First day home. After going to bed around midnight, Kristi woke up at 4AM (haven't made that time change yet)! She sat up in bed and called out 'Mama!' but was not crying or anything. Paul got up with her for an hour (Kim had enough being in charge all the previous day) while she chased the cat. Then Lindsey took over at 5 and Paul went back to bed. Lindsey played with Kristi all morning and let Paul and Kim sleep in until 9AM. Kristi loves the kids - probably because they have been willing to play non-stop with her (wonder how long that will last??) They chased the cat, played catch with the beach ball, played play dough, played the piano and climbed in boxes. Kim and Lindsey went grocery shopping around 11 (oh the joy of normality and a frappachino from Starbucks!) Kristi was fine staying home and playing with boys. Then we had a big lunch - chicken and vegetables from the garden - potatoes, corn on the cob and tomatoes! Kristi ate it all - the best she has eaten in days. In the afternoon Paul took the boys for physicals and Kristi was happy to play with Lindsey (maybe we should consider talking Lindsey into going to Lincoln Land this year??) It is now almost 6 and I am sure Kristi is probably ready to crash. She is pretty tired - but has been so happy today! We are amazed at how quickly she took to the kids!
Mentally, Kristi is very sharp and is willing to imitate some English for the kids (but still won't say any for mom and dad). Her fine motor skills are good - drawing and coloring. She lags in the running, jumping, catching department - probably somewhat because of her disability. However, relationally and emotionally she really acts more like a three year old right now. She loves to help - put things away, fold clothes, hand you things. I am happy to report she has gained 2 pounds in the two weeks we have had her. She weighed 26 pounds when we got her and she is now up to 28 pounds. She exhibits many of the characteristics you read about in the international adoption books - wanting to get attention from everyone, extreme curiosity, resistance to cuddling and affection except on her terms, periods of resentment and anger intermingled with laughter and dependence, hoarding of her belongings, inability to amuse herself, very demanding - but she has come so far in just the two weeks we have had her.
Well, we have completed our journey to bring Kristi home, but the journey to raise her has just begun. Thank you for coming with us and for your prayers over the last couple of weeks. We wrote the blog mainly for our children and our parents, but have learned of so many who started following it. We must admit it was a stressful experience and we appreciated each and every one of your prayers. God provided encouragement and peace when we had none. This is the end of our blog - but keep in touch with us and continue to keep us in your prayers as we continue down this path - we know there are many tough days ahead. But we look forward to the joy and love that will follow...
Saturday, July 30, 2011
July 29, 2011
We are going home!! (otherwise known as the endless day!!) We got up at 5:30 today - and found a note slipped under our door warning of a cyclone and high winds to hit Hong Kong in the next 12 hours so to check your plane schedule. Can you imagine the sinking of our hearts as we began to pray that we would be able to take off as scheduled?? We were at the airport by 7:00AM and very happy to note that our plane was scheduled to depart on time at 9:00 although the winds were starting to pick up. Unfortunately, our seats were split up on the plane - so Kim and Kristi were together and Paul was in the row behind. We were going to switch off during the flight, but Kristi was being difficult and decided that she would not sit by Paul.
After 9 hours of pushing buttons on the TV screen, spilling food and drinks, and visiting the bathroom every half hour (have I mentioned we have visited every bathroom between Tianjin and Hong Kong? - ah yes, the old boredom trick!!), Kim had about had it - and still 6 hours to go. Paul tried to amuse her for a while but no go. We are so thankful that God strategically placed us behind a mother who was a pediatrician that specialized in international adoption. She was traveling with her husband and twin girls (they had adopted from China 5 years ago). She was so understanding of Kristi's wiggles and pushing on the seat. She offered us a natural sleep agent to put Kristi to sleep. So at around 7PM we gave that to Kristi and she fell asleep at 7:30. She slept for the next four hours until they served us the pre-landing meal. We landed Detroit around 12:30 (in the morning for Hong Kong time and noon for Detroit time - 12 hour time difference). We then spent the next two hours going through immigration and customs. There were a couple of other families coming from China with adoptions as well so talked with them while in line. We had to stop to talk to someone from the Center for Disease Control because of Kristi's positive TB skin test. Finally around 2:30 we rechecked our luggage and headed to the gate to wait for another 6 hours. All things considered, Kristi handled this leg of the journey surprisingly well. She played with her sticker book for an hour and then we put the bad wolf and the pleasant goat cartoon in the computer and let her watch. Mom and dad were exhausted!
Around 7:45 PM we boarded the plane for the flight to Bloomington. Kristi fell asleep almost as soon as we got on the plane. It was a one hour flight to Bloomington and Kristi did not wake up happy - but we didn't blame her - we had all about had it! We had to wait for half an hour for the luggage. Then we made the hour and a half ride home. We pulled into the driveway at 10:30, 30 hours after we got up. We were a little worried about how it would go meeting the kids with her so tired. But the instant we walked in the door she perked up. She took to the kids right away - but her real attraction was to the cats. They learned to run away fast! She pulled out her photo album and pointed to the pictures of the kids and the cat. She ran around the house like a whirlwind. Finally around 11:30PM we put her in the bathtub and put her to bed - a situation she was not happy with. However, she went to sleep and seemed to be okay with sleeping in a room by herself, although Kim stayed with her until she fell asleep. What a day!
After 9 hours of pushing buttons on the TV screen, spilling food and drinks, and visiting the bathroom every half hour (have I mentioned we have visited every bathroom between Tianjin and Hong Kong? - ah yes, the old boredom trick!!), Kim had about had it - and still 6 hours to go. Paul tried to amuse her for a while but no go. We are so thankful that God strategically placed us behind a mother who was a pediatrician that specialized in international adoption. She was traveling with her husband and twin girls (they had adopted from China 5 years ago). She was so understanding of Kristi's wiggles and pushing on the seat. She offered us a natural sleep agent to put Kristi to sleep. So at around 7PM we gave that to Kristi and she fell asleep at 7:30. She slept for the next four hours until they served us the pre-landing meal. We landed Detroit around 12:30 (in the morning for Hong Kong time and noon for Detroit time - 12 hour time difference). We then spent the next two hours going through immigration and customs. There were a couple of other families coming from China with adoptions as well so talked with them while in line. We had to stop to talk to someone from the Center for Disease Control because of Kristi's positive TB skin test. Finally around 2:30 we rechecked our luggage and headed to the gate to wait for another 6 hours. All things considered, Kristi handled this leg of the journey surprisingly well. She played with her sticker book for an hour and then we put the bad wolf and the pleasant goat cartoon in the computer and let her watch. Mom and dad were exhausted!
Around 7:45 PM we boarded the plane for the flight to Bloomington. Kristi fell asleep almost as soon as we got on the plane. It was a one hour flight to Bloomington and Kristi did not wake up happy - but we didn't blame her - we had all about had it! We had to wait for half an hour for the luggage. Then we made the hour and a half ride home. We pulled into the driveway at 10:30, 30 hours after we got up. We were a little worried about how it would go meeting the kids with her so tired. But the instant we walked in the door she perked up. She took to the kids right away - but her real attraction was to the cats. They learned to run away fast! She pulled out her photo album and pointed to the pictures of the kids and the cat. She ran around the house like a whirlwind. Finally around 11:30PM we put her in the bathtub and put her to bed - a situation she was not happy with. However, she went to sleep and seemed to be okay with sleeping in a room by herself, although Kim stayed with her until she fell asleep. What a day!
July 28, 2011
Time to leave Guangzhou! We left our hotel at 9:00 am to get to the train station. Have we mentioned there are people here in China? Crowds everywhere! So we had to go through immigration to leave Guangzhou. Paying attention to what train was being loaded was a little stressful - but not bad. A porter helped us find the right car and we were able to find a spot for the luggage. The train was nice - a lot like Amtrak. We settled in for the two hour ride. We brought our sandwiches with so when Kristi started to complain about being hungry we brought out the food. The views were interesting - such a mix of the modern and the primitive. We had a half hour delay before we could get into the Hong Kong train station so parked in one spot for a while. I think in the three hours we were on the train we probably visited the bathroom about 5 times (one of Kristi's favorite things to do when she is bored is to tell us she has to use the bathroom). Once we arrived at the Hong Kong station, we had to go through immigration again. Kristi put up a fuss about holding our hand walking from the train to immigration. She does not think she should have to hold our hand - but with so many people crowding around, we insisted. She was definitely less than polite with her response.
Once through immigration, we exchanged money from yuan to the Hong Kong dollar and then stood in line for a taxi. The views from the taxi as we drove through Hong Kong were fantastic. Such a modern city - beautiful skyscrapers, harbors full of boats, and again more people! The driving here was a little less chaotic - less cars randomly pulling over everywhere and no bikes in the traffic lanes. The great spans of bridges were very impressive. A support for one bridge was three card lengths wide. After about a 40 minute taxi ride (during which Kristi fell asleep - a first for her!) we arrived at our hotel - the airport Marriott - around 3:00. It was a gorgeous hotel set on the South Seas. The view from our room was wonderful.
Later that afternoon we took the shuttle over to the airport to check out which terminal we were flying out of and to find the Delta desk. Unfortunately we went during the black hour (4-5 pm) during which Kristi is never happy. We again had a tantrum over holding hands and not buying snacks, so we headed back to the hotel. We checked out the beautiful pool, but Kristi was adamant that she did not want to go swimming. We had an early night in anticipation of our endless day of travel.
Once through immigration, we exchanged money from yuan to the Hong Kong dollar and then stood in line for a taxi. The views from the taxi as we drove through Hong Kong were fantastic. Such a modern city - beautiful skyscrapers, harbors full of boats, and again more people! The driving here was a little less chaotic - less cars randomly pulling over everywhere and no bikes in the traffic lanes. The great spans of bridges were very impressive. A support for one bridge was three card lengths wide. After about a 40 minute taxi ride (during which Kristi fell asleep - a first for her!) we arrived at our hotel - the airport Marriott - around 3:00. It was a gorgeous hotel set on the South Seas. The view from our room was wonderful.
Later that afternoon we took the shuttle over to the airport to check out which terminal we were flying out of and to find the Delta desk. Unfortunately we went during the black hour (4-5 pm) during which Kristi is never happy. We again had a tantrum over holding hands and not buying snacks, so we headed back to the hotel. We checked out the beautiful pool, but Kristi was adamant that she did not want to go swimming. We had an early night in anticipation of our endless day of travel.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
July 27, 2011
Last full day in Guangzhou! This seemed like a very long day as we had nothing planned. In the morning we went to the park and played. We went shopping to pick up a Calabash flute for school. Kristi looked at things, and when we said no and put them away - she stomped her feet but did not throw a tantrum. Maybe she is learning that they don't work on us? (although she will probably continue to test it out in each new situation just to be sure!). We went back to Lucy's for lunch - Kristi is very fond of ketchup and french fries. Anyway, when we got there, we showed Kristi her seat (the inside seat where she can not get up and walk around). She decided she did not want to sit there. She wanted to sit where mom or dad was sitting. She started to screech loudly at us so I picked her up and placed her in her seat. She then continued to yell at me and started to hit. So I took her hand and said, Boo (no) - you stop now or we will go bye-bye to the hotel. And Kristi looked at me and then stopped. Hmmm - think she catches more than she lets on??
She was pretty funny at supper. She had been given a sucker by the lady at the store by the lobby. She really wanted that sucker and so proceeded to show us she was done eating her noodles. She then looked up at us hopefully and mimicked licking her sucker. We said no, so she went back to another forkful of noodles and tried it again! I am happy to report that Babba is now on equal ground with Mama in Kristi's estimation. She went for a walk with him after supper so Kim could pack. She has no problem having Paul give her a bath and make bubbles for her in the tub. The evenings seem to be her best time. She is very happy then - but not so much in the morning (sound familiar Lindsey??) We enjoyed walking around seeing the lights of Shamian Island and across the Pearl River for one last time.
We are so ready to go home! Unfortunately for Kristi, though, things will probably get worse before they get better. At least now she can still understand some of what people are saying, the food is familiar and the people look like her. Soon everything will be strange. She will continue to need our prayers as she progresses through the grieving process, and that she will learn to communicate and speak English. Pray for us as we begin the last leg of our journey - the travel home. Tomorrow morning we take the train to Hong Kong. We have to go through immigration and customs there even though it is still China. We will not have a guide to get us on the train or to the taxi and hotel, so we are praying that everything will go smoothly. We will spend the night in Hong Kong and take a 9AM flight out on Friday morning. Our flight will be over 15 hours, then an 8 hour layover in Detroit where we will have to go through customs and immigration. Finally we will catch a flight to Bloomington and the drive home. It will be an endless day - literally as we go backward in time. We will leave around 9AM Hong Kong time and arrive home the same day around 10 PM Springfield time. Please pray that Kristi will be able to sleep some on the plane even though it will seem like the daytime to us as we are flying. (Actually, we could all use prayers on that one!) Not sure if we will be able to get on-line tomorrow night in Hong Kong, so maybe no update then....
She was pretty funny at supper. She had been given a sucker by the lady at the store by the lobby. She really wanted that sucker and so proceeded to show us she was done eating her noodles. She then looked up at us hopefully and mimicked licking her sucker. We said no, so she went back to another forkful of noodles and tried it again! I am happy to report that Babba is now on equal ground with Mama in Kristi's estimation. She went for a walk with him after supper so Kim could pack. She has no problem having Paul give her a bath and make bubbles for her in the tub. The evenings seem to be her best time. She is very happy then - but not so much in the morning (sound familiar Lindsey??) We enjoyed walking around seeing the lights of Shamian Island and across the Pearl River for one last time.
We are so ready to go home! Unfortunately for Kristi, though, things will probably get worse before they get better. At least now she can still understand some of what people are saying, the food is familiar and the people look like her. Soon everything will be strange. She will continue to need our prayers as she progresses through the grieving process, and that she will learn to communicate and speak English. Pray for us as we begin the last leg of our journey - the travel home. Tomorrow morning we take the train to Hong Kong. We have to go through immigration and customs there even though it is still China. We will not have a guide to get us on the train or to the taxi and hotel, so we are praying that everything will go smoothly. We will spend the night in Hong Kong and take a 9AM flight out on Friday morning. Our flight will be over 15 hours, then an 8 hour layover in Detroit where we will have to go through customs and immigration. Finally we will catch a flight to Bloomington and the drive home. It will be an endless day - literally as we go backward in time. We will leave around 9AM Hong Kong time and arrive home the same day around 10 PM Springfield time. Please pray that Kristi will be able to sleep some on the plane even though it will seem like the daytime to us as we are flying. (Actually, we could all use prayers on that one!) Not sure if we will be able to get on-line tomorrow night in Hong Kong, so maybe no update then....
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
July 26, 2011
We had an up and down day today. At 9:30 we headed into Guangzhou proper to the consulate. This was the final step in the adoption process. No electronics were allowed so we don't have any pictures of this. The building wasn't very impressive - just an office building. We took an oath that all the representations we made in the piles of paperwork were accurate to the best of our knowledge and submitted for Kristi's visa. Then it was over! We headed back to Shamian Island and talked for a while with Dawn - also adopting through MAA. She had worked in China for a couple of years and so spoke a lot of Chinese. We picked up a couple of basic phrases from her and discussed the transitioning process. It is nice to run into other people in the same situation here to talk about how things are going. Kristi enjoyed playing with the four year old boy Dawn was adopting.
After lunch we went to the park again for a while and then tried to go shopping. Kristi loves to go shopping - until it is time to leave and you tell her she can't have the stuff that she desperately thinks she needs. When I put the handful of bracelets and neclaces back, she started to scream. The shopkeeper was a little disgusted with her and told her she had a dress in the bag and she didn't need to fuss. But she proceded to scream all the way to the hotel. It didn't bother us - just made us realize how much retraining we have to do. Surprisingly, once we got back to the hotel room, she acted fine. I don't see many shopping trips in her near future once we return home! She was stubborn today. When someone asked her if her name was Kristi - she said Wei Anyue very emphatically! I am sure her strong will helped her to be a survivor to this point and will be very helpful to her in the future - but will certainly present some challenges for the present! Ha!
She continues to be very funny and entertaining - except when she doesn't get her way. But at least she is beginning to realize that we mean it when we say no - and tantrums won't change our mind. We have been using a few of the new Chinese phrases out on her - and I think she liked it better when we couldn't tell her 'wait and no' in Chinese so she could pretend to not understand us. She doesn't want to speak any English at this point, but we know she understands several phrases. We now completely understand what other adoptive parents called selective understanding! Everyone here tells Kristi how cute she is. We have been told she responds back, "I know." So please - when you meet her, don't tell her she is cute! She will spend a long time in front of the mirror redoing her hair and putting bows in. Lindsey - you will have to help us retrain her on this one.
After dinner, we went out for our evening walk. We went to the pool to check out the lights from the 9th floor. Kristi said she did not want to go swimming - but she certainly was interested in watching the people who were. We will have to work on this one!
After lunch we went to the park again for a while and then tried to go shopping. Kristi loves to go shopping - until it is time to leave and you tell her she can't have the stuff that she desperately thinks she needs. When I put the handful of bracelets and neclaces back, she started to scream. The shopkeeper was a little disgusted with her and told her she had a dress in the bag and she didn't need to fuss. But she proceded to scream all the way to the hotel. It didn't bother us - just made us realize how much retraining we have to do. Surprisingly, once we got back to the hotel room, she acted fine. I don't see many shopping trips in her near future once we return home! She was stubborn today. When someone asked her if her name was Kristi - she said Wei Anyue very emphatically! I am sure her strong will helped her to be a survivor to this point and will be very helpful to her in the future - but will certainly present some challenges for the present! Ha!
She continues to be very funny and entertaining - except when she doesn't get her way. But at least she is beginning to realize that we mean it when we say no - and tantrums won't change our mind. We have been using a few of the new Chinese phrases out on her - and I think she liked it better when we couldn't tell her 'wait and no' in Chinese so she could pretend to not understand us. She doesn't want to speak any English at this point, but we know she understands several phrases. We now completely understand what other adoptive parents called selective understanding! Everyone here tells Kristi how cute she is. We have been told she responds back, "I know." So please - when you meet her, don't tell her she is cute! She will spend a long time in front of the mirror redoing her hair and putting bows in. Lindsey - you will have to help us retrain her on this one.
After dinner, we went out for our evening walk. We went to the pool to check out the lights from the 9th floor. Kristi said she did not want to go swimming - but she certainly was interested in watching the people who were. We will have to work on this one!
Monday, July 25, 2011
July 25, 2011
Last night (Sunday) we were out walking and came by a beautiful little church. We heard a familiar hymn being sung in Chinese. It was such a wonderful reminder that the same God we worship in Springfield is God of China as well. It brought tears to our eyes.
It's Monday and we have now had Kristi for a week. What a week of transitions! Today started out a little on the edge - Kristi was trying to open our room door this morning and it closed on her fingers. She was mad at the world after that one! Then it was back to the medical facility to get the results of her TB skin test. It was positive, which meant she needed a lung xray. The facilty was crazy again - apparently Monday is the day for any adotions for the Chinese within a 5 province area. But Connie got us right in. Kristi's x-ray came back clean - amen! Otherwise Connie said we would be there for an extended period of time while they worked out a treatment program with the US. Connie confided afterward that she was a little nervous because of the strong positive reaction. But the Lord provided!
We then went to a deli for lunch. They had the most wonderful ham and cheese rolls (although Kristi was not pleased with our choice - she wanted the cakes)! After lunch we went into the White Swan, a 5 star hotel that is quite well known. It was beautiful inside - a waterfall and pool with fish. After that it was back to the park to play. Kristi is very social and always seems to find someone to play with. It is obvious that she must have interacted a lot with other children. We returned to the hotel for a down period (we are learning that she needs some down time in late afternoon - she gets set off very easily then as she is tired). So we let her watch some cartoons. She becomes very angry if she thinks Paul is going to take some of her snack or have a drink of her juice - that is one thing he has learned he can not tease her about. If she can always have a container of juice or a snack by her - she is much more content. She will nurse her snacks along forever, so it is not that she is hungry - she justs want the comfort of knowing it is there. Today she was frustrated with Kim and went off on a long string of Chinese when her fingernails were not cut the way she wanted them cut! I wonder what she was saying??
For supper we went to restaurant that came highly recommeded in the adoption blogs - The Cow and Bridge. It was excellent! Apparently it is a Thai restaurant but it tasted Chinese to us! Then we walked around the boulevard for a while. We stopped by Jenny's Place to pick up our laudry. Jenny's is run by a christian couple. They were happy to talk to us for a while. Then it was back to the hotel for a bath. Kristi is now starting to procrastinate during the bedtime routine. Tonight she broke a glass as she was trying to spit for about the 10th time after brushing her teeth. Then once in bed she wanted me to go through the kissing routine (one on each cheek, one on the forhead and one on the nose) over and over. Then the last ditch request for water. Once we turn all the lights out and I gently touch her forhead, she goes to sleep in a matter of minutes.
It's Monday and we have now had Kristi for a week. What a week of transitions! Today started out a little on the edge - Kristi was trying to open our room door this morning and it closed on her fingers. She was mad at the world after that one! Then it was back to the medical facility to get the results of her TB skin test. It was positive, which meant she needed a lung xray. The facilty was crazy again - apparently Monday is the day for any adotions for the Chinese within a 5 province area. But Connie got us right in. Kristi's x-ray came back clean - amen! Otherwise Connie said we would be there for an extended period of time while they worked out a treatment program with the US. Connie confided afterward that she was a little nervous because of the strong positive reaction. But the Lord provided!
We then went to a deli for lunch. They had the most wonderful ham and cheese rolls (although Kristi was not pleased with our choice - she wanted the cakes)! After lunch we went into the White Swan, a 5 star hotel that is quite well known. It was beautiful inside - a waterfall and pool with fish. After that it was back to the park to play. Kristi is very social and always seems to find someone to play with. It is obvious that she must have interacted a lot with other children. We returned to the hotel for a down period (we are learning that she needs some down time in late afternoon - she gets set off very easily then as she is tired). So we let her watch some cartoons. She becomes very angry if she thinks Paul is going to take some of her snack or have a drink of her juice - that is one thing he has learned he can not tease her about. If she can always have a container of juice or a snack by her - she is much more content. She will nurse her snacks along forever, so it is not that she is hungry - she justs want the comfort of knowing it is there. Today she was frustrated with Kim and went off on a long string of Chinese when her fingernails were not cut the way she wanted them cut! I wonder what she was saying??
For supper we went to restaurant that came highly recommeded in the adoption blogs - The Cow and Bridge. It was excellent! Apparently it is a Thai restaurant but it tasted Chinese to us! Then we walked around the boulevard for a while. We stopped by Jenny's Place to pick up our laudry. Jenny's is run by a christian couple. They were happy to talk to us for a while. Then it was back to the hotel for a bath. Kristi is now starting to procrastinate during the bedtime routine. Tonight she broke a glass as she was trying to spit for about the 10th time after brushing her teeth. Then once in bed she wanted me to go through the kissing routine (one on each cheek, one on the forhead and one on the nose) over and over. Then the last ditch request for water. Once we turn all the lights out and I gently touch her forhead, she goes to sleep in a matter of minutes.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sunday, July 24
Today was a free day in Guangzhou - no adoption activities! This morning we went to White Cloud Mountain with Connie. The entire mountain (more like foothills) is a national park. We took a cable car ride to the top and enjoyed the beautiful views of the city from the bird's eye view. Kristi really enjoyed the cable car! At the top was a bird santuary. We saw parrots, peacocks, and many other varieties of birds. At one point Kristi was telling the bird to look at momma to have its picture taken.
We went to Subway for lunch. We were suprised to find one by the hotel. Then we went back to the hotel to wash some clothes out. Kristi understands all about washing clothes by hand. We also delivered a few to a local store to be washed. Every local store here does laundry. After that it was back to the park to play for an hour and a half. On the way back, we saw about 5 different couples having wedding pictures taken. Apparently Shamain Island is the place to have your wedding pictures taken. Connie said they take them about a month before the actual date. It is very hot here today. We are sweating just standing around outside. Kristi has been very good until now. We can tell when she is getting tired because, like most children, she starts getting naughty. She became very angry with us when we gave her a carton of milk instead of a soda (and no, we were not drinking it - it was in the fridge in the hotel room - someone should tell these hotel services not to stock the fridge!!) So she had a tantrum over it and we tried to lay her down for a nap. Suddenly cartoons and milk had new attraction and she settled in again. Hopefully the evening goes well.
We went to Subway for lunch. We were suprised to find one by the hotel. Then we went back to the hotel to wash some clothes out. Kristi understands all about washing clothes by hand. We also delivered a few to a local store to be washed. Every local store here does laundry. After that it was back to the park to play for an hour and a half. On the way back, we saw about 5 different couples having wedding pictures taken. Apparently Shamain Island is the place to have your wedding pictures taken. Connie said they take them about a month before the actual date. It is very hot here today. We are sweating just standing around outside. Kristi has been very good until now. We can tell when she is getting tired because, like most children, she starts getting naughty. She became very angry with us when we gave her a carton of milk instead of a soda (and no, we were not drinking it - it was in the fridge in the hotel room - someone should tell these hotel services not to stock the fridge!!) So she had a tantrum over it and we tried to lay her down for a nap. Suddenly cartoons and milk had new attraction and she settled in again. Hopefully the evening goes well.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
July 23, 2011
So far, we love Guangzhou!! Our hotel is very nice - they have soft beds and pillows!! (sometimes it is the little things in life that make us happy!). The buffet breakfast is great, the rooms are large and airy. So far the only downside is the internet is weak (and not available in the room) and it is hot and humid here (think same lattitude as Cuba). The city is located on the Shamain Island. It is very sunny and cheerful here - the buildings are quaint, there is a large park-like boulevard with trees and grass and statues. And there is a children's park!!
Our guide here is Connie. Even though it is hot and humid, she always looks like a movie star - beautifully dressed, high heels, every hair in place! She took us through the drill this morning very efficiently. We had to get Kristi's passport picture taken, then off to the medical exam. What a zoo! Everyone comes to Guangzhou from around China to go through the same process to finalize their adoption - and the medical exams are always on Saturday. So there were an unbelievable number of parents and children in the facility - all ages. Many of the younger ones were screaming. There were many stations - weight and height, vision, medical exam, and more. The last station is the TB test where they prick the children on the arm with a needle and inject something. We were told to keep the arm dry for two days and then we have to go back to find out the results. Apparently about 50% test positive (something to do with their vacinations) and then they have to do a lung xray. Connie assures us there will be no problem. Connie then walked us through all of the necessary paperwork for the Consulate appointment. Kristi was very good through the entire process. We really thought she would be angry after the medical appointment, but she wasn't. Connie did a great job of explaining to her what was going on each step of the way.
Krisit slept in this morning (until 8!!) and got up happy - she played around with us until our meeting with Connie and was much more affectionate than she had been the last couple of days. After we wrapped up with Connie, we walked around and went to a restaurant that serves American food called Lucy's. Paul had a cheseburger and fries and was so happy! We then walked over to a children's park where Kristi made some friends and played for over an hour in spite of the heat. She definitely wilted in the heat. Kristi seems to be getting better at being told no - at least for today. She seems to understand that we will not change our mind even if she whines or throws a tantrum. Again, no tantrums today - thank you Lord! After dinner we came up with a new game, bowling with water bottles. Oh the creative things we do when in a hotel room without toys or books! Kristi was almost in tears at one point as she was laughing so hard! A small victory today - she stopped carrying her backpack everywhere (the backpack was given to her by the orphanage). Previously she had carried it every where we went - like her way of keeping connected to the past, something she could control. Today she just left the backpack in the room and didn't bother with it all day. Also, she did not pick out the dress to wear today that she was in when we got her from the orphanage. In previous days that was the first dress she looked for. All in all, today was a great day. Things could go just the opposite tomorrow so we thank God for each good day and each small victory.
Our guide here is Connie. Even though it is hot and humid, she always looks like a movie star - beautifully dressed, high heels, every hair in place! She took us through the drill this morning very efficiently. We had to get Kristi's passport picture taken, then off to the medical exam. What a zoo! Everyone comes to Guangzhou from around China to go through the same process to finalize their adoption - and the medical exams are always on Saturday. So there were an unbelievable number of parents and children in the facility - all ages. Many of the younger ones were screaming. There were many stations - weight and height, vision, medical exam, and more. The last station is the TB test where they prick the children on the arm with a needle and inject something. We were told to keep the arm dry for two days and then we have to go back to find out the results. Apparently about 50% test positive (something to do with their vacinations) and then they have to do a lung xray. Connie assures us there will be no problem. Connie then walked us through all of the necessary paperwork for the Consulate appointment. Kristi was very good through the entire process. We really thought she would be angry after the medical appointment, but she wasn't. Connie did a great job of explaining to her what was going on each step of the way.
Krisit slept in this morning (until 8!!) and got up happy - she played around with us until our meeting with Connie and was much more affectionate than she had been the last couple of days. After we wrapped up with Connie, we walked around and went to a restaurant that serves American food called Lucy's. Paul had a cheseburger and fries and was so happy! We then walked over to a children's park where Kristi made some friends and played for over an hour in spite of the heat. She definitely wilted in the heat. Kristi seems to be getting better at being told no - at least for today. She seems to understand that we will not change our mind even if she whines or throws a tantrum. Again, no tantrums today - thank you Lord! After dinner we came up with a new game, bowling with water bottles. Oh the creative things we do when in a hotel room without toys or books! Kristi was almost in tears at one point as she was laughing so hard! A small victory today - she stopped carrying her backpack everywhere (the backpack was given to her by the orphanage). Previously she had carried it every where we went - like her way of keeping connected to the past, something she could control. Today she just left the backpack in the room and didn't bother with it all day. Also, she did not pick out the dress to wear today that she was in when we got her from the orphanage. In previous days that was the first dress she looked for. All in all, today was a great day. Things could go just the opposite tomorrow so we thank God for each good day and each small victory.
July 22, 2011
Thank you for your prayers everyone! We had a much better day. We really started out on the edge - after the third time in a row Kristi wanted to put lotion all over everything, we said no and we thought she was going to lose it. She gave us the angry look, stomped her foot and refused to eat breakfast when we went down - very unsual for her! But she managed to not throw a tantrum. She was still irritated with us when we skyped the kids and so she decided to ignore our conversation with them. After lunch things improved. We made paper airplanes and flew them around the room which amused her. We are happy to be leaving Tianjin. It is so crowed, so busy. There is nowhere to take Kristi. We are right downtown - with a 10 lane road in front of us, a subway station close by, and miles of cement. It is very gray - all concrete and a lot of polution. The sky was always gray - no difference between a rainy day or a sunny day. But we must say that the people were very nice - always willing to help us with making change or finding things, always a ready smile and all seemed very happy that we were adopting Kristi.
We headed for the airport at 2:00, sat around there until our flight at 5:10. She was excited about her first flight - wanted to stand and look out the window and not sit and buckle her seat belt like we asked her to. We decided this was a battle we did not want to take on, so we waited until the steward came by and asked him to tell her in Chinese that she had to sit and buckle. Although not happy about it, she followed his instructions. We then had a 3 hour and 20 minute flight. Kristi did great during it (it really helped that they served food!) By the time we got to the hotel in Guangzhou, it was 9:30. After a quick bath, it was time for bed. NO TANTRUMS today AND she went to sleep without crying!
We headed for the airport at 2:00, sat around there until our flight at 5:10. She was excited about her first flight - wanted to stand and look out the window and not sit and buckle her seat belt like we asked her to. We decided this was a battle we did not want to take on, so we waited until the steward came by and asked him to tell her in Chinese that she had to sit and buckle. Although not happy about it, she followed his instructions. We then had a 3 hour and 20 minute flight. Kristi did great during it (it really helped that they served food!) By the time we got to the hotel in Guangzhou, it was 9:30. After a quick bath, it was time for bed. NO TANTRUMS today AND she went to sleep without crying!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
July 21, 2011
We knew times were not always going to be easy but today was a tough one. I think we all hit the wall today. Kristi has thrown a tantrum about every limit we have set today - from taking away the remote, to not having the snack when she wanted it or the specific snack that she wanted, to not having as much tooth paste as she wanted on her tooth brush. We are begining to think they told her at the orphanage that when she was adopted she would be able to have whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted it! Anyway, these were all-out foot stomping, leg kicking, screaming tantrums. We aren't sure if the situation is due to her being over tired (she was given a two hour nap each day in the orphanage), frustration over not being able to communicate with us, emotional stress or if she is just a very strong willed child. (Or probably a combination of everything)
And mom and dad hit a wall today as well (okay, maybe more mom than dad). We have been gone from home for over a week and we really miss our kids! We miss having home cooked meals - we are tired of going into a restaurant, pointing at a picture that we hope is something we will like, having everyone stare at us, and figuring out the currency to pay. (Lee isn't with us when we go out to eat, only when we go to appointments or site-seeing). We are tired of not having a good night's sleep (the beds and pillows are like rocks and the taxi's honk all night long.) And we are tired of the hotel room. There is nowhere to take Kristi here - it is a downtown area with no grass or park - and nowhere to go in the hotel. Thankfully we leave tomorrow to go to Guangzhou.
This afternoon we went to the Natural Museum - a museum for dead things. We saw dinosaurs and dead animals, fish and insects. At one point Kristi was playing with a computer game putting a dinosaur puzzle together. Lee asked her what she thought, and she said she would rather watch cartoons. I think this is a reflection of how they spent a lot of time at the orphanage. It seems like frustration over communicating has caused Kristi to digress some. When we first got her, she would speak fluently to Lee and would try to talk a lot to us. Now we just get a lot of grunts and she doesn't speak as much to Lee. You would be amazed at the variety of grunts that can be expressed!
Pray that tomorrow goes better as we will be traveling - and could be very challenging if Kristi decides to throw tantrums.
And mom and dad hit a wall today as well (okay, maybe more mom than dad). We have been gone from home for over a week and we really miss our kids! We miss having home cooked meals - we are tired of going into a restaurant, pointing at a picture that we hope is something we will like, having everyone stare at us, and figuring out the currency to pay. (Lee isn't with us when we go out to eat, only when we go to appointments or site-seeing). We are tired of not having a good night's sleep (the beds and pillows are like rocks and the taxi's honk all night long.) And we are tired of the hotel room. There is nowhere to take Kristi here - it is a downtown area with no grass or park - and nowhere to go in the hotel. Thankfully we leave tomorrow to go to Guangzhou.
This afternoon we went to the Natural Museum - a museum for dead things. We saw dinosaurs and dead animals, fish and insects. At one point Kristi was playing with a computer game putting a dinosaur puzzle together. Lee asked her what she thought, and she said she would rather watch cartoons. I think this is a reflection of how they spent a lot of time at the orphanage. It seems like frustration over communicating has caused Kristi to digress some. When we first got her, she would speak fluently to Lee and would try to talk a lot to us. Now we just get a lot of grunts and she doesn't speak as much to Lee. You would be amazed at the variety of grunts that can be expressed!
Pray that tomorrow goes better as we will be traveling - and could be very challenging if Kristi decides to throw tantrums.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
July 20, 2011
A day of firsts - first kisses and first tantrums. Last night Kristi cried herself to sleep. She now seems to be fine until we tuck her into bed. I think she misses her foster sisters that she slept with. She decided we should start the day early - was up at 5:30. We skyped with Lindsey, Mitch and Ty this morning. When their faces came up, Kristi became very excited - she ran to grab her photo album and was pointing out the pictures of them and then pointing to the screen. It was fun to watch. However, seeing the kids made mom and dad very homesick!
Kristi has been very affectionate today - she freely returns kisses and hugs with mom - and is warming up to dad. However, she also started pushing the limits. We are firm with the 'no' and she is becoming frustrated with us. At one point she threw the UNO cards across the floor in a temper tantrum and wouldn't pick them up. So we turned off the cartoon and sat on the floor with her until the cards were picked up. We have had several instances throughout the day where she firmly displayed her displeasure with our rules! Oh the joys of starting over with another child - this would be much harder on us if we didn't already have three kids to break us in!
We went to Ancient Culture Street this afternoon - local street market with traditional Chinese architecture and trades. It was fun to walk around and observe the sights and sounds. Once again we were asked by strangers if they could take their picture with us!
Kristi has been very affectionate today - she freely returns kisses and hugs with mom - and is warming up to dad. However, she also started pushing the limits. We are firm with the 'no' and she is becoming frustrated with us. At one point she threw the UNO cards across the floor in a temper tantrum and wouldn't pick them up. So we turned off the cartoon and sat on the floor with her until the cards were picked up. We have had several instances throughout the day where she firmly displayed her displeasure with our rules! Oh the joys of starting over with another child - this would be much harder on us if we didn't already have three kids to break us in!
We went to Ancient Culture Street this afternoon - local street market with traditional Chinese architecture and trades. It was fun to walk around and observe the sights and sounds. Once again we were asked by strangers if they could take their picture with us!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tuesday, July 19
Last night when Kristi started to cry again, she let me pick her up and snuggle (unlike earlier when she pulled away). We were able to distract her with a bath - I don't think she had ever taken one before! She loved making bubbles in the water with shampoo (our improvised bubble bath!) Then she picked up all her toys when we motioned it was time for bed.
Well, this has been a long day! Kristi started crying when she woke up, but stopped when we got her up to get dressed and eat. She loves to eat - and likes almost everything! We left at 8 this morning and just got back around 3. This morning we had to register the adoption (this took a couple hours), then we had to apply for a passport for Kristi (tons of people), and then we had to notarize the registered adoption paperwork (more wait). There were two other children (age 18 months and 24 months) also adopted in Tianjin and we went through the day together. One family was from Indiana and the other from Minnesota. It was great to have other Americans to talk to during the day - made what would otherwise have been a long and miserable day go much quicker! Kristi was amazingly patient and she loved the babies!
Well - I was wrong about the size - I put my smallest outfit on Kristi (size 5T) and it was too big. She is either a 3T or a 4T. We weighed her and she is around 26 pounds (way too light for a child of almost 7 - Ty weighed that by 12 months!). We are wondering if it is just malnutrition or if we have something else going on. Her scoliosis appears to be pretty severe. She loves to laugh, and continues to be very social. Although she likes to play with dad (baba) she currently wants momma to take care of her. Did we mention she is very curious? She watches us like a hawk! Today she was handing me snacks and wanting me to count them in English and she would repeat. This was the first interest she had shown in English. She brought me the photo album and wanted to go through it today with her a couple of times. She has Lindsey down, but can't tell Mitch and Ty apart (then again, a lot of people have that problem!) She continues to spend most of her free time coloring. Tonight we will take it easy and we have tomorrow off. Tomorrow afternoon Lee wants to take us to Ancient Culture Street. Things are going well but it is very frustrating to not be able to communicate with her!
Well, this has been a long day! Kristi started crying when she woke up, but stopped when we got her up to get dressed and eat. She loves to eat - and likes almost everything! We left at 8 this morning and just got back around 3. This morning we had to register the adoption (this took a couple hours), then we had to apply for a passport for Kristi (tons of people), and then we had to notarize the registered adoption paperwork (more wait). There were two other children (age 18 months and 24 months) also adopted in Tianjin and we went through the day together. One family was from Indiana and the other from Minnesota. It was great to have other Americans to talk to during the day - made what would otherwise have been a long and miserable day go much quicker! Kristi was amazingly patient and she loved the babies!
Well - I was wrong about the size - I put my smallest outfit on Kristi (size 5T) and it was too big. She is either a 3T or a 4T. We weighed her and she is around 26 pounds (way too light for a child of almost 7 - Ty weighed that by 12 months!). We are wondering if it is just malnutrition or if we have something else going on. Her scoliosis appears to be pretty severe. She loves to laugh, and continues to be very social. Although she likes to play with dad (baba) she currently wants momma to take care of her. Did we mention she is very curious? She watches us like a hawk! Today she was handing me snacks and wanting me to count them in English and she would repeat. This was the first interest she had shown in English. She brought me the photo album and wanted to go through it today with her a couple of times. She has Lindsey down, but can't tell Mitch and Ty apart (then again, a lot of people have that problem!) She continues to spend most of her free time coloring. Tonight we will take it easy and we have tomorrow off. Tomorrow afternoon Lee wants to take us to Ancient Culture Street. Things are going well but it is very frustrating to not be able to communicate with her!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Adoption Day - July 18
At 8:30 we were off to the Tianjin Institute of Children's Welfare. As we were signing the adoption papers at 9:00, Kristi came in with her teacher. She was not shy at all and came right up to us. She wanted to show us the panda we had sent her as well as the pictures we had sent. Then she sang a song for us - she has a wonderful sense of pitch - she loves music! We were surprised at how tiny she was - her arms and legs are so thin, we are a little concerned about that. Paul thinks she is just over 3 feet tall and weighs about 30 lbs. However, our fears were put to rest about her being developmentally delayed. She is very sharp and has quirky sense of humor! She was very happy and curious about everything going on. Her teacher was crying and very sorry to see her leave.
We stopped by Walmart on the way back to the hotel to buy a couple of smaller outfits. She is probably more like a 5T than a 6 - but hopefully she will put on weight quickly. She seemed used to being in stores as she was tossing frilly pink dresses, one after another, into the cart. Mom and dad will need to teach 'no' early on but we were happy to report she did not throw a tantrum as we put the dresses back (even though she was clearly displeased with us). Paul got his work out chasing her around the store! At the hotel, she was very happy to play toys with us. So far, she seems to have a very sweet disposition. Lindsey - she loves the hair bows - wants to wear all three and won't take them off! We went out to Pizza Hut for lunch. She was very patient waiting for food. Deanna - she really enjoys the etch-a-sketch you got her - kept her entertained until the pizza came! The waiter was very shocked when I tried to order in English. He quickly got someone who could understand English. Boys - you may have competition coming to the dinner table - she downed two pieces of pizza - not bad for a half pint!
All was well until shortly after we came back to the hotel after lunch. Then reality set in and she began to sob. She put on her sandals, put her little backpack on and I am certain she was asking to be brought back to the orphanage. She cried for about an hour. Although this was a positive sign and shows she had bonded to her teachers, it was heartbreaking to watch. After an hour, we called Lee to come and translate for us. He said she was sad and wanted to see her teachers. He went out for us to find some videos for her that would comfort her - Pleasant Goat and Big Bad Wolf. While he was gone, we got out the crayons and paper. We found out she loves to color and will do it for a long time. She sang us some more songs and watched her video.
Now it is after supper and she is getting sad again. Pray for her as she goes through this time of grieving and separation. Tomorrow will be a long day. We have several appointments during the day at civil offices.
We stopped by Walmart on the way back to the hotel to buy a couple of smaller outfits. She is probably more like a 5T than a 6 - but hopefully she will put on weight quickly. She seemed used to being in stores as she was tossing frilly pink dresses, one after another, into the cart. Mom and dad will need to teach 'no' early on but we were happy to report she did not throw a tantrum as we put the dresses back (even though she was clearly displeased with us). Paul got his work out chasing her around the store! At the hotel, she was very happy to play toys with us. So far, she seems to have a very sweet disposition. Lindsey - she loves the hair bows - wants to wear all three and won't take them off! We went out to Pizza Hut for lunch. She was very patient waiting for food. Deanna - she really enjoys the etch-a-sketch you got her - kept her entertained until the pizza came! The waiter was very shocked when I tried to order in English. He quickly got someone who could understand English. Boys - you may have competition coming to the dinner table - she downed two pieces of pizza - not bad for a half pint!
All was well until shortly after we came back to the hotel after lunch. Then reality set in and she began to sob. She put on her sandals, put her little backpack on and I am certain she was asking to be brought back to the orphanage. She cried for about an hour. Although this was a positive sign and shows she had bonded to her teachers, it was heartbreaking to watch. After an hour, we called Lee to come and translate for us. He said she was sad and wanted to see her teachers. He went out for us to find some videos for her that would comfort her - Pleasant Goat and Big Bad Wolf. While he was gone, we got out the crayons and paper. We found out she loves to color and will do it for a long time. She sang us some more songs and watched her video.
Now it is after supper and she is getting sad again. Pray for her as she goes through this time of grieving and separation. Tomorrow will be a long day. We have several appointments during the day at civil offices.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Sunday, July 17
After a leisurely breakfast, Lee picked us up at 10am and we headed to the train station. From there we took the high speed train to Tianjin. The train goes over 240 miles per hour and is very smooth. Once in Tianjin, we checked into the hotel and out to a noodles place for lunch. Then we went to a bank to exchange money (an interesting experience). Now we are just spending the evening in the hotel relaxing and thinking about tomorrow. After looking at Kristi's picture for so long, it is hard to believe that we will finally meet her tomorrow. We have been warned to anticipate that she will cry as she is saying goodby to all she has known. By experiencing a new culture, being stared at all the time, not being to speak the language or communicate effectively, as well as missing our children and friends, we now have a better appreciation for what the coming days will hold for Kristi. As we contemplate tomorrow, we are filled with so many emotions - we are scared, excited, nervous, and very empathetic to the little girl who will be saying her goodbys today to the foster parents and kids that have been her family for the past years. To our friends - we appreciate your prayers, keep them coming! To our kids - we miss you greatly and love you! Tomorrow we hope to post pictures of meeting Kristi!
Saturday, July 16 in Beijing
In spite of being exhausted, we woke up at 6am - hard to make that time change! We met Lee around 8 and headed out for the day. First we visited a jade factory where they carve and sell jade. (Jennifer, Paul got your dragon!) Then we headed out to the Great Wall. It is an incredible site! The mass of humanity climbing the stairs is equally incredible. The steps are very steep and extermely uneven but well worth the work - the view from one watch tower we climbed is fantastic as you can tell from the picture! After a traditional chinese lunch near the wall, we headed back to Beijing to visit the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is across the street from Tiananmen Square. Big red signs announce the 90th birthday of the Communist Party in the square. The Forbidden City (home of the emperors, forbidden access to the commoners) is huge, with many connected intricate buildings - very impressive sight. The picture taken was outside the first of two gates to the city. We were celebrities for the day - several people asked to have their picture taken with us (maybe something to do with how Paul tower over everyone here?) However, Paul was probably most impressed by the driving though - he who hesitates is lost and our driver did not hesitate much! Then a quiet night at the hotel (can you believe we went to bed at 8??)
Thursday and Friday, July 14 - 15
Lindsey - where are you when we need you? We have lost these updates twice now so will try again!
We left Thursday morning, but not without some last minute stress. We called MAA Thursday morning in a panic because we had not received confirmation that our China travel wire went through. Then when zipping up the suitcase, the seam ripped open. And finally, as we did a last minute check of the paperwork, we realized we did not have an original document as requested. Another call to MAA reassured us once again. Finally we took off for the airport (only detoured by a stop for a new suitcase). We took off from Bloomington on a one hour flight to Detroit. There we had a six hour layover before embarking on a 13 hour flight to Beijing. Fortunately for Paul, he can sleep anywhere so caught quite a bit of shut eye on the flight. Kim was not so lucky with maybe an hour. After heading through customs and to the baggage claim, we were met by our guide Lee (pronounced Leo). He ushered us to a waiting van and after about a 45 minute drive downtown we were at our hotel (not really sure how you define downtown in a city of 23 million...) By this point it was 1AM Saturday Beijing time. Somewhere between the travel and the time change, we lost Friday!
We left Thursday morning, but not without some last minute stress. We called MAA Thursday morning in a panic because we had not received confirmation that our China travel wire went through. Then when zipping up the suitcase, the seam ripped open. And finally, as we did a last minute check of the paperwork, we realized we did not have an original document as requested. Another call to MAA reassured us once again. Finally we took off for the airport (only detoured by a stop for a new suitcase). We took off from Bloomington on a one hour flight to Detroit. There we had a six hour layover before embarking on a 13 hour flight to Beijing. Fortunately for Paul, he can sleep anywhere so caught quite a bit of shut eye on the flight. Kim was not so lucky with maybe an hour. After heading through customs and to the baggage claim, we were met by our guide Lee (pronounced Leo). He ushered us to a waiting van and after about a 45 minute drive downtown we were at our hotel (not really sure how you define downtown in a city of 23 million...) By this point it was 1AM Saturday Beijing time. Somewhere between the travel and the time change, we lost Friday!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Preparing to leave
We leave in less than two days to go to China! Lindsey is setting up our blog site so we can share with friends while we are gone. Dear friends from our small group came to pray for our journey and for our family. After so many months, it is hard to believe we will finally meet Kristi! Still much packing to do. Might not have any room for Paul's clothes!
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