Wednesday, April 10, 2013

We Found A Park!

Just a short walk from the hotel is a beautiful park with a large pond full of goldfish and lots of blooming trees.  We all needed to get out of the hotel and enjoyed exploring.  We are a bit of a novelty to most Chinese.  I tried to steer out of a picture today only to see the subject motion to get another one with us in it.  Wade likes his hat that Aunt Mary got him for the beach... and it helped that Daddy was wearing one too!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Adoption Certificate Day

WADE slept until 4:30 this morning and woke up ready to eat. He had some rice cereal and banana then took a bottle. We didn't get any crying until it was time for that first bath!  He had a second breakfast with us downstairs then all 10 families loaded the bus to go back to the registration office. There we got our official adoption certificate from the Chinese government and made one more stop to have it notarized (which cost about $600)  At that rate I owe Laura P a bunch of money for notarizing all.our dossier documents.

We have made it back to the room with a tired little boy so we laid him right down  He soothes himself to sleep by rocking his head back and forth. He has been crying some but chewing on his fingers. I think there are some molars coming in. Another trip to Wal Mart will be in our future for anbesol.

Many of then other families have to travel today or tomorrow to apply for passports. Wades is already done so we the next three days pretty easy. We have requested a trip to Kaifeng later in the week to tour his orphanage.

There is a park in the next block and the weather is pretty nice so we will put that new umbrella stroller to good use.

And we have a family from Shanghai (ex pats) who are adopting a little boy from the same orphanage that Max was in. They have volunteered there for a while and remember him. They will be able to share photos and stories with Sam and Marc.  Small World

Monday, April 8, 2013

Meet Wade


Wade and his orphanage rep were one of the first to arrive this morning giving us just enough time to hand our cameras off and walk in to meet him. Because he has been in a city orphanage he has really only seen other kids and his nannies. He was not impressed with us. He has had a rough day but finally feel asleep by rocking his head from side to side on his back. Tomorrow we will try a bath and clean clothes. He ate a bowl of plain congee (rice cooked to almost mush) for dinner but hasn't taken a bottle well. We will have to work on that more tomorrow too. We have to go to the registration office tomorrow but have the afternoon free. He liked the bus ride so hopefully it will go well. Daddy has so far been his favorite. They have played haul the goldfish around in Chuck the dump truck and strolled up and down the hallway in the stroller. Wade has not forgiven me yet for the diaper change..

He ate a bowl of plain congee (rice cooked to almost mush) for dinner but hasn't taken a bottle well. We will have to work on that more tomorrow too. We have to go to the registration office tomorrow but have the afternoon free.  He liked the bus ride so hopefully it will go well.

Daddy has so far been his favorite. They have played haul the goldfish around in Chuck the dump truck and strolled up and down the hallway in the stroller.  Wade has not forgiven me yet for the diaper change.

We are in Zhengzhou


We have exchanged a lot of money and bought our baby supplies! Tomorrow morning all 10 families will leave together and go to the place where the children will meet us. We were given a question and answer sheet about Wade or Guo, Xiao Ran as he is known now. We bought the formula he has been drinking and know a little more about his sleep schedule. He likes cookies and drinks water with sugar in it....no wonder he has such full cheeks.

We have a Wal Mart just 15 minutes by foot down from the hotel. What an experience. It's three floors and the carts must have magnets in the wheels because it sticks to the ramp as you change floors. We spent a lot of time checking out the different products. Like who knew Lay's potato chips come in prawn flavor. Or if your brand of duck neck is getting too expensive you can switch to their Great Value brand.

We have also spotted the Chinese postal service trucks...but no post cards or mailboxes.

Well off to dinner and the next post should be what you all have been waiting for, the Brendle family!!! We pray he will get over his fear quickly. If we have a good week we will try to go to Kaifeng later in the week and visit his orphanage.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Second Day of Sights

We still didn't sleep great last night but its getting better. We started out this morning at a jade factory then off to climb a section of the Great Wall. We had the option of a steep Northern route or a busier southern route. The guide gave us two hours to tour and it took almost all the time to reach the top of the steeper route visible from the parking lot. It was almost all stairs and they are purposely not even so intruders would stumble if trying to sneak up in the evenings. They recently used google earth to estimate it runs 5,000 miles.

Another family style lunch then a trip to see the 2008 Olympic stadium "the birds best".

We then went to an acrobat show and bade it back to the hotel about 7:30. Tomorrow we have to be Oakes and ready to leave by 7:15 to catch our flight.

So time to get packing ... Literally



Friday, April 5, 2013

First full day in Beijing

The plane ride was grueling yet the trip home will be with a toddler so trying to not worry about that now. We got to our hotel about 5pm local time which put us up about 27 hours. After a pack of nabs we went to bed. We managed to stay in bed until about 4am.

I wished Mike a Happy Birthday...he wasn't even sure what day it was! The breakfast has all kinds of foods and attached is a shot of him trying to eat pancakes with chopsticks.

We are traveling with 6 other families. Only three of us are rookies all the others are getting more children. The CCAI guide took us to the old part of Beijing where took took rickshaw rides through the narrow streets. Then lunch at a Chinese restaurant and a walking tour of Tienemen square and the forbidden city.

It was the kick off of the Victory Junction fundraiser at Krispy Kreme and we were supposed to wear these tshirts to work today. So I spread the message to the Chinese instead.

The hotel surprised Mike with a birthday cake and handwritten card so we will have to find friends to help us eat it! It's The Great Wall tomorrow and Sunday we fly to the Henan capital. For everyone at home as you go to sleep Sunday night, we should be arriving as a group at the office where our children will come to meet us!





Wednesday, April 3, 2013

On our way!

We got up at 2:30am this morning to be in CLT in plenty of time to catch our flight. Thanks Aunt Mary for getting up with the chickens to drive us. We now have a three hour layover before the long flight to Beijing. You know it's long when they are showing 4 movies!

The waiting area is already filling with other families on the same adoption journey. Not all are traveling to the same province or with our agency....but all have consulate appointments around ours so we may see them again in Guangzhou

At least we won't have the only crying toddler on the flight home. One couple has their mother along. Oh how I know one of ours would have loved to make the trip with us, and nothing like have someone with experience along!!!

Well thinking we will go grab our last cheeseburger and sweet tea for a while.

We will be exactly 12 hours ahead of NC so when we land we have to tell our bodies it's 2pm and not am.

Let the adventure begin!