since we've been home...

Well, we're back home from China, and everyone is doing great! It's much colder here than it was in Guangzhou.

I want to say "thank you" for all the support and encouragement that so many of you have given to us while we traveled to bring home our daughter.

Mostly because our last moments in China and flights back to the States were relatively uneventful (with some exceptions), I won't rehash any of that. You can check out Amy's blog for some of those updates.

But since we have been back, we have been very busy. We got in on Thursday, grabbed some dinner and pretty much went straight to bed. So last Friday, with a full night's rest, I got up and went to work that morning to get some things done... and took Kate with me. As you have probably read, she's a bit of a daddy's girl so I thought I'd try to ease her into my absence by taking her with me that morning and letting everyone else get some more sleep. It was fine because I always love showing her off, and Kate amazes me with how she handles new things so well. So that afternoon I had a meeting, so I left her at the house with Amy and kids and again she handled that very well, too. Kate has the boys-- who she absolutely adores!-- around most of the time (Ben has school only until 11:00am and Will only goes twice a week). So I think my going back to work has actually helped her and Amy's bonding experience. We finished up the day with some visits from friends and a good homecooked meal (Amy's meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas = yum!), and judging from the amount Kate ate, she must have really liked it :)

(she loves those gloves)

Each night we've been trying to adjust our sleep to the new time zones and slowly it's getting better and better. So Saturday morning we laid around the house (the boys watched Qubo). And that afternoon I was leading a church event most of the day, so Amy carted the kids off to lunch with the girls in Lexington. I ended the night by finishing some prep for church and catching up on a little college football.

Sunday we went to church. That was fun. Kate went to big church with us and had a great time. She didn't seem to be at all overwhelmed... maybe a little nervous at times when strangers got too close. But she did great. She loved the music--she wouldn't sit still, clapping and wiggling around to the music! And I loved showing off my beautiful daughter. Later, Grammy and Boopa stopped by to meet their newest grandchild, went out to eat and came back for a little belated birthday cake and ice cream. Though Will sang "Happy Birthday" to her over and over on her actual birthday on Thursday and with the "party" on Sunday, I'm not sure she understands this whole birthday thing yet.

Monday Ben started back to school, and we're working hard to get back to "normal." It was my day off, so we just hung around the house. Amy did some grocery and clothes shopping. The boys watched some movies they got in China (Bugs Bunny and VeggieTales "Pirates Who Don't Do Anything"). Later, "we" carved the pumpkin... "we" means that I gutted it myself, carved it myself, and got to clean it up myself... they told me what shapes to make the eyes, nose and mouth :) Later, when Amy bathed the kids, I cleaned up the kitchen and baked pumpkin seeds. This was the first time I had ever tried baking pumpkin seeds myself, but I remember when I was a kid my mom doing this all the time. So I called my mom to ask what to do. Funny thing is that she said my brother, Brian, tried the same thing this year, too. It turns out Kate likes the pumpkin seeds, too.

Tuesday was pretty uneventful, I guess. I took the kids to school and went to work. We had spaghetti for dinner, and Kate loved it. We're glad she likes so many things, though she still doesn't seem to care for peanut butter, pizza, oranges or milk. I gave the kids their baths, but I had a hard time putting Kate to bed. I guess I forgot how tricky bedtime can sometimes be with two-year olds. Amy was great and was eventually able to get her in bed.

Wednesday was a big day. The church had their "Trunk-or-Treat" event where the adults decorate the trunks of their vehicles and pass out candy to the kids dressed in their Halloween costumes. It's a lot of fun. The boys dressed as Transformers--Ben as Bumblebee and Will as Optimus Prime. Kate became the third of our kids to wear the hand-me-down puppy dog costume, but she was very cute. It turned out to be an appropriate costume, too. I had told the youth on Sunday morning about my daughter and her middle name, Xuna, which was part of the name she was given at the orphanage. The "Xu" part of the name represents the year in which she was born, according to the Chinese zodiac. She was born in the year of the dog, and when each dog year roles around on the calendar it is paired with an elemental attribute. 2006 is fire dog. So many of the youth of my church are going around calling my daughter "Fire Dog." So anyway, it was a great time... lots of candy, tired kids and frozen toes :)

This morning our son Will got to show his preschool class pictures from his trip to China. We helped him show pictures of him with his sister, pictures from on the Great Wall, Tian An Men Square, the stone animal road at the Ming Mausoleum, and on trains, boats and playgrounds in China. I think he was proud to show off a little.

We have been unbelievably blessed with Kate's progress so far. She is such a joy to our family, and praise to God for bringing her so far so quickly! It is so amazing how in love I am with this little girl. And if you've not met her yet, I can't wait for you to see her.


* I apologize for not having more pictures here, but the battery on our home computer completely died so we can't access almost all of the pictures we've taken since we've been home. Hopefully soon.

guangzhou

Here is some video from Suzhou... It's fun to see our family interact. I think Kate must think all we ever do is eat (which seems to be okay by her!).

We are now in Guangzhou. We flew in early yesterday (Monday morning) from Nanjing. Here's a picture from the flight, not long before she spilled that cup of water (pictured on the right) all over my shirt and lap. Nice.

Once we arrived and checked into the White Swan hotel, we had a fairly Americanized lunch at Lucy's down the street. More expensive but worth it. We then took Kate to her visa picture and medical examination for the paperwork for the American consulate. Not fun, but I'm glad she's so healthy. That evening, Amy worked diligently preparing all the paperwork to be filed this morning. (Great job, honey!) Because that took a while, we ate a late dinner at an Italian restaurant a little walk from the hotel. Not bad. I think everyone enjoyed it pretty well.

This morning we really didn't have anything scheduled. Just be available in our rooms from 9:00am to 10:30am while our guide filed our paperwork with the US consulate so she could contact us if there were any complications. Along with the other families from our agency, we dressed up all the kids in traditional Chinese clothing for pictures. Isn't our daughter beautiful? Then a little trip to go shopping and pick up some pizza for dinner. Because there were no naps, we just sent everyone to bed early tonight!

Tomorrow is our last full day in China. I guess we'll take part in the oath ceremony at the US consulate and try to get everything packed up. This may be my last post until we're back, but, for all you who twitter, I'll probably update once we arrive in Detroit.

24 things I've learned about my daughter

Since tomorrow morning it will have been a week since "gotcha day," I thought I would post a few of the things I have learned about Kate since we met...

1. She is absolutely perfect.
2. She loves to be carried by her Baba.
3. She could eat bananas and shrimp (which she needs me to peel and de-head) non-stop.
4. She has a fascination for electronics... constantly playing with the phone, the cameras, the tv remote, and any other buttons and knobs she can get her hands on.
5. She likes to carry things around, either her toothbrush or comb (though she doesn't actually like to use them) or she puts things in bags and carries them around.
6. Speaking of toothbrushes, she doesn't like anyone messing with her lip or her mouth (which makes it hard to brush teeth).
7. She likes the color pink and looks adorable in tights.
8. She needs a nap in the afternoon and wakes up in a good mood.
9. She feels the need to hold the water bottle lids, and occasionally comes along and grabs open containers and dumps them out.
10. She loves peek-a-boo, kissing noises, is ticklish, and has a hilarious low-toned belly laugh when she gets going.
11. She slaps her head after she has bumped it on something.
12. She's got these long, slender fingers and toes (and, when I put her in bed, she likes it when I kiss her feet).
13. She poops in twos.
14. She usually calms down when she is sung to.
15. She uses her head to block food she doesn't want to eat (it looks like she's bowing).
16. She cries all throughout bath time.
17. She thinks her Mommy is hilarious and thinks it's funny when she makes kissing noises.
18. She loves attention from Dai Ge Ben and Er Ge Will.
19. She seems to think sunglasses are great for leaving fingerprints.
20. She is hot-natured and sweaty.
21. Though we think she might have an ear ache now, she is generally healthy and has been well-taken care of (and takes medicine pretty well).
22. She doesn't drink from a bottle, straw or cup, only with a spoon (because of the cleft in her palate).
23. She has learned to appreciate chocolate ice cream.
24. She is more wonderful than I deserve!!!

what I appreciate

First, some pictures... This is how I spend most of my time (carrying Kate in my arms)... oh, my poor back! Ben has been dealing with a bit of homesickness the last couple days. I don't think I'm homesick, but there are some things I suppose I miss about home. From my traveling these past several days in China, I have learned to appreciate (or re-appreciate) a number of things...

1. 110 voltage: With all the things we brought that need charging, one power converter barely covers it.

2. US tap water and milk: We cannot drink water in China, except bottled water... which includes no brushing teeth with it, eating fruit or vegetables washed in tap water, open mouths in the shower, ice in our drinks, etc. And because of the recent problems with people getting sick from milk in China, we're avoiding milk... and the boys love milk. Not that they don't love getting to drink Sprite all the time, but we all miss a nice cold glass of milk these days.

3. Laundry facilities: With the 44-pound weight restriction on baggage and the limit to one checked bag on flights in China, we only packed for one week and are now on week two of our trip. This means we have been doing laundry, some of it Amy has been doing in the tub and others were done by a laundry service. I put on some of the "professionally" laundered clothes today and they smelled less than fresh. On top of that, after several hours, my skin started breaking out in a rash! Apparently I'm allergic to the detergent the laundry service used (thankfully, my underwear was washed in-house!).

4. Traffic rules: I experienced this quite a bit on my previous visit to China, but there's no way to explain the driving here. Traffic rules here are, at best, traffic "suggestions." Pass on a double-yellow line? No problem (even with oncoming traffic headed right at you). Honking is not rude or angry; it's merely necessary to let other drivers know you are close. The confluence of cars, vans, bicycles and motor bikes is amazing, indeed. (However, train travel--like in Europe--is so nice... I really wish we utilized this more in the States.)

5. The 112 miles between our house and Mimi's: I love my mother-in-law and am so glad to have her help with the boys on the trip. She does a great job with Ben and Will, and I think it's so great that they've gotten to experience this. But after so much non-stop time together, I think Mimi and I will both be happy for a little distance when we get back home.

6. Variety in food: I think I've done a good job of eating. If you know me, you know I can be a picky eater, but I haven't complained about the food. We've had breakfast buffets at our hotels, which always have bread or toast, eggs, OJ, and some other things I like (plus, I'm not much of a breakfast eater anyway). For other meals, we've tried a number of places. We ate at a hot pot place a couple days ago (very spicy); we were served lunch when we visited the orphanage; we ate at a noodle place tonight; and a couple other "local" places along our tours. We are certainly getting our fill of rice. There are a few other options, too... McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and we found a Papa John's, too. All in all, I'm getting burnt out on these limited options though. I could really go for some good home cooking right about now (or at least a Cracker Barrel).

7. Media: This goes both ways. I appreciate the distance from the media because it gives me a break from the political circus (commercials, coverage, phone calls, polls, etc.). It also helps me deal with my heartbreak over the Cubs not being in the NLCS or World Series (at least I don't have to watch the horrible Phillies play the games the Cubs should have been playing). But I miss my cell phone and text messaging, college and NFL football, ESPN sports radio and updated podcasts, and the new episodes of Heroes and CSI.

8. Self-sufficient children: Now that Ben and Will are old enough to take care of themselves so much, I didn't realize how hard it was going to be to go back to taking care of every need of a toddler. On top of that, since I'm the only one Kate has totally bonded with, it's left to me to feed her (which is sometimes tricky, especially liquids), bath her, diaper her, cloth her, rock her, tuck her in, supervise her playtime, give her medicine, brush her teeth, sit with her in the van, carry her on the tours, and be there at any moment she wants something. It makes it harder that she can't tell me what she wants but still gets mad at me when I don't get it right. I love Kate so much and have totally enjoyed being her beloved Daddy, but now after six days, I'm ready for some help :) I hope she bonds with Amy soon!

These (along with soft beds, air-conditioning, and non-tonal languages) are just some of the things I've grown to appreciate more over the last 10 days.

what you come here for

I don't doubt that the reason most of you come to visit my blog is for the videos I've been posting, so here you go. This is from the Humble Administrator's Garden we visited yesterday. We attracted quite a crowd. Enjoy.

Daddy's Little Girl

(Brushing our teeth!)

A quick update. (I don't have much time... I distracted her with Cheerios, but she won't let me be away from her too long!)

Everything has been going very well. We went to the Civil Affairs office this morning to sign all the paperwork to make Kate officially ours (at least as far as the Chinese government is concerned)! We had to take Kate with us back to the place where we picked her up yesterday. She seemed to handle it pretty well. Actually, when some of the orphanage workers who brought her to us yesterday tried to get her to come to them, she refused to leave my side! Wow. However, she was not especially patient of the time it took to complete the paperwork... many times she got upset with me that when she grabbed my hand I wouldn't follow her outside.

Also, a highlight of my night yesterday: She got upset and started crying just before bedtime, so it was left to me to try to soothe her. I picked her up and took her to the bedroom. I bounced her for a moment, which soon led to dancing in circles, which soon led to me singing to her. For some reason, James Taylor's "You Are My Only One" came to my head. She loved it. She hugged my neck a little tighter, took some deep breaths, and totally gave it up. I have no words to describe what this feels like to have this strong connection already with this precious little girl. Like I said before, she's the other woman of my dreams!

I'm the luckiest dad in the world

My daughter is amazing. I can't believe we are finally together! I am even more amazed that she has bonded with me so well already! Oh, how my heart is ready to burst :)

(my new favorite picture, I think)

Well, since I'm nice and all, I let Amy get on-line first after we put Kate to bed tonight (that, and it's taking me a long time to convert all the video to the computer). So, go visit her blog soon.

Amy is quite amazing, too. What you don't know is that, because I knew it was common for the adopted child to have a preference for one parent over the other, I was afraid I would be the one rejected. What would have devestated me, Amy is handling wonderfully. She has been great, finding opportunities to bond little by little, helping me out all the time, and encouraging me and giving me confidence that I'm doing a good job.

Video of our first moments with Kate...

Some time well spent at Haagen Dazs...

Some more updates

This morning we visited Tian An Men Square. It was pretty amazing... a strange mix of leftover Olympic and Para-Olympic decorations with a strong communist nationalism (exemplified in the very, very long line of people waiting to walk past the body of Chairman Mao).

Close by was the Forbidden City. What an interesting clash in political ideology. Next to Tian An Men, the symbol of socialism and economic equality, was the Forbidden City, the sprawling palace that was once reserved strictly for the emperor and his family (now crammed with masses of people ironically enough). It certainly provides a visual reminder (propaganda?) of the extreme excesses of this kind of empire over against the teachings of communism.

We arrived in Nanjing tonight and are hoping for a good nights sleep. It's funny... driving through Nanjiing (and walking around the hotel a little), it reminds me much more of the China I experienced 11 years ago (looks and smells). I noticed several roadside vendors selling meat on a stick, people coming up to you to try to sell you stuff (a la "Hello Banana Lady"), and I even had myself a Magnum bar for good measure. Shawn is probably the only one who'll read this and know what in the world I'm talking about :)

By the way, don't forget you can see our travel itinerary (with links for more info) here.

Well, just a reminder... tomorrow is the big day! In about 13 hours (Sunday night for you), we will meet our daughter. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. We hope to post some great pictures and videos soon!

China in review (so far)

If you're wondering what our travel to China has been like so far, you can read some notes on Amy's blog. But here's a video recap of the trip over from Ben and Will's perspective :)

This was video is from this morning on the Great Wall of China. Will and I had found a spot to rest and wait for Amy and Ben to catch up with us. (Be sure to notice Ben in background yelling, "We'll see you in a minute!") The scenery was magnificent.

And it's true. Ben, and especially Will, are quite popular. It's hard to tell how many times we were stopped by people asking to take a picture with them. (I might need to google "picture with a cute white kid with freckles and dimples on the Great Wall of China" to see how many of those pictures have been posted to the web!) Even in a shopping center where we ate lunch today, Will was being stalked around every corner by two clerks trying to get him to give them hugs (see picture below). I'm afraid they'll start thinking they're celebrities.

(Also a quick shout out to Dad for the power converter that is making all these updates possible--keeping our camera, computer, video camera and all other technology charged! Thanks!)

here we go!

A lot of people have been asking me if I'm excited about leaving tomorrow for China. Honestly, I don't know how to answer them. Of course I'm excited! I mean, we're flying half way around the world with my whole family (including my mother-in-law). We're getting ready to add a little girl to our family full of boys. And this little girl, who's almost two years old, doesn't know us... doesn't know English... we don't know Chinese... and we are going to take her from everything she's ever known to live with us back here. Exciting? Terrifying and wonderful and sad and beautiful and traumatic and a dream come true and, yes, exciting, too.

This morning I woke up with butterflies in my stomach. (My stomach is always the first physical indicator that something's going on.) I guess it's kicking in that I'm about to leave on a journey that will forever change my life... to meet the other woman of my dreams :) Amy told me earlier that she has to tell herself to breathe. My prayer has long been that I would be a really good father. Ben and Will have been relatively easy so far, but a girl--will I know what to do? Talk about heartache! I know this little girl will have the capacity to either make my heart soar or break it to pieces. With all my heart, I hope I can be everything she needs.

I love you, Kate. I can't wait!

8 days to go

How is it that time is moving so slowly? (Although I still can't seem to get everything accomplished I've got on my to-do list!) I can't wait to get my arms around this little girl!


These pictures are now six months old, but we just got them last week in a file we were sent from our agency. What a wonderful surprise! (Click here for more recent pictures.)

One week from tomorrow we get on the plane to China, and in 11 days from right now (given the time change) we should be meeting our daughter! I can't believe how amazing this is.

We're hoping to have good internet access on our trip so that we can post regular updates to our blogs-- this one and Amy's (see "Raising Tomatoes" on the right-hand side of the page). We look forward to reading your comments as we post from China.