Our travel group. We all received babies from Zhangshu city orphanage
Thursday, June 23, 2005
All that's left is the trip home
We’re done. Mia has her passport and her visa and is ready to go to the USA. As soon as we turn her paperwork in at immigration in Los Angeles she will be a citizen.
As you may have seen on the news it has been raining here for days. The flooding is starting to really become a problem. We experienced it first hand today. When we went over to the US Consulate and our buses were parked in the White Swan Hotel parking lot. By the time we were done and returned to the bus it was about 10” under water. We got on the bus and didn’t shop anymore, but some people did not come back for a while and the water was about.2 feet deep. The buses moved to higher ground so they only got their shoes and socks wet.
This will be our last post from China. We are excited to come home and introduce Mia to everyone. She waved bye bye today. Her favorite place in the hotel is the elevator. The walls are lined with mirrors. Every time we walk down the hall and turn toward the elevators she laughs out loud. It’s so funny.
This has truly been a journey of a lifetime. We are humbled to think God allowed us to participate in this. He has shown His hand to us in so many ways. It has been moving to hear the stories of the other parents here. Every one of them telling how God led them on this journey for different reasons. Some have faced infertility, some saying God impressed upon them the need to help orphans and some like us wanting to grow their family through adoption. One couple even decided to adopt before trying to have biological children. No matter what the reason, these girls are very lucky, all of them growing up in a Christian home with parents who love them more than they will ever know.
We spent some time thinking about this being Mia’s last night in the country where she was born. What a different life she will have.
….. and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Deuteronomy 4:9
As you may have seen on the news it has been raining here for days. The flooding is starting to really become a problem. We experienced it first hand today. When we went over to the US Consulate and our buses were parked in the White Swan Hotel parking lot. By the time we were done and returned to the bus it was about 10” under water. We got on the bus and didn’t shop anymore, but some people did not come back for a while and the water was about.2 feet deep. The buses moved to higher ground so they only got their shoes and socks wet.
This will be our last post from China. We are excited to come home and introduce Mia to everyone. She waved bye bye today. Her favorite place in the hotel is the elevator. The walls are lined with mirrors. Every time we walk down the hall and turn toward the elevators she laughs out loud. It’s so funny.
This has truly been a journey of a lifetime. We are humbled to think God allowed us to participate in this. He has shown His hand to us in so many ways. It has been moving to hear the stories of the other parents here. Every one of them telling how God led them on this journey for different reasons. Some have faced infertility, some saying God impressed upon them the need to help orphans and some like us wanting to grow their family through adoption. One couple even decided to adopt before trying to have biological children. No matter what the reason, these girls are very lucky, all of them growing up in a Christian home with parents who love them more than they will ever know.
We spent some time thinking about this being Mia’s last night in the country where she was born. What a different life she will have.
….. and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Deuteronomy 4:9
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Getting closer to home
Our guides filed all of our paperwork this morning at the American consulate. We had to stay in our rooms for about 2 hours until everything was done just in case there was a question and they needed to contact us quickly. We spent more time this afternoon on Shaiman Island shopping and browsing. Then we ate dinner at a Thai restaurant called The Banana Leaf. It was very good food. They have signing and dancing to entertain you while you dine. It was a lot of fun. One of the girls even had David get up and dance with her. The days are winding down and we are looking forward to going home. Tomorrow we have a swearing in ceremony at the US consulate and then we are free to go. But we will not leave until Friday.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Tuesday June 21, 2005
Mia had her medical check this morning. We found out she weighs a whopping 16.5 pounds. She is about average with the other babies in our group. It’s funny to think Zane weighed 10lbs at birth. (what a difference)
After she passed her medical, we went shopping on Shaiman Island. It has a lot more of the tourist type things foreigners like to buy. (for those adoptive familes reading, we found Sherry’s Place. It was exciting to finally find it after reading about it on all the yahoo posts)Mia entertained us this evening by showing us how she can roll back and forth from her stomach to back.(we had not seen this yet) I also worked with her on feeding herself and she began putting food to her mouth with her hands. The food only made it all the way in about 2 out of 5 times. But at least she will try now. She also said Ma Ma and Da Da directly to us today. It rained most of the afternoon and evening so we spent a quiet night in with some other babies stopping by to play. ---
Mia had her medical check this morning. We found out she weighs a whopping 16.5 pounds. She is about average with the other babies in our group. It’s funny to think Zane weighed 10lbs at birth. (what a difference)
After she passed her medical, we went shopping on Shaiman Island. It has a lot more of the tourist type things foreigners like to buy. (for those adoptive familes reading, we found Sherry’s Place. It was exciting to finally find it after reading about it on all the yahoo posts)Mia entertained us this evening by showing us how she can roll back and forth from her stomach to back.(we had not seen this yet) I also worked with her on feeding herself and she began putting food to her mouth with her hands. The food only made it all the way in about 2 out of 5 times. But at least she will try now. She also said Ma Ma and Da Da directly to us today. It rained most of the afternoon and evening so we spent a quiet night in with some other babies stopping by to play. ---
Monday, June 20, 2005
Monday
Today was a relaxing day. We spent some of the morning watching the Spurs game. Then we met our friends and went to an Orchid park. The scenery was very nice but for some reason none of the orchids were blooming. We found a Starbucks near our hotel so we cooled off for a while. We tried to go swimming but as soon as we got down to the pool it began to thunder and the rain.
One of the big brothers on the trip had his birthday today so his family arranged a little party for him. It was fun to get a lot of the babies together. I think they really enjoy all the noise and toys. We wonder if the babies remember each other.
After the party Mia took her VISA picture. She has her medical exam in the morning. All the babies have to pass a medical exam in order to enter the USA.
We’re having fun but counting the days as well…..
One of the big brothers on the trip had his birthday today so his family arranged a little party for him. It was fun to get a lot of the babies together. I think they really enjoy all the noise and toys. We wonder if the babies remember each other.
After the party Mia took her VISA picture. She has her medical exam in the morning. All the babies have to pass a medical exam in order to enter the USA.
We’re having fun but counting the days as well…..
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Happy Father's Day
The Chinese believe the harder the bed, the better the bed is for your back. Well, we will have the best backs in America when we return. Literallly when you flop down on these beds there is NO rebound. So the goal is to make ourselves as tired as possible, then we won’t have problems going to sleep. We will see how that theory plays out.
Mia is so cute. She laughs and smiles a lot now. She slept through the night last night until 7:15. Most all of the other babies do this already but because of the sickness it threw her schedule off. She doesn’t feed herself but hardly any of the babies do. We think they were taught not to put things in their mouth. But she likes to have something in each hand. Her favorite toys are the room card and a water bottle cap. She sits up very well but she can’t walk yet. We were also told they don’t put the babies down on the floor. So they haven’t even had a chance to learn to crawl.
Today was a good day with Mommy. I held her for a long time this morning while we toured a folk art museum (old, very hot temple) Then we went to a department store to get some groceries and things for the group. At one point I lost David when Mia and I went to get diapers. I finally found him in the middle of the store, laid out in a massage chair.($2,700) He was in heaven. I told him it could be his father’s day present but it just wouldn’t fit in the suitcase.
We had lunch at good Old McDonalds. (I’m lovin’ it!) Those French fries tasted sooo good. The food has really been good but it’s just not the same. Tonight we ordered food in with 2 other families and all had a good time letting the girls play. One of them can walk and she has one speed, full blast. Mia loves to watch her cruise around the room. Mia laughs out loud and smiles at her.
Finished up most of the paperwork today. We had a 2 hour paperwork party this afternoon with all the families and I think we’re done. Today’s work was for US Immigration. Our guides will file it all soon and we will wait for Mia’s Visa and the swearing in ceremony later in the week.
Mia is so cute. She laughs and smiles a lot now. She slept through the night last night until 7:15. Most all of the other babies do this already but because of the sickness it threw her schedule off. She doesn’t feed herself but hardly any of the babies do. We think they were taught not to put things in their mouth. But she likes to have something in each hand. Her favorite toys are the room card and a water bottle cap. She sits up very well but she can’t walk yet. We were also told they don’t put the babies down on the floor. So they haven’t even had a chance to learn to crawl.
Today was a good day with Mommy. I held her for a long time this morning while we toured a folk art museum (old, very hot temple) Then we went to a department store to get some groceries and things for the group. At one point I lost David when Mia and I went to get diapers. I finally found him in the middle of the store, laid out in a massage chair.($2,700) He was in heaven. I told him it could be his father’s day present but it just wouldn’t fit in the suitcase.
We had lunch at good Old McDonalds. (I’m lovin’ it!) Those French fries tasted sooo good. The food has really been good but it’s just not the same. Tonight we ordered food in with 2 other families and all had a good time letting the girls play. One of them can walk and she has one speed, full blast. Mia loves to watch her cruise around the room. Mia laughs out loud and smiles at her.
Finished up most of the paperwork today. We had a 2 hour paperwork party this afternoon with all the families and I think we’re done. Today’s work was for US Immigration. Our guides will file it all soon and we will wait for Mia’s Visa and the swearing in ceremony later in the week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)