Coming home

It's 10:45pm in China. China has only one time zone...very strange for a country as large as this. We get our wake up call at 4:00am. Our flight leaves around 8:30am. We arrive in Portland at 7:15am on the same day. Magic!

Hannah and I have still been laying low, as our illnesses are not 100% behind us. Better to rest a bit in China than to be sick on the plane. I did get out for a little shopping today, but it was really my only day out, so I didn't get as much done as I had wanted. Basically, I didn't buy all those things I really don't need for half the price as in the US.

This will be my last post before arriving home. I'm going to try to squeeze in a few pictures from the last couple of days (courtesy of Marian, primarily).

Marian had the chance to visit a local Kindergarten, something I was really looking forward to. I didn't want to go without Hannah, and she just wasn't up for it. However, the Kindergarten turned out to be a private boarding school for kids 18 months and older. The parents visit up to 2 times a week. Here are some images:

School3

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

School1

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Toothbrushes

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Beds

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Apparently this school is for the more affluent citizens of Guangzhou. Interesting how the classes have developed in the past several years. The gap between the poor and rich has really widened in this country. Capitalism has arrive in China.

Yesterday, we all went to the US Consulate to pick up the babies passports and visas. They had a corny little swearing in ceremony. It was the one time I actually teared up. I have been trying to stay very level emotionally, mainly for Hannah. I'm not sure why this particular moment caught me so off guard. We were in a huge room with about 55 adoptive families. The girls will arrive home as US citizens. Last year, there were approximatlely 7000 adoptions processed to the US from this Consulate. Only 10% of orphanges in China are open to international adoptions. We are only touching the tip of this very large iceberg.

Hannah is feeling better as you can see:

Feeling Better

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

She told me today that the first thing she was going to do when she gets home is to eat tortellini (hint, hint Grandma). She said she liked coming to China. When I asked her what she liked best, she said the Hotels. Don't all kids love to stay in hotels? She had a bit of a relapse today, so we kept her in again, but she was feeling pretty good this evening. Hopefully she'll just sleep a lot on the plane on the way home.

Here's a typical picture of Lucy at meal time. She continues to be a great eater, and usually is the first one to start eating, and the last one to finish. She gets mad if you don't feed her fast enough. She loves food!

Our Eater

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

During my brief shopping expedition today, I captured this image. This is very typical of something you see on a daily basis here. It's amazing, the combination of old and new here. Although cars are gaining in popularity rapidly, bicycles are still used quite heavily, not only as a means of transportation, but as a means of moving goods for businesses:

Bicycle

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Lucy had her first official play date today, with her buddy Clara who will also live in Portland. We fly home tomorrow with Clara and her parents Kristin & Darrell. Clara and Lucy were found on the exact same day, and were given the same birthdates. Both of their Chinese names reflect the fact that they were found on a day that was bright and clear. They will always have that connection. They are both really big girls, with Clara beating Lucy by a pound or so:

Clara and Lucy

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

This morning we walked over to the White Swan Hotel and took some photos of our group and the babies. Hannah stayed in our room with Auntie Marian, so she didn't get to be in this family photo :-( Could have been our Christmas photo, but we'll have to try again:

3 of us

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

This photo of the babies says it all:

Babies

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

They are, from left to right, Emma, Lilly, Maya, Mimi, Josiah, Lucy, Hau (sitting on top of the sofa), and Clara. Josiah (the lone boy) and Hau joined our group in Guangzhou. They were both considered special needs children, and came from orphanages in another area. They are both around 2-years-old, and are beautiful children. Also, if you couldn't tell, Lilly and Maya are twins. They will live with their parents in Alaska. Emma and her Mom live in Los Angeles, and Hau and her mother live in Sacramento. It was a bit chaotic, and this was the best shot I was able to get.

It has been a wonderful trip, and one I hope I have documented well enough for Lucy. It will be an important link to her past. A few nights ago, I made a comment to Marian at a restaurant that both of my daughters had pulled their socks off. She said, "Does that feel weird, saying 'your daughters'?" I have to admit, it did, and still does. It will take some getting used to, but I truly feel they are both my daughters. I suppose it's a little harder when you don't have them from the start. However, they are both such a joy. I heard a saying the other day: 'Giving birth is an act of nature. Adoption is an act of faith.' I suppose that's true to a certain extent, but I'm not sure I agree entirely. I think having children, regardless of how you get them, is a little of both.

Peace.

The waiting...

Hi everyone, and so sorry for the lack of posts lately. Illness finally caught up with us. My cold worsened, and although it didn't really keep me down, by the end of the day, I was just too tired to post anything. Then Hannah got sick (don't worry Grandma, she's fine...we have a general practioner and a pediatrician traveling with us). That kept the three of us (Roger, me and Hannah) cooped up in the room for about 24 hours. I'm happy to say everyone is on the road to recovery now. Marian is the only one who has managed to stay 100% healthy.

I know I already posted about Guangzhou, but I'll back pedal for a moment. We left Nanchang on Saturday. It was bittersweet leaving the Jiangxi province. Who knows when Lucy will return? Here's the last photo I have of her in her home province. We're at the airport, and she is playing with her friend Mimi (sitting in Mom Terry's lap):

Leaving Jiangxi

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

After Hannah got her grilled cheese sandwich on the first day (which was quite an experience...we ended up with two of every drink we ordered, and no grilled cheese sandwhich, but finally got things worked out), we headed to the playground. Lucy slept through most of it:

Sleeping Lucy

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Hannah and Dad

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Most of our days here are spent killing time. It's a waiting game, and we're all anxious to get home. We're waiting for Lucy's US Visa to be issued. I'm not quite sure how it works, but she enters the US with a Chinese passport and US Visa, but is a US citizen. Anyway, we've been seeing a bit of Guangzhou, including a beautiful park called Tian Tai Gardens. I was feeling pretty bad at this point, and I think it shows:

Tian Tai Gardens

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Also, we made a stop at a Buddhist Temple, where the babies all received a blessing from a Monk. The camera batteries died just before we went in for the blessing, but Marian caught it on video. Here's a shot of Roger and Hannah outside the temple:

Buddhist Temple

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Finally, on Monday we headed out for Lucy's required Medical Exam. It's all part of the process for getting her US Visa issued. As usual, she was completely laid back about the entire process, and didn't cry once. Even in a room full of crying babies. There were two signs outside this room. One said, 'Medical Exam for Adoptive Families' and the other said 'Keep Quiet'. Right. Practically every other baby was wailing at the top of their lungs (understandably). Lucy just flew through the exam with her normal level of curiousity:

Medical Exam

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Tomorrow, we pose for our group photo with all the babies, and then in the afternoon it's the swearing in ceremony at the US Consulate, where we pick up the babies visas. We're free to leave after that. Unfortunately, we won't get to leave for another day. The flight back to Portland from Guangzhou on Thursday was completely booked, so we'll be here an extra day. That should give me time to catch up on my shopping, since I've been out of the shopping loop the past couple of days. Don't worry Darian! I'm on a mission to find you what you asked for!

Hannah has still refused to take a bath or shower. She's growing dreadlocks at this point. And with her being sick this week, it's not a pretty sight. She's doing well though, and as usual, keeps us all thinking and laughing.

Lucy is such a happy baby, and I can't wait for everyone to meet her. She is still very much Daddy's girl, but is letting me and Marian in on the fun as well now. She is so curious about everything, and has continued to be a great eater. She's progressed developmentally even since we have had her. She is pretty much right on track for a baby her age. She can roll front to back, and back to front, and can almost pull herself up to a sitting position by herself. She sits by herself really well. She is very verbal, and loves to imitate sounds (just like her cousin Francis!)

All of the babies in our group are doing great. There was one baby in particular that is the same age as Lucy, that we were concerned about. When we got them, this baby was so lethargic. She didn't respond to much stimulus, and several of us in the group wondered if there was something more serious going on. However, with just a little attention and interaction from her new family, she has really progressed. She is completely social now, and very responsive. It's amazing how little it takes.

Marian has been our eyes and ears the past couple of days, and has continued to participate in all the group activities. I'll try to post an update again this evening on what has been happening here, along with some new photos.

It's 4:45am here right now. I couldn't sleep due to my 'snottiness' (I don't mean my attitude, I mean the condition of my head). Sorry to be so graphic, but that's the only way I can describe it. I guess I'm just trying to readjust to the time change a little early. Anyway, I thought I might as well use this time to my advantage.

We miss everyone so much, and can't wait to come home. Just a couple of more days!

A quiet day

We're in Guangzhou now, staying at the Victory Hotel on Shamian Island. This area was developed by the British and French, and has a very European feel to it. They really cater to westerners here, and we were able to get Hannah a grilled cheese sandwich and french fries after arriving yesterday. More processed cheese! There is also a playground and public swimming pool here, so Hannah is having a great time.

Both of the girls are doing great. Lucy is such a big girl, and a big eater! Grandma will be in heaven.

Today is Sunday in China, and a quiet day for us. We are going to a park later this afternoon with the group, then to Dim Sum dinner at a famous restaurant. Tomorrow we're off to have Lucy's medical exam performed, and apply for her visa for US entry. After that, it's just waiting around until all the paperwork is processed.

One thing we've had fun with is looking for signs translated into English. They don't always translate well. Sometimes it's easy to figure out what the meaning is, but other times, it's a mystery.

Signs

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Sign 2

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

I'll leave today with a few random pictures. I'm taking advantage of some "quiet time" (Hannah knows that phrase), while the girls, Roger and Marian are at the playground. I'm nursing a cold, and don't want it to worsen, so a nap is in order.

We miss everyone!

This is Hannah's new look. She refuses to take a bath, and wants to wear her hat all the time. She's figured out she gets less attention from the Chinese if they can't see her hair.

Shred Betty

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Big sister helping feed Lucy. She kept saying "I'm done Mom." Oh well, at least I got the picture!

Sister Helps Out

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Auntie and Lucy. They kind of like each other.

Marian and Lucy

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Lucy's Roots

I have been told that Jiangxi Province is the poorest province in China. Whether or not this is an accurate statistic, it is obvious that it is very poor, nonetheless.

Yesterday we were able to visit the Social Welfare Institute (SWI), or orphanage, where Lucy lived. It is located in Yifeng, which is a city of about 40,000 people in Jiangxi Province. The ride to Yifeng was amazing. Very rural, and very poor. The countryside was beautiful, but filled with mile after mile of run down buildings where people live. There is also a huge amount of construction going on everywhere. What's strange though, is there are so many buildings standing empty. Some are old and run down, but some are brand new. However, they just keep building. 60% of the population here are farmers. Most have very small pieces of land, where they work hard to produce enough to exist. Cotton and rice are big crops here, as are nuts.

Jiangxi

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

It was a day I was originally looking forward to. I'm glad we went, but it made me very sad. It was hard to see the spot where Lucy was found. She was found at the front gate of the orphanage, where this photo was taken:

Finding Spot 2

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

I just can't imagine what that day must have been like for her birth mother. I can't be angry with her, because she gave us Lucy. She must have felt as if she had no other choice. What a horrible decision to live with for the rest of her life. How close were we to her today, as we drove here? It's possible we drove right by her home I suppose. Probably not very likely, but possible.

It just made things very real for me, in terms of what is going on here with these girls. We were able to also meet her Foster Mother, which I am very thankful for. Lucy spent the first 4-5 months of her life in the orphanage, then was taken care of by a local woman, who became her foster mother. She clearly had wonderful care from this woman because she is really on track developmentally. I was able to thank her in person, for taking such wonderful care of our daughter. We were also able to take some photographs, which will be priceless for Lucy.

Foster Mom

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Our tour of the orphanage was very guarded. We were only allowed to see the outside of the infant building, and were told that all 31 babies currently under their care were in foster care. It's impossible to know whether or not this is true, but I'm glad to know the girls are getting such good care.

Each family gave a financial donation, and our group was able to give the orphanage a computer and some other gifts.

Group at Orphanage

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

The director of the orphanage was a very kind man.

SWI Director

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

We ate lunch with him and several of the workers from the orphanage at a local restaurant. They put on quite a feast, and clearly had many of the best local dishes prepared. The amount of food we had was astonishing...over 30 dishes.

Food

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

After our visit, we began the 2 1/2 hour ride back to Nanchang. We stopped part way back to visit a local farmer and his family. He was nice enough to let us look at his home, and share some information about his family with us. Unfortunately, my entire family, with the exception of Marian, missed this visit. Roger got sick yesterday, so he stayed on the bus. Hannah had fallen asleep, so I stayed behind to watch her and Lucy. Marian got some amazing photos, and shared the experience with us. I will let the photos speak for themselves:

Farmers Home

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Elderly Woman

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Blowing Bubbles

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

There are so many things to tell everyone about this amazing country, but that will have to wait for another day. We leave early tomorrow for Guangzhou, the final stop on our journey to bring Lucy home.

Lucy

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Pictures

Here are some pictures from the past few days.

This is our first photo as we arrived back at the hotel after pickig up Lucy. It's decorated for Christmas...completely for the western tourists:

Courtain Family

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Our first bottle. She's a great eater!:

First Bottle

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Some sister photos:

Sisters

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Sisters 2

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Just waking up. Hannah is eating yogurt...of course:

Waking Up

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

The whole group outside a pavilion in Nanchang:

Pavilion

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

The Clothing Police. For those of you who have been to China with children, you know what I'm talking about. For those who haven't, I'll explain later:

Clothing Police

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Whenever we go to a restaurant, the waitresses dote on both of the girls:

Feeding Time

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Settling In

Close Up

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

So everyone wants to know what Lucy is like. She is a very easy-going baby. The word I would use to describe her at the moment we got her was curious. All the families waited in a room. Each was called individually by a Chinese official. We were the second family called. We walked up and showed our passports, and were immediatly handed Lucy. She was fascinated with my hair, and kept grabbing at it. Then she heard Roger's voice, and actually threw her head backwards to look at him. She just stared at us, not showing any sign of fear or sadness. Just curiousity. She never cried. Not once. Many of the other babies started crying immediately. In fact, one of them has not stopped yet. We feel very fortunate. Lucy acts as if she has been with us forever. It may eventually settle in with her that this is permanent, and we may see some behavior changes, but perhaps not. Her caregivers described her as easy going and very social, and that is what we have seen.

This morning was spent doing paperwork. Hannah stayed with Marian at the hotel, and played. We went back to the same government building to do paperwork. The adoption was finalized at approximately 10:30 am today, Nanchang time. She is officialy a Courtain.

The last 36 hours has really been about settling in. Getting to know each other. The first time Lucy cried was before her afternoon nap yesterday. Roger had put her in her crib, then stepped away momentarily to get a toy for her. When he did, she started crying - hard. The moment he returned, she stopped. Did I mention she is Daddy's girl? The only thing she can really say is dada. Don't know if this is a coincidence or not. She truly does adore him. I, on the other hand, am the one who puts the yucky stuff in her mouth, washes her face (which all babies hate), and changes her clothes (which Lucy hates). Good cop, bad cop.

She has continued to be curious. She loves her big sister, and watches her intently whenever she is around. Hannah has been amazing through this whole process.

Hannah

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Although she is still a bit shy and hesitent about getting too close physically (she still has not held Lucy), she is very obviously proud to be a big sister, and will tell anyone who will listen. The first thing she did when we got back to the hotel after getting Lucy, was to introduce Yellow Baby to her.

Sister Fun

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Sister Fun 2

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

For those of you who know who Yellow Baby is, that was huge. Hannah is doing great on this trip. It's a long trip for anyone, let alone a 3-year-old. She has asked to go home a couple of times, but she really understands the importance of the trip, and knows we still have some time here. She misses her friends terribly, and talks about them a lot. She can't wait to have a play date with Cian and Aden, and has already bought a present for Corinne. Hi everyone!

Lucy is a healthy girl. She is pretty close to her weight that we were given, and is just a bit smaller than her height that we last received. She's wearing 12 month old clothes already, so she is a big girl! As you can see from her pictures, she loves to eat! She has two teeth, and is busy cutting some more. She has a slight heat rash on her back, but that's about it. She had her first bath today and loved it. It was an oatmeal bath, to help with her rash.

First Bath

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

We stay in Nanchang until Saturday morning. We are waiting for Lucy's Chinese passport. Then it's on to Guangzhou to apply and wait for her US Visa. We will be there until December 16.

I'll sign off for now. Both the girls are asleep, and it's only 10:15 pm local time, so I can actually do a bit of reading, and hopefully get a good night sleep. We miss everyone, and can't wait for Lucy to come home.

Here's Lucy!

Wow...what a day! I'm going to keep comments brief today for two reasons. First, I know everyone mainly wants pictures. Second, I'm super tired, and we have a very early day tomorrow.

At the moment we got Lucy, we focused on using the video camera (thanks to our incredible Adoption Doula/Nanny/Sherpa/Videographer, my amazing cousin Marian). So this is the first picture we have of Lucy. We're in front of the government building where we picked her up:

Courtains

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

The whole process for five families took about 15 minutes. We headed straight back to the hotel, and got to know each other. Here are some more photos. I'll fill you in on the details tomorrow.

Big Sis

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Toys

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Cute

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Cute 2

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

13 hours and counting

In exactly 13 hours, we will officially become a family of four. Six if you count the fish and cat.

We arrived in Nanchang this afternoon, and immediately came to the hotel. Very nice. They even have an indoor pool and playroom for the kids (Hannah is VERY excited about that). And high speed internet!

This was the first image we were greeted with as we boarded our bus in the parking lot:

Jiangxi Kids

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Two things. There are children here in Nanchang. Several of us in the group noticed the lack of children in Beijing. An obvious result of the one child policy. We saw very few children out in public. Second, the children are absolutely beautiful here. A fellow Jiangxi parent who adopted last spring, told me they say in China “Jiangxi baby very pretty, Jiangxi baby very smart.” I guess I'm just a little biased. We saw these beauties at the restaurant tonight:

More Jiangxi Kids

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

Although we are all ecstatic to finally be here (for obvious reasons), we were sad to leave Beijing, primarily because we had to leave behind our wonderful guide, Wendy.

Wendy

Originally uploaded by MomTo2.

She is really an amazing woman. She is smart, funny, warm and beautiful. Marian and I actually teared up as we were saying goodbye.

Nanchang is a "small" city -- only 4 million. It's on the Gan River, which is a branch of the Yangtze. Nan means South, and Chang means prosperity. Although we have seen only a bit of it, it appears to be a really beautiful city, and we're anxious to explore. The traffic here is the same as in Beijing, so you take your life in your hand, whether you are a pedestrian or a passenger. Roger had a really good observation today. He says they drive cars like they ride bikes, and that really makes sense. Afterall, just ten years ago, the only cars on the streets were taxi's and government cars. So driving is fairly new to the Chinese.

We meet our group in the lobby tomorrow morning at 10:50. The government building is only 5 minutes away. We pick up the girls at 11:00am. We'll be focusing on using the video camera at the moment we get Lucy, but we will take lots of photos after, and I'll post some as soon as I can. When we get her, it will be 8pm on Sunday night in Portland, so think of us then. 13 hours and counting.