Hi Again--it is Lori, even though it says that Brad is posting. I thought I would add a few more photos and try to keep them in the theme of eating. Eating is one thing that we have had no trouble with! She loves everything we have given her and she tries hard to feed herself too. She is a big "dipper" once Brad showed her how and now what ever she has is worthy of dipping in whatever soupy item she is consuming. Meat sticks can be dipped in ketchup, yogurt, applesauce and even creamed green beans--yumm-0.





So enjoy these photos. Oh, and tonight we celebrate "sleeping in your own bed" we will see how long before she realizes she is there--we'll let you know.

The first two photos are of our friends Tony and Margaret and Allie. They were on the first part of this trip with us and were there for Gotcha Day and a few days after. These were early photos of them with Allie--just a couple of months after getting her in 2006 and then on vacation with us about 10 months after getting her. We had forgotten how small she was and that she too was a chubby cheeked baby--I just wanted everyone else to see as well. The other photos are the first time Audrey really was successful with a spoon, then eating her favorite food at the White Swan--noodles (I haven't been able to duplicate those yet) and then contemplating the cat's food--I don't think she tried any of that . . .

Hello Everyone


Thought I would make a quick post and add some new photos. We are home of course and things are great. Audrey is a doll and gets more personality every day! Thank you to everyone who has made our homecoming so nice--we had quite an ordeal in the last leg of our flight, but are happy to finally be here. Now several weeks into being home, we are developing a little bit of routine and definitely getting used to Audrey being a part of the family. She is quite interested in people--like her mom she wants to be surrounded by friends. So here are a few photos and hopefully I can get Brad to post sometime soon. He said--we are home now, so I am done with the blog--but I think he might be compelled to add a few notes soon.

The photos are--my Mom and Dad and their first meeting with Audrey. Falling asleep during dinner--she won't sleep when I want her to, but mealtime works. With my dear friend Brenda! And finally--with all our luggage after our flight (the final leg) was cancelled in Dallas on the trip home, Audrey took it all in stride.

Coming Home (Part I)

We are in the Tokyo airport. One leg down, three more to go. Audrey's first plane ride went even better than expected. She only got cranky a couple of times, and I think those were because her ears were hurting. We are on Japan Airlines until we get to Los Angeles, and the flight attendants are the most gracious I have ever seen. One young lady made sure that Audrey had baby food and toys, and that certainly helped to make it a smoother trip. We have been playing in the children's room of the JAL lounge hoping to keep Audrey active so that maybe she will sleep for most of the trip to L.A. Once we go through immigration at LAX our little China baby will officially be a little American baby.

These are two pictures of us with our guide Veronica. Without her help this trip would have been 1,000 times tougher. We will miss her terribly, we have both cried multiple times about the fact that we will not be able to see her again for a long time. By the way, a little bit ago I went to get food from the buffet area of the JAL lounge, and when I turned around guess who had followed me away from Mommy and all the way across the room? As much as she loves food I'm pretty sure that was the motivation, but hey, I'll take what I can get.

Final Thoughts On China

Brad:

I was wrong about almost every aspect of this trip. I thought the that I would never be able to find food that I would like and be comfortable eating, and I would probably lose weight from 2 and a half weeks of eating pretty much nothing but rice. The food has been tremendous and I have gained several pounds. I was upset that our entire trip would be spent in Guangzhou and we wouldn't be able to see any of the rest of China. Though I still wish we had been able to see Beijing, Guangzhou has been wonderful. I thought the people would be cold and distant, but for the most part they have been kind and welcoming. I thought that we would get a wonderful little girl who we would be glad to spend the rest of our lives with--OK, I said I was wrong about almost everything. 

I am shocked to feel the way I do about leaving here. On the one hand I am excited to see all of our friends and family and let them meet little Audrey, but on the other I don't remember ever being so sad to leave a place. The people that we have met here and the adventures that we have gone on are unlike any other I have ever known. I think part of my sadness is because of the difficulty of coming back. It is a long journey and you do have to jump through a few hoops to be able to visit a country like China, but because of our time here and what this city will always mean to us for being where we got our little girl, Guangzhou will always hold a special place in my heart.

Thanks to all of you for following along with us and giving us a taste of home during our extended stay away. We will be there before you know it.

Lori:

Well I can't believe that our long awaited trip to China is coming to an end.  Sweet little Audrey has been a trooper on every bus, cab and stroller ride--long or short, hot or rainy--I hope that is indicative of how she will endure the 24 hours plus it will take to get us from Guangzhou to Oklahoma City!  I may be the one kicking and screaming and she will probably be just fine.  

Well I have done a lot of great things over the years on my birthday and if you know me well you will also know how much I like my annual celebration.  However, finalizing an adoption half the world away to a precious little China baby tops the list of fun things.   Now we need just step onto the soil of America and she, too, will be privy to all the rights, responsibilities and restrictions as the rest of us--just like that.

The swearing in ceremony didn't have much WOW factor--kind of like your actual wedding vows--you know what they meant but forget exactly what was said.  The head of the American Consulate was very nice and has two adopted Chinese daughters himself.   We ended the day with one last sweep through Shamian Island, good byes to all our new Chinese friends and to the families we shared the last few weeks with and more photos.  We ate at Lucy's (an American Style eatery) and had birthday cake--or Fresh Cake as it is usually called.  I would hate to partake in the NOT fresh cake as the Fresh Cake is good, but no Leo's Strawberry-Banana cake.  I look forward to another celebration at home--perhaps with a little Ted's Escondido.   

Some of our new friends should be mentioned here:  from China there is Susan and Dong (they have a great shop and are very kind and will do anything to help you), Grace who has two precious kitties one with a pierced ear and she is so sweet to Audrey, and Chen who works here at the White Swan and never is without a smile and lovely laugh.   And of course Veronica--the very best guide we could have had--many thanks to her for making this whole trip a hundred times better.  To the 10 other families that we shared this trip with--thank you--we have enjoyed you and your children and will look forward to keeping up with you over the years.  Truitt and Stephanie and Scott and Gene we are practically neighbors so we hopefully will see you guys soon.

Most of all thank you to all our family and friends anxiously waiting back home who have religiously followed our story.  We love and appreciate you and thank you for your kind words and prayers and love--we have felt it every day.  We'll be there soon.

Dinner On The Pearl River

We have begun the arduous process of packing all of our belongings for the long journey home. We were already sad to leave here, but trying to pack three people and all of the treasures that we have acquired makes it that much tougher.

Tonight we took a dinner cruise on the Pearl River that runs through the center of Guangzhou. You can tell just from traveling around the city that there is a lot to see, but until you go right through the middle of it you have no idea what a sight it is to behold! The architecture itself is stunning, but when you add the light show that is built into most of the buildings and bridges, it is almost overwhelming. It's like Las Vegas on steroids. Because the Olympics are just a few months away, many of the buildings have adopted an Olympic theme, including the China Construction Bank building which is basically a giant billboard. It rotates from variations on the Beijing 2008 logo to all of the mascots--it is the building in the last photo. Many of them also have lasers and spotlights and other displays. While the food was less than stellar, anyone traveling to Guangzhou will not fully get to experience the city without doing this cruise. It's cheap too, only about $20 U.S. including dinner.

Audrey is slowly liking me more and more. She now lets me pick her up (though she usually thinks I am going to hand her to Lori), and this morning the two of us went without Lori to see the fish in the pond in the middle of the hotel. She also learned how to blow a kiss today. Though it's hard to tell, that's what she is doing in the picture of her. She still wants to be in close proximity to Mommy, but she keeps making progress. Hopefully by the time we get home none of you will get the cold-shoulder that I did.

Tomorrow is our last day here (and Lori's birthday). Though I can't explain to you how sad we are to leave here, we can't wait to come home and see all of you and start the normal routine of our lives together. Our consulate appointment is at 3pm tomorrow, and according to our guide Veronica all of the paperwork has been approved, so when we go through immigrations in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon Audrey will be a full-fledged American citizen.

I Knew This Face Reminded Me Of Someone

This is not a full post, I will do one of those later. But I knew I had seen this face somewhere before.

For My Money Nothing Beats A Monkey On A Bicycle!

Today we visited the Guangzhou Zoo, and while it wasn't nearly as animal friendly as most American zoos it was much better than what I expected. Since we didn't get to make the Beijing portion of the trip due to the length of our stay in Guangzhou it was nice to actually get to see a Giant Panda in China. Though the enclosure for the panda was not as good as I thought it would be, it was certainly the most protected. You can tell that it is the national symbol of China. The panda was in a cage, but it appeared to also be able to go outside, and it is protected by a wall, moat, and electric fence. Probably my favorite animal there was the Red or Lesser Panda (That's him in the last photo). He had a large enclosure with no bars and lots of trees to climb and grass to crawl around in--Very beautiful. This zoo reminded me of an American zoo before the 1980's (come to think of it, lots of things in China remind me of the U.S.A. in the 70's and before). Many of the animals were in cages and the way the visitors treat them is shameful, throwing things at them--we saw a poor brown bear sitting in the moat of his reasonably nice pen eating what appeared to be a plastic cup that had been thrown in. Still its hard to be too judgmental of the people here, they just haven't ever learned any different. That being said, everywhere you go there is not just one trash can, but one for recyclables and one for other trash--maybe we could learn a thing or two from them also. In one part of the zoo I spotted a building with a picture of a monkey on a bicycle. Now I don't know about you, but when someone teases me with monkeys on bicycles money is no object! It actually only cost about a dollar to go in for the show, and while certainly entertaining, it was sad to see the trained animals forced to perform. There was a bear who rode a motorcycle and bicycle and walked on a ball, a lion who pulled a chariot, a dog who walked on a ball, and of course monkeys on bikes! This also reminded me of something we would have seen in America in my childhood, and while it is nostalgic on a certain level I can't help but feel bad for the animals. Audrey loved the zoo, so we can't wait to make our first visit to the OKC Zoo.

Every day she seems to become more comfortable with us and assured that we are going to be here when she goes to sleep and when she wakes up. She still doesn't want to be comforted by me, but she is much more accepting of me and also is more tolerant of new people and faces. Hopefully the change in environment when we come home won't change this.

Auntie Andie has already made the first zoo visit request, so start making your appointments now. The line forms behind her.

The Red Couch

Today we took the traditional photos on the red couches. All of the babies adopted from China who stay at The White Swan Hotel have their pictures taken as a group on one of the red couches in the lounge. It is quite a sight to behold as everyone tries to wrangle 11 little girls, most of whom are not interested in sitting still, onto the couch for a picture. The first photo today captures a split-second of the action.

Since most of my day's activity was preparing paperwork for our U.S. Consulate appointment on Monday, I thought today would be another great opportunity for Lori to bring you up to date with some of her thoughts on the trip so far.

Hello everyone--a lot of our time on the island has been spent shopping so I will share a little about that.  You may think that everything is "made in China"--the truth is a lot of really neat things are made in China and are available at very good prices.  We have gone to the Pearl Market, Jade Market, Art Market and Antique Market.  Also here on Shamian you can get silk pajamas, robes, traditional Chinese outfits for children and shoes at a fraction of the cost in the United States.  It is hard to not get carried away.  The shop keepers are all very proud to show you their wares and they have learned at least enough English (though many speak quite well) to say things like:  "good quality", "original not reproduction", "best price" in order to persuade you to spend money with them.  We have befriended several people--Dong and Susan share tea with us every evening, have shown us how to make congee and steamed Chinese sweet potatoes and given us much insight to the Chinese culture.  They are very proud of their business which is located behind the US Consulate building and they rent it from the Christian Church that sits just to the the side of their building.  No matter what you want you can tell them and in a day or so they stop you as you walk by and they have it.   In addition they will wash your laundry.  Full service is the name of the game and we could all learn a little from their inviting hospitality.  Jordon is another really sweet shop owner and he will work both ends of a block to greet passersby to ask about their new baby, and then promptly invite you to come see his store.  When you visit him he will write your baby's name in Chinese characters and then also the English spelling in calligraphy and give it to you.  One night I thought I had left my jacket in a restaurant and we were in his store--he wanted to run down with me to talk to them in Chinese and make sure I got it back, close his shop completely for however long it took to help me. Every shop is called by an English name--Susan's Place or Jordon's or Jennifer's Place--they want you to feel comfortable and welcome, and to send all of your friends by.  If you like to bargain--then China is the place for you.  So today Audrey and I shopped some while Brad completed the paperwork and we also played in the Mattel sponsored playroom here at the White Swan with a whole lot of other newly adopted kids and their parents.  Audrey was at first a little timid about playing with the other kids, but she soon was interacting like I wasn't even there.

We discovered another delight--the Magnum Bar--odd name, but it is a delicious ice cream bar available at the 7-Elevens on every corner.  I am glad I did not start eating them at the beginning of the trip like I was advised by my friend Margaret--I would have definitely gained weight.  Audrey loves ice cream--coffee--tea and sweets.  Don't worry I am also feeding her nutritious things as well--like chicken and mushroom paste.

Sadly, our trip is coming to an end.  It has been much quicker than I anticipated, but we still have some fun things to do and see and I look forward to seeing everyone and sharing all of the details when we get home.

Girls Gone Wild Guangzhou!

Today was the day that we got our Chinese passport, and yesterday was China's equivalent of Memorial Day, a holiday called Tomb Sweeping Day. I'm not sure which, but in honor of one of these events our girl got a little out of control and flashed her top. I didn't hear the customary "whooo" shout, nor did I see Mardi Gras beads or a Girls Gone Wild t-shirt in Chinese, but something happened that probably doesn't need to be talked about if little Audrey ever wants to run for public office or work for the FBI. Actually she was just having a good time and acting silly. We did in fact get her passport from the Chinese government, so now we begin the United States part of the project.

We had the best meal of our trip tonight. One of the co-workers of another adoptive parent is from Hong Kong, and she gave them some thing to order already written in Chinese. Knowing what to ask for makes all the difference in the world. We had amazing sweet & sour chicken with delicious fried rice and some sort of spicy soup made with coconut milk, needless to say, we will eat here again before we come home. One of the things I had really anticipated for this trip was that the food would be weird and I expected to lose weight over the course of 2 and 1/2 weeks. I don't think Audrey is the only one who has gained weight since we got her. I was really disappointed that we were going to spend our entire trip in Guangzhou and not get to visit any of the rest of China, but it has actually been a wonderful trip and Lori and I were just talking last night about how much we have enjoyed ourselves. 

Now that we have our Chinese passport, we begin work on the paperwork for the U.S. Consulate. Our appointment there is Monday, on Tuesday we pick up Audrey's immigration visa, then Wednesday we start our trip home to meet all of you.

All Systems Are Go!

Today we had our doctor's appointment to check everything out before we go to the U.S. consulate. While it was by no means a thorough examination it was confirmation of what we already knew, that Audrey is a healthy baby. Everything checked out well, and she has already gained 2 pounds since we first got her. All of the other children were crying and carrying on, but Audrey took it like a champ no tears at all. We think this might mean that she has a future in the medical field.

After the exam, we ventured out into Guangzhou without the group for the first time. We went to an antiques market and art district. It was somewhat difficult because pretty much no one spoke any english, but we had a blast. It was really neat to be in a place where we were the only American faces. The art was beautiful and incredibly cheap, and for the most part people were friendly. We also made our first visit to McDonalds. It was neat to see the familiarity of the golden arches but with an Asian flavor. Audrey had her first taste of a hot fudge sundae and loved it, but then again she has loved everything that she has tried. Even though it was a long day with very little time for a nap, Audrey was  a champ. Barely fussy and seemed to enjoy the adventure.

We can now hear the clock ticking towards the end of our time in China and we will be sad to leave even though we can't wait to get home and see everyone. While I was sad to burn this much time away from work and not be diving somewhere, this is definitely a place that we will return to. We will try to pack in as much as we can in our final week, and of course take you with us through the blog.

Chinese Fire Drill

One of the crazier aspects of China that I have yet to write about is the traffic. Apparently things like lanes, traffic lights, stop signs, and other directions that we take for granted in the U.S.A. here are merely suggestions. Suggestions that most of the drivers here don't heed! I promise that no matter where in America you think you have seen crazy drivers, it can't compare to China. The buses, taxis, and other vehicles pass literally within fractions of an inch of each other as they jockey for position and no one seems to give it a second thought. Add into the mix pedestrians, bicycles, and an odd assortment of other motorized vehicles (today we literally saw a bicycle with a motor added to it; not a moped, but a bike with something like a lawn mower motor mounted on it!) and it is almost like watching the 3 Stooges just to sit and look at traffic. All of the news that we hear about China and India being the reason for rising gasoline costs at home appears to be more hype than anything. Gas is just as expensive if not more so here, and most of the people are either walking, riding bikes, or public transportation. Personal vehicles are just too costly for the commoner here. Occasionally we have seen luxury cars like a BMW or Jaguar but it is very rare, and I can't imagine wanting to risk that kind of car in this traffic. The highways aren't much different, there is quite a bit of shipping, but no more so than in America and the trucks that they use to transport goods aren't nearly as big as at home.

Today was one of my favorite days so far on the trip. First off we went about an hour outside of Guangzhou to a park area, but since it was still raining we didn't stay there for very long. Then we came back to town and stopped at a traditional village where the people still grow and sell fruits and vegetables. It was very cool to see the common people and the way that they live. The lady in the picture was selling fresh starfruit that she had grown, and other people were just going about their daily life. There were  a few Taoist temples where the people pay their respects to deceased family  members. The Chinese call it ancestor worship, but it seems to me that it is not too different than the way that we put flowers and other items on the graves of our loved ones to honor them. One of the things that I find very cool about China is that there are several major religions and no one is judgmental about the religion of someone else, and everyone seems to have a lot of knowledge about all of the various religions. Whether you agree with what they believe or not, there is something beautiful about seeing the passion of the different people worshipping in their own way.

Audrey had a good day. We got our first big belly laugh today. Thanks to everyone for all of the words of advice and encouragement. She definitely has had limited interaction with men, her orphanage director told us that there are only two men who are there regularly and neither of them are caregivers, so she hasn't ever seen a man in that role in her life. The good news is that I still have never changed a diaper in my life (Go Mommy!). I think once she gets home and isn't exposed to her native culture and people on a daily basis she will make great progress.

Tomorrow we go for Audrey's health exam. We already know, from our time with her, what the result will be. She is every bit the healthy 16 month-old, who is ready to come home and meet the rest of her family.

One Step Up And Two Steps Back

Not too much new to report from here. We continue to struggle with attachment issues. Audrey clings to Lori for dear life and will barely have anything to do with me. I would recommend that anyone following our blog in preparation for their trip to China pack a good book on attachment issues and be prepared for the worst. I wish we had something to guide us, and I wish I had known better about the raw side of this process. I know in the long run that things will be fine and that we are taking her to a better life, but it doesn't make the short term any easier. Even though we have struggled a bit in the past couple of days, it was nothing like day 1. Hopefully all of you will be better prepared than I was for the rejection that you might be on the receiving end of. Thanks to everyone for writing us through the blog, every day we look forward to news from home.

Yesterday we visited the pearl market. As you can see from the picture, Lori picked out a nice strand of pink pearls. It was incredible to watch these girls string and double-knot the pearls, you can't believe how fast they do it. I know that they get lots of practice, but it boggles the mind to see their speed and the fact that they never appear to make a mistake. The prices are not nearly as good as some people have told us, but still much cheaper than in the U.S. (another side note to those preparing to come here: guys, there is very little here for you, it is all gemstones and silk for the ladies, but they seem to love it!). 

It has rained for the past two days and looks to rain for at least two more, so outdoor activities have been difficult. Today we went to a huge park here in Guangzhou, and we received our first scolding from an old Chinese woman. I am not sure what did not meet her approval, but she was letting us have it about something to do with the baby! I am thinking about looking for a job with a foreign company, because the one thing I learned from that experience is that is it much easier to take an ass-chewing when you don't know what they are saying to you.

Tomorrow we are going to a nearby city called Foshan which is supposed to be a very scenic place in the mountains. Hopefully we will get some respite from the rain so that we can enjoy our time there.

Hope all is well at home, and we look forward to seeing everyone in a few more days.