Guangzhou

We've been in Guangzhou since late Friday night.  The kids did great on the one-hour fllight from Nanchang, but it was quite late when we finally got to the White Swan Hotel.  It is a beautiful hotel, and a lot more to my liking!  There is still cigarette smoke everywhere, but that's just a China thing.  We have a non-smoking room with several other adoptive families in our travel group.  All the babies are beautiful and all the parents are doing well. 

At the medical appointment yesterday, Keira was poked and flipped around and weighed, measured and evaluated.  She is perfect :)  She is 29 lbs and 34 inches tall! 

Guangzhou is like being on vacation compared to Bejing (very rushed) and Nanchang (very emotional).  It is so peaceful here and all we have to do is hang out and wait for Keira's consulate appointment 3/16.  There is a ton of shopping and strolling around and the food is really great, too! 

Connor and Kenna are doing well and Keira gets closer and closer to everyone every day.  She is finally letting Brian hold her, feed her and play with her, which is wonderful.  My back and neck are very thankful!  She is sleeping in her own crib and sleeps through the night with no problems now.  She also eats well and is generally a very easy baby.  She is definitely still more baby than toddler for now.  She still drinks from a bottle, she's not walking, and she has not developed many of the physical skills that you would expect by this age.  I'm pretty sure that is simply from being in institutionalized care.  She certainly had it better than children in the orphanage, but it still seems a little lacking from my Western perspective.  She was raised thus far in typical Chinese fashion, and was clearly loved, which is really the best case scenario, in my opinion.  She knows and understands affection and what it means to be in a family -- such a basic thing, it seems, but lots of children do not have the opporunity to experience family and have their emotional needs met.  I am so thankful that she is attaching well so far.  She really just folded right into our family -- she was definitely meant to be.

Guangzhou reminds me of Savannah - it's got a lot of European charm, lots of squares and everything is green and pretty.  Azaleas and begonias are in bloom everywhere, and the weather is just lovely.  We can spend hours just browsing the shops and walking along the pretty streets.  There are also babies everywhere!  Guangzhou is the exit point for all U.S. adoptive families.  We all have to have an exit interview with our children so that the U.S. government can say that we're suitable parents, and that the baby is legally adoptable.  We went through this process in Hanoi as well, so we are not worried at all.

Today we went to a pearl market and visited the Chan (as in Jackie) Family Temple.  I got lovely pearl earrings, bracelets and necklaces for the girls and myself for a very reasonable price.   The temple was typical, but it was nice to be outside with the kids on such a nice day with room for them to run a little bit.

Yesterday after our medical appointments, we spent the day exploring the island.  Our hotel is located on Shamian Island - a tiny little island just accross the river from downtown.  Have I said it is beautiful and lovely??   Everyone here really caters to adoptive families, and is so helpful.  The Chinese really love children, and I know that they say everybody's children are beautiful, but I can't help thinking that they say it about mine more than most :)

Tomorrow we visit a Buddhist Temple and then we're free for the day.  We have a few open days with no appointments, so we may go into town or to the zoo on the island.  

I'm trying to add pictures here again...since now I can't access Facebook! 

...nope, no luck, folks...I'll just tell you that she gets cuter and cuter every second!!

She naps, I type...

Ok, so where was I? 

Keira is napping and Brian took the older kids to explore, so I've got a few free moments.  Keira is doing great -- she seems to be adjusting really well, and Brian is growing on her, so that's good!

Yesterday we went to a government - run amusement park which houses the largest ferris wheel in Asia.  Imagine the old, run down carnivals in Scooby Doo episodes where the Gang discovers that the park director is is evil villain. This is what it reminded me of.  It was deserted and rusty and needed a paint job, and there was strange, eerie music playing throughout. Suffice it to say, there seem to be very few regulatory concerns about saftey at these types of places.  Connor and I rode a roller-coaster - the ride was not scary, but the fact that there might be a bolt loose that would send us careening into the nearby river was quite frightening enough!

Connor won 2 goldfish at a fishing game -- real goldfish!  We had to take them, it would have been rude not to, and released them into the fountain in the hotel lobby.  Connor felt they would be happier there.  Connor and Kenna feed them breakfast every morning.   He also won prizes for his sisters at a game where you throw a ball and knock stuff down.  Kenna got a pink monkey, and Keira got a pink bunny.  The game supervisor was so impressed with Connor's chivalry that he let him pick a prize for himself!  I was so proud of him for being such as sweet big brother -- he loves these girls!!

Then we had lunch at a popular Chinese restaurant -- delicious, with enough leftovers for dinner last night.  Later that afternoon we explored the area around the hotel.  We went to a local shop and had traditional Chinese dresses made for each of the girls and a traditional shirt made for Connor.  Brian got some custom-made ties that are actually long enough for him!  The local people love to stare at us and try understand us.  The Chinese are the ultimate people-watchers, I think!  Everyone wants to hold Keira and tell us that she's not dressed warmly enough (two layers and a jacket are not enough when it's 65 degrees, apparently).  They tell us how beautiful the girls are and how handsome Connor is.  They are shocked by his blue eyes because they assume he is Asian.  They also assume I can speak Chinese -- much like in San Antonio, people though I could speak Spanish!

A well-meaning English-speaking stranger stopped us in the hotel to ask us about our family, and why we wanted to adopt girls when we already had a boy.  I wanted to tell him to mind his own business, but he seemed sincere and really just wanted to understand the cultural differences.  I simply explained that we wanted to grow our family and that we felt adoption was the best way to do that. He said that was wonderful and was clearly touched by us.  Then he proceeded to say that Keira must have a problem since she's not walking yet.  I then wanted to drown him in the fountain with the goldfish.  I said something to the effect that we think she is perfect, so back off!

We met a family from New York today who adopted twin girls.  They were so tiny and reminded me of Kenna.  They are also 15 months and Keira is developmentally way ahead.  They were premature and may have been malnourished, but they seemed to be adjusting to their new family very well.  These twins were in foster care.  The foster mother came to the hotel lobby for 3 days in a row after the adoption hoping to catch a glimpse of them.  She finally did at breakfast one day and started yelling at the family and talking to the girls.  She had to be escorted out, and the twins did not react to her at all.  I'm sure they were still in shock. It just seemed so horrible for all involved.  I know separation is hard for the foster family as well, and I am thankful that we had such a peaceful transition and that Keira's foster family left us with the ability to contact them on our terms.  

Our guide took us today to the countryside, because we wanted a glimpse of what typical Chinese life is like.  The cities here are much like home, but we know Keira is from the country, so I wanted to have an idea of what life is like there.  The contrast is remarkable. 

Keira is up - i'll type more later....

aaaaannnnnd, I'm back.  The difference in the lifestyles in the city and country (suburbs, really) is striking -- it's more cost-effective to live out of the city, but you have no city perks like public transportation, or running water.  Chickens, ducks and dogs roam free in garbage -strewn streets, and among that, brand new 3 story homes.  It's hard to describe or even wrap my brain around it, really. 

We visited a porcelain shop.  Jiangxi Province is known for their porcelain, so I got both girls tea sets and bracelets to have when they are much older.  And Connor got a porcelain Panda simply because he is cute and was sweet to his sisters in the store.  He was thrilled!

Tomorrow we leave Nanchang.  I admit that I'm ready for a change of scenery, but I'm sad to leave this part of China - Keira's birthplace.  Her new life is so far removed from this place, but we have good memories of it, and will treasure the experience for a lifetime. 

She completes us!

So, of course our family was 'complete' after every child, but knowing that Keira is our last baby provides a sense of peace that I did not expect.  She is full of joy and is making her own place within the family, and is really starting to show us who she is.

But first, Adoption Day details....we met Keira in the 'family room' of our hotel in Nanchang.  Our guide called us from the lobby and told us she was here -- we made a last scramble for cheerios and camera batteries and met them in the family room.  She was with her foster parents, and was being held by her foster mom.  Her foster dad is actually the director of the orphanage in Fuzhou.  Every so often they pick special baby to foster in their own home, and she was one.  I am thrilled to have a connection to her first family, and they have told us that they would love to receive pictures and keep in contact as she grows.  We slipped our address into a small gift just in case, before we knew they would be so welcoming.

But back to Keira.  She is about 25 lbs and 32 inches tall.  Kenna is 26lbs and 36 inches!  Keira is big and healthy, and we are so grateful for that.  No nutritional worries whatsoever.  She loves her big brother and sister so far, and has become attached to me and Nana,  Brian is another story....she does not like grown men.  This is a typical scenario in that her foster mom was involved in every aspect of her life, but her foster father was most likely not.  She has not let Brian hold her for long and seems to only want me, which is fine, but then so does everyone else!! They fed each other cheerios today, which is a big step. 

(Break for cheerios and naps)

She is not walking yet, though close.  I think Connor was this big at this age, but I did not have to carry him around everywhere!  I climbed a big section of the Great Wall of China without even a hint of soreness -- after one day of carrying Keira, I cannot feel my arms, and my back is beyond hope!!

hnhlbvnk  v  rc (keira was typing...)

After a tearful goodbye from her foster mom, we spent some time togerher and then went to the Civil Affirs office to finalize the adoption,  (break for dinner and to put the kids to sleep...)

We had two sets of brief interviews and a set of family photos for the official Adoption Decree, and then five years of waiting and hoping and wishing and wondering were over.  Just like that! 

She had a rough first night, but frankly, did much better than I anticipated.  She finally settled down around 10 and slept through the night.  She woke briefly a few times for just a few seconds, but patting her back put her right back to sleep.   Tonight she fussed every time I sat down.  It was almost comical.  Stand up, she coos and giggles.  Sit down, she screams like you're pulling out her toenails. Needless to say, I stood up for what seemed like an eternity, but she eventually fell asleep in my arms (so so sweet) and I put her down for the night. She co-slept with foster mom, so we'll do that for now. 

Earlier today we went to the local Wal Mart for diapers and a new interim wardrobe for Keira.  NOTHING I brought will fit her except for one pair of stretchy pants, but they are too short.  So she has been in the same outfit for a day and a half  'til we could do some shopping.  Wal Mart was huge and took up two stories of an what seemsed to be an office building.  No vast parking lot, but they had greeters!  Today was a "Woman's Day" holiday, so the (male) greeters were handing out samples of maxi-pads.  No joke!  There also seemed to be a hugs sale on condoms and chocolates. 

Speaking of condoms, I forgot to mention that in Bejing, our hotel room came equipped with not only a typical mini bar, full of overpriced sodas and snacks, but there was also a bar for "your consideration and pleasure" with vibrating condoms and gels -- luckily we moved those items to the closet before Connor could ask about them....of course the labels were in English and in huge letters!  Funny story -- Shirley moved them from her bathroom, too, but then got a bill for vibrating condoms!

Tomorrow we are taking the kids to a park that contains the largest ferris wheel in Asia.  I'm sure they'll enjoy it.  They are both adjusting well.  Connor has been great, and has fallen in love with Keira.  Kenna loves to hand her things she thinks she wants and put stickers all over her.  Kenna is having a hard time sharing mommy, especially since Keira has to be held a lot, but I see improvement each day with that.  I know it's hardest on her, and I hope she feels that I love her just as much today as the day before yesterday.  Thank goodness Shirley is here and can help us manage this transition.  She has been so wonderful with them.

Our guide, Jenny, has been amazing.  She is so great with Keira and knows exactly what we need even before we need it, and more importantly, where to go to get it.   She has led us through this city and all the official appointments without one single hicccup.  She even introduced us to KFC that delivers!! We would be lost without her -- left to our own devices, we would be living on leftovers from the breakfast buffet and trying to navigate the city with hand gestures and relying on the cuteness of our children to get by.

We are here in Nanchang until Friday, when we get Keira's passport.  Then we are free to leave the city.  We travel to Guangzhou Friday night and spend our last week in China there waiting for approval from the U.S. Consulate to leave the country with this amazing, special child.   It is a formality of more paperwork and more signatures from more officials, and once it's all done, we can come home.

Pictures are taking an eternity to download, so I'm leaving that to Facebook for now.  I'll update the blog with pictures when I can get a faster internet connection.

Miss everyone - can't wait to bring her HOME!!

Nanchang! and a recap of yesterday's events

Well, my VPN failed and we didn't have access until today when we landed in Nanchang.  We are safely ensconsed in at the Jen Feng Hotel, with adjoining rooms down the hall from the children's play room.  It is raining, but that doesn't matter one bit to us.  Tomorrow will be a beautiful day, no matter the weather.

We found out today that Keira is healthy and has been in foster care, and we actually get to meet the foster mother tomorrow!!  I am so relieved and can rest a little easier knowing she has at least known family life and has been nurtured by someone who cares about her.

Yesterday we exprienced Bejing-a-palooza...the trifecta of Chinese tourism.  We started at Tiennamen Square - which was closed.  Of course.  We travel around the globe for a (probably) once in a lifetime trip, and the darn thing is closed? Our guide was super organized and had us all on a tight schedule, so we breezed by it for a quick picture-taking opportunity and quickly moved on to the Forbidden City - which was massive.

The challenge was getting through the Forbidden City with a stroller.  There are mountains of steps and doorways and bad pavement.  Clearly the designers did not anticipate Princess Kenna.  Actually, she would have been just fine had we let her roam around the whole place, but then there's that pesky fear of losing her in a crowd of thousands of people who don't speak the same language.   Brian carried that stroller up and down every step in that place, with Kenna in it!  We usually get plenty of stares from people just trying to figure out our family in general, but I'm sure it was quite unusal to see the large white man carrying the tiny Asian girl in a bright pink stroller up and down the stairs of this ancient Chinese palace!

And then there is the Great Wall.  There is no way to do it justice in words or pictures.  It is truly amazing, and that is a huge understatement.  I wanted to go for a while, but didn't think the kids would hold up for long. Boy was I wrong -- Connor practically sprinted up the Wall, leaving all of us in his dust.  Kenna climbed every bit of it herself, and got lots of  'thumbs ups' from everyone she passed.  They wanted to keep going, but the grownups had had enough! 

The day before, we had a free day, so we went to the Bird's Nest and Water Cube at the site of the Beijing Olympics.  It was a beautiful day, and Olympic Park filled up with tourists and vendors selling everything from olympic memorabilia to sausage on a stick.  We bought both! I think we were in Hanoi during the 2008 Olympic Games -- we've kind of come full-circle now :)

We are settling in to our hotel and are anticipating the ways our lives will change tomorrow when we meet Keira.  It's starting to become real now.  The crib in the room was really the jolt I think I needed! 

Next post, we'll be a family of FIVE!!
Program note - it is a lot easier to post pics to Facebook, so check my page there for more pictures!

Ni Hao from Beijing!

Good Morning!  It's our first morning in Beijing and it's going to be a beautiful day.  Of course, anything is better than being trapped in a plane or wandering the airport for 30 hours!  We were the last ones off the  plane and the last ones through customs.  Being a group of 5, including 2 kids makes for a very inefficient travel experience!!

The flights were smooth and all on time!  The kids were amazingly good on all the flights -- but the moment we got to the hotel in Beijing, the wheels came off the bus and they both melted down in a wonderful spectacle of poking, teasing and tears that I have never seen!  Kenna fell asleep almost immediatley after check-in (about 3pm) and just woke up a few minutes ago, happy and wanting chicken nuggets and fruit snacks for breakfast! 

Connor and Nana are still sleeping for now.  Brian is fighting a cold and after all those hours in the plane, he wanted nothing more than to crash and relax. We'd been told the beds are rock hard in China, but I cannot believe that is not an exaggeration!  I really feel like I just spend the night on a slab of granite!  But somehow, I feel pretty well-rested!

We met a couple on the shuttle to the hotel yesterday who was leaving today for home with their new daugther, Charlotte.  They were so helpful and sweet, giving us all kinds of tips and advice about the trip, from money exchaging to restaurants to shopping tips.  I'm so glad we ran into them, and I hope they have a safe trip home today.  Charlotte was just perfectly beautiful, that I couldn't stop looking at her.  I wish I could say I remembered anything they said -- i'm sure I totally had that deer-in-headlights look and after 30 hours of travel, was not at my most attractive or friendly, I'm sure! 

Today is a free day for us so we are left to our own devices exploring and wandering the city...tomorrow, the Great Wall, Forbidden City...I still can't believe we're here!

Three days 'til we meet Keira!  I almost wish we would have skipped Beijing and gone straight to her.  I feel like since I'm here in China, I should be with her now!! 

More later - off to try the breakfast buffet!!

And Away We Go!

Just a few more hours 'til we take off on the first leg of our final adoption journey!  It's been five years in the making, and somehow we have actually made it to this amazing day. 

Thank you to all of our wonderful friends and family who will be holding down the fort and taking care of business while we're gone, but especially for everyone's non-ending support and love. I know it hasn't been easy for all of you, either!!!

We cannot wait for everyone to meet Keira Jane YouXin Simpson - we know you will all love her and accept her into your hearts.  She has definitely been worth the wait :)

T minus 4 days and counting!

I actually made a little headway today in the packing department, thanks to my packing fairies! Thank goodness  for my wonderful friends -- keeping me sane as the big day approaches is a gift to everyone, trust me

Today was the kids' last day of school before we leave, so I am officially homeschooling for the next 3 weeks.  Let's just hope they recover from my "teaching"  methods.  I'm sure the Great Wall of China will teach  us all a thing or two...especially the importance of comfortable shoes!