Day 6 - Our Last Full Day in Shanghai

Today was our visit to the Shanghai Children's Home, which is MeiLin's orphanage. We saw the two rooms and bathroom that she was raised in, met the 18 children left behind (some we recognized from the photos), and even viewed the very crib she slept in. It was surreal seeing the actual room from the photos we have stared at in anticipation over the past 7 months. As a new Mom, I was apprehensive about seeing her care givers again. She was so upset when we left initially. Though it was reassuring to see all of the nannies cooing and passing her around, I was selfishly terrified that she would have another melt down and wouldn't want to come home with us. When it was time to leave, I put out my arms and MeiLin put out her arms for me, too! My heart skipped with joy!

The orphanage itself was a HUGE campus. The landscaping was very nice and pretty and the buildings were grand, but I just can't imagine how many kiddos are in there. The ones we visited seemed very happy - they don't realize what they are missing out on. But it is heartbreaking to see the children full of life with so much love to give. You can't help but want to take a few more with you!

The other Gladney family we are traveling with is so much fun and so thoughtful. Their eldest daughter is a member of a jump rope squad. She decided to donate 100 jump ropes (or close to it!) to the orphanage. They lugged a large bag all of the way from the US. At the orphanage, she demonstrated to the kiddos how to use a jump rope. Boy is she a pro...she can jump rope while sitting on the floor bouncing on her booty! The kids just loved it! Afterwards, the family passed out the jump ropes and let them try to use them. So adorable! Most just flopped it over their heads onto the ground and them jumped over it, but one of the little boys picked it up quickly. What a great gift idea...not only is it good exercise but it is a great way to wear out those rambunctious kiddos! ;)

This family adopted a 6 year old from the same orphanage as MeiLin. She is just precious and takes every opportunity to "show off" her new family - especially her Daddy! They have 3 biological children and adopted their fourth. You should see the Chinese people stare at the large family! Though their little girl was with a foster family for 3 years, they take all of the kids to the orphanage for 2 weeks before the adoption as a transition period. We visited her room and bed, as well. Their little girl is officially the 1,000th Chinese adoption for Gladney - how amazing is that! And Gladney overall celebrated it's 30,000th adoption in Dec 2012 - so many lives forever blessed!

Once we were back at the hotel, it was nap time. She went down without a fuss the day before, but today she was unconsolable; much like the first day we brought her home. I can't help but think it was another mourning period after seeing her nannies. So I know people say to let them cry it out, but I stayed by her side rubbing her back and stomach until she finally calmed down. After a few minutes of being out of the bedroom, my Mom ears perked up - I heard a plastic bag. Sure enough, somehow she reached a plastic bag from the crib that I had thought was out of the way. (Parent of the year - but Brandon thought there was a maid outside the door with a bag, so at least I knew it was her!). Taking away her new toy made her upset again and this time Brandon stayed by her side. I want to somehow show her that when she cries we will be there for her! It breaks my heart to hear her not just cry but wail...I end up crying right along with her.

We had our first fall - just for the record, Brandon was on duty! :( She tripped backwards onto the floor and hit her head into the dresser on the way down. It sounded terrible! She cried for just a bit and then went back to playing. So sad! I want her to cry so I can console her, but no one has ever done that for her before! She has hit herself two other times by evidence of the whelps on her face, but she didn't make a peep - so not sure when those occurred. :(

Tomorrow we take our first flight with MeiLin and head to Guangzhou for the last leg of our trip - today marks the halfway mark of our journey! In closing, I will include the letters MeiLin typed while I worked on the blog - heart! As typed by MeiLin... "Oil,I h" (she didn't really type oil; spell checked corrected it for her!). :)

And everyone's favorite...more photos!

Day 5 - Laughs, Giggles, and Hugs!

Laughs, giggles, and hugs...all of which we experienced with MeiLin for the first time today! I can't believe the progress she has made in such a short period of time...she really started coming out of her shell today! It started this morning when we met down stairs for sightseeing. There were a lot of people standing around and she got scared...so she backed up and snuggled into my legs - heart! Even our guide, Ming Ming said, "Wow, she already trusts you!"

I am sad to announce that Brandon's 35-year and my 33-year streak of never changing a poopy diaper has finally come to an end. It was best captured by Brandon's proclamation, "UGH! It's on my finger!" I couldn't breath I was laughing so hard!

She was a patient little angel as always. Instead of words today...sending tons of photos!!

Day 4 - Recap of Day 3 and More Paperwork!

Our Gotcha Day was the best day of our lives! Apparently, God knew that I couldn't handle a screamer - praise the Lord! MeiLin is so quiet; we aren't sure if she truly has a shy personality or whether she is just traumatized by the events of the last 24 hours!

Sorry, but I have to forewarn everyone that this is a long blog!

It started at the Adoption Center yesterday where they informed us we had 24 hours of a "probationary" period where we could change our minds if our child was not a good fit the first day - can you imagine a return policy! They even coach the older kids to "be good" so they aren't returned - breaks my heart! One of the older girls being adopted proudly announced to our translator this morning that she didn't cry the first night. :(

Of course our little MeiLin was an angel! Se cried when they first brought her out but after we bribed her with a sucker she became a quiet observer. She cried again at her first nap, Daddy rocked her to sleep and then Mommy got to rock her to sleep for bedtime when she cried again.

After learning that the toddlers are only given blocks to play with, we bought some first thing at the store - even though we have some at home. Good choice, as she just loves them. She will gather them into a pile then spread them out or stack them up - so cute! So far she is afraid of any "soft toys" like stuffed animals, her doll, fuzzy blankets, etc; we will need to work on that! She still isn't walking yet, but she loves to stand and play with her blocks on the coffee table. We tried to get her to walk...but she doesn't bend her knees...it is like she is trying to walk by rotating her hips. Also the evaluation report was specific to mention that she lifts her head when you are putting her into an upright position (as the lack of that is a potential sign of autism), but she seems to be letting her head fall back. Lastly, they told us that MeiLin was 20 pounds but we show her at 14 pounds - the 12 month clothes fit but the size 5 shoes slide right off of her! She doesn't seem malnourished...she actually has a cute little tummy! But we will ask about all of this when we take her in for her medical evaluation at the International Adoption wing of Children's Medical Center upon our return.

She is true to form and is not a picky eater...just like her information sheet said. She actually gets excited to try new foods...clearly not my biological child. ;) And she is such a clean eater! If food falls on the table, she is quick to pick it up and put it back on her plate. Not sure how they taught her that, but I like it! Also, she is such a helper when getting her dressed. If she sees a shirt, she sticks an arm out, lifts her legs for pants and socks, etc. I am loving it as I wasn't sure how one manages to put clothes on a moving target...

MeiLin has been such a trooper over the last few days. We have hauled her around from government office to government office while we wait in scalding hot rooms for what seems like hours and she hasn't made a peep (only when we put her down to sleep). It makes me sad, though, because she has learned that no one comes to get you when you are crying so why bother. Breaks my heart!! Thus, she has learned to have the patients of a saint, which comes in handy for first time parents who put on her pants only to realize the shirt snaps under her body or when she gets her pjs on and we realize we forgot the nighttime lotion - seriously, never a peep out of her.

We are in Shanghai with 2 other families - one also with Gladney from Pennsylvania and another family from a different agency from Houston. I love how this always plays out no matter where you are in the world.

Me: Where are you from?
Them: Houston
Me: Oh! My twin sister and her family live in Houston; well, Spring
Them: We live in Spring, too!

I swear - everyone from the Houston area actually lives in Spring - it is uncanny! The other families are great and so helpful to us first time parents as they are adding kiddos number 4 and 3 to their families. One is adopting a 9 year old and the other a 6 year old. They are just adorable and are so excited to be adopted. You should have seen them run into the adoption room, arms wide open, shouting "Momma Pappa!" Then there was our little treasure just bawling her eyes out. A 5 year old boy from one of the other families was very concerned and kept asking why ours was crying but the other girls were happy - so cute!

Observations of MeiLin: I am happy to report to Amber and Walter that it looks like another lefty will be joining the family! She just starting waving at Brandon and I - so cute! She wasn't affectionate at first (they don't dote on the kiddos in the orphanage) but she has already started lifting her hands up to be held - I just love it and can't resist to squeeze in some cuddles. She is a typical child who does stuff and then looks up at Brandon and I to see if we are watching. Of course we are - with big smiles our faces and she just loves it! Brandon got the first smile out of her. It was at dinner the first night. He rolled a little car at her, she grabbed it, picked it up and smiled. Needless to say, we have been playing that game over and over - we love to see her smile!

The adoption became official (after the 24 hour waiting period) on the Chinese front this morning (Day 4)! So now we wait for her Chinese passport to be prepared, then it is off to Guangzhou on Friday to finalize the adoption on the US side. Truth be told, I am just dying to huddle her up and bring her back home in a plane to the US, but government officials have other plans! Sigh!

Two seconds of "Me" time on the blog: 1) Party foul - I took two pills this morning with tap water - a big No No! I can just see the parasites swimming around their new environment - my stomach! Well hopefully not, just praying that I dodge this bullet! 2) My Chi hair straightener was killed in transit. The bag for my Chi literally has what can only be be described as black drag marks on it and it was busted when I opened the bag. Not sure how that happens in a closed suitcase, so I guess ours was opened?!? I bought a new one at the store yesterday. Yeah, it totally doesn't work - after it heats up it is still "lukewarm" enough for me to touch with my finger. Alas, there is nothing like two weeks of bad hairs days and nothing you can do about it. This brings me to my last topic...3) my wardrobe. Everything I found talked about how cold it is in Shanghai. While this is true, they failed to mention the fact that all buildings are set to like 90 degrees. Talk about a shock to the senses! After spending the first two days sweating myself to a detox, I have switched to only wearing my cooler outfit for the rest of the trip. Yep, you heard that right. I brought all of 4 shirts (3 sweaters and a cardigan) and I have resigned myself to wearing the one cardigan EVERYDAY. You just have to let stuff go and it is simply too hot! Maybe I will find another shirt during our shopping trip tomorrow?!? So for potential Shanghai travelers out there...bring cool outfits with a nice warm coat! Sorry, I clearly exceeded my allotted two seconds...but I needed to vent (and, lets be real, thoroughly explain my hair and wardrobe malfunctions!)

As I type this, MeiLin has FINALLY fallen asleep for her nap (she played in her crib by herself for over an hour)! She is just precious. I love how so many people stopped to say how cute she is today. I need to work on my manners because I keep saying, "I know, isn't she?!?" instead of "Thank you!" But I can't help but think she is just an angel...apparently, love goggles for your child happens to adoptive parents, as well!

Well, we are off to an early dinner tonight and then sightseeing and shopping tomorrow. No more paperwork until we get to Guangzhou! Apologies for the rambling blog today. It is difficult to type on the iPad and we missed a true blog yesterday - we were still trying to figure out life, as I call it. Until tomorrow...

Photos: 1) Brandon holding MeiLin before we head out for the second day of paperwork. 2). A picture of our official adoption ceremony in China! Sorry, we took photos with our real camera today but can't upload those until we get back to the states. Only iPhone photos for now...

Day 3 - We Are Parents!

Today was our gotcha day! (This is Brandon writing tonight.). After much anticipation, we left around 9:30 am for the local adoption office. When we got there we had to sign form after form and sometimes multiple copies of the same form. It was such a whirlwind as all we wanted was to meet our new daughter. After the forms were completed, I left for another room down the hall to hand over our donation and fees. What I did not realize was that once the money was counted, they brought me MeiLin! So, I was the first to meet her at which point she cried when I tried to hold her. Mommy held her and she calmed down. We visited at the adoption center for a while and they presented us some gifts including a photo book of MeiLin at her orphanage with some new photos we had never seen! Everything went smoothly and as we write this we are exhausted. So, included are some of the first photos and we will write more tomorrow. Praise God; through him all things are possible!

Day 2 - Our Last Day as a Family of 2!

The morning started off with exchanging our US Dollars into Chinese Yuan for the orphanage tomorrow! Luckily, the bank was a short walk from the hotel. But it was still pretty scary showing that much money in public and then walking out with it. Luckily, the exchange was quite uneventful and we were back in our room safe and sound!

Afterwards, we loaded up our money belts (the money is now 6 times thicker - ugh!) and headed out for lunch and shopping. (Our last lunch as a family of 2!) Shopping was quite "American" like - too much so. Now I know why there are Texas stores in the mall; I need to find a China store so we can purchase "traditional" souvenirs! My mother-in-law requested a Chinese robe, but that might not happen...

The rest of the afternoon was spent stocking the diaper bag, getting ready to meet our little girl in the morning, and relaxing! Neither of us were able to sleep much last night so we are both exhausted even though it is only 7pm. We are trying to force ourselves to stay up until 10 so we can hopefully get some sleep before the big day!

Here are some pictures from today (I can't figure out how to add captions to the photos!). First is a picture of our hotel, then a beautiful tree they are saving as part of a large construction project, and finally Brandon and I on Nanjing Road shopping.

Day 1 - Overcoming Jet Lag and Exploring The City!

Thank you airline miles! I can't even begin to describe how amazing our flight was to China in first class...I had no idea! To any potential adoptees out there, start saving airlines miles now! Neither Brandon nor I travel for work; we earned all of ours through multiple credit card offers over a few years.

Even after 12 hours of sleep the first night, I was still groggy all day with jet lag. But of course, Brandon doesn't seem to be effected at all! So we took it slow the first day and decided to walk around and explore our part of the city. We found a beautiful park for MeiLin right next to the hotel. Everything we saw was so metropolitan - not what I was expecting. No rickshaws or kimonos, but we did pass the Maserati/Ferrari and Porsche dealerships! Guess I needed to bring makeup after all (inside joke).

We didn't see any "American" restaurants while we were out. I started to get worried because the hotel food is really expensive. I reached out to another Gladney family who is a week ahead of us in their process. Such a Godsend! For dinner, she was able to direct us to an amazing shopping center with Papa Johns, Subway, Dairy Queen, and a few others. Feeling much better about the cuisine and only a 10 minute walk!

Not many pictures from our adventures today. It was so cold outside that we opted to stay bundled up with our hands in our gloves. Figured everyone is really looking for pictures of the little one anyways! The one time we pulled out our camera - big mistake - vendors came out of the woodworks trying to sell us watches, Monte Blanc pens, knockoff purses, etc. You couldn't lose them! A shoeshine guy knelt down and shoot white stuff all over my shoes before I could say no! I bought them for this trip so they are all of 2 days old and didn't need shining! I guess he could tell I was upset because he finally wiped it off after trying to shine my shoes twice with me dancing around! Good thing I was expecting "no personal space"; it's so true!

Well, that is all for tonight; only 36 hours until we meet MeiLin!

China - Here We Come!

Brandon stayed up all night, but I ended up "napping" for 1 1/2 hours. Apparently 2 hours was not the ample amount of time for getting ready and packing... We ended up finishing right at 4am and had to head straight out the door. And here I was thinking we would have time to kill. Praying that we didn't forget anything!

It hit me like a train when we took the last tour of the house to make sure everything is in order. My stomach is in knots! I can't even describe this feeling...but I am sure it is the same one all parents feel when they are about to meet their child for the first time. Will I be a good parent? Will I give her the attention and patience that she needs? Am I prepared for this? And then there is Brandon. He isn't worried at all and keeps saying he is excited! He was killing me last night. Every hour he kept announcing that we had x number of hours until we headed out. For the record, that does not help to calm ones nerves!

A quick shout out to the Scaggs who volunteered to park our car at their house for the next two weeks - love you guys!

Of course there was NO ONE at the airport when we arrived. Went straight up to check our bags and the umbrella stroller. There was something wrong, though. The attendant kept standing on her tiptoes trying to look over the counter. She then stood on the baggage platform and peered around the side at our feet. Her eyes got really big and she had a very concerned look on her face. "Where is your infant?", she shouted. Good thing Brandon answered, "We are coming back with one!", because I couldn't stop laughing! I never thought about how a stroller and diaper bag would look like to random people!

Well, we are off to Chicago at 6:20 and then depart for Shanghai at 10:30. Prayers for non-eventful flights!