Adopting a toddler is not for the faint of heart! :)

I've been trying to figure out why I was able to blog more during our first adoption trip with Lorelei (other than the internet issues).  Then I look over at this bundle of energetic babyhood and I see the answer! 

We have been busy the past few days.  Thursday we took a day trip to see the Terra Cotta Warriors, which are located near Xi'an.  Definitely worth the effort, they were amazing to see in person.  I didn't know that they were discovered by a farmer digging a well, relatively recently in 1974.  The designers and planners of this immense tomb--the emperor wanted to recreate his city, soldiers, lakes, mountains, and all--were all buried with the structures so there were no records of where they were.  Each soldier's face is different and copied from the soldiers alive at that time.

These actors surprised Chris--he thought they were statues!

 

On Friday we left Xi'an for Guangzhou, our last stop before home.  Our flight was interesting!  Our flight left at 8:00 pm since we had to wait for her passport to be ready Friday afternoon.  And there was no nap to be had that day so our girl was TIRED.  She cried and cried during take-off, but thankfully calmed down when the snacks came in a box that turned into an excellent toy.  Chris and I realized that we had never taken a baby on a plane before--we didn't make any airplane trips with Kyle until he was older. 

 

Saturday we got up early to do the medical exam needed for her immigration approval.  She did really well, considering the stressful night before! It's so nice being back here in the same hotel we were with Lorelei.  Our agency guides here are wonderful too, and keep us well informed of what we're doing and when. 

Love the tongue out! She does this when she's concentrating.  She was admiring her new squeaky shoes... we had only one pair of shoes that we had brought with us that fit her and she didn't really like them, so we had taken them off on the plane.  Guess where they are?  Still on the plane!  Women here feel very free to tell you how you should be dressing your child, and I got fussed at for not having shoes on her, so we found some new ones close to our hotel. 

Life is good!

Ready for our U.S. Consulate appointment today--she kept the bow on for about 15 minutes this time!

One of my favorite pictures--we are so thankful she is bonding with both of us. Several of the other kids have taken more to one parent or the other.

 

Today was our appointment at the U.S. Consulate, so glad that is done and all the precious paperwork we were carrying with us has been delivered. It's been rainy here in Guangzhou so we've been chilling in our room this afternoon after a good nap. Her favorite toys? Empty water bottles and a bag! Got to love toddlerhood!

We leave bright and early Wednesday for Hong Kong and our flight back to the U.S. I will be soooo glad to get home to my big kids, our dogs, and Christmas. For local folks, our United flight from Chicago will be arriving in Columbia at 5:10 pm if you'd like to keep Kyle and Lorelei company while they wait for us.



Getting to know her

Nap time... finally a few minutes to update pictures here and on facebook.  We've been having trouble with our internet connection, so frustrating because we wanted to share with friends and family this awesome experience.  Looks like our connection is up and running, so here's a little bit about our girl and what we've been doing.

She is a little peanut, about 18 1/2 pounds and barely wearing 12 months clothes.  She seems to know who we are.  When our guide asked her who her Mama and Baba was she looked right at us.  She is good at sitting but is quick to move when the mood strikes her (such as when I walk out of the room).   She loves affection and will tilt her head in for kisses.

She woke up from her nap crying and but calmed right down when I picked her up.   She has been fighting a cold so we have been seeing a lot of the inside of our hotel!

Well, naptime is over, so I'll post a few pictures and try again later!

...and she said "Mama"

Wow, what a day!  Up early, airports, travel, and at the end.... a sweet baby girl sleeping just a few feet away.  I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around everything that has happened and an even harder time trying to find the words to describe this amazing experience. 

She is doing so well, so brave.  We've already seen some smiles and giggles (it helps to have a funny Baba!), we bonded over Gerber Puffs (thank you to every adoptive parent who told us about the wonders of Puffs--you were so right), and yes, she called me "mama" tonight.  The only word she has said so far, and I wouldn't have thought it was for me except she was reaching for me as I walked past.  Unbelievable and completely awesome to see how God is making something beautiful out of suffering and heartache.

Tomorrow we have to get to several appointments, so I'd better get some sleep.  We'll be here until Friday when we travel to Guangzhou. 

Heaven!

Family

Today is the day!

We are up early this morning, too excited to sleep, so I thought I'd better get an update posted before we leave.  We've had a taste of Beijing the past few days.  There's so much to see here.  Our agency guide set up a few tours for our group on Friday and Saturday.  I'm so glad we had a few days to adjust to the time difference and get our bearings before we go on to Xi'an today.

We will be seeing Annelise sometime this afternoon!

Here's a few highlights:

Tianamen Square

Forbidden City

Great Wall

At the Great Wall--Mao's quote about how heroes conquer the Great Wall



So awesome to be here!

Just a few more hours...

So… I should be trying to sleep, but I just can't.  Tomorrow is the beginning of a new adventure for us, one seven years in the making.  We are going back to China to bring home a sweet little bundle for us all to love.  We will be traveling all day tomorrow and arrive in Beijing Thursday, spend a few days getting to enjoy a bit of their culture, and then travel to Xi'an on Sunday.  We should be holding her by Sunday evening.   Can't wait to share our joy!