Happy First Birthday!

I know this isn't much of a cake - Mom just isn't up to a personalized "special" one this year, but promises to make up for it next year!! We have decided to have a fairly low-key celebration at Beau Jo's pizza tonight, just big sis and Grandpa, John and Geny and Mom and Dad. Maybe once we are more into a set routine we can have a real party, but for now we are still pretty sleep deprived and easily over stimulated so we will just stick to the basics and have a good time! Besides, I think we all have had enough excitement the past couple of weeks to last quite a while.

While I have a chance to type for a few minutes, I just want to express my gratitude to all of you that have supported us throughout this amazing journey. As I am pacing the halls in the wee hours of the night trying to soothe Meredith and coax her into Mountain Daylight Time, I have been reflecting on all of the wonderful people in our lives and how each of you play such an important role - whether you realize it, or not. To our families that are there for us day in and day out - - (especially you, Lindsay). Our co-workers that have taken on extra responsibilities so that we can devote much needed time with our new daughter. Our friends that call and give us that extra "boost" and let us know that they care. Our travel companions from G1357 - -your patience and support were beyond reproach. Even the kindness of strangers touched my heart - - the immigration officer at the SFO airport that called us to the front of the line so that we didn't have to wait with a newly adopted baby (turns out he was a Chinese -American also) and the housekeeping matron in the Hong Kong airport that helped set up the changing table for Meredith. Hopefully as our busy lives return to "normal", we will remember these kind deeds and take the time to pass on a little kindness ourselves.
Blessings to all.

Reflections on a Voyage to China

To say this was a life changing excursion would be an understatement. How often do you go on "vacation" and come home with a lifetime commitment?

While away, we lost both a childhood friend of Lindsay's and a coworkers husband. How strange that a time of joy and a time of sorrow can intermingle so closely in our extended family. Even though Meredith is almost one, it feels to us like she was born when they placed her in our arms.

At first I was unsure about travelling to China. I wanted to get Meredith as soon as possible, but wouldn't it be nice if they delivered her to us in the US like the Koreans do? Some people claim the travel requirement is all about money. Now I know different. These last two weeks are irreplaceable. No way else would we be free to shower our attention on Meredith with no outside distractions. No cooking, no cleaning, no work. Plus, we now have a better understanding of the world she comes from.

I've thought quite often about what drives someone to leave their baby on the street for strangers to find. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt because I don't walk in their shoes. However, after only two weeks of Meredith being my daughter, I can't think of any set of circumstances that could cause me to give her up. I guess some things will never be understood.

What a change we've seen in our daughter over the last two weeks. We first met a terrified, confused little girl. Her screams were bloodcurdling. Over two weeks those screams have turned to laughs. She has the biggest smile I've ever seen. Everyday we see new aspects of her personality. I can't wait to see what is next.

Home Sweet Home

After more than 24 hours of travel we are finally home. We landed in Rifle at 6:30 last night (Friday). That is 8:30 am on Saturday in Guangzhou were we started. We got up at 4:00 am on Friday morning so that was one really long day.

We did get a little sleep on the Hong Kong to San Francisco flight. Meredith slept for about 6 hours in the bassinet the airline provided. Last night wasn't so good for sleeping. We got Meredith to go to sleep about 10:00 but she woke up by midnight. Couldn't really get her back to sleep after that. I was up with her for a few hours and then Margo took over. Margo and Meredith are both taking naps right now. I need to wake Meredith so we can get her on a normal schedule.

It feels great to be home. Now I just need to figure out what to do with a baby at home. I had the hotel routine down. I guess we'll figure it out.

Thanks for all the support and messages while we were in China. It really helps to be able to stay in touch with friends and family.

Last Day in Guangzhou

Today's it. Our last day. It rained again so we didn't do too much. A little last minute shopping. At 2:45 we loaded up the bus one last time to go to the U.S. Consulate. While there we took the oath, which really just means we swore everything on our applications was true and correct. After the oath we received Meredith's visa to enter the United States. Yeah!!!! We can take her home. We'll still need to apply for a passport once we get to the States.

Tomorrow morning at 6:50 am we head for home. A quick flight to Hong Kong and then a looooong flight to San Francisco. Sandwiched between is a six hour layover in the Hong Kong airport. We are hoping to be home by 7:00 pm Friday night.

As soon as we clear immigration in San Francisco Meredith is a U.S. Citizen. Hooray!!!

See everyone soon.

Red Couch Photo Day

Today was a slow day. It rained hard most of the day so people mostly hung around the hotel. In the morning we had to wait around the hotel room. Jason had taken all our paperwork to the U.S. Consulate. We needed to be on standby in case there were any questions. Everything was fine with our documents.

Later in the day it was time for the traditional Red Couch Photos. Its tradition to take a picture of all the babies in the travel group sitting on a red couch in the White Swan lobby. We did that and more. All the combinations you can think of. All the babies were dressed in Chinese style clothing. Only Margo and I dressed from the adults.

Can't wait to get home. Tomorrow we get the last duties out of the way.

A Girl's (2nd) Best Friend

Today we ventured in our first Chinese taxi and traveled to the Pearl Market in the LiWan Plaza in Guangzhou. It actually was a decent trip there and the shopping experience was good. Of course we made a few purchases and Meredith even ended up with a baby bracelet of strung tiny little freshwater pearls. (Gee, thanks for starting that Aunt Terri)!! Jenni Lin and Lily also got matching "baby bling" to wear for the red couch photos.

They have wonderful gems and red coral at this market also. I say market, but really it is a 7 story building packed with wholesalers and jewelry design shops. Some of you ladies back home would go crazy....you know who you are! I would love to go back tomorrow if we have time.

After lunch Eric and Meredith went to the room for a nap and I went out on Shamian Island to shop around for a few more gifts to take home.

We had a group dinner at the Cow and Bridge Thai restaurant. I think the food there is really good - we had lunch there a few days ago. Meredith dined on steamed bean curd and broccoli plus most of my Thai steamed veggies and seafood. Eric had Thai BBQ'd shrimp which she probably would've liked, too (being a spicy Hunan girl and all), but we all know that Eric does not share well and so far, that has not changed!

More Paperwork

This morning we met to complete more forms for the U.S.Consulate - all in preparation for Meredith's visa. Everything has to be p-e-r-f-e-c-t, so it takes a long time to go over everything so that no one has any surprises. This afternoon Meredith will have her picture taken for the visa and she will get her medical exam. It is another hot and sweaty day, so I am sure it will be an ideal situation for 12 babies in a waiting room at a public health facility!!

update:

As you can see, it didn't go too badly, and best of all, we are very happy to report that she is a very healthy child!!

It is HOT!!!!

Even though Guangzhou is a city of 12 million people, our hotel "The White Swan", is located on Shamian Island which is somewhat separate from the main city so it does not feel like such a big bustling place. However, it is very, very hot and humid. It has rained here for the past 20 days straight and now the sun is out, so you can kind of get the picture!!
We took a tour of the city today that included a visit to the Liurong Temple (Temple of the Six Banyan Trees), where we had Meredith blessed by one of the Buddhist monks. We also saw the Guangdong Folk Arts Museum, Old Chen House and did some shopping at the Provencial Art and Crafts Center. Later in the afternoon, Lisa and I (Margo) walked down to the Health Center and splurged on a foot and neck massage which was heavenly!!
Dinner tonight is going to be in the room compliments of Papa John aka "Pop Jon" in China!

Traveling

Today we left Changsha and headed south to Gaungzhou, the capital of the province of Guangdong. In a way it was bittersweet.....sad to be taking Meredith away from her birthplace forever, but so happy to be moving on and getting away from the busy city and one step closer to her forever home.
She traveled like a true champ - looking out of the airplane window contentedly and enjoying moving, as always.

A Good Day

Today was finally a good day. Meredith was like a real child. Smiling, eating, laughing and yes, still some crying. We started out with a good breakfast, some play and a meeting. Since this is our last day in Changsha we thought we'd go out and see the city. We walked out into the most oppressive heat I've ever felt. It only took a few minutes to decide to go back to the air conditioned Friendship Shop, a big department store we had gone to on Wednesday. We spent a few hours there buying more for Meredith and some gifts for back home. Then it was back to the hotel for lunch and a power nap for all three of us. Tonight we've just been getting ready to travel. Tomorrow we go to Guangzhou for the rest of the trip. We have some U.S. paperwork to get done. All the Chinese paperwork is finished. Meredith was officially ours as of 9:30 on Tuesday. We received her Chinese passport today. We'll get a U.S. passport in Guangzhou.

Time for a Field Trip

Today we were scheduled for a field trip. We went to Martyrs Park and then he embroidery factory. The park trip was kind of a bust. Martyrs Park is a monument to those that died in the communist revolution. It also has theme park attractions. Shortly after we got there it started to rain. We went to the embroidery factory instead. They had some amazing work there. Embroidery on silk that looks like photographs. Some of it is double sided. One double sided piece has different designs on each side. You can't even tell. Later, we tried the park again but it started to rain again. In the evening we had a group dinner at a nearby Chinese restaurant. The food was pretty good. We took a walk afterwords and got some new sunglasses for Margo.

Meredith did better today. She still doesn't like the hotel room, but she was good when we went out. She LOVES breakfast.

A Free Day

No official duties today. We are on our own until a group dinner tonight. We'll be going to a "Western Style" restaurant with the group. (That ended up being an unorganized mess, but the food was OK. Although the beer was served warm).

We went to the Friendship Shop down the street. This is a big department store. Lots of high end designer stuff. They did have a good children's department. We got some things for Meredith.

Margo used her credit card and that was quite an ordeal. She had to go all the way down from the 6th floor to the 1st floor and go through some interrogation and sign a dozen documents to get that done.

Meredith is doing a little better today. She had breakfast with Margo and we started to see some personality come out.

Today its Official

This is hard. Meredith isn't a particularly happy camper right now. She cried all the time after we received her. She's grieving pretty deeply. The only time she quiets down even a little is when I (Eric) am holding her. She has to be held. Luckily, she will sleep through the night. Yesterday she wasn't interested in eating, but she will today.

We went back to the Civil Affairs Office today to do the official paperwork. We had a family photo taken, signed the adoption agreements and had some stuff notarized. At that point Meredith became officially ours.

Gotcha Day!

Today is the day we have been waiting for, wondering about, dreaming of for the past 2 1/2 years. It is finally here. This is it. In less than 8 hours we will be parents and our lives will change forever. Are we ready? Of course we are! Are we sure? Of course not!!
One thing we both agree about this morning is - each of us had a lousy night's sleep on the world's HARDEST bed! (Yes, we have been to Mexico and the beds there are hard, but that does not even compare)! I think if you weighed 500 lbs you would not even make a dent in this "mattress"! Oh well' just another reminder that we are on the older side of parenthood! Nothing is going to stop us now. We are off to shower, eat and then gather for a group meeting at 10AM to go over some details. Eric is double-checking the camera batteries and making sure our paperwork is in order.
On a side note, we are unable to view this blog or any comments made, our email is inaccessible, and right now SKYPE is only in Chinese characters that I cannot decipher enough to manage my way through enough to make a call, so we are not able to contact you for now. We will be working on that, though and hope to be in touch before the day is through.
Godspeed!

Update:

She's ours. Shortly after 3:00 local time Meredith was placed in Margo's arms. We are thrilled. Can't say the same for Meredith (yet). She's a little unhappy. She basically cried the remainder of the day.

There's a Crib in our Room

We just got into the Dolton Hotel in Changsha. We left Hong Kong late this morning on a Hong Kong Airlines flight. It was about an hour late leaving Hong Kong but everything else was fine. The bus ride into Changsha from the airport took about 40 minutes. Quite interesting. Lots of trash, construction, rundown houses, new high rises and about everything in between. We are on the 30th floor of the hotel. The view is OK if you can see through the smog.

Word is we will get Meredith at 3:00 tomorrow. We'll have to bus to the Civil Affairs office where they will place her in our arms. We are supposed to get some time to ask the nannies questions about her and her habits.

I don't know if we will get to check or send any emails. Right now I can't get into comcast.net. That sight might be blocked by the government.

A Day in Hong Kong

We spent the day in Hong Kong meeting the other families and getting used to the time change. We were supposed to take a tour in the morning but it rained too much overnight. The tour was delayed until the afternoon. We started with a dim sum lunch. A bunch of Chinese food served family style. After that we boarded a bus and went to see the city. The first stop was for a sampan ride in Aberdeen. We got on an old rickety boat and floated around the other old rickety boats. Then we went to jewelry store followed by a visit to Stanley Market. We finished up on Victoria Peak. Luckily it had cleared up so we could see the city. Tomorrow its off to Changsha were we will receive Meredith.

WooHoo They Made It!

Just got off the phone with my Mom and Eric and they have successfully landed in Hong Kong and navigated their way to their hotel. Despite their orignal fears of their luggage not making it, suprisingly enough it did! Just thought I would keep everyone up to date! I am sure they will post when they can!

Lil' Sister :-)

We're on the Way

Travel day is finally here. We're sitting in San Francisco right now waiting for our flight to Hong Kong. Our 7:00 am flight out of Aspen was delayed a little so we had to "run" to our gate to catch the San Francisco flight. Hopefully our baggage made it also. We met up with Lisa from our travel group in San Fran and had some lunch. It was nice to finally meet one of our cyberbuddies in person. Thanks for all your well wishes. We'll check in again when we get to Hong Kong.

Cyber Friends and Travel Buddies

I just want to take a few minutes to acknowledge the internet support group that has helped me "keep it together" the past 2 years, 4 months, 3 weeks and 4 days. Of course there is still a few more days left until we actually have our babies in our arms, and then who knows, perhaps that is when we may REALLY need the support group to rally! Anyway, to all of the January LIDs that are still out there waiting for their magical calls - or their TA's, or for the privilege of saying "NEXT!!", I say hang tight my friends it truly does happen and yes, it is all that it is cracked up to be. And to all of CCAI Travel Group 1357 - I can't wait to meet you all in person next week and share the experience of a lifetime with you and your families. I look forward to creating lifelong friendships that our daughters and families will forever cherish.
Margo

Party!

Last Friday a group of good friends put together an amazing party for Eric, Meredith and I. We had a wonderful buffet of Asian food, drinks (what a plus being able to drink at your own baby shower), appetizers, a tasteful game or two, a yummy cake, fancy chopsticks and pink fortune cookies, plus so many wonderful and thoughtful gifts for Meredith! I could go on and on, but truthfully the best part was the gathering and support of all of our friends and family and the genuine love and support that we felt. Everyone is so excited right along with us and has given us encouragement and love along this long journey - it truly has carried us through and we appreciate it so much.

Many thanks again to all of you - you don't know how much it means to us that you are sharing our joy. We are very blessed, indeed.