Casts come off tomorrow....

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Click to play Make your own Smilebox Well, tomorrow is the day and the final set of casts will be removed. We've been home exactly

two months today and Amelia has had casts since August 2nd, that's eight weeks. Holy cow, no wonder she doesn't like me some days.

I will say that we have made great strides in the two months that she has been home. She is a much happier and pleasant little girl. Of course as I'm typing this she is having a horrendous temper tantrum in her play area. Yep, she is royally ticked off right now. I'm sure I'll arrive to a puddle of crocodile tears and snot. Oh well!

She is much more ready to give up a smile when you come into a room. She still will give the occasional glare, but that mostly happens when I return from being gone somewhere. She is learning that we will come back....just in our own time and not in hers (which doesn't exactly make her happy some times.)

As a friend put it, "parenting these children is not for the faint of heart". She is so right. I knew what to expect, I had read all the material, heard the many stories. But experiencing it for yourself....you just can't imagine. One day at a time...each day gets easier and better. We do have set backs, but continue to trudge forward. For me, it's a matter of not being so hard on myself for setting boundaries and not letting her "run the show". It would be so easy to give into her screams, just to not hear them, just to make her happy. But ultimately, I know I will have to do it. Better to do it now than with a five year old...ICK!!!!!

We see a new doctor tomorrow. Amelia's original doctor has moved to Utah. I'm sad that she will not be here to see this through. I pray that the casts do come off and that her feet look terrific. I know she will still need the shoe/braces. I just hope that she doesn't still need the casts.

I'll be up bright and early tomorrow. Her appointment is at 9:05 and she has to have a good "soaking" before we go to soften the casts. That should be a barrel of fun at 7 a.m. On another good note, it does appear that Amelia had some type of parasite. We seem to have gotten the BMs under control after a round of medicine. Let's hope it lasts!

I'm off to attempt to reason with a screaming 18 month old...yes, Amelia turned 18 months yesterday.

Happy Moon Festival everyone! I'm going to try my hand at mooncakes tomorrow. I know it's late, but I'm still going to give it a try.

Oh where, oh where have I been??????

you might ask. Well, I guess I'll tell you...I haven't the foggiest! That's the best I can do! The past six weeks have passed by me so quickly. There have been joys, challenges, successes and failures! I'm sure you want more...so here it is; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and let me tell you...it's been U-G-L-Y at times!


I am happy to report that I can successfully balance two girls on my lap at once. Hopefully this doesn't mean that my lap is getting larger ;-). But I do admit (much to my chagrin), that I haven't been to the gym since I returned from China. I do miss it, but don't feel comfortable taking Amelia to the playroom yet. Yes, I know, I could go at night, but by then, I'm totally exhausted! There are still some power struggles that occur when I'm holding one or the other, but they generally don't fuss too much.
First of all, Amelia is in her fifth and final set of casts. WOW, you say, where did the time go? Beats me...she had four sets of casts on for one week each and then she has this final set on until September 27th. Before this set was put on, she had a minor outpatient procedure to lengthen her Achilles tendon. They performed the procedure under a general anesthetic. I surprised myself at how upset I got when they wheeled her away. Maybe it was because I was there by myself (Steve was at home with Elise). We opted to not drag Elise out of bed at 0'dark thirty to go to the hospital. The doctor took less than 40 minutes and was out in the waiting room talking to me.


I just adored her doctor, Dr. VonStein. Unfortunately, she has moved to Utah and will not be here to do Amelia's follow-up visits. It figures that I would get someone that I really, liked and then lose her. But at least she was able to do the procedure and put her final set of casts on.


These casts are on for three weeks....and then we go into "Denis Browne Braces" or Forest Gump shoes as we have affectionately dubbed them at our house.


I'll be THRILLED to get rid of these casts. First of all, they are HEAVY...about 2 1/2 - 3 pounds. Let's not even go into how bulky and awkward they are when you try to hold her. Whenever they removed the casts at the doctor's office, I would snatch her up and snuggle her without those casts on. She always felt so tiny, but she did weigh about 20 pounds when we were in there about three weeks ago (that's without the casts). Now let's discuss the fiberglass that the casts are made of. Yes, fiberglass! Have you ever wondered what it's like to be dumped into a vat of insulation??? Hold Amelia for about 10 minutes and you'll feel the sensation! I thought I had some sort of strange disease contracted in China before I figured out that all the tingling and itching was from the fiberglass. On to bathing...WHAT BATHING??? You can't bath her with the casts on! She could only have a bath once a week, right before we went to the doctor. I would soak her in the tub for about 30 minutes to soften the casts and then we'd run out the door....dripping the entire way! But at least she got clean!


So let's talk bathing for a second....we are relegated to "sponge" bathes! Well, at our house, it's a "washrag" bath since I don't have any sponges. These bathes are o.k. if your child doesn't have extremely loose stool! Yes, that's right, I'm still battling the diarrhea! I am at my wits end with this. I have changed her formula three times, given her only bananas, applesauce and rice for DAYS and even put her on all baby food. Nothing has made a difference! It's unbelievable. I literally run to her room to try to get her out of the bed before she completely trashes it and I have to strip everything out of it and was it~this has occurred more than once. I finally called the doctor for something and will pick it up tomorrow. So couple the "no getting the casts wet" with diarrhea and you have one smelly little Asian! I do my best, but sometimes it's just not good enough. Amelia is so regular with her morning constitution, that I'm considering sitting her on the potty to try to cut down on the messes! It's an option at this point and a viable one!

Soaking the casts in vinegar water~SMELLYYYY!!!!

Having a cookie while I wait for my next set of casts!

I will say that the casts don't slow her down a bit. She wants to stand so badly right now. Unfortunately, I know that her little legs have NO muscle tone or strength what so ever. I know the physical therapy will help. But the braces she will get can only come off for 1 hour a day for the next three months. Yep, she has to wear them 23 hours a day. Part of that hour is going to have to be bathing too! I can't wait to dump this child into a big ole bubble bath!

Jei-Jei pushing Mei-Mei

As many of you may know, we've had some power struggles over the past six weeks since we have returned. I'll only elaborate on Amelia, the other kids will have to get their time on the family blog. Amelia came to us very spoiled from her home in China. She was blessed to be in a very fine orphanage where she was in Half the Sky's Hugging Granny's program. Amelia was obviously well loved and cared for. But, I don't believe that she was ever allowed to be put down. Because whenever I would sit her down to do something, the screaming would begin. And the tears, she can cry BUCKETS of tears. So many, that I was afraid she may dehydrate! And let me tell you, this child can peel the paint off the wall with her screaming! As soon as I would pick her up, she would completely stop crying and be totally content. Hmmm.....now this isn't going to work for me! So, the "behavior modification" began.

Long and brutal story, very short. Amelia is now a very good napper and sleeper. She goes down without a peep and sleeps all night long and takes about a two hour nap. We were lucky if she slept an hour during nap time and she would wake up and SCREAM until someone came to pick her up. It was the same with bedtime, she would scream as soon as we would walk out of the room. Steve actually put a baseball cap on the corner of her crib one night to quiet her down and he snuck out of the room. It worked too! It's been a difficult few weeks getting her to let go of the screaming and wait calming and patiently for us to come and get her. She's learned that her screaming gets no reaction out of us now and we see very little of it. When we do, it doesn't last very long. We've made great strides with that.

Now we're working on getting her to smile at us when she wakes up from naps and nighttime. She's not a very happy little girl when she gets up. BUT...at least it's not screaming herself hoarse. She just glares at me now. But as soon as I pick her up, she is chattering and pointing and semi-jovial! I try to get her to smile at me and I've made a complete fool of myself with her, but no luck with the smiles until I actually pick her up. I keep praying for it to get better and so are my many Ladybug friends. All the prayers are working, that's for sure!

We are getting into a rather nice routine since school started. Summer was rather icky since it was not a lot of fun for Amelia to get out in the HOT, HOT weather. I was trying to keep her from too much chafing with the casts and I kept her in most of the time. Taking her to the pool seemed rather cruel, although we did venture over occasionally, but not often. The poor little thing wanted to get in so badly. She would lunge forward whenever I would sit on the edge of the pool and try to get in. After a time, I also realized that the water and heat were making the casts even more irritating to me, so I gave up on the pool all together! Now if it would only rain! It hasn't rained here in weeks. It's only rained twice since we returned from China and that wasn't much to speak of. Everything is so dry, it's just horrible. Our rainfall is 12 inches behind normal, if that tells you anything.

Hanging out by the pool, no swimming....

We are going to walks in the stroller now that Elise is in preschool. It's nice and relaxing, I think Amelia really enjoys it. It also helps me to de-stress a little. Now that Philmont is behind me, I'm looking for a new physical challenge. Anyone have any suggestions????? I'm open for them!

It's been a challenging six weeks. I am thrilled to say that we have really turned the corner. I knew it would be difficult this time...Amelia is older and was in a very nice orphanage where I knew she would be very attached to her caregiver. She's had some strongholds to get over, but we are definitely getting there. I remember telling her right after we got home, "Little girl, if you think you're stubborn, you don't know stubborn! I'm the Queen of stubborn, sister!" I think she has finally gotten the message.

She laughs and giggles and says thank you! It's the sweetest thing too. She also has 11 teeth now and she can sign; please, more, milk, cookie, mama, baba, eat, baby and she tries her darnest to sign "Signing Time". She's brilliant, I tell you! Her biggest thing is to blow kisses and she gladly tips her nose up to me when I say, "Chin Chin Mama" (kiss mama). My greatest joy lately has been to watch is her excitement when Baba and GuGu Tucker walks in the door~the pure and simple joy of a child~there's nothing like it! It melts your heart to see it when it finally comes through and then the joy of knowing that the walls are coming down is a true answer to prayer!

It's a crazy life, full of crazy kids and family. But it's my life and I have to say, I do in fact love this life. God firmly planted me right in the middle of it knowing what was best for me! I still stand in awe sometimes when I take a step back and look at all that I have been blessed with.

Our God is an Awesome God with an incredible sense of humor sometimes!

Oh the things we see and feel, when we allow ourselves the chance to do so!

Orthopedic Visit and Home Update....

We've been home a little over a week now and I think we have all readjusted to our local time...praise the Lord! I don't think it was as easy with Elise but they may have to do with when our flights arrived back in the US. We arrived home in the afternoon with Elise making it difficult to take a nap without sleeping for hours (which we did). This time we arrived home at 8 a.m. and we got home at around 10 a.m. We all took a very nice nap for around 4-5 hours and we still had a large portion of the day remaining to wear ourselves out.

Amelia is sleeping through the night and taking one nap a day. She DOES NOT LIKE being laid down. She pitches a royal fit at nap time and at bed time. It is getting better though. She will only scream for a short period of time now. I have to say that this little girl has one heck of a temper! I also think she has been very spoiled by her caregivers at the orphanage. All in all, she is very happy and has a ready smile to give (except for in the mornings, she's not a morning person).

Our day starts at around 7 a.m. although Amelia has slept until 8:30 on one occasion. I kept checking on her to make sure she was o.k....silly me. Elise is getting up early since she's in our room and she hears the shower running in the morning. I think we will move her back into her room this week. Sleeping seems to be staying in this particular pattern, so sleeping for Elise should be o.k. I know we will have to go with staggered bedtimes since Amelia goes down at 7:30 and Elise is up until 8:30.

I've included a link to a video of Amelia "moving" around. It's amazing how kids will conform and adjust to their handicaps. Amelia gets around great on her stomach. Check out her break dancing moves.....

Amelia break dancing....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPlsQDX4kOU

I had to go to the grocery with both girls. Something I've been dreading, but I had to do it. So I head out to Meijers for the excursion of the day. I spend about 15 minutes perusing the parking lot in search of the semi trucks of shopping carts...yes, the shopping cart with two seats. The shopping cart that should have a "back-up warning" sound when in reverse. Thankfully, Elise is great at the store and sat in the seat like a big girl. Amelia did well also. For our first attempt at the grocery alone, it went very well. Thank goodness!!! I told Elise is sets a great example as a big sister.

Riding in the 'DOUBLE' shopping cart

As far as adjusting to being a big sister and not the "Lone Empress", Elise seems to be doing well. She wants to help feed Amelia and I do let her when she asks. I thought this was a particularly precious photo of the two of them.

We visited the orthopedic doctor on Thursday to discuss Amelia's feet. I thought it would be a visit to discuss a treatment plan. And it was...for about 3 minutes and then she said they would cast her right away. WHAT!!!! I figured she would need surgery, but according to her doctor (that I really like), her feet are not that bad and should be fixed with a series of 4-6 casts.

So happy...right before her new cast

The casting didn't take long, we were out of the office within 45 minutes. Needless to say, my head was spinning. Amelia sat through the casting like an old pro. The doctor kept commenting on how good she was. Then I had to tell them about all the "treatments" she received in China and that this was probably nothing compared to that stuff.

So now she's learning to get around with two very heavy casts on her legs. When this is all said and done, Amelia will have the upper body strength of her mother. You should see her yank something out of Elise's hands....YOWSA! After getting over the initial shock of realizing her sister is rather strong, Elise hangs on much tighter to things!

Riding my pony in my new casts

Trying to move my feet around

Still lots of smiles even with new casts

Even with the new casts, she still gets around pretty well. The casts do not allow her to stand at all. I do help her stand, but she doesn't stand very long. She is currently pulling herself up on the trampoline in the basement without any problems what so every. She has proven to be very adaptable.

We return to the doctor on Monday for new casts. I'll be able to give her a bath before we go to soak the casts for easier removal. There is also another soaking that I have to do about 30 minutes before we get there. The casts will need to be wrapped in vinegar and water soaked towels for the ride to the doctor....YIPPEE!!! That should be an interesting visit. Get out the garbage bags....

I also thrilled to say that all of Elise's labs came back clear. She will need to have her Hep B shots, that's all. There was also no bugs in the stool, so I'm going to have to try using soy formula to help with that "issue".

See how quickly she adapts

New Locomotion...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBLh9a0-zOs

Elise is in "Potty Training Boot Camp". Yep, it isn't pretty folks. She's 3 1/2 years old and will not use the potty. I've given her until after our China trip and now the fun begins. She can't go to preschool without being potty trained. So we are stuck in the house until she "gets it". I have had to resort to long t-shirts and no pants at all. She doesn't care if her pants are wet or dirty. I've reached my limit and last resort. Yesterday was really tough, many accidents! Today, after three hours, no accidents. Let's see how the rest of the day goes.

She is less than pleased with her "situation", but maybe she'll finally get it. While in boot camp, there is no playing with friends, no sitting on the furniture unless it is the kitchen chair (that is in the kitchen on the hardwood floor) and no going to the basement with Tucker. I think the last restriction is what got to her last night. She wanted so desperately to play "Fort" with Tucker and she can't since it is on the carpeting...no accidents permitted here. So she whined and cried off to the bathroom without anyone asking her or telling her. Steve and I just looked at one another. So maybe the Gu Gu Tucker is the answer...We shall see.

Stuck on the "easy to clean" flooring...

Signing off for now....

Mystery Photo answer and another thought, "The Circle of Life"

Sunset at Apache Springs....Philmont Scout Ranch, New Mexico

The answer to the final mystery photo was "Dried Up Sea Horses". I have NO clue what they can be used for. But the amount of "dried" items that you can find in China is far reaching and bizarre, to say the least. You try not to stare, but you just can't help yourself. It's like a train wreck, you just keep looking no matter how grotesque it may be. So if anyone knows what this might be used for, please let me know.


My phone rang yesterday afternoon and I answered it even though I didn't recognize the call. Not something that I usually do, but I felt that I needed to. It was my neighbor calling to congratulate me on my new daughter. She was sweet and kind and loving, but I could hear something in her voice. So finally I asked her how she was doing and she told me that her sister had just passed away from leukemia. She was devastated and sad and heartbroken. But she took the time to call me and say how very happy she was for all of us.


She went on to say that seeing the Celebratory Balloons welcoming our daughter home on our mailbox reminded her that another little life was here to love and cherish and grow in this place we call home. She said that it was a blessing for her to see those balloons and it lifted her spirits at the precise moment that she needed it.


Thank you God for Kelly! Hold her family in the palm of your hand and give them peace and comfort during this difficult time in their lives. We praise you for showing her that the gift of life is always a soothing balm for a hurting soul.




Please keep my friend in your prayers!

Doctor Visits, Transition, Domestic Bliss & Spicy Girl

We've been home a total of four days now. Things are still in a bit of a fog...jet lag and all.

We visited the pediatrician on Friday. I finally got my wits about me and called Friday morning. I don't know why I'm being so hard on myself, I had only been home 24 hours. But since I was so "laid-back" during this adoption (Elise's appointments were all made BEFORE I left for China), I had not one appointment made. Fortunately, they squeezed us in on Friday afternoon. The appointment was during nap time, but I took it anyway. So, off we went, just me and Amelia. Elise stayed at home with her big brother.

Let's talk about that for a minute. Tucker has been home since we arrived. Matthew is at a leadership conference in New York and won't be back until Wednesday to meet his new sister. Elise is THRILLED to see her Gu Gu Tucker! The squealing and running and glee that this house is experiencing has definitely brought things out of the dormancy it has felt over the last two weeks. Hello Home! WE'RE BACKKKKK!

Although the squeals can be unnerving on little sleep, it's good to hear them playing and laughing and enjoying one another. But the best thing was when I arrived home at around 2 p.m. and found Tucker and Elise asleep on the sofa.....draped over one another. What a picture of love....my heart wanted to burst.

Teens show affection sporadically, the older they get, the less cool it is so kiss mom or give mom a hug. But with little sisters, you can kiss and hug and love all you want. That's cool and it's also a "chick magnet". Yep, Elise has been toted around by her brothers for the simple reason of attracting chicks. It's rather cute to see the girls swarm around him when he has her.

Sweet...sleeping Prince and Princess

Amelia received six, yes six, shots at the pediatrician. YIKES!!! I was totally unprepared for that. But I gotta say that she took it like a champ. Barely cried at all. I guess she's used to the needles for all that acupuncture she received in China. She weighed a little under 20 pounds (5th percentile), 29.5 inches tall (15th percentile) and her head is 18 inches round (37th percentile). Now tell me, why do I always get kids with a big head???? The doctor asked a bunch of questions concerning "on target" and I answered yes to all of them. So he said she looks good. He did order labs to have done and Amelia was kind enough to grace the office with one of her infamous bowel movements while we were there. After that little event, the doctor ordered a liver test too. Don't know why, don't care. Let's just get this runny stool fixed!!!

As for the shots....I NEVER watch my kids get shots. I close my eyes or look the other way. It works well for me. I don't get queasy or weak at the knees nothing! It's a beautiful thing for everyone involved. But now, the shots all make a kind of "click" when they are administered. HOLY COW....so six "click" later, I think I'm gonna fall over. Geez!!!! I couldn't get out of there quick enough.

I like the high chair....Elise didn't even care that she was using it! Break through????

Amelia is adjusting well to her new surroundings. She even is starting to reach out to good ole Gordo and try to touch him. Of course, Gordo could care less. He's such a gentle beast! That's why I love him so. Gordo was not too pleased with me when I returned. He totally snubbed me, wouldn't come up to me...NOTHING! I guess he was ticked off that I was gone an entire month this summer. So I gave him a big steak bone after dinner the other night. Needless to say, I'm the favorite master once again.

I also taught her to sign "please" and more". She's catching on quickly. I have to get the sign launguage DVDs out that are age appropriate for her.

We have an exersaucer that we have been putting her in so she can exercise her legs a bit. I probably mentioned that she has no muscle tone in her legs. But her arms are a different story. This girl is strong. I watched her try to lift herself out of the exersaucer the other day. It was rather disturbing!

Amelia does crawl, but it's not a pretty crawl. We have witnessed her new move that we have dubbed "the worm". Do you know the move I'm referring to? It's the worm dance move that people do across a dance floor...they literally roll across the floor in a teeter-tooter type of move. Amelia does that...it's rather hilarious. Since we have hardwood floors, she can fly! It sure gets her from point A to point B quickly!

Spicy Girl....Amelia is from Sichuan Province...home to the famous hot pot meal. This is a very spicy way to prepare food that Sichuan is famous for. You can see that in this blog...we enjoyed that one night. So when I tell people where Amelia is from I always hear, "Ah, she spicy girl!" So I take that as she will like spicy food. Well, after being home four days and experiencing a different side of Amelia, I'd say spicy has to do with her temper. Yes, she has quite the temper. WOW, can this little girl WAIL! It's unbelievable. She was such a good sleeper in China and as I expected, it went out the window in a hand basket when we arrived home. She will scream her head off when we put her to bed. The first three nights have been horrible. Up at 1:30 or 2: 30 a.m. and not really going back to sleep at all. She can be comforted and quieted down. But as soon as she is laid back down, the wailing continues. It's been a real battle of wills, let me tell you. I think it's safe to say that little Miss Amelia SiYuan was a bit on the spoiled side in the orphanage.

The bad part is that she is sharing a room with Elise and she's also waking Elise up. We are not fans of co-sleeping. I know many people do it and it's great for them. But it's just not for us! We have a king size bed and sometimes I don't think it's big enough for just me and Steve. Let alone, adding a toddler to it. We tried letting Elise sleep with us over the last few nights. But that was a complete disaster. She thinks it's playtime since Baba and Tucker always throw her on the bed and play on the bed. Not a good thing at 3 in the morning. Consequently, we made the decision to move Elise's bed into our bedroom, for the time being. It fits quite nicely into the bay window in our room.

Nap times have been just as disastrous over the last few days. Amelia is sleeping little and Elise is falling asleep and sleeping for several hours in the middle of the morning/afternoon. I'm not sleeping much either. Thank goodness I have the new Harry Potter book to read in the wee hours of the morning. Unfortunately, I finished it yesterday (only two days after I got it), so now I'm looking for more reading material.

So, last night was our first attempt at the new sleeping arrangement. Steve put Amelia down at around 7:30. She was literally falling asleep in his arms while he was outside introducing her to the swing set. So he carried her up to her bed and she fell asleep without a peep. I think I smell the problem...MAMA!!!! Elise slept in her bed in our room.

Results....Amelia slept until around 1:30 a.m., I went in and rubbed her back and she fell back to sleep. I think she woke up again, but I didn't have to go into her room at all. Then I heard her again at around 5:30 a.m. I got up, made her a bottle and gave it to her and she just now got up at 7:20 a.m. I'm also not a fan of bottles in bed, but that was part of her routine in China. A bottle at 6 a.m. and breakfast at 7:30 a.m. So, I'll continue with the bottle but I'll also start to water it down a little over time (thanks for the tip Karen!).

Elise woke up at 5:30 and was moving around in bed, hitting the handles on the furniture and talking to baby. I finally got her up at 6 a.m. and we came downstairs. She watched some Dora and ate some cereal and strawberries. Again, another success! Let's just hope it continues tonight.

I even slept most of the night and I feel pretty good today. Since I was up so early, I decided to start on the heap of ironing that is waiting for me. So, with a cup of coffee in hand and my Rowena iron, started the task at hand. Now, doesn't that just paint a photo of domestic bliss. Now if I only had my pearls on and a nice apron and a pound of bacon cooking on the stove, I could be June Cleaver! Those of you who know me well are laughing your heads off right now. Go ahead, I find it humorous too. I know what you're thinking too!

Amelia has an appointment with a doctor on Thursday to discuss her feet. I'm anxious for that appointment and getting this problem fixed. Keep that in your prayers.

I also ventured out to BabiesRUs yesterday to buy another stroller. We need a double stroller now since Elise still rides in one and enjoys it. So, I toiled over that decision for awhile before purchasing the one you see below. We'll have to kick the tires on this today and go for a stroll around the neighborhood this morning. Getting out will be good for all of us.

New stroller!

Elise is trying to help with Amelia and she is playing with her so much more. She plays pretend feeding with her and it's so sweet! She's coming around. I think it's done her a world of good to be back home with her "stuff". She's even sharing with Amelia. I think it helps that Tucker is playing with her. When I left for the store yesterday, there was a "tent" errected in the family room with Tucker and Elise inside planning sometime sinister, I'm sure.

I left the house with a smile on my face and a skip in my step. Jet Lag couldn't steal that moment from me. I tucked my new daughter into the car seat and off we went with Christian music floating through the car and no worries about any Chinese cab drivers cutting me off in Black Betty. Bet she would win that one!!!!

Home Again, Home Again

jiggety jig! I always say that when I pull into the garage, no matter where we have been. Today, when we pulled into the garage, Elise shouted it out. It warmed my heart, made me smile and every so thankful to God for carrying us home safely!

Yes, we have returned to the Good Ole US of A with a brand new American Citizen, Amelia SiYuan Wells.

The flight went rather well. We got to sit in bulk head, so we had a bassinet for Amelia to sleep in. My camera died right before we left (not a shocker since it was on it's last leg anyway), so I wasn't able to get a photo of her in it. But she did sleep for about 6 hours of the flight~not bad! Elise did fairly well too. Once again, I'm not too impressed with China Southern service. The attendants will serve the dinner and promptly remove their uniforms in to street clothes. You don't see them again until the last two hours of the 12 hour flight, when they are serving breakfast. The seats in premium economy are very nice though, I will say that I am very glad we did fly that way. It made the long, long trip a little more comfy.

We had a 4 hour lay over at LAX to get through immigration and customs. No problem, we thought. Last time, in Detroit, we made it through in less than an hour and to our connecting flight. Yes, there was some running and some rude, American comments (made by myself, again, another shocker) made to the baggage handlers in Detroit. But we made our flight. We thought we would have not problem. Needless to say, it was a problem. We waited in immigration for Amelia's paperwork to be processed for almost two hours, another hour in the line to get through customs and then a nice, 15 minute walk to the United terminal to board our flight to Chicago. There was no time for anything to eat, to change the clothes (and I'm tellin' ya, I felt like I had been on the Trail for 4 days without a shower, ICKY!), NOTHING! By the time we got to our gate, they were boarding the plane and we were about the last ones on. LAX is a nightmare. I recommend anyone avoid it at all possible. Don't put yourself through it or if you do, make sure you have more than enough layover to make your connecting flight!

I purchased a new car seat for Elise and had planned on using her old seat for Amelia. I messed up and did not order the new car seat BEFORE I left so Elise could start using it before Amelia got here. Needless to say, she wanted NOTHING to do with the new seat. She jumped into my car and got into her car seat, buckled it and sat there quietly while we loaded the truck. This from a child who literally WAILED for the entire 15 walk from terminal to terminal in LAX. She was so bad, that EVERYONE was starring at us. I just smiled and kept trudging along. So Amelia sat in a car seat that was WAY too big for her. Hopefully we'll get this ironed out soon enough.

I expected a battle from Amelia when she sat in the seat, but she only cried a little. I recall that Elise SCREAMED the entire drive home from the airport.

In Elise's Big Girl Car Seat....

We arrived home at around 8 a.m., just an hour short of a 24 hour travel time. I have never been so happy to see an air strip in the middle of corn fields in my entire life. My very good friends, Karen and Gayla and my sister, her husband and my dad, were all at the airport to welcome us home and offer us rides. The only snag in the entire trip was that our luggage did not make the flight from Chicago to Dayton. Did I mention that we had less than an hour to make the connect at O'Hare airport? But we did in fact make it and I had time to get an iced coffee and an egg mcmuffin from McDonalds.

There were balloons in the mailbox welcoming us home! I'm not sure who put them there, but thank you so much for your thoughtfulness. No older kids were home though....one was at school and the other is in New York at a leadership conference. Tucker got home around 11:30 and finally met his new sister. Amelia was rather somber with him, but I think that's because she was tending to some business, if you know what I mean.

Sitting in the high chair. Elise doesn't seem to mind Amelia using this.

Naturally, we all fell asleep at around 12 noon since it was midnight in China. I think we slept about 6 hours, so sleep will be difficult tonight. That's o.k., I've already been to Barnes and Noble and have the new Harry Potter book that I could not find in China. So, I'm ready for the 3 a.m. wake up call to come and play!

The luggage arrive while I napped and I've unpacked and started the laundry. I'm saving some of it for the early morning, jet lag that is bound to hit. All of the gifts made it and did not break thanks to my husband superb packing skills.

Groceries have been purchased and I'm ready for bed. Hopefully I'll get a few hours of shut eye before either one of the girls wakes up. This is going to be a long week, at least it was with Elise. We'll have to spend as much time as possible outside. The Wesley's, our neighbors, did have gifts for the girls. It was very sweet and Elise was so glad to see her Tia Bella and Gray Bomb! She talked about them all the time in China.

As a final note, I would like to thank everyone for the emails. Unfortunately, there seems to be a problem and I didn't receive many of them while in China. There must have been some kind of filter in China that would not let them through. So, if I did not respond to your email, then it is safe to say I did not receive it. I would like to ask you to resend it to me now that I'm home. I know it's too late, but I'd love to have them for Amelia's life book keepsake. Thanks!

Time for a nap! I'll have some final thoughts on China and the trip tomorrow.

Farewell Guangzhou....Farewell China

WHITE SWAN LOBBY... Beautiful

Well, our bags are packed and ready to go. I think I have enough clothing packed for the flight. I can only hope that we don't have any major accidents on the plane trip....praying we don't!

It's hard to believe this trip is almost behind us and we are getting ready to head to the Consulate for our "swearing in ceremony". Which basically will consist of a bunch of Americans, huddled into a very cramped room, an American will walk in and say they are all beautiful child. He'll have us raise our right hand and swear that all the information that we have submitted is correct. We'll say yes, end of "ceremony". Thank you for the VISA, Yippee, let's head home.

Red Couch Photo

We had one disaster today. We realized that we did not have Elise's backpack. Yep, Dora is MIA. This is a disaster of epic proportion. ALL of her coloring books, Leap pad, crayons, magna doodle, etc. GONE. I thought my head would explode. We did a HORRIBLE job keeping track of our carry ons on this trip. TRIP HINT....make sure each person is assigned the SAME carry on for the entire trip. It makes life easier. FORTUNATELY, we have located the backpack. We left it at the hotel check in and they are delivering it to our room at any time. Disaster averted!

Here's a question for you....How many Chinese people can you fit into an elevator? I ask this because the Chinese has NO personal space. You can be crammed into a vator and they'll keep getting on. It's unbelievable. The Americans laugh about it, talk about it and compare stories. The best I have heard is the Chinese man who literally straddled some one's stroller. It's almost like they don't realize another elevator is coming. It's the same thing with boarding an airplane. All I can think is, "It's the WHO concert all over!" Everyone runs to the boarding gate at one time and the rush is on! Do they think the plane will leave without them? They don't wait for the light to go out when the plane stops either. As soon as that sucker hits the ground and slows down, you can hear seat belts unsnapping and overheads opening up....'CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK'! What's the big hurry? The plane isn't going to take off again with them on it. I just don't get it!

Precious Chinese Art at the WS

We had a last minute POWER shopping trip. After that trip, we had to return the piece of luggage that we previously bought for a bigger piece of luggage. Sad but true. I'm happy to say I think I have everything. Oh yes, I could have bought more, but I didn't! I controlled myself a little bit. I'm sure I'll get home and wish I had bought more. We will not return for a very long time and it will probably be with our good friends, Tim and Debbie Summerford. We have missed them a great deal on this trip. I think I talked to Debbie four times...each time we had several laughs and giggles. It hasn't been the same without them! Tim and Debbie, start planning that Heritage Tour for about 10 years from now!

I've packed peanut butter sandwichs for the flight since the food is always questionable...our luggage is almost ready to go and we are going to grab a quick bit before we finally check out.

This will be my last post from China. As I type this my heart aches a little for leaving. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to be going. But I'm sad for these Chinese children and the heritage that they are losing. Almost all of them will never know any more than what their parents know from their finding ads. A few lucky ones will discover more, but not many. I think of the parents of these children and what they must be thinking. Do they know their daughters and sons are leaving and going to a home in a country so much further away. A country so very different than theirs. How often do they think of the child that they gave up? I pray their choice was made for the child to have a better life and future. That's what the Chinese say to us, "Lucky little girl!" We say, "Lucky family, lucky parents!" "We are the lucky ones"!

During our last trip, I knew I would return for another child (I hadn't let Steve in on that information though). It wasn't as hard to leave! This time, I know this is our last child and final adoption. We won't be back for a long time. I'm good with that this time! So is Steve, if if I wasn't good with it, he said too bad!!!!

So this lucky family of now six, will board a plan to carry another Chinese daughter to a country, a home, a family and a ton of friends that waits to welcome her into the folds of their lives. A family and friends ready to love her and help her to be the best and most she possibly can.

CLICK CLICK...THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME! My ruby slippers are on, my eyes are closed and my heels are clicking. I can smell the coffee on the stove! (That's what Granny would always tell me when I would ask her, "how much further till we get there?" She would say, "I can smell the coffee on the stove, Sissy!"



See you in America everyone! Thanks for following us. Thanks for the emails! Thanks for the love and support. It made life easier here, it brought home that much closer and it chased the homesickness away every single time someone sent us an email or comment!

Mystery Photo #12

Hint....just keep swimming...

Answer to Mystery Photo #11...beetles in the market. Don't know what they are for, don't care to know either!

Last night in Guangzhou

Our last night in Guangzhou was spent with our new friends...the Steins and the Reichs.





We met Nicole and Joseph at Lucy's for happy hour. Lucy's is great since it backups to a park and the kids can run around and blow bubbles and stuff. Joseph is from Amelia's orphanage and he is in almost every photo that the orphanage took. It was so sweet to see them together again. Amelia immediately recognized him and reached for him....again so very sweet.





First we had a great breakfast at the White Swan breakfast buffet. We "load-up" at breakfast since we don't know what we will be eating after that. The food is so, so scrumptious at the WS. They are meticulous too. Like the lady that is walking around with tweezers that picks up the empty butter and jelly containers from the table. I guess everyone needs a job.

In front of the waterfall at the White Swan

The "carp" in the White Swan fish pond

We hit the White Swan swimming pool to relax and beat the heat. It's very hot in Guangzhou, humid too! It's rather funny since all the people at the pool are Americans with adopted children. It's fun to sit and talk with all the families. All the other families in our group are at the Victory, so we don't see them much.

White Swan swimming pool

Please pick me up....

Waiting for the sunscreen...

HAPPY HOUR AT LUCY'S.....

Baba and his girls...

Bo Bo and Yuan Yuan (Joseph and Amelia), best buddies

Smiling for the camera, but holding hands first!

We had our best dinner yet at the White Swan Barbecue. It's a barbecue buffet that is outside by the pool, right along the river. There was beef, pork, seafood, lamb....absolutely any kind of meat that you could want and then veggies too! It was DELICIOUS! We pigged out (pardon the pun!). It was so relaxing even if it was hot.

The atmosphere was wonderful as we ate our last dinner in China. I watched the cruise boats going by and wondered what the people on board were doing and thinking. Were they like me, sitting with my Chinese daughters waiting to head home to their new country. Then I look at these beautiful gifts from China, my two girls and am thankful for the opportunity that the People's Republic of China has so graciously granted out family.

Then the moment is broken by a wail for more rice or ice cream. Then it's back to the task at hand...feeding two girls and myself. Life doesn't get any better than this.

Big and still ALIVE...shrimp anyone???

The White Swan at night...

Along the Pearl River


Lucy's Bar at night...

We leave tomorrow evening. There will be shopping and packing to do. Our swearing in ceremony is in the afternoon. Then it's off to the airport for a 9 p.m. flight to LA. I've got my ruby slippers and I'm ready to slip them on and start clicking the heels together. There's no place like home!!!

Good night from Guangzhou....

Mystery Photo #11

This reminds me sooooo much of something from Survivor....



Answer to Mystery Photo #10...This is my beloved Magnum Ice Cream Bar! I LOVE THESE things....it's better than a Dove Bar, by far. I highly recommend you eat one while in China!

Orphanage Photos

So many things can go through your mind when you see these photos. I encourage you to look at the faces of the children. Look at those smiles...they are very happy and content children. The only thing any mother could ask for.

Sleeping Beauty...

I sent two cameras to the orphanage in a care package for Amelia. I did get the two cameras back and she came to me in one of the outfits that I sent her (it fit, the other one was way too big).

I hesitated to post some of these photos. The methods they employ for physical therapy are very different than ours. I post these photos with one caveat....no matter how misguided you believe this to be, I believe they are doing the best with what they have. The nannies were very loving to Amelia.

Mystery Photo #10

I first discovered this in Europe. Imagine my delight when I found them here, two years ago. Not available in the US...

Answer to Mystery Photo #9.....if you look closely, there are several boxes on this moped. They are shoes! So, I call this a traveling shoe salesperson! I know it's weak, but I thought it was funny!

Medical Exam...CHECK

For the second morning in a row, I have woke up to sunshine. Yes, good ole sunshine. Something that I did not see in Beijing or Chengdu due to the amount of pollution. I actually know which way is East now.

The White Swan sits right along the Pearl River. We have a great view of the river traffic right outside our hotel room window. We sat in the lobby last night, right around sunset and watched the boats go by. One thing you can say about the Chinese, they love their neon lights! As you can see from the boats....

Cruising on the Pearl River outside the White Swan

Today was the "medical exam". For those of you who have been here, you know why I added the quotes. This exam is necessary for the child to get a US VISA to leave the country. It is performed by Chinese officials in a medical facility. This facility has a special room for the examination of Adopted children. You have to pass through the stares of the Chinese people that are waiting in the front of the offices.

We should be used to the stares by now...the first night in Guangzhou, we are walking down the street and a Chinese man is trying to get his son to stand beside me and take a photo. But he's trying to do it on the "down-low". So you know me....I stop him and say, "Hey, let me pose for that shot!" I stand there beside the poor young man (who is mortified by now) and smile nice for the camera!

Matching jammies

We walked to the Victory hotel and then to get VISA photos taken. Amelia sort of smiles for this photo. Unlike Elise who was wailing her her VISA photo. After the photo, we walked to the medical office.

Playing Mahjong

I missed this part of Elise's trip...I was lying of the floor of our bathroom (with Tucker) suffering from food poisoning. I got the scoop on the trip, but I wasn't sure what to expect.

Waiting for our turn....

First stop, was a lady that checked Amelia's feet. She seemed to be concerned that there had been some surgery. Of course there hasn't. But her feet are a bit scared up from the braces that the orphanage put on her. We haven't been putting them on her as tight as they did. When we got her, her poor little feet were purple from lack of circulation. We do leave the braces on her when she tries to walk so she stays on the flats of her feet, or sort of. Anyway, it will be good to get to an orthopedist. After some "hub-bub" over that, we moved on to the weigh in.

This isn't so bad....YET!

Well, Amelia did not like being taken out of my lap and being weighed and measured. As a matter of fact, I'm not so sure how they got a decent weight and measurement. But according to them, she weighs 19 pounds (which I can confirm) and she is 28 inches long or 73 centimeters. So for a 16 month old, she's below the 5th percentile on both. Well, at least she's consistent.

Getting ready for the weigh in. Elise is very interested in this part and what she has to say.




Wiggle, wiggle, squirm, squirm

Next was the hearing test...or sort of. There was a squeaky frog and a keyboard. I had to make Elise "stand-down" over the keyboard. She was vibrating with excitement thinking she was going to get to play with it.

Hmmmm...what is this thing?

All I can say is that the wailing and gnashing of teeth began. First, it was the ears. Hated that part. Second was the tongue depressor~nasty stuff I tell you. I can say that all "fresh" exam tools were used! I made sure they came out of clean wrappers!

Squeaky frog is not impressing Amelia!

Worse part...checking the throat!

We did stop at a small park on the way back to the hotel. Elise was thrilled, there was a slide. But we didn't stay long since the temperature is 102 degrees and the humidity is 80%. Amelia had fallen asleep by now and Elise needed lunch and a nap.

Couldn't tell you what this is. But Elise liked it!

Hoorah! A slide!

The troops are napping now and I've promised Elise a bubble blowing session when she wakes up. We have another free night, probably find the Papa John's and eat there. Who knows what we'll do. I'm dying for an American Hamburger. I'd like mine to moo at me when I bite into it too. That ain't happening here!

I need to hit the electronics store and buy a few things. We will probably head there later. Only two more sleeps in China till home!