Back Home Again in Indiana!

We are home....but boy are we tired!! I think we finally got the two big boys to bed around midnight, but Leah and Eli decided to stay up until around 2:00am!
Leah did so well yesterday! She finally ate when we stopped at Chik-Fil-A for supper in Indy. She slept again on the way home. When we first got to the house she clung to me, but actually let me set her down fairly soon and began exploring. She seems comfortable so far, but we know we have a long road ahead. Thank you to everyone for your prayers of support! We felt them for sure, and will continue to need them - now a new journey begins!

Eli says we can't leave without him again!

Day Fourteen in China - well actually, Hong Kong....Tokyo.....USA!!!!!

  4/17/2013
We woke up way too early today to head for home!! We were in the terminal around 6:00 am (that's 6:00 pm for you at home). We had just enough time to get all checked in, through security, and even to get Aaron a double espresso...it's going to be a long day after all! Lol!

Our flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo was pretty uneventful (praise God!) with the exception of a little turbulence toward the end -which Leah loved...really! She smiled and giggled every time. I think she thought it was like Daddy tossing her in the air. :-) She did awesome on the flight. She was only a little fussy when she got tired and hungry...but even then it wasn't bad. She even got her wings from the pilot when we exited the plane in Tokyo! We were so proud of her for doing so well!

After a short layover in Tokyo, we set out for Atlanta, Georgia, USA!!! Leah fussed a little when we boarded the plane like she knew what was coming, but she had no idea! Lol! Our flight was only 12 1/2 hours long this time (yes, I said only!), and she did very well again. One of our favorite things about our flights was that because we had Leah and her stroller they had us board before everyone else! It made it so much easier, but also had us on the plane almost 45 minutes to an hour before take off, so it added to out "sit time". Leah took it all in stride, though. She sat in her seat like a big girl and played. Her favorite toy on both flights was the in-flight safety card from the back of the airport seats! I just can't believe how good she was...I had pictured a screaming, thrashing toddler, who needed to constantly get up and walk around the plane to keep happy. What we had was a content little girl who refused to eat hardly everything (but drank a lot), who was curious about the things in our seats, but was perfectly happy to play with us and the things around us and look out the plane window. She fussed occasionally when she was tired or needed a snack, but was just SO good on that LONG flight! She really only slept for about a 3 hour stretch the whole flight (thank you Christine for your assistance with that!), so she was exhausted by the time we reached Atlanta....and yes, so were we - by the time we would reach Indy we would have been up for 27 hours!! She was asleep almost as soon as we were off the plane and had her in the stroller. She slept through immigration (she is officially an American citizen-her SS card is on the way!), she slept through customs, she slept through us hurrying to our connecting flight four tram stops away, she slept through us waiting a bit longer because our plane was late reaching the terminal, she slept through boarding, take off, and landing in Indy!! She didn't wake up, in fact until we were getting our bags to get off the plane. I guess she did wake up just enough to realize we had gotten on the plane, because she cried like "not again!", but she was out again as soon as I put he down on the seat.

This is what a brand-new American Citizen looks like!  Ha ha!  She was so tired!

We arrived in Indy around 7:00 pm, and Mom, the boys, Amy, and Michelle greeted us at the baggage claim with a huge sign and lots of hugs! It's GREAT to be home!

A horribly blurry pic of our welcome home crew!

We MISSED you!!

Meeting Leah!

We had a sign waiting at home too!

Day Thirteen in China

One last pic together before we leave.

4/16/2013
Well, today is the day we leave Guangzhou. It's a bittersweet day. We are VERY excited to be getting closer to home, but we will miss the families we have gotten to know so well. We have shared a lot of special moments with these folks, and it will be hard to leave them knowing we may not see them again.

Mommy, Leah, and Miss Lin

After a late breakfast, and a goodbye to our new friend Miss Linn who works in the dining area, we went back to finish our packing. Be proud of us, Mom! We got it all packed by ourselves! Lol! We decided to take Leah to play in the outside playground on the 4th floor of the hotel. It was a pretty little rooftop garden, but Leah wanted no part of it. She was visibly shaking because she was so unsure of herself on the rubber flooring and overwhelmed by the play yard. It makes me wonder if she ever played in the play yard of her orphanage. We have picture of her standing on the platform and siting at the top of their little metal slide, but she wanted no part of any of the Little Tikes type slides, swings, and little houses. She truly seemed afraid of it, so we spent a bit more time in our hotel room where she isn't afraid to play.

Daddy knows how to make her smile.

We checked out at around 1:30, then set out for one last lunch with our group. Lunch was a lot of fun, we have been so blessed to have Joey and Christine in our group because they speak Chinese and have been a HUGE help in many situations! Christine has ordered several meals for our group! We had about an hour or so to wait after lunch, so we just stayed in the hotel lobby and let the kids play while we talked. The older kids were so great with our little ones, and they had fun chasing them around and playing with them. Leah even ran around the lobby and put her hands in Naomi's when she talked to her! We are making such progress!

Our last time with Shiyan.

Shiyan arrived and gave us all of the paperwork required to bring our kiddos home. The four other Bethany families who were leaving with us all shared three vans, so we split up and set off around 4:30. The ride to Hong Kong seemed like it took forever...thank goodness we had the Kotul's with us to talk to. We met our new van drivers right before we crossed the border into Hong Kong. This time each family had their own van as there is a law in Hong Kong that no more than 6 people can ride in a van at the same time. This part of our ride took much less time because the traffic wasn't nearly as heavy after we crossed the border. We arrived at our hotel at the airport around 8:00. Another round of goodbyes ensued - we will miss this group of believers who completely identify with how we are feeling and what we are going through. Parenting this child is the same as parenting has always been, but also completely different if that makes any sense!

We took a short walk to the airport terminal so we would have our bearings in the morning, which would be here way too soon! We grabbed some McDonald's for supper, and went back to settle in for the night. It's hard to believe our adventures in China are almost over. So many prayers have brought us here, and so many prayers will bring us home. We are covered in Gods grace! We are blessed indeed!

A long day for our little sweetie.

Day Twelve in China

 

4/15/2013
I can't believe we have been here for almost two weeks! We went for Leah's US Consulate appointment today along with four of the other Bethany families. We couldn't take pictures, so we did it in the lobby afterward. There wasn't much to do, actually, we just had to say an oath that everything we had written or told them was the truth, then we had to turn in her paperwork to get her visa and immigration papers. We were all very excited to have all of our paperwork completed! Now we just wait for Shiyan to pick up everything for us tomorrow.

Well, how do you ride on the bus?

Lots of fisherman and observers.

Beautiful streets on Shaiman Island

After our appointment, we went back and picked up the other 3 families, and started off to visit Shaiman Island. This is the place Bethany families usually stay, as the famous White Swan Hotel is on this island. The hotel is currently completely under renovation, however, so no one is able to stay there at this time. Completely under renovation means totally covered in a giant green tarp, and surrounded by bamboo scaffolding. The island was a nice place to visit. It had previously been a British controlled island, so the buildings look very colonial in style. There are garden streets and cobblestone walkways and streets. It's a very pretty place. There were people playing hacky sack and others taking music lessons. There were many men fishing for fish and turtles for the local markets and restaurants. We enjoyed lunch with our group at Lucy's, and then took to the local shops. We first went to A Gift From China, a local not-for-profit that supports the orphanages in China, and the to Jenny's, a Chinese Christian shop owner, to support their shops first. We then visited some other shops to practice our bargaining skills and get some good deals. It was a lot of fun, and we could have stayed longer if our bus wasn't leaving. Leah did really well today! She even walked around the Consulate office and played with some of the toys there. The others in our group were amazed because it was the first time they had seen her walk around. We were just excited to see her be a little more trusting. She even looked at Naomi for a brief moment today!

The closest Adam will get to a sword!  :-)

Well, we must have found lots of good deals during our time here in China, because after we went back to the hotel I started parking and even with our new suitcase we still needed to pack our two carry ons (which we were hoping to not need). I finally got most everything packed, so we called the boys and tried to finish up as much food from the room as we could. We get to sleep in tomorrow, and then in the afternoon we leave Guangzhou! Yay! It's hard to believe we will be starting our journey home!

Day Eleven in China

4/14/2013
We went to the Guangzhou Folk Art Museum. It wasn't like any museum I've ever been to. The building looked more like an ancient temple. It used to be home of the Chen family when they came to the city for business during the Qing Dynasty. It has the most beautiful, intricate, and detailed carvings all over...on the posts, the ceilings, etc...there were so many a person may never see them all. The front doors have huge paintings of Chinese warriors that were meant to keep away evil spirits. This Ancestral Hall was overtaken by the renegades during the revolution and used for a variety of things, so many things were destroyed or heavily used during that time. What is still there is absolutely beautiful. There are beautiful courtyard gardens inside, and they have opened up the individual outer rooms to be a museum of sorts with many different kinds of local artistry and skilled craftsmanship displayed. There are even a few master craftsman (and women) who are onsite sharing their gifts. We purchased some hand painted items, some calligraphy work, and a few other souvenirs here. We could have spent a lot more time at this location, but unfortunately we had to leave with our group. Actually we were the last ones and Shiyan had to come find us....oops! There was so much we didn't get to see...the history here is so interesting and we were just in compete awe of all of the many different types of craftsmanship we saw. Everything from miniature paintings on grains of rice that could only be seen through a microscope, to unbelievable carvings out of wood, bone, ivory, jade...some of which were 8-10 feet high. The embroidery items were simply amazing as well! Most of them looked like paintings from a distance, and the closer you got they looked almost three dimensional. They were beautiful works of art!

Our whole group!

After our outing, Shiyan came to our room to talk about a paper we had given her to translate. Leah's orphanage had sent a sheet with an update of her development and daily schedule, but it was all in Chinese. She told us she was concerned by some of the things they had said, and proceeded to translate while I wrote it down. It basically told us things we had already realized on our own by this point. That she was behind developmentally, that she doesn't speak, she is very timid and shy, likes to be tickled, can eat as much as a grown up, etc. Shiyan was concerned that she was farther behind developmentally than we might realize and told us that we might need a lot of help getting her back on track, if that was even possible. However, after talking with us for a while and watching her play with Aaron, she was surprised at the difference in her, and even said she wasn't concerned anymore and thinks she will be fine once she has exposure to all the things we have at home...toys, other people, doctors to examine her and keep her healthy. Shiyan told us that Leah would have been ruined (her word) if she had stayed here in the orphanage, but will thrive in our home where she will get the love and care that every child deserves. Talking with Shiyan made us feel so much better. Just another glimpse that God has given us to let us know we have truly answered His call! We already can tell that the little girl with us tonight is not the same little girl we brought home with us last Monday. We worry about when we get home, though, because she is so shy and timid that new people and places send her back into her own little world. She is a different person in the room with us than she is out with the group. With us she runs around the room, giggles, coos, and comes to get us to play. She has even started looking right at us and holding our gaze for a while. When we are out with the group she won't walk or look at anyone even if they are speaking right to her. We hope that her setback will not be too great as she once again has to get used to a different set of surroundings and added people. We know, though, that God has prepared that transition just as He did this one! I don't know how people get through such huge life changes without Him!

Out for supper with the group.

Yes, Leah, you are adorable!!

Day Ten in China

4/13/2013

Open air mall before it got busy.

Well that was a good time! After breakfast today we took a taxi to a shopping street. It is an open air mall type place. The street is lined with shops on either side and the allies are full too. We got a crash course in bartering from Chris, the husband in the couple we went with. I used my newfound knowledge to go to a back, back, back alley and into a hidden room and managed get a cute "Burberry" bag I think I will use as a diaper bag, or a purse....maybe both (since I didn't get to go to the Vera outlet this year!Lol!). Don't worry , Moms, Chris was with me the whole time, and I only feared for my life after the third or fourth door was locked behind me....no wait, that was when Aaron went with him to get watches! Lol! It really was in a back alley, and a couple of times (yes, Chris went many places) it was above or below stores. It was actually kind of fun, but we never would have done it if we hadn't been with Chris because he has been here before and knew it was safe. It didn't take long to realize there was nothing to worry about, the guys and ladies were really nice and were just regular folks trying to support their families. After all of that, we found a few things for the boys in some of the stores, but basically just enjoyed the beauty of the day. We walked back the 2.5 kilometers to the hotel. The hubbies only tried to convince us we were lost once - the boogers! They actually had us convinced for a minute! We really enjoyed our time with the Kotul's this morning. We were quite a spectacle, though. Four Caucasian parents with two Chinese children that no one could tell if they were boys or girls! We really gained stares when Jennifer and I walked behind the guys who had the backpacks and pushed the strollers with the girls! Dads here must not do as much with their little ones as our guys were doing.

Under the glass is the old streets.  The new streets were built above them and the old ones preserved where they could be - very cool!

Street artist writing in traditional Chinese along the sidewalk on our way back.

Um, ya....

This afternoon we met up with all the Bethany families and our guide, Shiyan, and went through our piles of paperwork to get everything ready for our visa appointment. It was so nice to see everyone again! We had actually eaten with the Van Til's at breakfast this morning, and we saw the Chen's as well, but this was the first time we had all gotten together since Beijing. We split up and one parent did paperwork, while the other one took kiddo duty...so Aaron and Leah went back to play in the room while I stayed back and worked on the paperwork. When I returned to the room he said she had just finished her biggest meltdown so far! I felt bad he had to go through that alone, and the only thing we could figure out was that maybe she was upset because I was gone.

We met at 5:30 for supper and this marked the first time we were all completely together with our kiddos. It was so much fun to see everyone and meet their new little ones. We exchanged stories from the week...ups and downs....and just had a wonderful time together. It's like we've know each other for years instead of days! We laughed and joked and shared new adoptive parenting tips we've learned over the last few days. We even exchanged supplies and clothes! I know I have said this before, but God has really blessed us by giving us this group of people! We have a new family that had skipped Beijing and went to Hong Kong first instead. They have their two girls (adopted from China) with them and Naomi and Jonah (bio kids from a couple of our other families) are enjoying the extra company! It's fun to watch them play together and also with some of the older adoptive kiddos! So much laughter surrounds us here! :-) The kids, big and little, were so good at supper tonight. There were no high chairs, so we all had to hold the little ones while we ate. Aaron held Leah and attempted to feed her and himself - quite a challenge to say the least as Leah thinks all food should be hers! He did an excellent job, though! I kept their plates and bowls filled and he managed to keep her hands occupied. He is such a wonderful daddy! All of our children are blessed to have him in their lives. He would tell you that it is the kids that bless him...that's part of why he is such a great dad!

 



Now it's time to settle into what has become our routine. Unwind by playing a little and watching a little television, then bath time, and bedtime. She has been doing well the last few nights. No tears, very little rocking, and very sound sleeping. We have been so surprised and pleased with how well she has been doing. Our "prepare for the worst, be happy if its better" method has really worked to our advantage. Shiyan asked us if our experience has been good...better or worse than we expected...we said yes to both. Mostly it has been better. Leah is healthy and active, our stay has been easy and fun, and we are both staying healthy as well. I don't know if I would say anything has been worse, but I would say we weren't expecting her to be as far behind developmentally as she is...but nothing could ever change the fact that we love her and feel like she has always been a part of our family! Thank you to you all, and so many others who will read this after we get home, who have helped us get here! This has truly been one of the most amazing experiences of our lives! This little girl will forever be a blessing to our family!

Day Nine in China

 4/12/2013

Today was a beautiful day! Last night we finally got Leah to drink something....yay for answered prayers.....and she slept all night - double yay!! We talked with both our moms and all the boys this morning for quite a while after breakfast, which was really nice! It's great to see that they are doing so well (despite a little bit of testing the boundaries). It does our hearts good to know they are well cared for while we are gone! We then set off with Becky and the other Bethany family for the Guangzhou Zoo. It was much different from yesterday because instead of rain we had sunshine and a nice breeze, which made for the perfect day at the zoo. The animals were all out and active. We couldn't believe how close some of them were! We were almost too close to the rhinos who can really project when they....ummmm....relieve themselves! Lol! It is a really nice park, though. One I would visit again if it wasn't halfway around the world! :-) We saw the normal things - bears, zebras, camels, elephants, raccoons...oh...I mean, Eastern Pandas! Lol! Yes, really...they were raccoons!! There were regular pandas, too of course, and lots of other animals. It was a really fun time.

Eastern Panda!

 

 

 

Clothes shopping with Becky.

 After the zoo, we went shopping again today at the carrefour- which is the multistory store that we went clothes and grocery shopping earlier this week. We got a stroller today, a few souvenirs, and some food items for our room. It is pretty fun to go to, and since we had the other family with us, we were able to get a few pics of things while they were with Becky and holding her attention. She is such a sweetheart, but she is go-go-go all the time....it's kind of funny!

OREOS!

Chris shopping in the seafood section. :-)

Got rice?

Dried fish and fish relatives.

We are enjoying getting to know the family who is with us, and are looking forward to the rest of the group coming in later tonight. We are currently on lock down, though. Okay, not really, but we are waiting in the room and can't leave until we hear from Becky. She is going to be calling with the results of Leah's TB test. No worries, though, she gave us a time frame - sometime between 3:00 and 5:00. Lol!

Good news...well, no news, but no news is good news we are told! Leah passed her TB test. Which is surprising because she didn't study at all! ;-) After our lack of phone call during our trio-ed confinement (kind of like solitary, only with three people), we went out to eat with the Kotul's (the other Bethany family). We went to a Portuguese restaurant not far from our hotel. It was...interesting....it was probably the hardest time I've had trying to find something to eat. The menu was almost 70 pages and a lot of the food still had heads...I'm pretty much against anything with heads or feet still attached! Leah, on the other hand, is really being brave and trying lots of different foods. I think she is so glad to not have to eat the same thing for every meal that she is willing to try anything. She lets you know when she doesn't like it, but she tries just about anything. That's pretty amazing considering she still has a huge hole on her mouth to work around!

We have an easy day tomorrow. The other families who came in tonight have to go get their visa pics and med exams in the morning, so we don't have anything to do until we meet with everyone at 3:00 to get all of our visa stuff ready to go. We plan to try to take in a large street market with the Kotul's while the others are out with Shiyan (our Bethany guide who also came into the city tonight). It's amazing to us how attached we have become to the other families in our group. We had such a nice time at supper tonight. It's like this process and being here together creates an instant bond. Maybe it's just having someone else who speaks our language! Lol! ...but seriously, we feel blessed to have met all of these families and to share this experience with them! Thank you all so much for your prayers on our behalves! I can tell you that they are all being answered! (Unless you prayed for us to bring you a real live panda bear.....that's not happening! ...but you can probably find some of the Eastern Pandas in our back yard!)