Back Home & a few pictures from the last day in China

We made it back in 1 piece & have been starting to slowly adjust to the time change. The 3 plane rides home weren't too bad, the worst part was going thru all of the security checkpoints in each country. There is not a whole lot of consistency in what can fly in each country & that was frustrating. Matt got his hand sanitizer confiscated in Tokyo after having gone thru several checkpoints previously (including Tokyo on the way to China).

Our last day in China consisted of getting an additional suitcase to haul all of the purchases we managed to accumulate, taking the oath of citizenship @ the US Consulate & the infamous Red Couch photo at the White Swan Hotel. The oath 'ceremony' at the consulate consisted of 85 families total with cranky kids that had waited for about 30 minutes only to take a total of 5 minutes to get instructions and take the actual oath. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside but there were several teary eyed parents. I think for us it was overwhelming to think that the final official step in the process was finally done & this was the ending of a 2 + year journey to get there.

Life at home has been going pretty well. We have both finally gotten over our colds & are starting to get back to normal in the digestive tract. Our last major hurdle is getting our body clocks (& Maddy's) on the right time zone. We are doing a little better each day, but I am thankful to still have a bit of time off to ease the transition. I have a lot of respect for those who have to return to work right away after this process. We are attaching a slide show of some pictures showing the red couch & other misc. photos.

~Maddy's Mom

Wow, our whirlwind tour of the orient is complete, we have our daughter and now real life begins again...managing the duties of everyday life are certainly more challenging with a munchkin added to the mix. Having jet lag and being sleep deprived doesn't help either.

I would like to share a few funny moments from the trip that we didn't post earlier due to the hoops we had to go through to post while in China. Our red couch experience was a bit comical, Maddy (the youngest of the girls in our group) did surprisingly well, she didn't cry at all. She even appeared to be comforting the more stressed of the group sitting around her, that was until we noticed that our darling little girl was in fact not comforting them, but was pinching them. I am beginning to think our little girl might me a bit mischievous. She certainly has been entertaining us with her funny faces, and her sound effects. Her cooing and laughing make it that much easier to get through the fussy times. I about died laughing the first time she made her "mad face" (see the photo's), or how well the smallest stacking cup, fits on her cute little ears and how she just kept playing with that little cup stuck to the side of her head...

Travel Tips: When in Beijing, beware of the English speaking art students. When walking outside your hotel, you will also be approached by DVD and sock peddlers. Be aware that sales tactics are very different in China. On several occasions I witnessed "sales personnel" chase down a perspective client, and grab them or use the merchandise in an intimidating fashion. On one occasion I witnessed a luggage sales person chasing a man in the basement of the silk market (Beijing) with a roller bag, or as I mentioned in a nearlier post I saw a poor man held at "sock-point" on the street near our hotel. Do yourself and your digestive tract a favor and avoid eating soups in China, which are most likely made with tap water and not brought to a boil (we learned this the hard way).

Well, its getting hard to keep my thoughts straight, and keep my eyes open, I'll post more later...

~Maddy's Daddy

Lunch @ Lucy’s & a river boat cruise….last post from China

Yesterday we met Tracy & Adam along with their daughter Charlotte from back home at Lucy’s for lunch. Lucy’s serves both Chinese & American food which is a nice option to have when you’ve been eating so much Chinese food. I know before I came to China I read on other blogs of family’s who travelled about how they got so sick of eating Chinese food. I used to think ‘Wow, I love Chinese food, how can that happen?’ But now I understand completely what they meant.

In the evening our guide arranged for a boat cruise for the group along the Pearl River. This is the river that the hotel sits on & at night everything is all lit up. It is really beautiful. It’s beautiful to see the old & new parts of Guangzhou at night.

Maddy does better & better each day. Today she let me feed her 2 bottles & is now napping peacefully (none the wiser that daddy is out of the room for a while). It’s just amazing to see her little personality come through so much. She does have a bit of a spicy streak in her too, which is funny because all of the vendors on the island call her a spicy girl when they find out she is from Jiangxi province,

Well, it’s almost time for us to get ready for our Consulate Oath Ceremony. We have an early flight in the morning with a 4:30 am wake up call. Thanks to everyone who followed on our journey, we will post again once we are back home & over our jet lag.

Sunday on Shamian Island

For those of you who don’t know what Shamian Island is, it’s a beautiful little piece of land carved out by the Pearl River that originally was part of colonial Britain’s territory. The colonial influence is very apparent in the architecture. The hotel we are staying at is on the island. It is so different from the rest of China, in fact when you are walking around you tend to forget for a moment that you are in China.

Our group got up fairly early for a tour so we opted to sleep in & meet up with the group later. We had a nice leisurely breakfast & went out for a walk around the island afterwards. It was so beautiful to see all of the families out in the parks & squares that grace the island. People were playing badminton, hacky sack (the Chinese have this different kind of hacky which is a stack of discs & has a feather in the middle) and the little ones just running around. We also saw about 5 bridal couples donning their apparel & getting their pictures taken. The island has beautiful old trees that are draped with Spanish Moss. It just has such a different feeling from the rest of the city.

We also came across an old church that was having service. We were welcomed in & sat for a few minutes to listen into the music. There were just starting their English service so it was nice to hear what they had to say. I can certainly say the same God we serve in the US is alive & moving in China. I have heard so many things in the past about religious repression that it brought me to tears sitting there in this church listening to them praise the Lord. Maddy was a little restless so we didn’t stay long, but as we continued on our walk you could hear the music from pretty far away.

In the afternoon we hired Ann from Red Thread (who did our care package) to take us shopping. She took us into some of the back alleys & places that rarely see foreigners to get us some of the best deals. We got a boatload of stuff for a fraction of what it would cost us on the island. We were pretty impressed about how she had taught herself English & Spanish from the 4 years that she did work on the island. She now has a partnership with an American that runs a web site sending care packages to China & also getting various items that people may have wanted to buy here but forgot or their child has grown out of from previous visits.
It was another rough night for me again as I was pretty sick. I am feeling better today & thankfully it was not as bad as before. We are now just 1 ½ days from coming home!
~Maddy’s Mom

It’s been a few days since I (Matt) last wrote something, so I thought I would pipe in this morning and say a few things. First, getting sick is the pits, but getting sick while traveling in a foreign country where English barely spoken makes it worse. I hope that the worst is behind us. It wouldn’t be quite so terrible if it was just the two of us, but with Maddy to take care of it makes things extra challenging. Having taken Maddy to breakfast a couple times alone I found it nearly impossible to manage carrying a baby and trying to juggle a plate at the buffet. After these experiences, I have a great deal of respect for single parents who are able to manage tasks like these on a daily basis.

Second, Maddy is doing great! We are constantly amazed at how quickly Madison is developing, it seems like everyday she makes a new sound or expression. She is tons of fun at play time and has provided some very entertaining moments as she makes new discoveries, or does something new, or just does something hilarious. We are so blessed!!!

Guangzhou is an amazing place! I would like to echo what Tanya has already said about this being a magical place. The architecture reminds me a bit of Sydney, Australia except that the streets have Chinese names and the inhabitants are all Chinese. This place is beautiful and the weather in very comfortable for shorts and t-shirts. This would be a great place to come for a vacation and to get a taste for Asian culture and not be overwhelmed by it like we were in Nanchang. This place seems to cater to westerners and has just enough of a feeling of home to keep you comfortable.

Finally, yesterday as Tanya stated we made a haul in our shopping excursion, and bought so much stuff we now find ourselves in need of another suitcase in order to haul it all home. Our shopping guide (Ann from Red Thread) saved us a small fortune in Yuan by getting us some great prices. A quick story about our experience yesterday… While visiting one of the markets where I was looking at a mahjong set, there was a street beggar going from store to store begging for money from the shopkeepers. One shopkeeper who in his mind was particularly stingy by his standard got a stern cussing out. A few shops down the way and the man met his match when a woman shopkeeper started taking a swing at him with a wooden stool. It was quite a site.

Great news! We just received word that are documents are in order and have been accepted by the US Consulate! Tomorrow, we will be sworn in and Maddy will officially become a US Citizen!

~Maddy's Daddy

Made it to Guangzhou

Well our last day or so in Nanchang found us taking turns being sick. We are both better now & in the balmy city of Guangzhou. Maddy’s first flight really well with no major breakdowns. We were pleasantly surprised at how well she handled take off & landing.
We found some very beautiful porcelain in Nanchang (I sent Matt with a list since I was sick – he did very well on picking out pieces). It was a little sad leaving her province since it will likely be a while before we return. We are hopeful to one day come back though when she is a little older so she can get so know her home province & specifically Leping (the city where she came from).

Our first night was very rough as it was a new place for the little peanut. We got awoken to a crabby baby every couple of hours. We had medical exams & visa pictures at 8:30 am so the morning came very early today on little sleep. The good news is the exams went well for all of the babies in the group with very little crying. Some of the hygienic nightmares we had heard about from other blogs were not found to be true in the clinic we went.

Today we explored the island & made some notes about which shops have what items at what prices. It’s funny how in some places where the competition is nearby, they punch the price into a calculator so as not to tip their hand to the other vendors. We were able to find something that started at 30 Yuan (about 4 USD) in one place & ended up to be 15 Yuan at another place.

While we are enjoying our stay in China, we are getting very anxious to get home & get everyone into a routine. Tonite we are going with our group to the infamous Lucy’s for dinner. I have run into one person I know that I used to work with, she is baby for her second baby. We are hoping to run into some of our RQ buddies & hopefully Tracy & Adam.

Out & about in Nanchang

Now that the paperwork for the adoption has been completed, we have a few days to spend in Nanchang until we receive Maddy’s passport. We have been going out & about between nap time to visit the city. We have gone to the Teng Weng Pavilion that was originally built during the Tang Dynasty period. This has been rebuilt several times thru history. We also visited the local Walmart to stock up on a few supplies that the local grocery store does not have. There are not many westerners here so we tend to get quite a few stares when we are out around town. At the Pavilion there were several groups of school children visiting and our group got mobbed on various occasions by kids wanting to practice their English, see the baby or try to get in a few pictures.

Maddy is doing a little better each day & we get to see her personality come thru a little more every day. Matt & one of the other moms in the group got sick last night. Please keep them in your prayers. It seems that it was probably something they ate at a local restaurant yesterday so perhaps it will be short lived. We got her to sit in a high chair yesterday which let daddy’s arms get a rest for a while. Maddy is starting to warm up to me a little more & has actually let me hold her a few times for a short bit. We went out for our daily trip to the grocery store up the block & let me take her in the carrier without daddy being there. She loves getting outside so it really didn’t make much difference who carried her just as long as she could go. That was quite a victory.

We plan to visit a few more sites today & go do some shopping at a local porcelain store. One of the babies in the group turns one tomorrow so we will have a small party for her. Thanks to everyone for all of the kind words via posts & e-mails and especially for your prayers. I am having issues with uploading pictures so I will try later.

Officially a family of 3

On Monday the adoption was finalized. We prepared our paperwork ahead of time in a hotel conference room where we signed and put out thumb prints over our signature. We used a red ink that is used for official documents in China. We also had to put Maddy’s footprint in red on the paperwork. I guess that must be the Chinese way of having the child go along with the adoption. It turned out to be a long day as we headed back to the Civil Affairs office to file our paperwork and get an interview about why we wanted to adopt & what our plans for her future are. We must have answered the questions ok because about 30 minutes later we emerged with a red leather folder holding the official document stating that we are officially her parents. Jiangxi Province also gives each family a porcelain vase as a memento in a beautiful red box.

This province is famous for its porcelain so that was a nice keepsake to get.

In addition to the civil affairs office we made a stop at the notary office to have the paperwork approved and under go another series of questions. Thankfully our group got in just before 2 other groups with about 20 other families. Our guide told us that there are 80 families in town this week adopting babies. At our hotel we have seen families from Spain & France in addition to the US. It has been so fun to see all of the babies & hear them speaking to them in their own language. The third and final stop was to the local police station for an attempt to have the babies picture taken at the police department so they can start a file on her (maybe they think she will try to rob a bank or commit some other heinous crime and then flee the country over the course of the next several days...?). Apparently, the police never received the paperwork for any of the groups so we all will have to make appointments to go back tomorrow.

We came back even more exhausted than the day before and everyone was in bed by 9:00. Bonding with Maddy is progressing, although for a period each night she is almost inconsolable and in her crying she seems to be calling out mama. I don’t know if this is just a coincidence, but perhaps she is mourning the loss of her foster mother. Either way, we just hope that this part gets easier. We gave Maddy a bath tonight, she did not enjoy this very much, and we wonder if she’s ever had one before? Hope this gets easier as well. She has really bonded with daddy & will tolerate mommy for short time periods. She really does not like being in the hotel room so when she gets fussy a trip to the restaurant downstairs helps to calm her right down. Her paperwork said she loves to play outside & this is obvious as she just coos whenever we go out for walks.

Forever Family Day

Today was the most exhausting, yet fulfilling days of our life. We met our daughter for the first time. We flew from Beijing to Nanchang (our flight was late getting in) and went to the hotel with a half hour to get prepped to go get the babies. We went to our room to discover it had not been cleaned yet (& when I say not clean it was an absolute disaster from being someone’s honeymoon suite the night before). Thankfully Dan & Renee let us come into their room with our luggage & get ready to go.

While we were waiting in the lobby for the rest of our group, there was a van that showed up with babies for another group. We all got very excited & a bit choked up to see this reality right before our eyes. We headed to the Civil Affairs office at 4:00. This was one of the quietest rides are group has ever had as everyone contemplated the magnitude of what was about to happen. By the time we arrived at 4:30 the babies were already there. Our guide went in & came back out to inform us that they were ready & that all of the babies had on red outfits. In China red is the color of happiness. It was beautiful that the orphanage took the time to dress these babies so beautifully & with such love.

Another group was already in the room that had gotten their babies before us. So babies were everywhere crying. Our babies sat quietly with their escorts (at least for the time being). One by one we were called forward & given our babies. We spotted Madison right away & began snapping pictures of here & the other babies going to their new parents in our group. One by one there quite little cuties began to wail as they realized they were with strangers.

Our turn came fourth in the group. Madison was handed to me & didn’t cry right away & actually reached for Matt. I let him hold here for a little while but then it hit her that she didn’t know us. Between the strangers, hotness of the room & other crying babies, that was enough to make anyone cry. Our group had 3 little peanuts & 2 bigger babies. One of the babies has the cutest, chubbiest cheeks I have ever seen.

It took several attempts to capture Madison’s passport picture since she was crying so hard. We just felt awful for her. We also had our ‘first family picture’ that will be used for filing the paperwork in China.

As soon as we left the building, the fresh air made the babies stop crying for the time being. The van ride back was fairly crying with a few minor outbursts here & there. Some of the group was nice enough to share their Cheerios which Maddy really liked. We saw a little bit of her personality come through on this ride. She started to make a few funny faces.

From the time we got on the elevator at the hotel she started to cry again. The crying continued for the next 2+ hours as we tried everything to help her out. We tried a bottle, toys, we changed her diaper, walked around but to not avail. Our hearts just broke her for as she looked at us, these strangers she did not know. She was apparently with her foster mother likely up until this morning. It has been a long day for these precious little ones. Finally around 8:00 she wore herself out & fell asleep.

We are in absolutely amazement at this beautiful bundle of joy that God has bestowed upon us. Once I realized that she was finally in our care & just looking at her, I cried tears of joy in the hotel room. We are so blessed & so thankful today, this day of days.
~Tanya

At the beginning of the day today, there was a small part that was sorry to say goodbye to Beijing. There is certainly more to see there, things that will just have to wait until we visit again.

The Beijing airport is a real zoo! We were berated by one of the airport staff to move to another line, and didn’t seem to care that we were travelling as a group. The flight to Nanchang was a bit of a throw back to the 80’s complete with retro styled meals with the hot part coming in a little tin tray covered in foil. Chicken, rice and vegetables (mmmm… good).
Nanchang is worlds apart from Beijing. With a population of only 4 million it pales by comparison to Beijing with its 14 million. This is quickly apparent in the quality of the public roads, the cars that travel them and the driving ability of those on the roads (the lane markers appear to be suggestions only as drivers rarely stay in their lanes and the horn gets more use than turn signals or brakes (at one intersections cars from all directions were crisscrossing the intersection at the same time not for the faint of heart.

Upon our arrival, we were told we only had about 30 minutes to get settled into our rooms and prepare the necessary paperwork and then go and get our daughters. As soon as we got to our hotel, we made our way to our floor, as we approached the door to our suite, we discovered that it had been decorated (for a moment we thought that this was some gesture of goodwill to adoptive families staying in the hotel, but upon closer inspection it was wedding decorations). Upon opening the door, we were welcomed by an enormous mess. The suite had apparently been used by a newlywed couple the night before, and the room had not been cleaned, and was a complete disaster (Like Axel Rose and stayed here sans the broken furniture and tv). We stood there stunned for a few moments, almost expecting the couple to emerge from the suite’s master bath… It was at this point that shock turned to anger and Tanya looked like she was ready to throw down Hong Kong style. Luckily, cooler heads prevailed and Tanya held back the roundhouses and crane technique in favor of calling our guide. Michelle our guide entered the room and it was “go-time”, she immediately got on the phone and laid down the law, or at least I think it was the law, judging by the rate and tone of her Chinese. Let’s just say I was just glad to be on this end of the conversation. The hotel sent a squad from housekeeping, who were quickly scolded for not having the room prepared. Despite the drama, the Hoy’s (one of the other families in our travel group) were kind enough to let us get ready to get the baby while our suite was cleaned.

We got our paperwork and camera’s ready and went to the lobby. While we were waiting for the rest of the group, about a dozen babies were carried passed us. Seeing these babies raised everyone’s anxiety levels as we knew that in less than 30 minutes we would be handed our own babies. The trip to the Adoption office is blurry, even the elevator ride up to the 26th floor seemed to happen in an instant and we found ourselves standing in a hallway greeted by the sound of crying babies perhaps 30 feet away. I remember some of the group asking if there was a restroom and joking about how everyone was so stricken with anxiety that we all had to pee.

Our guide went to check and see about the babies as we all just stood there sort of dumbstruck. Soon our guide came back and said that our girls were just inside, we would just have to get our passports ready to show. The next part is fuzzy, I just remember watching the others get their babies through the little screen on my camcorder, like I was a watching someone’s Gotcha Day video playing on YouTube. The next thing I know, my wife is asking me for my passport, which incidentally, was still conveniently tucked away in a secure and undisclosed location (No that ‘s not where I keep my passport! Shame on you for thinking that, I mean who would put their passport there… actually, it was in a pouch under my shirt… I had to fumble around for a few moments trying to retrieve it because the pouch was between my undershirt and my polo shirt and I was reaching all the way in (all this while everyone looked at me like I just left the dog in the hot car with the windows rolled up or something dramatically less serious). That’s when they handed us our little girl…

At this point I suppose I could describe in lurid detail how she cried almost non-stop for the next three hours, however, during that time I also got to feed her for the first time… When we finally got her calmed down she made some absolutely delightful sounds that I will remember forever. I will also never forget the way my heart melted when this precious little girl stared curiously into my eyes, or watching her drift off to sleep for the first time while in our care. What more can I say, I am in love with my little girl, Tanya and I couldn’t be happier with this precious gift that we have been given, she’s perfect!!!
~Maddy’s Daddy