Back to the Island

“God reminded me how beautiful we all are to Him, after all, we were created in His own image, and He looks at me, at you, in all our sweat and dirt and brokenness, and says, "I choose you. You are beautiful.” Katie Davis, Kisses from Katie

"The Lord gives grace and glory." Psalms 84:11

We traipsed all over this city with CC today and she did great...a total trooper. We have noticed that she is calm and sweet and easygoing when we're out and about and she's riding in the Ergo (usually sleeping much of the time) but then her personality really comes out in the hotel room. She loves to cruise and play and bounce and crawl around, and is her happiest doing that. Her favorite is to be standing, though, and she finds a way to get upright just about anywhere. She is very active and changing her diapers and clothes is a chore and a half. She twists and turns and does her best to kick, roll over and get away. She does love her crib. Today, after a late breakfast, I took her into the bedroom and she got so excited when she saw her crib that she started crawling as fast as she could toward it and laughing. Our experience with Lia Kate is just about as opposite as it can be compared to CC! She hated the crib and never went back in one once we got home. She cried a lot when we were in China and she hated the hotel room. CC loves being in the hotel room. 

The last two nights, she has slept very well. We've had to wake her up both mornings. Not so sure how tonight will go, though, as we are all trying to go to bed early and she is up fussing. She usually only cries because 1) she is hungry, 2) she wants to be held or 3) she is tired. Other than that, she is very happy. We have seen her throw a few major fits when I put her down and she doesn't want me to. She can from 0 to 60 back to 0 in all of 10 seconds. It's quite the fiery temper for such a (usually) happy girl.

I love seeing these big brown eyes peer up at me when she's in the Ergo

She wakes up so sweet and happy ... flashing her big smile as she rubs her sleepy eyes. She is a sound sleeper and even slept through me accidentally shattering a coffee cup on the floor this morning. It will be nice to have a sound sleeper in the house and probably a necessity with two 4-year-old siblings. She also sucks her thumb in the most adorable way. She is our first thumb sucker and she will grab the blanket with one hand, pull it to her face and put the thumb of her other hand in her mouth...all with practiced ease. She also likes to have a little bit of blanket on the sucking thumb, and often when she's awake, she just likes to suck on the blanket. This is pretty common among adopted children from China as they are often given washcloths instead of pacifiers as babies. It's a good thing I brought some muslin blankets because that is exactly what she wants in her hands and mouth! We have gotten some belly laughs from her which are just awesome to hear. We feel so blessed to have her as our daughter. She was SO worth the wait...a million times over, she was worth the wait. 

Today, on official business, we went to the police station in the afternoon to apply for CC's Chinese passport. When children are adopted from China, they fly home on a Chinese passport with a U.S. visa in it, and they become American citizens once they are on U.S. soil. I am always amazed at how efficient the Chinese are at these appointments. They never last long and they are ready for you at your appointed time. While at the police station, we saw all the families that we got our children with on Monday. It is fun to run into them here and there and see how different their children are after just two days of having the love, attention and nurturing of parents. 

Beautiful Shamian Island streets

On unofficial business today, we took taxis out to Shamian Island, which is where we stayed during our last adoption. The historic White Swan hotel is under major renovations so it is closed and our agency puts families at another hotel in a different part of Guangzhou. I must say, I miss the peace and quiet of the island. It has historically catered to adopting families as the U.S. Consulate used to be located there, as was the place where the children have their U.S.-required medicals. There are also lots of little stores selling trinkets and wares specifically to adopting families. The buildings there are all colonial architecture and the roads are beautiful, tree-lined, quiet streets. After being in the busy concrete jungle where our hotel is, I miss the island!!! The hotel we are in now has much more space per room. We are in a suite for less than we spent at the White Swan for a small room, so that part is nice. But I miss the peaceful feel of the island. And I really miss Lucy's, where you can order a baby portion of chicken congee and a glass of sweet iced tea. We made sure to have lunch at Lucy's and I hope we go back for dinner there one more time before we leave.

Lucy's famous sweet tea. Southern iced tea served with a side of simple syrup.

How American adoptive parents are/were viewed. Older, balding 

dad with camcorder and camera, older mom pushing a baby girl in a stroller. 

Shopping for girlie shoes on the island

Tomorrow we go to CC's orphanage! I am so excited to go and see the place that she spent her first 9 months in and to meet and thank the nannies who took such good care of her. Zhuhai City is about 2 or 3 hours away from here, so we will load up at 8 a.m. and be on our way with our guide Miko. I did not get to go to Lia Kate's orphanage three years ago because it was so far away (6 hours one way). So, Danny went and met the nannies and took pictures of the orphanage to show her one day. I am so glad he did that, but I really wanted to go. Thrilled to be able to take CC back tomorrow, as I think it is important for her, even at 9 months of age, to get closure and to say goodbye to the people she knew. There is something powerful, I believe, about a child walking out of the orphanage for the last time in their parents arms. And that's exactly what we'll do tomorrow.

Adoption Day

“The place God calls us to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” Katie Davis, Kisses from Katie

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families. Psalms 68:5-6

I am going to make this short and sweet because I am so tired, I can barely hold my eyes open. Today was Adoption Day. CC is officially our daughter in the eyes of China! We went back to the Civil Affairs office and signed the official paperwork today. The rest of the week, we spend applying for CC's Chinese passport and doing the things we need to do in advance of our Consulate Appointment on Monday. 

Today has been a really great day with CC. She is such an easy baby that we keep waiting for the bomb to drop. She is content to ride around in the Ergo, but usually falls asleep pretty fast in it. If we are in our room, her personality comes alive and she is a happy, playful little girl. She continues to amaze us in what she is able to do. Here are a few pictures from today before dinner. I will write more tomorrow. For now, my pillow is calling my name!

I love that her eyes fill up her face!

Gotcha Day!

"A life changed is worth it, even if only one. God's love made known is worth it, even if only to one." -- Katie Davis, Kisses From Katie

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. -- Ecclesiastes 3:11

This child is a dream! I cannot believe she is ours. Hard to even know where to begin to tell you about today, but here goes...
We got to the Civil Affairs office at 2:30 and after doing some paperwork, our guide told us that we would be the first to get our baby. We scrambled for cameras, and with grandmas and kids in tow we turned the corner and there she was. I looked at her and she grinned. I reached for her and she flashed a big smile that showed the few teeth that she has. She didn't hesitate at all and she looked all around, taking everything in. She smiled many times at the kids when they loved on her, especially when Britton was around. Her eyes followed him wherever he went. She played with the toys we brought. She never cried. She never looked sad. She just played and looked around and flashed the occasional smile. Very content amidst the chaos of the day and the screams of other children in the room. The room seemed so familiar as it was the place we got Lia Kate in three years ago. Our moms picked out a spot on the couches that happened to be exactly where we sat when we got Lia Kate. Toward the end of our time there, she started getting sleepy, so I put her in the Ergo and she dozed off. 

Big sister and big brother

Holding our Kate in the same room we first held her. She was so excited to be there.

We got to talk with the official from Zhuhai who brought CC to Guangzhou. She is a very sweet woman. She gave us a framed work of art for CC that is beautiful. And also gave us a flash drive with pictures of CC, a photo album, a large container of formula, some rice cereal and a bottle. We are thankful. We also made plans with her to visit the orphanage on Thursday.

After running to the store, we came back to the hotel where she slept in the Ergo for awhile. After her nap (she typically naps from 5 to 6 p.m.), I laid her down on the bed to change her diaper. Imagine my surprise, when she immediately rolled over, got on all fours and crawled a bit, then went to sitting position. The orphanage didn't say anything about her being mobile. CC is only 9 months old but because of typical orphanage delays, I expected her to be a wobbly sitter at best. Um, not the case. She may be small and a preemie, but the girl can move.  I put her down on the floor and she immediately started crawling. I took her next door into the room our moms and kids are staying in and she was all over the place. She crawled over to a stool, pulled up on it to a standing position and started cruising the table! The orphanage didn't say anything about that either. I am still in shock. They did say she was not very cooperative when having her clothes changed. That is true. She isn't cooperative because she wants to crawl away! She is constantly moving, but is one of the happiest babies I have been around. The orphanage was right about that one. They have said this in every update I have gotten on her. She only cried a handful of times today. Once, when she fell down. Once, when I put her down to make a bottle and she wanted to be held. And, once when I handed her to Danny when she wanted me. I'll take that. 

She has made great eye contact with me when I have fed her a bottle...staring at me the whole time and occasionally putting her hand on my face. I can tell she has gotten great care and has been very loved in all of her 9 months of life.

I broke all my rules of what not to do on Gotcha Day...number one being, not to change her clothes and two being, not to give a bath, as both can be traumatizing in such a new situation. But she got formula all over her clothes (she is a messy eater) and she spit up a lot, so I gave her a sink bath and she loved it. Played and splashed in the water. 

She has smiled and laughed too many times to count. She has also babbled some in a sweet little voice. She loves looking at herself in the mirror and she loves "playing the drums" on furniture. She even dances on her little toothpick legs when music is on. 

I thought she would never get tired and fall asleep, but she finally did. After about an hour of cruising the crib, I handed her a soft blankie. She grabbed it, laid down, stuck her thumb in her mouth and started making the sweetest "guh guh guh" sounds. She was fast asleep in five minutes. We will see what the rest of the night holds.

I am going to bed the happiest mama tonight. This little girl is more amazing than I even dreamed she would be. We are thankful for her little life, and that we get to be her parents and love her forever. Soli deo gloria.

Family of 5

With the official from Zhuhai City Social Welfare Institute

  

This is one of my favorite pictures of the day. So typical.

Sisters

Britton wants to hold her cheeks all the time

Fast asleep

You can see how little she is. I'd guess she is about 14 pounds 

and she fits perfectly into size 6 month clothes. Her feet are tiny.

Standing, crawling, cruising. Oh boy.

After a bath, ready for bed

Forever

"'Mommy' She said it and I knew. She was mine. I was captivated. Because Mommy is forever. It's such a powerful name. Mommy means 'I trust you.' Mommy means 'You will protect me.' Mommy is for shouting when you need someone dependable and for laughing with when you are excited; Mommy is for crying on and cuddling with when you are sad, or giggling and hiding behind when you are embarrassed. Mommy is the fixer of boo-boos and the mender of broken hearts. Mommy is a comfort place, a safe place. Mommy means you are mine and I am yours and we are family." 

-- Katie Davis, Kisses from Katie

She is here and she is perfect. I will write a blog post tonight after CC goes to bed. 

For now, we are getting to know our baby girl!

Nesting ... and THREE More Hours!

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-6

Today is the day we have been waiting for for the last 18 months! It is so surreal that in just a few hours we will be holding this beautiful little girl in our arms and she will be ours forever.

We head into the "delivery room" in just a few hours. This is the Civil Affairs office of Guangdong province, on the 8th floor of a nondescript government building in the middle of the busy city of Guangzhou. This is the very room that we first held our Lia Kate, and now in which we will first see and hold Collins. So many families are made and dreams fulfilled in this room ... it is sacred ground, and a special place to our family.

So how are we spending these next few hours before we get her? Pretty much, we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off. I feel like I barely have time to breathe. I remember with our last adoption, I felt like the 2 o'clock hour would never get there! I had everything organized and put away and was twiddling my thumbs. I did my hair four times. This adoption is so different. We arrived in Guangzhou yesterday afternoon. Immediately went to a two-hour paperwork meeting, then to a late dinner, then crashed last night. I had not unpacked a thing. I have just spent the last several hours nesting in this hotel room, unpacking four large suitcases, and getting things organized. I still need to pack our Gotcha Day bag and do my hair, which is nearly a lost cause in the humidity here. We will meet our guide and two other families at 2 p.m. in the hotel lobby and then make our way over to the Civil Affairs office where we will get Collins at 2:30! Here are some pictures from our morning here...

Clothes are put away

A basket of baby things the hotel left for us in the crib

Gifts for adoption officials are ready to go

The next time we post, we will have pictures with our sweet CC! We covet your prayers especially for her in these next hours and days. Counting down the minutes ...

In Guangzhou...and CC's Last Night in Her Orphanage

“I am blown away that my God, who could do this all by Himself, would choose to let me be a little part of it.” Katie Davis, Kisses from Katie

Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.  Isaiah 43:5 


We said goodbye to Hong Kong today... It is a beautiful, interesting city that we will always have fond memories of, having spent time in it both before Kate's adoption, and now Collins' adoption. 

Checking out Hong Kong from the hotel room. Amazing even on a gray day.

Lia Kate's yummy Chinese breakfast ;o)

We had breakfast at our hotel this morning, packed our bags and then made our way to the Hong Kong train station to board a train bound for Guangzhou, in mainland China. It is only a 2-hour train ride north, and as I remembered it being last time, it was a very relaxing ride. Lia Kate has been on this train before ... when we were here last time for her. She watched the countryside go by and hopped between both grandmother's laps. Did I mention that our moms are traveling with us? We would not have attempted to take our two 4-year-olds to China without their help, and we are having a great time with them.

Lia Kate and "Marna", my mom

Britton and "GiGi", Danny's mom

Our guide Miko met us at the train station and brought us to our hotel. We had just barely gotten our bags to our room when Danny and I had to leave to go to a paperwork meeting with Miko, so we haven't been able to explore the hotel. What we have seen is beautiful though. I can't wait to spend some time tomorrow looking around with the kids.

The lobby ceiling at our hotel in Guangzhou

In our paperwork meeting, we were given a lot of information about Collins' personality, likes/dislikes and daily schedule. We found out some things, like:

she is extroverted

she is not compliant when being dressed

she sits on a potty twice a day!

she is eating some solid foods (this is not the norm in China for babies her age)

she likes her bottles

she likes to be held and walked

she will let you know when she is not happy

Beautiful arrangement

 Some things never change 

Tonight as I'm typing this, CC is spending her last night in her orphanage. Though, from everything I have heard about her orphanage, she has had great care and been loved by some very sweet nannies. I am so thankful for the good care she has received. I know tomorrow will be a very traumatic day as she leaves all that is familiar to her, but I am praying that she will feel safe and at peace.

I really can't believe that Gotcha Day is tomorrow! Please pray for Collins especially and for our big kiddos too.