I decided to recap our trip to China on this blog since it had been blogged about on my old blog JemChina which is no longer accessible. That way those interested in reading about our trip can still do so. Enjoy!
ITINERARY
Feb27 Arrive in China
Feb 28 Tian An Men Square, Forbidden City, Olympic Park, Great wall
Mar 01 Fly to Nanchang- GOTCHA DAY!
Mar 02 Finalize registraion and notary- Official Adoption Day.
Mar 03 Visit People's Park
Mar 04 Tour Countryside
Mar 05 Tengwang Pavilion
Mar 06 Fly to Guangzhou
Mar 08 Sunday Church Sermon, Pearl Factory Tour
Mar 09 Consulate Appointment
Mar 10 Swearing In Ceremony
Mar 11 Come back Home!
DAY 1
We arrived in Beijing a little earlier than planned. The flight was super long. And have to say I even got a little air sick. We are now at the Beijing Traders Hotel. I'll post more later. Having an issue with charging the battery, as I already blew the camera charger. For now we are just going to rest, as we have an early wake up to tour the city. I'll post more later on.
This will be quick since we are headed out for the tour today. Here are two pictures from yesterday. We'll post more later. And you can also see the rest at the link on top.
DAY 2
Today was our touring day. We packed in a lot. Started out today with visiting Tian'nemn Square, The Forbidden City, Olympic Complex. The Cloissette Factory, where we had lunch, and then off to the Great Wall. The weather here is pretty cold, and you'll see some snow on the ground from a previous snowfall before we arrived.
Tidbits and Observations from Beijing:
The city is extremely big and widespread, and very clean. You don't see trash on the street nor do you see garbage cans either. The air does not feel smoggy, but you will see in the pictures that everything looks like there is fog. Not sure if it's the cold weather or if it's pollution.
It's seems the common attire is black and chic. There were women climbing the Great Wall with boots with heals. I couldn't even make it up in sneakers.
Since today is Saturday, it seemed that these tourist spots were booming with visitors. Everywhere we went there were crowds. We were even asked to pose with some locals for pictures.
So I'm sure you are wondering about the baby. Well we leave tomorrow for Nanchang and arrive at about 1:30pm. The babies will arrive around 4:30 or so. Our guide is great and she already checked on the babies for our group. They are all doing well and healthy.
Though Beijing is a great city, our main focus of course is the adoption. So it has been difficult to get into that touristy mood you get when you travel. I don't know how quite to explain it, other than, yeah the city is nice, but we are ready to move on. I'm sure if we had come as just tourist we would feel different. I've posted a few pictures, but be sure to check the link up top for the rest.
DAY 3..... GOTCHA DAY!
DAY 4 at Civil Affairs Office
Today we visited an authentic farmers village called Anyi Old Kwan. It is over 1000 years old. And what quite unknown for sometime. It became a tourist attraction, and they have a gate to enter where you must purchase a ticket to get in. They would not even let the van in, so we had to trek up the street. This was amazing! We were they only tourist there, and quickly attracted attention from the ladies, wanting to see if the babies were Chinese or American. When they saw Mei-li they quickly started to feel her ands for warmth, and advised me to tuck her hand in my carrier. They would touch her feet, look at her clothes, and were happy to see I was keeping her warm. They were so happy, and gave us the thumbs up. The picture where I'm standing next to the writings on the wall, says that this town is a one-child policy. This is right at the entrance of the village. The other picture of the table, is the typical entrance to someones home. That's the living room. These homes are as cold inside as they are outside. No heat. Though it looks poor, they have everything that they need. They live off the farm food, have a shoppette(pictures on the shutterfly link) Oh yeah and as we were leaving I even saw a dentist. Looked just one of the homes, a man laying on a reclining chair, with several men around him. They stopped as I passed by, and I peaked him. I hope they had some Novocaine NOT!
Well Mei-Li was a very good girl for the Doctors. Not one tear. She weighed in at 18.9 lbs with clothes. Afterwards we took a stroll around the perimeter of Guangzhou, so we could locate all the stores we wanted to shop at later on. All the store keepers here are very funny, they run out to say hello when they see the babies, or hand you their cards/pricelists. They apparently cater to the Americans here. We also had dinner with group at Lucy's again, and then went to check out the White Swan to see what we were missing. Yep, it was much nicer looking than the Victory, but we hear our rooms our bigger, which is great if you have a crawler or a walker. We have neither as Mei-Li can only sit up, and roll from side to side. At this point it doesn't matter where we stay, we are very homesick and miss Michael and our home.
LAST DAY IN GUANGZHOU
The last 5 days seem like a blur. Can't believe we have been home for almost a week already. Mei-Li has been sleeping well and on schedule. She cries out a little less at night, but usually it last only seconds. We usually have to wake her up in the mornings, because she can go until 9:30 am. Only if Mom and Dad could sleep that long too:) We are slowly introducing her to baby food, but her favorite is still rice. So tonight I improvised and added rice to her chicken/vegetable food, and she seemed to take it nicely. She seems to be teething really bad, and spends most of the day biting her blanket or my fingers if they get close to her face. Her two bottom teeth are now showing. I've tried Humphrey's, teething gel, and sometimes Tylenol for her pain, as she seems to be quite uncomfortable all day long. But getting her to take any type of medicine presents challenges of their own. This child is very strongwilled, and will instantly spit it out.
Well you are probably wondering where I've been. Things have gone so fast, we have not even had time to breath. We landed in Nanchang around 1:30pm and by the time we got to the hotel we had just under an hour to get ready for the babies. Then about an hour later the SWI nannies and director visited our rooms to answer questions. Then more paperwork and dinner by 7pm. We were so exhausted by the end of the day. Luckily Mei-li fell asleep quickly and we quickly followed behind. We had a very good night with her. Just one wake up at midnight, and we were up by 5:30 am to give us time to get ready to leave for Civil Affairs office. I of course kept checking on her every hour so to make sure she was OK.
Today, her adoption became official after we visited the civil affairs office this morning. We did some more running around to apply for her Chinese passport. We will get that by Friday, and then off to Guangzhou.
We knew this trip would be on the go, but we are near exhaustion. Tomorrow we are supposed to do some touring, but due to the bad weather, we may just stay in and catch up on some baby time. I've been unable to keep Mei-Li on any type of feeding schedule as we are always on the go. Today she got her second bottle, while we raced through Walmart for more pampers, and formula. Yes believe it or not there is a Walmart in China. Everything is done in a hurry here, and so was our shopping experience. So we missed out on taking pictures there. I'll post a few here from the days events, and the rest on the shutterfly link above.
DAY 4 TengWang Pavillian
It continues to rain here in Nanchang. Locals say it has been raining for two weeks now. Add to that 30 degree temperature and it's cold for my Florida blood. Today we switched out the tours for the TengWang Pavillian since it is indoors. However, getting to the top of the steps in the rain, with a stroller and diaper bag, plus baby was quite the challenge. But we learn along the way. Next time we will not leave the Ergo carrier behind. LOL Daddy improvised by sticking her in his coat so we can make it down safely on the wet steps.
We reached the top of the stairs just in time to catch a show, a glimpse of it is in the video. Afterwards we took a quick walk to a local restaurant with our guide for some delicious lunch. This restaurant has individual rooms with tables set up to eat in private. It was quite the experience and the food was very good. Even the babies had a little taste of a particular custard made for them. Mei-li ate a bowl full. She must have gotten full, because she would not take her afternoon bottle. She has been a little fussy today. She seems to do OK in Daddy's arms though. With me she allows me to change her diaper, feed her, and occasionally I get a few smiles. I try to encourage eye contact with her, but she only holds it for a few seconds at a time.
This is our third day with her. As we get to spend more time with her we notice that she has not had to much stimulation or play time. As well I noticed today, with her first experience with banana puffs that she is OK if you feed them to her, but does not take them to her mouth when they are in her hands. On a whole she is really an easy baby, and likes to fall asleep on her own.
So here are a few pics, and don't forget to check out the link for the rest.
Zai jian
Day 5 Anyi Old Kwan Village
Today we visited an authentic farmers village called Anyi Old Kwan. It is over 1000 years old. And what quite unknown for sometime. It became a tourist attraction, and they have a gate to enter where you must purchase a ticket to get in. They would not even let the van in, so we had to trek up the street. This was amazing! We were they only tourist there, and quickly attracted attention from the ladies, wanting to see if the babies were Chinese or American. When they saw Mei-li they quickly started to feel her ands for warmth, and advised me to tuck her hand in my carrier. They would touch her feet, look at her clothes, and were happy to see I was keeping her warm. They were so happy, and gave us the thumbs up. The picture where I'm standing next to the writings on the wall, says that this town is a one-child policy. This is right at the entrance of the village. The other picture of the table, is the typical entrance to someones home. That's the living room. These homes are as cold inside as they are outside. No heat. Though it looks poor, they have everything that they need. They live off the farm food, have a shoppette(pictures on the shutterfly link) Oh yeah and as we were leaving I even saw a dentist. Looked just one of the homes, a man laying on a reclining chair, with several men around him. They stopped as I passed by, and I peaked him. I hope they had some Novocaine NOT!
So far when the locals find out that we are here adopting the babies they seem happy about it, and feel the babies are very lucky. I have to say that even though the weather was horrible, I was glad to take this tour. Our guide said that most likely our babies were born in areas like these. Mostly what happens, if the mother is pregnant, they take her to another village to have the baby. If it's a girl, then they return without the baby, and that's all I'll say about that.
Day 6 (I Think!)
Today the rain let up a little. However, the tour to Peoples Park had been cancelled thinking it would rain all day. Instead we visited a local porcelain shop, and went to a book store and off to dinner. We bought a few Chinese CD's and books for Mei-Li. We tried one out on the laptop, and to our surprise Mei-Li started dancing and laughing. We knew from her paperwork she was fond of music, but had no idea she liked it that much. Here's a short video of her busting the moves. LOL
DAY 7& 8 in Guangzhou
We finally made it this afternoon to Guangzhou. We are staying at The Victory Hotel instead of the typical White Swan. We have only seen a little bit, but this is a whole different world from Nanchang. We got here kind of late afternoon, and by the time we headed out for dinner, it was already dark. We went to Lucy's known for it American food, which we had not had any in over 10 days. Wow it was great to have some grilled chicken that looked and tasted like chicken. Sorry no pics for today, as we have not taken any here yet. Will post some tomorrow when we head out for Mei-Li's physical exam. I hope that goes smoothly. We have come to learn that our baby has a strong personality and gets very angry when she doesn't get what she wants when she wants it. So lets pray she's a good girl for the doctors tomorrow. LOL
DAY 8
Well Mei-Li was a very good girl for the Doctors. Not one tear. She weighed in at 18.9 lbs with clothes. Afterwards we took a stroll around the perimeter of Guangzhou, so we could locate all the stores we wanted to shop at later on. All the store keepers here are very funny, they run out to say hello when they see the babies, or hand you their cards/pricelists. They apparently cater to the Americans here. We also had dinner with group at Lucy's again, and then went to check out the White Swan to see what we were missing. Yep, it was much nicer looking than the Victory, but we hear our rooms our bigger, which is great if you have a crawler or a walker. We have neither as Mei-Li can only sit up, and roll from side to side. At this point it doesn't matter where we stay, we are very homesick and miss Michael and our home.
Today, we will be going to Sunday service on the Island, and possibly some more shopping. I think we have an optional tour scheduled to the Market. We are running low on some items, and desperately need batteries to keep our camera going. Since I blew up my rechargeablecharger in Nanchang, my recyclable batteries are useless. The regular batteries don't last as long, and I've already gone through a pack of 8. At least they are cheaper here than in the US. I will definitely blog my tips for future travelers when I return for those still yet to travel. Though I thought I was very well prepared, I wasn't.
There are more pictures of the last 2 days on the link above, if you want to check them out.
LAST DAY IN GUANGZHOU
Today is our last full day in Guangzhou. This is very pretty here with, overgrown trees and gardens. I'll post some pictures above.
Yesterday we had a nice day as far as weather goes, but we had to stay in our rooms while our guide went to the consulate for us. Everything is A. OK. Today is the swearing in ceremony, around 3 pm, and then they hand us Mei-Li's brown envelope which we hand over to immigration once we touch US soil. And she become an American Citizen at that moment!
Sorry for not posting more pictures, but my camera has been temperamental. I've missed great photo opps, and lets just say I'm getting a new camera when I get home. LOL!
Mei-Li is doing better everyday. We actually got a full nights sleep last night with no wake ups or cry. She went straight to her 5:30 am bottle. So we finally got some rest too. Everyday, she giggles a little more, and is doing better with the eye contact with me when I feed her. Of course she's a daddy's girl, but I knew to expect that. Sometime the girls attach to Daddy first because Mommy may seem like a threat . Mei-Li has blended in very nicely with us. She does have her moments but I think that's her personality. She's also quite the flirt with everyone in the street. She will normally have a smile ready at any sign of attention, unless she is zonked out.
RED COUCH PHOTO DAY
Well the time has come, and we are packed and getting ready for our last sleep in China. Today, we went to the Consulate and had the swearing in ceremony for Mei-Li, and received all her documents for her citizenship, and her visa to travel. It was difficult not to get choked up. At that moment the process was complete and we all had such a feeling of accomplishment. Our baby girl is ready to come to AMERICA!
I'll post some of the final pictures in Guangzhou and the infamous red couch photo with all the babies and families.
We can not wait to get home. We are dreading the 25 hours of travel time to get there, but we know it's a MUST!
We can't wait for Mei-li to meet the rest of her family and friends. Though Mei-li has been doing pretty good here in China, she does have her moments. We plan to work through the attachment process once we are home, by using some of the methods, suggested by our agency and social worker. For our friends and family greeting us at the airport, please know that we will not be passing her around to be carried. This trip will be overwhelming for her, and we plan to gradually intergrate her into the extended family . Though Mei-Li has joined us at a very young age, we have noticed typical "orphanage behavior" She will need to learn to bond with us since she has not been exposed to that ever. Some typical things we do to our babies, she has no idea what we are doing. For example, if you extend your hands for her to come to you, she just stares at you and has no idea what you are asking. It will take time for her to learn some of these things that seem so simple to us. So I hope everyone undersatnds not to expect the typical 9 month old behavior most babies display at that age.
Well, see ya on the flip side, as this will be my last post before we leave for home. Thanks to everyone for all the comments, and guestbook notes. They were all read while we were here and very much appreciated.
Zai Jian
WE ARE HOME
Ok so it seems I left everyone hanging for a day or two. We did make it home safe and sound after a delay in Newark, We got in at 1 am which was really Thursday by then. We were extremely jet lagged on Thursday. And I think except for a short nap today, I must have gone almost 36 hours without sleep. Our camera also gave out, and I have not been able to download the final pictures of our travels home. So sorry no pictures on this post. But I promise to post more pictures of Mei-Li as soon as we can. Right now we are just trying to adjust to the time difference and get baby back on schedule. She's had a hard time adjusting to yet another new surrounding and a totally different climate. So I'm taking a short break from blogging, until we feel comfortable she is doing better.
FIRST FEW DAYS HOME
The last 5 days seem like a blur. Can't believe we have been home for almost a week already. Mei-Li has been sleeping well and on schedule. She cries out a little less at night, but usually it last only seconds. We usually have to wake her up in the mornings, because she can go until 9:30 am. Only if Mom and Dad could sleep that long too:) We are slowly introducing her to baby food, but her favorite is still rice. So tonight I improvised and added rice to her chicken/vegetable food, and she seemed to take it nicely. She seems to be teething really bad, and spends most of the day biting her blanket or my fingers if they get close to her face. Her two bottom teeth are now showing. I've tried Humphrey's, teething gel, and sometimes Tylenol for her pain, as she seems to be quite uncomfortable all day long. But getting her to take any type of medicine presents challenges of their own. This child is very strongwilled, and will instantly spit it out.
We took her for her first walk around the neighborhood the other day, and she was out halfway through. She did fine in her new stroller, and has been doing great in the car seat. Now if only Mommy could figure out all those buckles. They should make those things standard form for all baby gear. Here are a few photos to enjoy.
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