Lucy in 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Bringing Lucy Home: The China Archive from 2005
This is the China Travel Journal from Oct/Nov 2005 when we traveled to pick up Lucy
Lucy in 2009
Lucy in 2009
China-Travel Journal Day 14 November 11, 2005
Update from Home
First of all, a HUGE thank you to everyone who has followed us and encouraged us on our journey. I hope that this journal has helped increase awareness of China adoptions. If you, or anyone you know is interested in more information about China adoptions, please feel free to e-mail me. There are many website available including www.awaa.org, www.shaohannahshope.org and www.worldorphans.org
Some of you have been nice enough to inquire about "day 14." Day 14 consisted of a 13 hour flight from Hong Kong to Chicago with a 1-year-old on our laps. Trust me, no one wants to hear about that! Instead, I will use this last space to give an update on how we've been doing since coming home.
We have had Lucy for 3 weeks as of today. I can barely remember a time when she was not in our lives! She is completely our daughter. We are amazed at how God continues to place the right babies with the right parents. I see this everyday in the e-mails of my fellow travelers. As with all new parents we are grateful, amazed, challenged, entertained and tired!
We spent our first weekend in Chicago so that Lucy could get to know some of her extended family. We were thrilled to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa and Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Lucy brought gifts for everyone. The most fun gifts were "china-man" outfits for Simon and Owen. They looked great in their blue silk china suits and china-man hats. Hopefully there will be a group photo at Christmas time! Being in Chicago also gave us a chance to relax a bit and get over jet-lag with the help of our family. The jet-lag on the way home is so much worse than on the way there!! I was pretty useless all day Saturday. Lucy took quite a while to reset her clock (13 hour difference!) so we spent a bunch of time playing with a baby at 2:30 in the morning.
We were sad to leave our family but really, really, really ready to finally be home!
When we got to the Orlando airport we were very surprised to be greeted by my cousin Amy and her hubby Steve! Steve is a pilot for Southwest and he helped us get flights home. The crew was so good to us. They announced Lucy to everyone on the plane and gave us a certificate for her and a bottle of Champaign for us. Amy and Steve surprised us with a gigantic ladybug balloon. It was truly the scariest balloon I have ever seen but Lucy loves it! She is still playing with it!
Kim and John came to the airport to pick us up, complete with a "Lucy" sign at baggage claim. After getting luggage we immediately headed to Carraba's Italian Restaurant to eat non-Chinese food. Chris and I were very pleased to find out that we could still have a nice dinner with Kim and John (complete with a Peroni and a Cosmopolitan) even with Lucy. She does great in restaurants. Hopefully our friend's were not too bored with our conversation. We now discuss things like nap times, squeaky shoes and poopy on the potty.
Lucy and Ed are doing well together. Chris is very patient to teach Lucy how to be gentle with the kitty. She is fascinated by him and he is not terribly bothered by her. On Wednesday Lucy and I spent the day strolling around Celebration. During the trip I purchased a few items including a turkey sandwich for lunch, which I only ate half of. When I got home I had some challenges getting in the door with Lucy and all of my packages. I set Lucy in the entry way and then made a mad-dash to the front door to pick up my dropped packages. I found myself sitting in the entryway with a hungry toddler, a curious cat, many packages and a half eaten sandwich. I opened up the leftover sandwich, fed turkey and bread to Lucy while Lucy fed turkey to Ed. I think it was the start of a beautiful friendship.
Lucy had her first trip to the pediatrician on Wednesday. Our doctor was very pleased with Lucy's motor skills, communication abilities and general development. It is obvious that she was well cared for. As far as she could tell, Lucy is completely healthy. We still need to have blood work done to rule out any hidden diseases. The doctor said that Lucy needs to gain a few pounds before her body will be big enough to support walking. That is okay with me because I am in no hurry for her to walk! At the rate she is eating, it will not take long! The doctor said that she will probably chow pretty heavy for a few weeks and then back off a bit. Then the nurse came in and gave her 5 shots. Ow!! She screamed pretty good for those, but when the nurse left the room, Lucy waved bye bye! My daughter is amazing.
Lucy and I have made HUGE progress together. We have been in Orlando for a week now and have had 3 good girl-days. She is adjusting very well to a busy schedule. Most often her naps are in the car seat or stroller. (Which is great because she refuses to sleep in her crib.) Today we went to lunch with our friends Alison and her adopted baby Anna. Anna is 9 months older than Lucy and came to America a year prior to Lucy. Alison has been a wonderful support to me. She gave me lots of good tips on things to feed a toddler and she encourages my shopping habit. Afterwards we did a little shopping and then went to visit Esmeralda. Lucy loved Esmeralda!! Lucy let Esmeralda hold her and feed her and even stay with her when I went out to the car. I think I have found a babysitter…
Parenthood has been great for Chris and me. So far we work well together as a team. He is a natural parent and is very generous with his time. They spend a bit more time in front of the TV than I would prefer but I am willing to let that slide! Lucy loves her Daddy so much! We had a very nice family weekend together. I love being with my hubby and my girl. On Saturday night we went to Disney's MGM Studios to see the Christmas lights. Lucy loved it! She got very excited about the lights and the music. She is so expressive. We even took her through "The Great Movie Ride." On Sunday we put her in a fancy dress and took her to church. Chris ducked out with her during the sermon and took her to children's church. Apparently we have adopted a Charismatic because Chris said she had her hands in the air during much of the program!
Thank you again for your prayers and support. We are so grateful to have wonderful friends and family to share this with. I will miss writing this journal. It has been a joy to write about the process of becoming a family. Hopefully I will be writing another journal in a few years when Lucy is ready for a little sister…
Love and blessings to all,
Teresa, Christopher and Lucy
First of all, a HUGE thank you to everyone who has followed us and encouraged us on our journey. I hope that this journal has helped increase awareness of China adoptions. If you, or anyone you know is interested in more information about China adoptions, please feel free to e-mail me. There are many website available including www.awaa.org, www.shaohannahshope.org and www.worldorphans.org
Some of you have been nice enough to inquire about "day 14." Day 14 consisted of a 13 hour flight from Hong Kong to Chicago with a 1-year-old on our laps. Trust me, no one wants to hear about that! Instead, I will use this last space to give an update on how we've been doing since coming home.
We have had Lucy for 3 weeks as of today. I can barely remember a time when she was not in our lives! She is completely our daughter. We are amazed at how God continues to place the right babies with the right parents. I see this everyday in the e-mails of my fellow travelers. As with all new parents we are grateful, amazed, challenged, entertained and tired!
We spent our first weekend in Chicago so that Lucy could get to know some of her extended family. We were thrilled to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa and Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Lucy brought gifts for everyone. The most fun gifts were "china-man" outfits for Simon and Owen. They looked great in their blue silk china suits and china-man hats. Hopefully there will be a group photo at Christmas time! Being in Chicago also gave us a chance to relax a bit and get over jet-lag with the help of our family. The jet-lag on the way home is so much worse than on the way there!! I was pretty useless all day Saturday. Lucy took quite a while to reset her clock (13 hour difference!) so we spent a bunch of time playing with a baby at 2:30 in the morning.
We were sad to leave our family but really, really, really ready to finally be home!
When we got to the Orlando airport we were very surprised to be greeted by my cousin Amy and her hubby Steve! Steve is a pilot for Southwest and he helped us get flights home. The crew was so good to us. They announced Lucy to everyone on the plane and gave us a certificate for her and a bottle of Champaign for us. Amy and Steve surprised us with a gigantic ladybug balloon. It was truly the scariest balloon I have ever seen but Lucy loves it! She is still playing with it!
Kim and John came to the airport to pick us up, complete with a "Lucy" sign at baggage claim. After getting luggage we immediately headed to Carraba's Italian Restaurant to eat non-Chinese food. Chris and I were very pleased to find out that we could still have a nice dinner with Kim and John (complete with a Peroni and a Cosmopolitan) even with Lucy. She does great in restaurants. Hopefully our friend's were not too bored with our conversation. We now discuss things like nap times, squeaky shoes and poopy on the potty.
Lucy and Ed are doing well together. Chris is very patient to teach Lucy how to be gentle with the kitty. She is fascinated by him and he is not terribly bothered by her. On Wednesday Lucy and I spent the day strolling around Celebration. During the trip I purchased a few items including a turkey sandwich for lunch, which I only ate half of. When I got home I had some challenges getting in the door with Lucy and all of my packages. I set Lucy in the entry way and then made a mad-dash to the front door to pick up my dropped packages. I found myself sitting in the entryway with a hungry toddler, a curious cat, many packages and a half eaten sandwich. I opened up the leftover sandwich, fed turkey and bread to Lucy while Lucy fed turkey to Ed. I think it was the start of a beautiful friendship.
Lucy had her first trip to the pediatrician on Wednesday. Our doctor was very pleased with Lucy's motor skills, communication abilities and general development. It is obvious that she was well cared for. As far as she could tell, Lucy is completely healthy. We still need to have blood work done to rule out any hidden diseases. The doctor said that Lucy needs to gain a few pounds before her body will be big enough to support walking. That is okay with me because I am in no hurry for her to walk! At the rate she is eating, it will not take long! The doctor said that she will probably chow pretty heavy for a few weeks and then back off a bit. Then the nurse came in and gave her 5 shots. Ow!! She screamed pretty good for those, but when the nurse left the room, Lucy waved bye bye! My daughter is amazing.
Lucy and I have made HUGE progress together. We have been in Orlando for a week now and have had 3 good girl-days. She is adjusting very well to a busy schedule. Most often her naps are in the car seat or stroller. (Which is great because she refuses to sleep in her crib.) Today we went to lunch with our friends Alison and her adopted baby Anna. Anna is 9 months older than Lucy and came to America a year prior to Lucy. Alison has been a wonderful support to me. She gave me lots of good tips on things to feed a toddler and she encourages my shopping habit. Afterwards we did a little shopping and then went to visit Esmeralda. Lucy loved Esmeralda!! Lucy let Esmeralda hold her and feed her and even stay with her when I went out to the car. I think I have found a babysitter…
Parenthood has been great for Chris and me. So far we work well together as a team. He is a natural parent and is very generous with his time. They spend a bit more time in front of the TV than I would prefer but I am willing to let that slide! Lucy loves her Daddy so much! We had a very nice family weekend together. I love being with my hubby and my girl. On Saturday night we went to Disney's MGM Studios to see the Christmas lights. Lucy loved it! She got very excited about the lights and the music. She is so expressive. We even took her through "The Great Movie Ride." On Sunday we put her in a fancy dress and took her to church. Chris ducked out with her during the sermon and took her to children's church. Apparently we have adopted a Charismatic because Chris said she had her hands in the air during much of the program!
Thank you again for your prayers and support. We are so grateful to have wonderful friends and family to share this with. I will miss writing this journal. It has been a joy to write about the process of becoming a family. Hopefully I will be writing another journal in a few years when Lucy is ready for a little sister…
Love and blessings to all,
Teresa, Christopher and Lucy
China-Travel Journal Day 13, November 10, 2005
Travel Journal - Day 13
Day 13. Today was a day of compromise. Chris thought it would be nice to hang out at the hotel today. Maybe go back to Disney, play at the pool and check out the resort. Teresa thought it would be a good idea to do all 25 things on Frommer's list of "Top 25 things to do in Hong Kong." We compromised.
We got off to a leisurely start after our buffet breakfast where we discovered that Miss Lucy can down an entire container of peach yogurt through a straw. We figured out how to take the rail system from Disney (on Lantau Island) to central Hong Kong. Despite Christopher's protests he was very excited to be in the city. It is beautiful. The weather was hot but not too hot, and mostly sunny. The first thing we did was head to Victoria Peak.
We took a tram ride up to the top. It is very beautiful from up there, as you will see by the photos. On the ride up Lucy made many friends. She has a knack for doing this. She will flirt with anyone! Once at the top I discovered shopping. I imagine that I paid a bit more for things than I would have in Guangzhou but it was my last chance to pick up those last few gifts. Chris and Lucy gave me 45 minutes to select my purchases. Then we met up for a quick lunch at the French Café.
After some time at the top we headed back down and took a cab over to the Star Ferry pier. We rode from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon. I think this is a bit like taking the Staten Island Ferry. We thought it would be a fun and cheap way to see the harbour. It was.
Once we got to Kowloon I was shocked to find more shopping! I managed to control myself. We walked along one of the main streets, just to get a feel for things. We saw Gucci and Prada and Yves St. Laurent and Louis Viton and many other of our good friends. I did not tempt myself by going into any of these shops. We did stop briefly at Starbucks for an iced café mocha. As we were heading back to catch he ferry I stopped to barter on one final piece of luggage and 2 knock-off handbags. At least I think they were knock-offs. Is it possible to get two Burberry bags for $15?
Lucy is a magnificent traveler. During all of this she was either sleeping, watching with excitement or flirting with some stranger on a subway, tram car or ferry boat. We are both amazed at how well she has adapted. She is fine in or out of her stroller. And, for the time being, seems to be okay with either Mommy or Daddy.
I could easily have spent many more hours exploring Hong Kong, but for the sake of my marriage I navigated us back onto Disney property by 6:30. We are hanging out trying to get Lucy to sleep so that we can re-pack for tomorrow's journey. We are so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Ann and Uncle Keven and cousin's Simon and Owen and Aunt Mary and Uncle Jeff and cousin Kelsey. And hopefully Aunt Jane and cousin Annie and maybe even a few more relatives. Maybe Uncle Tom and Aunt Maria? Or Uncle Mike and Aunt Deb? We'll see! Fortunately she is very comfortable around large groups of people!
Thank you to everyone who has followed our amazing journey. We have been so blessed by your support, your prayers and your e-mails! Lucy cannot wait to meet all of you. We give much thanks and praise to our Lord Jesus who has guided us on this trip of miracles. To Him we give all of the honor and glory!
See you soon! With love, The De Felice Family
Day 13. Today was a day of compromise. Chris thought it would be nice to hang out at the hotel today. Maybe go back to Disney, play at the pool and check out the resort. Teresa thought it would be a good idea to do all 25 things on Frommer's list of "Top 25 things to do in Hong Kong." We compromised.
We got off to a leisurely start after our buffet breakfast where we discovered that Miss Lucy can down an entire container of peach yogurt through a straw. We figured out how to take the rail system from Disney (on Lantau Island) to central Hong Kong. Despite Christopher's protests he was very excited to be in the city. It is beautiful. The weather was hot but not too hot, and mostly sunny. The first thing we did was head to Victoria Peak.
We took a tram ride up to the top. It is very beautiful from up there, as you will see by the photos. On the ride up Lucy made many friends. She has a knack for doing this. She will flirt with anyone! Once at the top I discovered shopping. I imagine that I paid a bit more for things than I would have in Guangzhou but it was my last chance to pick up those last few gifts. Chris and Lucy gave me 45 minutes to select my purchases. Then we met up for a quick lunch at the French Café.
After some time at the top we headed back down and took a cab over to the Star Ferry pier. We rode from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon. I think this is a bit like taking the Staten Island Ferry. We thought it would be a fun and cheap way to see the harbour. It was.
Once we got to Kowloon I was shocked to find more shopping! I managed to control myself. We walked along one of the main streets, just to get a feel for things. We saw Gucci and Prada and Yves St. Laurent and Louis Viton and many other of our good friends. I did not tempt myself by going into any of these shops. We did stop briefly at Starbucks for an iced café mocha. As we were heading back to catch he ferry I stopped to barter on one final piece of luggage and 2 knock-off handbags. At least I think they were knock-offs. Is it possible to get two Burberry bags for $15?
Lucy is a magnificent traveler. During all of this she was either sleeping, watching with excitement or flirting with some stranger on a subway, tram car or ferry boat. We are both amazed at how well she has adapted. She is fine in or out of her stroller. And, for the time being, seems to be okay with either Mommy or Daddy.
I could easily have spent many more hours exploring Hong Kong, but for the sake of my marriage I navigated us back onto Disney property by 6:30. We are hanging out trying to get Lucy to sleep so that we can re-pack for tomorrow's journey. We are so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Ann and Uncle Keven and cousin's Simon and Owen and Aunt Mary and Uncle Jeff and cousin Kelsey. And hopefully Aunt Jane and cousin Annie and maybe even a few more relatives. Maybe Uncle Tom and Aunt Maria? Or Uncle Mike and Aunt Deb? We'll see! Fortunately she is very comfortable around large groups of people!
Thank you to everyone who has followed our amazing journey. We have been so blessed by your support, your prayers and your e-mails! Lucy cannot wait to meet all of you. We give much thanks and praise to our Lord Jesus who has guided us on this trip of miracles. To Him we give all of the honor and glory!
See you soon! With love, The De Felice Family
China-Travel Journal Day 12 November 9, 2005
Travel Journal - Day 12
Day 12. I spent this day covered in sweat, pee, dried congee, puss (yes, I said puss) and baby spit. IT WAS A MAGICAL DAY! What a great day this was for the new little DeFelice family. Neither words nor pictures could describe, but I will try.
As with most great days, it did not start out great. We had to be on the bus at 5:45 this morning to go to the airport. Not only is airplane travel not so fun with a baby (and 7 pieces of luggage) I knew we would have to say good bye to our new friends. On the bus, some of us decided that we should all live together in the same neighborhood with a Starbucks on the corner. We will take turns having a mommy-day-off and we will all continue to use Chinese yuan. Okay. This isn't really going to happen but we sure are going to miss each other.
When we arrived in Hong Kong we were on our own. Both of us agreed that we are crazy to extend our time out of the country but also agreed that we would flip into "vacation mode." So far, so good." When we got to the Disneyland Hollywood Hotel we immediately felt more at home. The weather in Hong Kong is nice and hot. Also, there is a ton of green!! This is something we missed while in China. We saw green and also a bit of welcome sunshine. When we were in Guagzhou I was sad that it was cloudy and over- cast every day. It wasn't until our last day that I discovered that it was not cloudy. It was pollution! No wonder my sinuses have been so irritated.
Anyway, being at the Disney Hotel made us feel at home. I know, not exactly experiencing true Hong Kong but we really need a bit of R & R right now. We got checked into our room and grabbed some quick lunch. I expected that we would take a nap, hang out and eventually head to the park around 4:00. Chris really surprised me when he suggested that we head straight to the park at noon! I thought we would surely conk out before the fireworks.
I was wrong. Neither one of us actually expected Lucy to enjoy Disneyland. We assumed that she was too young and that we were actually going for us, not her. Again, we were wrong. SHE LOVED IT! It was the most amazing experience!
I remember when I saw my sister watch her son experience Disney for the first time. She was so happy at how happy he was that she was moved to tears. Now I understand. Lucy took in so much more than I ever imagined. We rode the Carousel and she loved it. Then we went to Phillharmagic (just to get out of the heat) and she was riveted! She watched every second of this film and she laughed and sang! I don't think I saw any of the movie at all because I could not take my eyes off of her.
Eventually we made it to "Festival of the Lion King." When Chris first suggested this I told him that she was too young to enjoy it. After her response to the movie I was willing to give it a try. OH. MY. GOSH! She went nuts! She was waving her hands and bouncing up and down and laughing! She got so excited that she could not contain herself. She was cracking me up. She is so animated. Her whole little face just lights up. So much fun.
The parade was more of the same. She loved watching the floats. She even waved back when some of the performers waved at her. She is very big into waving these days. If you say "bye bye" she will stick out her hand and give the finger wiggle. There were many, many people waving at her and talking to her today. She was just loving it. She is very happy to be the center of attention.
We are pleased to see that people are responding very positively to two pasty white people walking around with a Chinese baby. Some will ask about her and where she came from. We are happy to share with anyone who is genuinely interested. We knew to expect a variety of comments from people. No one has said anything negative, but we did get two comments today that made us laugh. A man at the bus stop looked at her and said "Your baby looks like a boy." Then the cast member who rang up her Minnie Doll looked at her and said "She almost looks Chinese!" Mostly people will play with her and laugh. Sometimes they will tell us about their families.
After the fireworks (which she loved) we took the bus back to our hotel and Lucy fell asleep. Her Daddy foolishly thought she was down for the count. Ha! Currently she is playing on the bed with Daddy. Twice she has shown us how she can stand up by herself for a moment. There was lots of clapping and congratulating each time she did!
I am still so surprised that we spent 7 hours in Disneyland. I never would have expected that. Chris and I are so familiar with being cast members and making other people's children feel special. It was such a great experience to be on the other side of it. Everyone there went out of their way to be extra sweet to Lucy and giver her lots of stickers. (Which she tried to eat.) Tomorrow we are going to force ourselves to see a bit of real Hong Kong. (Even though it is tempting to just hand out at the pool…)
As much as we really miss our new friends (shout out to any of you if you are reading!) it is nice to be a family on our own. With each step we make away from Nanchang we are feeling more and more a family.
One more thing before I sign off. Lucy sat on the bed and played with me tonight while her Daddy worked on the computer. She fed me Cheerios and entertained me with her clever games and charming smile. She only screamed for Daddy twice and I'm not even sure she really meant it. I know that things could be different tomorrow (as they were this morning) but for now I am basking in her attention. I have to go kiss her cheeks now.
China-Travel Journal Day 11 November 8, 2005
Travel Journal - Day 11
Day 11. Every day, more breakthroughs. Even though she would have nothing to do with me last night when she was ready to sleep, she let me bathe her this morning. Chris got the bath started and then snuck out half way through. She barely noticed. We had fun splashing and playing. When she was done she let me put a towel around her and lift her out. This may not sound like much, but I have been trying to do this for the last 3 days. Finally she is starting to trust me.
Today we dressed her in her Chinese outfit. It is adorable and almost makes up for the gigantic tumor just over her lip. We have been putting Neosporin on the mighty zit but it refuses to yield. It looks like it must hurt quite a bit but she does not seem bothered. We wore the special outfit because today is picture day! After breakfast we all met in the lobby to take photos. What a zoo! It was really wonderful to see so many new families. It was kind of surreal as this was a moment many of us have read about and thought about for long, long time. Seeing all those beautiful babies on the couch was awesome. What a bunch of beauties, with personalities to boot!
At breakfast time I had to run back up to the room to get her bib. I am always forgetting the bib. (Also known as "the trough.") On my way back down the elevator an older Chinese business man saw the bib and asked me if I had adopted a baby. He wanted to know if it was hard to do. He said that he had a son in California and that he and his wife were having trouble conceiving. He wondered if I thought his son should consider an adoption from China. Naturally, I highly recommended it! He wanted to know if we got to choose the baby. I assured him that even though the matching is done at the CCAA that everyone got exactly the right baby!
After pictures I went with my new friend Amy (Taya's mom) to do a little shopping at the "mall" next door. It's not as good as the shopping on Shamian Island but it is closer. I bought a few more clothes for Lucy because she only has 1 closetful waiting for her at home! I also bought some adorable yellow patent-leather shoes. Every girl needs at least one pair! I stocked up on a few souvenirs. It really is a blast to negotiate the price. The ironic thing is that we will go back and forth with the sales people over 5 - 10 yuan. Sometimes we will even walk out to get them to come down on the price. Fact is, 10 yuan is equal to about $1.30. It's more about the sport than the money. Sometimes I will just pay the asking price because I am pretty sure these people need the money more than I do.
This afternoon we took the bus to the Consulate in Guangzhou where Lucy received her Visa to travel home to the United States. We had to take an oath that everything on her visa application was correct, then we got her passport back with the Visa attached. As soon as we land in the United States (Chicago) Lucy will be an American citizen. Woohoo!
This evening was challenging. Just when I think we have broken the mommy-barrier we take a step back. We are all tired and hungry and cranky. Yep, all of us. Lucy does not want to have anything to do with me. I have stopped taking it personally, for the most part, but it is very tough when I'm tired and hungry and cranky. One minute she loves me, the next minute she acts like I am evil. I guess this is just preparing me for when she is 13. I expect this will not be my last minor break-down.
I was hoping to get back to the shops on the island this evening for about 30 minutes. I wanted to purchase the items I was going to get yesterday before Christopher's hunger kicked in. Unfortunately I'm not going to make it. I am disappointed because I had my heart set on a couple of items for Lucy, specifically the Jiangxi porcelain doll. I am hoping that maybe there is a waiting Mom our there who might be able to pick up a couple of things at the Ladybug Corner when it is her turn to come to China?? Anyone? Who knows, maybe I can purchase these items on line.
Good news. The Lucy-monster has stopped screaming at me. She is amusing herself in the mirror. Yeah, she knows she's cute.
We leave for Hong Kong at 5:45 in the morning. Yikes. I'm signing off but will continue to journal in Hong Kong. I hear the shopping there is excellent…
Day 11. Every day, more breakthroughs. Even though she would have nothing to do with me last night when she was ready to sleep, she let me bathe her this morning. Chris got the bath started and then snuck out half way through. She barely noticed. We had fun splashing and playing. When she was done she let me put a towel around her and lift her out. This may not sound like much, but I have been trying to do this for the last 3 days. Finally she is starting to trust me.
Today we dressed her in her Chinese outfit. It is adorable and almost makes up for the gigantic tumor just over her lip. We have been putting Neosporin on the mighty zit but it refuses to yield. It looks like it must hurt quite a bit but she does not seem bothered. We wore the special outfit because today is picture day! After breakfast we all met in the lobby to take photos. What a zoo! It was really wonderful to see so many new families. It was kind of surreal as this was a moment many of us have read about and thought about for long, long time. Seeing all those beautiful babies on the couch was awesome. What a bunch of beauties, with personalities to boot!
At breakfast time I had to run back up to the room to get her bib. I am always forgetting the bib. (Also known as "the trough.") On my way back down the elevator an older Chinese business man saw the bib and asked me if I had adopted a baby. He wanted to know if it was hard to do. He said that he had a son in California and that he and his wife were having trouble conceiving. He wondered if I thought his son should consider an adoption from China. Naturally, I highly recommended it! He wanted to know if we got to choose the baby. I assured him that even though the matching is done at the CCAA that everyone got exactly the right baby!
After pictures I went with my new friend Amy (Taya's mom) to do a little shopping at the "mall" next door. It's not as good as the shopping on Shamian Island but it is closer. I bought a few more clothes for Lucy because she only has 1 closetful waiting for her at home! I also bought some adorable yellow patent-leather shoes. Every girl needs at least one pair! I stocked up on a few souvenirs. It really is a blast to negotiate the price. The ironic thing is that we will go back and forth with the sales people over 5 - 10 yuan. Sometimes we will even walk out to get them to come down on the price. Fact is, 10 yuan is equal to about $1.30. It's more about the sport than the money. Sometimes I will just pay the asking price because I am pretty sure these people need the money more than I do.
This afternoon we took the bus to the Consulate in Guangzhou where Lucy received her Visa to travel home to the United States. We had to take an oath that everything on her visa application was correct, then we got her passport back with the Visa attached. As soon as we land in the United States (Chicago) Lucy will be an American citizen. Woohoo!
This evening was challenging. Just when I think we have broken the mommy-barrier we take a step back. We are all tired and hungry and cranky. Yep, all of us. Lucy does not want to have anything to do with me. I have stopped taking it personally, for the most part, but it is very tough when I'm tired and hungry and cranky. One minute she loves me, the next minute she acts like I am evil. I guess this is just preparing me for when she is 13. I expect this will not be my last minor break-down.
I was hoping to get back to the shops on the island this evening for about 30 minutes. I wanted to purchase the items I was going to get yesterday before Christopher's hunger kicked in. Unfortunately I'm not going to make it. I am disappointed because I had my heart set on a couple of items for Lucy, specifically the Jiangxi porcelain doll. I am hoping that maybe there is a waiting Mom our there who might be able to pick up a couple of things at the Ladybug Corner when it is her turn to come to China?? Anyone? Who knows, maybe I can purchase these items on line.
Good news. The Lucy-monster has stopped screaming at me. She is amusing herself in the mirror. Yeah, she knows she's cute.
We leave for Hong Kong at 5:45 in the morning. Yikes. I'm signing off but will continue to journal in Hong Kong. I hear the shopping there is excellent…
China-Travel Journal Day 10 November 7, 2005
Travel Journal - Day 10
Day 10 was pretty chillin'. The only reason we are still in China is that we need to get Lucy's visa. AWAA does a great job of helping us through the paperwork and making the details easy on us. Today was our Consulate appointment but we did not have to go. Our guides, Liniker and Amy, took yesterday's paperwork to the Consulate for us. They filed as representatives for us. Apparently we all go back tomorrow to pick of the visas and swear an oath, but we do not all have to go to separate interviews. This is one of the advantages of using an experienced adoption agency.
We went to a late breakfast. Lucy and Daddy let me sleep a bit because of my cold. I was feeling pretty crummy this morning but have made it through the day without too much trouble. Medication is a good thing. After breakfast we had to hang out in our room in case Liniker or Amy had any trouble with our paperwork. Fortunately we did not get a phone call from the Consulate. We mostly hung out with Lucy and played with her toys. She and Chris spent a good amount of time watching Chinese and Japanese television. They both have a God-given ability to veg in front of the television even when they do not speak the language. My little couch potatoes.
Chris watched Lucy while I snuck downstairs for a caramel macchiato. It was most delicious. I sat in Starbucks and worked on my shopping list. There is so much to buy and the sales people are soooo pushy that you have to have a plan before walking into a store! Fortunately the prices are very cheap.
Lucy wore a dress for the first time today. I bought it during yesterday's shopping trip. She looked very cute (If I do say so myself!) She managed to cover the entire thing with apple juice (clearly juice boxes are not intended for babies) but she still looked darn good. We also tried on her squeaky shoes. Yes, it's true, I had no intention of buying her squeaky shoes (long story) but they are everywhere and they are very cute and cheap. Watching her face when she makes her feet squeak is priceless. It is very funny, Fortunately, we can remove the squeak if it starts to get on our nerves.
This afternoon we joined the group for a second shopping trip. This time I was prepared! Chris, however, does not have the built-in endurance for shopping. Especially this kind of shopping! The minute you enter a store they are on top of you. Someone will follow you around the entire store showing you things. They will show you sizes and colors and varieties of everything. They ask how old your baby is and suddenly have an entire stack of things your baby cannot do without. They are very well schooled in the man-to-man offense. Eventually they broke Chris and he had to get out. I was just about to close this lady on 30 yuan for a jade ship for my Dad when Chris professed starvation. I bought a few things but was not able to hammer out my entire list before we met up with some friend to get a bite at Lucy's Café. We will shop again tomorrow.
We had dinner with our new friends Scott and Kristine and baby Katie, and Jonathan and Emily and baby Margaret-Jane. We have been blessed to spend time with some of the most amazing people. If you have to be stuck in a hotel in a foreign country with a new baby, these are the people that you want to do it with! We are already talking about doing a reunion when the girls are a little older. I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone and watching their babies discover their new mommies and daddies. Watching the changes in the babies (and the parents!) in just 1 week has been pretty cool. Needless to say, it is an emotional and life-changing event. Having other new mommies to talk to is beyond priceless.
After dinner I bought Chris a ball cap that says "Lucy's Guangzhou" from Lucy's Café. It's a pretty cool hat. When we got back the hotel room Lucy had a ton of energy! Chris walked her around the room a bit but she was still ready to go. She let me walk with her up and down the hall. She heard voices in the last room of the hall and was very determined to get there. I'm telling you, this chick is very social! We made it to the room with the people but all of them spoke French. Lucy and I said our bonjours and then headed the other direction. I was hoping that she would let me give her a bottle and put her to bed. Clearly I have gotten over-confident.
Lucy took her bottle from me like she was a starving child. She started to fall asleep and then reminded herself that I am not Daddy. The whaling began. She absolutely insists that she fall asleep on Daddy. And she wants his undivided attention. I tried to explain to her that it is difficult to get Daddy's attention when he has a remote control in his hand but she did not seem comforted. Eventually I removed the remote control and Lucy got the attention she demanded. Once we settled that she was asleep in about 6 seconds.
Lucy has the largest zit I have ever seen! It is huge and right in the middle of her face. It has been the topic of several discussions today. I feel so bad for her because it looks like it really hurts. It is so big that it looks like a tumor! She is still beautiful (even with the tumor) but it is hard to ignore. Chris and I are hopeful that is will go away tomorrow. Otherwise he is threatening to bring out the Oxy 10! Poor little girl - new Mommy, new Daddy, acne. She is having a tough week.
One other fun thing I want to mention. Lucy let's me brush her teeth! I am really surprised by this. She has been fascinated when watching me brush. Last night she was watching me and she stared to imitate me. I got out the baby brush and toothpaste (which I only brought because my pediatrician told me to. Never thought I would use it) and she sat there and let me brush her teeth. I think she even liked it! It must be the moments like this that cause me to get overconfident about her acceptance of Mommy.
Can I tell about one other cute thing she does? She does "bye-bye" with her hand. She does it with her palm up, but it is clearly "bye-bye." She will do this if you wave at her or if you say "zie jen," which is roughly how you say goodbye in Chinese.
We are ready to head home. We look forward to experiencing Hong Kong (as much as you can with a baby) but we are very excited about coming home. Keep sending your e-mails. They keep us from being homesick.
Day 10 was pretty chillin'. The only reason we are still in China is that we need to get Lucy's visa. AWAA does a great job of helping us through the paperwork and making the details easy on us. Today was our Consulate appointment but we did not have to go. Our guides, Liniker and Amy, took yesterday's paperwork to the Consulate for us. They filed as representatives for us. Apparently we all go back tomorrow to pick of the visas and swear an oath, but we do not all have to go to separate interviews. This is one of the advantages of using an experienced adoption agency.
We went to a late breakfast. Lucy and Daddy let me sleep a bit because of my cold. I was feeling pretty crummy this morning but have made it through the day without too much trouble. Medication is a good thing. After breakfast we had to hang out in our room in case Liniker or Amy had any trouble with our paperwork. Fortunately we did not get a phone call from the Consulate. We mostly hung out with Lucy and played with her toys. She and Chris spent a good amount of time watching Chinese and Japanese television. They both have a God-given ability to veg in front of the television even when they do not speak the language. My little couch potatoes.
Chris watched Lucy while I snuck downstairs for a caramel macchiato. It was most delicious. I sat in Starbucks and worked on my shopping list. There is so much to buy and the sales people are soooo pushy that you have to have a plan before walking into a store! Fortunately the prices are very cheap.
Lucy wore a dress for the first time today. I bought it during yesterday's shopping trip. She looked very cute (If I do say so myself!) She managed to cover the entire thing with apple juice (clearly juice boxes are not intended for babies) but she still looked darn good. We also tried on her squeaky shoes. Yes, it's true, I had no intention of buying her squeaky shoes (long story) but they are everywhere and they are very cute and cheap. Watching her face when she makes her feet squeak is priceless. It is very funny, Fortunately, we can remove the squeak if it starts to get on our nerves.
This afternoon we joined the group for a second shopping trip. This time I was prepared! Chris, however, does not have the built-in endurance for shopping. Especially this kind of shopping! The minute you enter a store they are on top of you. Someone will follow you around the entire store showing you things. They will show you sizes and colors and varieties of everything. They ask how old your baby is and suddenly have an entire stack of things your baby cannot do without. They are very well schooled in the man-to-man offense. Eventually they broke Chris and he had to get out. I was just about to close this lady on 30 yuan for a jade ship for my Dad when Chris professed starvation. I bought a few things but was not able to hammer out my entire list before we met up with some friend to get a bite at Lucy's Café. We will shop again tomorrow.
We had dinner with our new friends Scott and Kristine and baby Katie, and Jonathan and Emily and baby Margaret-Jane. We have been blessed to spend time with some of the most amazing people. If you have to be stuck in a hotel in a foreign country with a new baby, these are the people that you want to do it with! We are already talking about doing a reunion when the girls are a little older. I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone and watching their babies discover their new mommies and daddies. Watching the changes in the babies (and the parents!) in just 1 week has been pretty cool. Needless to say, it is an emotional and life-changing event. Having other new mommies to talk to is beyond priceless.
After dinner I bought Chris a ball cap that says "Lucy's Guangzhou" from Lucy's Café. It's a pretty cool hat. When we got back the hotel room Lucy had a ton of energy! Chris walked her around the room a bit but she was still ready to go. She let me walk with her up and down the hall. She heard voices in the last room of the hall and was very determined to get there. I'm telling you, this chick is very social! We made it to the room with the people but all of them spoke French. Lucy and I said our bonjours and then headed the other direction. I was hoping that she would let me give her a bottle and put her to bed. Clearly I have gotten over-confident.
Lucy took her bottle from me like she was a starving child. She started to fall asleep and then reminded herself that I am not Daddy. The whaling began. She absolutely insists that she fall asleep on Daddy. And she wants his undivided attention. I tried to explain to her that it is difficult to get Daddy's attention when he has a remote control in his hand but she did not seem comforted. Eventually I removed the remote control and Lucy got the attention she demanded. Once we settled that she was asleep in about 6 seconds.
Lucy has the largest zit I have ever seen! It is huge and right in the middle of her face. It has been the topic of several discussions today. I feel so bad for her because it looks like it really hurts. It is so big that it looks like a tumor! She is still beautiful (even with the tumor) but it is hard to ignore. Chris and I are hopeful that is will go away tomorrow. Otherwise he is threatening to bring out the Oxy 10! Poor little girl - new Mommy, new Daddy, acne. She is having a tough week.
One other fun thing I want to mention. Lucy let's me brush her teeth! I am really surprised by this. She has been fascinated when watching me brush. Last night she was watching me and she stared to imitate me. I got out the baby brush and toothpaste (which I only brought because my pediatrician told me to. Never thought I would use it) and she sat there and let me brush her teeth. I think she even liked it! It must be the moments like this that cause me to get overconfident about her acceptance of Mommy.
Can I tell about one other cute thing she does? She does "bye-bye" with her hand. She does it with her palm up, but it is clearly "bye-bye." She will do this if you wave at her or if you say "zie jen," which is roughly how you say goodbye in Chinese.
We are ready to head home. We look forward to experiencing Hong Kong (as much as you can with a baby) but we are very excited about coming home. Keep sending your e-mails. They keep us from being homesick.
China-Travel Journal Day 9 November 7, 2005
Travel Journal - Day 9
Day 9 was awesome! When it was time for Chris to take his shower I told him to just go and let her scream while she is left with me. After he walked away she started to scream (as usual) but it did not sound like she really meant it. I was able to distract her by singing along with a Chinese karaoke song on the television. It took her about 1 minute to stop screaming. She sat on my lap and played while Chris showered and dressed.
At breakfast she sat in her high chair the entire time. This girl can eat! We have not given her anything that she refuses to eat. After breakfast we met up with the others to get on the bus. We decided that I should try to carry her in the hip hammock. Miraculously, she let me! I carried her all around the hotel lobby. She was a tiny bit fussy at first, but then she was fine. She sat on my lap for the entire bus ride! It was so amazing.
Our first stop was a museum. I do not remember the name but they showed some beautiful Chinese furniture, some bone carving, wood carvings and some very interesting statues. The word work on the roof of the building was very magnificent and ornate. The museum itself was mostly outdoors or inside areas that are open to the outdoors. It is hard to describe. It was almost like a series of courtyards with a variety of rooms. Anyway….
The museum also had many things to purchase. I bargained my way into a jade bangle bracelet. Many of the women in our group purchased theirs at the jade factory, but I wanted to wait to see if I could get a better deal. It is tradition in China that a woman wears a jade bracelet that she gives to her daughter when the daughter turns 16. The daughter then wears the bracelet until she has a daughter who turns 16. I think it is a great custom. I really like my bracelet.
Amazingly, Lucy sat in her stroller with no complaining the entire time. She is becoming more and more chillin' every day. Even though she can be a crazy climbing monkey, she is a very good traveler. She continued to sit on my lap on the way to our next destination, the Tea House.
At the Tea House we saw many beautiful tea pots and learned about Chinese tea and tradition. Then we all sat around a series of large tables and sampled Chinese tea. I was very happy to have hot tea as I have come down with a sore throat and cold. The hot tea was helpful. After that, we shopped. I purchased a pretty Chinese tea pot for Michelle. I hope she is still collecting tea pots!
When we arrived back at the hotel, Chris agreed to hang out with Lucy while I went on a shopping adventure with 2 other mothers and 1 grandmother. Chris' tummy isn't feeling well so he was very happy to stay back and nap with Lucy.
The shopping was great. We took a taxi to Shamian Island which is just 10 minutes away. This is where the Chinese Consulate and the famous White Swan hotel is located. The White Swan is also known as "Baby Hotel" because it hosts many, many adoptive families. AWAA no longer uses that hotel but all of us want to see it because we have heard so much about it from other adoptive families.
The island is filled with shops that clearly know their client! There were tons and tons of baby clothes. Most outfits could be purchased for 4 or 5 dollars. The also had many t-shirts and hats that had the Chinese symbols for mother, father, big sister etc. They had many children's things with lady bugs on them, as well as many baby dolls and squeaky shoes for the babies. The sales people are so motivated. Once again, I would like to bring home a handful and put them to work as SPC's. I'd be rich.
I purchased a couple of outfits and pairs of shoes for Lucy. I also did some souvenir shopping. I made some progress on purchasing gifts to give Lucy every year on gotcha day. One thing that I am thinking about buying is a porcelain doll that is made in the style of Jinagxi. (The Province where she if from.) They have a different porcelain doll for each Province which depicts a typical costume or activity from that area. I think I might wait and see where I can get the best deal. We head back there tomorrow as a group. Today's trip was just a warm up!
When I got back to the hotel I found that Lucy and Chris had both been napping for over 3 hours. I hope those 2 sleep tonight! I woke them up so that we could join the other families for dinner in the Japanese restaurant. The food was so good!! Chris and I had the best steak I have ever eaten. Even Lucy got in on the steak eating. She sat on my lap for almost the entire meal and let me feed her with chopsticks. She did really well.
One other thing that Lucy does a lot of is talk. She is very verbal. He like to say "yayayayaya," "bababa," "dadadadada" and "ararararara" I'm not sure what she is saying but she says it with a strong sense of purpose. When she is tired she sucks on her bottom lip. She uses her lip like most kids use a pacifier. It seams to calm her. Even though we do have a pacifier, we have not given it to her. She did not have one when we got her so we figure that there is no reason to start.
Right now she is playing with her Daddy on the bed. She still seems to prefer Daddy a bit, but she is giving me lots of Mommy time. I am loving every minute of it.
I am going to call it an early night. I hope to kick this sore throat/cold so that I will be in good shape for more shopping tomorrow. I think I will need to purchase another suitcase.
Please keep the e-mails coming. We are loving them!
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