And the Days Go By

And then there was the second day. Today was a day (well, half day) of appointments.  We began by going to the civil affairs bureau (at least, I think that is what they are called) and signed papers that were all in Chinese.  We have no idea what they said.  Hui (Titus) was asleep for most of it.  It was a bit crazy and hectic as there were four other families there.

Having my mother-in-law, Marsha, here has been such a BLESSING!  Here she is playing with two big sisters to newly adopted siblings while we were signing papers.  It helped a lot!

Next we were off to the passport issuing office.  It will take until Friday to get Hui’s passport.  Again, having Marsha here was awesome.  Hui did not want to be woken up but he had to be for his passport picture.  They would not take it if he was crying so we tried three or four times before they finally got one.  Then they almost didn’t accept it because of the way he head is bent.  They wanted him looking “straight” at the camera.  I told our guide there was no way to straighten out his neck.  It was very frustrating.  Finally they Photoshopped it until it really looked less like him than if they had just allowed for his bent neck.  I’ll try to post those pictures tomorrow.  They look weird, just weird.  By then the kids were hungry and tired.  So we fed them snacks and finally got to go to lunch.

We ate hot pot!  It was delicious and there was way too much food.  We had duck, pig, fish, beef, cauliflower, shrimp rolls, mushrooms, bean sprouts, potatoes, and much more.  For dessert there were these sweet potato pancakes and dumplings, both plain and fried, with a frosting you could dip them in.  The yellow and red dishes are full of personalized sauces.  When our guide said we needed to go get our own “sausages” we were very confused.  We didn’t figure out he meant “sauces” until we all looked like idiots.  The picture above was taken about 5 minutes before Hui fell asleep.  He couldn’t keep his eyes open.

And more sleeping.  It reminds me so much of Sunita when we first got her.  She slept and slept.  I can only imagine how much energy and mental effort being adopted takes.

When we got back to the hotel, since neither kid ate much for lunch (due to pre-lunch snacking) they polished off the rest of the Cheerios (thank God for cheerios, and I’m not kidding!).  They also ate some of our peanut cracker/cookie things and these meat-on-a-stick flavored potato chips.  I liked them, they tasted like BBQ chips.  Hubby agreed they tasted like BBQ chips, adding “bad ones”.

After that we walked about a half hour to do some grocery shopping, so we stopped to get the über cheap ice cream.  I love getting the different flavors.  Mine today was something like a green tea with purple stuff inside.  I’ll try to get a picture later (I plan on making that a daily stop).  It was good, but I prefer the coconut.  Sunita was totally shot by this point in the day so I put her in the Ergo.  Then Hui was ready for sleeping again so I carried him.  Just call me Sherpa.  By the way, thanks Misty for running with me every morning; I couldn’t have packed them both without it!

When we got to the shopping area I sat and let my legs go to sleep with Sunita in the Ergo and Hui on my lap while Hubby and Marsha did the hour long shopping trip.  It took an hour because Carrefour (the equivalent to Walmart) is HUGE.  Hopefully more on that later.  Finally we grabbed dinner at McDonalds (thought Sunita might eat more there) and came back to the hotel.  We bathed the kids then put them in bed.  They are asleep now and I need to head that way too.  Good night everyone.  I truly can’t thank you enough for your prayers and comments.  We feel bathed in love.

Scrambled Heart

I write this as both kids are tucked in next to each other.  I could just die from the sweetness.  For all the sweetness, it is a heavy day for me.  Oh, how my heart aches for our new son.  And how my heart rejoices for our new son.  As I was tucking him in he slid his arm onto my chest and curled up beside me; it was the most bittersweet thing.  Tonight, he could have curled up with his foster mother, as he has hundreds of times before and felt safe and secure.  Tonight he curled up with me and probably felt bewildered, sick, and heartsore.

He is truly sick, with a fever of around 100ºF.  He was taking a Chinese herbal medication, but we opted for tylenol.  He has been sick the last couple of days (found out through our guide).  He also appears to have something going on with his left leg.  It doesn’t feel right to me.  The bones seem wrong.  Not that it matters.  I’d move Heaven and Earth for him.  He seems to be doing alright, but we could use your prayers.  I wish it could be less painful for him, but this is part of the process.  He is small (not a surprise) and not all that sure if he wants me (or anyone else) to touch him, especially on the bare skin.  He is my joy.  When he smiles, he gets a dimple high in his cheek.  I’m totally smitten.  He is covered with what looks like old bug bites.  He is my baby.  All of everything is so much.  Thank you all for your prayers.  I think I will head to bed now, next to my babies and my Husband.  I thank the Lord for all of it and I’m so glad He is the healer of hearts.

Without Further Ado…

Hey all… Jared here.  Amy’s a little preoccupied for some reason.  And now for what you’ve all been waiting for:

The endless wait

The call

First meeting

Big sister approves

Back to the hotel room.  Family++

NOT a happy boy.  He didn’t want to be touched, talked to, held, pretty much anything.

Thank you God for Cheerios, the great ice breaker

…and Amy, the best mom ever!  (Sorry all you other moms, I’m biased)

We can’t thank you all enough for your prayers and support.  Please continue to pray for the coming days and weeks ahead, as the bonding has only just begun.  I think we’re off to a good start though!

Food!

The food has been terrific and not that different than the Chinese we get at home.

Breakfast in Beijing.  Clockwise starting at 12:00 – orange & kiwi, a green date (the brown thing – they were very good), butter & jam, sausages, some red beans and garbanzo beans in a dressing, chicken wings (above is a jicama-type salad), noodles, a type of baked beans, a hot hard-boiled egg, dragonfruit (the white and black fruit).  In the middle of the plate is some “bacon” which was more like ham but still good, and watermelon.  The fresh fruit was great.

The desserts at breakfast.  Yum!

Lunch after touring the cloisonne factory (metalwork).  There was so much food.  We shared with another adoptive family and there was enough for 16 people.

There was a beef soup, fish, noodles, sweet and sour chicken, pork dumplings, pea pods, broccoli, rice and more.  I liked everything.

Except this.  This is a rice liquor.  It was served in little shot-like glasses (below).  It was 56% alcohol.

Marsha almost fell off the stairs checking out this painting.  (It was on the wall coming down from the restaurant).

The shrimp roll pizza from Pizza Hut.

Tomorrow is the Big Day

We arrived safely in Kunming today around 4:00 pm.  We walked around and enjoyed some shrimp stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut for dinner.  Tomorrow we will meet Titus Yong Hui.  He will be brought to our hotel around 4:00 pm here (that’s 1:00 am Sunday morning in Oregon).  We don’t know yet whether we will be able to go to the orphanage or not.  There will also be a 12 year old girl coming from the same orphanage to another family here.  I am filled with mixed feelings.  I cannot wait to meet this little boy, but my heart hurts for him.  I’m sure he will be confused and scared, but I’m trusting God to be working.  Thank you all for your continued prayers.

Our first look at Kunming.  Somewhere in this city, my little boy is spending his last day and night without a forever family.

Our hotel (Green Land Hotel).  More on this later (hopefully).

Kunming business district at night.  There is a GIANT TV across the street that we can see from our room.  And outside our window next door they are doing construction to put up a 333m tall building.  It will be a hotel, shopping center, and office building.  It’s amazing.

I’ll end with a funny story that happened tonight at dinner.  We were having trouble figuring out the correct Chinese way of getting the waiter/waitress’s attention.  So, I busted out my Chinese “FOO-OO YAR!” (which means “waiter/waitress”) and it was so loud it was like I was trying to get attention from across the restaurant.  The waitress who it was aimed at had a priceless reaction of “what the heck!?”, followed by “O MY GOSH IT WAS THAT WHITE LADY”.  It was so awkward.  We all nearly died laughing but it got the job done.  My shamelessness remains intact.

In Beijing

First, picture catch-up.  I think we packed just about the right amount of stuff, but I’ll get back to you in another week and let you know if we all smell like middle school gross-left-way-too-long-in-the-bottom-of-a-gym-bag socks.  We feel pretty good about getting everything into carry-on bags.  The real test will come tomorrow when we fly to Kunming.  We may have to check our larger bags, but that will be alright.  A picture of the four of us who began the journey, I can’t wait to post pictures of the fifth who will join our adventure!

Today, we visited the Great Wall.  It was as amazing as anything you think about it.  Climbing it was truly a workout.  It was the kind of workout where your legs tremor for the whole climb down.  We are all beat, except for Sunita because she a) didn’t climb the wall (she was in the ergo), b) she got a looong nap, and c) she is a 3 year old who never seems to run out of energy.  More then once tonight each of us adults have said, “Is it time for bed yet?”.  After I finish this I will be heading right to bed and it’s only 7:25 here.

OK, so it isn’t true she never runs out of energy.  She is sleeping now and fell asleep promptly in the car on the way “home” from the Great Wall.  It’s more that she never thinks or appears to need sleep.  I, on the other hand, am about to fall asleep writing this.  So, goodnight! (Or good morning for most of you reading this!)

P.S.  I apologize if the grammar/spelling/other literary functions are terrible.  Usually Husband edits blogs for me, but while in China – you get them while they are hot.  This means ZERO editing and I’ll just try to keep posting!

We’re off!

We left PDX yesterday around 4:30pm.  We are in China.  We arrived in Beijing around 10:30pm, China time (15 hours ahead of us).  For those of you who are math/number-challenged (like me), our long flight was about 12 hours.  We had a smooth journey without any complications.  It was long, but good.  Sunita was a champ!

Our itinerary from here on out includes a luxurious 2-night stay in Beijing at the Lee Garden apartments.  The “room” we are staying in is bigger then our house.  It was the only good option our Chinese coordinator could find for us.

After seeing the Great Wall, eating Peking duck (personal goal), and most importantly sleeping (while in Beijing) we will fly to Kunming around 11:30 am on Saturday.  We will arrive in Kunming around 3:30, maybe explore Kunming a little and probably go to bed early.  The next day we will meet Titus Yong Hui, who will become an Ocker.  That will be on Saturday (Oregon time) and Sunday in China.  He will be brought to the Green Land Hotel (where we will be staying).  We will stay in Kunming 6 nights and then fly to Guangzhou.

In Guangzhou, we will stay in The Garden Hotel.  These hotels are all high class places.  So far, we are having a wonderful journey.  I will post pictures (hopefully) tonight!

thanks

#31 snuggles

#32 easy time through the airports

#33 sunita enjoying the adventure

#34 food being plentiful and good

#35 being able to walk around the plane

#36 meeting 3 other adoptive families I had previously “met” only online (2 on the airplane and 1 in the hotel)

#37 only one connector flight

#38 being able to bring sunita (and for marsha’s help)

#39 beds – to stretch out in

#40 we are in china!!

Living it Up

In China we will be staying in posh places.  In fact, we may stay in nicer hotels then we have ever stayed in.  And although this isn’t a vacation, at least not technically, it feels like it is.  And I can throw my towels on the floor and, magically, there will be clean towels hanging up the next morning.

I love Chinese food.  No I’m serious, I LOVE IT.  I will not do dishes for two and half weeks.  Two and a half weeks people!  I will not cook or plan menus, AND I will get to eat food that makes me salivate every time I think of it.  I will not do laundry for two and a half weeks.  I will not be concerned that my toilet is overdue for a cleaning by two or three days.  I will not have to pick up toys every.single.day.  Oh, wait, scratch that – I still will have to pick up toys everyday.  I may not get to sleep (think jetlag, new child, older sibling being introduced to (displaced by) sibling, hotel beds), but shucks people – I feel like I’m on the verge of vacation.

Thanks, Part 3

#11 amazing friends who fit us into their busy lives

#12 family who are supportive and kind

#13 a network of people who just want to help in anyway they can

#14 ice cream

#15 nights that cool off

#16 seeing Husband be a great father

#17 seeing my daughter use her manners unprompted

#18 our church family – seriously, these people rock

#19 my daughter with her friends

#20 our health

Adoption News!

WE GOT TRAVEL APPROVAL!!

We need to arrive in Kunming, China anytime on September 17th.

We can come home from Guangzhou, China the evening of September 30th.

We’re coming little boy!!

Progress

We received our I-800 approval.  This is basically an approval to classify an orphan as a direct relative.  It will get forwarded to the correct consulate (US consulate in China) where our adoption interview will take place (in Guangzhou).  We should be about a month out from travel approval.  Then we will need to get an appointment with the US consulate.  We will request the soonest possible appointment.  Hopefully we will be able to get one quickly and travel in September.  I would love it to be sooner, but I don’t think it’s likely.