Saturday, February 28, 2009
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Artic Blast 2008!
Enjoy the pics from Thanksgiving. We are greatful for many things this year. Our family and friends all have their health. Our close family friend Steve Reuf will have a very special X-Mas this year as he is complete remission from cancer. We are so happy for him, his family and all the people that love him. We knew you could beat it! Bless our family and friends who are trying to make the best of it despite the hard economic times.
Yes, of course we are very thankful for the gift of Maddy. We had a wonderful 1st Turkey together. She is the best thing that has happened to our family -- even if Abby decides not to vote about this issue. It is so fun to watch her grow and to see how she views the world in her eyes.
The last week has been interesting as we have had the artic blast of 2008. I stayed home from work 2 days last week because of the weather and it looks as if Jim and I will not make it to work tomorrow. We have about 8 inches of snow and over one inch of solid ice! Yikes! Maddy had lots of fun as we dragged her around the neighborhood in the plastic bath tub that belongs to Christina. Thanks guys! We didn't know that it could be so versatile.
Happy Holidays everyone and to a memorable 2009!
Yes, of course we are very thankful for the gift of Maddy. We had a wonderful 1st Turkey together. She is the best thing that has happened to our family -- even if Abby decides not to vote about this issue. It is so fun to watch her grow and to see how she views the world in her eyes.
The last week has been interesting as we have had the artic blast of 2008. I stayed home from work 2 days last week because of the weather and it looks as if Jim and I will not make it to work tomorrow. We have about 8 inches of snow and over one inch of solid ice! Yikes! Maddy had lots of fun as we dragged her around the neighborhood in the plastic bath tub that belongs to Christina. Thanks guys! We didn't know that it could be so versatile.
Happy Holidays everyone and to a memorable 2009!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
six months
November 12th is the 6th month since Madeline was placed in our arms. Lots of changes in her and in us since then.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Sunday June 15th Fathers Day
What a wonderful Father's Day today. Still slowing introducing people to Madeline. Understanding the importance of a routine, especially when we are not in a routine. This is the best thing we have ever done. I love you Madeline and I love you Precious. Jim
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Wednesday June 4 - Home 2 weeks
We have been home 2 weeks now. Trying to establish a routine. We have had both sides of the family over to the house for dinner, the Miyake’s and Downie’s. This went well as Madeline warmed up to each side and had fun playing. We are slowly trying to introduce her to our friends and will be meeting more and more of them in the coming weeks. Sorry if it is not fast enough for everyone. Madeline hasn’t even known us for a month yet.
Trying to introduce solid food to Madeline, for now it is fun just to play with although thumb rolled in cracker crumbs is an interesting taste. Abby is on a diet. Madeline enjoys playing in Abby’s water and food bowls. So, we have to put them both up and out of the way when Madeline is on the crawl. I have returned back to work. Way to soon. It is difficult leaving home knowing Madeline is there and I am not. I look forward to coming home and playing with her each night.
Thinking of Steve and Mary Ruef, and Ken and Eloise Dickey. Get well soon.
Trying to introduce solid food to Madeline, for now it is fun just to play with although thumb rolled in cracker crumbs is an interesting taste. Abby is on a diet. Madeline enjoys playing in Abby’s water and food bowls. So, we have to put them both up and out of the way when Madeline is on the crawl. I have returned back to work. Way to soon. It is difficult leaving home knowing Madeline is there and I am not. I look forward to coming home and playing with her each night.
Thinking of Steve and Mary Ruef, and Ken and Eloise Dickey. Get well soon.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
We have been home for a week!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
We have been officially home for one week. We woke up this morning and looked at each other and said that we are so glad that we are home! Yay!!
Maddy is doing so well. She is crawling everywhere around the house, exploring and discovers something new every day! Madeline is very tactile she loves to touch everything and examine it. She is cooing, babbling and imitates us very well. Some of our favorite imitations so far are that she growls like a dog and scrunches up her nose and sniffs. This is because she saw me using saline spray everyday in China. She is so adorable and she has captured our hearts and we love her more and more every day. Her molars are coming in so she is very tired and a little cranky right now but other than that she is adjusting well or as far as we know anyways.
Well, basically after trying to recover from jet lag, the overwhelming responsibilities of parenting and sleep deprivation I went shopping for Madeline’s spring wardrobe yesterday as I completely underestimated her clothes size and we had no clothes that were the right size. (This was an unintentional ploy that worked in my favor Hee..Hee..=) According to her paperwork from China, she would be wearing 18 month old clothes. Instead, she is so petite that she wears size 12 month clothes comfortably and they are even a tad too big. She will be wearing her 18 month old clothes next year! Wow, she is all set to go and that is thanks to all of you. Jim stayed with Madeline while I went to Babies R Us and it was a nice break for me to get out of the house. I purchased a couple of adorable outfits for Uncle Justin’s wedding as well.
We have introduced Madeline to her car seat, high chair and baby food. Today, she sat in the high chair for the first time and threw pears all over the place. It was funny. Her favorite activity though is splashing around in Abby’s dog bowl.
Tomorrow we are off to have Maddy’s blood drawn for labs so it should be an interesting experience. Then we are going to run some errands and then home to relax. Jim is going back to work on Friday so I will be with Maddy by myself for 5 weeks! Yikes! Luckily, I have a great support network and many people I can call when I am on the verge of tears. No, it will be fun and I know I won’t want to return to work but alas reality will set in the week before I am to return to work.
More updates to come….
Please pray for our family friend Ken Dickey and his family as he is ill and we wish him a speedy recovery and of course all of the victims of the earthquake and their families.
Crystal
We have been officially home for one week. We woke up this morning and looked at each other and said that we are so glad that we are home! Yay!!
Maddy is doing so well. She is crawling everywhere around the house, exploring and discovers something new every day! Madeline is very tactile she loves to touch everything and examine it. She is cooing, babbling and imitates us very well. Some of our favorite imitations so far are that she growls like a dog and scrunches up her nose and sniffs. This is because she saw me using saline spray everyday in China. She is so adorable and she has captured our hearts and we love her more and more every day. Her molars are coming in so she is very tired and a little cranky right now but other than that she is adjusting well or as far as we know anyways.
Well, basically after trying to recover from jet lag, the overwhelming responsibilities of parenting and sleep deprivation I went shopping for Madeline’s spring wardrobe yesterday as I completely underestimated her clothes size and we had no clothes that were the right size. (This was an unintentional ploy that worked in my favor Hee..Hee..=) According to her paperwork from China, she would be wearing 18 month old clothes. Instead, she is so petite that she wears size 12 month clothes comfortably and they are even a tad too big. She will be wearing her 18 month old clothes next year! Wow, she is all set to go and that is thanks to all of you. Jim stayed with Madeline while I went to Babies R Us and it was a nice break for me to get out of the house. I purchased a couple of adorable outfits for Uncle Justin’s wedding as well.
We have introduced Madeline to her car seat, high chair and baby food. Today, she sat in the high chair for the first time and threw pears all over the place. It was funny. Her favorite activity though is splashing around in Abby’s dog bowl.
Tomorrow we are off to have Maddy’s blood drawn for labs so it should be an interesting experience. Then we are going to run some errands and then home to relax. Jim is going back to work on Friday so I will be with Maddy by myself for 5 weeks! Yikes! Luckily, I have a great support network and many people I can call when I am on the verge of tears. No, it will be fun and I know I won’t want to return to work but alas reality will set in the week before I am to return to work.
More updates to come….
Please pray for our family friend Ken Dickey and his family as he is ill and we wish him a speedy recovery and of course all of the victims of the earthquake and their families.
Crystal
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Jet lag…what jet lag? Where has the time gone. We have been home four days now and have slept a good portion of it. I am feeling better from the cold I caught the last couple of days in China and Crystal is sleepy, so she is back to normal. Madeline is adjusting. Everyday she does more and more new things, and she talks more and more. We have taken a few pictures of her exploring her new surroundings and getting used to her new home. She is crawling really well and is starting to follows us around the house. She and Abby our dog met on Thursday. Abby was really excited to see her and wanted to give her kisses. This scared Madeline some so we were keeping a close eye them both for most of Thursday. Since then this has not been a problem. Abby still wants to kiss her however she minds well and leaves Madeline alone when we tell her too. The first night was interesting. Madeline has been sleeping in our room in a Pack-N-Play, so Abby stood guard on our bed staring at her all night. This has gone on every night since. Madeline is sleeping well through the night. She has only been waking up once each night. We give her a bottle and she goes back to sleep. We are gradually getting into a routine for sleeping and eating which seems to be going well for all of us. A baby’s life.
Madeline’s doctors appointment went well on Friday. No pokes this time. Blood draws and other tests will be done next week. She weighs 17 pounds which we understand is in the 5th percentile. Her height is in the 25th percentile and her head circumference is in the 50th percentile. Hopefully she is not like her Dad, if she was, then as much as she has been pooping her head would be a lot smaller today. The poop thing has not bothered me so much since I have been following Abby around the neighborhood picking up her poop. In fact Crystal has only had to change two poopy diapers. How about them apples.
Abby took us all out for a stroll around the neighborhood this evening, Madeline got to use her stroller. We are not sure if this was fun for her or not as she fell asleep. We met some of our neighbors on the walk and introduced Madeline. We have plans with our neighbor’s across the street tomorrow to met their son Braeden who is around 3 months old and only a couple of pounds lighter than Madeline.
Other than that not much has been going on. We have had some visitors and want to apologize for not being more sociable. Thank you all for the food and support.
Madeline’s doctors appointment went well on Friday. No pokes this time. Blood draws and other tests will be done next week. She weighs 17 pounds which we understand is in the 5th percentile. Her height is in the 25th percentile and her head circumference is in the 50th percentile. Hopefully she is not like her Dad, if she was, then as much as she has been pooping her head would be a lot smaller today. The poop thing has not bothered me so much since I have been following Abby around the neighborhood picking up her poop. In fact Crystal has only had to change two poopy diapers. How about them apples.
Abby took us all out for a stroll around the neighborhood this evening, Madeline got to use her stroller. We are not sure if this was fun for her or not as she fell asleep. We met some of our neighbors on the walk and introduced Madeline. We have plans with our neighbor’s across the street tomorrow to met their son Braeden who is around 3 months old and only a couple of pounds lighter than Madeline.
Other than that not much has been going on. We have had some visitors and want to apologize for not being more sociable. Thank you all for the food and support.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Crocodile Restaurant
Thursday, May 22
Hi – it’s Crystal.
As previously stated by Jim we are home safe and sound. Thank you for all of your prayers and supportive thoughts while we were gone on our journey to meet our daughter. We will think every day of our wonderful, life changing trip but also feel so much grief for the victims of the earthquake. This life changing event makes us so thankful that we were not hurt or others that we know of first hand in China but we will pray for those lost lives and for those who are survived and are having to pick up the pieces from square one. Please keep praying for the victims and their families.
We arrived home yesterday at 7:30 am and were met at the airport by family and friends. They had to wait about one hour or so as we went through immigration and customs. It was a very smooth process for us. It is good to be home with our Maddy but to be honest I could of stayed at least another week site seeing, eating and receiving top notch service at the hotel.
Madeline did quite well for the rest of the day. We all took naps at different times and then Maddy laid down for the night at 10 pm ish. She woke up at 3:30 am and sat up with Jim until I woke up at 5 am and managed to put her back to sleep for a couple more hours. I had an acupuncture appointment today at 1pm so my parents, Jim and I piled in the car and went to Vancouver. Then we went to lunch and called it a day as Maddy had a meltdown in the car on the way home from the restaurant. She went down for another nap for only an hour or so and then we put her down at 10:30 pm. Maddy met Abby our dog, daughter #1 today. Abby was so excited to see her dad (she is daddy’s girl) that she initially scared Madeline so Jim kept Abby a safe distance away from Maddy. Tonight, though Maddy liked Abby and now Abby is the one that is a little scared and unsure of what to think of this little one who will soon be torturing her. It is truly amazing how resilient children are in general and how well they can adapt to change.
Okay, back to pictures from Tuesday – we started off the day with our exit meeting. We were given paperwork to take with us and to guard with our lives to deliver to immigration in Portland. After the meeting we went to the restaurant featured in National Geographic Magazine that serves Crocodile. The restaurant was amazing. First of all our driver pulled up to the place and there were two Rolls Royce’s parked in the front and roped off. These cars belong to the owner. Then you walk into the lobby and there are huge crystal chandeliers with gold all over the place. In the room adjacent to the huge dining room there is a Koi pond with turtles and three very fancy sports cars on display – I only remember one it was a Lotus. I thought this was all quite funny. Then we walked around and picked our lunch from tanks full of different seafood and other creatures. It was amazing. Yes, we saw the crocodiles and ordered some for all of us. They were about 4 to 6 feet long with their mouths taped shut. Jim observed the cook taking our croc out of the tank to prepare for the meal. He set the croc on the floor and kicked it all the way back to the kitchen. Now exactly how I would like to be treated before I take my last breath but maybe the cook was tenderizing it for us. We had absolutely fantastic food. It was served family style as we had two other families with us (all from Oregon I am proud to say) along with Catherine Han – the Holt office manager in Guangzhou, her intern Kenny and our van driver.
We ate chicken feet, pickled plums, pickled cabbage, scallops cooked in Garlic, Mussels, steamed fish, rice, noodles, greens and of course the main entrée was crocodile. Everything tasted very good. All of the entrees were very flavorful, fresh and very healthy. The crocodile was excellent. It was sautéed in a sauce and it was very tender. It tasted like chicken except it had a slightly different texture – it melted in your mouth. Catherine informed us that we indulged in the feet and arms of the croc as that by far is the most tender part of the croc. We had fruit for dessert. We ate all of this for $25.00 per person and that included the van driver’s fee. Wow! It was fantastic. I’ll have to run down to the local Safeway’s like my friend Christina suggested and put in a special order for some crocodile. I am sure that they would be willing to accommodate to our culinary needs. =)
After lunch we went the Consulate and with about 40 other families took our oath to take care of Maddy and she became a US Citizen! Yay! We received her passport and visa to take home with us to Oregon.
Jim went off for a massage to the parlor that I went to the day before. He said that it was excellent. He deserved it as he has been sharing the load of parenting and not feeling too well. It was relaxing for him. As he was off doing the massage thing, I ran to the supermarket one last time to buy some more formula for Maddy. I want to make sure she has enough as she only drinks formula and has been slow to transition to new things so we want to keep her well fed until she starts to eat solids or at least baby food. I returned to the hotel and started packing. We had a late night and were off to bed at 11 am and woke up at 4 am. Madeline was very cranky on the flight from Guangzhou to Tokyo. We were at the back of the plane so I stood up with her in the Ergo and tried to comfort her. An elderly Chinese gentleman was sitting next to Jim and I think he was a bit annoyed with Madeline but fortunately we were not the only ones on this flight with screaming babies. She was an angel and slept or played for the 10 hour plane trip from Tokyo to Portland.
I was very sad to leave China. Especially, in southern China where Madeline is from. I wanted to go to more places especially where she was found and explore more so I can recall as many details for her as possible when she becomes older. We enjoyed every moment of our trip – no regrets or complaints. Of course, we were blessed with the greatest gift of all – our beautiful daughter. We will return for a homeland tour when Maddy is between 8 years and 12 years old if not before then. It is good to be home to start the next chapter of our lives with family and friends.
Our adoption agency, Holt has been outstanding and we are so thankful for every single person that has helped us from A-Z.
Hi – it’s Crystal.
As previously stated by Jim we are home safe and sound. Thank you for all of your prayers and supportive thoughts while we were gone on our journey to meet our daughter. We will think every day of our wonderful, life changing trip but also feel so much grief for the victims of the earthquake. This life changing event makes us so thankful that we were not hurt or others that we know of first hand in China but we will pray for those lost lives and for those who are survived and are having to pick up the pieces from square one. Please keep praying for the victims and their families.
We arrived home yesterday at 7:30 am and were met at the airport by family and friends. They had to wait about one hour or so as we went through immigration and customs. It was a very smooth process for us. It is good to be home with our Maddy but to be honest I could of stayed at least another week site seeing, eating and receiving top notch service at the hotel.
Madeline did quite well for the rest of the day. We all took naps at different times and then Maddy laid down for the night at 10 pm ish. She woke up at 3:30 am and sat up with Jim until I woke up at 5 am and managed to put her back to sleep for a couple more hours. I had an acupuncture appointment today at 1pm so my parents, Jim and I piled in the car and went to Vancouver. Then we went to lunch and called it a day as Maddy had a meltdown in the car on the way home from the restaurant. She went down for another nap for only an hour or so and then we put her down at 10:30 pm. Maddy met Abby our dog, daughter #1 today. Abby was so excited to see her dad (she is daddy’s girl) that she initially scared Madeline so Jim kept Abby a safe distance away from Maddy. Tonight, though Maddy liked Abby and now Abby is the one that is a little scared and unsure of what to think of this little one who will soon be torturing her. It is truly amazing how resilient children are in general and how well they can adapt to change.
Okay, back to pictures from Tuesday – we started off the day with our exit meeting. We were given paperwork to take with us and to guard with our lives to deliver to immigration in Portland. After the meeting we went to the restaurant featured in National Geographic Magazine that serves Crocodile. The restaurant was amazing. First of all our driver pulled up to the place and there were two Rolls Royce’s parked in the front and roped off. These cars belong to the owner. Then you walk into the lobby and there are huge crystal chandeliers with gold all over the place. In the room adjacent to the huge dining room there is a Koi pond with turtles and three very fancy sports cars on display – I only remember one it was a Lotus. I thought this was all quite funny. Then we walked around and picked our lunch from tanks full of different seafood and other creatures. It was amazing. Yes, we saw the crocodiles and ordered some for all of us. They were about 4 to 6 feet long with their mouths taped shut. Jim observed the cook taking our croc out of the tank to prepare for the meal. He set the croc on the floor and kicked it all the way back to the kitchen. Now exactly how I would like to be treated before I take my last breath but maybe the cook was tenderizing it for us. We had absolutely fantastic food. It was served family style as we had two other families with us (all from Oregon I am proud to say) along with Catherine Han – the Holt office manager in Guangzhou, her intern Kenny and our van driver.
We ate chicken feet, pickled plums, pickled cabbage, scallops cooked in Garlic, Mussels, steamed fish, rice, noodles, greens and of course the main entrée was crocodile. Everything tasted very good. All of the entrees were very flavorful, fresh and very healthy. The crocodile was excellent. It was sautéed in a sauce and it was very tender. It tasted like chicken except it had a slightly different texture – it melted in your mouth. Catherine informed us that we indulged in the feet and arms of the croc as that by far is the most tender part of the croc. We had fruit for dessert. We ate all of this for $25.00 per person and that included the van driver’s fee. Wow! It was fantastic. I’ll have to run down to the local Safeway’s like my friend Christina suggested and put in a special order for some crocodile. I am sure that they would be willing to accommodate to our culinary needs. =)
After lunch we went the Consulate and with about 40 other families took our oath to take care of Maddy and she became a US Citizen! Yay! We received her passport and visa to take home with us to Oregon.
Jim went off for a massage to the parlor that I went to the day before. He said that it was excellent. He deserved it as he has been sharing the load of parenting and not feeling too well. It was relaxing for him. As he was off doing the massage thing, I ran to the supermarket one last time to buy some more formula for Maddy. I want to make sure she has enough as she only drinks formula and has been slow to transition to new things so we want to keep her well fed until she starts to eat solids or at least baby food. I returned to the hotel and started packing. We had a late night and were off to bed at 11 am and woke up at 4 am. Madeline was very cranky on the flight from Guangzhou to Tokyo. We were at the back of the plane so I stood up with her in the Ergo and tried to comfort her. An elderly Chinese gentleman was sitting next to Jim and I think he was a bit annoyed with Madeline but fortunately we were not the only ones on this flight with screaming babies. She was an angel and slept or played for the 10 hour plane trip from Tokyo to Portland.
I was very sad to leave China. Especially, in southern China where Madeline is from. I wanted to go to more places especially where she was found and explore more so I can recall as many details for her as possible when she becomes older. We enjoyed every moment of our trip – no regrets or complaints. Of course, we were blessed with the greatest gift of all – our beautiful daughter. We will return for a homeland tour when Maddy is between 8 years and 12 years old if not before then. It is good to be home to start the next chapter of our lives with family and friends.
Our adoption agency, Holt has been outstanding and we are so thankful for every single person that has helped us from A-Z.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Day 16 – Wednesday May 21 home
4:00 am wake up on Wednesday May 21st. Bags in hall by 4:45am. Lobby at 5:30am. Guangzhou Airport at 6:30am. Off the ground at 8:20am to Tokyo then to PDX. Arrive PDX at 7:30am the same day, an hour before we lefts. (14 hours of flight time and we start the same day over???) WE ARE HOME. Madeline, Crystal, and I are home. Thank you family and friends who met us at the airport. Madeline had a tough flight to Tokyo, 5-hours. From Tokyo to PDX she was fine. She slept most of the way. tired now. time for a nap. I will include yesterdays pictures and explain them later.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Day 14 – Monday May 19, 2008
Having fun with Madeline. Crystal is having a message now and Madeline just laid down to nap. Very interesting…a few moments ago, all the siren's in the city went off at the same time. People pulled their cars over and blew their horn. At around 2:35 it was the 1 week anniversary of the earthquake and today starts 3-days of remembrance. I was speaking with Phoebe, one of the Holt staff, this morning and she was saying there will be no entertainment for 3-days. On the television there is only news broadcasts. All other television programs have been turned off and there is just a black screen with Chinese writing explaining why I assume.
This morning we went to the Six Banyan Buddhism Temple for Madeline’s blessing. Red couch photo’s were today. It was nice seeing all the kids in their Chinese outfits. Madeline looked wonderful. In the evening we took a Pearl river cruise. It was neat seeing all the buildings and bridges lit up.
This morning we went to the Six Banyan Buddhism Temple for Madeline’s blessing. Red couch photo’s were today. It was nice seeing all the kids in their Chinese outfits. Madeline looked wonderful. In the evening we took a Pearl river cruise. It was neat seeing all the buildings and bridges lit up.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Day 13 – Sunday May 18
Today is the one year anniversary of finding Madeline. We were told she was found on the 18th of May 2007. From the looks of her belly button they figured she was born the day before.
A short walking distance from our hotel there is a small church where they hold Christian church services in both Chinese and English. It was interesting listening to the hymns sung in Chinese then English. The Preacher spoke in short sentences to allow an interpreter to translate into English. The prayers and donations were all for the earthquake victims. Very sad.
A quick sandwich for lunch and off to the jade and pearl markets. We met Catherine’s son, Cormack. He is seven years old. Catherine must have really talked Crystal up to him as he stuck to Crystal the entire time. Everyone here has taken to Crystal, just like back home, I’m liked until you meet Crystal. Cormack is such a gentleman and flirt. At one point it started to sprinkle rain so he took his cap off and offered it to Crystal. Anyway there they were Crystal and Cormack off jade and pearl shopping while Madeline and I stayed away from the crowds and watched. Well I watched as Madeline fell asleep. Get used to this Madeline, you need to stay awake and act like you enjoy shopping.
Dinner was back at the “Cow and Bridge” Thai restaurant, it is really good, and then more bartering for gifts on our way back to the hotel. Off to sleep now.
A short walking distance from our hotel there is a small church where they hold Christian church services in both Chinese and English. It was interesting listening to the hymns sung in Chinese then English. The Preacher spoke in short sentences to allow an interpreter to translate into English. The prayers and donations were all for the earthquake victims. Very sad.
A quick sandwich for lunch and off to the jade and pearl markets. We met Catherine’s son, Cormack. He is seven years old. Catherine must have really talked Crystal up to him as he stuck to Crystal the entire time. Everyone here has taken to Crystal, just like back home, I’m liked until you meet Crystal. Cormack is such a gentleman and flirt. At one point it started to sprinkle rain so he took his cap off and offered it to Crystal. Anyway there they were Crystal and Cormack off jade and pearl shopping while Madeline and I stayed away from the crowds and watched. Well I watched as Madeline fell asleep. Get used to this Madeline, you need to stay awake and act like you enjoy shopping.
Dinner was back at the “Cow and Bridge” Thai restaurant, it is really good, and then more bartering for gifts on our way back to the hotel. Off to sleep now.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Birthday Party
Surprise!!! Happy Birthday Madeline. During afternoon tea with the Holt families in town the Holt Staff and Lotus Travel staff surprised us with a birthday cake for Madeline. Madeline was speechless. She could only coo. So, Crystal and I thanked everyone for making her birthday so special by allowing us to share it with them. Then we all ate cake. Thank you Holt.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Day 12 – Saturday May 17 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADELINE!!!
Last night dinner was Cantonese and it was very good. The menu choices were different and we took some photo’s; silk worm, water beetles, sand worms, eels, snake, turtle, frog…We choose chicken. We hear it tastes like silk worm. Across the Pearl river they light up the buildings like billboards. We will attempt to take other pictures. Last night was so humid that the air was very thick and it was difficult to take photo’s from such a distance.
This morning we meet up with the other two families we first meet in Beijing and got a chance to meet their adopted children. So cute. They flew in from the Province their children are from late last night. We have only had a chance for small talk so far as we all had adoption business to take care of this morning; Photo for VISA , paper work check and medical exam. This afternoon we all meet for tea, get to celebrate Madeline’s birthday with the group, have a chance to hear their stories and to meet two other families in our travel group.
This morning we meet up with the other two families we first meet in Beijing and got a chance to meet their adopted children. So cute. They flew in from the Province their children are from late last night. We have only had a chance for small talk so far as we all had adoption business to take care of this morning; Photo for VISA , paper work check and medical exam. This afternoon we all meet for tea, get to celebrate Madeline’s birthday with the group, have a chance to hear their stories and to meet two other families in our travel group.
Friday, May 16th
Friday, May 16th
Hi – it’s Crystal.
Our experiences with Madeline keep getting better and better every day. We have seen a huge change in her personality since Monday. She is no longer stoic and reserved. She is more relaxed and it is so much fun to watch her discover what is going on in the world. She is very tactile and loves anything with texture. I played with her on my lap this afternoon for at least 2 hours. Today, we were delighted as she smiled some more and as we were getting ready for bed she starting babbling and squealing with joy! It made us so happy that our little girl’s personality is starting to appear before our very eyes. She is so precious and we are treasuring every moment with her. We will see what tomorrow brings for her as it is her first birthday. We will go to the bakery next door and get her a small cupcake or something similar to that to celebrate the special occasion!
Jim is the concerned responsible parent. He is such an excellent care taker and loves Madeline so much. He is concerned if she is drinking enough formula; he does not want her to be dehydrated and wants to make sure everything is okay. It breaks his heart every time she cries. I think Madeline is doing just fine as each day passes she is drinking more, her cold symptoms are improving and my attitude is: “Well, this kid has been through a major life transition. If she is showing any signs or symptoms of failing to thrive we will just have the doctor make another house call.” Maddy already has daddy twisted around her finger.
Yesterday, as Jim posted earlier we had an excellent time at The Banyan Gardens. It was so beautiful. The foliage is so different than what we are used to seeing since we are in this subtropical region of the world. The air was cleaner than in downtown Guangzhou and it felt good to be outside for awhile. It was cooler being at a higher elevation and there was a slight breeze. I have thoroughly enjoyed site seeing and interacting with natives from the north and the south. The two parts of the country are so different. Language, food, attitudes, etc. I am so proud to say that our daughter is Cantonese.
Also, I had the best massage I have ever experienced. This massage therapist has worked here at the hotel for 25 years. She performed deep tissue work, along with acupressure and then the grand finale consisted of her massaging my back with her feet! Yes, she walked on my back. It was awesome! I think I might have to give her a go one more time before we leave for home. Her rate was so reasonable by American standards.
Today was a lovely day as Maddy and the two of us slept in this morning. We did not have to be anywhere and it was nice and relaxing. This afternoon we went The Chen Imperial Temple. The venue was absolutely gorgeous. In this part of China, they are well known for wood carvings instead of the ornate painting that one would see on buildings in the northern part of China. I was in awe of the workmanship at this place as it was so detailed oriented and elegant. I asked Joyce, our tour guide if it is still possible to order doors or windows with this style of carved wood. She said that there are some places that still do this type of trade. I think this is wonderful. Unfortunately, though, western influences have brought in high rise dwellings for natives to call home so this part of Chinese culture is fading. What a bummer. Also, Ivory carvings including fans were on display as well. Ivory carvings were done until 1989 in the south of China but it was banned for obvious reasons. Now, bone carving is the trade. I was fascinated by the craftsmanship that went into all of the different pieces. It was interesting speaking to Joyce about The Chen’s Family Temple as we talked about the Cultural Revolution and how many traditional venues were torn down all over China. It is so sad to think about how this part of Chinese culture was lost.
We decided it was time to go out on our own and enjoy some Cantonese food. We went to a highly recommended restaurant that was excellent. Jim was the only Caucasian American in the place. We had chicken and steamed vegetables. There were also many different types of delicacies displayed in the front of the restaurant fresh for dinner. Among the more exotic choices were sandworms, snake, turtles, toads and water beetles. I know these sound so appealing for those of you who watch Survivor.
We are very excited as Catherine is taking us to the restaurant that is featured in the latest version of The National Geographic Magazine - China on page 83 on Tuesday! We are going to try Crocodile! It is supposed to be very healthy for you and I say what I heck when will be able to have an opportunity to try this again? So why not just go for it and at least give it a try! I am interested to see how it will be prepared and most importantly what kind of taste and texture it will have. More updates to come regarding this new adventure!
I have been reading the newspaper and we have been watching television regarding news about the earthquake. The government is trying to keep the country’s morale up as everyday on the front page of The China Register there are stories about people who have been saved from the ruins of the earthquake. The nation has come together as an entire entity as many have donated money, time or supplies for those who are less fortunate. There are many orphans who are already being adopted by other families. Something that is very sad is that there are now parents who have lost their only child. Most families here have only one child due to the family planning policy enacted sometime in the early 1980’s. There were several schools full of hundreds of children that collapsed and the children were killed instantly. The pictures we have seen of the devastation are beyond anything I could ever imagine. In one city near the epicenter all of the buildings collapsed and only one building remains halfway standing. It is heartbreaking to us.
Tomorrow, we have a lot of official business to take care of for Madeline. We will have her visa photo taken, fill out all pertinent paperwork and have her medical examination. We may not see many smiles tomorrow after all of the above is done!
Hi – it’s Crystal.
Our experiences with Madeline keep getting better and better every day. We have seen a huge change in her personality since Monday. She is no longer stoic and reserved. She is more relaxed and it is so much fun to watch her discover what is going on in the world. She is very tactile and loves anything with texture. I played with her on my lap this afternoon for at least 2 hours. Today, we were delighted as she smiled some more and as we were getting ready for bed she starting babbling and squealing with joy! It made us so happy that our little girl’s personality is starting to appear before our very eyes. She is so precious and we are treasuring every moment with her. We will see what tomorrow brings for her as it is her first birthday. We will go to the bakery next door and get her a small cupcake or something similar to that to celebrate the special occasion!
Jim is the concerned responsible parent. He is such an excellent care taker and loves Madeline so much. He is concerned if she is drinking enough formula; he does not want her to be dehydrated and wants to make sure everything is okay. It breaks his heart every time she cries. I think Madeline is doing just fine as each day passes she is drinking more, her cold symptoms are improving and my attitude is: “Well, this kid has been through a major life transition. If she is showing any signs or symptoms of failing to thrive we will just have the doctor make another house call.” Maddy already has daddy twisted around her finger.
Yesterday, as Jim posted earlier we had an excellent time at The Banyan Gardens. It was so beautiful. The foliage is so different than what we are used to seeing since we are in this subtropical region of the world. The air was cleaner than in downtown Guangzhou and it felt good to be outside for awhile. It was cooler being at a higher elevation and there was a slight breeze. I have thoroughly enjoyed site seeing and interacting with natives from the north and the south. The two parts of the country are so different. Language, food, attitudes, etc. I am so proud to say that our daughter is Cantonese.
Also, I had the best massage I have ever experienced. This massage therapist has worked here at the hotel for 25 years. She performed deep tissue work, along with acupressure and then the grand finale consisted of her massaging my back with her feet! Yes, she walked on my back. It was awesome! I think I might have to give her a go one more time before we leave for home. Her rate was so reasonable by American standards.
Today was a lovely day as Maddy and the two of us slept in this morning. We did not have to be anywhere and it was nice and relaxing. This afternoon we went The Chen Imperial Temple. The venue was absolutely gorgeous. In this part of China, they are well known for wood carvings instead of the ornate painting that one would see on buildings in the northern part of China. I was in awe of the workmanship at this place as it was so detailed oriented and elegant. I asked Joyce, our tour guide if it is still possible to order doors or windows with this style of carved wood. She said that there are some places that still do this type of trade. I think this is wonderful. Unfortunately, though, western influences have brought in high rise dwellings for natives to call home so this part of Chinese culture is fading. What a bummer. Also, Ivory carvings including fans were on display as well. Ivory carvings were done until 1989 in the south of China but it was banned for obvious reasons. Now, bone carving is the trade. I was fascinated by the craftsmanship that went into all of the different pieces. It was interesting speaking to Joyce about The Chen’s Family Temple as we talked about the Cultural Revolution and how many traditional venues were torn down all over China. It is so sad to think about how this part of Chinese culture was lost.
We decided it was time to go out on our own and enjoy some Cantonese food. We went to a highly recommended restaurant that was excellent. Jim was the only Caucasian American in the place. We had chicken and steamed vegetables. There were also many different types of delicacies displayed in the front of the restaurant fresh for dinner. Among the more exotic choices were sandworms, snake, turtles, toads and water beetles. I know these sound so appealing for those of you who watch Survivor.
We are very excited as Catherine is taking us to the restaurant that is featured in the latest version of The National Geographic Magazine - China on page 83 on Tuesday! We are going to try Crocodile! It is supposed to be very healthy for you and I say what I heck when will be able to have an opportunity to try this again? So why not just go for it and at least give it a try! I am interested to see how it will be prepared and most importantly what kind of taste and texture it will have. More updates to come regarding this new adventure!
I have been reading the newspaper and we have been watching television regarding news about the earthquake. The government is trying to keep the country’s morale up as everyday on the front page of The China Register there are stories about people who have been saved from the ruins of the earthquake. The nation has come together as an entire entity as many have donated money, time or supplies for those who are less fortunate. There are many orphans who are already being adopted by other families. Something that is very sad is that there are now parents who have lost their only child. Most families here have only one child due to the family planning policy enacted sometime in the early 1980’s. There were several schools full of hundreds of children that collapsed and the children were killed instantly. The pictures we have seen of the devastation are beyond anything I could ever imagine. In one city near the epicenter all of the buildings collapsed and only one building remains halfway standing. It is heartbreaking to us.
Tomorrow, we have a lot of official business to take care of for Madeline. We will have her visa photo taken, fill out all pertinent paperwork and have her medical examination. We may not see many smiles tomorrow after all of the above is done!
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