What A Wonderful Sunday

For as long as I can remember I've met my parents every Sunday morning for breakfast. Mom and Dad always went to what Dad calls "the farmer mass" at 7:40 am and I interpret the 11:00 service so we meet at 9:00 for breakfast. There have been some changes over the years. Tony and I got married, Mom passed away, but Sunday morning breakfast out continued. Yesterday Lily joined in the tradition for the first time! Mary, Dad's favorite waitress, had balloons and a gift waiting in a high chair for little Miss Lily. Aunt Mary Beth, Uncle Ed, and Katie joined us, too!

Thanks Miss Mary for all the great gifts and balloons. We'll see you again next Sunday!

The Breakfast Club!

After breakfast we came home and it was such a beautiful day we sat on the back patio and enjoyed the sunshine! Aunt Patti, Uncle Dave, Christina, and Haley stopped by on their way to Sadie's play. This was Lily's first chance to meet Uncle Dave!

Checking out Uncle Dave

Loving up Aunt Pappy

Daddy and Lily enjoying the sunshine and each other!

Daddy's pretty girl

In the late afternoon Nai Nai, Aunt Sheila, Uncle Howie, and Aunt Pat stopped by! We had a wonderful time. Nai Nai and Aunt Sheila brought us a huge bag filled with gifts for Lily. Lily was so happy to see everyone and to meet Aunt Sheila, Uncle Howie, and Aunt Pat for the first time!

Yesterday was a really wonderful day and I think the sunshine helped us all feel a little less foggy!

Today is Tony's last day off before he heads back to work...sniff...sniff. I'm not ready for the real world to close in quite yet! By the way, right now Lily and Daddy are playing upstairs. Not only is Lily not sitting on my lap...she can't even see me...and she's having the time of her life! I can't tell you how much I love to hear Lily and Tony playing, laughing, and just enjoying being Daddy and Daughter!

Jet Lag - 3.......Us - 0

Honestly, this jet lag is really something! Our bodies are still on the Eastern time zone....that would be Far East...not East Coast! China is 12 hours ahead of us here. So, morning is night and night is morning...and at midnight you're ready for lunch!!

I know it's going to take some time to get back in the swing of things. In the mean time all 3 of us are kind of in a fog!

Thank God for Mary Beth...the food fairy! She just stops by for a second and provides us with delicious stuff to eat. Without her I imagine we would be staring in the fridge wondering what on earth we were looking at!

Today we did venture out for a short time and went to Target. I think Lily was a little overwhelmed by it all. We had sent the orphanage a disposable camera in our care package and they gave us the camera back when we visited. Tony and I were so anxious to see what pictures they had taken so we went to Target for the 1 hour processing and to pick up a few things we needed.

Maybe in the bedroom at Lily's Foster home.

How I wish we knew who this little one is with Lily.

Playing on the driveway at the orphanage.

We believe this is Lily's Foster Mother and Sister...but we don't know for sure.

We're having so much fun!

Look at me sitting all by myself!

Someone took a total of 27 pictures for us with the disposable camera. These pictures and the photo album the orphanage put together are so precious to us! It is wonderful to have a peek into Lily's life before we met. At the same time it is very hard to realize there is so much about the first 9 1/2 months of Lily's life that we will never know. What we do know...and believe the pictures prove...is that Lily was very well taken care of and loved very much!

You're In China And Your Basement Floods...What Do You Do?

Absolutely nothing....because your amazing family takes care of everything....and I do mean everything!! Insurance adjusters, a water removal company, carpet/padding replacement, floor and wall anti-mold treatment, etc. Everything was done so thoroughly if they hadn't told us it happened we never would have known!

The weekend before we left for China Tony and Dad repaired a leaking pipe in our laundry room. To get to the pipe the sump pump was disconnected. In all the rush to get everything done before we left the sump pump was not reconnected. Apparently, there were torrential rains the weekend after we left. Our primary sump pump was disconnected, our backup sump pump failed....and in came the water! I think I'm a little bit psychic....I was worried about things happening in threes...see my post here.

Our storage room was the hardest hit. By the way, that's the room that is floor to ceiling supplies for my summer camp! My poor family had to remove everything from that room, the storage closet under the steps, etc. I can't imagine what a nightmare that must have been.

Tony and I always tease that the only good thing about a small, old house is the mortgage payment! After seeing the way millions of people live in China I hope we will always be grateful for the roof over our heads...even if someday it starts to leak!

Tony and I can't thank my family enough for all they did to get our basement back into pre-flood shape!! You guys are the best!! For this and a million other reasons...we love you!!

Home...Sweet...Home!

On April 10th two of us left our home and last night 3 of us returned! How incredible! Tony and I still cannot believe we are so blessed to be the parents to our beautiful Lily!

Yesterday we spent the morning outside at a park near our hotel. Lily played on the swings with her friends in our travel group and enjoyed being outdoors. We saw blue skies for the first time during our entire trip. I read a newspaper article while we were in Beijing that stated that Beijing had fewer than 100 days of blue skies in 2006....yeah, probably more like 5 days! The air pollution is very bad and I wonder how the poor Olympic athletes are going to be able to breathe when they are competing!

We left for the airport at 3:00 pm and went through the most thorough airport security we have ever experienced. There were two lanes set up solely for passengers travelling to the US. We had extremely detailed searches at security and then again at the gate before we boarded. Lily was sleeping in the baby carrier at the time. They did not make me remove Lily from the baby carrier but the poor guard that searched us got more than she bargained for. Miss Lily is quite the sweaty spaghetti when she sleeps (even when she's not in the baby carrier) and I'm sure the guard wished she had had gloves on before she stuck her hand between me and Lily!

There was some intense discussion between the guards about whether to permit us to go on board with the bottles we has prepared in advance for Lily. The final determination was that we could take Lily's bottles (thank God!) but we were not able to bring on board the sealed water bottles we had with us.

As we walked down the jetway to the plane there were two armed guards stationed on either side about every 3 or 4 feet down the jetway. It was rather intimidating and left Tony and I wondering if this was normal procedure or if there was some type of heightened security for flights to the US.

Resting up before I meet my extended family!

Lily had a great flight to her new home and slept most of the way. However, not everyone had the same good fortune. About 3 hours after we took off the flight crew came over the intercom system asking if there were any medical personnel on board. A short time later they paged again with the same request adding that there was a very sick baby on board. There was a lot of activity in the plane with flight attendants walking back and forth and a kind of strange hush among the passengers. The flight attendants actually woke up sleeping passengers near us to ask if any of them were doctors, nurses, or EMTs.

I honestly thought (and was hoping) that our flight would be diverted so this sick little one could receive medical attention immediately. It was not. However, an ambulance was waiting on the runway and the paramedics boarded the plane as soon as we landed. It is interesting how life works. Tony and I are sitting on board that plane barely able to contain our excitement and joy about coming home and starting our new life and the parents of this poor baby had what I imagine was the most frightening night of their lives.

After we landed and went through Customs, Immigration, and baggage claim we were greeted by such a welcome site...our families! There sure are a lot of people who love our sweet Lily and couldn't wait to welcome her to her new home. Nai Nai (Tony's Mom), Dad Dad, Aunt Mary Beth, Uncle Ed, Katie, Aunt Patti, and Christina were there waiting for us with balloons (including a big American flag balloon), Welcome Home banners, and roses. Jamie and his friend Maria arrived a short time later to meet Miss Lily. Lily's cousin, Ryan, called from college to welcome home his new little cousin while we were at the airport. Jamie and Ryan were both duly warned that there's a new little girl in the family who loves to rough house and be tossed in the air so they better get ready.

It was so great to see everyone! I didn't realize the extent to which I had missed my family until I saw their smiling faces! Lily was quite excited to meet everybody and shared with everyone her beautiful smile and sweet giggle!!

We were not permitted to take pictures in the Customs/Immigration area so we waited until we were in the main Arrival Hall before we put Lily's feet on the ground and she officially became a US Citizen in front of her extended family! Uncle Ed caught the big moment on video!

The drive home from the airport was quite an adventure. As it turns out Lily was not a big fan of the carseat! No surprise there... since she's never been in one!! She literally screamed her head off the entire ride home. I thought at some point she would wear herself out and fall asleep but I think she wanted to show us what healthy lungs she has!! I did my best to comfort her while sitting beside her but all she wanted was for me to hold her. Honestly, it took everything in me not to take her out of the carseat and hold her in my lap. Once we got home I picked her up and instantly she stopped crying. For a minute I thought I had suddenly gone deaf!

Everyone joined us at the house for just a few minutes. The house looked beautiful with balloons in the front, new pots of flowers on the porch, and flowers inside. There were also gallons of Chik-Fil-A sweet tea and unsweetened tea waiting for us (along with a bunch of yummy food) in the refrigerator. I have a serious iced tea addiction and practically started to shake when I saw my drug of choice!

Sadie was also able to stop by after her play practice and met her new cousin in the midst of a poopy diaper change. I'm hoping their next meeting is a bit more dignified ;-).

The 3 of us headed off to bed around 1:00 am and slept until about 4:00 am. We spent the early morning hours playing and then went back to sleep around 7:00 am. I'm sure it will take us a few days or maybe a week or two to readjust to the new time zone but we'll manage.

Lily had her first pediatrician appointment this afternoon. I hated to schedule this appointment so soon after we got home. I really wanted Lily to have some time to settle in before her first visit to the doctor. However, Lily's pediatrician was available this afternoon or not until late next week. Since I didn't know at the time I scheduled the appointment that Lily was going to be such a healthy little pumpkin I thought I had better take the first available appointment.

Lily passed her first checkup with flying colors! Lily is 30 1/4 inches long and weighs 21.5 lbs. This puts Lily in the 90th percentile for height and 75th percentile for weight! Dr. Lane was thrilled with her evaluation of Lily and is not at all concerned that Lily is not crawling, yet. Dr. Lane thinks a few more weeks of tummy time and Lily will be motoring all over the place.

Lily needs to have a whole bunch of lab work done. Tony and I think we'll wait a few days before we subject Lily to that. By the way, Lily rode in her carseat to the doctor's appointment and back without making a peep! Go figure. This little sweetie just loves to keep her mommy and daddy guessing!

Zie Jien From China

Beautiful Lily in her traditional Chinese outfit

Wow, yesterday was another crazy day! At 1:00 pm our travel group met in the lobby to take the Red Couch photo. Imagine trying to keep kittens in a box and you will know how the photo shoot went! Honestly, it was a lot of fun but impossible to keep all the little beauties happy at the same time! I'm hoping someone got a good group photo because our pictures are too dark!

After picture time we checked out of the hotel and headed straight to the Consulate. We got to the Consulate around 3:00. I think Shigu was hoping to sneak us in and out...but no such luck! While we were waiting for our appointment we witnessed a heartbreaking scene. An older Chinese woman had an appointment and according to Shigu was denied her request to enter the US. The woman was so overcome she collapsed on the floor. I think sometimes we forget how fortunate we are to live in The United States and what many people would do for that opportunity!

Pictures are not allowed in the Consulate...so this is as close as we could get with the camera!

We (and about 30 other families) had our US Consulate appointment at 4:00 pm. It was not a big deal at all. A man came and stood in the middle of the room filled with all of the families and had us raise our right hand and recite an oath. In a little over 5 minutes the entire thing was over. I was wrong about Lily becoming a US citizen yesterday. She does not become a citizen until we pass through immigration and her feet touch ground in the US. I knew this but somehow with my new found "Mommy Brain" it slipped my mind!

After the ceremony we headed straight to the airport for our flight to Beijing. Lily did not like her second flight quite as much as her first! Some of the business men in our section were none too happy. Oh well, I'm sure they'll get over it!

Air China has the best in-flight hairdressers!

We finally arrived at our hotel at about 11:00 pm. By the time we were settled in it was close to midnight! Poor Lily had had enough!

Today we are just hanging out at the hotel and will be heading back to the airport at 3:00 for our 6:30 flight home.

It is hard to believe our trip is coming to an end. As excited as I am to be heading home I am also sad to be leaving this beautiful country...the country where our sweet Lily was born. Not only will we be bringing home our beautiful daughter but also a lifetime of incredible memories. One thing I know for sure...we will be back! Maybe to bring home a Mei Mei (little sister) for Lily or at the very least when Lily is 12 so we can keep the Orphanage Director happy!

For 41 years I've been trying to figure out who I want to be when I grow up. I have finally figured it out. I want to be exactly who I am...Lily's Mother!

Happy US Citizen Day and Happy Birthday Sadie!

Today is the day that Lily becomes a US Citizen....and is a very rainy, windy, thunderstorm and lightening kind of day! We went out for a little while to do some last minute shopping and even with an umbrella the 3 of us got soaked!

Our Travel Group is meeting in the lobby at 1:00 for the "mandatory" Red Couch photo. After picture time we will head to lunch and then to the Consulate for the 4:00 Swearing In ceremony and to receive Lily's US Passport...the final part of the process to officially becoming a forever family! But documents or no documents we already are a forever family!

Right after the ceremony we are headed straight to the airport for a 6:30 flight to Beijing. Tomorrow evening at 6:30 pm we will fly from Beijing direct to Dulles. We will be landing at Dulles at 7:30 pm....only an hour after we took off from Beijing. Wow, have they made a lot of advancements in air travel since we arrived?!? Including the flight home Little Miss Lily will have been on 3 airplane rides in less than 1 week! What a little world traveller!!

I am hoping we will have Internet access in the hotel we stay in in Beijing so we can post pictures of the Swearing In Ceremony and the Red Couch photo. We'll have to wait and see.

We also want to wish Sadie a very Happy 15th Birthday! Sadie if you were with us you would turn 15 12 hours earlier! We can't wait to see you so Lily can wish you Happy Birthday in person!!

Sorry But I Have To Do This....

Okay, I don't think some of you at home believe me that there are "squatty potties" in China so I have no choice but to post a picture! Hey, at least I waited until I found a clean one. Other than the hotel rooms we've stayed in there are pretty much squatty potties absolutely everywhere....airports, restaurants, parks, museums, you name it!

If you sprinkle when you tinkle please be neat and wipe your FEET! Sorry, I just couldn't resist!

US Consulate Appointment and Happy Anniversary!

Sorry I haven't posted any pictures with the last two posts...

Today at 10:00 am was our US Consulate Appointment (CA). Lily was napping at the time so we decided not to go. Seriously, we didn't go....not because Lily was napping but because only Shigu, our agency representative, went. He collected all of our paperwork and went to the Consulate. Honestly, I felt a little anxious handing over our paperwork. Not because I don't trust Shigu (even though he makes me nuts!!) but because that paperwork is so important and I have been guarding it with my life! Our only responsibility for the CA was to hang out in our hotel room from 10:00 - 11:00 in case the Consulate had any questions. Lily napped the whole time and the phone never rang (thank God)...but talk about anti-climatic! Shigu did call us when he returned from the Consulate to let us know everything went smoothly.

Consulate appointment....what consulate appointment?

Somebody is waking up....and it's not Daddy.

Thought you might like to see my foot!

Tomorrow we will head to the Consulate at 4:00 pm for Lily's official swearing in as a United States Citizen. We will receive Lily's US Passport and then head directly to the airport to fly back to Beijing. We will stay in Beijing for one night and then fly home on Wednesday at 6:30 pm.

April 23rd is already a very special day in my family. Today would have been my parent's 47th Wedding Anniversary. Although my Dad used to tease my Mom and say "I've heard of some men who only get 25 years for murder!" I know he would give anything to be celebrating this day with her!

Today is also Mary Beth and Ed's 24th Wedding Anniversary. Happy Anniversary Aunt BaBa and Uncle Egg!

Today...I love rice congee!

Outside The Cow and Bridge Restaurant

We are also celebrating a special anniversary today...one week as a FAMILY!! Tony and I have never been this happy and already are having a hard time remembering what life was like before we met our sweet Lily. As anxious as we are to get home we also know that going home means going back to real life. How will we work, grocery shop, pay bills, and all the other day to day things when all we want to do is marvel at every sound Lily makes and each breath she takes?

Tony and I have really enjoyed our time in China and experiencing first hand the people, culture, food, sights and sounds of the wonderful country our Lily comes from. However, it's time to go home. Ah...home, sweet, home! We can't wait! Living out of suitcases and becoming a family in a hotel room has it's limitations...even if the hotel has a waterfall and a jade ship. We are so looking forward to being in our home with our daughter!

Inside the White Swan Lobby

Outside The White Swan Coffee Shop

Shhh...Don't Tell Mommy and Daddy They Think I'm Napping

Hi Everyone,

Since we had a bit of a quiet day I thought I'd tell you a little about myself.

Well, first of all Mommy and Daddy think I'm the most beautiful baby in all of China (well...the whole world really) and out of 1.3 billion people that's really saying something!

I am a very happy little girl and I love to smile, giggle, and sometimes give a good belly laugh!

I have very chubby cheeks and I am every bit of the size 18 months clothes that Mommy and Daddy packed for me.

I have 5 teeth right now. 3 on the top and 2 on the bottom. My teeth are very sharp and Mommy found that out the hard way!

My favorite thing to do if I'm feeling sleepy or a little unsure is to suck on my left index finger. If at all possible at the same time I want my middle finger, ring finger and pinky wrapped around the collar of Mommy's shirt. If I can't have my other fingers on Mommy's shirt then I rub/scratch my fingers on what ever surface is handy.

Sometimes when we are out people walk up to us and pop my finger out of my mouth. They better be careful because I think one of these times my mommy is going to pop them back! Even our guide, Rosalind, in Wuhan told my mommy not to let me suck on my finger or I would do it when I was an adult. Mommy and Daddy don't seemed too worried and doubt I will be sucking on my finger at my first job interview!

My favorite words are: Da da da, Aba aba aba, and Yay yay yay (which, by the way, to the trained ear sounds an awful lot like Mommy).

I am a really good sleeper and I take two two hour naps every day. I like to sleep from 10:00 - 12:00 and from 2:00 - 4:00. Our schedule had been so crazy I can't always nap when I would like. I am also a good sleeper at night. I like to go to bed around 8:00 and wake up around 7:30. When I do wake up I like to let everyone know I'm awake by holding both my legs in the air and then letting them drop like a ton of bricks over and over. It's really funny!

I have a few favorite toys. First and foremost, of course, are my feet. They're really great and fit in my mouth just perfect! I also love my "My Family" photo album, my little soft dolly, my teddy bear, and anything else that has a soft silky tag!

One of my favorite games Mommy calls "A-boom!". I sit on Mommy's lap while she's laying down and then fall over forward on to her chest. I think this is so funny and laugh so hard when I'm doing it!

I haven't quite mastered the fine art of crawling but I'm getting close. I can get myself up on all fours...but then I go backwards instead of forward. Talk about frustrating! I can stand up with a little help but Mommy and Daddy say I look like a drunken sailor! If I need to get someplace I just roll. I'm really fast at it and Mommy and Daddy have to keep their eyes on me.

I love to rough house on the bed with Mommy and Daddy! I have a roundhouse kick that would put Jet Li to shame so if you're going to play with me you better pay attention!

I also have a very strong grip and pinch. I've given poor Mommy a few good bruises on her chest and arms to prove it!

I don't cry very much but when I do I want to make sure everyone in the hotel (or the whole city block) can hear me! I usually settle down pretty easy. As long as I have my index finger and Mommy's collar.....life is good!

I am a really fickle eater! One day I will gobble up steamed egg or congee and the next day I wont touch it! I had Mommy and Daddy tricked into thinking I hated watermelon and then this morning couldn't get enough of it! It's just fun to keep them guessing!

I also love to be in the baby carrier with Mommy. When I'm in the papoose Daddy likes to stand behind Mommy and play peek-a-boo and sneak attack kisses with me. I laugh so hard that I usually end up with the hiccups. I really love my Daddy...it's just so fun to play hard to get!

Mommy and Daddy have told me so much about all of you and I can't wait to come home and meet everyone!

Love,

Lily Katherine Yin

I Love My Baby's Daddy

If you had told me when I first met Tony that someday we'd be in China together to bring our daughter home I imagine I'd still be laughing! Many years ago Tony and I worked for the same bank in neighboring departments...and quite honestly....that was too close. I always thought Tony was kind of snobby and aloof. Of course, that didn't stop me from trying to fix him up with Patti...but that's another story.

After the bank we worked for was sold and we all went off to different jobs a mutual friend had a party that both Tony and I attended. We chatted a little bit but needless to say I didn't fall head over heels for the guy in the "I Fear No Beer" t-shirt! At the party Tony learned through the grapevine that I was newly single and began a patient and persistent quest to win me over. I'm so glad he did!

Tony was incredibly sweet and could have taught classes on how to woo a reluctant woman. At the time I was working in Pennsylvania and Tony would drive up on weekends to a florist near my office and hand write a bunch of cards and then have the flowers delivered throughout the week. I can't begin to tell you how long this went on...but we're talking months not weeks. The women in my office would always tease me about how jealous they were.....and all of their husband's wanted Tony's head on a spike!

It wasn't the flowers that finally convinced me to go out with Tony....it was his patient and kind heart. After spending time together I learned that what I had always thought of as being aloof was really just Tony's shyness. I soon discovered that not only did I enjoy spending time with him....I knew I didn't want to be without him!

Tony is a wonderful Daddy and is enjoying every minute with Lily. Tony has made almost all of Lily's bottles, has changed diapers, and has wrestled the little squirmy worm to get her clothes on! Not only has Tony been wonderful with Lily he has been unbelievable with me. The other day Lily was being really fussy and did not want me to put her down so Tony actually put my shoes on for me! I bet he never thought he would be dressing the Mommy instead of the baby!

Right now Lily is not comfortable if I'm not at least within eyesight (however, she would prefer I never put her down!). Tony has not been deterred by this at all. To see Tony use the same patient persistence he did to win my heart to win the heart of his daughter makes me love him even more!

I may tease Tony now and then that he's forgotten some of his "wooing ways". But the truth is...I hope someday Lily is as lucky in love as I have been with her Daddy!

From The White Rose To The White Swan

This morning we flew from Wuhan to Guangzhou. Lily's first airplane ride was very uneventful. The take off and landing didn't seem to bother her a bit. In fact, she slept through a very bumpy and fast landing.

Saying goodbye to Rosalind our Tour Guide.

My first airplane ride!

Lily loved the onboard meal service.

Bumpy landing....what bumpy landing?

After we landed we very quickly collected our bags and headed straight to the medical clinic for Lily's adoption physical. Thorough is not the word I would use to describe the exam! Lily was checked out by 3 different people in a sort of assembly line fashion. The first doctor checked her hearing by turning on a toy piano. I'm sure all the Audiologist at home will be using this technique soon. He then looked in her ears and down her throat. She did not like the tongue depressor one bit and let the doctor know it!

Then we went into the next room and a nurse handed Lily a rattle and seemed satisfied that Lily shook it. The nurse then listened to Lily's heart and then took her clothes off and gave her the once over. From there we went into one more room where a nurse took Lily's temperature, weight, and measurements. Lily's temperature was normal, her weight was a whopping 21.7 lbs, and I'm not sure about her height because I didn't see what they wrote down on the paperwork.

Lily charming the pretty nurse.

The entire process did not take more than 20 minutes including paying the bill. Once we were finished with the physical we headed a few doors down to have Lily's picture taken for her Visa. It was really a crazy morning!

After all that was finished we finally headed to The White Swan to check in. The hotel is really beautiful. Let's just say the hotel we stayed in in Wuhan (The White Rose) is comparable to a Motel 6 and here in Guangzhou The White Rose is a might bit nicer....complete with turn down service with chocolates! We had lunch in the hotel restaurant and then all 3 of us settled in for a nice long nap!

Tonight we went to a local restaurant, Lucy's, for dinner and the 3 of us ate for less than what Tony's hamburger cost at The White Swan! We also walked around Shaiman Island a little and tried to get acclimated to our surroundings. It is very pretty here and has a much different feel than the hustle and bustle of Beijing and Wuhan. Tomorrow we have nothing planned all day. Thank God! In the evening we will be going on a dinner cruise but we don't need to meet for that until 5:30 pm. Tony and I are so looking forward to a quiet day with Lily! We are hoping to spend some time at a park or some place where we can just be together outside.

Thanks again to all of you that have posted comments. Both Tony and I are enjoying reading them and will definitely share them will Lily when she is older!

PS - Welcome to the family Brady! Congratulations Liz, Mike, and big sister Emma!

Boy Was Somebody Fussy Last Night!

No, don't worry...Lily was just fine. Now me... that's a different story! Since I've been sharing all the good stuff I thought I should share this, too.

Last night Shigu, our Agency Representative, came to our hotel room to go through all of our adoption paperwork to make sure everything is in order for our consulate appointment on the 23rd. Tony and I have worked together to prepare for Lily's adoption but the paperwork has definitely been my responsibility. Anyway, when Shigu came in the room he more or less ignored me and dealt only with Tony. Well, Tony wouldn't know an I-600 from a grocery list and listening to the two of them review the paperwork frustrated and possessed me. I had all the paperwork in order, sticky notes on the places that couldn't be completed until we were in China, etc. However, Shigu didn't want to listen to what I had to say and preferred to talk directly to Tony (who, by the way, had to ask me for the answers to the questions Shigu was asking). The entire process only took 30 minutes (it would have taken 5 minutes if Shigu had dealt directly with me) but it seemed like it took forever.

When Shigu finally left the room I burst out crying and sobbed for 15 minutes straight! Poor Tony didn't know what to think! Looking back, I don't think Shigu was being rude as much as he is just really "old school". You know, how could a woman do something as complicated as paperwork? Grrrr!

Honestly, I think it's more than just the paperwork incident. We're all just really ready to come home!

Civil Affairs Office - Part 3

This morning we headed to the Civil Affairs Office once again. This time we received Lily's Chinese passport and adoption certificate! Yippee! The Chinese side of our adoption is finalized. One major hurdle cleared...one more to go! Tomorrow we will fly to Guangzhou for our meeting with the US Consulate on the 23rd.

Tomorrow will be a hectic day for us. We have to leave the hotel by 6:30 am to catch our flight to Guangzhou. When we land we will head straight to the medical clinic for Lily's adoption medical exam. When the exam is over we will head to The White Swan Hotel and get settled in for the next several days.

Today Lily had a another great day. It is amazing to see how much more relaxed she is and how she is opening up with each passing day. Today she had the sudden realization that Daddy is a really wonderful guy. For the first time she played with Tony without any hesitation and had a terrific time and giggled and laughed for hours. We were having so much fun with Lily and she was being so animated when we got back to the hotel we decided to call Patti so she could hear Lily's belly laugh. One little problem....we forgot it was 2 am at home. Oops! Sorry Aunt Pappy....hope you fell back to sleep without too much problem.

You all made fun of Mommy for bringing this photo album for me...but I love it and look at you guys all the time!

Don't I look so pretty in my Easter Bonnet that Nai Nai (grandmom) gave me?

Hey Daddy, who is that pretty girl I see in your sunglasses?

Geez Daddy, don't you ever get tired of kissing my cheeks?

My Family

Daddy keep those steamed eggs coming!

In Case You're In Need Of A Cute Baby Fix

Yup...they did it to me again! At least this time they didn't put me in that big spooky white tub!

I love my books...they taste great!

Jia Yu County SWI

Today we headed to Jia Yu County Social Welfare Institute (orphanage) about 2 1/2 hours south of Wuhan. Jia Yu County SWI was the place responsible for overseeing Lily's care. To say I was apprehensive about the day would not begin to explain how I was feeling. I was afraid of what I would see, I was afraid of how Lily would react...to sum it up I was just plain afraid. I didn't need to be...the only frightening thing about our day was the drive there and back!

As we left Wuhan we drove out to more and more rural area. It was amazing to see the transformation from a big city to a Pearl S. Buck's "The Good Earth" kind of China. We saw people riding water buffaloes, miles and miles of rice paddys with rows of field workers in straw hats, and poverty and living conditions beyond your wildest imaginings.

Toto I don't think we're in Wuhan anymore

The roads leading to Jia Yu County are in poor shape to say the least. There are pot holes (if you can call them that...they are more like mini Grand Canyons) that could swallow an entire Hummer H2. Not to worry...those huge gaps in the road didn't faze our driver in the least! Neither Tony or I have any fingernails left but it's all good.

The road crew

When we got close to the orphanage we pulled off the road and waited for the Orphanage Director to come meet us and escort us to the orphanage. To say Lily's orphanage is in a remote spot does not begin to explain it. There were literally water buffalo walking up the road in front of the orphanage gates!

We had the warmest welcome when we arrived and were treated like royalty during our entire visit. The batteries in our camera died on the way to the orphanage and apparently Shigu, our Agency Rep, must have told the Director because magically 2 batteries appeared!

We started off with a brief meeting in a conference room and were served piping hot green tea. For reasons I don't understand we were not able to take pictures inside the meeting room. Not that there was anything exciting to photograph it is just interesting that this was the only time they specifically requested that we not take pictures. There were 5 people from the orphanage and one man from the Civil Affairs Office at the meeting. The gentleman from the Civil Affairs Office is apparently the big boss and looked like it! He had on a nice suit, dark sunglasses, and a fancy watch, and a very stern look on his face. All the other people were very friendly and modestly dressed.

The actual SWI Building

During the meeting they told us that the SWI opened in 1958. They explained that at the SWI there is an orphanage, a nursing home, and a home for disabled veterans. There are a total of 7 children in the orphanage and 5 of them are disabled. They use the term "disabled" very loosely. Of the 5 children, 3 have cleft lips and 1 has crossed eyes. Apparently, only one of the children is truly disabled and will require specialized care for the rest of her life. We saw 3 of the children playing outside and like Lily they look happy, chubby, and well cared for.

There are 11 residents in the nursing home and 5 army veterans. Quite a few of the nursing home residents were outside to greet us when we arrived but the Director shooed them away. The SWI has 11 employees and the Director has been in charge for 3 years. They average only one or two adoptions a year and are a very poor SWI.

The Director asked us to please bring Lily back to visit when she is older. He suggested that the age of 12 would be a good age to visit! Why? I don't know...I guess because he said so! He also told us that he hoped that she would be able to speak at least a few words of Mandarin.

We sent Lily a care package before we left for China. Included in the care package were various gifts and a disposable camera. When we were at the Civil Affairs Office on Tuesday we asked the Director if they had received the care package and we were led to believe they had not. However, as the meeting was winding down the nanny left the room and came back with our disposable camera and they had used all the pictures! We can't wait to have the pictures developed!

After the meeting they took us on a short tour of the orphanage. There really isn't a lot to see. They attempt to have all the children in foster care and only require them to visit the orphanage for doctor visits or like in Lily's case if the foster parent actually works at the orphanage. Unfortunately, we were not able to meet Lily's foster mother. I believe this was intentional.

The nursery and playroom.

Tony and I brought with us Hershey Bars with Lily's picture on the front to give to the children at the orphanage. My friend, Elaine, had these wrappers designed to give out at her daughter Amanda's orphanage and was kind enough to share the idea with me. Thanks Elaine they were a big hit! While we did not see the children actually receive them the Director got a kick out of them and passed them around to show the staff. I do believe he will give them to the kids!

The sweetest Hershey Bar ever!

After we toured the orphanage the Director walked with us to the location where Lily's First Mother placed her outside the orphanage gates. Lily was placed next to a pine tree where she would be easy to see but where her First Mother could be hidden from view. It was incredibly emotional to see this site.

The Director and the nanny took more pictures of Lily and then we were wrapping things up and heading to lunch. Tony and I thought we were only going to lunch with Shigu and almost died of shock when the Director got in the car with us. Several of the other orphanage staff followed in a separate car. We went to lunch at a really lovely restaurant about 30 minutes away from the SWI. The Director told us this was the nicest restaurant in all of Jia Yu County. I'm sure he was right. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it's the only restaurant in Jia Yu County.

We ate in a private room and had an entire entourage waiting on us. There was one woman in the room whose sole responsibility it was to hold Lily while we ate. Unfortunately for her...there was another woman in the room whose sole responsibility it was to hold Lily....that would be ME! There was another woman who stood behind me to my right and made sure my plate was filled and actually cut up my food. I think she would have fed me if I had let her!

As has been our experience, platter upon platter of food was delivered. The Director was very disheartened to learn I was a vegetarian and wanted assurances from Tony and I that we would not raise Lily the same way. Tony was quite adventurous in his eating during lunch and actually ate soup that had whole little fish floating in it! He did, however, draw the line at the eel. Despite the constant assurance from the Director that an eel is related to a fish and not a snake Tony just couldn't bring himself to do it. We were doted on the entire time we ate and I don't think it would've mattered how much we ate in the eyes of the Director it would never have been enough!

During lunch the Director toasted us with Tsing Tao beer several times. He wished us a happy life, a happy family, and so on. Only after a few toasts did we learn that after each toast you are expected to empty your glass. If you had told me this morning that Tony would be chugging beers with the Director this afternoon I would have thought you were crazy!

During lunch Lily sneezed once and the Director made them turn off the air conditioning in the beastly hot room. I'm sure the sneeze couldn't have been caused by all the cigarette smoke and the ashtray at each place setting! The Director tried to get Tony to smoke a cigarette with him but there is only so far Tony will go in the spirit of good cultural relations.

When lunch was finished the Director had them wrap up a ton of leftovers to send back to the hotel with us. God knows we haven't eaten enough since we've been here!

After lunch we headed back for the 2 1/2 hour harrowing ride to the hotel. I think it's obvious that Lily does not suffer from motion sickness. If she didn't throw up after today's car rides I don't think she ever will!