Walmart in China....a garage door entry to an underground store.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
In Guangzhou Now
We are on the last leg of our trip. We arrived in Guangzhou on Friday afternoon. Here we will complete Hope's immigration into the U.S.
Yesterday was Hope's medical exam. We learned quickly that she has a fear of doctors. She beamed a happy little cherub while in the waiting room. Once we entered the first (of 3) examining rooms and she glanced up at the white-coated medical staff, she hurled her protests. Tears combined with an antsy feet dance and continuous attempts to dart back to the waiting room, signaled she had some unwelcome memories about those white coats. While the staff weighed and measured our disgruntled peanut, her protests continued until I swooped her into my arms and exited that room.
Her dismay returned with vengence when we entered the second examining room. This time it was the real deal--a DOCTOR! As I held her plumb, but petite (yeah, figure that one out!), frame on my lap, the doctor began her questions in Chinese combined with I think was suppose to be broken English. I just gazed at the medical expert with a blank stare as my sweet angel wrestled for freedom with all the strength she could muster. Her pleas with words I did not recognized but still understood begged me to rescue her from what she certainly claimed a frightful fate.
Finally, our guide appeared at the cloth-covered entry and clued me in on my babe's distress. Her bellows were pleading, "No shot! No Shot!" So I'm guessing the multitude of immunizations she had lumped into her 4th year of life has left an intense aversion to doctors who insist on cloaking themselves in white coats and medical masks. I admit their site is a bit intimidating even without a needle protruding from their hand. The doctor then signaled me to place my hysterical child on the examining table, and she proceeded to remove her clothes for a "complete" exam. She coldly flipped my precious babe over and yanked her pants down. With bare bottom exposed, Hope's fears morphed in magnitude as her eyes pleaded with me to be her rescuer. As much as I wanted to shove that masked medical provider away from my angel, I knew that certain hoops could not be avoided. She must endure yet another icy exam so that certain boxes could be checked off.
Hope survived the second examining room and found the third room a bit less traumatic. She sat on my lap while another white-coated, personality-deficient character sqeaked a toy on each side of her head to see if she responded to the noise. Then a peak into her eyes and her mouth. Once excused from the ENT room, Hope wiggled from my arms and grabbed her coat, desparately trying to put it on properly and escape that scary building. My heart sank. I knew the worst was yet to come--the wiggle-a--needle-under-the-skin TB test. UGH!
I'm sure she thought we were on our way out the door. No, sweet babe. One more room to go. I hugged her close on my lap while the technician pushed her sleeve up to expose her bare skin. Mighty screams again bounced through the medical facility as my little peanut brandished the only weapon currently accessible to her--her voice.
Medical exam finalized, we whisked our princess out of her nightmare and into the fresh air of Guangzhou's Shamain Island. Her perky, playful self immediately returned, but my mamabear instincts to knock some compassion into those medical providers still remains.
I know you all are eagerly awaiting more pictures. Once hubby wakes and gives me the camera, I'll download them to the blog.
Yesterday was Hope's medical exam. We learned quickly that she has a fear of doctors. She beamed a happy little cherub while in the waiting room. Once we entered the first (of 3) examining rooms and she glanced up at the white-coated medical staff, she hurled her protests. Tears combined with an antsy feet dance and continuous attempts to dart back to the waiting room, signaled she had some unwelcome memories about those white coats. While the staff weighed and measured our disgruntled peanut, her protests continued until I swooped her into my arms and exited that room.
Her dismay returned with vengence when we entered the second examining room. This time it was the real deal--a DOCTOR! As I held her plumb, but petite (yeah, figure that one out!), frame on my lap, the doctor began her questions in Chinese combined with I think was suppose to be broken English. I just gazed at the medical expert with a blank stare as my sweet angel wrestled for freedom with all the strength she could muster. Her pleas with words I did not recognized but still understood begged me to rescue her from what she certainly claimed a frightful fate.
Finally, our guide appeared at the cloth-covered entry and clued me in on my babe's distress. Her bellows were pleading, "No shot! No Shot!" So I'm guessing the multitude of immunizations she had lumped into her 4th year of life has left an intense aversion to doctors who insist on cloaking themselves in white coats and medical masks. I admit their site is a bit intimidating even without a needle protruding from their hand. The doctor then signaled me to place my hysterical child on the examining table, and she proceeded to remove her clothes for a "complete" exam. She coldly flipped my precious babe over and yanked her pants down. With bare bottom exposed, Hope's fears morphed in magnitude as her eyes pleaded with me to be her rescuer. As much as I wanted to shove that masked medical provider away from my angel, I knew that certain hoops could not be avoided. She must endure yet another icy exam so that certain boxes could be checked off.
Hope survived the second examining room and found the third room a bit less traumatic. She sat on my lap while another white-coated, personality-deficient character sqeaked a toy on each side of her head to see if she responded to the noise. Then a peak into her eyes and her mouth. Once excused from the ENT room, Hope wiggled from my arms and grabbed her coat, desparately trying to put it on properly and escape that scary building. My heart sank. I knew the worst was yet to come--the wiggle-a--needle-under-the-skin TB test. UGH!
I'm sure she thought we were on our way out the door. No, sweet babe. One more room to go. I hugged her close on my lap while the technician pushed her sleeve up to expose her bare skin. Mighty screams again bounced through the medical facility as my little peanut brandished the only weapon currently accessible to her--her voice.
Medical exam finalized, we whisked our princess out of her nightmare and into the fresh air of Guangzhou's Shamain Island. Her perky, playful self immediately returned, but my mamabear instincts to knock some compassion into those medical providers still remains.
I know you all are eagerly awaiting more pictures. Once hubby wakes and gives me the camera, I'll download them to the blog.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
A Day in the Park
We visited the Monkey Park and got a glimpse of the local people. It was amazing and was "the China" I had hoped to see this trip.
Jet Lag
Here's what jet lag looks like...
This is what NOT jet lagged looks like...
Yesterday was our jet lagged day. We were all dragging. I finally collapsed in the afternoon with Hope and Joy. Sarah followed shortly. They boys all went to dinner while we slept. Once they returned, the girls went to dinner, and the guys crashed. Well, all but Dad. But eventually, even he met the mattress.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
A few more shots of our day meeting Hope...
Big sister, Sarah, with Hope.
Hope's nanny on the left and the orphanage director on the right...
The road conditions were not good, so we had to wait 2 1/2 hours for them to arrive with Hope. Here's a few pictures of us waiting in a freezing room. Most places do not have heat and everyone wears their coats and scarves while they work. My toes were aching and them numb in my little flats.
Christian carrying a Hello Kitty backpack. :)
Here's a Chinese potty....squat and go....
Monday, January 30, 2012
She's Perfect
The world was wrong about our baby girl....completely wrong. The doctors who reviewed her file were wrong. The birth parents who thought she was not valuable enough to raise were wrong.
She is a treasure from Heaven.
And we are blessed to have been chosen to be her family.
She came to us with a great big smile. She told her nanny she was happy. And she has been smiling since.
Today is adoption day. We leave in a few minutes to officially make her "ours". But she has been "ours" in our hearts for 10 months, and predestined to be our daughter from the beginning of time by the Grace of the Only One who knew how perfect we all were for each other.
She is a treasure from Heaven.
And we are blessed to have been chosen to be her family.
She came to us with a great big smile. She told her nanny she was happy. And she has been smiling since.
Today is adoption day. We leave in a few minutes to officially make her "ours". But she has been "ours" in our hearts for 10 months, and predestined to be our daughter from the beginning of time by the Grace of the Only One who knew how perfect we all were for each other.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Backtracking a bit...
We have been going non-stop since we arrived in Beijing. Because we traveled the week of CNY, we had to leave a day later than most, so our time in Beijing was crammed into a 1 1/2 days.
Our flight out of our hometown was canceled. The arriving plane was diverted due to fog, so they canceled the flight. Then they said the plane would arrive by 6, then it was 7, then it was 7:30; and we would depart "as soon as possible". We were suppose to have departed at 3:00. :( When the plane FINALLY arrived, and we boarded, they announced the expected arrival time. It was the EXACT time our connection was to take off. I was freaking out at that point. I had held back my tears all afternoon because my children were watching me to get a feel as to how serious our situation was. But upon that announcement, I concluded that we could not get to our gate soon enough to make it to Beijing and that because so many of us were traveling, we would not even be able to get another flght out with all of us on it. I muffled the tears and only allowed a few to trinkle.
We arrived in Chicago. Flight attendant informed us that our gate was in the same terminaml (thank God!!!) and she requested that passengers who did not have a quick connection remain seated so that those that do could get off ASAP. Do people give a hoot? NO! Thankfully, we were seated near the front of the plane. We literally ran through the airport. Husband and a couple older kids were ahead of me, while I tried to keep sight of them and stay with my little 8-year-old. My 13-year-old son stayed back with me, I think because he wanted to make sure I was safe. How sweet!!!
Once I arrived at the gate, husband shook his head that we had made it. THAT flight had been delayed as well. We boarded immediately. We learned that the pilot was ill and they were trying to locate another one to fly the plane. No other circumstances would have made me grateful that we sat on the plane for an hour before take off.
Only one explanation for me on the timing of all that. God was watching over us. Thank you!
Our flight out of our hometown was canceled. The arriving plane was diverted due to fog, so they canceled the flight. Then they said the plane would arrive by 6, then it was 7, then it was 7:30; and we would depart "as soon as possible". We were suppose to have departed at 3:00. :( When the plane FINALLY arrived, and we boarded, they announced the expected arrival time. It was the EXACT time our connection was to take off. I was freaking out at that point. I had held back my tears all afternoon because my children were watching me to get a feel as to how serious our situation was. But upon that announcement, I concluded that we could not get to our gate soon enough to make it to Beijing and that because so many of us were traveling, we would not even be able to get another flght out with all of us on it. I muffled the tears and only allowed a few to trinkle.
We arrived in Chicago. Flight attendant informed us that our gate was in the same terminaml (thank God!!!) and she requested that passengers who did not have a quick connection remain seated so that those that do could get off ASAP. Do people give a hoot? NO! Thankfully, we were seated near the front of the plane. We literally ran through the airport. Husband and a couple older kids were ahead of me, while I tried to keep sight of them and stay with my little 8-year-old. My 13-year-old son stayed back with me, I think because he wanted to make sure I was safe. How sweet!!!
Once I arrived at the gate, husband shook his head that we had made it. THAT flight had been delayed as well. We boarded immediately. We learned that the pilot was ill and they were trying to locate another one to fly the plane. No other circumstances would have made me grateful that we sat on the plane for an hour before take off.
Only one explanation for me on the timing of all that. God was watching over us. Thank you!
Guess Where We Are
We arrived in Beijing on the 27th and spent two days touring the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Beijing International Jade Factory, and experience a tea ceremony at a tea house.
We flew into our new daughter's province last night and will be united with her in 4 1/2 hours. So many emotions are overtaking me right now. Wondering what my sweet baby girl must be feeling this morning as she says goodbye to those who have cared for her and the little building that has been her "home" for her entire life. We know that so much love and opportunities await her future, but she doesn't know this; and even if she did, it doesn't change that she still has to grieve her homeland and caregivers.
Please pray that her heart will be open to receive all the love we have for her and that her fears will be relieved quickly.
Pictures of our union with our sweet Hope Xin'e will be posted soon.
We flew into our new daughter's province last night and will be united with her in 4 1/2 hours. So many emotions are overtaking me right now. Wondering what my sweet baby girl must be feeling this morning as she says goodbye to those who have cared for her and the little building that has been her "home" for her entire life. We know that so much love and opportunities await her future, but she doesn't know this; and even if she did, it doesn't change that she still has to grieve her homeland and caregivers.
Please pray that her heart will be open to receive all the love we have for her and that her fears will be relieved quickly.
Pictures of our union with our sweet Hope Xin'e will be posted soon.
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