Home at last! by Linda

Linda just had to report that..
The Bushnell Family( & Dana) are home-- safe and sound, & tired

1st pic: Frances, after doing backbends in her room and cartwheels on the lawn, noticed the big "x" above their house. I couldn't help but think that it was like finding the big "X" on a treasure map. May God always bless this treasure of a family.

2nd pic: Frances & panda friend get cozy with her good buddy, Haley, under the soveneir hat that her Mom (Dana) lugged home from China

3rd pic: Karen and Abigail chat with Kathleen, who was Karen's travel buddy to get Frances, twice. Abigail is quite the flag-waver!


4th pic: Sorry the last picture is sideways. I ill try to fix that another time. Abigail is just so cute with the American flag we gave her at the airport. (and, what a cute smile!!)

Our last post from China...

This morning was an optional trip to the Pearl Market in Guangzhou. Dana and Frances went, while Abigail and I walked around the perimeter of Shamian Island. It didn't take long, maybe 30 minutes, but it was very interesting. There is, surprisingly, a Starbucks on this tiny island! I also saw a group of hundreds of elementary students doing calisthenics. When they had finished, they marched in formation back to their school. There is no playground at the school (probably no room for it, on an island) so I guess that may have been their recess time.

Shamian Island reminds me a little of Florida. There is a lot of green - plants, trees, bushes - and there is some type of kudzu-like vine hanging from many of the trees. It is really humid here. Tonight as we walked around after dark, spending our last yuan/RMBs, we were all wringing wet! The island is man-made, separated from the rest of Guangzhou by a type of canal on three sides, and the Pearl River on the fourth side. Apparently, during the 1800s, the French occupied much of this island, so most of the larger buildings look like they are from New Orleans Square in Disneyland. It's really pretty, and it is a popular place for Chinese couples to take their wedding photos. There are statues all over the island, many depicting people from the time of the French influence. It's a really pretty place.

On our last night here, we went out to an Italian restaurant with two other families, and then just walked around. It seems a little strange that I may never see the other families on my group again. We are going to try and keep in touch by email, and we have agreed to each send the others copies of our trip photos.

I have learned so much on this trip. It's like the Bible says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I surprised myself on this trip. I got us from the airport to the hotel in Beijing on my own, I figured out how to do the blog thing, even after getting to China and having the instructions for Blogger all in Chinese. I lived in places where you can't flush the toilet paper or drink the water. I adopted another child. I managed my Frances, and was so blessed by her flexibility. Even when she sometimes fell apart, we were able to make it through. God's grace has been over me throughout this trip. Even as a single mom in a foreign country, I was never alone. God went before us, to prepare the way, and He walked with us the entire time. I am so glad that He made clear the way to bring home our little Abigail.
We will be home soon. It is now about 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 30th. We have to check out by 5:30 a.m. on Friday, 10/31, and then we'll have the longest day of our lives as we travel back into the same day for hours! I am grateful that I will have Dana to help me with the girls. Abby let Dana bathe her tonight while I packed. This is usually Frances' job, and it is something that Abby enjoys (and I love that she lets Fran help her! Most of the time, Abby is a "mama only" child) but Fran was spending her last bit of playtime with Caleb and Will. Abigail would NOT take a bedtime bottle from Dana, but cried and fussed until I took over. It should be interesting if I need to use the bathroom on the flights home... Home, home, home!

"Red Couch" photo at the White Swan

Today a group of families walked over to the White Swan Hotel, where many adopting families stay in Guangzhou (but it was too expensive for us, during the trade fair). It is a tradition to take pictures of the children on a red couch in the lobby. I had dressed Abigail in a little outfit that I bought here in Guangzhou. It looks like a traditional Chinese outfit, but instead of silk, it is cotton. The shirt was a little tight and kept coming unsnapped (her little tummy is quite round) but it was really cute anyway. Several of the babies were wiggly on the couch, and Annabelle was crying, but Abby tried to comfort her by patting her back. After lunch, Frances went swimming in the rooftop pool with Caleb and Will, and Abby and I joined them, for Abigail's first time in a pool. She loved it! All of the kids played "Da!" by going under the water and popping up, which made Abigail shout with laughter! Because her nap was early in the day, Abby went to bed at 5:30 this afternoon. She is sounding a little more congested as she sleeps. I hope she is not getting sick. Oh, and in the previous post I had mentioned that I had to hang around in the hotel room while our CCAI rep took the paperwork to the consulate. Well, guess whose paperwork had a problem? Apparently, the abandonment certificate was translated incorrectly. It said that Abigail was born on 5/19/07 and was found in the elevator of the Zhengzhou City Hospital. It should have said that she was found on August 4th, 2007, because without that, it sounds like she was found on the day she was born. So Jocelyn, our CCAI rep, had to get it re-translated, notarized, and back to the consulate. Yikes. It should all be fine for tomorrow's appointment.

We are all tired tonight. Because Abigail was asleep, we ordered pizza delivery from Papa John's. Frances was doing some schoolwork, but at 7:45, she asked if she could go to bed. It's now 8, and Dana is asleep. I am going to bed as soon as I finish this post. I'm not sleeping well at all, partly because I am sharing a bed with Frances, and partly because I hear every move that Abigail makes in her crib. The beds are quite comfortable, but the only covers are these big puffy duvet things. They would be perfect if it was winter in Nebraska. Without covers, it is too cold in the hotel room, because of the air conditioning. But I am too warm under the cover, and there are no other lighter-weight covers. Sorry that I am whining; I want to go home and sleep in my own bed. And Abigail may wake up in the middle of the night, because she went to bed so early. Fran was out of sorts this morning, so I hope that a good night's sleep will help her out. I promised her that the first meal we eat once we get home will be her favorite, macaroni and cheese!

Just some notes...

No pictures for this post, since we haven't left the hotel yet today. We had a late breakfast, then Dana and Frances went out to drop off some laundry, and to buy some bottled water. Dana and I have discovered that we are not drinking enough water. Bottled water was provided free of charge in Beijing and Zhengzhou, and we drank a lot of it. Here in Guangzhou, there is a separate tap in the bathroom for drinking water (the tub and regular sink faucet are not safe to drink. When you take a bath, it smells like lake/river water. Not bad, just a little earthy.). We are not drinking as much water as we ought to be. I am getting little breakouts on my face, Dana is feeling the effects of too much sodium, Fran is having some intestinal consequences of not enough water. We have been drinking soda at restaurants, but are trying hard to remember to drink water. I kept Abby in the room this morning, even though I would love to walk around the neighborhood some more. She has that cough, which one family calls the "air conditioning" cough. Many babies develop a cough after spending several days in the room's air conditioning. These children have never been in AC, so aren't used to it at all. But it is humid here, and I don't think I want to turn off the AC as one family has done. Fran and Dana went to the hotel's fitness center for a while. Poor Dana would love to work out, but Frances wants to try all the equipment! I gave Abigail a bottle and put her down for a nap at about 10:30. I am supposed to be in the hotel room from 10 to 11:30 this morning, because our agency rep is taking all of our paperwork to the consulate, and the families need to be available in case there is a paperwork problem. So it is now 11:20, and Abby is still sleeping hard. Frances is out in the hallway playing ball with Will and Caleb.

I think that we may have solved Abigail's REAL special need - the baldness. It appears that she has a self-soothing behavior of sweeping her hand across her forehead and the top of her head when she is going to sleep. She did it the first few times that she slept in our care. But we have given her a little "lovey" - a small square chenille blanket that is satin on one side, fluffy on the other, with a litte teddy bear head. She now rubs the fluffy side against her face as she drops off to sleep. Hopefully, the hair will begin to grow in soon! And I can tell when she is tired, because the thumb goes in her mouth, and often, she also puts an index finger in her nose! We are trying to discourage that particular behavior...

My little dumpling is starting to wake up, and we are going to have to get ready to go out walking with the other families in a few minutes. We'll be home in a few days!

Another early morning...

Frances and I woke up at 6 this morning... again... I am really looking forward to going home and sleeping well! This morning, Abigail has a cough, sounds like a cold (hopefully that's all it is). Here is a picture of Dana, Abigail and me at the clinic. Not too flattering of any of us, but I am forgetting to include us in the pictures! So here we are. Frances was playing with some of the brothers and sisters at the time that the photo was taken.

Just a cautionary note for those who plan on meeting us at LAX: please don't expect to hold Abigail! I know that when Frances came home, she was fine being passed between the loving arms of her new family and friends. Abigail, because she has been adopted at an older age, is much slower to warm up. She is willing to play with Dana (who "lives" with us), but still will not let Dana hold her for more than a minute. She will probably be confused and overwhelmed when we get off the plane. She will just be slower to warm up to everyone, but as she gets to feeling secure in her new life, she will love you all!

Local scenery in Guangzhou

The weather is not as bad as it has been when I have looked it up online! I was dreading the heat and humidity, but it has been just a little sticky and not too hot. This afternoon, we went to the herb market, a neighborhood that is not on Shamian Island, but we accessed it via a pedestrian bridge. We saw all kinds of interesting things, like dried frogs and seahorses, all sorts of roots and plants, and mushrooms of every size, shape, and color. We also went to the pet market. These markets are down the middle of streets, blocked off from traffic. At the pet market, we saw all sorts of dogs, cats, rabbits, bird, fish, reptiles, and even ducklings! As we crossed the bridge to return to the hotel, someone noticed that we could see the hotel pool! It's in the top photo. It is an outdoor pool, on the 9th floor, right at the edge of the building. Frances has been in it twice, and tomorrow, we opted out of the "optional" tour, so we will all swim in it tomorrow afternoon. I think that since we have no set plans for tomorrow, we will sleep as late as we can (for Fran and me, that's about 6 a.m.) and then have a leisurely breakfast, prowl around the island a little, and then I think we are meeting up with some of the other families at the White Swan Hotel, for the traditional "red couch" photo and lunch. Probably swimming in the afternoon. We want to come home....
Oh, and Abigail is stronger (and more mischevious) every day. When I first got her, she could only support her weight on her legs for about two seconds, before her little chubby legs folded up like a card table. Now she can stand, holding onto something for balance, indefinitely. She has become a very busy little girl, which means that at the end of each day, she is completely exhausted! When I put her into the crib, she gives a brief sigh of complaint, and then falls asleep!

A blessing at the clinic in Guangzhou

So we are now here on Shamian Island, a man-made island that is part of Guangzhou. We have linked up with one of the original families we were with in Beijing, as well as several other families with CCAI. This morning, we went to have our children's photos taken for their visas (JiaoJiao, the 8-year-old who had lived in the same orphanage as Abigail, is always looking out for her little buddy. "Has she had her photo taken yet?" she asked our guide. "I didn't see her have her picture taken." She wants to be sure that DanYang/Abigail has everything done correctly, so she can go home with her new mama.) and then we walked to the clinic to have the children examined. They were all weighed and measured (most of them cried) and then went to the ENT station (again, most of them cried). Abby yelled so loud when the woman tried to look into her mouth, that they did not have to use the tongue depressor! Then the last station was the exam itself. I had to undress Abigail, which made her nervous, and then had to lay her down on the crinkly paper. A nurse listened to her chest, although Abigail was screaming so loud, I don't know how she could hear anything! Abgail was poked, prodded, and checked thoroughly. They called in a doctor to listen for the VSD, and... he said he did not hear any defect. Praise the Lord! I will still have to take her to a cardiologist when we get home, but what a blessing it was to get such good news today!
Frances and Dana went exploring/shopping, while I took some laundry out to be done. I saw a group of preschoolers out for a walk, all holding onto a rope like many preschoolers do at home! Abigail slept in my arms as I filled out her paperwork for our consulate appointment. Most of the families all went out together tonight to a Thai retaurant. It was okay, but Dana and I have decided that we like the Thai food at Pei Wei better! Being away from home is getting old. We want to come home, and sleep in our own beds, wash our own clothes, make our own meals, and just be comfortable again! I am sleeping in a double bed with Frances... for those of you who have not had the opportunity to sleep with a seven-year-old, let me tell you, I am getting more sleep-deprived by the minute! Two more full days...

The last day in Zhengzhou

Well, once again, I can't see the photos as I post them, so I hope that they are in the correct sequence! On 10/26, our last full day in ZZ, we went to the Henan Museum. Fairly interesting, and I got a great shot of the infamous "split pants!" During our time in the museum, Abigail managed to soak through her diaper, earning herself the family nickname "Empress NiaoNiao" (the queen of peepee). I took a photo of the enormous ferris wheel. I think that it is bigger than the one at the Irvine Spectrum. There are also two shots of Frances and Abigail playing "Da!" with a napkin at the italian restaurant in the hotel. We left ZZ on 10/27, got to the airport there, only to discover that the computer systems were all down. We all stood around for about 45 minutes until the airlines decided to start issuing hand-written boarding passes. Our guide took care of all of our paperwork, and then we dashed through security, and boarded the plane. We were the last ones on, all of the crazy Americans with their children, and then we took off. It was only a two hour flight, but they served a meal. I do not know how people do it with little children on their laps! I am a big woman, and I could not sit with Abby on my lap and have the tray lowered. Thankfully, I was on the aisle. Abby sat on the armrest, cradled in my right arm, with her little legs crossed nicely in front of her, while I fed us both using my left hand (my non-dominant hand), and did not spill even a grain of rice! We arrived in Guangzhou and got on a bus to get to the hotel. As we pulled up, I scanned the lobby windows, and there was our Dana! I gave Frances the green light to run in and hug her! It was so good to see a face from home. The next post will be about Guangzhou...

Update by Linda, for Karen

Brief update posted by Linda, for Karen & the girls:

Everything is going according to schedule for Karen and the girls:

Karen, Frances, Abigail and the other families left the Zhengzhou and travelled by plane (approx 2 hours)to Guangzhou, their final stop in China. Guangzhou is where the U.S. Consulate is located and where their "new" children will get visas and their final adoption paperwork in China will be completed before the families travel to home to the U.S.


Karen is blessed to have her good friend,Dana,with her now. Dana travelled from Calif on Saturday morning to Guangzhou and stayed at a hotel near the airport. Dana had planned to meet up with Karen and her girls at the Victory Hotel in Guangzhou after they arrived. Dana, being the sweetheart that she is, was going to attempt to contact the CCAI rep in China and plan a surprise meeting with Karen and the girls the airport (so that she could help Karen, whose hands are now very full!!) I don't know if the airport meeting got coordinated, but I do know that Dana is with them now. (from a brief email from Karen)

Copied from a brief email from Karen:

We arrived today at 3 pm, I took a load of laundry down the street, we had dinner with the families, and now the little ones are in bed, and Dana and I are soon to follow. Abby has already taken to Dana, altho will not be held by anyone but me. On the flight from ZZ to GZ, I really had to go to the bathroom. One of the other moms held Abby (I was not seated next to Fran either, long story) and aparently Abigail cried the entire time I was gone, saying, "Mama!" She has definitely bonded with me!
I may try to update the blog tonight. Actually, maybe not. I think I will go to bed instead, and work on the computer tomorrow while Abby naps. We now call her The Empress NiaoNiao (peepee)! She soaked through her outfit yesterday at the Henan museum!
Love, Karen

Abigail has a Mama now. What a blessed little girl and what a blessed little family!


Intinerary: dates listed are for China's calendar (15 hours ahead of Calif.)

10/28 (late Monday night for us) Karen, Frances, Abigail and Dana go to get Abigail's visa photo and physical completed today.

10/29 (Late Tuesday night for us) Consulate Appointment: CCAI rep delivers packet to US Consulate Adoption Unit

10/30 in the afternoon(very late night Wednesday for us)
Bushnell family to attend Adoption Ceremony at US Consulate

10/31 Bushnell family and Dana head home!! Flight takes them all to Tokyo, then on to Los Angeles. ( and into our loving arms! )
Haley (Dana's daughter) and I and possibly Kathleen and family can't wait to meet them in LA in Friday morning Oct 31st and bring them home.


What do the political ads say,
"This is not Karen Bushnell, and I don't know if she will approve of this message!"
I just had to blog something so that all those who are tracking this great adventure will have some updated infomation. I know that Karen and her family are grateful for the love and the prayers are being sent their way!

Day Trip to the ShaoLin Temple

We got on the bus today (Saturday, 10/25) at 8:30 to go to the ShaoLin Temple. Our CCAI rep did not go with us, because she had to go with Al and Lori to their daughter's orphanage in LuoHe, several hours away. Instead, she hired tour guides and a bus driver for us. The temple is about 2 hours from our hotel, but there's a lot to see on the drive. The highlight is the amusement park, with the biggest ferris wheel any of us have ever seen! There are also statues, buildings, and all sorts of other things to see on the drive. Frances and Abigail had some nice interaction during the bus ride; they played a long game of "Da!" As I mentioned in an earlier post, this is the Chinese equivalent for "Boo!" We had a little blanket that Frances could drop over Abby's head, and then Abby would pull it off while all three of us said "Da!" Abby likes this game. The weather was a little cool and breezy. I wore a jacket, if you can believe that! Thank you, Linda, for the windbreaker. It was perfect. The temple grounds go a long way, and we walked and walked. When we finally reached the temple itself, there were many stairs! Each courtyard or part of the temple lead to another, which was inevitable up some stairs. I had Abby in the stroller, because she is one heavy baby, so most of the time I just picked up the entire stroller (it's lightweight) and carried it up the stairs. I didn't go to the very top/last level, because Abigail was asleep in the stroller! We had been told that lunch would be at a traditional/authentic restaurant. Within the temple grounds, we packed into two vehicles driven by locals and headed up a tiny road, just missing a head-on collision on the way! People drive crazy here. We went up a hill and the cars stopped in front of an outdoor eating area. It had a roof, kind of lik ea carport, and no sides. There were dogs and chickens walking around... The menu was in Chinese (of course) plus a little English and some French! Frances got frenchfries (pomme de terre frites) and the guide recommended a chicken entree for me, but I told her I did not want it to be spicy, because I wanted to share it with the girls. Well, the wait staff spoke no English and apparently did not get the instructions about the "no spicy." I ate the chicken myself, and it was really delicious, but Frances shared Caleb's fried rice, and Abby had noodles! Despite the extremely rustic conditions, it was some of the best food we've had in China! The bus ride back was long, and Caleb's baby brother is sick, so cries a lot. No one minds, except that we all feel badly for little Micah and his parents. When we got back to the hotel, Frances went down to the pool with Caleb, and while she was gone, I ordered room service for the three of us. It is really inexpensive, and we were all exhausted. The girls were bathed and in bed by 8:00, and I have been struggling with the internet connection but am hoping to be in bed by 9:30. Only one more full day here in Zhengzhou.... we are ready to come home!

The Hallway Playground

Some evenings it is just too complicated to go out, or we are all too tired! We all have rooms in the same floor and wing of the hotel, so everyone props open their doors and we let the kids, big and small, play in the hallway. Someone sits in front of the electrical outlet, and we bring out beach balls, toys, whatever. The adults swap stories, remedies, and baby clothes, while the big kids roughhouse, and the little kids wobble around. Last night, our CCAI rep, Yisha (who also has a room in this hallway) came to join us. It's always fun.

You think you've seen traffic?

Yesterday (Friday, 10/24) I finally got to go to the pool in the hotel. I took Abby, Frances and Caleb (the big kids knew the way) and we went swimming. Frances and Caleb had a great time in the huge "lap" pool. The shallowest part is 5 feet deep, but Frances swims like a fish, so no worries. Abigail and I went in the big shallow pool. Probably supposed to be a jacuzzi, but it's no warmer than the regular pool. Abby loved it for a while, but she kept trying to put her mouth in the water. I know that the tap water is not safe to drink; I can't imagine that the pool water is any better! So we got out after a short time. But she sure looks cute in her bathing suit!
After swimming, four of the five families decided to take a walk to the McDonald's. Brian and his 11-year-old, Caleb, had walked it before, so we were confident with them leading the way. Of course, the sidewalks are shared by bikes, scooters, and mopeds. And the McDonald's is on the other side of the gigantic, five-lane, two-story traffic circle! Okay. We were a group of 8 adults, three kids, and three babies. It was quite an adventure! I took a picture of us as we waited to cros the street. Once we got there, the employees were so kind! Frances had chosen seats for the Bushnells upstairs, so one employee carried the tray with our food, and the other carried the stroller while I held Abigail. That would NEVER happen in California. They would just give you your food and shout, "Next!"

Our visit to the orphanage

Today we went with Woody & Becky and their 8-year-old, JiaoJiao, to see the orphanage where our girls had lived. The grounds were quite green, and they had several big vegetable gardens. Inside the residential building, it was a little bleak. There aren't many children left there, because most of the little ones have been moved to a new facility. There were a few teen-aged girls in wheelchairs, and two preschool aged boys. The rest of the children who live there were at school. JiaoJiao grabbed Frances' hand, and the two of them ran into the building. JiaoJiao was eager to show her new mom and dad (and new buddy Fran) around in her old home. I saw the room where Abigail has slept, and a playroom. The nannies kept holding out their arms to Abby, but she did not want anything to do with them. She was willing to give kisses, but only from the safety of my arms. We also saw JiaoJiao's school. There were two other girls in different classes who came out to join JiaoJiao's classmates in the courtyard. They both live in the orphanage. One is JiaoJiao's best friend, a darling girl about 6 to 8 years old with albinism. The other is an older girl, maybe about twelve. They are both being adopted by Americans, so JiaoJiao's new parents wrote down their address, phone number and email, and the staff will pass it along to the girls' American families, so they can keep in touch. Both of the girls also knew Abby (or DanYang, as they call her). I have many photos, but will only post a few here. The first picture is of Frances and JiaoJiao playing "Da!" This is the Chinese equivalent for "Boo!"

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

(Keep in mind that these posts are actually occurring 15 hours after the time and date listed; the computer is on California time.)

Here are the two little Bushnells in the bathtub. Abigail loved it, and Frances did a great job keeping her baby sister safe.



Today we went walking in the neighborhood (by ourselves, IN CHINA) to the local park. It's a huge park, but we did not find any play equipment, so Frances wanted to go back to the hotel. We went to lunch next door at the Holiday Inn Express (it is less expensive than the restaurant at our hotel) and I had hoped to go swimming in the hotel pool after lunch. However, Abby fell asleep at the table, so we had to go back to our room. Frances went to the pool with Caleb and his family, so she was happy. I, on the other hand, have not even seen the pool yet. I am thankful that all of us families have agreed to share our photos with each other! For lunch, the Bushnells shared "noodles with beef," kind of like Top Ramen. Both Frances and Abby loved the noodles, so Mom got broth and cilantro for lunch! Later this afternoon, the woman who runs the foster home connected with the Zhengzhou orphanage is going to come and pick up my little family, and take us to the foster home for a visit. I have gotten to know her fairly well through the ZZ yahoo group, and the CCAI rep knows her as well. We are all getting a little stir-crazy here at the hotel The neighborhood is not really set up for tourists! One of the families walked to McDonald's today. You turn left from the hotel, and walk about 30 minutes down the street. Crosing the street here is definitely an adventure! The drivers all act like lunatics, and the sidewalk is also for motorscooters and bicycles, not just pedestrians! But we are going to have to branch out and do some exploring, because it's only Thursday, and we are here until Monday!

Shopping in China

These pictures are actually from yesterday, 10/21. One was taken in the Henan Office of Adoption Affairs, as we did paperwork after receiving our children (that's the one with Fran holding Abby), one is our shoes (small, medium, and large) and the other is Woody with his daughter JiaoJiao (neither he nor his daughter usually looks so serious). You'll hear lots about them on the blog. They are a nice family. The format on these posts from ZZ is going to be weird, because I can't see the photos when I add them. They show up as all sorts of numbers and letters. Bear with me!
Today at 9:30, we all got on the bus and went to the Lotus Center, which is kind of like a Super Wal-Mart. I had Abigail in the hip carrier, and she was tired and cranky. We arrived at the multi-storied building and agreed to meet by the exit in an hour. They did have pretty much anything we could want to buy, but no one spoke English, and apparently, some things had to be purchased at a departmental register, while the rest could be paid for as we exited. It did take the full hour for Frances and me to find the things on our list: diapers, socks for Frances, pencils for schoolwork (on which we are woefully behind), a stroller, and some sort of tote bag (so I don't have to bring the big rolling backpack for local errands). As soon as I paid for the stroller, I put Abby in it. She had been fussing and crying since we arrived, and I was all sweaty from carrying her and having everyone stare at me. The only tote bags we found were Disney-themed (with sayings in Chinglish) so I bought the cheapest one I found, which was 58 RMB (1 dollar = 6.7 RMB, you do the math because I can't). When we met up near the exit, I sent Frances into the KFC (yes, that and McD's are big here) to throw something away. She apparently caught her foot in the door, so then I had both girls crying! I was quite a spectacle. And they don't give you bags when you purchase things - surprise! - so I crammed as much as I could into the tote bag, hung it on the stroller, and carried the diapers and two huge bottles of water while Frances pushed the stroller. When we got back to the hotel, I discovered that Abby was very stinky! We put the diaper, all rolled up into a toxic football, out into the hall, and the housekeeping staff picked it up. Then Woody (one of the dads) came to our room to see if we wanted to go with him to the local laundry place, which is way less expensive than the hotel's laundry service. Frances asked to go, so he and Fran took our laundry out. It was nice to have some one-on-one time with Abby, and I didn't have to worry about making Frances jealous. When they returned, I had a room service pizza waiting, and Fran had some lunch, then she went with Woody and Becky, and their new 8-year-old daughter JiaoJiao (Serena) to the hotel pool, while I put Abigail down for a nap. I sooo appreciate the families in our group! Two of the families have children from the SWI in Jiaozuo, and they went there today. It's a 2 hour bus trip each way. Yikes! I'm glad that I brought an extra gift or two, because Lori and Al were short one. I also gave them some of the clothing I had brought that turned out to be too small for Abby. Their little Hannah is the same age as Abigail, but is dinky, and they brought lots of 2T clothing. They thought their daughter would be bigger, because her nickname at the orphanage was "little chubby." Abigail still has the male pattern baldness thing going on. As she falls asleep, she grabs with her hand at the top of her head, so she may have made herself bald. Not sure. But she is still cute! I think I got the best of the babies!

She sleeps through the night!

The schedule that the orphanage gave to Yisha says that Abigail goes to bed at 8:30 p.m. and then gets a bottle of formula at 10:30 and a drink of water at 12:30. last night, I put Abby to bed at about 7:30, and she was asleep by 7:45 after an exhausting day. I went to bed at 9, expecting to be awakened during the night by a hungry baby. Abigail did not wake up, but I did not sleep soundly, because I was waiting for her to wake up all night! It is now almost 7, and she is still asleep. Frances keeps tiptoeing over to the crib and peeking in. "I love my baby sister," she says. Like big sister Frances, Abigail does sleep gymnastics. She was all over that crib last night, sideways, upside down, you name it. I had to cover her up several times, because she had rolled on top of the covers. And she is a thumb-sucker, but only while sleeping. She appears to be right-handed. Abigail takes after her sister Frances in so many ways. She is a happy, smiling baby. like baby Frances was. She loves people, and when she smiles, her face scrunches up and her eyes disappear, like Frances' did when she was a baby. My arms are sore from carrying Abby yesterday so today we will use the "side-rider," which is a carrier that seats her on my hip. Kind of like a snugli, but with her being an older baby, I thought it would be more natural for her to ride on my hip. Hopefully soon she will start being a more active participant in being carried; right now, she is pretty much a sack of potatoes! She is a little spoiled and demanding; Yisha said that most of the babies were moved a few weeks ago to another location (Abby has been in a SWI, which is Social Welfare Institute, for abandoned babies, children, and elderly. There is now a new CWI, Children's Welfare Institute, just for the little ones) but Abby was not moved because the nannies love her and knew she would be adopted soon. So she has been the little princess for a while...

We're a Family!

Here are the pictures of us receiving Abigail today. Right now, it is 8:15 at night, and both of my girls are asleep. I will try to post these pictures quickly, so that I can go to sleep too, because according to Abigail's schedule, they are still giving her a bottle in the middle of the night. Yikes!

This afternoon, I had to wake Abby from a nap to go on more paperwork errands. When we all finally got back, three of us families had dinner in an Italian restaurant here in the hotel. It was actually really delicious, and both Abby and Hannah (Lori and Al's baby, who is a month older than mine) ate like truck drivers! Micah (Brian and Jennifer's 1 1/2 year old boy) has a cleft palate, so he does not put away as much food. When we got back to the room, I could tell Abby was tired, so I made a bottle, but not a whole one, because after eating so much food, I did not want her to take a full bottle and then throw up! Many babies overeat and make themselves sick when they first come to their families, because they are used to being hungry all the time. I can't imagine that being the case with Abigail! She is really heavy, about half of Frances' weight! My girls get along great. Abby is very happy, and we have heard her laugh. She babbles, points, crawls and gives kisses to us. At one of the various offices we went to this afternoon, the lady from the orphanage reached out her arms to Abby. Abby refused to go to her, even though this was the same lady who had handed Abby to me this morning. I think that Abigail may grow up to be a ball player, because she throws all of her toys. She has a good aim, and she throws hard and far! We are working on that behavior already; all of the hard plastic toys are put away! Frances has been a tremendous help. She has pulled the rolling backpack on the errands while I lug "elephant baby" (as Fran has dubbed her) on my hip. All of the adults in our group have commented on how nicely behaved Franny is, and one of the dads is a first grade teacher, so is an expert! I am trying not to overburden Frances, but she has been so helpful, grabbing last-minute items, being so obedient (but not freakishly so, don't worry!), and trying to play with her little sister. Fran is a little concerned about being a good big sister, because when Abby is tired, she does not want Frances to hold her. I remind her that Abby loves to play with her. So, all is well at this point! Tomorrow we are going to go shopping for things like diapers, at a WalMart-type store. Should be interesting!

We have our Abigail!

I am wanting to post pictures, but the suitcase with the camera cable is underneath Abigail's crib, and she is asleep! I will post photos soon, I promise!!

This morning, we all met at 9:30, and walked a few blocks to the Adoption Affairs office. It was in a multi-story office building, a bit run-down. The elevator closed as we approached it, and Yisha and another one of the familes said that they had seen a nanny inside the elevator as the doors closed, and she was carrying Abigail! We went up in the next elevator, and went to the correct room, but there were other families in it who had just received their children, and were finishing up with the paperwork. We were waiting in the hallway, and Yisha told us that some of us would be receiving our babies there in the hall. I grabbed my videocamera and tossed it to Brian, who had been told that his family would have to wait a few minutes longer to get their son. Just then, out came the nanny with Abby! She stood next to me for a few minutes, and then handed Abby to me. Abby is really heavy for being such a little thing! She did not cry at all, and didn't seem scared or nervous. Frances and I sat on the floor and started getting to know our little baby Abby. She was wearing two pair of pants (split pants! with a diaper underneath) and two shirts, as well as a big heavy jacket, and she was sweating! She was fascinated with my CCAI lanyard and name tag. We finally went into the little office, and did a bit of paperwork. Frances sat on a couch with Abigail next to her, and Abby's personality started to emerge. She was smiling, and exploring the toys, playing peek-a-boo with a little blanket, and giving kisses to Frances! The orphanage returned all of the clothing and toys that we had sent, as well as letting us keep the outfit she was in today. We walked back to the hotel, and then just hung out in our rooms for a while. We ordered a cheese pizza from room service, and Abigail ate cheerios and drank water. We have more to do this afternoon, so I will post again later, along with pictures. For now, let me just say,
We are so very blessed by God to have this little giggly, curious girl in our arms at last! She is just like Frances, and the two of them are getting along beautifully. Abby is communicating with gestures... oh, I could go on and on about how wonderful it all is, but it is almost time to go on our next errand with Yisha, and I have to give Frances an arithmetic test. More soon!

The Final Countdown...

We are here in Zhengzhou, at the Crowne Plaza. Don't be fooled by the marble staircase and gleaming brass fixtures (I will post photos as soon as I can). You can't flush toilet paper down the toilet! That has the "first-time" parents in our group a little freaked out. And aside from the hotel, all of the toilets are "squatty potties," which Frances does not want to use. Hopefully, she will get used to them. We left the hotel in Beijing at 8:45 this morning for a noon flight to Zhengzhou. The flight was about 90 minutes, and we were met by Yisha, our CCAI rep here in ZZ. She immediately knew who we were (she has been doing her homework and studying our photos!) and we got on a bus to come to the hotel. One family from the original group is not with us; their child is in a different area. And two of the families in the group have children in the SWI (orphanage) in Jiaozuo, so they will stay in the same hotel, and will be doing slightly different things during some of the days, as far as paperwork and errands. Yisha mentioned that she saw my little girl today. At first I thought, "How did you see Frances?" and then it dawned on me that she was talking about Abigail! She told me that Abby looks a little bit like me, which is a totally cool God thing. One person from each family had to go with Yisha to the bank, to exchange about $4500 into RMB/yuan for tomorrow's fees. Frances hung out with Caleb and his family, while I went to the bank. For each $100 bill, we get 670 yuan, so the pile of money we got for our $4500 was huge! I have ours all sorted into envelopes, labeled with who it goes to and the amount. I'm not the only compulsive one; another one of the moms had done this at home before she even got to China! This is an interesting city. There are about 7 million people, lots of high-rise apartment buildings and office buildings, but almost no western/european restaurants. The restaurant in the hotel is really expensive (but breakfast is part of the daily cost) so tonight, we went next door to the Holiday Inn Express. It was really cheap, and the food was quite good, but the menu is somewhat limited, and consists mostly of local cuisine (dumplings, noodles, etc.). This is fine with me, but not so much for Franny. She was able to get french fries tonight, which was great, but we will have to see what else we can find in the area. Lunch and dinner are mostly "on our own" so we will have to go exploring in our 7 days here.
I can hardly believe that we get Abigail tomorrow! It still seems like some strange vacation trip... but that will all change tomorrow when we become a bigger family.

Sunday, 10/19/08. Another busy day!

We all met this morning at 9 for another day of sight-seeing. We got on the bus, and the first stop was at a jade gallery. Jade has tremendous historical signifigance in China, and we took a tour and learned much more about jade than we ever knew we needed to know! Frances loved the jade horses. I bought bracelets for Frances, Abigail and me (not the expensive bangles) and then I did get an expensive bangle bracelet for Abigail, for when she is older.
After that, it was off to the Great Wall! Frances went with one of the dads and the two older boys, while I followed behind at a much slower pace. She returned with one of the other dads from our group, pooped out. It was steeper and more difficult than she had thought it would be! We had a great time exploring the buildings and tunnels that are part of the Wall, and Frances did cartwheels on The Great Wall! Three more Chinese families asked to take pictures of/with Frances. She is really in demand her for other people's photographs!
After spending about 2 hours at the Wall, we got back onto the bus and went to the cloisonne factory. I had not realized what a difficult and intricate process it is to make cloisonne! I would have liked to purchase some of the beautiful vases, but they were quite expensive. From there, we went to lunch at another "traditional Chinese restaurant," that was not quite as good as yesterday's. One of the things that the kids freaked out about (but I think they secretly enjoyed) was that a cooked fish was served, with head, tail and all! We joked about the fish for the entire meal. After lunch, we went to the Olympic Village to see the Water Cube and the Bird's Nest. We returned to the hotel in the late afternoon, and most of the families agreed to go together and get a quick bite to eat out in the neighborhood, before returning to our rooms to pack up. We leave the hotel tomorrow (Monday) at 8 a.m., so our CCAI rep arranged wake-up calls for 6:30 a.m. It will be interesting to get a wake-up call in Chinese! By 8, we need to have checked out and had breakfast, and then we will go to the airport to travel to Zhengzhou in the province of Henan. We'll get settled, and then on Tuesday, will be united with our new children! So for now, it's off to bed, and I really hope that I will not be awake from 3 to 6 a.m. like I was this morning.....