelmates who bought juices and other snacks their toddler might want to eat. I do have some toddler "puffs" snacks..but not much else... and no juice. Our travel mate offered to send her husband tommorrow..if he and she are willing, I may take them up on that.
Then we came back to the hotel....many of us felt uncomfortable carrying that much money on us, so we utilized the hotel's safe deposit boxes.
After that we went out as a group to dinner. More walking (again down the steep hill, which of course meant we'd have to go back up the steep hill. Veronica called it a "barbeque" type place, but it wasn't barbeque as Americans think of it.... it was very peppery/spicy food. Mom didn't enjoy it as much as I did...so she was really looking forward to the snickers we bought at the community store -- as well as a chance to kick off her shoes and read her Nora Roberts book.
After that, we hit a community store to buy snacks and drinks.... I wasn't thinking as clearly as one of our travelmates who bought juices and other snacks their toddler might want to eat. I do have some toddler "puffs" snacks..but not much else... and no juice. Our travel mate offered to send her husband tommorrow..if he and she are willing, I may take them up on that.
Then we came back to the hotel....many of us felt uncomfortable carrying that much money on us, so we utilized the hotel's safe deposit boxes.
After that we went out as a group to dinner. More walking (again down the steep hill, which of course meant we'd have to go back up the steep hill. Veronica called it a "barbeque" type place, but it wasn't barbeque as Americans think of it.... it was very peppery/spicy food. Mom didn't enjoy it as much as I did...so she was really looking forward to the snickers we bought at the community store -- as well as a chance to kick off her shoes and read her Nora Roberts book.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Sunday June 29: arrival in Nanjing
Today is the day we flew to Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province. Nanjing: "Nan"=south and "Jing" = capital, so it litterally means "south capital. ("Bei"=north, so "Beijing"=north capital.)
We needed to wake up at 4am this morning because the bellboy was going to pick up our bags at about 4:45am. We needed to grab a quick breakfast at the hotel's buffet, then be ready to checkout and leave by 5:50am. Our plane was due to take off around 7:20am.
Here is our group, getting ready to board our plane. The ride itself was quite uneventful and nice, taking about 1hr 40 minutes, give or take.
We landed at Nanjing airport about 9:15am. Here I am standing under the sign that says "Welcome to Nanjing". The light washed it out a bit when one of our group took a picture of me under the sign, but I was able to get a good picture of the sign itself.
The drive to the hotel was a little over an hour. Today is mostly a "rest and recover" day.... we are going to go as a group to the bank to exchange our money to pay for the in-province fees. (Due in Yuan), and later go to a local grocery store for snacks, bottled water, etc. I also believe the group will go to a local place tonight to have dinner as a group.
Then tommorrow is the day we meet our children! I'm sitting here, typing on this blog and looking at a wallet sized photo of our daughter and wondering... what will her reaction be to me/us? We're told some children cry or even scream. Some withdrawl and refuse to interact. These are perfectly understandable and normal reactions... because we look so very different from Chinese people.
But I also know that Georgia Grace Qianya Day is a fearless little girl who HAS seen caucasian people before -- when some of her friends and orphanage sisters were adopted... so maybe she will not be so afraid.
Whatever her reaction.... I hope in time she will come to realize we have so much love to give her and that she learns to trust us.
We needed to wake up at 4am this morning because the bellboy was going to pick up our bags at about 4:45am. We needed to grab a quick breakfast at the hotel's buffet, then be ready to checkout and leave by 5:50am. Our plane was due to take off around 7:20am.
Here is our group, getting ready to board our plane. The ride itself was quite uneventful and nice, taking about 1hr 40 minutes, give or take.
We landed at Nanjing airport about 9:15am. Here I am standing under the sign that says "Welcome to Nanjing". The light washed it out a bit when one of our group took a picture of me under the sign, but I was able to get a good picture of the sign itself.
The drive to the hotel was a little over an hour. Today is mostly a "rest and recover" day.... we are going to go as a group to the bank to exchange our money to pay for the in-province fees. (Due in Yuan), and later go to a local grocery store for snacks, bottled water, etc. I also believe the group will go to a local place tonight to have dinner as a group.
Then tommorrow is the day we meet our children! I'm sitting here, typing on this blog and looking at a wallet sized photo of our daughter and wondering... what will her reaction be to me/us? We're told some children cry or even scream. Some withdrawl and refuse to interact. These are perfectly understandable and normal reactions... because we look so very different from Chinese people.
But I also know that Georgia Grace Qianya Day is a fearless little girl who HAS seen caucasian people before -- when some of her friends and orphanage sisters were adopted... so maybe she will not be so afraid.
Whatever her reaction.... I hope in time she will come to realize we have so much love to give her and that she learns to trust us.
Saturday, June 28: more touring
Today's touring day included Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.
Again, this was a busy day, and there was a lot of information to take in, and there was just so much it is really hard to remember it all.
Our guide told us her English name is Veronica. Her Chinese name is Quen Yue. She said she was born in Beijing and has lived here for 30 years....but darned if I can believe she is at least 30 years old, she seems so much younger... and she's such an energetic dynamo! (And also very sweet and organized!)
Our adoption agency has a large enough group traveling now that for these tours we were split into three groups - each led by a guide: Veronica, Michael, and Grace. Veronica led our group. Here we are across the street from Tiananmen square for a group photo.
As we walked through Tiananmen square, we passed the tomb of Chairman Mao Tse Tung. I'm actually a bit surprised we didn't go into it and see him inside his crystal tomb. I actually thought that might be a bit interesting, although I suppose it would be a bit disrespectful if we had gone in and taken pictures of him! :)
After Tiananmen Square, we went to the Forbidden City...which was the home of the imperial family, as well as the place where the emperor or empress met with officials, foreign dignitaries, etc. All of the parts of the city had specific names, but I couldn't take it all in. By this point my feet were sore, and we hadnt even stopped for lunch!
We had a chinese style lunch at a friendship store, where we were encouraged to shop for gifts...although Veronica did warn us that in-China flights strictly limit weight of checked in bags, so it would be best not to buy heavy or bulky things. I did get one or two small, lightweight things..... because I couldn't resist...but I didnt go crazy... I plan on doing the bulk of my shopping in Jiangsu and Guangzhou.
After lunch, we got back in the bus to ride to the attraction many of us wanted to see most of all - the Great Wall. It was very hazy and even rained a bit....and a lot of the scenery was covered in mist and fog. And the wall was....absolutely breathtaking, astounding, awe-inspiring. See for yourself:
Mom and I really wanted to climb to that tower you see at the top of the hill...but there were many, many steps...and they were uneven in size and it was quite steep. We didn't make it all the way to that tower, but I'd say we made it at least two-thirds of the way there. On the way up, we saw a long chain with many locks hanging from it. Some couples get married at the wall itself, and many will place a lock (engraved with their names) - on the chain, in the hopes that their marriage will be as long as the Great Wall.
And for our colleagues at Carroll County Public library and Prince George's County Memorial Library system (as well as BCPL)... here is Sneaks the cat at the Great Wall in China.
And here mom and I are...yes, wearing our 2008 summer reading T shirts!
Finally, for your general amusement, I present this sign - actually posted on one of the tower areas along the Great Wall.
Tommorrow our various groups fly out from Beijing to our childrens' provinces. There we will receive our child, register the adoption, and do some more touring in the province. Another family (the Heller's) and mom and I will also be visiting our daughter's orphanage while in their province.
Again, this was a busy day, and there was a lot of information to take in, and there was just so much it is really hard to remember it all.
Our guide told us her English name is Veronica. Her Chinese name is Quen Yue. She said she was born in Beijing and has lived here for 30 years....but darned if I can believe she is at least 30 years old, she seems so much younger... and she's such an energetic dynamo! (And also very sweet and organized!)
Our adoption agency has a large enough group traveling now that for these tours we were split into three groups - each led by a guide: Veronica, Michael, and Grace. Veronica led our group. Here we are across the street from Tiananmen square for a group photo.
As we walked through Tiananmen square, we passed the tomb of Chairman Mao Tse Tung. I'm actually a bit surprised we didn't go into it and see him inside his crystal tomb. I actually thought that might be a bit interesting, although I suppose it would be a bit disrespectful if we had gone in and taken pictures of him! :)
After Tiananmen Square, we went to the Forbidden City...which was the home of the imperial family, as well as the place where the emperor or empress met with officials, foreign dignitaries, etc. All of the parts of the city had specific names, but I couldn't take it all in. By this point my feet were sore, and we hadnt even stopped for lunch!
We had a chinese style lunch at a friendship store, where we were encouraged to shop for gifts...although Veronica did warn us that in-China flights strictly limit weight of checked in bags, so it would be best not to buy heavy or bulky things. I did get one or two small, lightweight things..... because I couldn't resist...but I didnt go crazy... I plan on doing the bulk of my shopping in Jiangsu and Guangzhou.
After lunch, we got back in the bus to ride to the attraction many of us wanted to see most of all - the Great Wall. It was very hazy and even rained a bit....and a lot of the scenery was covered in mist and fog. And the wall was....absolutely breathtaking, astounding, awe-inspiring. See for yourself:
Mom and I really wanted to climb to that tower you see at the top of the hill...but there were many, many steps...and they were uneven in size and it was quite steep. We didn't make it all the way to that tower, but I'd say we made it at least two-thirds of the way there. On the way up, we saw a long chain with many locks hanging from it. Some couples get married at the wall itself, and many will place a lock (engraved with their names) - on the chain, in the hopes that their marriage will be as long as the Great Wall.
And for our colleagues at Carroll County Public library and Prince George's County Memorial Library system (as well as BCPL)... here is Sneaks the cat at the Great Wall in China.
And here mom and I are...yes, wearing our 2008 summer reading T shirts!
Finally, for your general amusement, I present this sign - actually posted on one of the tower areas along the Great Wall.
Tommorrow our various groups fly out from Beijing to our childrens' provinces. There we will receive our child, register the adoption, and do some more touring in the province. Another family (the Heller's) and mom and I will also be visiting our daughter's orphanage while in their province.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Friday, June 27 touring
Today's touring was an "extra" day - arranged through Delight Travel and not Great Wall. On the agenda was a visit to the Beijing zoo panda house, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. Our tour guide's name was Wang Jin Feng, but he also used the english name "Jerry".
Let me start off by saying that Jerry told us a lot of stories, and gave us a LOT of information, but I don't know how much of it "stuck" with me as I write this in the evening -- my legs and feet sore from all the walking we did. I plan on reading about these places more at some point -- the touring was so much like a lightning fast crash-course in Chinese history and culture. It was really too much to take in in just one day.
The picture is fairly self-explanatory. The gentleman in the center of the photo is Jerry. He's 26 years old, and the third of four children, all boys. The reason his family had 4 boys is they had them before the one-child policy went into effect.
We saw quite a few pandas, and some really up close thanks to a combination of plexiglass and a zoom lens. ;)
After the panda house, we went to the Summer Palace. The Emperor Qianlong had the palace built for his mother's 60th birthday in 1750. Two stone lions flank either side of the entrance gate. We were told one was always male and one female to represent the Emperor and the Empress. Jerry asked us which was which. One person guessed correctly, but it was just a guess on their part, they weren't sure how you could tell which was which.
This one is the female, the Empress. You can tell because under her paw is a playing cub, symbolizing the wish for happy, healthy children.
This one is the male, for the emperor. The ball under his paw was a symbol of power and domination over everything since all of the power rested with the emperor.
There was just so much to take pictures of! Like this stone, which is called the "God of Longevity" because it supposedly looks like an old man holding a peach and it is considered good luck and a fortunate thing to live a long life.
It is also good fortune to have your photo taken in front of the stone of the god of longevity...so even though mom and I are camera shy, we had our picture taken with it.
This is the famous marble boat. It was build at the west end of Kunming lake by the dowager empress Cixi...and built with money meant for the Chinese navy.
An interesting tidbit... Jerry said that Cixi (pronounced like "Sushi") was not a beautiful woman...but she was very charming. She also was very powerful...which is why she is also known by another name: Dragon Lady Cixi. But still, after going on and on about how unattractive she was... you would think Jerry might realize how it might not seem as a compliment to hold a picture postcard of Cixi next to someone and tell her "Looks like her sister!" (Which he honestly did do to mom.) To which mom replied "You wanna be fired?"
At dinner tonight, mom got some of her own back, and lived up to her new nickname "Dragon mom"... we had to fill out a comment card for our dinner and mom put Jerry's name, phone # and email address! (lol)
At the end of our summer palace tour, we took a dragon boat back because it exited close to a gate where the bus driver could pick us up...the other option was to walk the long corridor (I forget how many meters it was) to a different gate where the driver could also pick us up,but it seemed very far and our group knew we'd be doing a lot more walking that day and the next..so we opted for the boat.
Our last stop was the Temple of Heaven. China, being a largely agrarian society (and it still is in some areas, even though it is also quite modern) it was the Emperor's duty to pray for good harvests.
I took way more pictures than I blogged here, but its taken about 30 minutes to write all of this!! Next up tommorrow: more touring: The Great Wall, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square!
Let me start off by saying that Jerry told us a lot of stories, and gave us a LOT of information, but I don't know how much of it "stuck" with me as I write this in the evening -- my legs and feet sore from all the walking we did. I plan on reading about these places more at some point -- the touring was so much like a lightning fast crash-course in Chinese history and culture. It was really too much to take in in just one day.
The picture is fairly self-explanatory. The gentleman in the center of the photo is Jerry. He's 26 years old, and the third of four children, all boys. The reason his family had 4 boys is they had them before the one-child policy went into effect.
We saw quite a few pandas, and some really up close thanks to a combination of plexiglass and a zoom lens. ;)
After the panda house, we went to the Summer Palace. The Emperor Qianlong had the palace built for his mother's 60th birthday in 1750. Two stone lions flank either side of the entrance gate. We were told one was always male and one female to represent the Emperor and the Empress. Jerry asked us which was which. One person guessed correctly, but it was just a guess on their part, they weren't sure how you could tell which was which.
This one is the female, the Empress. You can tell because under her paw is a playing cub, symbolizing the wish for happy, healthy children.
This one is the male, for the emperor. The ball under his paw was a symbol of power and domination over everything since all of the power rested with the emperor.
There was just so much to take pictures of! Like this stone, which is called the "God of Longevity" because it supposedly looks like an old man holding a peach and it is considered good luck and a fortunate thing to live a long life.
It is also good fortune to have your photo taken in front of the stone of the god of longevity...so even though mom and I are camera shy, we had our picture taken with it.
This is the famous marble boat. It was build at the west end of Kunming lake by the dowager empress Cixi...and built with money meant for the Chinese navy.
An interesting tidbit... Jerry said that Cixi (pronounced like "Sushi") was not a beautiful woman...but she was very charming. She also was very powerful...which is why she is also known by another name: Dragon Lady Cixi. But still, after going on and on about how unattractive she was... you would think Jerry might realize how it might not seem as a compliment to hold a picture postcard of Cixi next to someone and tell her "Looks like her sister!" (Which he honestly did do to mom.) To which mom replied "You wanna be fired?"
At dinner tonight, mom got some of her own back, and lived up to her new nickname "Dragon mom"... we had to fill out a comment card for our dinner and mom put Jerry's name, phone # and email address! (lol)
At the end of our summer palace tour, we took a dragon boat back because it exited close to a gate where the bus driver could pick us up...the other option was to walk the long corridor (I forget how many meters it was) to a different gate where the driver could also pick us up,but it seemed very far and our group knew we'd be doing a lot more walking that day and the next..so we opted for the boat.
Our last stop was the Temple of Heaven. China, being a largely agrarian society (and it still is in some areas, even though it is also quite modern) it was the Emperor's duty to pray for good harvests.
I took way more pictures than I blogged here, but its taken about 30 minutes to write all of this!! Next up tommorrow: more touring: The Great Wall, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square!
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