Guangzhou!

We survived our first plane trip!  It went pretty well, overall.  L loves-loves-loves all things transportation, and we realized quickly that he has likely never been beyond the orphanage compound, or least not often, as he is goggle-eyed whenever we leave our hotel.  So planes, trains, buses (oh, the buses!) and cars are just fascinating.  He always wants to touch parked cars and buses (such big wheels!), and the airport was just a wonderful adventure. 

Before boarding our flight, we decided to grab a bite at a cafe in the airport.  At this point, L was on overload, it was past naptime (and boy, is he sleep-scheduled!) so he began to lose it.  Just the average-everyday fit--throwing things, not wanting to eat, etc.  This is when we met The Smartest Woman Alive.  A waitress came over, calmly told him to sit still and she would bring him a treat. The treat turned out to be a plastic plate, a glob of ketchup, and a straw.  She showed him how to dip the straw in the ketchup and suck it off the end.  She was an angel from heaven, I tell you--this woman was absolutely had his number.  He was instantly transfixed, and we were able to have a short meal in peace.  The kid loves him some ketchup, that's for sure.

During the flight he played with his seatbelt, although he never undid it, opened and closed the window and his tray a trillion times, went with Baba to the bathroom, and played with a sticker book.  He was relatively quiet, fascinated by the experience, and ate most of the meal (yes!  a meal on a 2-hour flight!).

It felt strange to leave Xi'an.  As we took off, L was watching out the window and said, "Bye-bye!".  I teared up a little--I really can't describe how it felt.  Our experience in Xi'an was so mixed.  We are so proud to have a little Xi'an boy, and the history and culture of the city is strong and rich.  I want him to learn about his place of birth and appreciate how much of an impact Xi'an has had on world history.  I think we just happened to go at a strange time.  The protests had pretty much taken over the city and we were advised not to leave our hotel unless with an official guide. While things were not openly hostile against us in particular, the hotel often kept the lights off in the lobby and big plants in the windows, armed police were everywhere, and protesters chanted and yelled late in to the night, most nights. The yelling into the bullhorn was loud, and the chanting was inexplicably mixed with extremely loud Christmas music (?).  Air raid sirens went off most of the day of remembrance, and whenever they went off the government officials would close the windows and shades (we were getting our notary services done that day), and people wore all black for most of the week with red arm bands.  I've been to Xi'an before, and absolutely loved it, so I really think it was just strange timing--a highly charged political situation and a difficult anniversary at the same time.  Again, nothing was directed at us (that I know of).  We definitely felt like we were walking on eggshells, but things overall went well there.  We certainly appreciate how hard everyone at the government offices worked to keep us on schedule; they went above and beyond for sure.  The fact that we have his passport in hand is testament to their dedication to their work.

When we landed in Guangzhou, we met our guide at the gate, and she led us to four other families from our agency who are all on roughly the same schedule, and who all came from the same province.  So it was nice to put some faces to names, and to see some others in our shoes.   

Guangzhou feels very different.  Our guide here made sure we were checked in, told us our dinner options, and then left us to it.  It is far larger, and clearly more cosmopolitan. It's hot and sultry here, and the hotel (Garden Hotel) is gorgeous.  We had a yummy local meal, and gave L his first bath.  We've been sponge-bathing him as we had hot water intermittently and only a shower in Xi'an, and a cold-ish shower for a kiddo who is afraid of water seemed like a really bad idea.  But here, hot water is plentiful and the bathtub is HUGE.  He absolutely loved it once I got in with him--we only put about an inch of water with about 5 inches of suds, and slowly added water until he got comfortable.  He is fast asleep now, and we are regrouping for the rest of the week.

Tomorrow, we go to the US Consulate where L has to have a medical exam and TB test.  We will finish his visa paperwork in the afternoon, and the group will have dinner together in the evening (I think).

And here is another attempt at pictures!

A nice, clean L

At the warriors

First meeting

 



Day 5, Xi'an

Yesterday was much smoother and calmer.  We spent time with our knowledgable guide, Tom, who knows the city inside and out.  Xi'an is a major cultural center in China with a rich heritage. It's a city to be proud to be from, for sure.  We saw the city wall, which was beautiful and terrifying to the parents of a two-year-old boy, a Buddhist monastery with a lovely park right in the middle of the city, and the Xi'an City Museum, which traces the influence of Xi'an for the past millenia.  All fascinating stuff, and we are so happy to learn as much as we can about L's city of birth.  We are already looking forward to bringing him back someday. 

We were also successful in obtaining L's passport.  As we were a day behind due to protests and government offices were closed for periods of time over the same issue, we were prepared to extend our stay in China for paperwork purposes.  Somehow our guide was able to persuade the officer in charge to work later into the evening to get ours to us last night, as we fly to Guangzhou today to complete the adoption.  All US adoptions from China end in Guangzhou, as this is where the US Consulate is based. 

Question: Is there anything cuter than a two-year-old passport picture? 
Answer: No, there isn't.

So today, we attempt our first plane trip as parents.  And L leaves the city of his birth.  Again, complicated stuff. 

Wish us luck, and I'll post again from Guangzhou.

(Oh, and I have no idea what is going on with pictures. Maybe internet service will be a tad better in GZ).

Day 4, Xi'an

Today was long, tiring, wonderful, and difficult.  We started out going to the Terra Cotta Warriors, a national treasure of China.  The displays are excellent, and our guide is extremely knowledgable about the area and history of the museum.  We had a lovely tour, and then an absolutely delicious lunch full of local delicacies.  We busted out the Ergo, and as L is about 2 sizes smaller than we had originally thought, he fit just right and it worked well.  He didn't like it at first, but then realized that he pretty much had my undivided attention, and talked the entire time we were touring--of course, I didn't understand any of it, but this didn't seem to bother him in the least. 

Generally, he continues to do well.  He eats like a champ as long as the food is white.  Add color (ie, veggies, fruit, meat) and it's the universal shaking of hands and head--no, no Mama.  But yogurt, noodles, broth, Cheerios, bao-zi (steamed bread), and dumplings are filling and accessible--we'll deal with the lack of variety when we get home.  He sleeps well, from about 7:30 to 6:00 with a 2-hour nap mid-day.  Of course, travel across the date line will completely hose that, but at least it's a start.  He's been calling us "Mama" and "Baba", although he doesn't answer to any of the names he was called before, nor the nicknames.  Not sure what is up with that.  He gives us kisses, gives occasional hugs, and is very concerned if we leave his sight.  He loves to take things apart, including the remote control, mouse, and flashlight, and is definitely in the dump-and-fill stage. 

We did have a very difficult and somewhat unexpected experience today.  We hoped to see the orphanage that he was in, although we were also told he was in a foster home for a period of time, so we were never quite sure who he lived with, or when.  Our guide said that we could see the orphanage from a distance, maybe take a picture or two, but otherwise foreigners were not permitted to enter.  As it is located on the outskirts of Xi'an, we decided to head there after the Warriors tour. 

We were, however, invited to enter the orphanage itself.  As it generally looks like a government building, we didn't actually realize we were in it (or that we had been invited to enter it--we were big-time clueless at this point) until the foster parents ran out, scooped L up, and started crying and kissing him, and then took him to their apartment.  Because, as it turns out, the foster family actually lives on site in the orphanage itself.  Foster parents each have a small apartment, and the children live with them, which is a wonderful setup as the kids all get the family experience--it was definitely not a Dickensian, please-may-I-have-more kind of situation. At all.  So this clears up the placement question. 

It was also confusing, surprising, and a little shocking.  The Good:  We got little-guy stories about L, and they are pretty funny.  Several people told us that the orphanage director would only visit L when he was sleeping, as he is "too naughty otherwise".  We also got pictures of the three of us with the foster family, saw his bed and apartment, and met some of his friends.  Priceless.   The Difficult:  The transition was awful, heartbreaking. We had anticipated a tough transition the very first time we met him, as we had some indication that we might take L directly from the foster family.  As it turns out, this was not the case, and the original transition went smoothly and relatively happily.  He was attaching a bit, seemed to generally like having us around, etc.  This transition, however, was another story entirely.  He was screaming, the foster family was wailing, and Cory and I were desperately trying to hold it together enough to keep things somewhat upright.  After about an hour post-visit, L was more or less back to his usual self, and we had a nice, very quiet evening. 

I really have no idea how this will play out in the long run.  I know that meeting them was a gift.  Their love for him was absolutely clear, and they told us all sorts of things that we can pass on to him.  We can show him that we made a connection, and tell him about them and how much he was loved and cared for.  We were able to thank them for taking such good care of our son.  And that was also unexpected.  Adoption: the good, the bad, the confusing, the wonderful--it's a mixed bag, to put it mildly.

So, it was a big day.  A big, huge, exhausting, emotional day.  Tomorrow, we pick up his passport and go to a park.  And that's it.  Seems like the intense political situation has eased a bit (we're not going to sleep to the sound of chanting protesters tonight--yay!), so here's hoping tomorrow is easy and quiet.

Anyway, after that long and involved post...a picture!  (I could only post one--the internet connection keeps timing out).

Meeting L for the first time


 

And Then There Were Three

We met L, and he is perfect.  The transition went better than our wildest dreams, as he was clearly very, very loved and taken care of.  He is funny, smart, healthy, and happy.  I'm sure this is the proverbial honeymoon period, but we'll take it.
Welcome to the family, little L!  We can't imagine our lives without you!
We can't upload pictures right now, not sure why, but I will post some as soon as possible.  Just imagine the cutest Chinese boy on Earth, and there ya go.  :-)

No-Go

So the whole "we're becoming parents in an hour!" bit was, well, a load of hooey.  Turns out, there's a bit of a situation here, where students are protesting in the streets in front of government buildings--ie, in front of our hotel.  Soooo, we were told to stay in our rooms as a "big parade was going by" (hmmm) and we will try to become parents tomorrow, or the next day. 
We are perfectly safe, just incredibly disappointed by the day's events.  We were totally ready, had everything set out as best we could, and got to call literally as we were walking out the door to meet our son.  And, looking out into the streets, there really isn't any way it could have happened.  So, we try again tomorrow.
We stayed in, watched HBO movies, ate some pretty darned good room service, and went to bed.
Sigh.

T-minus 30 minutes

We are here safe and sound. Internet connection is very spotty, but the hotel is nice and the service is excellent.
We meet L in 30 minutes. I can't remotely explain how it feels, so won't try. But should all go as planned, we will be parents in about an hour :-)!!!!!

At the airport!

Did you ever think you'd see this day???  Completely surreal. (And I'm posting from my phone so if this looks especially wacky, sorry!)

RQ List

In the world of Chinese adoption, the Rumor Queen website, AKA ChinaAdoptTalk, is a wonderful resource for information, questions, stories, and support.  There is also a thoughtfully and carefully organized spreadsheet called "Steps to TA (Travel Approval)", which we have ever-so-slowly been working our way up over the last 9 months.  Today the list for this week came out, and we are at the very top, and instead of listing the next steps, it says "Safe Travels!". 

That's us, MSJ2007.  How awesome is that?  It's going to be strange not to analyze the list every week--seeing which families have passed us by, how fast everyone is getting individual documents, and where we are in line.  But I'm ok with that. Very, very ok with that.

Today is my last day of work before (dun dun dun!) maternity leave!  I will be working from home part-time after L comes home, which was more than supported by my employers. 

Two days and a wakeup!

Itinerary

We received our itinerary for our trip, and it's intense.  Two weeks of pretty much straight meetings, appointments, medical assessments.  We have one day off in the second part of the trip, and I have a feeling that will be very, very welcome.

The basics:

9/14-9/15: Travel to Xi'an (Seattle-Beijing-Xi'an)
9/16: Take temporary custody of L
9/17: Sign official adoption paperwork
9/18: Apply for L's passport
9/19: Spend time at significant places in L's life around Xi'an
9/20: Visit orphanage, pick up L's passport
9/21: Fly from Xi'an to Guangzhou.  This is where the US Consulate is located, where all adoptions in China end regardless of agency.
9/22: Medical appointment for L, including TB test and all vaccinations (yikes!)
9/23: Day off
9/24: Medical clinic results
9/25: Paperwork/appointments as needed
9/26: Visa interview/oath at US Consulate
9/27: Pick up L's visa at Consulate
9/28: Fly home (Guangzhou-Beijing-Seattle)

We looked up our hotels, and they both look very nice.  The hotel in Guangzhou is across the street from a Starbucks, which is a huge bonus for these overly-caffeinated Seattle-ites.

We have some luggage, and our major fees are paid.  Now it's on to actual packing. 

Holy freaking smokes.

6 days and a wakeup!

His Room

Warning:  Little Boy room pictures to follow.  Please feel free to skip this post--I've done it plenty of times myself. 

We finished L's room this weekend, and are really happy with how it turned out.  We went with an under-the-sea theme--shocking, I know.  We also tried for soothing colors that aren't too cold--tough with blues, but in Seattle, warmer tones can make a big difference. 

I scored this crib/toddler bed from Craigslist (where has Craigslist been all my life?), which we are leaving as a crib right now, but will change to a toddler bed if that is more appropriate.  We are pretty sure kiddos L's age are still in cribs in the orphanage, but he did spend some time in a foster family, so it's a bit of a mystery as to exactly how he is used to sleeping.  Crib, toddler bed, co-sleeping--whatever works for him, works for us. 

The duvet cover is the one thing I splurged on--it was on sale, but still pricey--it features scuba divers and brightly colored sharks wearing snorkels.  It spoke to me.  And the words on the wall make me happy.

We added some lanterns in the corner--

 

 

 

This Etsy purchase was the first thing I bought for L, and is at the entrance of his room.  In between the larger words "I love you from here to China" are the names of major Chinese cities.  Xi'an, where L has lived most of his life, is listed, as well as the Silk Road (Xi'an was on the Silk Road in days of yore) and Guangzhou, where we will end our adoption process in China.

 

 



 

We created a nice little reading area (complete with cat, but what in our house isn't?).  This chair/ottoman set is the one Cory's dad used to read to him in days of yore.

And last, but not least, is my favorite part of the room: a picture of a fish Cory drew for L.  As an art school graduate, Cory is a talented artist, but has primarily worked in black-and-white.  He branched out in this picture of a Moorfish, which he chose as they are the bearers of happiness. 

 
We are feeling more and more ready to meet L and become his parents.  The condo is clean as a whistle, animals bathed, freezer full, and all of the other little things that are nice to have in place before such a huge change. 

We are officially leaving the 14th--8 months to the day since we got pre-approval to adopt L.

:-)