Christmas 2009

The "Ellexicon" (a collection of Ellie-isms continued from Feb 13, 2009)

"Pooka" - anything good or bad as it suits the user of the term. (e.g. "You are a pooka!" could mean you are a cutie pie OR you've done something in clear violation of a rule, real or ficticious). A perfect word for all moods and situations.

"What-a?!" - said with the "a?!" portion approximately 3 octaves higher than the "what" portion. In essence, "what's that you say?!"

Situation 1: Ellie appears at the top of the basement stairs and asks Daddy "What are you doing down there?" Daddy replies "I'm looking for love." Ellie counters "The love is up here!" and when Daddy arrives back upstairs 1 minute later, Ellie delivers a deliberate hug as if to say: "see!"

Situation 2: Daddy is sitting next to Ellie at breakfast and she is being extremely cute. Daddy feels a rush of love well up inside him, looks affectionately down at Ellie, and says "Ellie, I love you so much." Ellie looks up earnestly into her father's eyes and responds "I love Mommy."

Situation 3: Brother Jeb and Daddy are seated at the kitchen table with Ellie eating lunch. Jeb poses the question to Ellie "Who do you like better: me or Daddy?" to which, Ellie replies "Mommy."

Situation 4: Ellie has been told by her mom that it is time to go to bed and that she needs to stop eating from the bag of potato chips she's holding. Ellie responds by reaching into the bag, pulling out one last chip, and holding it up for her mother to view, declaring "this is my last one." Moments later, she extracts a second chip with her other hand, holds it up for view and says "this is my last one too!"

Situation 5: Asked what she would like for Christmas, and somewhat bored with our existing feline pet, Ellie responds that she would like "a NEW cat, that's pink, with NEW fleas."

Situation 6: When asked on another occasion what she would like for Santa to bring her, Ellie responds with a lengthy list of items (including a toothbrush, a toy, new pajamas, a new room, a new bed, etc.). When told that might be more than Santa could carry in his sleigh, she responds with the very practical recommendation that "Santa can make two trips."

Welcome December

Here, the kiddos waited to see Santa Claus! The little guy is our cousin, Stephen.

In the other, Ellie and Jeb take a break from the work of hanging lights and decorating! (Susanna was on her computer at the time (naturally)).

Happy Thanksgiving in Florida

We had a wonderful time with the Godleys to celebrate Thanksgiving and Gumps' 90th! Ellie LOVED the beach, of course. (You might click on the pic of Ellie to appreciate how really great that picture is, up close. She's especially adorable, if I do say so myself!)

Happy (Belated) Autumn Moon Festival

Well, this is a little out of order. And it isn't that flattering of Ellie. But it does capture the whole family, which is pretty unusual these days, and it was a fun evening hosted by someone in our Chinese playgroup.

Happy Halloween

Ellie was a butterfly/fairie. She had been a fire fighter for her class party, but decided that wasn't very comfortable. Susie was a vampire, and Jeb was a ghoul of some sort with cool eyes that you can't appreciate here. Our friends were Ozzy Osborne, a Witch, and a cute Hippie girl.

Happy Gotcha Day

The Birthday Boy (and family) Goes to Six Flags

Fall Family Fun

The Birthday Girl

A June visit from Uncle Bob

Happy Easter

Spring Break #1

Ellie loved the beach in Kiawah, SC. We went with our family friends Justine and Zach.

Our Favorite Ellie-isms (A.K.A. The "Ellexicon")

"Ehwee" - Ellie
"showee" - shower
"wawee" - water
"pewtee" - the family computer
"MMMs" - M&Ms
"Jebah" - (brother) Jeb
"Nana" - (sister) Susanna
"pweez" - please
"tatoo" - thank you
"weese" - horse
"binga" - finger
"mommycah" - mom's minivan
"titty tat" - our resident beloved fur-ball
"bite-a-min" - vitamin
"chockee" - chocolate
"mo mo [fill in the blank]" - I'd like more of that please
"bush teef" - brush teeth
"pway peenano" - I'm going to play the piano
"daddy tar" - Daddy's guitar
"change my toes!" - please change my clothes
"Daddy!" - Daddy, please come here
"Rob!!!" - yelling "Daddy" wasn't getting me anywhere, so I'm upping the ante
"right back" - I'm going into the other room, never to reappear
"one minute!" - I'll stop what I'm doing now when I'm darn well ready to!
"appah-juice" - any type of juice including, but not limited to, apple juice
"Bev Bev" - (baby-sitter extraordinaire) Beverly
"my!!!" - that's mine! [OR] that's yours and I want it! [OR] I'm about to rip that object out of your hands! [OR] hand over what you have in your hands or I'll double the volume of my last request! [OR] prepare to be assaulted!
"share!" - give me what you have so I can play with it alone and not take turns with you
"I did!" - first response to being asked to do anything
"tatoo, dear" - thanks for bringing me whatever you just did
"The bone is winging" - we appear to have a call coming in
"You have a beaver?" - are you running a temperature?
"Are you happy, or sick?" - some medicine would likely make you feel happy again
"I'm a bad mood" - my siblings appear to be grumpy, and I don't want to be left out of the party

Favorite song: "Yankee Doodle Had a Farm"

Ellie's response to brother Jeb's saying "somebody likes me" after having been dealt a very good hand in a card game: "I like you!"

Ellie's response to her dad putting back into order all the controls on the dashboard of mommy's car which Ellie had... reorganized: "Daddy, don't push my buttons!"

When the family travels to church together on Sundays, Ellie frequently carries a small cup of Cheerios with her to eat on the way. Her name for this snack is "Churcheos"

Ellie is the proud owner of shoes which we purchased for her in China which have a built-in mechanism to make them squeak every time she takes a step. The rest of us refer to her shoes as her "squeaky shoes." She calls them her "quaky oozies"

Nicknames for Ellie: "Ellie" "Squeaky" (when she's wearing her squeaky shoes) "Screamy" "Screamasaurus Rex" "The Screamsicle" "Ellie Fofelli" "Yum Yum"

Santa!

Fall and Winter 2008

Here are a few more pics -- October through December. We had a great and fun season. Ellie is completely at home in every way now! Siblings, pets, neighbors, school, church, Santa (well, almost at home with Santa.... We enjoy Santa at more of a distance still.) Meanwhile, Susanna and Jeb continue to be super big siblings, and Ellie wants to be just like them.

Our first October with Ellie!

What a beautiful day! It was perfect for pumpkins, a corn maze, and some time with cousin Stephen. This time last year, we were nearly on our way to China.

It's been nearly ONE YEAR!

Hi everyone! We can't believe it's been nearly a whole year since we welcomed Ellie into our family. She is very much at home now. Here are a few pictures from the past couple of months. They include her birthday (couch with Jeb), her first day of school (note the red bag), and hanging with cousin Stephen (window). Oh, and I just added my favorite from Susanna at camp. love, C

It's summer!

Happy Easter!

Cat and Dogs

Hi everyone! Here are a couple more cute pictures. These show just how comfortable Ellie has become with the dogs and cat. And they really like her, especially the dogs who see her as a frequent source of food. And of course, Susanna and Jeb are having fun with Ellie, too. Jeb is her bath-buddy and all-around playmate, and Susanna is like a mini-mom, very reassuring and wise!

We're having fun and getting ready for an extra special Christmas. (For any of you just checking out this blog, see the next post or the upper right to get directions about navigating around and getting to the part about the trip, if you want.) Good night to all. (We're still struggling in the sleep dept, but the days are great!) Love, Christy/Christine

Outside Fun

Hi Everyone, and Welcome to our Blog for any first-timers. I was thinking that some friends and family might check out the blog after receiving our Christmas card/adoption announcement. Here's how it works: we have posted pictures and comments since we received our referral in early Sept., but they appear in reverse chronological order. So, if you want to see some of the China pictures and narrative, you need to navigate to the October/November pages of the post. Just go to Older Posts at the bottom of this page and/or click on a month in the right side bar. FYI: our trip was Oct. 25-Nov. 9. As for now, you can see that we are having a lot of fun with Ellie. She's the life of the party, and she has the best big brother and sister. The sleep still isn't happening very well, but during the day - she's lots of smiles and big kisses. Good night; we pray for SLEEP! -c.

First Visit with Santa

Tonight, we had Ellie's first visit with Santa. Of course, she screamed. But it was still pretty cute and she looked adorable. Susanna and Jeb are fantastic with her, and she really loves them. I am determined to get a picture of her laughing and smiling, which she does more and more now, and I'll post that soon. She's also become quite a good kisser, by the way. But, for tonight, I'll put on the unhappy-but-cute Santa picture. Then, I must go to bed, as her nights are still a bit rocky. More soon, C.

Calling Us on the Carpet

Hi everyone! Ellie seems right at home now, maneuvering around the dogs, seeking out the cat (her first English word, after mamamamama), and eating eating eating. We had our first regular doctor's appt. this past week, and she's in the 90th percentile for height and the 5th for weight (American charts)! We don't think she looks that skinny, so it will be interesting to see what happens next. She's getting a nice little baby belly now.

Susanna and Jeb are wonderful with her. We're still working on the sleeping at night and not hating the crib. Thank you all for your support and love! - c

10 Days at Home

Hi everyone! I'm so glad that Rob was able to post a couple of recent photos. Ellie is looking happier and cuter by the day. She's already assumed her role as youngest family clown, making us laugh with her funny faces and clever looks. The night-times are still a little rough, but the fact that I feel awake enough to write tonight (while everyone else sleeps) must mean that I'm getting some rest ... or that I am crazy not to get to bed immediately. I'll do that now. Love and thanks to all of you for your support and love! xoxox, C.

Back Home Again

Home!

Hi everyone -- I'm not sure if anyone is still checking this because we are home now, but I do plan to update it from time to time with news and pics. I know that our travel group will be exchanging news and pics of our little girls ... at least I hope so! So, yes, we are home now and really really tired. I counted 32 hours from the time we got our wake-up call on Friday AM in China and the time we got into bed in Atlanta. Generally, everyone did very well on the trip, and Ellie/Elizabeth/Ya is adjusting well to our home and our big, nosy & noisy PETS! Last night was not so good for her (and therefore for us), probably due to the change in environment and the jet lag. I pray for sleep tonight. Thank you all for your support, love, and prayers along this journey. We do have some arrival-in-Atlanta photos, but it may be a little while before Rob can post those. Soon, I hope ... and maybe we'll have some news ones, too! love, C.

All Strollered Out

Going Formal

Severe Case of Littlebrotheritis

Scenes from Guangzhou

Count Down

Wed - Nov. 7 - 8pm -- Hi everyone -- Just time for a quick hello tonight. We had good day. Rob went to the consulate to deal with our Coke-stained document; the kids had fun playing in the pool; and we walked around and shopped in the afternoon. Tomorrow, the group goes to the Consulate for our official exit appts. Ellie is very fun and cute, and we recognize how special it is to spend time in her country of origin, but playing on the hotel floor is getting old and yucky. We miss home and we miss you. -c

Today

8pm - Tuesday - 11/6 - Hi everyone! We had another busy day. We visited a beautiful botanical garden and there were several school groups there; the kids were adorable (and ours were pretty cute, too!) In the afternoon, the kids and I picked up our laundry and tried to get Ellie to take a nap in the stroller. (That did not work.) Rob worked on our "IT" issues. And then in the evening, we took the legendary "red couch" pictures with all of the babies. It was another Papa Johns dinner in the room night, and the kids and Rob went out for ice cream. Ellie is wonderful and cute and active. Still, I'm starting to feel pretty worn out from lack of sleep and Susanna's cold bug. For some reason, our baby girl keeps waking up in the middle of the night, crying, and who knows what's causing it, but I think we all just need to get home to a routine, regular food, and a house (rather than a little hotel room). Can you tell that I'm a little weary? Thank you for your continued prayers. God gives us the strength and wisdom and peace we seek. That's what I need tonight. Peace to you all, too -- Christine/Christy

Ellie Photo Update

White Swan Hotel

Surprise!! A Starbucks!

Photos from Guangzhou

Day 10

Hi everyone -- It's Monday night, 9:30 in Guangzhou, and Rob & Jeb are watching soccer in Chinese on TV. Susanna has fallen asleep. And Ellie is playing in her crib, nowhere near to falling asleep, but happily covering and uncovering her head with her pj bottoms (which are kind of too big for her and must have come off easily). It would be fabulous if she put herself to sleep very soon, but I'm not delusional. She's quickly gotten used to being rocked, cajoled, and bottle-fed to sleep. I'm pretty sure that they didn't do that at the orphanage, but she is a smart cookie and has us all trained well. It's hard not to do her bidding, as her smile is so rewarding! Plus, there is plenty of time when we get home to establish some healthy routines and boundaries. For now, it's all about getting attached and surviving.

The medical tests went fine today; they were "cursory," as one of the veterans in our group described them. Susanna kept me company and both of us found it pretty uncomfortable. Ellie disliked it even more. Imagine a very small pediatrician's office, jammed with people and children who are being herded through paper work and three "stations": ENT, medical/surgery (listening to the heart and looking at bellies), and height/weight (she was 20 lb, I think). I think that she was examined for a total of 4 minutes, maybe. The germaphobe in me was dying to douse us all in anti-bacterial goop by the end, but now that that and cold medicines are no-no's for babies, I relied on a prayer and an assumption that her immune system must be strong.

In the afternoon, we had lunch at "Lucy's" - famous for providing American food to all of the Americans here. Then, the five of us did some serious shopping. Rob was our expert bargainer, and I would slink outside the store and let him do the "hard negotiating." He was undermined only by my eyeing him that I really did want him to buy such-and-such, Susanna announcing that the store's price really was better than next door, and Jeb marching in and declaring that we had decided to buy a certain item. We're all learning!

Tomorrow, we are off to a park with the group. Everyone continues to be pretty healthy, although Susanna has developed a sore throat and some congestion. I imagine we'll all be scratchy by the end of this adventure, but if that's the worst thing, we are doing GREAT! I'm sorry that we don't have any new pictures. We've taken some adorable ones, but my "IT guy" has been busy with a few other things like trying to do SOME work, helping to keep Ellie out of the Chinese ER, and doing a million other things. I'm hoping that we can get some new pics up soon, but I'm trying not to pester.

Love to you all and thanks for your prayers. Each day brings new unknowns, and I'm relying on my faith and God's love! --- C

Day 9

Hi everyone – Just want to check in and say that things are going very well. First, Ya Qiong/Ellie/Elizabeth is doing great. Especially at night, she laughs and giggles, throws her head way back dramatically, and acts like it’s time to party. Tonight, we had Dim Sum with the group, and she made a complete mess and broke a ceramic spoon – very age-appropriate. Guangzhou and the White Swan Hotel are really nice. The hotel is the nicest I’ve ever stayed at – with a decadent and enormous breakfast buffet, and attendants at every floor to help you get on and off of the elevator. The lights outside our room, along the river, are fantastic – something like Vegas meets Disney meets Atlantic City. And on the other side of the hotel is a very active shopping district that is a sort of Beacon Street-Charleston-Savannah-sort of walker-friendly, assertive salespeople area. It’s kind of surreal, with all of these westerners walking around with Chinese babies and young children. This morning, we went to the Chen Family Temple (very pretty) and a department store (a little hairy with toddlers!). In the afternoon, the big kids played in one of two gorgeous outdoor pools. Tomorrow, the babies have their medical exams and visa pictures, which, I hope will be quick and painless for all. It has been another special day – although I must admit that I wondered during our quiet time this afternoon what her birth parents are doing right now. Where are all of the birth parents of all of these beautiful babies? I do wonder about and feel for them (and possible siblings out there) … but to end on a happy note, we are loving and enjoying this funny, beautiful little person and we are all, so far, healthy! We miss our loved ones, though.

Then and Now

THEN: When we first took receipt of Ellie, she was tired, clearly worried, and ready to cry at every turn. She did not smile and did not want to engage any of the many smiles or laughs we offered her. She was highly inactive – just sitting back and taking everything in around her with no interest in moving about. The changes taking place for her were so big. It was a hard time for all of us. As much as we were excited to be bringing her into our family, it was hard to know that we were the agents of her significant anxiety. The days were long and hard, and the nights were short and harder. It was easy to let the fears creep in about the magnitude of the transition we were all embarked upon.

NOW: What a difference several days has made. It’s like she is a different child. Smiling, laughing, cruising all over our hotel room, playing toss and peekaboo. Now that she has grown comfortable with us, she has really opened up. She has the most beguiling grin when she turns on the charm. We realize this is still going to be a huge adjustment on everyone as we continue through our remaining days in China and head home, but we feel so very blessed to be able to bring Ellie into our family and so happy that she is coming to a place of calm and trust with us.

Still More Still Photos

Still More Photos

More Still Photos

Catching Up!

It is now Saturday, Nov. 3 at 3:30 pm and we’ve just checked into the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou. We’ve unpacked our very discombobulated stuff, ordered Papa Johns (yum!), and little Ellie/YaQiong is rolling around on the floor. Those of you who know and love me well recognize that this is a sign of huge progress – my allowing her to roll around on a hotel floor! But, it is so good to see her using muscles that she hasn’t been able to exercise before, and figuring out how to get around. She’s really quite happy with herself … and the hotel seems very clean. Our room has a beautiful view of the river, and we plan to go out and check things out soon. (I hear that there is a great place for $6 awesome massages!) Anyway – the reason I haven’t written is that I now have a TODDLER. A few days ago, I thought I had a baby-baby, but now, this child is on the MOVE and she has things to do and people to see … and she’s so proud of herself … smiling coyly when she accomplishes something.

Another reason I haven’t written is that we’ve been busy. To catch up: on Thursday, we went to the Elephant Park (no real elephants, but very peaceful and pretty) in Nanchang. That was nice, but so COLD! There were many monks at the temples there, and they played lovely music and let the kids try out their instruments. We also made a second run to Walmart … still crazy. And the big kids had a pool party. On Friday, we had a “free” day, except for doing lots of paperwork in the afternoon. One parent from each family was assembled to fill out sheets and sheets of documentation. We all got punchy at different points, going through lots of White Out and having to re-do forms that didn’t allow White Out. When spouses couldn’t remember where their spouses were born or when they were married, a vow of secrecy had to be taken. Oh, and unfortunately, my document holder got splattered with Coke, somewhere between Tokyo and Beijing, so it looks like Rob or I will have to show up at the Consulate here at some point to re-do a form or two. Also on Friday, we took a very adventurous family walk around the block, which was a little scary for me, but Rob and Susanna and Jeb took it in stride. Crossing the street in Nanchang is not for the faint of heart! The school children who followed us around were pretty cute. There was another afternoon pool party, and then I worked on the jigsaw puzzle known as packing with 5 too-small suitcases. We’re definitely buying a large duffle bag here! Unfortunately, Ellie had a bit of a rough night again last night, not sure why. Maybe she just got over-excited with the tickling game before bed. This morning, we got up early and flew to sunny, tropical-like Guangzhou and the famed White Swan Hotel.

Our sweet little daughter gets cuter, happier, and more mobile every day, and has no problem communicating her likes and dislikes. We are very blessed! Tonight, the group is meeting for Thai food, and our wonderful guide, Rui (“Ray”) is going to show us around a little bit. Tomorrow is another park/temple tour. Love to you all. We look forward to being home again. It seems like we’ve been gone a long time.

A Happy Halloween!

Hello again everyone,
Today was a good day! In the past 24 hours, Ellie/YaQiong (as we still call her, for now) has gotten so much more comfortable with us, playing with the kids, cleverly watching for their reactions to the things that she does, comfortably going to Rob, and even starting to try to crawl and walk. (Chinese children in orphanages often don't learn to crawl before they walk, but adoptive families are told that it is important to learn for brain development.) She's eating well, babbling some, able to go to sleep and take a bath without a major meltdown. It's just amazing, and so fun to see her little personality coming out. I've read that this is typical, but until I experienced it, I didn't really get it. I know that some days will be better than others, but I'm so pleased that today was GOOD! Thank you, God!
To explain some of the pics from today .... our group visited a local and very old Buddhist temple this morning. It was beautiful and fascinating, but the most fun thing was that Susanna, Jeb, and our new, young Chinese-American friend (who is here with her family as they adopt #2), were super stars! The teen agers were especially keen to take their pictures, laughing the whole time. The kids got lots of interested looks and had their faces caressed by older Chinese men and women. (yes, my OCD had to be suppressed.)
One of the pics is of our tour group in front of the temple; this shows you how big we are (11 families) ... and conspicuous in the streets! Also, there were a couple of school children going through the temple today, and they loved saying "hello" and "goodbye" and "thank you" in their best English. And of course, our big kids put on a bit of a show for them. Typical Americans! We gave their teacher a bag of Halloween candy, and that was a hit.
For dinner tonight, we had Pizza Hut in a common room and the big kids played and gave out/received candy. It was very cute and easy -- just what we needed, really. All of the families seem to be doing pretty well now; we've really been blessed. I have heard other families say that when they get here with the group, it just seems like every child is with "their right" family, that the kids just "fit" remarkably well, and that it's hard to imagine having a different child from the group in your family. I didn't really believe that deeply before, but I do now. We really do have our second daughter, and she's just the one.
And from the sublime to the mundane (but important), we may be starting to reach a place of equilibrium and limited sleep deprivation such that homework and reading is starting to seem possible soon. That makes me feel better too.
Thanks to all of you for your love and support, prayers and postings. I'll try to get Rob to write soon. He's been doing all of the photography, so for a change, there are too many pics of me! Well, Happy Trick or Treating!

Even More Photos

More Photos

Getting to Know Ya

Hi all! It feels good to write. Ya Qiong is adorable and is very attached to me, which is a huge blessing, but is also exhausting. Am typing here w/ one hand. The other is wrapped around her, the way she likes it. I suppose that because she’s just experienced such a huge loss and change, she is clinging to me. I’m so glad that I can comfort her; I’m pretty emotional though. Fortunately, lots of families are having the same experiences – 3am waking up, babies clinging to moms, and eating LOTS of food (babies, not moms). Today should be an easier, quieter day with a visit from a tailor and a walk to the park as highlights. Yesterday was exhausting if interesting. Walmart was crazy (loud and crowded w/ lots of curious stares & many adoptive families), but Ya Qiong liked it a lot, smiling and babbling unlike before. On the whole, Ya Qiong/Ellie seems younger, smaller, and more fragile than I expected; Susanna seems older suddenly (and we have to make sure that she doesn’t get too wiped out like I am from helping me in myriad ways with Ya Qiong); Jeb has been great, and very sweet in taking on his new role as “Geh Geh” (big brother); Rob is very helpful and competent .. esp. w/ the camera & the perfect temp. bottle! Fyi - NO HOMEWORK IS GETTING DONE and no AR books have been cracked! Oh well -- on Skinner’s (?) list of basic needs, we haven’t gotten near to that level yet! Still, we are all healthy and very well cared for. The food and accommodations are very good. I’m keeping my heart and mind focused on God. Love and thanks for your prayers and good wishes, C.

Admin Day

Today was made full by visits to three separate government offices where volumes of paperwork needed to be filled out to complete our adoption process. We also paid a visit to the Wal-Mart in Nanchang to stock up on some supplies for Ellie. There are a lot of people in China. There are a lot of people in a Wal-Mart. Put China and Wal-Mart together, and picture a game of sardines with shopping carts!! This posting features Jeb's first contribution to our trip's photo collection.

Gotcha!!

October 28th now has the distinction of being both Christy’s and my anniversary as well as the date on which we have welcomed Ellie Yaqiong Carter into our family. Following a bountiful buffet breakfast and then uneventful plane flight from Beijing to NanChang, our group of adopting parents had about 20 minutes to change gears in our hotel before taking a short bus ride to a nearby government building to receive our babies. The scene was quite surreal. There appeared to be a total of 40 or so children who were being adopted, some by families through our same agency, and some through other agencies. Every child was accompanied by his or her own care giver who seemed to take interest in scanning the group of parents in speculation about who had been matched with whom. The parents, of course, were all anxiously looking about to try to recognize the child whose pictures they had received several weeks prior. Many of the children began crying because of all the activity and the unfamiliar surroundings, and quickly the room experienced the combustion effect of a few cries igniting a widespread conflagration. Tears of anxiety among the children were matched in equal measure by tears of joy and pent up emotion among the adopting parents, many of whom were receiving a child into their lives for the first time. Each child’s name was read, and the respective pair of parents came forward with passports in hand to receive him or her. Ellie is a complete cutie pie!!!! She seems very healthy and bonded VERY quickly to her new mom – like a little Post It note glued to Christy’s shoulder. She eats like a champ and has a very endearing way of wiggling her feet as a sign of contentment while she’s eating. She studies our faces routinely in an effort to figure us out. Our adventure together is off and running!

Day 2

Hi all! It's Christy/Christine here now. And it's 6:45 on Sunday morning, the 28th - Rob's and my anniversary and our biggest gift: Elizabeth Yaqiong Carter -- is a few hours away. We're so excited. Such a big day. I do want to tell you about yesterday, also. That was the day to see the amazing "Tian'an men" Square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall. We all had a fun time, especially with our new friends, including 3 other kids in the group, all of whom sat in the back of the bus and played "I Spy" and "Rock Paper Scissors" while we pointed out Olympic venues and interesting sights. Tough to compete with a competitive round of RPS! I was really proud of Rob, Susanna, and Jeb for making it all the way to the "top" of the Great Wall. It was so steep and long, and beautiful. We had Chinese food for lunch at a Friendship store (we should have done chopstick lessons with the kids before we left) and Papa Johns delivered to our room at night for dinner, while we got things together for today. Rob met briefly with a friend, George Weinmann, who lives and works in Beijing and kindly came over to say hello. Soon, we all crashed quickly. Unfortunately, Jeb was up from 2-3am again this morning (like yesterday), and that's not a great time to try Benadryl. (Word to the wise for next timers: try pre-emptive Benadryl. Four hours AFTER the dosing is not a fun time to try to stir him.) So, we feel very tired, but filled with anticipation. Our flight lands in Nanchang around 1pm and we go to meet our babies around 3:30! We really appreciate your prayers for peace, safety, and health. We couldn't do this without you! Love, C.

Night 2

It seems reasonable to think that after all the travel, activities and excitement of the past 48 hours we would all be collapsed into our two double beds, but NO! Jeb appears to be on a slightly different schedule from the rest of his traveling companions such that he’s still looking for the party at 3:30 a.m. The conversations between siblings at this hour aren’t a pretty thing, and the ensuing efforts at quality parenting have taken us through a variety of the textbook techniques, including: Good Cop / Bad Cop, Really Super Nice Therapist / Disgruntled Postal Worker, Mother Theresa / Norman Bates’ Grandmother in Psycho. Only Benadryl – the wonder sleep aid – finally quelled the riot and let us achieve at least a few hours of desperately desired rest. In drifting off, I recalled these tidbits from the day… “That’s why they call it a GREAT wall!” (Jeb’s comment on how ‘cool’ the Great Wall is in its design and construction) “But we’re family!” (Jeb’s parting comment as he craned his neck to remain visible when I was closing the pocket door of our bathroom for my long overdue ‘conversation with Ralph on the big white phone’) “He still looks quite fresh” (Our tour guide Rui’s comment about Chairman Mao’s very well preserved body under vacuum-sealed glass in his “Mao”soleum) “You’re very good looking!” (unsolicited commentary on two separate occasions from early-20s Chinese girls to Jeb who appears to have his mojo working here in the Asian marketplace) “Daddy, when can we go shopping again?” (Susanna on her favorite aspect of the trip so far)

We Made It!

After 3 plane flights (Atlanta – Detroit – Tokyo – Beijing) and 21 hours of travel, we arrived in China in a dense fog and found the weather to be foggy as well. Highlights of our voyage included: a) a retrospective discussion with Jeb about the merits of removing one’s Sprite from the tray table before attempting to return it to the upright and locked position; b) recognition that the remote control for one’s own personal in-flight movie is located in the arm-rest such that the keys in one’s pocket will terminate and restart one's movie FROM THE BEGINNING without mercy or recourse (technology which performed flawlessly each of the 4 times I inadvertently exercised it); c) finding that each time the customs officer at the Beijing airport checks in a passport one is presented with a choice of 4 buttons to rate one’s customer service (since we had four total passports that needed to pass muster, it seemed prudent to always select “yes, you did a superb job” instead of “golly, this is taking a long time” for fear of a full body cavity search). We’ve met so many nice people along the way, including a wonderful array of Chinese people young and old who have engaged Jeb and Susanna with warm smiles, pats or rubs on the head, and an impromptu game of keep away with Jeb’s stuffed animal travel companion. The other families whom we’ve met who are here to adopt from the same province are all very congenial, and we look forward to learning more about their stories and sharing this adventure with them as our days in China progress. We’re not drinking the water, but we are soaking in the experience.

Ya Qiong Gong

Ya is from the province of Jiangxi. She was born on July 20, 2006 and resides at the Fenyi SWI orphanage. She likes music and toys, and we're told she has a ready smile.

Ya!

We've just received word of our new arrival - Ya Qiong Gong - whose picture now graces our blog. It seems so odd now that we must wait 2 months until we can go to China to retrieve her. Time has never dragged so ponderously!

Planning

Today, Julien is helping me figure out how to set up our blog. He is an expert, and I am so grateful for my brother's help!

julien