Saturday and Easter Sunday

The house looks great! Mom, Aunt Phyl, and Joanne (and Oma and Opa) spent so much time on it! They re-did the hard wood floors which in words, does not sound like much, but is a tremendous task. They also worked on our yard – front and back. It all looks so good. And it is so good to be back home. We got the kids baths and in clean clothes. Erich and I also got washed up. Erich and Lori went and got the dogs. Maelynn is afraid of them. She is curious about the cats, but not too sure on the dogs. We made a doctor’s appointment for Maelynn for Monday at 10 AM. Maelynn and I got a good nap in. Logan didn’t sleep at all. Erich got about 1.5 hrs. The Gerwe’s brought us a very nice dinner on Saturday. We invited them to stay and eat. It was great to see them and baby Ryan, and Kathryn. Logan sat for 2 minutes before they got there and was out. He didn’t even wake up when the dogs barked at the door! Paul ran to the grocery for us. We are just not coherent enough to function much. Unfortunately, we did not make it to Easter Vigil mass. This makes me sad as I missed the RCIA group being brought into the church. However, we were in bed by 8 PM. As we are lying there, a neighbor starts up a weed eater. Erich groans. I remind him it is still day light out. The kids woke up in the middle of the night. They were up for about 4 hours. We watched TV and ate ‘breakfast’. Logan thinks he is up for the day. Erich is still having trouble with his equilibrium. I also think it is smart for only one of us to be thoroughly sleep deprived and not both so I let him sleep. I did get them both back to sleep for a few hours.

We made it to church on Easter Sunday. It was really great. She looked beautiful in her purple Easter dress. The boys looked handsome. Maelynn did really good during church. She fussed quite a bit afterwards. She was tired and there were a lot of people walking around. The Cooper’s gave us some beautiful gifts. They hand stitched a baptismal cloth for Maelynn, Easter bags for each of the kids, and a picture box with the Red Thread saying on it. Family Easter was at Neil and Kelly’s. They do a great job and it is always so nice. It was very low key this year, but it was perfect for us being really brain dead! Thank you! The kids enjoyed the Easter egg hunt and the food was terrific. Then off to Karen and Phil’s. It was great to be so busy and force us to stay awake. Again, great food and great company. Then we went home and crashed. I had to convince Logan to go back to bed at least twice in the middle of the night and we let Maelynn cry herself back to sleep once. Now we are on to Monday.

Day 17 - Friday - We're coming home!

Erich and I were up before both kids today. We got ready and worked on packing some more. Finally, we had to wake them up for baths before the long journey home. At breakfast, I tried to eat a lot and just couldn't. I tend not to eat much on the planes, but still be hungry. Erich finished the last of the packing and sent me out to spend our last RMB. I was still hoping to find a vest which I did along with a scarf. Then I went off to Jordan's. It was great to see him one last time. He said he put us in his daily journal. The first day we were there I complimented him on not being pushy like a lot of the other folks. I said we like to just browse without someone standing over our shoulder. He was so tickled with that comment that he wrote us in his journal. He also likes Erich's hat. I wanted to get Erich one of the lucky frog statues. It is a frog with a coin in his mouth. It means wealth. I also was able to afford a beautiful turtle statue that I've eyed since the first day we went to Jordan's. It has a sea shell for the shell and the rest of it is a wooden carving. With a last hug to Jordan, I rushed off to have Erich pack our last goodies. Not all of the stores were even open yet as it was just before 10 AM. Not that they all open at 10. I think it depends on when they get there in the AM, what day of the week it is, weather, and what is going on. Most families leave on Friday and are not in a rush to buy more stuff (unlike us!). It is also the day before the trade fair. There are more business people and not so many tourists and adoptive families. Agencies try to schedule adoption travel around the trade fair as the cost of the WS hotel goes up by at least 4 during those 2 weeks in April and in October. Anyway, they were due to pick up our luggage at 10 AM so I had to get back in a hurry.

They came shortly after 10 for the luggage and we went down to the play room for the last 45 minutes or so. I got us checked out of the hotel and hit the bookstore in the hotel for a couple of children’s books with Chinese folk tales. Then Erich went out to 7-11 store for water. In the play room I got to see Rose and Autumn, Priscilla and husband, and both babies. They are from the same orphanage. Logan and Autumn were playing ball with Pricilla’s older adopted Chinese daughter. It was good he was spending energy. Maelynn was off playing on her own and having a great time. It was good to see them one last time. Then it was off to the airport with Shirley.

On the way, we saw a building structure. Logan asked if that was where the Bengals played. We all got a chuckle out of that one since it was on the other side of the world. Concepts of a 5 year old. At the airport, Shirley was with us the entire time. It was good to because we had issues and tempers. At the security gate, they wanted to see Maelynn’s boarding pass. She doesn’t have a ticket, but should have a boarding pass. We didn’t have one. It was very crowded and we had trouble locating Shirley. After all the families were through and we still weren’t there, she found us arguing with security. Not a good image. After a few words (some good, some not so good), I took Logan and the carry-on’s and went through. Shirley, Erich, and Maelynn went back to the ticket counter. Luckily, we still had plenty of time and they caught up with us. Logan was asleep before the plane even took off. Maelynn ended up sleeping most of the way and did well with the change in air pressure using Cheerio’s. We did not have an extra seat for her. She just sat in my lap. Erich had more issues as the flight attendant bumped his arm and spilled Sprite all over him. Ugh! That was the flight from Guangzhou to Beijing. Once in Beijing, we had to collect our luggage and go to the international part of the airport. There, we went through customs and checked our bags again. Yet another issue. First, the girl was a trainee and had lots of questions for her co-workers. Then, our last bag weighed too much. Our other bags were already sent to the plane. Now what do we do? God bless the Chelgren’s! We were able to take out a very heavy souvenir (Erich’s mahjong set) and put it in one of theirs. Once we went through security the last time, we left Shirley. She certainly helped us a lot. She had a couple of days off and got to go home.

We did have a seat for Maelynn on this flight. It was by far the longest at just over 11 hours. After serving drinks, dinner, and drinks, they turned out the lights. This of course, not before Erich spilled another 8 oz of sprite all down the front of him. It is a long journey home. The kids each slept well. Well, sort of. Maelynn constantly shifted. If we were holding her or she was on the seat, we had to stay awake so she wouldn’t fall. Logan was out for a long time. Erich was soggy and uncomfortable. Needless to say, Mom and Dad did not get any useful rest. Each time they served drinks, I would ask for a drink for Maelynn and the flight attendant would only give me one drink for me and none for Maelynn. She always gave me these horrible looks. We were warned not to expect much reception on the Chinese flights. We were on China Air for this one. One hour before landing, they started a 2 ½ hour movie and served breakfast. Go figure.

Anyway we got to California and were very grateful to be back on US soil. We even arrived a little early. At this point it was about 4:30 PM CA time on Good Friday. Our flight to Cincinnati would leave at midnight. We went through immigration first which took a while. We were right by baggage claim so the allowed us to go ahead and collect our baggage while we waited. The girls are now officially US citizens! We were traveling with 3 other families at this point. One had an overnight lay over and would fly to Atlanta on Saturday and then on to Baton Rouge. From there, they had a 2 hour drive home and would get home late Saturday night. In all, they were gone for 20 days. They went on to go to their hotel. The other 2 families were the Kings and Chelgren’s. We stuck together. Customs was a breeze. We checked in with the airline and checked our bags. Then we went in search of dinner. We had to walk 2 terminals down to the international terminal for most of the restaurants. We were at Los Angeles airport (LAX). We found good old McDonald’s. We also spent time feeding the babes. In all, we took our time since we had so much time to kill.

When we did get to the gate, we still had over 2 hours to wait. Logan colored and played his game boy. We walked the girls around and just tried to tire them out as much as we could. We flew Delta for this leg of the trip. The people were so nice! They checked our stroller at the gate. They actually noticed us and approached us to get the tags done early. Erich and I asked for bulkhead seating. The lady at the ticket counter recommended it. She said it is really nice for families with young children. The Chelgren’s didn’t like it on one of the earlier flights, but we thought we’d try it. Maelynn was asleep before we even boarded and Logan fell asleep before we took off again. The flight attendants were really great. Erich and I didn’t sleep. Maelynn woke up with 2 hours left to go. We entertained her and fed her a bottle. We were out of hot water in our thermos. No need to worry, the flight attendants gave us some hot water to steep the bottle in and heat it up. We arrived in Cincinnati at little early. We waited for our strollers to come up and freshened up a bit. The Chelgren’s stroller had the wheel torn off and couldn’t use it. The flight attendant took them up to the counter for a report. I guess they’ll get a check in a couple of weeks to replace it. It is now Saturday at 7 AM.

Then, it was off to see our families! Oma and Opa, Grandma, her friend Joanne, Lori, Chip, and Aunt Patty were all waiting for us. We all had a great reunion. Mom and I cried as we hugged. I was and am so thankful to be back safely. I missed everyone so much. They all helped us with the luggage and Logan. We all went out for breakfast. Maelynn did really well. She didn’t want anything to eat or drink, but would take Cheerio’s. On to home.

Day 16 Thursday - Consulate appointment

Ok, our baby girl now eats jars of baby food, eats from a spoon and fork, eats a variety of food, drinks from a water bottle, straw, and now sippy cup. She also will pick up Cheerio's and only Cheerio's and feed herself. Let me correct that. Cheerio's is the only food she will feed herself. She will put in her mouth anything else she can get her hands on . . . toys, paper, remote control, etc.

Since it rained Wednesday, it really cooled off for Thursday. I had to unpack pants for us. It was in the 60's with a breeze. It felt really good, but too cold for shorts.

Erich slept in while I got the kids ready for the day. It's not too hard when they are confined to one room. It will be harder when they are spread across a house! At breakfast is when Maelynn first fed herself the Cheerio's. She now does the sign for clapping hands (or yeah!). She gets so proud of herself. We are working on eat, drink, all done, and bye bye. We taught Logan these when he was a baby. It is incredibly helpful. The kids know what they want before they can physically speak the word. I cannot stand grunting so this was a good solution. Logan did very well with it.

After breakfast, we played in the room for a bit and took a nap. We needed to take naps a little early due to the appointment that afternoon. Erich did some shopping while we slept and then took the kids out to play so I could continue to veg. Then we got ready for the 'all official' American Consulate appointment. We loaded on the bus about 2:45. It is a much longer drive than it use to be. Actually, that is how White Swan and Shamian Island got to be so baby friendly. The American Consulate was 2 blocks down the road and everyone would just walk there. I'm glad we still stay at the White Swan. Other families whose babies are from different provinces came here last weekend for this last part of the process. They are relieved to be here since it is so much more baby friendly.

Once we got there (Logan fell asleep on the way), we went up 3 or 4 escalators. They told us to have our passports ready. No one ever checked them. We went through the security where we had to leave our cameras at the desk and go through a metal detector. There was a big waiting room with lots of chairs. Genie handed us our paperwork and we got in line. They looked at it briefly. They actually did a double take on Erich. He shaved his beard since the picture was taken last week. We sat and waited some more. The room was full of adopting families. Finally a lady came out with a microphone. She said if we had any questions to let her know when we were done. She said the one question is when do the children become official US citizens. It is when they first touch down on US soil and go through the immigration line at the airport. After that, we all stood up and raised our right hand. She asked if all the information we provided is true and correct. We said 'yes'. She said 'Congratulations! You are done.’ That simple. We waited some more to get our paperwork and were gone.

At the hotel, we fed Maelynn a bottle and went downstairs to say our last goodbyes to Genie and Kelly. They are taking other families to the airport in the morning. Shirley (we've never met) is taking us. Shirley works for FTIA and will fly to Beijing with us and get us taken care of. She is the coordinator for the other FTIA group that received referrals after us and are here already. Our guides gave us a CD of Chinese folk music. This is after both Genie and Kelly sang for us on the bus ride. Genie's husband (they live in Beijing) is in charge of booking performing arts for events in Beijing. One of his major tasks is the 2008 Olympics. He is looking for international groups to come over and perform. I'll post this information on the Cincinnati theatre yahoo group to see if anyone is interested. From what I understand, the theatre group needs to pay for the flight over and the other accommodations are taken care of.

A group of us went to 2nd Avenue for dinner. There were 22 in all. It was great to have a last good-bye with our new friends. Then we went around to a couple of shops to pick up some items we ordered. The vest Double Happiness was suppose to make did not work out. They did not make a new one. They only tried to move the buttons over, but it was still too small. I am very upset with them. They gave us our deposit back. As we were leaving, obviously upset, they were still trying to sell us stuff! I will not go back and do not recommend them to anyone! I was pretty bitter the rest of shopping and did not buy another vest. We got the rest of our orders and I took the kids upstairs to get ready for bed. Erich continued to shop. He does really well with the money and bargaining. I do not do so well. I just want to pay the ticket price and be done. I do not like haggling. Bob Geoppinger, you would love it here!

Genie came up and gave us some items she is sending to the Dayton family she is close to. I gave her a list of our travel groups email address. I will miss her. I got a good picture of her and the kids. When Erich came up, I sent him back out for a massage. It cost about $8! Erich came back and we packed until 11 PM. He thinks he’ll be sore tomorrow. I didn't sleep well. There are so many things going through my head. It seems we were at the Beijing zoo a year ago. So much has changed in the last week and a half! This may be my last post until we get home. We leave the hotel at 11 AM (11 PM Cincinnati time).

Thank you everyone for your emails, comments, thoughts, and prayers. They mean so much to us. We could not have gotten through this trip without them. We love you and will be home soon. God is great! If I do not post right away when we get home - Happy Easter!

Day 15 - Wednesday pictures

We're ready to go home Mom!















Pizza party




Ziluck's











Antonio, Ameila, Will, Linda, and one of the babies.








Logan at the pool.




















Maelynn - you've got to be kidding me. I don't even like a bath!

Day 15 - Wednesday

Erich slept in. He is not up to par today. His equilibrium seems kind of off. He is a trooper and keeps going, bless his heart. I finally had to get him up so we could do breakfast before they closed at 10. Maelynn ate an entire jar of baby food for breakfast! More and more progress.

We picked up the stroller from the room and headed out. Erich took the kids to the park while I got to do some shopping. After checking out several stores, I found one with good chops (stone stamps), good clothing prices, and it wasn’t too busy. Double Happiness got a lot of our business today. After trying on a couple of Chinese dresses, I found one I liked. I also wanted a vest and found one, but they didn’t have it in the right size. They are making it for me and should be ready by Thursday night. I had to track down Erich since he had the money. They were coming back from the park a second time looking for me. I guess I lost track of time shopping. I felt bad, but he didn’t seem mad, just hot. We also found an outfit for Logan there. Now we will be dressed to the hilt for Chinese festival days. They have to fix a snap or two so we’ll pick up the dress later today. Erich and Logan went back to the movie store. Logan is choosing movies over toys. He picked out a couple of classics – Tom and Jerry! He loves it!

After shopping, it was nap time. We did get a call from Genie that we are approved from the American Consulate to take our new baby home. Thursday we take our oath and we are OK to leave on Friday. Genie takes all the paperwork and does that meeting with the Consulate on behalf of all 13 families. She does a lot for us, more than I think we know.

Genie took me shopping this afternoon. I needed silk fabric for my mom. I got carried away with my shopping, but that’s OK. Mom is carried away with my house right now. I hear the floors are done and they (she and my Aunt Phyl) are having a hey day in my yard. I am so thrilled and grateful. I am not a gardener by any means and I know my mom enjoys it.

Once I got back, it was time to check on my dress. We also needed more bottled water from the market. My dress was ready and we bought more stuff while we were there. Erich and Logan went back to the hotel. It is just so hot and looks like it is going to storm. Maelynn and I walked down to the market. One the way back, I stopped by a couple more shops and found another one I liked. Jessica’s. I didn’t have enough cash on me for what I wanted to buy. They wrote me a receipt and took my room number. They let me leave still owing $100 RMB! I’m sure that is the last time Erich lets me go shopping by myself!

We have started packing! We bought a huge suitcase for about $10.

Next is time for the pizza party to celebrate the consulate approval. We ordered from Pizza Hut and all ate in the hallway of the 14th floor. There were all 13 families from the Guangdong province in attendance. It was a lot of fun until we got in trouble for being too loud (twice!).

We took the kids to the pool. It was a little late and getting dark, but we didn’t stay long. Logan loved the wading pool. It was the perfect size for him. Mei Mei didn’t like the water, but walked around the ledge (in the water) if I held her hand. We took the beach ball and Logan had a lot of fun.

I got the kids dressed for bed and Erich went to pay my debt. He came back with more stuff! Our 3 suitcases are going to weigh so much! We settled down for a movie. Well, most of us did. Maelynn was wide awake and ready to go. Neither Erich nor I could settle her down. Finally, I just put her back in the crib. Then she flipped herself out and landed on the floor. I tried to catch her as she came out on the side of the bed, but was too late. She’s fine and didn’t even cry. I put clothes on and went to the floor attendant to ask for a lower crib. Ours was already as low as it would go. After a few minutes, they brought us one where the bottom almost sits on the floor. The top is just as high as a normal crib. She’s not getting out of this one! Finally we all settled in for a good night’s sleep. Erich was asleep first.

Thursday we go for the oath and pack, pack, pack. Yeah! We come home early on Saturday. Our Delta flight 216 should land about 7 AM from Los Angeles. Anyone is more than welcome to meet us there. I am not sure how long it will take us to get off the plane and to the baggage area.

Blogger is having system issues so I cannot update pictures right now. I'll post when I can.

Day 14 Tuesday - pictures of Gardens

Day 14 Tuesday - pictures Buddist temple

Geoppinger's and Buddist priest


















Logan the photograher and his shoes.

















Mei mei chasing Mommy

















Logan at the Buddist temple










Woman praying with incense.



















Bayou buddah which means god of mercy. It is also the only 'god' depicted as a female.








Maelynn playing with the mirror





















flowery pagoda

Day 14 Tuesday - Buddist Temple and Gardens

Tuesday. We are counting down! We will come home soon. Breakfast was fun. Maelynn is eating more and still from a spoon and fork. We still are feeding her. She did pick up a cheerio in her fingers. She did not put it in her mouth, so progress.

We went for a tour. We went to a Buddhist temple with a pagoda. We had both children blessed. It was incredibly hot and humid. The humidity level is 70% today. After that we went to some gardens. They were beautiful. Both Erich and I thought of Grandma Lynch. You would have loved it Mom! I took a lot of pictures. Again, it was very hot and no shade this time. They drove us to the pearl factory where Erich and many others got off. The bus took the rest of us back to the hotel. The kids and I needed a nap. Maelynn took a little nap on the bus and refused to sleep when we got back. Logan didn’t want a nap and crashed for over 2 hours.

Erich is back and we are up. Maelynn is having a great time playing in the room. We have taught her how to kick the small beach ball we brought. It was a blow up one someone suggested we bring. Maelynn’s favorite toys are the Dumbo Logan got from McDonalds, the beach ball, her stacking cups, and a toy log from one of Logan’s trucks. She enjoys playing with the baby she sees in the mirror. The lower part of our window wall is a mirror. She is also playing with Erich. She ran up to him and gave him a hug! Then she smiled and laughed for him. I think yesterday was good for them. She is accepting both boys again.

We went to dinner with the family from Colorado. You know I don’t even know their last name. Todd was sick and couldn’t come. We went with Rose, Autumn, Nathan, and the baby. Our taxi driver dropped us off at a different place than them. We were worried because we didn’t know how much they knew of the shopping area. We walked around at the different taxi drop off places looking for them. Nathan found us because of Erich’s hat. They had already found Pizza Hut and got a table. It was not very crowded in the restaurant. They got their daughter last Wednesday so we’ve had 2 extra days with Maelynn, however they got their referral a month after us. Talk about crazy! We waited a long time to come and they were rushed out 4 weeks after referral. We compared how the babies were doing. Maelynn now drinks from a water bottle and a straw. I think I’ll try her on the sippy cup tomorrow. She is also wanting more food than just her bottle.

After dinner, we walked around. Kelly, our guide, recommended a DVD store and pearl store. We bought a pearl necklace for the St Gabe’s fundraiser at church. We are connected to a church in New Orleans. In June, we (the church and my family) are going to St Gabe’s on a mission trip. There are a couple of fundraisers between now and then. If you are interested in donating, please contact Anna Geoppinger (yes, my wonderful mother-in-law is in charge) at St Michael’s Catholic Church in Sharonville, OH.

We are back in the room. The Darnell’s just borrowed our video camera to watch the orphanage video. Maelynn is down for bed and Daddy is giving Logan a shower. We are going to have a pajama party and watch a movie when they are done. I love my new familiy!

Day 13 - Erich and Maelynn

Erich’s day with Maelynn was long and rough. She cried and fussed most of the day. I know if was very difficult for him. I love him for being willing to do it. He knew how important it was for me to go to the orphanage. They went for a lot of walks on the floor and a little around town. Finally around dinner time she started coming around. Erich ordered spaghetti from Danny’s Bagel and she wanted some too! She ate off of Erich’s fork! She is making progress more and more each day. On Sunday she turned into grabby girl. She is now walking around the room and grabbing anything she can play with.

Day 13 - Monday orphanage

We got up way early on Monday. Maelynn cried all through breakfast. I think she could tell something was up. Luckily there weren’t too many folks there. It cost 650 RMB to go or $81 US dollars. That was for both Logan and I. The others in the group were Dave from CA, Rose and Autumn from CO, Priscilla from Illinois, and Jane from VA. We had one driver and our guide, Kathy. They are all from CCAI. The driver was supplied through WS. It was a long ride. We stopped at a rest stop where I quickly mastered the squatty potty. Most places do have a ‘Western style’ potty so I had been spared so far. The squatty potty is a porcelain hole in the floor. There was also a market where we bought ice cream and a knife and sword store. The countryside was pretty. We took the highway most of the way there. It was very bumpy. The van had no shocks and we were in the back. God must have been with me because I did not feel car sick once! Logan was great in the van. On the way down he played his game boy and took a nap. We took plenty of snacks with us because I didn’t know what to expect for lunch.

We got to Huazhou about noon. The town seems very run down. There are places where there are new buildings. We saw a lot of ox and rice fields. We were lost and could not find the orphanage. Kathy was constantly calling the orphanage for directions. Finally, we found someone to lead us there. The outside grounds are all dirt. They say by the summer there will be a nice garden and a play ground. We met the director, assistant director, and the director in charge of babies. We were led to a reception room upstairs where they had bottled water and bananas. The bananas are grown locally. They are small and actually very sweet. They say the area is known for oranges like tangerines that have medicinal purposes. They are bitter and small. A lot of Huazhou is named based on these little oranges including the last name given to the babies at the orphanage (Ji).

They started us on the 5th floor and then to the 4th and 3rd. The 6th floor is special needs and they did not take us up there. Most of the babies the waiting families asked us to take pictures of were all in the same room. They did have to bring one girl in and she cried. She did not like being in the other babies room. The 5th floor were the older of the babies, but actually were about the same age as the babies on the 4th floor. The 3rd floor were the 1 year olds. We did not see the younger babies. I think that would be too much for us to handle. Each floor had their own play room connected. There are metal bars to keep the babies in and others out. I did not feel that it was not safe, but I have seen the babies climb! They would rest in bewteen 2 cribs in a straddle position. It was difficult to see the all the babies. I think one of the reasons is the clothes they wear are drab and old. All the babies around the WS look so good because of the love they are receiving and the colorful clothes they wear. I don’t know if that makes sense or not. Kathy had never been to an orphanage before and cried. It is great to see other Chinese touched by the babies situations. The director said last year 94 were adopted out and only 80 came in. The orphanage needs toys, decorations, air conditioners, medicine for scabies (with directions translated). Our hearts were heavy as we left the orphanage.

The director took us to a place for lunch. It didn’t look like a restaurant. Downstairs were live animals. It was fish, lobster, ducks, chicken, etc. We were taken to a room with a table with lazy susan, tv, and a couch. The driver rested a bit. Kathy asked what we would like. We gave her some ideas and then let the director place our order. They brought out fish (head and all), sliced pork, sweet and sour pork, refried rice, sweet potatoes, watermelon, green veggies, French fries, etc. Everyone ate with chopsticks but Logan and I. Logan ate the sliced pork and that was it. He wouldn’t even eat the fries. I ate a lot and it was good! We were able to ask the director a lot of additional questions. Our group paid for the meal for Kathy, the driver, and the 2 directors. We each paid about 50 RMB.

The director went back to the orphanage after lunch. The assistant director showed us one of the finding places. One of them was on a busy street. Joan risked life and limb to get photos and video. Another was at an elementary school that was 20 minutes away. The kids all came out when they saw us. The teacher remembered Rose’s baby. It was great to see and feel all the energy the kids have. Our finding place (where the baby is found) was at the orphanage gate. We did not get to go to one place because it was too far away. I know that was very difficult for Priscilla.

It was a difficult emotional day. It was a long drive back to the hotel. Logan played with Autumn in the back of the van. He invited her to our room and our house. She is 13 and lives in CO. We got back late and we were exhausted. Maelynn was already asleep. I wonder if she will reject me on Tuesday for leaving her for a whole day. We'll see.

Day 13 - Monday orphanage pics

a rice field in Huazhou
















play room in orphanage



















One of Maelynn's nannies














outside of orphanage














lots of laundry














The second crib with the 2nd baby in the red sweatshirt is the crib that used to be Maelynn's.

Day 13 brief

We got to and from the orhpanage safe and sound. We got in late and I actually slept past 6 AM today! We leave for a tour in a few minutes. I will update about Monday later. To all the families waiting to adopt from Huazhou - I am sorry this is so short. I am starting a file in our Yahoo group called Orphanage 4/06. It is taking a while to upload each picture. I can only do 5 at a time. I took pictures of so many babies that I am not sure who is who. I will need your help! Priscilla may have kept better track. Many of us also took video.
Robin

Day 12 Sunday - church!

We got up early on Sunday and went to mass as a family. There are 2 churchs on Shamian Island. One is a Christian church. It is in English and very close to the hotel. The other is a Catholic church. It is in Chinese. We passed it on the way to the medical appointment on Saturday so we knew where it was located. We got there a little early. At first I thought we were late because the congregation was already singing. However, it was just preliminary hymns. It is very exciting because I didn't think we would get to go to church while we were here. Last Sunday we were traveling so it was not an option. By the time mass started, it was very crowded. It was Palm Sunday. We could not understand a word, but followed everyone outside. That is where mass started. They passed out palms to us and started the mass. It was just slightly raining. I was lost on parts, but Erich followed well. He has 31 years more expereince of Catholic mass than I do and when it is in a different languange it is difficult. I think where I really got lost is when they did not do the creed. I kept waiting for it, but it never came. Neither did the collection plate. During the Peace, the Chinese hold their hands in prayer and bow to each other. There were 3-4 other adoptive families. For communion, it is like most Chinese lines, a free for all. We normally go pew by pew. Here the folks from the back beat the ones in front. It was like a race. When giving communion, the priest dips the host and gives it to your mouth. No drinking from the cup here.

After mass we rushed back to the hotel. Erich had a meeting at 10 AM for paperwork and we still had to get breakfast. I took the kids and went upstairs as Erich did the paperwork. We gathered the laundry and took it to Susan's. The ladies there know Logan and like teasing him. I think he likes it to as he is now use to it. They call him Shy Boy. We got the laundry back in the same day since we turned it in early in the day. Then we just played in the hotel room waiting for Daddy. Maelynn is doing better with Logan. She still fusses when he gets in her face too much. Logan is doing great as a big brother. He is testing his attitude with us though. It seems like a perpetual case of attitude adjustment. We went for a short walk and did some shopping. Then the kids and I took a nap. Erich likes this quiet time.

Once nap time was done and we were refreshed, we went shopping some more and took the kids to the playground. It seems like our days are the same to us. Play with kids, go to appointments, and shop. When we got back I took the kids to the play room while Erich did some computer stuff for a friend. However, I realized it was time for Mei Mei to eat so we crashed his quiet time. We also had to get ready for Pizza Hut. There was a play group going on down the hall so we went and joined. There were 3 couples from FTIA, one from CCAI, and one from another agency that adopted a young boy. He and Logan got to play cars together. I was talking with Joan from CCAI. Her daughter is also from Huazhou. They are going to the orphanage on Monday. At first I asked if she would provide me a copy of her video. She said there was extra space in the van if I wanted to go. Erich and I talked it over and talked with each of the coordinators. I am taking Logan and going to the orphanage on Monday! Our hope is this will force Maelynn to bond with Erich. It will also give Logan and I some special time together. Since I've been Maelynn's primary caregiver so far, I have not gotten as much Logan time. We leave at 7 AM and will cost under $100 US dollars. Please pray for a safe journey across the Chinese countryside and Erich's sanity!

We went to Pizza Hut with the Chelgren's. Several other families ended up there as well. Erich took care of Maelynn during dinner without her crying. She loves her Cheerios and did OK as long as he was feeding her. More spoon therapy. She did great! We walked around a little afterwards. It is so huge! The stores were mostly American style clothes, not the traditional Chinese clothes sold on Shamian Island. There were a lot of lingerie stores and bead/necklace stores.

Back at the room we were exhausted. Erich ran out to get the laundry while I got the kids their baths. We crahed shortly after. We all have a big day tomorrow. They expect to be on the road for 5 hours with 1 potty break. We'll get to Huazhou about noon (midnight your time), eat lunch, spend 3 hours at the orphanage, and then drive the 5 hours back. Luckily, both Logan and I sleep well in vehicles.

Day 11 - Saturday journaling

There are so many pictures I wanted to share that I did them on seperate posts. Please keep scrolling down.

Logan and I were up before Daddy and Maelynn and went for a walk to the park next to the hotel. it was nice to have the time with him.

Today was the medical exam. We walked there as it is just on the other side of this small 'island'. On the way we took her picture for her visa. The medical exam is also for the visa. It is not a 'real' medical exam. There were 3 stations. One is the hearing exam. They point in one direction and shake a tambourine in another to see if the baby turn her head toward the sound. Another is what they call the surgical exam. They listen to her heart and then we get her completely undressed. They feel her tummy and look at her back. Then we get her dressed again. Just getting her dressed or undressed takes longer than the exam. The last station is temperature (under arm Thank God!), weight, and height. These measurements are normally not very accurate. On the way back we took Logan to the playground and saw a wedding couple walking down the street with their photographer. Of course we took a picture!

The entire procedure upsets the babies a lot. The rest of the day was rough as a residual. Maelynn is most happy when she gets to lead us to the door, walk down the hall, and get on the elevator. She tries to do this even when we have no where to go.

We took a nap and just hung around the room. I took Maelynn shopping for shoes while the boys stayed it. It was a disaster. She hates the store ladies looking at her and cried. She also does not like us playing with her feet. I did buy a beautiful butterfly hair clip for me. Afterwards, Erich went to pick up laundry and I got Maelynn ready for the famous red couch pictures. You get a sneak peek at her Easter dress. The pictures went pretty well. Some babies always cry. Maelynn doesn't do too bad with Logan, but still does not like Erich. She has been cranky most of the day.

We ordered Danny's Bagel again for dinner. They are discontinuing their meat lasagna. It was so good. I am very disappointed. I am having a very rough day too. I am so home sick and just dragging. I could have used 2 naps today. Erich is very supportive. I got to call my mom. It is always hard to work out timing where home is not asleep. I was worried because of the storms that were hitting Cincinnati area.

My nephew is going into the Marines. I am very proud of him for wanting to serve his country. It will really be good for him too. Of course, I will be worried sick about him.

We made it an early night as the girls were having bad days. Tomorrow we are going to a Catholic church on the island and then more paperwork. I think her visa is now done. We are waiting on her passport and the consulate appointment (Wednesday). We are going to Pizza Hut for dinner with the Chelgren’s.

Day 11 pics Red Couch

It is tradition to get pictures of the babies in your travel group on one of the many red couches at the Whie Swan.













Maelynn





















mei mei and big brother. I don't know how to spell big brother in Chinese, but is sounds like the letter 'G' repeated.












Guangdong travel group













Huazhou babies

Day 11 pics White Swan Hotel

There are many scultures at the White Swan. Here are jus a few.

































Waterfall



































hotel from outside on a foggy morning.

Day 11 pics around town

Street sweeper. Check out the broom.
















Typical store sign.














There are many statues on Shamian Island. Here is one that reminds me of our family, insert one Logan.












Yes, Chinese lanterns do hang in the park. I don't know if they light up or not because I haven't been out in the dark. I'll have to ask Erich.











Older Chinese folks flock to the park for socializing and exercise.

Friday (day 10?)

I am so confused on my days!

Last night we ate at a restaurant called 2nd Street. They are a little more expensive, but cater to Western food. Logan got chicken nuggets and French fries, Erich got a steak, and I got an odd version of fettuccini alfredo. Logan’s came with a fruit plate. We fed a little water melon and another kind of fruit to Maelynn which she seemed to like. We couldn’t order salads. It is not that they don’t have them. They actually have quite a few that sounded really good. However, they wash them in tap water which is not good for us. On the way ‘home’, Erich and Logan went to the playground. Maelynn and I went to a store called Jennifer’s. All the stores around here are named after the owner’s American name. Jennifer’s is a place that adoptive families take their baby extra’s before they leave. Medicines and what not are dropped off there and can be taken by future families if the need it. If we didn’t bring them eliminite cream, we could have picked it up there for free. The sales people follow you around the store. If you just glance at something, they show it to you and try to sell it to you. It is very annoying. There is too much pressure. You cannot just browse. I wasn’t going to buy anything, but on the way out, she pulled out a lady bug that plays a Chinese song and music. She smiled so big for the strange lady, that I bought it. I did have to bargain a little and was walking out of the store when they came down in price some more. Logan went to bed after watching Toy Story 2.


I was up at 4 AM again today. I am actually getting enough sleep. I go to bed between 8 -9 each night and get a nap each day. Erich has been dragging the last couple of days. He seems to be doing better today. I’ve asked him to post so you can hear his side of life, but he’s not interested. We miss our friends and family. This time next week we will be traveling home. The days are passing quickly, but I think it will get old soon. I don’t think we are going to the orphanage. Where this is disappointing, it is expensive and a very long drive. It would only be the 4 of us. The other 2 families are not interested in going. It would be very hard on Logan. It is a 5 hour ride each way.







Today we went on a tour. We went to Chen Clan Temple. It is one of the oldest buildings in Guangzhou. Then we went to the porcelain and jade store. It was very fancy and everything looked expensive. The bus rides are as exciting as the taxi rides. It is very common for a bus to do a U-turn. However, it can’t make it in one turn. The driver has to back it up and maneuver it a couple of times. It is interesting with on coming traffic. The scary part is that it happens so often and in both cities that I’m getting use to it!



Houston, sorry Cincinnati, we have a problem. Maelynn is rejecting the boys. She only wants Mommy. If I leave the room without her she cries. If Logan comes near her, she cries. If Daddy holds her, she cries. We are having Erich feed her and play her ladybug. It has been a long day and she gets heavy after carrying her for a while. She loves going for walks in the hall. However, she always leads me to the elevator. She wants to go, go, go.

Erich took Logan to the play room today and Maelynn and I napped. They also took our laundry again. This time to Jordan’s instead of Susan’s. We gave Maelynn a bottle and she seemed hungry still. So, we tried baby food. Boy, did she throw a fit. It was even a fruit mix which most babies like because it is sweet. We also tried it through a bottle.


For dinner we went to Pizza Hut. We had to take a taxi there. It cost just over 1 US dollar. It was inside a mall. The taxi man just dropped us off and then we had no idea where to go. We started walking and found an entrance. Then we just kept walking. It was a 6 floor (going up, that does not count the floors going down!) mega mall! WOW! It was odd because here around the WS hotel, all the vendors are out and talking to you. No one was talking to us and we were more in the Chinese world. On Shamaian Island, it is secluded and quiet. There is very little traffic and all the shop people talk to you. Anyhow, The Mall. Huge! Think of it was a wheel with 6-8 spokes. Each spoke was at least 6 floors and the size of one of our malls. But it was even more than that. There are tributaries that connect each spoke too! We went down one spoke and walked around the inside of the ‘wheel’ part of the mall. We passed one store who did speak English. She said to keep walking and go through the glass doors. At that point we didn’t know it was a big circle and kept looking for the glass doors. When we got to the store again, a girl escorted us to the right place. Now if we could have that kind of shopping at home. I didn’t actually get to go shopping. We were on a mission for food and the boys weren’t interested.

At dinner, Maelynn ate Cheerios. We worked on spoon therapy with her. I’d put a cheerio on the spoon and feed it to her that way. She did really well and was all smiles. Erich said the pizza tasted better than at home. Now we are back in the room. Erich got Maelynn settled down without her screaming. Hey, we are making progress! He and Logan are playing trucks on the floor. It is great to get this kind of family time. It has only been 4.5 days and I couldn’t imagine life without her.

Have a great Friday everyone! Don’t work too hard :)!!