Today was a free day for us. Jack had some adoption documents from the Medical Center to take care of so we were on our own today. We slept til 8:30 which I thought was pretty late considering we have a four year old in the house now. :)
After a leisurely breakfast, we headed the opposite way of our hotel just to explore a little bit. We found lots of little shops and food places. We werent brave enough to try any of the food from these places. I am sure it would have been fine but coming from a person who doesn like to use a straw that wasnt wrapped, I wasnt taking any chances. Oh there was a man squeezing fresh orange juice at his shop. It looked SSOOO good but he was putting it in what looked like used water bottles...so we passed.
We found Friendship Shopping Mall and ventured in. It was so interesting because the whole mall is set up by brand name. Like one floor for men's clothing, was separated by brands...Like Nike, Ralph Laren, Polo ect. It would be easy to shop if you knew what brand you wanted.Kinda different.
So we were on the hunt for a t-shirt for Liberty since it's suppose to be 80 degrees tomorrow We found a mall map and it said the kids clothing was on the 6th floor. We got on the elevator and it only went to 5.
So we got off on 5 and asked someone. They said the kids clothes were on the 6th (showing 6 fingers) floor. We went to a different elevator but never found it. It was strange. Sometimes this language barrier is a pain. :) Especially, when you are trying to tell a four year old to stop doing something and she thinks its a game. Oh boy.... She definately has a stubborn streak in her. :) I figure its because she always had to fight for what she wanted. :( It makes me sad to think about but Im glad she is with us now.
Little Miss Liberty gave us three little blessings today.
First, when we were getting her ready for her bath this morning...(she gets 2 a day because she loves them so!) she went potty on the toilet for us! Its the first time! Trying to teach a child to go potty is one thing but when they have no idea what you are saying, It's a whole other ballgame!
The second blessing was that she sat and watched cartoons for 30 mins today. We arent trying to use tv as a babysitter but she is on the go the ENTIRE time she is awake. It was so nice just to lay with her, Baba on one side, Mama on the other for 30 minutes! But then she was done! I dont think they watched much TV in the orphanage so she has no interest in it.
Our third blessing was after her night-time bath. I had her on my lap and I started singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She must have recognized the tune or something and she started reciting all of the nursery rhymes that she knows. It was so adorable! We have it on video but the internet is really slow here and we cant download it to FB or the blog.
It was an incredible day! Simple but filled with blessings. Thank you again, Lord!! Again and Again!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
TO THE ZOO!!!
Today we visited the Gangzhou Zoo. It was a beutiful place. The trees were so tall that we werent able to see all of the surrounding buildings. This zoo sits in the middle of the city but it didnt feel like it at all. It felt like we wee in the center of paradise!
Liberty was so cute! She loved the monkeys and was scared of the tigers. Her and Baba rode the train. We werent really sure if she liked it or not. Maybe she was a little scared or was thinking whats the point of going round and round in a circle. Haha.
It was nice to spend some time talking with Jack about the Chinese culture. He like our other guides knows alot about Chinese culture and history. Brandon really enjoyed this history lesson.
After the zoo, our guide dropped us off and we headed to the "mall" to look around. We just picked up some diapers and some of Liberty's favorite cookies. We bought the biggest bag of them we could find. Not sure what we'll do when we run out in the USA. I'm going to have to search for them in Chinatown. :)
We stopped by McDonald's for a chicken sandwich, fries and a COLD pop and headed to the Garden at our hotel to enjoy a picinic. The grounds of this hotel is so gorgeous!! After we enjoyed imagining we were in the US and eating our lunch, we took our leftovers to the feed the fish. It's so cute to watch her get so excited and talk, talk, talk in Chinese. All we can do is smile and say, "Oh really?" :) I wish we knew what she was saying but it's so enjoyable to see her so happy.
We went back to the room for a restful afternoon but found out about a playroom the hotel had. So we ventured the the 6th floor to check it out. We were hoping for more but Liberty had a good time. It was so funny to watch her pretending with legos. We will be glad when we are home and she has more room to play and more toys to play with. Its so hard to bring a bunch of toys with us but there are plenty waiting for her at home.
She had a great bedtime and let Baba rock her to sleep. It only took about 5 minutes. She sleeps like a rock! 12 hours...ahhh. And then she's up and running the seconds she wakes up. She is a lot like our Sammy. He was the same. They are going to wear each other out. :)
Liberty was so cute! She loved the monkeys and was scared of the tigers. Her and Baba rode the train. We werent really sure if she liked it or not. Maybe she was a little scared or was thinking whats the point of going round and round in a circle. Haha.
It was nice to spend some time talking with Jack about the Chinese culture. He like our other guides knows alot about Chinese culture and history. Brandon really enjoyed this history lesson.
After the zoo, our guide dropped us off and we headed to the "mall" to look around. We just picked up some diapers and some of Liberty's favorite cookies. We bought the biggest bag of them we could find. Not sure what we'll do when we run out in the USA. I'm going to have to search for them in Chinatown. :)
We stopped by McDonald's for a chicken sandwich, fries and a COLD pop and headed to the Garden at our hotel to enjoy a picinic. The grounds of this hotel is so gorgeous!! After we enjoyed imagining we were in the US and eating our lunch, we took our leftovers to the feed the fish. It's so cute to watch her get so excited and talk, talk, talk in Chinese. All we can do is smile and say, "Oh really?" :) I wish we knew what she was saying but it's so enjoyable to see her so happy.
We went back to the room for a restful afternoon but found out about a playroom the hotel had. So we ventured the the 6th floor to check it out. We were hoping for more but Liberty had a good time. It was so funny to watch her pretending with legos. We will be glad when we are home and she has more room to play and more toys to play with. Its so hard to bring a bunch of toys with us but there are plenty waiting for her at home.
She had a great bedtime and let Baba rock her to sleep. It only took about 5 minutes. She sleeps like a rock! 12 hours...ahhh. And then she's up and running the seconds she wakes up. She is a lot like our Sammy. He was the same. They are going to wear each other out. :)
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Medical Center World Record!
Today we had to go to the Medical Center for Liberty's last physical and blood test in China. Now I know this is crazy and probably so outdated but I had heard somewhere along this adoption journey that one shouldnt ask for all kinds of blood work to be done due to dirty needles being used in lower income areas. So I have always worried about this. Silly, I know but once you hear something like this, it sticks with you. So as I fell asleep last night I was thinking about this and praying, as far-fetched as it seemed, that this would NOT happen to our little girl. When I woke up this morning, I had had a dream that I saw the medical staff use the same needle on two kids and Liberty was headed into the room next. That's all I remembered. When Brandon woke up, he told me that I leaned over to him in my sleep and whispered that the medical staff was using dirty needles and that Liberty was next. I said we had to make sure they used a clean needle. He said my eyes were wide open and I was very demanding. haha I guess that means I was pretty stressed about it somewhere in my mind.
When we got down to the hotel lobby, it was filled with adoptive families that were all going to the same place we were. We were in for a long day of waiting and crying babies. Then we were even more discouraged because a bus-load of these families left before our guide picked us up.
When we got to the clinic, IT WAS PACKED! There sure was alot of love in that room today! Jack, our guide, went right up to the counter and got us in right away. I dont know what he said or what he did but we were in and out of the medical clinic in less than an hour. It was great! We saw families that were at the clinic getting back to the hotel 2 hours after we did.
Liberty did great during the physical. We were told by the ENT that she was such a polite little girl. We don't ever know what she is saying so that was good to hear. :) We didnt get to go in with her when she had her blood drawn but by the time she came out, she was done crying. But the tears started again when she realized that we werent going to give her the "treat" the lab girls gave her. A hard piece of candy??She's four. We dug around and found a fruit snack to satisfy her while the hard candy when in the garbage.We did notice that she had a huge scrape on the front and back of her arm where they strapped her arm down. Being in the medical field myself, I can't imagine what would have happened if a child left with a mark in the US. I understand they didnt intentionally do it but still, we felt bad for her. Now we wait for her TB test and US visa and that's it! :)
After the appointment, we went walking around and found Liberty an authentic Chinese dress. We thought she needed at least one. :) It is so cute. (its on fb) She is so adorable. I know everyone is probably sick of hearing us say that. :) We also tried the garden park behind the hotel. It was gorgeous and what was even better...NO STARES! I guess adoption is just seen more here since eveery family has to come to the US Consulate.
Tonight Liberty fell asleep at 5pm. :/ Too early for bed and too late for a nap so we woke her up at 7:30, fed her and gave her a bath. We are just playing now and trying to wear her out so maybe we can get to bed by 10.
Tomorrow is the zoo because it looks like rain the rest of the week. :(
Thanks for following! We love that so many love this little one and she's not even in the US yet! We plan on printing out all of the FB messages and the blog to keep in her baby book along with the TV interview, and the bangles and gold penant the orphanage saved from when she was found. I think she'll treasure it all! :)
When we got down to the hotel lobby, it was filled with adoptive families that were all going to the same place we were. We were in for a long day of waiting and crying babies. Then we were even more discouraged because a bus-load of these families left before our guide picked us up.
When we got to the clinic, IT WAS PACKED! There sure was alot of love in that room today! Jack, our guide, went right up to the counter and got us in right away. I dont know what he said or what he did but we were in and out of the medical clinic in less than an hour. It was great! We saw families that were at the clinic getting back to the hotel 2 hours after we did.
Liberty did great during the physical. We were told by the ENT that she was such a polite little girl. We don't ever know what she is saying so that was good to hear. :) We didnt get to go in with her when she had her blood drawn but by the time she came out, she was done crying. But the tears started again when she realized that we werent going to give her the "treat" the lab girls gave her. A hard piece of candy??She's four. We dug around and found a fruit snack to satisfy her while the hard candy when in the garbage.We did notice that she had a huge scrape on the front and back of her arm where they strapped her arm down. Being in the medical field myself, I can't imagine what would have happened if a child left with a mark in the US. I understand they didnt intentionally do it but still, we felt bad for her. Now we wait for her TB test and US visa and that's it! :)
After the appointment, we went walking around and found Liberty an authentic Chinese dress. We thought she needed at least one. :) It is so cute. (its on fb) She is so adorable. I know everyone is probably sick of hearing us say that. :) We also tried the garden park behind the hotel. It was gorgeous and what was even better...NO STARES! I guess adoption is just seen more here since eveery family has to come to the US Consulate.
Tonight Liberty fell asleep at 5pm. :/ Too early for bed and too late for a nap so we woke her up at 7:30, fed her and gave her a bath. We are just playing now and trying to wear her out so maybe we can get to bed by 10.
Tomorrow is the zoo because it looks like rain the rest of the week. :(
Thanks for following! We love that so many love this little one and she's not even in the US yet! We plan on printing out all of the FB messages and the blog to keep in her baby book along with the TV interview, and the bangles and gold penant the orphanage saved from when she was found. I think she'll treasure it all! :)
Friday, March 15, 2013
There's a first time for everything
Today was a day filled with "first times"as we left Shanghai for Guangzhou. We were talking a bout all the "first times" Liberty has and will have in the next few months of her life. It started with the first time she had a mommy and daddy since she was 9 months old. :)
Today was her first airplane ride and her first time out of Shanghai. We were a little anxious about this because we weren't sure how she was going to react or behave. She didn't seem to mind the take-off (besides the seatbelt) and she was adored by the staff. I am sure they get lots of adopted children on this particular flight route so they pay extra attention to them. One flight attendant stopped to talk to Liberty and then scooped her up and took her to the back of the plane to talk with the other staff members. At first, we were thinking, "Hey, that's our baby!" but then realized that she really couldnt take off with her...we were in the plane. haha Liberty came back with extra snacks and a yogurt. (They drink their yogurt with a straw, by the way).
After the plane landed, we were all standing, crammed in the aisle of the plane waiting for the doors to open, while Liberty entertained everyone around. She is so social and friendly. Brandon and I have no idea what she was saying but they were all laughing. She was probably saying, "These people are crazy! They do anything I say and give me anything I want!" haha We are not that bad. :)
Once we were picked up by our guide,Jack, we headed to the hotel while Jack asked us questions about our adopting journey. Of course, I love telling this story so he heard the whole thing and I ended up in tears. Happy tears though. When I say out loud the things that have happened, I get overwhelmed with emotion. We have been thanking everyone who has helped us along this China journey,. They all have played a part in giving Liberty a family. It's just so incredible! Jack told us he has helped over 1,000 families in his career. I love hearing things like this!
For dinner, we headed over to PIZZA HUT where we got a good old USA pizza and pop WITH ICE!! Everything is just warm here so ice soounded so good in my pop.:) It was Liberty's first time in a restaurant and the first time she had pizza. This was the final test. Was she destined to be a Myers??(hahahah) She loved it! :)
So we are headed to the physical tomorrow and then we will have a few days of site-seeing. Liberty will have even more "firsts". We are going to the zoo where she will see all kinds of animals for the first time. :) Can you imagine what is running through this little sweet potato's head?? She must just not really understand it all. Later we will go to a market to do some shopping. (Not too much though, Our bags are getting close to the weight limit!!)
The busy-ness of our trip is winding down and we are ready to head home! Just a few more hoops to jump through and then we can not only end this trip but start a new one as a family!
Today was her first airplane ride and her first time out of Shanghai. We were a little anxious about this because we weren't sure how she was going to react or behave. She didn't seem to mind the take-off (besides the seatbelt) and she was adored by the staff. I am sure they get lots of adopted children on this particular flight route so they pay extra attention to them. One flight attendant stopped to talk to Liberty and then scooped her up and took her to the back of the plane to talk with the other staff members. At first, we were thinking, "Hey, that's our baby!" but then realized that she really couldnt take off with her...we were in the plane. haha Liberty came back with extra snacks and a yogurt. (They drink their yogurt with a straw, by the way).
After the plane landed, we were all standing, crammed in the aisle of the plane waiting for the doors to open, while Liberty entertained everyone around. She is so social and friendly. Brandon and I have no idea what she was saying but they were all laughing. She was probably saying, "These people are crazy! They do anything I say and give me anything I want!" haha We are not that bad. :)
Once we were picked up by our guide,Jack, we headed to the hotel while Jack asked us questions about our adopting journey. Of course, I love telling this story so he heard the whole thing and I ended up in tears. Happy tears though. When I say out loud the things that have happened, I get overwhelmed with emotion. We have been thanking everyone who has helped us along this China journey,. They all have played a part in giving Liberty a family. It's just so incredible! Jack told us he has helped over 1,000 families in his career. I love hearing things like this!
For dinner, we headed over to PIZZA HUT where we got a good old USA pizza and pop WITH ICE!! Everything is just warm here so ice soounded so good in my pop.:) It was Liberty's first time in a restaurant and the first time she had pizza. This was the final test. Was she destined to be a Myers??(hahahah) She loved it! :)
So we are headed to the physical tomorrow and then we will have a few days of site-seeing. Liberty will have even more "firsts". We are going to the zoo where she will see all kinds of animals for the first time. :) Can you imagine what is running through this little sweet potato's head?? She must just not really understand it all. Later we will go to a market to do some shopping. (Not too much though, Our bags are getting close to the weight limit!!)
The busy-ness of our trip is winding down and we are ready to head home! Just a few more hoops to jump through and then we can not only end this trip but start a new one as a family!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Thanks SWI and ICShanghai
Today we had the privilege of visiting the Shanghai Childrens Welfare Center where Liberty spent the last four years. It was a beautful center that was really clean and had everything that any US school or pre-school would have. Everyone was so nice. We got to tour her room and the classroom she went to for pre-school. We were really nervous about taking her back there because we didn't want her to think that we were leaving her there. We had MingMing explain to her that we were just going to visit and meet her friends but she would be coming home with us. She ws fine with it earlier in the day but when it got closer she told MingMing she didnt want to go...she didnt miss her friends. I was pretty nervous. But she did great. She let Brandon put her down but just so she could show us where her bed was. Then he had to pick her back up right away. She was fine with saying goodbye but she did get a little teary-eyed. When I asked MingMing what she said when she was upset and she said she didnt want to stay there. So even though we explained things to her, she still was scared.
When we went to visit her pre-school classroom, we met her teacher while she played with her toys...one last time. Her teacher told us a funny story about her. She said that when she would ask Liberty a question that she didn't know the answer to, she would say she needed to go to the bathroom. haha Such a funny little girl. :)
As we left, I started crying. I just couldn't hold it in. I thought of all of the people who have helped Liberty and us get to this point. From her birth mother, to our adoption agency, to her caregivers and most of all God, I just was overwhelmed and so so thankful to all that my family has been given.
We headed back to the hotel to get ready for our newspaper interview. We were a little nervous. We didnt want to say anything that would offend anyone. There was a knock at the door and the journalist was there....with his camera-man!!! Oh My Gosh!!! It turned into a television interview! HAHA We were so nervous then!! Not only were we going to be on TV but we had to be careful what we said and then had to worry about Liberty behaving. It was nerve-wracking but it turned out to be a cool experience. (Thanks to the ice cream! ) We will see how it turns out at 9pm Shangahi time. 8AM home time. www.ICShanghai.com
Tonight has been a little rougher with her. I think she has just had a hard day. A little whiney and crabby but arent we all?? We feel locked in our hotel because we get bombarded with questions about why we have a Chinese child when we are American and how we dont have her dressed warm enough ect. I know they mean no harm but we feel more comfortable in the safe haven of our hotel. The staff all are used to us walking the halls with our China doll.
Tomorrow Liberty Jane-Yirun Myers leaves Shanghai. It is bittersweet but we would have it no other way! She's ours from now until forever!
When we went to visit her pre-school classroom, we met her teacher while she played with her toys...one last time. Her teacher told us a funny story about her. She said that when she would ask Liberty a question that she didn't know the answer to, she would say she needed to go to the bathroom. haha Such a funny little girl. :)
As we left, I started crying. I just couldn't hold it in. I thought of all of the people who have helped Liberty and us get to this point. From her birth mother, to our adoption agency, to her caregivers and most of all God, I just was overwhelmed and so so thankful to all that my family has been given.
We headed back to the hotel to get ready for our newspaper interview. We were a little nervous. We didnt want to say anything that would offend anyone. There was a knock at the door and the journalist was there....with his camera-man!!! Oh My Gosh!!! It turned into a television interview! HAHA We were so nervous then!! Not only were we going to be on TV but we had to be careful what we said and then had to worry about Liberty behaving. It was nerve-wracking but it turned out to be a cool experience. (Thanks to the ice cream! ) We will see how it turns out at 9pm Shangahi time. 8AM home time. www.ICShanghai.com
Tonight has been a little rougher with her. I think she has just had a hard day. A little whiney and crabby but arent we all?? We feel locked in our hotel because we get bombarded with questions about why we have a Chinese child when we are American and how we dont have her dressed warm enough ect. I know they mean no harm but we feel more comfortable in the safe haven of our hotel. The staff all are used to us walking the halls with our China doll.
Tomorrow Liberty Jane-Yirun Myers leaves Shanghai. It is bittersweet but we would have it no other way! She's ours from now until forever!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
NO TEARS TONIGHT!! :)
I am starting this post with tonight's activities. At bed time, Liberty crawled right into bed, no crying, no tears. Just laid down and went to sleep. Every night she cries and says the same thing over and over. We found out she was saying that she was wet and wanted to be changed. awww, I felt so bad!
But tonight...NO TEARS!! YAY!! It made us feel so good, like she trusts that we will be here when she wakes up. :) It was also good because B and I are not feeling that well today. Both of us have upset stomachs. :/ It'll be better tomorrow.
Today we went site-seeing to the Pearl TV Tower. Relate it to Sears/Willis Tower. Sort of the same thing. We walked on the clear flooring. Liberty had no fear about that. Mom, on the other hand, stayed close to the cement flooring.
After, we went to the market that was previously a Buddist Temple. It was some of the coolest architecture I have ever seen! While we were shopping, I had bought something special for the boys and was waiting for it to be made so B took Liberty around to look at stuff. People started gathering around asking questions. So he headed back to where we were. It is not the "Melting Pot" atmosphere we are used to in the USA where its nothing to see Caucasian Parents with an Africa-American child or Caucasian Parents with an Asian child. Its rare here so they are curious. We decided that we are carrying our adoption papers with us for the rest of the trip. Just to be safe.
After getting some lunch and dropping off our laundry, we headed back to the hotel because it was raining and windy and cold today. We ate lunch and went for a walk around the hotel to try to expend some of this little one's energy. When we got back, Ming Ming our guide, was calling us. She said that a Shanghai Newspaper wanted to interview us for an article about adoption. HOW COOL IS THAT?? It is cool on two parts. In one way, we want it for Liberty later in life. We think it will be great for her to see. Also, it could be a comfort if her bio parents saw it.
Secondly, We feel God's hands are still at work with us. If this interview could spark even one adoption, it would be so worth it! We are nervous but our guide said she will be there and help us.
We feel like it took so long for this adoption to actually happen. The entire time, even thought it was so hard, we held to the fact that we started this journey because we were trying to be faithful to what we felt God was telling us. Now the blessings are overflowing! From how sweet Liberty is and how well she is bonding with us, how good her health is considering her CHD, how many people have been supporting us and cheering us on through email, our blog and FB, and now this interview!! It is so emtionally overwhelming to feel all of this love and experience all of God's blessings. We dont feel worthy of it. But if this is what it feel like to be faithful to God even through the rough times.... Well it sure is worth it! Thanks to God who we give all of the glory!
But tonight...NO TEARS!! YAY!! It made us feel so good, like she trusts that we will be here when she wakes up. :) It was also good because B and I are not feeling that well today. Both of us have upset stomachs. :/ It'll be better tomorrow.
Today we went site-seeing to the Pearl TV Tower. Relate it to Sears/Willis Tower. Sort of the same thing. We walked on the clear flooring. Liberty had no fear about that. Mom, on the other hand, stayed close to the cement flooring.
After, we went to the market that was previously a Buddist Temple. It was some of the coolest architecture I have ever seen! While we were shopping, I had bought something special for the boys and was waiting for it to be made so B took Liberty around to look at stuff. People started gathering around asking questions. So he headed back to where we were. It is not the "Melting Pot" atmosphere we are used to in the USA where its nothing to see Caucasian Parents with an Africa-American child or Caucasian Parents with an Asian child. Its rare here so they are curious. We decided that we are carrying our adoption papers with us for the rest of the trip. Just to be safe.
After getting some lunch and dropping off our laundry, we headed back to the hotel because it was raining and windy and cold today. We ate lunch and went for a walk around the hotel to try to expend some of this little one's energy. When we got back, Ming Ming our guide, was calling us. She said that a Shanghai Newspaper wanted to interview us for an article about adoption. HOW COOL IS THAT?? It is cool on two parts. In one way, we want it for Liberty later in life. We think it will be great for her to see. Also, it could be a comfort if her bio parents saw it.
Secondly, We feel God's hands are still at work with us. If this interview could spark even one adoption, it would be so worth it! We are nervous but our guide said she will be there and help us.
We feel like it took so long for this adoption to actually happen. The entire time, even thought it was so hard, we held to the fact that we started this journey because we were trying to be faithful to what we felt God was telling us. Now the blessings are overflowing! From how sweet Liberty is and how well she is bonding with us, how good her health is considering her CHD, how many people have been supporting us and cheering us on through email, our blog and FB, and now this interview!! It is so emtionally overwhelming to feel all of this love and experience all of God's blessings. We dont feel worthy of it. But if this is what it feel like to be faithful to God even through the rough times.... Well it sure is worth it! Thanks to God who we give all of the glory!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
She's a Spit-fire and she's officially OUR Spit-fire!! :)
We have definately found out this little one has a personality! She is such a fun little girl and so happy!! It took us awhile to get her to sleep last night, but she slept like a rock! We got a crib today to see if that helps with the bed time thing.
Today was a gorgeous day!! Sunny and about 65! We traveled to the Civil Affairs office to file the adoption paperwork. They interviewed us and asked us why we wanted to adopt this little girl. Also about what are plans were for her health care and education. It was a little nerve wracking but it helped that our person was very young. We had our official picture taken (posted on FB) and then headed to the Notary Office. On our way there Run Run had a messy diaper so I asked where I could change her since there was no place in the restroom. MingMng said, "Oh Chinese women change the babies right here!" On the bench, in the public! haha I am sure the people next to us were not happy having to smell that! But even though the Chinese culture is different from ours, they dont really find anything offensive. After I changed her, she said, according to the guide, that she had to go to the bathroom. I took her and she did go on the toilet so I think potty training will be easy when we get back. For now, she is wearing diapers since we are not close to a bathroom at all times.
At the notary office, everything was made official. China calls her ours! :)After getting back to the hotel and having lunch, we decided to head to the park behind our hotel. It's not a kids park like US parks, More like walking "Perry farm" type park. Anyway, as we were walking around, EVERYONE was staring at us. Run Run was so social! She'd go up to all of the people at the park and say, "Ni Hao!" Oh it was adorable! But then it got a little scary. We had one woman following us around. Then she and another woman came up to us and started speaking in Chinese. Thank God my husband knows how to say,"We dont speak Chinese." They kept asking questions at us. Finally, one pointed and Brandon and said, "BABA?...then pointed to me,"MAMA?" then pointed to Run Run and said " Chinese!" and shook her head no. So I walked up and said with gestures that I wasnt pregnant (Big belly) but she was adopted.(writing on paper). Then it clicked. BUT we were a little freaked out and left quickly. We decided that we will carry our adoption papers with us if we go out alone again. We did pick up ice cream on the way home and after she got used to the coldness of it, she loved it. She kept saying "Tong Lau"(sp?) which means hot. I guess because it was so cold.
We've just been playing with her in the hotel room. Getting ready for dinner and her favorite time of the day BATH TIME!! :)
Tomorrow we are headed to the Pearl Tower and a shopping market. It should be fun and we will feel safe because our guide will be able to explain any questioning, staring, people.
My favorite time today was when she was singing all of the little nursery rhymes she has learned at pre-school. One was to the tune of "Oh my darling! Oh My darling! Oh my darling Clementine!" Then we said "Bonglau!" which means good job!!
We are BEAT but loving every minute of it!
Today was a gorgeous day!! Sunny and about 65! We traveled to the Civil Affairs office to file the adoption paperwork. They interviewed us and asked us why we wanted to adopt this little girl. Also about what are plans were for her health care and education. It was a little nerve wracking but it helped that our person was very young. We had our official picture taken (posted on FB) and then headed to the Notary Office. On our way there Run Run had a messy diaper so I asked where I could change her since there was no place in the restroom. MingMng said, "Oh Chinese women change the babies right here!" On the bench, in the public! haha I am sure the people next to us were not happy having to smell that! But even though the Chinese culture is different from ours, they dont really find anything offensive. After I changed her, she said, according to the guide, that she had to go to the bathroom. I took her and she did go on the toilet so I think potty training will be easy when we get back. For now, she is wearing diapers since we are not close to a bathroom at all times.
At the notary office, everything was made official. China calls her ours! :)After getting back to the hotel and having lunch, we decided to head to the park behind our hotel. It's not a kids park like US parks, More like walking "Perry farm" type park. Anyway, as we were walking around, EVERYONE was staring at us. Run Run was so social! She'd go up to all of the people at the park and say, "Ni Hao!" Oh it was adorable! But then it got a little scary. We had one woman following us around. Then she and another woman came up to us and started speaking in Chinese. Thank God my husband knows how to say,"We dont speak Chinese." They kept asking questions at us. Finally, one pointed and Brandon and said, "BABA?...then pointed to me,"MAMA?" then pointed to Run Run and said " Chinese!" and shook her head no. So I walked up and said with gestures that I wasnt pregnant (Big belly) but she was adopted.(writing on paper). Then it clicked. BUT we were a little freaked out and left quickly. We decided that we will carry our adoption papers with us if we go out alone again. We did pick up ice cream on the way home and after she got used to the coldness of it, she loved it. She kept saying "Tong Lau"(sp?) which means hot. I guess because it was so cold.
We've just been playing with her in the hotel room. Getting ready for dinner and her favorite time of the day BATH TIME!! :)
Tomorrow we are headed to the Pearl Tower and a shopping market. It should be fun and we will feel safe because our guide will be able to explain any questioning, staring, people.
My favorite time today was when she was singing all of the little nursery rhymes she has learned at pre-school. One was to the tune of "Oh my darling! Oh My darling! Oh my darling Clementine!" Then we said "Bonglau!" which means good job!!
We are BEAT but loving every minute of it!
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