Clouds and Sunshine

X-posted from my livejournal

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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!

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

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 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.

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)

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

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.