One Week at HOME

Well, we've been home one week today. I know you all have wondered why I haven't posted. I've done exactly what I said I wouldn't do, which is to leave all my blog-fans hanging. I underesimated the effect that jet-lag and a newly adopted child would have on my free time... giggle, giggle. My apologies, I will try to do a better job this week. Thanks for hanging in there with me while I get some much needed rest. It's been a week of small milestones, laughter, tears, and lots of visits and phone calls from people who love us. We have felt such an outpouring of love from so many and it is a wonderful feeling. Mia... she loves her brothers. Especially Cole, our oldest son. She allows him to hold her and carry her anywhere. She will also allow our other two boys to do the same, as well as my nephew, Will. Mia is still forming a relationship with her daddy, but I see definite progress. He holds her a little now without much protest, and he is still working hard to earn her favor. She is learning how to play with her toys and when she relaxes she actually enjoys it. She smiles a funny little grin for the camera and she blows kisses to most everyone she meets, which is so sweet. She giggles when we tickle her and she wakes up happy most of the time. Mia LOVES the swimming pool and she kicks those little legs and tries to stick her face in the water. She is still very watchful of where I am in the house and when new people come in, she clings to me for a long time, just to be sure that we don't hand her off, or at least that's what I think. The jet-lag has been hard and I can't say that I am back 100%, but we are feeling more normal again. Mia had a hard time sleeping through the night for the first few days, however, she has slept all night for the past two nights, so I think she is recovering too. We went shopping yesterday with my mom, sister, niece, and nephew. She seemed to like being in busy places. We went to church today and what a thrill that was. She is an answered prayer, one that can be visibly seen and touched and it was wonderful to be back in our church to worship a faithful God. Our church family loved meeting Mia and we all said prayers of thanks for all that God has done for us and for Mia. Garrett leaves for camp in the morning, and I wish he wasn't, but he begged to go, and for a little couch-potato that he is, I felt like I needed to grant his request. Nolan is beginning to show signs of jealousy, so I'm going to spend some individual time with him tomorrow after we get Garrett off. We are going to buy school supplies! He is really excited about going to big school. And I am sad, because it means he is growing up and I just want him to stay little. We had a visit from another China mommy today who will be leaving to go get her baby girl in a couple of months. It seems just like yesterday that I was impatiently waiting to leave for Mia. All in all, I think Mia is doing great. She is learning little by little that we are trustworthy and that we love her. She is getting to know our family, who all love her too and I have to think that must be reassuring, even though she knows nothing of the concept of family. At times throughout the week, I found myself worrying... "I'm too old for this... "Lord, are you sure this was your plan?" and the famous..."I'm a terrible mother...", all of which I believe originates from exhaustion and the lull that comes after such a long-awaited event. But I distinctly feel that each time I thought these things, God prompted me to think about the good... the lovely, the beauty that has come from this situation and then I feel encouraged that He will prosper this family. He will.. One week later, I'm more rested and she seems a little more at ease. We have a long way to go, but I am encouraged. What God has called us to, He will see us through. Well, gotta go... Mia has a stinky diaper... I think I'm too old for this...:)

Much love,
Ashley

At Home... At Last...

Now that the trip is behind me, I think I'd just prefer not to dwell on the "getting home" aspect of the trip, however, there is one thing I MUST share about it. Do you remember my post last week about praying that we'd be able to switch seats to bulk-head so we could get a bassinet for Mia and more leg room to put her down a little? Do you remember the part about the flight was sold out... but that I felt like God would work this out? Well, He did. We got to the check-in counter in Hong Kong and the attendant changed out seats when I asked for a bassinet. Guess what she changed them to? The ones I asked God for. Wow... Wow... Suffice it to say, that even with the great seats the flight was brutal, it was painful, it was exhausting... but the good news is that we made it and we are now home. We were met with a crowd of family and good friends at the airport to meet Mia for the first time. Just as I'd imagined all these months, I was so touched by that moment, seeing all the people I loved waiting for us. Three of my friends dressed up with big propeller bows in their hair. Another long-time friend met me with a diet coke and a cupcake. We made the ride home well, Mia slept until 5 am, and we took a couple of naps today. My aunt Kathy made us a delicious breakfast casserole to have for our first breakfast and I loved seeing all of my babies sitting at that table with me. Tonight, we went to my grandparents' house for a home-cooked meal of fresh vegetables from the family garden. So good... My brain is still fuzzy from jet-lag, but despite all of that, I can appreciate the fact that we've made it. We have a lot of work to do in terms of helping Mia form strong attachments with us and this will take time. But at least we are home and after we've recovered from this jet-lag, we can get back to our lives. But now it is just starting to hit me... I have four kids... Four. I must be nuts. LOL...

Much love,
Ashley

Goodbye to China

Wow... I thought about what I would write today for my last post from China. I am so thankful that we've made it to this point. We have a beautiful little daughter and she is soon to be a US citizen. She will no longer be destined for the hard life that would have been hers had she stayed here with "parents unknown" listed on her birth certificate. Orphans are considered to be "bad luck" here. When you meet Mia, and I so hope you do, you will see this little girl is anything but "bad luck". I know that we are about to take her from the only home she has ever known, but I know the one I'm taking her to is better. She now can be raised in a family who trust God... not Buddha. She can go to school, go on vacation, have friends, attend college, and choose her own life. But most importantly, when the chips are down, when the day has been rough, when it is Christmas time, or a birthday... she has a home... a home with a mama, a daddy, brothers , grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins to go to to be loved. She will never be alone. She has us... for better, for worse. For someone who has ALWAYS had the gift of a loving, supportive family, the thought of being an orphan is mind-boggling. God does not intend for us to be orphaned. He intends for us all to be in a loving family. He proved this with the gift of His own Son... who came to rescue us all. Griff and I feel so humbled that God called us to such a wonderful thing as adopting one of these precious children into our family. She will be our daily reminder of the love of Christ, of the importance of home. I encourage ALL of you to search your hearts, to pray diligently on what God may want you and your family to do for "the least of these". There are orphans everywhere... not just in China. There are orphans in our own hometown. Adoption is one way, the best way to help these children. Other ways are through orphanage sponsorship... like "Love Without Boundaries", "Half the Sky", and others. The latest statistic I saw on Orphan Sunday last November, was that if only 6% of the Christian population adopted one orphan, there would be no orphans left in the world. The main thing is do something. Ask God to give you clear direction. We have seen firsthand that God smiles on obedience and He blesses those who bless. We have a feeling that our blessing is just beginning.
To our boys: We have missed you more that you will ever know. This has been hard to leave you for such a long time, but we know that bringing Mia home is very important and that you understand. It won't be long now and we will all be home together. Can't wait to see you in Birmingham.
For those of you who are local, we are set to arrive in Birmingham on Sunday, July 18 at 8:18 pm. If you feel led to come, please do. Again, for all of you... thanks for the prayers and for your kind words of encouragement and support. We thank God for you all. Almost home...

"I will not leave you as orphans... I will come to you." John 14:18

Much love,
Ashley

Thursday in Guangzhou

Well, we are getting ready to call it a day. We went to the Botanical Gardens this morning. When we first left the hotel, it was a bit cloudy, so our guide was optimistic that it wouldn't be AS hot as previous days. WRONG... that sun came out and WHAM! I was sweating so badly that it was dripping into my eyes. Mia gets this prickly heat rash when we are outdoors for very long we have discovered, so it didn't take long before she was broken out all over. There was an indoor area with lots of beautiful orchids, ferns, palms, and succulents. At the top of the gardens, was a large rose garden. The roses were pretty, but as much as I hate to say it, we just couldn't get into the Botanical Gardens because of the brutal heat. I think that I probably would have enjoyed it... in February... LOL... We went back to the hotel and tried to get in a quick rest and then met again in a couple of hours to head over to the U.S. Consulate Building to take our oath. This oath ceremony is done as a group, and the consulate officer comes out and you repeat after her that basically you've been honest with all information regarding your child's adoption and pending citizenship. The officer congratulated us, because basically we had run the race and won... our child had been successfully adopted and their U.S. citizenship would go into affect once our plane touched ground in the U.S. Several of the mamas in our group cried... I almost did. For some reason, I think I'm able to hold back my emotions now, but when I finally get off that plane in Birmingham, Alabama... I may totally lose myself for a few minutes. It seems like this adoption has been going on forever, but in actuality, ours has been in record speed. Most of the families in our group have been waiting for this day for well over four years. After the oath ceremony, we had dinner with our good friends we've made from Georgia. Their daughter, Ruthie, is a few months older than Mia. I really hope that our girls can remain friends. Us mommies, too, of course. We ate at our favorite Italian restaurant that has kept us alive over the last couple of weeks. We will begin packing up tomorrow to prepare for our trip home. There are no words to describe how glad I'll be to finally be home with Mia, to see my boys again, to see my family, to sleep in my own bed, etc. etc. Only two more days... You all cannot know how much I look forward to reading your comments on my blog each day. It has helped me very much to know that so many care about us. Until tomorrow...

Much love,
Ashley

And She Smiles...

Last night, our group went on a Dinner Cruise on the Pearl River. It was a buffet, and let's just say it was catered to locals... not Americans. Pig knuckles, chicken feet, fungus, and other Chinese delicacies were on the buffet. Nothing that even remotely sounded good. I ate a little bit of noodles, but was saving myself for the ice cream cart that was promised on the way to the cruise by our guide, R. Then, about midway through the dinner, an announcement was made..."Attention all Lifeline Families... unfortunately there will be no ice cream this evening... but we will provide plenty of watermelon." Fantastic... So, after dinner we went up on the top deck of the boat to make pictures of the skyline. Mia had so much fun. They were playing salsa music, which I found a bit odd, but it made for a great dance, so she laughed out loud. We were so excited to see her having fun, that it negated the fact that we'd had no dinner. This was the first time we had seen Mia being silly, laughing, and smiling for more than a nano-second. Once we returned to the hotel, I went straight to the snack shop within the hotel and grabbed a Haagen-Daas bar... for $10 US... What? They made a big profit on that ice cream bar, but man, was it good.

Much love,
Ashley

You must read this...

This article gives a wonderful "State of the Orphans in China" review... A must read. We are so fortunate that God allowed our family to save one little one from this kind of fate. God is faithful...

http://chinaadoptiontalk.blogspot.com/2010/07/amy-eldridge-of-lwb-speaks.html

Copy and paste the above link into your address bar and it should take you to it.


Much love,
Ashley

The United States said YES!

I am proud to announce that we had our appointment today with the U.S. Consulate office here in Guangzhou to petition for Mia's visa to come to the U.S. At this appointment we had to show the U.S. that we had completed the necessary paperwork, had received approvals on all the paperwork, had secured Mia's passport, and had completed all necessary immunizations required by U.S. law. We met all this criteria, so the U.S. said YES! They will issue her a visa... which for those of you who have not traveled internationally (like us), a visa is a page inside the passport that states that you have permission to enter a particular country. It is my understanding that not all countries require visas, but China does, and so does the U.S. So you see, a passport isn't enough, you must inform the country WHY it is that you are traveling to that country. We are now finished... the actual visa page in her passport will be ready for pick up Friday afternoon at the Consulate's office. At that time, we are free to leave. Unfortunately, we must wait until Sunday morning to catch our flight. We will be heading back to Hong Kong Saturday in preparation for leaving. So many prayers have been answered and we are very, very thankful. I am now thinking ahead to our journey home, the trip over here was a struggle... long and exhausting. The trip home will be harder with an infant in tow. God gave us a little "happy" at the Birmingham airport, by allowing our flights to be changed, thus giving us EXCELLENT seats for the long, 16-hour flight. I am already praying that God grant us another "happy" for the trip home. Nothing is impossible for God, especially something so simple as an airplane ride... :)

More Shots, More Shoes, and The Guangzhou Zoo

So, I didn't get around to blogging yesterday... mainly because there wasn't much to tell. We went back to the Medical Bldg. on Shamian Island and got the rest of Mia's vaccinations. She did fine and then we went shopping afterwards before catching the bus back to the hotel. We were on a mission... more shoes. Remember I told you about the cute, cheap shoes? Well, we stocked up yesterday... I bought varying sizes for the next couple of years... 17 pair total. I am really excited about those shoes. We stopped by Starbucks and had another iced tea and bought a few more souvenirs, before heading back to the hotel. Griff and Mia napped during the afternoon, and mom and I ventured out to the Friendship Mall across the street. This is a very high-end mall... designer names, very expensive price tags. We went into the supermarket to try to buy some snacks, but we ended up buying nothing. I am searching for a tea pot that I saw at Chen's Lineage Hall the other day, so I stopped into a little tea shop. I didn't buy anything, as I need to talk with our guide about price. The Chinese know that Americans bargain, so they set their prices high and expect us to try to negotiate a cheaper price. I am so skeptical about buying without first checking with the guide. So, we will see if I get a teapot!!! LOL... This isn't a teapot that you see in the U.S., but very small that you use to make tea with loose tea, which is so very delicious. Today, our group went to the Guangzhou Zoo. It was a zoo... nothing to get really excited about. I think the heat pretty much put a huge damper on the "Wow" factor of this zoo. We made a few pictures, but mainly "Sweated to the oldies" as Richard Simmons would say. The funniest thing about the zoo is that the Chinese found the Americans as interesting as the animals. They stand and stare at us, some wave at us, one family even made Mia and my picture. Funny... They are very curious about us, they glare at us sometimes, some smile. Some jabber words, none of which we can understand. I felt like the animals on display at the zoo, because the people there found us so interesting. Part of it, is that they are curious about Mia... especially her hairbows. You cannot find hairbows like hers here... so they are VERY unusual. Mia has been playing with her toys more today and she smiles every so often. I've been teaching her a little sign language so that we can communicate and she signed bird with me today! Cute. She waves at people, especially Chinese people. She has very thick hair, so she sweats as bad as her mama in this humid air. Oh, and I almost forgot... she let my mom hold her today without going bananas! Yay!!! We are winding this trip down and are counting the days. This morning I just stood in the shower and cried my eyes out because I am so ready to leave here and go home. We are on Day 14... four more to go. Tomorrow is our Consulate Appointment. This is the time that the U.S. looks over all of Mia's paperwork, for the seemingly hundredth time, and issues her a Visa to enter the U.S. as a citizen. Now more than ever, do I realize what a gift U.S. citizenship really is... Just a few more days and we're coming home... Thank you, Lord Jesus... Until then...

Much love,
Ashley

The Red Dress

During the waiting months, I sewed and smocked outfits for Mia. It made me feel better about the whole thing, and kept me excited even through frustration. As I would complete something, Griff would say, "Yeah, that's good... but I can't wait to see her in a little red Chinese dress." So the other day, we were on Shamian Island and we bought the dress. I also bought dresses for Chinese New Year and Moon Festival for the next several years... afterall they were only about $5 a dress. That's crazy, isn't it? Anyways, we had group photos made this morning in the hotel lobby. As you will see from the photo, the majority of the children in our group are older. Mia is the youngest in our group. She is also the only one who had to get so many shots. Lucky us. We tried on her new dress last night and mom, Griff, and I giggled for the longest time. It was as if she knew she looked beautiful. And guess what? I had already purchased an enormous satin bow with a rhinestone center to wear with this special dress. :) I am the laughing stock of the group and every day when we get off the elevator everyone is waiting to see what she's got on top of her head today. Mia did not enjoy the photo session nearly as much today as she did last night. But we got some good shots anyhow. There is a little girl in our group that is a few months older named Ruthie. She is in the photo with Mia in the big chair. She is a doll. After the photos, we went back to our room and changed clothes. We went to a shopping mall where we bought pearls and other gifts. We bought Mia a strand of pearls for her wedding day, a pearl bracelet for graduation, and we also bought three pearl bracelets for Mia and me to give to her brothers' brides on their wedding days. I am already praying for the girls who will one day join our family... then Mia will finally get some sisters! I've bought some little items to give Mia for birthdays over the coming years. I've enjoyed getting to do this because I know I'll be glad I did this one day when we are home and far away from China. I have started googling how to make congee as I'm afraid this little girl is going to get hungry without it. Many of you have asked, Congee? Congee is much like porridge, very white and milky looking. It is often flavored with chicken, beef, or pork. The orphanages feed the babies lots of congee because it is easy to swallow and fast to feed. It rained today for the first time. It is so hot that eggs could fry on the concrete if we tried... Tomorrow we go BACK to Shamian and get the final three vaccinations. Mia has had a high fever from the shots she got Saturday, so I'm so thankful we didn't take all six at once. After we get our shots, we will do some more shopping. We are on the final week of this journey. It feels as if I've been away from home for a century. Again, I must tell you all how much your comments here and on facebook have meant to me. We are touched by how many people are interested in our story. Until tomorrow...

Much love,
Ashley

Medical Exam and Big Improvements

We went to the Shamian Island this morning for Mia's medical examination. All Chinese children must have a complete physical before they are eligible to apply for a Visa to leave China and travel to their new home country. Mia weighed 17.5 pounds and was generally healthy. The doctor who did her exam called two different doctors to come in and look at Mia. They were speaking Chinese so I didn't know what they were saying, but our guide said that she was astonished that Mia's "special need" was a light birthmark on her temple. Mia has to get six vaccinations, so they suggested we let her take three today and three more on Monday to lessen the side effects to the vaccines. We agreed and she took her shots like a champ. She hardly cried... that is no lie. She has cried much, much worse when I sit her down on the floor beside me. This goes to show you that psychological pain is much more powerful at times than physical pain. That just spoke volumes to me. Mia sat in a highchair at breakfast, ate well, did great at the clinic, and actually rode in a stroller today on Shamian Island after her exam. See, your prayers, my prayers are being heard, they are being answered, and I am so thankful. We stopped by Starbuck's after the exam, and I had an iced tea. Can I just tell you it was so wonderful? It tasted like tea from home. Oh, so good. Ice... such a luxury. I will not ever take it for granted again. Why no ice here? Well, we can't drink the water here... we are brushing teeth with bottled water, not drinking ANYTHING that is iced. The water has parasites that are harmful to our systems and can result in a bad intestinal sickness. The local people here are immune, but not us. However, the ice at Starbucks is imported, so we can enjoy!!!! Yay!!!! Tomorrow, we will do pearl and jade shopping which I've been very excited about. Can't wait to show you all my purchases!!! Until then...

Much love,
Ashley

Friday in Guangzhou

Man, I'm on a roll here... I finally have enough internet connectivity to upload, so I'm going to get caught up!!! It is afternoon here on Friday and Griff and Mia are napping. We visited Five Rams Statue today and Sun Yat-sen's Memorial Hall today. It is unbelievably hot here. Alabama heat is very similar, but I do think it is hotter here. Your clothes just become soaked with sweat. Mia gets very irritable with the heat, so I think that may be part of her problems when we sight-see. Five Rams Statue was really pretty. It was much like a park, lots of it shady and many people gather there to enjoy it. They play a game much like what we call Hacky-Sack and others go there to do their "exercises". Several older women came up to us and patted Mia, smiling at us and giving us the thumbs up. M, our guide today, said that they are happy for the babies because they are getting adopted. They are appreciative to us for giving them families. The women were just lovely and you could sense their genuine admiration for us. I felt so good after meeting them. Hot, but good. :) After the park, we headed over to the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall. This is a very old, beautiful building that is used for congregations, concerts, meetings, etc. It is lovely, but not air-conditioned, so this is where Mia began to totally unravel, and so did I. Again, our guide discouraged us from forcing Mia to ride in the stroller as her crying is very upsetting to the Chinese. So, again I carried her. The sling works well for a while,but then she begins to overheat and so do I. You know how fiery-tempered I am, and how much I despise to be hot, so you can imagine that this is the recipe for disaster. We went back to the bus and sat and waited on everyone in our group to come back. We came back to the hotel and gave Mia a quick, cool bath and I gave her a bottle and she was out like a light. Oh, I almost forgot... this morning, very early, she was sleeping between Griff and me... she sat straight up and began to speak words... Chinese. Griff poked me hard in the back to wake me, not knowing that I was awake and had heard her too. We giggled because we figure she was calling for help... "Come rescue me from these Americans!" Ha, ha. I can't wait to hear her talk again. Griff is in love with her and is working very hard to earn her favor. She is letting him hold her some, as I am giving out and can't physically keep it up. She is definitely coming around. We still think she is basically throwing temper tantrums, many induced by overheating and frustration that I won't hold her constantly. Our guide, M, talked to her for a little while today and told her that I was her mama and that I loved her very much and she laid her little head down on me so sweetly. M, said... "She knows you love her. She understands." It is so lovely watching M talk to her. I wish I could speak Chinese! I have learned one word... sounds like "My-Cow" which means "Stop crying." LOL... Tomorrow, we go for her Medical Examination. We have been warned that she may have to get as many as eight vaccinations... so many that they are allowing us to split them up, 4 tomorrow and 4 more on Monday. As part of the Hague Convention rules for international adoption, children being adopted to the US must be current on all vaccinations. The orphanages are unable to give as many as the US because it is so expensive here. This is why she must get so many. Please pray for Mia. This will be a very hard day for her. Again, your comments are wonderful and I love reading them. I am sorry that my posts are so sporadic. Internet connection is a nightmare. All in all, we are doing well. I can't wait to see Cole, Garrett, and Nolan. I miss them so, so much. I'm also looking forward to a home-cooked meal at my Grandmother's... LOL... Until tomorrow.

Much love,
Ashley

Two Steps Forward... Three Steps Back...

That is the name of the game right now. Mia woke up in a bad mood and it really didn't get any better all day. She is cutting four more teeth right now and she is cranky. She wants me to hold her 100% of the time. Today we visited Chen Lineage Hall and we had to put her in a stroller. Let's just say she screamed for 2 hours. It was terribly hot... almost unbearable so I know that compounded the problem. I asked the guides what they thought and then I began to understand what we are dealing with. R said, "You're baby is very beautiful and she probably dah favorite. The aunties at your daughter's orphanage hold babies all dah time..." She is special... very strong-willed." No kidding... two straight hours of crying. This explains a lot. I think back to the last picture we received of her in early June... sitting in the lap of a nanny. She always wants to hold things in both hands, but doesn't really know how to play with toys on the floor. She cannot walk well at all... because she probably was never given the chance or never needed to. She has been held in someone's arms for eighteen months. She is held to eat, held to get to sleep, held to entertain her. She has probably never sat in a high chair or a stroller for that matter, so this explains why she isn't liking it. Wow... she has had another sad, lifeless afternoon. She has just laid in my arms or on the bed... no smiles at all. Just stares. I am hoping tomorrow will be better. As for Chen's Lineage Hall, we enjoyed visiting it. We went to the Tea Room and learned about tea. We got to sample several kinds. We bought some called Oolong Tea, which is supposed to help you "lose your gain", according to R. LOL... Translation: helps you lose weight. I asked her... "So when I start losing all my gain, where can I get more?" Oh... that may be problem... maybe Atlanta... Funny. I bought Mia a beautiful tea set to give her for a special occasion. I love it and I hope she will someday. I wanted to thank all of you who are leaving comments... they make my day, honestly they do. Several of you mentioned getting a carrier for Mia... I have one... just entirely too hot for her and for me to strap her to me. Summer in South China is ridiculous! Please keep leaving me comments. I enjoy them so much. We thank you for all your prayers. We so appreciate them. Until tomorrow...

Much Love,
Ashley

The propeller bow

Mia seemed a little bit more at ease today. She is holding on to me for dear life and I am exhausted. I am sore all over from holding her... even though she is little, she still gets heavy. She slept until nearly 8 am today and we woke her, gave her a warm bath, dressed her, and went to breakfast. She sat in her high chair some of the time and ate some congee, bread, and egg. She began to smile more and would allow Griff to feed her. She will sit in the floor if I am right beside her or behind her and she will let me go into the bathroom while she lays on the bed. This too is improvement. She is allowing my mom to kiss her, but no holding. She still will not allow Griff to hold her either. She is still not accepting to the stroller, so we are hoping she will take to this tomorrow as I don't know how much longer I'm going to hold out at this rate. We napped a little today, not nearly as long as yesterday. Afterwards, we all met and went to the police station to complete her passport application and make her passport photo. It's funny that we saw all the same families at the popo as we saw on Gotcha Day... everyone is on the same schedule. Our guide , R, is absolutely wonderful. Very helpful and speaks great English. I feel much more at ease whenever she is near. After we returned to the hotel, we decided to venture out to Shamian Island, which is about a 25 minute cab ride. We are getting cabin fever pretty bad! We ate at a place called Lucy's where we had heard you could get a pretty good cheeseburger. It was decent...the fries were good. After dinner, we walked down the street and bought Mia some more shoes. The little shoes that you buy in children's boutiques at home that cost around $30-$40, were 25 yuen here... translated to $3 US. Awesome!!!! The lady who owned the store was very sweet and beautiful. As we were leaving, she waved goodbye to Mia and Mia waved back. Then a few steps later, Mia began to cry and reach and try to get out of my arms. We know that she was trying to get back to the lady at the shoe store. We are still not her family in her little mind. That was sad... but it is what we will work through over the course of days, weeks, months, possibly years. We will be going back there this weekend and I'm going to stock up. Lucky I brought an extra suitcase... LOL. Today Mia wore a red dress that my mom had monogrammed and I put a huge propeller bow in her hair. She looked like an angel and was the cutest baby in this entire hotel! Everyone stared and I know some made fun of her huge bow... but do you think I care? Nope... not one bit. We are doing some sightseeing tomorrow as a group... got an early day so I must go to bed now that my little Chinese princess is finally asleep. Until tomorrow...

Much love,
Ashley

It's Official!

We all slept well last night. Mia slept in her crib and we learned that she is a thumb-sucker. She went to sleep rather easily, but I feel sure it was mostly due to a reaction to shock. She slept through the night and we got up and gave her a bath. We dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. She ate nothing, but watched everything. She will look at everything, without moving her head. She just cuts her eyes from side to side. Funny... We left the hotel after breakfast and went back to the Civil Affairs building where we had an adoption interview and took our adoption oath. We were asked... "Are you satisfied with the girl?" Do you still wish to adopt her? Do you promise to help her get an education? Do you promise not to abuse or abandon her"" Very satisfied, Absolutely, We promise, We promise. Afterwards, we went to another office and answered a few questions about why we wanted to adopt her. Griff responded, "Because we wanted a daughter." Well said, Daddy... Then, we got back on the bus and R, our guide, informed us that it was official... she is our daughter now. Mia has begun to attach to me, but will not allow Griff to hold her, nor my mom. She cries if I set her down and she pretty much wants me to hold her all the time. She took a good nap in the bed with Griff and me though. She is very sad, sad eyes, no happiness at all. Every once in a while, we see a glimpse of a smile, but no real joy at all. She is trying to process what has happened to her in the last 24 hours. I am told that the babies start doing better after the first three-four days. Right now, is a hard time. I am so sad for her, as I know she doesn't understand and I can't communicate with her. I am doing all that I intuitively know a mother should do right now, even though to her I am not her mother. I am praying that God will continue to nurture this relationship and help her to bond with us. She is beautiful baby and the orphanage told us that she is very smart and outgoing. We are really looking forward to seeing this side of her. Until tomorrow.

Much love,
Ashley

An Orphan No More

Well, we have had an unbelievable day. The kind of day you cannot describe in words. We are sitting in our hotel room with our baby daughter and she is drinking a bottle. What a difference a day makes. We were united with Mia this afternoon at the Civil Affairs building here in Guangzhou. It was a hectic scene, with lots of other babies and children meeting their new families. Very loud, lots of crying, loud talking, and it was very, very hot. Mia cried for a little while, but was comforted when I took her and stood by a fan. I think she was just really hot. She is very quiet and has only grunted a few times, but we have had a few glimpses of smiles. When we left the Civil Affairs Building we went grocery shopping for diapers and formula. She liked the grocery store and was taking everything in. We bought her a new pair of shoes too. (The first of many I'm sure...:) ) She fell asleep shortly after getting back to the hotel. I woke her up a little while ago to feed her. She ate a good helping of pork congee and she now just finished a bottle. She is extremely tired and appears to be going back to sleep soon. We are all exhausted too. We were able to Skype with the boys, Nana, and Gigi just a little while ago and it was wonderful to see my boys. I am so missing them right now. We have to be ready early in the morning to go back to the Civil Affairs building for more paperwork and adoption interview. I will tell you more tomorrow after I've had a little sleep. Mia is beautiful and we are so thrilled to finally have her with us. Thank you for all of your prayers and I hope that you will continue to pray for her adjustment to her new family. Until tomorrow...

Ashley

Day One... Getting to Know Guangzhou

We all slept well last night in our new hotel. We got up and phoned home, tried to Skype with my sister, and then went downstairs for breakfast. The breakfast buffet was good and the scenery was even better. The dining area overlooks a private garden complete with waterfall and fishpond, so we took a walk outside afterwards. Mom and I ventured out to Starbucks and Trustmart, which is similar to a grocery store. We just relaxed all afternoon and then went to a Lifeline meeting tonight to prepare for the big day tomorrow. There are four other families that will be meeting their children tomorrow with us. It is so very hard to believe that the waiting journey ends tomorrow and then the family one begins. I am terrified of what lies ahead of us, but I know that God has a plan and He will provide. Mom and I packed Mia's backpack for Gotcha Day tomorrow and we ate dinner at a Cantonese restaurant here in the hotel. It was good, but using chopsticks is difficult for country folks like us. Griff and I were the source of much entertainment for the local Chinese who watched us struggle to get food to our mouths... My mom went straight to the fork...:) So, today was a good day all in all. This is the last day Mia will spend in an orphanage and when she wakes up in the morning she will be placed in a car with her nanny to take a six-hour ride to meet her new parents. She will not understand what is happening and we have been prepared by all that she will cry, for how long we have no idea. But I am reassuring myself that while this will be very traumatic for Mia and is very sad to think of all she has ever known being taken away from her tomorrow, I can see what is ahead and I KNOW that what ahead is better than what she is leaving behind. Tomorrow is a very big day. I can think of only one song right now and that is the Casting Crowns song... "If We've Ever Needed You, Lord it's now..." and that really does sum up how I feel tonight. We leave our hotel tomorrow at 2 pm to take a fifteen minute ride to the Civil Affairs office to meet Mia. We will not stay there long, and then we will be taken to a store to buy diapers and formula before returning to the hotel. I'm posting some photos from the garden at the hotel as well as Mia's crib that is ready and waiting for her to sleep in. Please say prayers for us tomorrow as we so need them. Until then...

Much love,
Ashley