4 Week Gotchaversary

Celebrating 4 weeks with Daniel and Emily's 15th Birthday today!

Fabulous 4 weeks. China was great, but home is hard to beat!

Daniel is doing great. He seems to love his family. He goes equally to mom and dad now. Although if he is sad or hurt or needs some extra sugar mom still seems to be best. 

He came to church for the first time yesterday. All that praising must have been exhausting. Chad was feeding him lunch, looked over at him, and found this:

He seems to enjoy the California sunshine. He's getting used to the pool too. He no longer clings to mama for dear life. He has even dunked his head a few times.

There seems to be a never-ending supply of playmates. Never a dull moment. I've had the "he doesn't have to get every single thing he wants" discussion with his siblings. 

We've gone shopping and brought home some Chinese carryout. It's my favorite.

He is no longer terrified of bath time. 

Fun family times. So glad to be home. All together.

We are home!

Hallelujah! We are home.

Delays in China and S. Korea. 3 hours on plane in China. 2 hours in airport in Seoul.

China security people took Daniel from my arms, he was not about this happy and told them so. 

Leaky poopy diaper.

Rude and gross man behind me on 12 hour flight.

Glorious bulkhead seats.

Glorious bassinet for Daniel.

US Immigration and Customs employees at LAX were amazing. Helpful. Made adopting families priority. 

So glad to be home.

Daniel gave all four siblings high fives and smiles.

Two awesome babysitters who rocked it! And who may be a little sad their two weeks with the kids are almost over. We owe them a million!

Tomorrow we had to the Thal center for Daniel's first appointment. 

Last Day in China

Today was our last full day.

We did not do much other than pack, rest, and get ready for a long day of travel.

We ate out for the last time with our travel group. Once again we found ourselves ordering off a Chinese menu by pointing at pictures. The manager of the restaurant kept trying to warn us not order what we were requesting, but we have no idea what she was trying to save us from, so we insisted on ordering what we had chosen. We ended up with a spicy beef and noodle soup, very fatty chicken which we later found out was goose, yummy tea, and fried rice with all kinds of mysterious items mixed in. The fried rice looked like it had mushrooms, shrimp, bean sprouts, and black skinned meaty olive type thingies with a very interesting after taste. As we walked out of the restaurant we noticed fish tanks with crabs, all kinds of fish, and live slithering snakes which resembled the black skinned meaty olive type thingies with an interesting after taste in our rice. 

A memorable last dinner with our friends. 

We are most definitely ready for home.

Daniel is our dose of China Daily.  Who needs a subscription?

Picture of the kids in our group. It did not go over so well.

Picture of the mamas and kids.

Blurry pic of the dad and kids. 

US Consulate Appointment

This morning was our US Consulate appointment to apply for an immigrant visa. This is the last step of the puzzle to be able to bring Daniel home with us. We will receive his visa stamped into his Chinese passport tomorrow evening. We fly out on Wednesday afternoon China time and arrive home Wednesday afternoon LA time. 

Outside the Consulate were hundreds of people waiting in line. Our guide said they are all waiting to apply for visas to be able to enter the US. As we walked past all these people in line and walked straight into the building, it once again hit me how privileged we are to be US citizens. 

We have no pictures of our appointment since no cameras, cell phones, watches, guns, etc. were allowed. 

There were about 10 other American families with their newly adopted children applying for immigrant visas with us. Such a powerful experience to be in a room full of kids who 8 days ago were orphans and are now our beloved children. Some of these children are already visibly different from just one week of being in a family. Adoption is amazing! 

There is no such thing as an unwanted adopted child. 

After our appointment we returned to the area of Guangzhou near Shamian Island. We walked through a spice market, a pet market, several alleys, a large pharmacy, and a shopping district. No way I can adequately describe, I'll let the pictures try to tell the story. 

In the van after the Consulate.

Walking past the Shifu Holiday Inn. With our guide Kathy. 

With the Burkes.

Glistening in the hot taxi. That's what I do in China. I don't sweat, I glisten.

Free Day

We had a quiet day today. Not much on the agenda. We are ready for tomorrow's US Consulate appointment to get Daniel's visa. This is the last step to be able to leave China.

This is Daniel's visa picture. He was upset because I had to hold him away from me. 

We went to an indoor shopping center. AC. That's why.

It was 5 or 6 stories tall with row after row of individual shops. It reminded me of a mercado in Mexico. Only bigger, more overwhelming, no sopes, and no Spanish. Minor differences.

Taxi ride

Still making baby steps on trust and bonding. Daniel let dad hold him all the way to breakfast this morning. This was monumental. Every day we see growth and improvement.

Only 3 more days in the hotel until we board our flight home. On Asiana Air. Can't wait for Daniel to meet his siblings and figure out he's not an only child. Ha!

Chen Academy and Progress

Have I mentioned I'm blogging on an iPad? Auto correct is not my friend. Sorry for all the typos.

Today we visited Chen Academy in Guangzhou. It was beautiful and very impressive. Intricately detailed wood, stone, bone, jade, and ivory carvings. 

It was just a little bit hotter than boiling. I overheard an American couple who walked past me say, "she looks so hot carrying her baby." Yep, that's me. The flushed, sweaty mom cuddling her 16 month old cute little furnace. 

We are taking baby steps with attachment. Today Daniel allowed Chad to throw him in the air. He also let Chad hold him as long as he was running around the hotel room. He had to come back frequently to mama for reassurance and hugs. He will also crawl a few feet away from me while keeping an eye on me out of the corner of his eye.

We are so blessed to have this time with Daniel to bond and get to know him. We sure are missing our kids at home though. 

Free day and Shamian Island

We had a day free from adoption proceedings. Shopping on the Island was the name of the game. We found a few gifts for the Joy kids who are ever so patiently waiing for us at home. We also got a few decorative items to add to our home. 

It is super hot and humid, I think I've mentioned that before. I have Daniel attached to me in the carrier pretty much all day (thank you Lisa!! We'd be in trouble without it!). Daniel and I both end up sweaty and hot from this arrangement, but luckily we like each other. I did not hear about Monkey Butt Powder until we were already here. It supposedly helps keep you from sweating as much in humid weather. It sounds heavenly right about now. Oh well.

i'll leave you with a few pictures of our day.

Taxi ride to The Island. Whoever is going faster seems to have the right of way. Pedestrians risk their life crossing the street. It is ok to drive on the wrong side of the road if it will get you where you are going quicker. 

Shamian Island. Beautiful colonial architecture, shaded streets, slower pace, friendly shop owners ready to become your BFF..."if you buy a lot I lower the price."

A group of precious school children. They were singing a song at the top of their lungs and then they would freeze in place. This was followed by a symphony of belly laughs. I could have watched them all day!

Inside one of the shops. This is the husband and the 4 year old son. They are a Christian family who live on the island and attend the church there. He has been a Christian for 12 years and she has been for 8. They sell bilingual Bibles and many other beautiful items. Jenny said Christians are no longer persecuted and they are free to worship as they wish in China. This was news to me.

We're thinking Samuel might like his head shaved like this little boy.

Having lunch at Lucy's. An American diner. It was yummy. We had fried rice and sole fish and fries. A few times we slid Daniel over onto Chad's lap and since he was having so much fun he did not notice. When he realized what had happened he'd look back at me, raise his arms, grunt, and make his way back over to my lap. Baby steps.

By the river, Pearl River I think, not sure. These are the other two mamas in our travel group. We've done pretty much everything together. Laughed and cried, and everything in between.

Signs around the Island. No shotting or hawking. Bummer.

The Island is a popular place for models to pose and be photographed. 

Loved the trees.

Now we are napping. And washing the layers of sweat off. And using western style toilets. 

All is good. We head home in 5 days.