Saturday, September 27, 2014
SHANGHAI.......CLOSURE AND NEW BEGINNINGS
We arrived in Shanghai yesterday a little after noon. We
had a good flight, but was ready to reach our final destination before
our flight home. Two of the WONDERFUL volunteers from the Shanghai
Healing Home, Mary Ann and Norma, picked us up at the airport.
YES.....it took TWO vehicles to transport all of our luggage and us to
the hotel!!!!
Last night, we took a walk around the area where our hotel is. It was a beautiful evening, and we found a restaurant that had outdoor dining. Our meal was good, and we REALLY loved the AMERICAN music that was playing in the background. :)
Today was a BIG day for us. In fact, today was the SOLE reason we made the trip to Shanghai....to visit the Shanghai Healing Home- Eiley Joy's home for all but a month of her life before we adopted her. Another one of the sweet volunteers from SHH, Birgit, came to pick us up and take us there. Roger and I had talked about whether or not we thought it was a good idea to take Eiley Joy back. Birgit had even offered to care for her while we visited and toured. We decided, though, that we just didn't feel right about visiting WITHOUT her, and that we just needed to take her, and deal with any setbacks that might occur.
This visit was SO important to me, but I don't think I realized how overwrought with emotion I would be. I'm tearing up even as I write this. There I was.....at the place Eiley Joy had known as home as long as she could remember. And when we went in, and I saw the reactions of all the ayis when they saw her, I knew just how VERY much she had been loved during her time there. Eiley Joy smiled and giggled as they all hugged her, kissed her, and passed her around. I also realized very quickly that, despite the fact that SHH isn't a home with a mama and daddy, it IS a place where they TRY to make it as much like a real home as possible.
We spent almost two hours at SHH. It is actually made up of two houses, the infant house and toddler house. It is located smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood. We saw SO many precious children who are waiting for families, and YES......we DID see a few that we would REALLY love to being home with us. There is a precious little girl there who will never be able to be made paper ready to be adopted (a story in itself.) She is five years old, and is one of the prettiest little girls I've ever laid eyes on. I keep thinking.....where there's a will there's a way. Who knows????? :)
As I said earlier, we really weren't sure what the repercussions might be with taking Eiley Joy with us back to SHH, but we found out there were none. She LOVED her time there, but when it was time to go, she reached out her arms for me to take her. I told Roger tonight that I know we have loved her from the time she was placed in our arms. Actually, we have loved her from the moment we received her file and KNEW she was meant to be our third daughter. But, something about our visit today just made me look at her in a whole different light, and feel even MORE blessed that God has entrusted her to our care.
Last night, we took a walk around the area where our hotel is. It was a beautiful evening, and we found a restaurant that had outdoor dining. Our meal was good, and we REALLY loved the AMERICAN music that was playing in the background. :)
Today was a BIG day for us. In fact, today was the SOLE reason we made the trip to Shanghai....to visit the Shanghai Healing Home- Eiley Joy's home for all but a month of her life before we adopted her. Another one of the sweet volunteers from SHH, Birgit, came to pick us up and take us there. Roger and I had talked about whether or not we thought it was a good idea to take Eiley Joy back. Birgit had even offered to care for her while we visited and toured. We decided, though, that we just didn't feel right about visiting WITHOUT her, and that we just needed to take her, and deal with any setbacks that might occur.
This visit was SO important to me, but I don't think I realized how overwrought with emotion I would be. I'm tearing up even as I write this. There I was.....at the place Eiley Joy had known as home as long as she could remember. And when we went in, and I saw the reactions of all the ayis when they saw her, I knew just how VERY much she had been loved during her time there. Eiley Joy smiled and giggled as they all hugged her, kissed her, and passed her around. I also realized very quickly that, despite the fact that SHH isn't a home with a mama and daddy, it IS a place where they TRY to make it as much like a real home as possible.
We spent almost two hours at SHH. It is actually made up of two houses, the infant house and toddler house. It is located smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood. We saw SO many precious children who are waiting for families, and YES......we DID see a few that we would REALLY love to being home with us. There is a precious little girl there who will never be able to be made paper ready to be adopted (a story in itself.) She is five years old, and is one of the prettiest little girls I've ever laid eyes on. I keep thinking.....where there's a will there's a way. Who knows????? :)
As I said earlier, we really weren't sure what the repercussions might be with taking Eiley Joy with us back to SHH, but we found out there were none. She LOVED her time there, but when it was time to go, she reached out her arms for me to take her. I told Roger tonight that I know we have loved her from the time she was placed in our arms. Actually, we have loved her from the moment we received her file and KNEW she was meant to be our third daughter. But, something about our visit today just made me look at her in a whole different light, and feel even MORE blessed that God has entrusted her to our care.
I would like to share more about SHH, but my internet connection is
about to go off, so I will end for now. I will have one more blog entry
about our trip here (we had dinner tonight with another SHH volunteer
and her family---an AWESOME evening), and then the next entry will be
about coming home. Our flight leaves at 4:30 PM tomorrow (Sunday
afternoon here), and we will be arriving in the good ole USA at the
Dallas/Ft. Worth airport around 4:30 PM Sunday afternoon home time. We
will have to go through immigration and customs. I think our layover is
almost three hours, and then we are due to arrive in Nashville at 10:05
PM Sunday night. Evan and Shea are coming to pick us up at the airport.
PLEASE pray for good travels for us, including SLEEPING children at
least part of the time, and a quick and easy transition through
immigration and customs.
It has been a good trip, and we are coming home with a PRIZE!!!!!
Vicki :)
Friday, September 26, 2014
CONSULATE DAY,SHAMIAN ISLAND, AND SAFARI PARK!!!!
Yesterday was our day to appear at the U.S. Consulate to complete our visa
application for Eiley Joy so we can bring her home. We had gotten a scare a
couple of days ago when the computer system there crashed, but prayers were
answered, and everything went just as it was supposed to. This afternoon, our
CCAI guides went and picked up the passports for our kiddos. Eiley Joy now has
a passport AND a visa so she can enter the United States. The minute she steps
foot on American soil, she will be a U.S. citizen!!! I will post pictures later
of EileyJoy in her red, white, and blue that she wore to our appointment!!!
Yesterday afternoon, we spend some more time on Shamian Island. Another couple in our travel group went with us, and it was nice spending some time with new friends, who feel like old friends. I had to purchase a FEW MORE pairs of squeaky shoes, and I finished outmy list of things that I wanted to get for the girls. We enjoyed lunch at Lucy's (I just can't get enough of the ICED TEA after not being able to drink anything with ice in it for over two weeks!!!) Last night, we ate dinner at the Macaw which is a Portuguese/Cantonese restaurant. It was another great meal.
Today, we went to Safari Park with the couple we spent time with on Shamian Island yesterday. It is an interactive zoo, and it was nothing less than PHENOMENAL!!!! The girls really enjoyed it. Molly Kate and Callie Beth got to feed the giraffes. They wanted to ride an elephant, but they weren't quite tall enough. They were both disappointed, but a carousel ride lifted their spirits. They really loved getting to see the pandas. It was a VERY HOT day----around 90 degrees and very humid, but the park was worth all the sweat!!!
Today is our last day in Guangzhou. In 4 hours, we will be leaving for the airport. A few families left this afternoon to go by van to Hong Kong to fly home from there. Several more of us will be leaving shortly, and others later in the afternoon. It is a bittersweet time. We have spent over two weeks with these families, and the ties among us have grown close. We have families in our group from California, Texas, Wyoming, Ohio, Maine, Virginia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and Kentucky. We all come from different backgrounds, different careers, different family dynamics. BUT, we all share one thing in common......we traveled half way around the world to be united with our son or daughter, and the bond that adoption forms among families just can't be explained. Not only are Roger and I blessed to have another daughter.....we are also blessed to have formed new friendships, some of which will last a lifetime.
We are amazed at how much Eiley Joy has changed in the eleven days she has been with us. She is SOMETHING ELSE!!!! The blank stare is gone, and her little eyes are bright, MOST of the time for her mischievousness!!! This afternoon we made group pictures, and we sat all of our little ones on a couch to make pictures. She was the only one who kept trying to turn a flip off the couch!!! You can see in the picture how tiny she is for her age. The little boy sitting to her right is 15 months old, and the little girl on her left is 19 months old. At 28 months, she was next to the oldest child in our adoption group. We just love her SO much!!!!
We will be flying to Shanghai today to spend a couple of nights and days. We are excited that we will get to visit the Shanghai Healing Home on Saturday. That is where Eiley Joy spent all of her time except for her first month of life. We feel blessed to have the opportunity to visit there. We didn't get to go toher finding place because it was too far away, but this will mean just as much to us.
Please pray for our safe travels......and that all THREE girls will sleep a lot on the plane!!!! It is only about a 2 1/2 hours flight from Guangzhou to Shanghai. We will fly out Sunday afternoon and head for HOME!!!!
Vicki :)
Yesterday afternoon, we spend some more time on Shamian Island. Another couple in our travel group went with us, and it was nice spending some time with new friends, who feel like old friends. I had to purchase a FEW MORE pairs of squeaky shoes, and I finished outmy list of things that I wanted to get for the girls. We enjoyed lunch at Lucy's (I just can't get enough of the ICED TEA after not being able to drink anything with ice in it for over two weeks!!!) Last night, we ate dinner at the Macaw which is a Portuguese/Cantonese restaurant. It was another great meal.
Today, we went to Safari Park with the couple we spent time with on Shamian Island yesterday. It is an interactive zoo, and it was nothing less than PHENOMENAL!!!! The girls really enjoyed it. Molly Kate and Callie Beth got to feed the giraffes. They wanted to ride an elephant, but they weren't quite tall enough. They were both disappointed, but a carousel ride lifted their spirits. They really loved getting to see the pandas. It was a VERY HOT day----around 90 degrees and very humid, but the park was worth all the sweat!!!
Today is our last day in Guangzhou. In 4 hours, we will be leaving for the airport. A few families left this afternoon to go by van to Hong Kong to fly home from there. Several more of us will be leaving shortly, and others later in the afternoon. It is a bittersweet time. We have spent over two weeks with these families, and the ties among us have grown close. We have families in our group from California, Texas, Wyoming, Ohio, Maine, Virginia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and Kentucky. We all come from different backgrounds, different careers, different family dynamics. BUT, we all share one thing in common......we traveled half way around the world to be united with our son or daughter, and the bond that adoption forms among families just can't be explained. Not only are Roger and I blessed to have another daughter.....we are also blessed to have formed new friendships, some of which will last a lifetime.
We are amazed at how much Eiley Joy has changed in the eleven days she has been with us. She is SOMETHING ELSE!!!! The blank stare is gone, and her little eyes are bright, MOST of the time for her mischievousness!!! This afternoon we made group pictures, and we sat all of our little ones on a couch to make pictures. She was the only one who kept trying to turn a flip off the couch!!! You can see in the picture how tiny she is for her age. The little boy sitting to her right is 15 months old, and the little girl on her left is 19 months old. At 28 months, she was next to the oldest child in our adoption group. We just love her SO much!!!!
We will be flying to Shanghai today to spend a couple of nights and days. We are excited that we will get to visit the Shanghai Healing Home on Saturday. That is where Eiley Joy spent all of her time except for her first month of life. We feel blessed to have the opportunity to visit there. We didn't get to go toher finding place because it was too far away, but this will mean just as much to us.
Please pray for our safe travels......and that all THREE girls will sleep a lot on the plane!!!! It is only about a 2 1/2 hours flight from Guangzhou to Shanghai. We will fly out Sunday afternoon and head for HOME!!!!
Vicki :)
SHAMIAN ISLAND
It's funny---when we made Molly Kate's and Callie Beth's pictures with
these statues right after we adopted them, they both cried.......but look at
THIS little toot. I think she's poking the little boy's eyes out. WOE IS
ME........ :) AND, by the way, I DO put bows in her hair......they just don't
always stay in a LONG time!!!!
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
PEARL RIVER CRUISE
Last night was the Pearl River Cruise. We have been
on the cruise twice before, but it is such a BEAUTIFUL and relaxing time, that
we didn't want to miss it. In the past, we have eaten dinner on the cruise, and
let me tell you, the food was quite gross!!! This year, all of the families in
our travel groups opted to order Papa John's pizza instead!!!! Molly Kate and
Callie Beth really enjoyed the cruise. They loved it when we went out on the
upper deck, and the wind was whipping through their hair. Everything is SO
beautiful. Many of the buildings are lit, and there are boats passing by with
bright lights. I don't remember the name of the tower, but it is the 3rd
tallest building in the world. The lights on it are just unbelievable!!!! Eiley
Joy enjoyed the cruise, too. I am including a couple of pictures where she is
smiling really big. The REASON she is smiling like that is because one of our
adoption friends, Sarah Lynn is holding her, and she has a hold of Sarah Lynn's
hair. The harder Sarah Lynn tries to get her to let go of her hair, the harder
Eiley Joy laughs!!! She is a STINKER!!!! I am also including a picture with the
four little ones from Shanghai Healing Home. The little girl on the right in
the man's lap isn't from SHH, but she is an adopted sister of the one on the
left who IS from SHH. (By the way, those two girls are children number 10 and
11 for this gentleman and his wife---the 6th and 7th adopted from China. His
wife couldn't come because she is 7 months pregnant!!!)
Eiley Joy was able to get down and move around some on the boat. She is like a streak of lightning, though, and is hard to catch. She doesn't walk---she RUNS!!!! She LOVED the balloon animals, but she kept trying to chew on them and I was just sure she was going to pop them!!! We had three tired little girls by the end of the cruise, but a good time was had by all!!!!
Vicki :)
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Eiley Joy was able to get down and move around some on the boat. She is like a streak of lightning, though, and is hard to catch. She doesn't walk---she RUNS!!!! She LOVED the balloon animals, but she kept trying to chew on them and I was just sure she was going to pop them!!! We had three tired little girls by the end of the cruise, but a good time was had by all!!!!
Vicki :)
PHYSICAL DAY
I'm a little behind in writing, so I'm going to
try to catch up. Yesterday was our day for everyone in our group to take
their babies for their physical examinations. Also, any children over two had
to have blood drawn for a TB test. Apparently, Eiley Joy sensed what was
coming, because she chose to show her true colors once we arrived at the
medical center, and have a total meltdown. Actually, she wanted to get down
and run around, which wasn't necessarily a problem---it was just hard to
catch her when she took off. Surprisingly, she liked the doctor, and fully
cooperated with all of her exam. She is a whopping 22 lbs and 77 cm tall. I
didn't figure out how tall that actually is, but I know her height for her
age isn't even on the growth chart. She also has a little head (with plenty
of smarts inside!!!)
We had a little scare as we were going into the medical center. It is located next door the the U.S. Consulate. A man we had met earlier this week came up to us and informed us that the computer system at the consulate had crashed again. This happened about a month ago, and resulted in MANY families having to stay an extra 5 to 7 days in China, waiting for their child's visa. Needless to say, we didn't want that to happen. Our guide said that the news was NOT good, but hopefully when it was time for us to go, which is tomorrow (Wednesday) it would be fixed. We just prayed about it, and decided what was to be, was to be. We heard later in the afternoon that everything was back and working. After we got back from the physicals, we decided to take the girls to a nearby park. It was a beautiful place, and we enjoyed the walk. The girls were disappointed that there weren't swings there. Actually, there don't seem to be swings in ANY parks in China. They still enjoyed the time out and about. Vicki |
Sunday, September 21, 2014
WE ARE IN GUANGZHOU!!!!
We arrived in Guangzhou on Saturday evening
around 5:00. It was a little bitter sweet leaving Zhengzhou, ALTHOUGH I
was SO ready to be back to civilization!!!! (By the way, civilization
in China, to me, is an above the ground commode
WITH toilet paper in the stall!!! That was something I hadn't seen since
we left the good ole USA, except for on the plane.) Our guides in
Zhengzhou, Vivian and Rita, were simply awesome, and a close bond was
formed because they were the ones who were with
us on Gotcha Day, and who helped get all the necessary paperwork done to
make the rest of the paper chase go smoothly. Actually, Rita was our
guide, too, when we adopted Callie Beth, so she already had a special
place in our hearts.
Probably the worst part of our trip has been at the airport. We have five large suitcases with us----throw in two strollers, one of them being a double one, and three little girls, we have a LOAD!!! THEN, add to that, a little 28 month old spitfire who can throw one heck of a tantrum-----it CAN BE TOUGH!!! Eiley Joy did just that at the airport in Zhengzhou. She was hot, she was hungry (we couldn't take bottles on the plane), she is still recovering from her cold, and she DID NOT want to be in her stroller. In everything bad there is something good, though, and the good that came from the extensive screaming and crying and flailing, and basically giving me a run for my money at the airport, was that she slept the entire flight!!!
When we arrived in Guangzhou, our guides, Raymond and Jocelyn were there to meet us. We got on a NICE bus with AIR CONDITIONING that worked (not always the story about our buses in Zhengzhou) and headed for the hotel, the China Hotel. Once we arrived here and checked in, we were starving. There just happens to be a McDonalds (Ocdonalds, as the girls call it) right by the hotel, so that's what we had for supper, and I might add, it was pretty tasty!!! Our room at this hotel isn't quite as nice as our last room, but it is a little more practical with some storage places for our suitcases, QUEEN SIZED double beds, rather that 3/4 sized ones as we had in Zhengzhou, and room for Eiley Joy to move!!! We had VERY good night's sleep. Each day, Eiley Joy has slept a little later. She is a good sleeper, and sleeps anywhere from 10 to 12 hours when I put her to bed. She isn't a problem to get to sleep. I LOVE our cuddle time each night before she goes to bed.
Today, we had morning tours of the Banyan Temple, Chen House, and the Arts and Crafts market. Eiley Joy did really well UNTIL we got to the last stop, and then she started in her restlessness in her stroller----and when that happens, she can flip the whole thing over. Well, she had a pretty good reason to be mad because she had had a blowout diaper!!! I ended up having to totally strip her down, and when we came back to the hotel, all she had on was a diaper!!! It's funny----when I get her ready each day, I dress her, put her shoes on, and of course I put bows in her hair. Well, usually before long, we have shed at least one of the bows, sometimes both of them, and at least one shoe. She usually pulls her pigtails out , too. Today, she just managed to shed EVERYTHING!!!!
Once we got back from our tour, we took the girls to the playground here at the hotel and let them play for awhile. There is also a little indoor playroom, so we spent some time in there, too. Roger had to go do some paperwork this afternoon, so the girls and I just chilled in the room. I though Eiley Joy would go to sleep, but she didn't. I decided she need another bath after her morning blowout. This time, I just sat her in the bathroom sink. Let me tell you, that girls LOVES water!!!! She is a WILD WOMAN when I put her in the tub. She wants to stand, sit, roll, lie down.....and today in the sink, was no different. I tried to bathe her quickly, and when I got her out, she tried to climb back up the cabinet. I can't wait to see her in a swimming pool---she may be our little fish!!!
Tonight, we took a taxi and went to eat at a Mexican restaurant!!! It was definitely a nice change from Chinese!!!! Eiley Joy does NOT like a highchair, so usually I just hold her and feed her when we eat. She was asleep tonight before our food ever arrived, and she slept through the whole meal. She woke up as we were leaving, and was awake during the taxi ride back, but she was ready to go to bed once we got here.
Tomorrow morning we will be going to get her physical. Please pray that everything goes well, and that her congestion will not be a problem. She is feeling much better, and sounds a lot better. She will have to have a TB skin test. Pray that it will go okay, too. We will have a little bit of free time tomorrow afternoon, and then we will be going on the Pearl River cruise tomorrow night. It was one of my favorite things to do here in Guangzhou. Luckily, we are going to order Papa John's Pizza instead of eating the buffet on the cruise---that buffet is one of my LEAST FAVORITE THINGS!!!
I am attaching some pictures taken the last couple of days.The first pictures are of our guides. Vivian is in the first picture and Rita is in the second picture. The rest are of our girls!
Vicki
Saturday, September 20, 2014
AND A GOOD DAY WAS HAD BY ALL!!!!
Today was BY FAR the best day we've had
since we got Eiley Joy. It was the first sunny day we've had here in
Zhengzhou, and the first day we could really get out and about for fun.
Even though our hotel room is extremely nice, with
five people and five BIG suitcases in it, there's no room for little
girls to play. We decided to walk to a nearby park this morning after
breakfast. It was a relaxing and enjoyable trip. Molly Kate and Callie Beth walked, and we pushed Eiley Joy in her stroller. She seemed to LOVE the trip, and only fussed when we stood still too long.
After going to the park, we came back to the hotel and decided we would let the girls play in the area on our floor by the elevator. It's a large room with a couple of chairs and lots of room to move around. Well, that didn't work because Eiley Joy spied the marble steps right off the bat, and that's all she was interested in, and since she goes at a mad dash pace, it was just too dangerous for her to be near them. So, I took the girls back to in front of our room and let them play in the hall. EJ wanted to go back toward the elevator and steps, but I made her go the other direction. She slipped by me a few times, and I had to run to catch her!!! She ran up and down the hallway, turned somersaults, AND she giggled and smiled A LOT!!! It was just SO much fun to watch her. Even when we came back into the room, she played and really didn't fuss at all. That was a BIG improvement over yesterday and the days before.
Each day we see more and more personality coming out of her. Monday, she had a blank stare----today, she was the little girl with A LOT of promise, just like I knew she was going to be.
Please pray for us tomorrow as we board a plane to fly to Guangzhou. I will be SO glad to get there. This will be the first time for Eiley Joy to fly, though, so we will see how she does. I know she's going to want to sit in my lap, but that's fine.
I'm attaching a few pictures from today. We LOVE our girl and think she is just ADORABLE!!!!
Vicki :)
After going to the park, we came back to the hotel and decided we would let the girls play in the area on our floor by the elevator. It's a large room with a couple of chairs and lots of room to move around. Well, that didn't work because Eiley Joy spied the marble steps right off the bat, and that's all she was interested in, and since she goes at a mad dash pace, it was just too dangerous for her to be near them. So, I took the girls back to in front of our room and let them play in the hall. EJ wanted to go back toward the elevator and steps, but I made her go the other direction. She slipped by me a few times, and I had to run to catch her!!! She ran up and down the hallway, turned somersaults, AND she giggled and smiled A LOT!!! It was just SO much fun to watch her. Even when we came back into the room, she played and really didn't fuss at all. That was a BIG improvement over yesterday and the days before.
Each day we see more and more personality coming out of her. Monday, she had a blank stare----today, she was the little girl with A LOT of promise, just like I knew she was going to be.
Please pray for us tomorrow as we board a plane to fly to Guangzhou. I will be SO glad to get there. This will be the first time for Eiley Joy to fly, though, so we will see how she does. I know she's going to want to sit in my lap, but that's fine.
I'm attaching a few pictures from today. We LOVE our girl and think she is just ADORABLE!!!!
Vicki :)
Friday, September 19, 2014
MOLLY KATE and CALLIE BETH
Thursday, September 18, 2014
CATCHING UP!!!!
Because of the poor internet connection in our hotel, and because I've had
trouble downloading pictures on our computer, I haven't been able to keep up
with daily posts. SO, I'm going to try to catch up and share the most important
things that have happened up to this point.
I don't think I shared what happened on our flight from Beijing to Zhengzhou. Tammie Ross, you will LOVE this!!! We left the hotel in Beijing at 6:30 AM on Sunday morning and headed to the airport. Even though we arrived two hours prior to take-off, by the time we were checked in and went through security, we were almost late getting on the plane. We had a relatively good flight, but when the plane got to Zhengzhou, the weather was bad, and there was no visibility at the airport, so we weren't able to land. Of course, they didn't initially make that announcement. Instead, we were all sitting in our seats on the plane, well aware that we would soon be landing, when suddenly the plane accelerated upward very quickly. We didn't know what was going on!!! A few minutes later, though, it was announced that the weather was too bad to land in Zhengzhou, and instead, the plane would be landing in Wuhan. Well, Wuhan happens to be in a totally different province--the province of Hubei, that is at least 400 miles south of Zhengzhou!!! I thought it was kind of neat that we were going to get to go to another province I had never visited, but honestly, I really WANTED to go where we were SUPPOSED to go. We did land in Wuhan, and spent about 45 minutes sitting on the plane, until clearance was given for the pilot to fly us back to Zhengzhou.
By the time we arrived in Zhengzhou, we were running considerably behind schedule. One of the events that was to take place after we arrived was to go to the bank to exchange money to pay for the fees that would be due the next day---our GOTCHA Day. Had we arrived when we were supposed to, there would have been plenty of time to get to the bank (yes, banks in China are open on Sunday), because of our delay, we arrived only 30 minutes before the bank closed, SO it was a mad rush to get there before it closed. It was raining cats and dogs again. Luckily, everyone got to the bank, and the money was exchanged just in the nick of time. With the money exchanged, we had everything we needed for GOTCHA DAY.
I have already shared an entry about GOTCHA DAY. I just want to add a few things that I don't think I shared. I could never adequately describe what it's like to have a child placed in your arms (even if they are flailing and grabbing jewelry and glasses), whom you have been waiting months for----a child from half way around the world. The moment Eiley Joy was placed in my arms, there was an instant connection. It was no different than the first time my biological children were placed in my arms----she was OUR baby. I can't explain how much we already loved this child, even though we had never seen her in person before. SHE WAS OUR DAUGHTER. There's a flip side to the story, though----there is the caregiver---the ayi, who has loved and cared for this child, many times since birth or shortly after, who has to hand her over, and most likely will never see her again. In Eiley Joy's case, the ayi was a young lady, and I was told by another parent in our group who arrived when this ayi was arriving with Eiley Joy, that she had sat over to the side and cried the entire time from when she had come in with her.
Her tears broke my heart. I know she was happy that Eiley Joy was getting a real family, but still, she was giving up a part of her life. I wouldn't want her job, because I don't think I could handle it.
I don't think I shared what happened on our flight from Beijing to Zhengzhou. Tammie Ross, you will LOVE this!!! We left the hotel in Beijing at 6:30 AM on Sunday morning and headed to the airport. Even though we arrived two hours prior to take-off, by the time we were checked in and went through security, we were almost late getting on the plane. We had a relatively good flight, but when the plane got to Zhengzhou, the weather was bad, and there was no visibility at the airport, so we weren't able to land. Of course, they didn't initially make that announcement. Instead, we were all sitting in our seats on the plane, well aware that we would soon be landing, when suddenly the plane accelerated upward very quickly. We didn't know what was going on!!! A few minutes later, though, it was announced that the weather was too bad to land in Zhengzhou, and instead, the plane would be landing in Wuhan. Well, Wuhan happens to be in a totally different province--the province of Hubei, that is at least 400 miles south of Zhengzhou!!! I thought it was kind of neat that we were going to get to go to another province I had never visited, but honestly, I really WANTED to go where we were SUPPOSED to go. We did land in Wuhan, and spent about 45 minutes sitting on the plane, until clearance was given for the pilot to fly us back to Zhengzhou.
By the time we arrived in Zhengzhou, we were running considerably behind schedule. One of the events that was to take place after we arrived was to go to the bank to exchange money to pay for the fees that would be due the next day---our GOTCHA Day. Had we arrived when we were supposed to, there would have been plenty of time to get to the bank (yes, banks in China are open on Sunday), because of our delay, we arrived only 30 minutes before the bank closed, SO it was a mad rush to get there before it closed. It was raining cats and dogs again. Luckily, everyone got to the bank, and the money was exchanged just in the nick of time. With the money exchanged, we had everything we needed for GOTCHA DAY.
I have already shared an entry about GOTCHA DAY. I just want to add a few things that I don't think I shared. I could never adequately describe what it's like to have a child placed in your arms (even if they are flailing and grabbing jewelry and glasses), whom you have been waiting months for----a child from half way around the world. The moment Eiley Joy was placed in my arms, there was an instant connection. It was no different than the first time my biological children were placed in my arms----she was OUR baby. I can't explain how much we already loved this child, even though we had never seen her in person before. SHE WAS OUR DAUGHTER. There's a flip side to the story, though----there is the caregiver---the ayi, who has loved and cared for this child, many times since birth or shortly after, who has to hand her over, and most likely will never see her again. In Eiley Joy's case, the ayi was a young lady, and I was told by another parent in our group who arrived when this ayi was arriving with Eiley Joy, that she had sat over to the side and cried the entire time from when she had come in with her.
Her tears broke my heart. I know she was happy that Eiley Joy was getting a real family, but still, she was giving up a part of her life. I wouldn't want her job, because I don't think I could handle it.
GOTCHA DAY was an emotional day
for Callie Beth. The Registration Office where we went to get Eiley Joy, was the
very same place where we went to get Callie Beth a little over two years ago.
When she walked into that room, she remembered, and for most young children
being adopted, GOTCHA DAY is not necessarily a GOOD day in their memory. It's
the day they are taken away from everything they have known, whether it be good
or bad. I will never forget her scared little face when I took her into my arms
for the first time. Callie Beth LOVED Eiley Joy, and was excited when she saw
her, but she stuck to me like glue the whole time we were at the Registration
Office. She wouldn't even go play in the play area there. I really didn't think
a lot about it at the time---I guess I was caught up in the moment of getting
Eiley Joy. It all came to a head when Callie Beth told me she had to go to the
bathroom. I was signing papers, so I told Roger to take her. They were back in
just a few minutes----there were only squatty potties there in the restrooms,
and Callie Beth was adamant that she was NOT going to use a squatty potty. I took
her back to the bathroom, and was going to try to help her, and she broke down
crying. It's not like her to get upset over things like that. All the way back
to the hotel, she kept talking about those squatty potties. She kept saying,
"Those squatty potties are BAD....they are a BAD HABIT!!!" I didn't
like seeing her sad, but it was funny how expressive she was when verbalizing
her feeling about them. It wasn't until she got upset about not being able to
find her sandal, that I realized it was something else that was wrong. And then
I realized what it likely was. When I asked her if she remembered when Mommy
and Daddy came to that room to get her for the first time, she said she did.
When I asked her if she remembered how she felt, she said yes....she was scared.
After we talked about it awhile, though, she was okay.
On Tuesday, we went back to the
Registration Office to finalize our adoption. It was at this point, that Eiley
Joy was REALLY ours, and there was NO TURNING BACK. It was a happy day for all
of us, and even Callie Beth had a big smile on her face in the pictures we
took. After leaving there, we had to make two other stops to complete
paperwork. We had to get our picture made for the adoption certificate, and
then go to the notary's office to have everything notarized. It was not a fun
day to be out, because it again was raining cats and dogs, just like it had ben
on Sunday and Monday.
On Wednesday, we had to travel to the city where Eiley Joy was found to apply for her passport. That city was Xinyang, which is in the FAR south of the Henan province (almost to Wuhan, Hubei!!!) To travel there, we took the bullet train. It was a really neat experience, especially for the girls. It was very neat and spacious, and traveled at 190 miles per hour!!! It was amazing how smooth the ride was. We left the hotel at 6:50, took a taxi to the train station, went to Xinyang to apply for the passport, took the train back and taxi back to the hotel, and we were back by 2, and we had traveled over 700 miles round trip!!!! Of course, the down side to it all was that we had to stand out in the rain to wait for a taxi, and we had to walk from our taxi tot he train station....AND, of course, it was raining cats and dogs AGAIN!!! We waded in water ankle deep. That's not fun, especially when you have three little girls you are trying to keep dry. The train ride was worth it all, though, so I couldn't complain TOO much. We opted to eat a late lunch in the dining room at the hotel once we were back, though, and ordered room service for dinner. We had had ENOUGH of being in the rain. :)
TEN THINGS I'VE LEARNED ABOUT EILEY JOY.......
I shared a lot about the events of the past few days, but I really don't feel like I've shared much about our new daughter, so here are things that I have already learned about our precious bundle from God.......
1. The is a compact little chunk!!! She really is so small for her age----she looks more like maybe a 15 month old instead of a 28 month old-----but she is almost a little Buddha. She is tiny, but chubby. She wears a size 12 months clothes, and some of those are big on her, and the smallest pair of shoes that I brought, a size 4, is took big for her.
2. She is going to be left handed. Her left hand dominance is SO obvious.
3. She has the most BEAUTIFUL LONG EYELASHES!!! Most little Chinese girls don't have long eyelashes, but she sure does. In fact, at the Shanghai Healing Home where she was, they called her, "Eyelash Baby."
4. She loves to be held. In fact, she has been in either my arms or Roger's arms probably 98% of her waking hours. She is a SNUGGLE BUNNY!!!!
5. She can throw the WORST FITS of any child I have ever seen!!!!----and when she does, she is as strong as an ox!!! I don't think that fit throwing is something she did all the time at SHH (I AM going to ask about it, though, when we visit!!!) Because she is so little, it's easy for us to forget that she had been at SHH for almost 27 months of her life, and despite the fact that we hold her all the time like she wants, her life has been turned upside down. We did discover yesterday, after spending a day of several fits from her, once she pooped (for the first time since we had gotten her), it was like a switch had been turned off. She was the happiest child ever. It's possible that she is having some stomach problems----new foods, medicine for her cough, etc. that has her stomach torn up. She may be hurting----OR, she may just be STUBBORN!!! :)
6. She's funny!!!! When she walks, she is like a bull in a china shop, and walks like a drunken sailor!!! She goes ninety to nothing, and even though she may trip, stumble, or fall, she just picks right back up and keeps going.
7. She didn't come to us talking----just a little bit of quiet babbling, BUT she said, "MOMMA" today!!!!
8. I know you won't believe I am saying this, but the bows I made for her are TOO BIG!!! She has a petite little head to go with her little body, and her fine silky hair won't hold the bows. ANYWAY, since she's pretty feisty, she likes to reach up an pull the bows out if she knows I put them in. OH, DEAR.....it's going to be the BATTLE OF THE BOWS with her!!! :)
9. She is going to be a daredevil. She LOVES to be flipped and bounced on the bed, turned upside down and flipped in my lap, and she REALLY loves to spin in the chair in our hotel room. She doesn't appear to be afraid of ANYTHING!!!!
10. She is a blessing from God----our third daughter----a child entrusted to us to love, raise, and give the best possible life to that we can. She just may give us a run for our money, but we are both in it for the long haul. She needed a mama and a daddy, but I have no doubts that Roger and I are going to find out, just like we did with Molly Kate and Callie Beth, that we needed HER just as much........ WE ARE BLESSED!!!!!
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