We Made the Front Page

Here is our 15 minutes of fame! Well, one day's worth. We were actually on the front page of The Villages newspaper the day after Christmas. One of the neighbors on Papa/Rea Lewis' street convinced us to be covered in the newspaper. We figured we'd merit a paragraph somewhere--we had no idea we'd be on the cover! Christmas was hectic, as usual, but lots of fun. Christmas Eve at Papa/Grandma Lee's, Christmas morning at home, then Christmas Day at Papa/Rea's near Ocala, Florida. Emily and David really enjoyed themselves.

Note: the photo of David standing on the yellow stool is a Gotcha pic! He made a ladder to get to the Ritz crackers (his favorite). And so it begins...

And What About Big Sister?

Emily changed so much in the two weeks we were gone! She's more outgoing, even more verbal (if that's possible), and such a little lady! Everything's about dressup, including (toddler) makeup and glass slippers. Her Cinderella dressup dress from Papa/Rea has been on her little body since Christmas.

This morning she insisted on wearing her dress to Publix for her Good Will Tour. The princess sported charming glass slipper heels and her new, favorite "diamon neckiss". She was an absolute hit with the employees and customers. It took us 2 hours--I'm not kidding--to finish food shopping, because we were stopped in every aisle, folks were so excited to admire her ensemble. "Cinderella" was very gracious to the crowd, twirling and pointing out each detail of her quality attire. Then, good princess that she is, she toured the behind-the-scenes refrigerated section of the produce department, taste tested fresh grapes, and helped Felicity and Tiffany stack fruit.

Christmas Videos

Here are some videos for you to enjoy. David is experiencing sleep issues right now, so we've been up from 3am on most nights with him. Hopefully he'll be okay soon...hopefully it's not palate problems causing the sleep apnea. He has also mastered 28 different signs and can speak 10 words. The most amazing sign he mastered was "cracker". Try it--place your right hand on your left shoulder, then knock twice with your left fist on the bottom of your right elbow. Now imagine yourself physically delayed at 2 years old and try and do it. And he did! He adores Ritz crackers. We started signing sentences to him tonight, and we're sure he'll catch on soon.







David is also mastering using a fork and spoon with his meals. The nannies hand feed the kids at his orphanage until they're 5 years old, so it's been amazing watching his manual dexterity advance.

A Special Thanks

We want to extend a big, sincere THANK YOU to all our friends who sent David and Emily Christmas gifts. You really didn't need to, and we are overwhelmed by everyone's kindness. A special thanks also to all Dave/Maria's friends at the Villages who made such a fuss over Emily while we were in China, and then another fuss over David and his big sister when he arrived. What an amazing group you are.

P.S. Grandma Lee, Emily is sleeping on her Thomas the Train sheets tonight! She's very excited!

Take care, everyone.

Love,

Caroline

Merry Christmas from Our Family to Yours

Ok, so we're in Walmart with "the kids" (we love saying that!), and Santa appears in the ladies lingerie section with Mrs. Claus! He's on his way to the front of the store for free photos with customers. Emily is beside herself and runs right up to him. Here's the conversation...

[Emily] "Hi Santa! Hi! Hi! I'm a dood dirl!" (good girl)

[Santa] "Ho Ho Ho! Hi there! And what do you want for Christmas, little girl?"

[Emily] "Ah ah I ah" (with the typical breathless only a child can display), "ah, I ah" (turning and pointing at a display behind her, exclaims brightly), "I want a boobie bra!"

[Santa, looking confused and a little lost] "Huh?"

:D

Meeting Baby Brother

Hi all,

Yesterday David and Emily met for the first time. Emily was so excited to meet David that she literally bounced around the room for the first half hour. Here's the result.



Pardon my comment at the very end about David being heavy. I was remarking to my mother-in-law about the amazing change in the feel of David. When we first adopted David his muscle tone was poor and holding him was like trying to lift a dead weight. Neither Helen nor I could carry him for more than a few minutes. I was afraid of bringing him home and trying to lift him all day long! His belly was so big it looked distended, and he could barely roll over. When walking, if he tilted his head forward or backward, the weight of it propeled him to the floor where he'd land with a loud thud, followed by the equally loud thud of his head. It was awful, we had to be so careful with him. And this with a 2-year old!

Kevin and I immediately started David walking and made sure he had well balanced meals rather than a giant caramel! By the time we reached Guangzhou his belly had smoothed out, and he had better muscle tone. He rolled over easily and could make half a dozen steps without dropping over. And he felt light!

Here are some photos. The photo of a blurry Emily is hilarious--she was so excited to meet her brother that she didn't stop bouncing the entire time! She even bounced out to the car for the drive home.

Since then, we've only had to break up one standoff over a $3. purple plastic chair!

More Video





Thanks, everyone, for following our journey to David. Your comments and emails meant the world to us. Our new life started today!

Day 12, Guangzhou Final Day

It's official! Kevin received his MBA with a GPA of 3.81. Six years of school is OVER!!! Congratulations Daddy, for your degree AND your new son!! :D Love, your family.

Back at the Ranch

Today was another easy day, except for the meltdown at the day's end during a fancy meal (shoulda known better). David has had several playdates with his new girlfriends, a family of 3 young girls from down the hall. Here's David in the White Swan playroom with his new friends.

David loves other kids, especially older ones. He's so full of joy, and is very curious. He points to everything, so we show him the sign for it or the English word. And he understands. He mimicks us constantly, and has learned that if he keeps his plate on the table, he gets more food, so when Kevin points to the table, David does the same and puts his plate down. How nice to have a husband, son, dog, and cat that are all motivated by food.

When David's happy he tilts his head from side to side in a little dance and beams. When I pick him up he grunts and pushes at me. I grunt back and he starts to smile. This little guy definitely earns the title "Little Emperor!"

And so ends our Journey to David, because tomorrow we start the long journey home. We can't wait to see Emily, friends and family, and our pets! And we can't wait for everyone to meet David! We'll post after we arrive in Orlando. We'll be staying overnight at a hotel since our plane arrives after midnight. Emily will meet David on Friday morning.

Facts About China to Impress Your Friends

• China's current population is 1.4 billion
  
  
• Most Populated Cities:
  #1 Chongqing (31 million)
  #2 Shanghai
  #3 Beijing
  #4 Tianjin
  #13 Guangzhou
  
  
• Largest City in size:
  #1 Beijing
  #2 Guangzhou
  
  
• Most Popular and Ancient Family Name:
  "Li", pronounced "Lee" (Caroline's maiden name). This name dates back more than 500 years.
  
  
• Having a girl and boy in China is considered lucky. The Chinese symbols for "girl" and "boy" when placed together mean "good luck".

Day 11, Guangzhou Red Couch Photo

Hi all,

Today David and I took a bath together while Daddy ran some errands. We were afraid of how David would be with just Mommy, but once I ran the bath water, he toddled right over to the tub and tried to get in. We splashed and yelled, made bubbles and had a great time.

We had lunch at the hotel's Cantonese restaurant--goose liver in fungus (I didn't feel like chicken feet or braised bullfrog), beef with a long, delicious mushroom, bean curd (tofu), and steamed pumpkin. David loved the food so much he shoveled it in until we thought he'd burst. Later we scraped the rice and food bits off David, the high chair, table, and floor. The servers keep telling us not to worry about it, but it's still horrifying to leave behind. Kevin loves to pick up David from the high chair and say, "time for a shakedown!" He jiggles David a little, David giggles and all the food bits fall off.

David's sign language use increases daily: bird, done, mama, dada, David, please Chinese style), bath, fish, car, more, water. He says "more", "done", "water", "mama", and "baba", which is pretty amazing, considering his cleft.

We continue to meet up with the same families at breakfast or on the street. The families with adopted boys tend to stop and compare kids. And today we hung out with a family from the CCAI's Waiting Family Yahoo group--they're here to adopt their 6th child (5 adopted Chinese kids, 1 biological). What a nice family! And of course, the grandmother's brother is from Scranton...go figure!

Red Couch Photos

Today was also time for the famous Red Couch photo. The White Swan Hotel has red velvet couches, and it's tradition for new adoptive families to pose for pictures with all kids in traditional Chinese clothing. It always draws a crowd who excitedly snap our photos as well. It's sheer mayhem getting a good photo, as all parents are shooting away while yelling encouragement to their little ones. One of the babies always starts crying. Poor David had barely woken from his nap only to be slipped into a silk outfit, so we didn't get smiles today.

The Guangxi group we met up with in Guangzhou.

Other Kodak Moments I Didn't Catch

My most embarassing moment--not getting my butt caught in a children's slide, but realizing I'm a size 3X in Chinese clothes! Four shop girls were giggling while trying to fit me with a silk top for the Red Couch photo. They suggested I try a man's shirt! They did manage to fit me with the only one in the store...ugh! And I'm an average size American woman! :O Later on during the Red Couch photo session, my shirt popped open...ugh.

My most surprising moment--David's morning farts. I'm not kidding, this kid just plants his legs apart and stands still, then treats us to a symphony each morning! Is this a Chinese custom or just a guy thing? Later on he peed on the tiled floor and stepped in it, giggling.

Note to Scott & Melissa

Tonight we ate at the Cow and Bridge...yummy! But also try the White Swan's Jade River Restaurant (Cantonese, Dim Sum) on the 3rd floor. Here you can order decent-sized half portions to try a variety of wonderful dishes. And it's all still cheaper than lunch in Florida!

Day 10 Guangzhou Sights

Hi all,

[Note: Time to start using Qun Qun's American name. From hereon, he's David.]

Highlights from today:

- David's medical exam (for re-entering the US), where he cried every time a doctor touched him, poor little guy. It didn't even help that Daddy was right above him at all times. When the doctor pulled off David's diaper to fully examine him, poor David yelled so loudly it was awful.

- Watching David wow the crowds. Folks stop us to rub David's arm or belly for luck. The shop girls hug and kiss him. We even caught David blowing kisses at two giggling shop girls in the street! They called him "my little boyfriend".

Add to this his refusal to leave the lingerie department of a Beijing department
store because he was ogling a large mural of scantily clad Chinese girls, and we're
looking at early signs of trouble in this boy!!

One shopkeeper became emotional after learning David is a special needs child going to America for surgery. He gave us his email address and asked us to stay in touch so he could one day tell David about meeting him. He called us "great Americans", which was touching. It's hard to imagine how these shopkeepers must feel, seeing so many families from around the world with their newly adopted Chinese children, every day of the week!

- Meeting Dana, the sweet young shopgirl we met 2 1/2 years ago, and seeing her shock and excitement at seeing us again.

- Eating a lovely Thai dinner (coconut rice, dragon fruit, etc.) with the very nice and fun family we flew with from Newark to Beijing--Ina, Mitchell, adult son Max, and new, adorable 3-year old daughter Alia, all from near Catskill, New York. Seeing David's reaction to the coldness of Red Bean ice cream (Kevin had green tea), and then his little tongue reaching out to catch all he could from the spoon while signing "more". He now signs "daddy" and "mommy" as well.

Here are shots from a walk along the Pearl River outside our hotel. Note the meticulous landscaping.

We visited the Guangzhou kids park, where David and I went down a slide together. Unfortunately, it was a slow, tight ride since the Chinese have smaller hips!



Folks were out everywhere. Chinese hackeysack is very popular here. Kevin even tried it later this evening.



All in all, a nice day! Oh, and Fliss, I got what you asked for...

Take care, everyone,

Caroline

Day 9, Guangzhou Temple Trip

Highlights of the day:

- Eating like royalty at the White Swan breakfast buffet. Meeting other adoptive families, especially those with boys around Qun Qun's age. Qun Qun is thrilled to see them. Watching Qun Qun wave his arms to music during breakfast. ("Desperado" by the Eagles is a favorite.)

- Visiting Liurong Buddhist Temple and Guangdong Folk Art Museum with their beautiful gardens (see photos). Sharing a bus with a dozen or more families, all with tiny, 9-month old daughters, many of them from Emily's province. Seeing Qun Qun sign "tree", then speaking the words "more" and "water". Realizing that he probably needs one less surgery since his voice appears normal and not nasal! Realizing that Mommy is only for playtime and Daddy gets to do everything else. Losing one of Qun Qun's new shoes on the streets of Guangzhou and fruitlessly searching for it. Gives us a chance to buy his first squeaky shoes, which he loves.

- Being hounded outside the temple by street vendors hawking their cheap wares. Watching an 8-year old blonde child in our travel group repeatedly shout a sharp "BU YA!!" ("Don't want any!") to the vendors as they hounded her, the vendors drawing back in amazement then dissolving into hysterical laughter. They followed us back to our bus, still laughing and praising her heartily.

Back at the bus, a crowd, mostly of adult Chinese men, happily waved us off. We had several "lucky baby" comments throughout the day, and no clothing police (that was in Tianjin--the old Chinese ladies who walk up to you and adjust your child's clothing while making tsk tsk sounds).

- Realizing we need a translator when trying to order Chinese food in restaurants where English isn't spoken. Feeling pride for not exclaiming aloud when I find a chicken foot amidst all the bones in my dinner. Trying to make conversation with an eager, 7-year old boy who wants to practice his English, but only knows "hello, thank you, what's your name?", and yet he keeps on trying to talk to us. Hanging on for dear life onto the Lazy Susan full of hot dishes that Qun Qun is trying to spin around and eat from.

- Blowing on Qun Qun's tummy, then seeing him pull up his shirt for more from Mommy.

- Agonizing over Qun Qun's slowly crumpling face as he realizes Baba (Daddy) left the room (to exchange money downstairs). Trying to comfort him in the corner he's pushed himself into behind the door, waiting for Baba. Trying not to cry with him as he wails and pushes me away until Baba returns and enfolds him in his arms. He calms within seconds.

- Watching our second stroller throw a wheel right into the street. (The strollers are loaned for free to adoptive families during their stay in Guangzhou.) Having to return this one as well (the first one was broken, too.)

Day 8, Arrival in Guangzhou

Hi all,

We were up at 4:30am to catch an early flight to Guangzhou, saying a bittersweet goodbye to our incredible guide, Helen. It won't be the same without you at the restaurants, Helen! Kevin will miss his spicy food buddy, Qun Qun will miss his auntie, and I'll miss my friend. Ah well, Qun Qun did very well on the flight for a 2-year old, flipping through magazines, throwing every one of his toys on the floor and laughing, etc. Too cute.

We'll take lots of photos tomorrow. Unfortunately, our camera died today so we have no pictures of our arrival. So, instead here are some observations on China from Kevin and me (he promised to post at least once), but first a video of Qun Qun's first bath!

Comments on Chinese Culture

China is an amazing place. On one hand, you see the mobs of people all vying for a spot on the road, yet road rage is nonexistent--you just push forward with everyone else.

Noone yields for pedestrians (old people and babies included) or bicycles. Instead, they just brake lightly and veer around them, only coming to a screeching halt when a brave soul darts out in front of them. (Helen takes my arm whenever we cross the street, and I practically close my eyes and hope for the best as she quickly pulls me along.)

We've seen the most amazing vehicles--bicycle driven rickshaws, delivery trucks so small that they barely contain the driver, even a scooter taxi with a small wagon on the back and a two-person couch bolted to the top!

People regularly wear cotton face masks against the cold and smog (the smog was much worse in Beijing. Smog, fog, can't tell the difference here.) The Chinese are notorious smokers. Smoke fills rooms everywhere. It even wafted into our nonsmoking hotel room in Beijing. It's hard to sit in a restaurant and chew through the fumes, so Helen requests individual seating rooms wherever possible. Everywhere is drafty here--I haven't figured out why. So turning on the heat doesn't always help! Beds are very hard, since the Chinese are used to them, which makes for a difficult night sleep. Bedcovers and quilts, however, are thick yet light, which feels wonderful.

Tianjin is a large port city. Helen told me the Chinese people love trees--they mean long life--and you can tell. Trees line the streets everywhere, and some trees have the most beautiful, leafy canopy. Bushes are covered everywhere against the cold, and here also the trees are painted with "medicine" to help them survive the winter.

Ancient Chinese architecture mingles with modern, and aesthetic design is everywhere. We exclaimed over a glimpse of a giant ferris wheel in the city, only to be told it was part of a bridge!

Beautiful People

Westerners have always been fascinated with the exotic Chinese. But these modern Chinese are even more beautiful than the old. In the older
people you can see glimpses of the Mao era--boxy, dark blue, Mao style jackets and caps on the old men, boxy, indifferent hair cuts, lack of dental care, etc. These are the folks who tend to stare at Qun Qun the most, stopping just a few feet away, facing us directly, with a curious, yet impassive stare, in typical Chinese style. The younger Chinese and the businessmen are dressed in the latest Western styles, the girls sporting trendy high-heeled boots and smart hairstyles, the men extremely clean cut. Wait staff in restaurants wear suits (men and women), and treat us as if we were royalty, so we feel very out of place with our jeans and shirts, and baby diaper bag. Yet we're still treated with the utmost courtesy.

Billboards depict Western models next to Chinese, so everyone blends together. You can find any kind of electronics here. THe Chinese are addicted to cell phones--Helen's has a Chinese dictionary and thesaurus. Whenever I lean over to ask her yet another question about Chinese culture, she bends over her phone, her thumb busily working the tiny mouse buttons, intent on giving me the proper English word to give me a good description. And the size of her telephone screen is amazing--like a tiny tv. And our driver screeched to a halt one day in traffic to pay $1 US dollar (I kid you not) for a car cell phone charger that costs $20 in the U.S.

Ok, I'm pooped. Time for bed. Tomorrow we tour the city and see a folk art museum. Should be fun, but we're really looking forward to the breakfast buffet! Oh, and to the adoptive families in our travel group, we've been placed with a group of adoptive families who just came from Nanning, Guangxi province, and were with Michael! That's where Emily is from, and Michael was our guide! Their little girls (all traditional program) are mostly 9 months old and so, so tiny and delicate. Makes me teary just remembering Emily's adoption.

Take care

Caroline

Day 7 Tianjin, Last Day

Taxi scooter Kevin actually rode in!

Hi everyone,

Today was an easy day...ok, except the part where we actually crossed busy streets. ACK! I kept my head down while Helen grabbed my arm and wove me in between moving bicycles, tiny vans, scooters, cars, trucks, etc. Positively frightening. And Kevin had no problem moving across the street with Qun Qun!

We picked up Qun Qun's Chinese passport at the police station, where people oohed and aahed over Qun Qun and murmered "lucky boy" (traditional phrase for an adopted orphan), and gaped at a silk rug with an entire mural of the Great Wall and mountains woven into it. Then we were off to Ancient Culture Street, which has neat old-style Chinese architecture and lots of street vendors.

Our driver warned us that it was "overpriced, Ancient Chinese junk", and he was right. But, it had Tianjin crafts, which we wanted to see. We were also the subject of great attention, and were followed by 5 curious Chinese men for a few minutes. It's funny, if you acknowledge the curious onlookers with a quick nod, followed by a "Ni Hao" (hello, how are you), they smile, nod back and move on. More "lucky boy" comments here, all sincere.

We hit a snack store for fried dough braids, which is famous in Tianjin (fattening but oh so YUMMY!) and various nuts covered in yogurt (I think). And we picked up Chinese drums for Qun Qun and Emily. Oh, and authentic Chinese hackeysacks, which Kevin and Helen played kicked around, making Qun Qun giggle happily.



Chinese musicians performed in one of the stores, one man playing a type of Erhu, another singing. Unfortunately, we only got the Erhu on video.



Qun Qun kept moving closer to Helen once he discovered her eating fried dough. He'd move over and smile up at her, then move over some more and smile, etc. She thought it hilarious.

An Eating Feast

The rest of the day focused on food, and eating as much great Chinese food as possible together since it was our last day before flying to Guangzhou tomorrow. Helen took us to some great restaurants. Qun Qun decided to use both hands to eat, and each time I picked rice, melon, chicken bits, etc., off him, me, the table, floor, coats, etc., for a good 10 minutes. But he was so proud of himself (the nannies typically hand feed the kids even at 5 years old).

One of the restaurants. We had chicken with cashews, dumplings, broccoli with melon, and watermelon juice.



In the evening we hit another great restaurant, and Kevin's fish meal was, er, executed right in front of him...ew! Helen and Kevin spent the day trying very spicy food, which Qun Qun also tried and liked! Here we had steamed egg (Qun Qun's favorite), spicy fish stew, spicy chicken bits (and I mean bits--but no beaks this time), and chicken with cashews.

Tomorrow we say a sad goodbye to Helen, who became our friend and Qun Qun's ayi (Auntie) during our stay here. Helen and the wonderful wait staff downstairs signed Qun Qun's life book ("When You Were Born in China", a wonderful book for adoptive families) with lovely words and well wishes. The flight to Guangzhou is 4 hours--YUCK!!--so we'll post Saturday night sometime, which is Saturday morning for y'all.

Take care, and hope everyone is well, especially my sister,

Caroline

Day 6 Tianjin, Abandonment Site

Hi all,

Today was a hard one. We visited Qun Qun's abandonment site an hour outside the city. It's been so cold here, too cold to spend much time outside. The cold wind coming off Bohai Bay is just too bitter to bring Qun Qun outside. How ironic, since it was too hot in China to spend time outside when we adopted Emily.

We weren't sure how we'd feel seeing where Qun Qun was abandoned at 2 days old, hopefully found soon afterwards, the right side of his lip cleft high up into his nasal cavity, his palate open, his umbilical cord badly bandaged and infected, and his body wracked with pneumonia. He was discovered by an unknown person and taken to the police station a day later.

The site is in farmland, and the farms are in the far distance. Hopefully Qun Qun was abandoned near the busy road, because the alternative is unthinkable. It's still very cold in November. The videos are in order, taken by our Chinese guide Helen.

Qun Qun's Journal

Back to a warm car, where Qun Qun was playing happily with our driver. Then back to the hotel, where Helen spent the next hour translating a journal of Qun Qun's life that the orphanage staff gave us. It's amazing, and too long to post here. But we discovered such key facts as: Qun Qun spent the first month of his life in a hospital clinic. He was underweight and sickly for the first 8 months. Then he improved long enough to have the cleft lip repaired. But, he caught pneumonia again at 16 months and didn't fully recover until 18 months. He was actually placed in foster care during this time, and spent time in the hospital, as well. Finally, he recovered at 18 months and put up for special needs adoption through our adoption agency.

On a happier note, Qun Qun was well loved by his nannies, who actually called themselves "Mom", and journaled for him faithfully every month. They thought Qun Qun clever and adorable, which is pretty much how we find him. Here's an excerpt...

2/11/06, 3 months old – Hi dear Qun Qun, Now you are more and more beautiful. Your big eyes are so pretty and in the Angel [babies] room you are the best. After you eat you just sleep and not cry. The moms all love you a lot. In the following days we hope you can eat more and be healthy. It’s good for your operation. And moms are waiting for you after operation. You will be more beautiful. How happy that is! Love, Moms.

Let's End with Cute Photos

Here are my boys, never without each other. None of these photos are staged...Qun Qun just finds his daddy and puts his little arms up in the air. Who could resist that? He napped in Kevin's arms, on the bed, today for over an hour.

Day 5 Tianjin

Hi all,

The above photo says it all. Qun Qun is stuck like glue to Kevin. The orphanage staff commented that Qun Qun feels very safe with Kevin. On one of our car rides today, Qun Qun was in Kevin's arms with his head against Kevin's shoulder the entire time, only lifting his head long enough to gaze into Kevin's eyes and smile. This afternoon Qun Qun spent several hours between Kevin's legs or on his lap. Only Kevin could shower with him and put him to bed, but only after holding him for quite a while. Whenever Helen tries to coax Qun Qun from Kevin's arms, Qun Qun utters a loud, sharp "AH!" and gestures her away with his arm. He does the same to me. (That's fine, I'll be his caretaker soon enough. His bonding process is just wonderful to watch.)

Orphanage Talk

Today was very busy. First, we finished up paperwork at the Civil Affairs office. Then, we returned to the orphanage to pay our adoption fee and meet the orphanage director.

Everyone was happy to see Qun Qun, and heartily thanked us and wished us well. The director of the nannies ran up to Qun Qun, chattered excitedly to him, then dialed her cell phone and held the phone to his ear. We have no idea who was on the other end. Qun Qun's nanny was leaning out a window calling to Qun Qun, and sadly, Kevin had to hide Qun Qun so he didn't get upset. On a positive note, the orphanage staff gave us an email address, so we can send photos regularly.

Next, we met Robert, the orphanage volunteer who gave us so much information on Qun Qun during the long wait to adopt him. Robert took us on our second tour, showing us a room full of special needs children (cerebral palsy, autism). The rooms are small, with several nannies, so there's a real group feeling. We smiled and waved at the children, and some smiled or waved back.

Then it was off to lunch with Robert and his wife Amy. Robert ordered for us, and lunch was a delicious combination of tofu, chicken, beef and veggie. Once again we ate like kings. Robert and Amy were so easy going, and we talked a lot about their volunteer life at the orphanage.

We learned quite a few things, namely that the kids are spoon fed at the orphanage (a Chinese tradition), which explains why Qun Qun doesn't handle a bottle or sippy cup well (he just kind of chews on the nipple). The kids are spoon fed liquids as well as solids.

Also, Qun Qun shovels food into his mouth with his fingers, and we pretty much have to stop him. Robert said the kids have to wait for their food while the nannies feed other kids, so Qun Qun is anxious to fill himself.

Robert and Amy rarely get to see adoptive families at the orphanage - many times the kids they help just disappear one day, or they hear one has been adopted but never get to say goodbye. So this was a great lunch because we each got to meet the other, and achieve closure. Amy told us Qun Qun always greets her with a wave. and that he's a sweet boy.

[The waiters just love Qun Qun.]

After that, it was back to the hotel for the rest of the afternoon, where I passed out and Kevin wore Qun Qun on his body. We had a great dinner at the hotel--fried steak with peppers, some kind of chicen with peppers in a brown sauce, steamed pumpkin with lotus flower (Qun Qun's favorite), steamed dumplings, rice and tea. Delicious! Later, Kevin proudly took himself off to the Super Walmart via taxi. The Super Walmart spans several floors and is more heavily stocked than any Walmart you'll ever see in your life. Every day looks like Christmas.

Tomorrow we visit Qun Qun's finding location, and maybe see Ancient Culture Street, a famous shopping area for traditional Tianjin arts and crafts.

Take care,

Caroline

Day 4 Tianjin, Adoption Day!

But First, the Remainder of Gotcha Day

The Orphanage Tour

Let me begin by apologizing to the many families who asked me to find out what I could about their adoptive children-to-be. I'm sorry, there's no way I could have asked, and here's why. The orphanage seems to be run by-the-book, and we weren't even allowed to meet Qun Qun's nanny. But she was watching for us and ran up to Qun Qun, upsetting him and herself, and she was severely chastised. On the tour, we were shown the school rooms, but very few children. No photos were allowed of any children or nannies. I was allowed upstairs to see the babies and Qun Qun's playroom,but Kevin had to remain downstairs with Qun Qun so Qun Qun didn't see his ayis (nannies).

In spite of their regimented approach, I got a good feeling about this place. Children with clefts are given one-on-one speech therapy, and the play and school rooms are brightly decorated with children's things. The kids seemed like they were well cared for.

More Gotcha Day Videos

Adoption Day

Today was busy! We spent time at the Civil Registration Office to formally adopt David. Then, it was off to a department store to shop for clothes, since we didn't bring any--and Qun Qun turned out to be size 18 months after all! Qun Qun got new shoes that fit, a cool hat, new jammies, etc. What fun! Helen translated everything for us. Then it was off to Super Walmart for snacks for Qun Qun, diapers, and snacks for Daddy. The grocery store in Super Walmart covered an entire floor, about the size of 2 Publix stores. We generated lots of excitement and stares...both good and bad. One man in particular kept beaming at us and Qun Qun. It was touching. Oh, and I mastered the Squatty Potty! I'm a pro now...ew!!

About Qun Qun

His walk - it's a mix of drunken soldier and baby Energizer Bunny...he keeps going, and going, and going. We just steer him in the right direction. I get the feeling he'd walk a mile if we let him!

His personality- as Robert said, he IS "delightful"! He began mimicking us immediately as we played with him, and he's already picking up sign language! I have the feeling that if we become more proficient in sign, Qun Qun will advance to sentences a few months from now. He adores his "Happy Buddah Babba". Kevin got the nickname again! (The Chinese are really fascinated with his big, bald head.) He follows Kevin around our hotel room, smiling up at him. As for Kevin, well, he's just thrilled to have another playmate. Kevin said to me, "I wonder if he can build a rocket?"!!

Here are some shots from today. Helen took us to a Chinese Hot Pot restaurant. We sat around a bowl of steaming broth and tossed meat, veggies and noodles in to cook quickly. Qun Qun kept trying to add his chopsticks to the bowl! Boy, can this kid eat! And I was worried about his cleft. No worries! When we met the orphanage staff at the registrar office, they immediately popped chocolate and a large caramel hard candy in his mouth. It took him 5 minutes to work his way through it, but he did. Meanwhile, I was having a heart attack--sugar AND hard candy for a 2-year old with an open palate...ACK!!!!

Qun Qun does have difficulty breathing through his right nostril, which is almost closed. So the poor little guy sounds like he's wheezing, and he makes grunting noises when he eats. He has no idea something is wrong, and that makes it more bittersweet that this little guy remains unaffected by his special need, while Kevin and I struggle with the accompanying emotions...the stares, wondering why Qun Qun was passed over for palate surgery, etc.

Then tonight little Qun Qun seemed to be grieving for his ayi (nanny). Tears were flowing freely, and he fell asleep in Kevin's arms first, then mine. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

A big HI to Emily--we love you, Emmy, and can't wait to see you! Baby Uncle David is excited to see you, too! (He toddled up to a lifesize cardboard picture of an older little girl in the department store and began smiling and babbling at it. I thnk he's going to like his sister.)

Take care,

Caroline

Gotcha Baby David!!

After 5 hours in the car for a 2-hour trip (snow, fog, bad roads, no gas, you name it!), we arrived at Tianjin Childrens Welfare Institute. Everything happened so fast that we got video but not a family Gotcha photo. We'll try to get it at dinner.



This little guy is ADORABLE!! He already smiled, said "Mama" (but it means everything around him), laughed, stamped his feet when Daddy did, and throws things around for fun. He is so different from Emily, who shut down when we got her. Although, his nanny snuck out of a room to see us and say goodbye, and got in trouble. She was crying and calling his name, and Qun Qun started crying. It was so upsetting. Later, when I got to see the baby room (by myself--Kevin had to stay downstairs with Qun Qun), Qun Qun's nanny saw me and smiled. I made the staff promise to tell her we'd always send photos.

We have to run and eat now--we never got lunch during the 5-hour drive--so I may post more later. What a happy ending to this day!

Love,

Caroline

Gotcha Day morning--almost there!

9AM UPDATE

Sorry, since it's snowing in Beijing, there the traffic has hit a major slowdown. Our poor guide, "Super Helen", as she's called, had to run 30 minutes in the snow to reach our hotel. Our driver is stuck in traffic but on his way. So, we'll be later getting to David. Stay tuned. Cindy B., your comment was too ironic! :)

If David is napping when we arrive, we'll just wait for him to wake up. Stay tuned.

Caroline

*****************

Hi all,

It's 7am here in China. We just had breakfast amidst Swedish, Chinese American, and Chinese families...too cool. We're now packing to leave for the orphanage while watching Chinese soap opera on tv. It's snowing outide!!

We leave at 9am for the 2-hour ride to the orphanage. We have our own driver, which is great. Between 11am and 12 noon we should arrive at the orphanage to meet Qun Qun! We can't wait. We'll also meet Robert today--he's the American teacher in Tianjin who volunteers at the orphanage. We'll post later today after all the emotions settle down.

:D :D :D :D

Caroline

Day 2, Beijing. The Great Wall

There's only one way to describe this experience...

INCREDIBLE! Also exhausting. Our lungs labored on the way up, and our legs were jelly on the way down. It took us 1.5 hours to climb to the top and an hour back down. The Chinese have a great sense of humor because they laughed and smiled at us as we all panted, and many wanted their pictures taken with us.

Other Things We Learned Today

Wolf dung was used to burn at the watch towers along the wall. Wolf dung burns in a straight, vertical line, which indicated an emergency, such as maurading invaders. Kevin says that way you could smell trouble coming.

Our driver took us past the site of the Aug 2008 Summer Olympics. An entire Olympic city is being built. The Olympic Bird Stadium resembles a Chinese birds nest, which is considered a delicacy in Chinese cuisine.

We saw a pheasant standing in the middle of a grassy area of a Beijing highway. Our driver didn't believe us since he'd never seen a pheasant on alongside the highway. W also saw 6 other species of birds during our climb on the Great Wall.

We visited a Jade factory and learned there are over 1,000 green shades of Jade. Also learned that since Jade was scarce in ancient times, only the Emperor was allowed to own jade. He gave it as a gift on special occasions to either 1) his concubines, or 2) high ranking officials. But they had to really earn it.

If an imperial concubine fell ill, seeing a doctor was difficult since women couldn't be touched by men. Instead, the doctor examined the concubine's jade bracelet. Pure jade (known as jadeite) reacts to human skin--worn on the left wrist close to the heart, near the pulse rate and key accupuncture points--the jadeite remained translucent and light if the patient was healthy. If the patient was sick, the jadeite turned dark. And the doctor would check the patient's symptoms and prescribe herbs.

That's all for tonight. We have to keep our legs moving or they'll freeze up from our marathon hike! And we're getting ready to get David tomorrow (Monday) morning!! That's 10-11pm your time Sunday night!

Take care everyone,

Caroline & Kevin

Day 1, Beijing

Hotel Christmas decoration

Hi all,

Today was a neat one in Beijing. Not a cloud in the sky, the smog was minimal and it was 40+ degrees Fahrenheit. Cold, but beautiful. We started the morning off with pork congee and pork balls for breakfast, then proceeded to Tianamen Square, which is just outside the gate of the Forbidden City.

Tianamen Square isn't spectacular except for its sheer size and its bloody history. People mingle with the occasional little police van racing through for no other reason than the Chinese drive fast but surprisingly safely in their small cars.

The Forbidden City was amazing for its sheer size, attention to detail (e.g., using the elements of Feng Shui in design), plus the wonderful stories of the Emporer and the evil Emperess (who once ordered one of the emporer's concubine's drowned to eliminate the competition). Most impressive was the Imperial Garden, lined with tall pine trees, artfully pebbled walkways, and maze-like rock walls. The rocks were brought in and carved to look like mountains both for aesthetics and to help the concubines be less homesick. A roofed platform was built amidst these walls where the Emporer was taught to play Chinese checkers to help him learn patience. This was definitely our favorite part of the tour.

Inside a Hutong

A Hutong is a series of apartment-size dwellings along a number of connected streets, where extended family members lived, traditionally those connected to the Emporer's family. Today, over 6,000 of these Hutongs dot the streets of Beijing for a total of around 1 million people. The families are no longer related but live in close proximity. If the Hutongs were physically connected end-to-end throughout Beijing, they would stretch longer than the Great Wall!

This kind lady offered us a seat in her house to discuss life in the Hutong with us. Her granddaughter served us tea and snacks, and we discovered the young girl was a twin. Apparently, if a woman gives birth to twins, the government doesn't force her to give one or both up. Instead, she is allowed to keep her babies since the outcome of her pregnancy wasn't her fault. She was also very interested in hearing about Emily, plus our impending adoption. Everyone we met throughout the day was...such a nice feeling.

Riding to the Hutong in bicycle-led rickshaw. Our guide Helen picked a driver with strong legs! Cindy and Russ, I giggled hysterically as we were ushered into the rickshaw, remembering your hilarious video. Luckily, our guy was strong (although his brakes didn't seem to work well with our weight).

Traditional Tea Ceremony

A lovely event, our hostess (seen here with Kevin and our guide Helen) explained the significance of tea to the Chinese, explaining how to steep the tea, which tea works for which ailment, how to serve the tea (in exquisite, tiny clay pots or lovely cups), etc. We were then treated to a tea tasting with as much seriousness and ceremony as a wine tasting. It was almost bizarre, as magical cups were introduced--one decorated with a black dragon that changed into a full-color portrait of the Great Wall when hot water was added.



My favorite tea was Lychee (the fruit) with added rose flowers. Kevin loved the Oolong (black) tea, and the jasmine ball (more magic). The Jasmine ball is made of green tea leaves wrapped around flowers. When hot water is poured over the tea ball, it slowly opens to reveal the flowers inside, and makes a lovely home decoration.

Our hostess at one point introduced a Lucky Boy, a clay figure that grows when water is added to it, and then pees across the room and onto the floor! I kid you not--this little guy is more anatomically correct than either the Ken or G.I. Joe dolls. Call me tired, about to become mom to a toddler who need potty training, whatever--it struck me as so hysterically funny that I laughed until tears streamed from my eyes. I was still laughing when we left the tea house 20 minutes later.

Other Great Stuff

The food has been great--we've stuffed ourselves aplenty. The Chinese food is nothing like the greasy, heavily sauce laden stuff you easily find at home. Instead, the sauces are more delicate. We had a spicy peanut chicken meal for lunch that had a very surprising kick in the form of some ginger that made my tongue go numb for a few minutes. Kevin remained unaffected and just happily chewed away. Tonight we had Peking Duck for the first time, which was just yummy!

Tomorrow is a trip to the Great Wall, with Kevin's new gloves and my new sweater and leggings (that have to be worn beneath my jeans). Because it's going to be even colder!!!

Take care,

Caroline

We've arrived in Beijing

Hi all,

We've arrived in Beijing...

The plane ride over was tiring and uneventful. But a big THANKS to Kevin's sister Tracey for getting us excellent flights. We experienced no delays, We flew from Orlando to Newark, then Newark to Beijing. It was so much easier than the 4 connecting flights we had when we adopted Emily. It was exciting seeing all the Chinese families boarding the plane at Newark--I really felt like we were coming home. And we hooked up with an adoptive family from upstate New York who traveled with us to Beijing and are continuing on to Anhui province to adopt a 3-year old girl with a repaired cleft lip.

The interesting thing about this very nice family is that they're from Hyde Park, Dutchess County, NY. My dad's paternal ancestors are from the town of Catskill in Dutchess County, and Franklin D. Roosevelt's home (now a museum) is in Hyde Park. My mom's father engraved a trophy for President Roosevelt, which resides in Hyde Park. And this family is adopting through our agency. Talk about a red thread! Oh, and lest I forget Scranton, I ran into a nice retired American woman outside the potty who is with a tour group going to Beijing. Her daughter went to school in the Poconos and did internships in Scranton! (I went to school in the Poconos and Kevin grew up in Scranton.) What a small world...

Interesting note: It was exciting flying over the North Pole, although it was dark out and we saw nothing. Passed Siberia in the dark, too. The temperature outside the plane at 30,000 feet was -94 degrees Fahrenheit!!

Ok, it's 7pm in China, we had chicken 'n mushroom congee, beef in citrus sauce, plus a hot and sour soup for dinner that was so vinegary that our server asked Kevin how it was and all he could do was cough! Tomorrow we see the Forbidden City, so we need to crash. We'll post pictures tomorrow. Hi Emmy! Mommy and Daddy love you!!!!

Love,

Caroline

Our itinerary arrived!

Hi all,

Sorry for the lapse in commnication, but things have been positively hectic here. This week we received our itinerary for China...we leave on Thursday!!! Here are our travel plans:

12/6 - Leave for Beijing
12/7 - Arrive Beijing. Drop dead from jet lag at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel.
12/8, 12/9 - Rouse ourselves for a tour of the Great Wall, Forbidden City
12/10 - Leave for Tianjin (the train ride through the countryside is very nice, we're told)
Check into our hotel (Tianjin Harbor Center Hotel), then over to David's orphanage to MEET BABY DAVID!!!! This is our Gotcha Day!!
12/11 - Adoption registration, other paperwork
12/12, 12/13, 12/14 - Tour Tianjin, David's orphanage, and visit the cornfield where he was found.
12/15 - Leave Tianjin for Guangzhou. Stay at the magnificent White Swan Hotel (wonderful, large breakfast buffet, beeyoutiful grounds, and lovely jazz piped via stereo system in the bathroom--YES!! Oh how Mommy loves that one!)
12/16 thru 12/17 - Paperwork intermingles with free time
12/18 - U.S. Consulate appointment
12/19 - Paperwork intermingles with free time.
12/20 - Leave Guangzhou for the U.S. with our new son!!!!

So now it's pack the dog for her destination, ready the 2 cats for their stay at home, Pack Emily for her stay at Papa/Rea's, pack us for Winter in Beijing but warmer weather in Guangzhou, and get the house ready for the trip. Throw in preschool, regular errands, buying orphanage donations, Christmas gifts, and ARGH!! It's mind boggling!! But it will all work out. (Mind you, as I typed all this, the cat was lying on the computer desk in front of me, blocking the screen.) Isn't family life grand? :)

Take care,

Caroline

P.S. I apologize, but Christmas cards will probably arrive at your homes sometime in January of 2008. Thank you for your patience. :D

P.P.S. Guess who got hold of scissors and cut her own hair?