Hong Kong

We made it to Hong Kong. We are tired, so I'll keep this short. Ava has been such a trooper today. It's almost 8:00, and we're waiting for dinner. She's hungry and exhausted, but still has a smile on her face. Leaving for the airport in the morning and, finally, we're coming home!

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Heading to Hong Kong

Today is our last day in China. We are waiting for Ava's visa and in a couple hours, we'll be on the bullet train to Hong Kong. We have spent the morning packing and, right now, Ava is taking a nap. She has really warmed up to her Daddy today. More than once, she asked him to hold her. He even got her to sleep, which isn't an easy thing to do.

While we are so happy to be coming home, we will treasure the time we spent with Ava in China. The sights, the smells, the people. I'm trying to soak up as much of it as I can, so I can remember and share it with her one day. Everything we've done here has been an adventure; from getting in a cab, to finding food, to even crossing the street (it's much like playing a game of Frogger). I'm sure there are traffic rules, but we could never figure them out.

This trip has turned out so much better than I imagined. We have been stretched beyond measure, challenged, changed. Rewarded. We have met families we'll never forget. I have laughed (often when I didn't know what else to do), cried, learned so much about myself. Would I do it all over again? In a minute.

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Rough afternoon...

Ava woke up from her nap screaming - just like that first afternoon with her. There was nothing I could do to console her. I tried to hold her. She arched her back, broke loose and squirmed away from me. Ava threw herself to the floor and tried to beat her head against it. I held her tight so she wouldn't get hurt. More than an hour went by. Our happy baby was suddenly terrorized. Bad dream? Grieving? Confused? I don't know. Finally, she sat quietly next to me holding my hand. Then Kevin comes in acting foolish and saves the day. Suddenly, Baba with a sock on his head was the funniest thing ever. Ava's face lit up again. And she was fine.

I know there will be more times like this. We expect it. Very soon, we will take this sweet child away from everything familiar to her. And it may get more difficult. But it'll be OK. No one has days of only lollipops and rainbows. Sometimes, we all just need a little extra love.

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Last Day in Guangzhou!

One week ago, Kevin and I met Ava in a freezing cold orphanage with no heat. She came to us wearing a pair of pajamas, a red sweater, red socks, red shoes and a big pink puffy fleece coat (top and bottom). She was scared. Confused. Sad.

Today, Ava is a different child. Such a personality! Shy around new people, but not for long. Our little girl has experienced so many firsts this past week; probably even some that we aren't aware of. She is still a Mama's girl, but has started asking for Baba and letting him hold her. And she has started playing flying saucers at the breakfast table, but that's another story.

This morning, we visited the US Consulate and took an oath. When we land in Chicago on Wednesday, Ava will become an American citizen. After our appointment today, our group went back to Shamian Island for lunch at Lucy's, then we took a nice walk. Ava put on a show for the shopkeepers; blowing kisses, talking and giggling. She couldn't be more perfect for our family.

Tomorrow afternoon, we take the bullet train to Hong Kong. We'll stay the night there and fly out Wednesay morning. While we have come to understand and appreciate Chinese culture, we're ready to go home. Kevin and I miss Jackson and Molly so much - leaving them has been the most difficult part of this trip. Soon, we'll all be together. And we can't wait.

Safari Park

This morning, we visited Safari Park. Definitely an adventure. Our guide can't go everywhere with us since there are others in our group and everyone wants to do something different; so she arranged for a driver to take us there, wait for us and bring us back to the hotel. Easy enough, right? Wrong. He took us there but when we were ready to leave, he's nowhere to be found. We have no way to contact him or anyone else, and no one at the park spoke English. We were told it would be hard to find a cab there (which was why we hired the driver), so imagine Kevin, me and little Ava with her rice cookie standing in the parking lot. I'm near tears and beginning my first meltdown when a cab drives up. He doesn't speak a bit of English, so we show him our room key with the hotel name on it. He shows us the amount of money he wants, and we get in the cab. That dude could've taken us anywhere, but by the grace of God we made it back to the hotel.

Safari Park was such fun, though. We took a train ride throughout the place and saw all kinds of animals. Many of them came right up to the train. Ava giggled the whole time! If it weren't for the rain, we could've spent all day there.

There was a young couple sitting in front of us on the train. They spoke broken English, and told Kevin our daughter looks Chinese. Kevin told them she is. "Impossible", the man replied. We just smiled. Apparently, Ava wasn't properly bundled (Chinese parents dress their children in many, many layers). I can't tell you how many women have come up and scolded me (in Chinese and in English) for not dressing her properly. Seriously, Ava is fine. And she hates all those layers - she will take them off if I dress her so that people will leave us alone.

We are back at the hotel now - and I think it's a good idea to stay put for the rest of the day. Enjoy the pictures - the man walking the monkey and the smile on Ava's face made this fiasco of a day so worthwhile.

Saturday, March 10

This morning, Ava had her medical exam.  I heard many horror stories about the facility and the sick people there but, lucky for us, it just moved to a new location.  It was clean, we were in and out very quickly and adoptive families were kept separate from everyone else.    We went in one room to get ears and throat checked, another for height and weight (she's up to 23 pounds) and the last room for a quick heart exam.  Ava had open heart surgery when she was just a few months old.  The orphanage said she never went for a checkup after that surgery, since she was doing fine.  Her paperwork following her heart surgery stated she had a moderate heart murmur, but it's now gone.  She may still need a procedure down the road, but we'll figure that out when we get home.  Right now, she appears to be perfectly healthy.  

After her exam, we went to Shamian Island for lunch and bought a few pairs of squeaky shoes and some other souvenirs.  The people there are so friendly.  One store even let us borrow a stroller for a few days.  Ava sat in the floor in our room and played with her new shoes for a while when we got back to the hotel - seems she likes shoes as much as her Mommy and big sister.  

We just got back from dinner at an Italian restaurant called "The Italian Restaurant".  Not bad.  Ava had spaghetti with cream sauce and loved it.  She won't eat congee anymore, especially after I introduced her to oatmeal.  Really, she just wants to eat what Kevin and I are having.  

We are having a much easier time in Guangzhou.  Our hotel is full of adoptive families (our Shanghai hotel was full of Chinese businessmen) and we are enjoying our time with them.  

Kevin and I can't get over how well Ava is doing with us.  Until today, she only wanted me to hold her.  Kevin was her playmate but she wouldn't let him comfort her.  That is slowly starting to change.  He carried her back from the restaurant and she smiled the whole way.  She likes walking around the hotel and will go to the door in our room and yell when she's ready to go.  

She has a few nicknames - both of our guides call her "Shanghai Girl", they say because she's smart and pretty.  But Kevin and I have been calling her "The Dictator".  It's just as fitting.  You'll see. 

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Busy day...

Goodbye Shanghai, Hello Guangzhou

There was an international incident aboard China Eastern Airlines today. Kevin and I were the only two non-Chinese people on the plane. No one spoke English. We weren't even sure that we were on the right airplane. Ava, the crazy baby known for being head-strong and stubborn since she was born in the year of the tiger, fought me for almost 3 hours. Not only is she head-strong, her body is strong. I wrestled her in that cramped window seat until I gave up. I let her destroy the airline-provided snack of bread, dried apples and crackers. She crumbled food and threw it everywhere. And I didn't care. I was spent. Many glares from the others on the plane, crazy American mother letting her baby yell and scream and have a food fight with herself. Kevin was playing Angry Birds during all this. Yes, we had words. And more glares from fellow passengers. But we made it to Guangzhou, and I'm pretty sure someone is still cleaning the plane.

Our new guide, Helen, met us at the airport. There are 2 other families in our group here. Their flights hadn't come in yet, so she put us in a cab and told the driver where to take us. He didn't speak English. Kevin on the verge of yet another meltdown.

But we made it to The Garden Hotel, which is great. Our hotel in Shanghai was beautiful, but it was on a 12-lane road and we couldn't really walk anywhere. The Garden is in a more pedestrian-friendly area, and it's easy to venture out without our guide. We feel much more relaxed here.

Last night, we took Ava to the Shanghai acrobatics show. It was awesome! Think Cirque du Soleil on steroids. Yesterday was National Women's Day in China, and it was fun to do something like that with Sarah since she was away from her family. Ava loved it! We were a little worried since the show was 2 hours long and began at her bedtime, but she was fine. Not a peep during the show and she fell asleep in the cab on the way back to the hotel.

Ava is adjusting beautifully. Today at the airport, a Chinese woman working at security held her hands out for Ava to go to her. My smart baby girl shook her head "no", gave me a hug and said, "mama". I nearly cried.

We keep telling her about all the love waiting for her back home. She doesn't know what we're talking about, but that makes it all the more special.

She loves the camera!

Last day in Shanghai

This morning, we visited Ava's finding spot. I won't go into details since that will be her story to share, not mine. But it was a very difficult sight to see. Sarah tells me about 30 children are abandoned every day in Shanghai. It is illegal, so parents leave no trace of who the child belongs to. Usually, babies are left because they are sick and the parents are scared and/or don't have the means to give them the care they need. China has a one-child policy; but it's not enforced in rural areas. In places like Shanghai, you can have more than one child if you "know somebody" or have money. It used to be that parents only wanted a boy, but Sarah says younger families are more accepting of girls these days. This means the vast majority of the million children in orphanages are sick, have special needs or are older children. The Shanghai Children's Home is unique in that kids can stay there until age 18. Elsewhere, the age is 14 - when you can go out on your own or move to a Social Welfare Institute with older people. Tomorrow, we say goodbye to Sarah. She has taught us so much about Chinese culture and has become a good friend. I will miss her, dearly. Ava is doing very well. We have introduced her to McDonald's french fries and Starbucks blueberry muffins. She is a fan of both and, yes, they taste the same as at home.

Getting to know you...

Today, we went to the Oriental Pearl Tower, the tallest tower in Asia (1535 feet), the Shanghai History Museum and the Jade Museum where we bought a necklace for Ava. She is becoming such a funny little girl. She loves having her picture taken and then looking at her photos on the camera. She sees her picture and says "Va". She will play independently for a short while, but when she wants my attention she'll come over, hit me, and start giggling (I know, we're working on it). She's learned to blow kisses and likes playing with her Daddy, but prefers mama and shakes her head - no - if Kevin tries to hold her. We'll get there. We've come a long way, already. Tomorrow is our last full day in Shanghai. We fly to Guangzhou on Friday.

Adoption Day

We went to the Civil Affairs Office this morning to finalize Ava's adoption. We had a short interview, signed some papers then met with the notary for another interview and she gave us Ava's Chinese passport. She was so tired there, she cried during the entire interview. I'm not exactly sure what we agreed to since we couldn't hear the woman, but I'm sure it's all good.

We also met with a woman from the orphanage. She said Ling Xiu was the "most lovely and cutest child at the orphanage". She was very popular with the nannies so they gave her lots of extra food and candy. And it shows! Ava is much chubbier than I thought she'd be. At least her clothes fit. She isn't a picky eater and is quite fond of congee so I asked Sarah how to make it. Basically, make rice with too much water. Easy enough.

Everywhere we go, people tell us how beautiful Ava is. After finding out Ava is going to America, a government worker said she's going to "the land of paradise". This little girl's smile will melt your heart. And she has the best giggle - just like her brother and sister. I got the biggest belly laugh from her just now, playing a silly game with Kleenex. Ava is such a happy child. Just don't give her a bath. At the orphanage, she was bathed every morning so I thought bath time would be fun. Not so much.

Today, we also took a walk along The Bund. It's the heart of modern Shanghai, along the Huangpu River. Lots of shopping, restaurants and boats for river cruising and looks a lot like Michigan Avenue in Chicago. We stopped so Sarah could take a picture of us, and an older Chinese lady decided to do the same. She was very proud and wanted me to see the pictures she took of Kevin, Ava and me. I asked Sarah if the woman thought we're celebrities? No, she said. She is happy for your family.

Ava has such a strong personality. She's been a fighter since she was born and I don't think that's ever going to change. She can be so sweet and silly, yet so mischievous. We can't wait to bring her home so everyone can see what a joy she is. One week from tomorrow!

Didn't take long...

Ava loves her Daddy! She cried for most of the afternoon. For hours. Inconsolably. It was heartbreaking. But, then, something happened. Kevin found some cartoons on TV, and she cuddled up next to me and watched them peacefully. Kevin got in bed with us and Ava was OK with it. We ate dinner in the room and, since then, she has been playing with Kevin. That shy, scared little girl from a few hours ago is now giggling, talking like crazy and being so loud and silly! She can't stop yelling baba (daddy in Chinese) and mama. Such a happy baby!

Molly- it seems your baby sister likes to talk as much as you do. We miss you and Jackson so much!

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Gotcha Day!

What a day!  We managed to get some sleep early this morning, woke up, had breakfast and headed to the orphanage.  The social worker took us to a room where 3 others families were waiting.  One of them happens to be from my hometown of Summerville, SC!  What are the chances?  We had to sign a bunch of papers and right after we finished, Ava's nanny brought her into the room and announced "Feng Ling Xiu" (Xiu pronounced "shoe" so, Jackson, you were right).  The next thing I know, I'm holding our precious daughter!  She has had a tough go of it since then.  She was afraid of Kevin and screamed every time he came near her (that's why he isn't in the pictures).  She cried herself to sleep in the cab on the way back to the hotel and slept for just a few minutes.  She woke up, drank a bottle and ate some rice.  Then she cried, and cried and cried.  Then she called me "mama".  She's scared.  She's grieving.  But it's all normal and we'll get through it.  Together.   Kevin managed to make her laugh by acting goofy and pretending to bump into the walls.  Ava and her Daddy played with a ball, but I had to hold her.  She insists that I hold her all the time, and I'm happy to do it.  She'll warm up to Kevin - Sarah said there aren't any men in the orphanage, so it will just take some time.  Right now, she is napping.  Her sweet little face.  Those chubby, round cheeks.  I can't wait to get her home.  Next week!

The Shanghai Children's Home is huge.  A little more than 1000 children are in its care - including the children in foster homes.  Estimates say there are a million orphans in China.  But, right now, I'm looking at one that is no more.  People have told us how lucky Ava is.  Well, I'm here to tell you Kevin and I are the lucky ones.  You'll understand when you meet her.  

Can't sleep...

We will meet our daughter for the first time in a little more than 6 hours and we can't sleep. Wide awake. We first saw Feng Ling Xiu's picture nearly 5 months ago and, very soon, we'll be at her orphanage. Kevin and I woke up about 2 hours ago. We've watched Chinese MTV, a National Geographic documentary and a CNN special on the Russian presidential election. Riveting. Ambien not working. We aren't the least bit nervous - just giddy and can't wait to be with our baby girl!

Ava - someday you will read all this. I hope you know how much you are loved. Right now, and always.

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Yu Garden

Location:Yu Garden, Shanghai

Sunday, March 4

Adjusting to a 14-hour time difference isn't easy, but I think we're there. After breakfast, we met our guide and visited Yu Garden - one of the few old sights left in Shanghai. It was commissioned in 1559 and took 19 years to build. Such a beautiful place. After that, we found a tea room and sampled its goods. We bought some Ginseng Oolong Tea that I might be willing to share when we get home. I wanted a tea set, but failed at my bargaining attempt for a more reasonable price. Will try again another day, another place.

Lunchtime and - don't judge - we went to Pizza Hut. Seriously, Sarah wanted to go there and it was near Wal Mart. Much nicer than American Pizza Huts and there were all sorts of things on the menu, including Chinese food. Kevin and I were the only Americans in the place and it was packed! So was Wal-Mart. We were on sensory overload in there and Sarah said it wasn't that crowded. But we had to buy diapers and formula because Ava will be with us starting tomorrow!

We will leave our hotel at 8:30 in the morning so we can be at the orphanage by 9:30. There are 7 families meeting their children tomorrow. I really don't know how we're going to sleep tonight!

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We're here!

15 hours. 7000+ miles. 2 hours of sleep. But, we're in Shanghai! The flight wasn't nearly as horrible as I expected. After cruising through customs, we were greeted by our super-friendly guide, Savor (aka Sarah) and our driver, Nuo. Sarah thinks Kevin is "very funny man". We are now at the Sky Fortune Hotel and it is very nice. We're tired and it's raining, so no pictures yet but they will come tomorrow when we do some sightseeing. Sarah said we will get Ava Monday morning at the orphanage. Typically, families meet their children at the Civil Affairs office but there just happens to be a large group this week and the Civil Affairs office is too small.

More to come tomorrow!
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