Standing S

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Smug S

Happy baby.

Baby gang sign? She is constantly holding her index and middle fingers like this (kind of like a quotation gesture). We have no idea why she does it, but it cracks us up. We are calling it "the claw."

Today's outing.

This little girl caught our attention since her facial features are similar to Baby S's.

Thai g-ds

Educational outings are exhausting.

Interior of a Shui (water) Village dwelling.

Have you had your veggies today? Got to hand it to the Chinese and their ingenuity. The popsicle in the green wrapper, look closer, yep, is a pea popsicle. We saw a little girl happily eating one but did not take a picture because we did not want to freak out her mom. Yeah, we know, people are constantly taking pictures of us, but it's just not the same.

Yoda is alive and well, making signs in China.

Spicy potatoes, the first part of our lunch. We managed to score these because of P's persistence. P is usually a rather quiet, reserved person. That is, until something affects his wife or kids. Then, he can be quite stubborn and it is a hoot to see that side of him. Not only do we have six babies in our group, but one family has three young daughters as well. Yesterday, our guide failed to take them into account and did not schedule a lunch break. The girls were tired, hungry, and overwhelmed. Today, the parents of the girls wanted to make sure that their children would get to eat lunch at a reasonable time.

As we were strolling through the Thai village, the potato vendor caught P's eye and since Baby S needed to have lunch, he decided that it would be a good idea for her to try them. Our guide informed us that he had made arrangements for us to eat something a the Yi Village later on. Everyone was following along, except, of course, P. He simply looked at me and stated, "I don't care what he says, I'm not leaving without the potatoes." The other parents followed his lead and got in line behind P to purchase their potatoes.

Just because he had not pushed his luck enough, P then decided that eating while walking was not fun, so he calmly planted his behind on a nearby bench and requested that I join him. This gave the other parents time to get out the baby food jars, mix formula and feed their babies. P then smiled at me, quite satisfied with himself. Once the babies were fed, we happily continued our tour. Leave it up to my husband to start a mutiny in a communist country.

Honestly, we do not know how she does it, or how she stores it, but she managed to eat three pieces.

Our guide informed us that Baby S is most than likely a Yi minority.

Lunch, Part 2. We had the opportunity to eat in the Yi village, which was a treat for us. The chickens were yummy and the seasonings provided were very tasty. Baby S had breast meat and ate her weight in poultry. You are provided with plastic gloves, so your hands are clean at the end of your meal.

Baby S really enjoyed the Yi dance.

Ethnic Yi dress.

Baby S finally lets her parents know that she can indeed stand from a sitting position.

Dinner

Food (good food), Baby S's reason for living.

Grandpa A, P made sure to take good pics of the food for you. We are sad that you could not make it because you and your foodie granddaughter would have had a gastronomical blast. Baby S really enjoyed this noodle dish, much to the dismay of the other parents. They were gasping when they saw us feeding her. The dish is not as spicy as they expected and although we can be dense, we tried everything (yes, both of us) before allowing her precious palate to to savor the food. Baby S also enjoyed the beef soup, fish, chicken, pork, spicy prawns and pumpkin fritters (similar to crepes). So far, she has not thumbed her nose at any food item we have presented to her, and there have been many. Alas, eventually she will discover that crap in a box called mac & cheese and it will be all over.

For those of you waiting to travel, it is a good idea to familiarize yourselves with the food in your child's province. Working on chopstick proficiency will also save you a lot of pain, as in going hungry because you cannot get food in your, or worse, your child's mouth. The purpose of the outings in your child's province is to give you an authentic glimpse of the local culture. That authenticity translates into an absence of Western utensils. It really is kind of sad (OK, embarrassing) for an adult to pass on a meal (and pout) because of a lack of silverware. Also, your guide will be ordering for you, because the menus are in Chinese and the staff do not speak English. This is China, not Epcot Center. Also, please try to refrain from making annoying comments about what your over active (paranoid) imagination thinks is being presented as poultry or beef. And yes, the fish is served intact, there are no headless, eyeless fish. This is our Public Service Announcement for the day, we now return to our smart a$$ selves.

Yunnan is known for its mushrooms. Baby S was very annoyed that she could
not partake in the mushroom eating because her usually laid back parents felt that

the dish was too spicy for her. Every time her baba fed her mama (here is our system, baby is fed by K while in the carrier, P & K share) she would open her pretty

little mouth, hoping that the chopstick express would land there. Those mushrooms on a pizza should taste awfully good.

Tasty chicken dish.

Bee wine, a rather potent potable. It should be dubbed bee moonshine instead.
A few of our group mates were glad they saw this after tasting the wine.

Main reason why we keep her in the carrier while riding the bus.
She bamboozled our guide, Martin, into aiding her to break the rules
by allowing her to wonder in a moving bus. What can we say, the kid
lives dangerously. She is in for a rude awakening when she
arrives in the land of car seats and seat belts. The 3 hour drive from
SFO home is going to be challenging. P has already stated that he will
drive so baby and mother can "bond" by sitting next to each other.
Wow, what an altruistic man I married. :) BTW, she
was not in her carrier because it was less than 10 minutes to the

hotel.

Playing with Stella, our guide's daughter.

HEY! The stacking cups are for the baby. At least
the mom person shared with me.

Bath, bottle, cuddle, sleep. It does not
get any better than this.

Stone Forest

George, our cheerful guide.

So this is why its called Stone Forest.

Contrary to popular belief, Baby S spends most of her time
with K. P has yet to hold her in the Ergo, so when
she emerges for a break, we take advantage of the opportunity
for a photo op. Baby S remains in the carrier even during the bus
rides. She seems comfortable and her mom does not mind, so we have
not felt the need to purchase a stroller (she only has 3 at home).

Hamming it up for the camera. We are grateful that she
is such an easy going baby. At this point she had endured
a two hour bus ride without a much needed nap. The tour guide's
chatter/singing, plus the loud crying from the other babies kept
her awake.

The main attraction (the characters mean Stone Forest).
We had a group picture taken here and it was quite an
experience. It is the most crowded part of the park. So as we
are setting up the picture, there were what seemed like a hundred tourists
taking pictures and filming us. One couple has three
Chinese daughters and they were feeling a bit uncomfortable. We
wonder how Baby S is going to handle all the attention when we
return for her baby brother.

Crocodile Rock

Lunch time.

Bong, Chinese style.

Baby S really enjoyed the ethnic dance.

This happens everywhere we go and for the most

we do not mind. It is considered good luck to touch the
babies and it is something we knew and expected. It is
difficult when the babies are napping and people seem
oblivious to their need to rest. They just walk over and try to
wake them up. We do not care much for strangers touching our
kid, but do realize that it is a cultural thing and will last only two
weeks. We are guests in their country, so we just roll with it. Here,
my genius plan of placing her hat over her face to deter touching failed
miserably. Heh. BTW, of the 6 families, 2 of us have Ergo carriers and our
babies are not as accessible. Thankfully, Baby S has not had to deal with people
trying to remove her from the carrier or touching her face.

Ergo nap. Sadly, it only lasted 20 minutes. Poor thing
had a rough day, yet never had a meltdown (which is more
than can be said about her mom).

Baba and Baby S at the jade market. We purchased
a jade Buddah necklace for her to wear in the future.
According to the Chinese it brings good luck. Boys wear Our
Lady of Mercy.

Come on Baba, time to work on my development, let's walk!
She is wearing capri pants,12 month size. They are
way too big around her tiny waist. Maybe next summer

they will fit.

Practicing her menacing look. Be afraid, be very afraid.

We bought this shirt for Baby S over two years ago.
We just thought it was cute; little did we know...
We have never seen something so small with that
much attitude.

Soft S

One day you are minding your own business, while wearing split pants;

the next day, you are sitting in a strange place, dressed in a g-d awful

hippy outfit, with (GASP) glitter no less, and holding a Baby Einstein rattle.

Please tell me it does not get weirder than this.

How about some privacy people?

Mom, you may want to give the camera a rest. I know we
have only been together for 31 hours, but I could not pick you
out of a line up. Every time I see you, you are hiding behind that
darn contraption!

What? Never seen a cute kid before?

07/07/2008

Another quick post. It's 2:47 a.m., and as usual I'm up. P and Sleepy S are in dreamland. Yesterday we visited the local Walmart, to stock up on bottled water and whatever else each family needed. Although we were told that we could find everything we needed in China, we are glad we did not listen. We are using Playtex bottles, because of the convenience of using drop in liners (difficult to sterilize bottles in a hotel room) and because those were J's favorites as a baby. A few of the other families are using them as well, and needed extra liners and nipples. Sadly, no Playtex products to be found. While P was working on trying to get our cell phones a local number, Baby S and I decided to walk around the store. The looks that we got were priceless. Surprisingly, it did not feel weird, perhaps because of being a minority. I am not used to be around others that look like me, so really, nothing new here.

After Walmart (more on that later) we returned to the hotel to chill out. Baby S began to whimper as she was removed from the Ergo baby carrier (well worth the outrageous price) and did not want to be placed on the bed/floor/crib. It appeared that her little system went into overload mode and the reality of the past 24 hours hit her. She became very clingy and wanted both her mom and baba all the time. Our guide had requested that we meet at the indoor pool for a swim and then have dinner at a local restaurant. As much as we want to socialize and take in the culture of her birth place, we could not put Baby S through more stress.

We decided to stay in and just let her grieve on her own terms. She spent time napping while laying on us. Her sleep was restless as she would whimper and use her tiny, yet very efficient death grip on us. Baby S has a tiny mouth and the most amazing pouty lips ever seen since her brother was born. When that bottom lip quivers, it breaks our hearts. We wish she would just loose it and scream, as it is so difficult to watch her try to make sense of what is happening to her. She is scared and hanging on for dear life. Still, it is normal to grieve and part of the process. We just wish we could take in her pain, as she has been through so much.

We also skipped the group dinner to minimize her exposure to the masses. We took a nice, leisurely bath, got her ready for bed and ordered room service (nothing exciting, just burgers). She just alternated between our laps, until bedtime.

Once again we are reminded of how blessed we are. Baby S and J are incredibly resilient, and we wonder if under similar circumstances we could cope half as well as they have. Really, here we are in a very nice hotel, with almost everything we need, and we occasionally whine about how difficult it is to prepare bottles and parent out of a hotel room. Yeah, light weights. While she (fitfully) napped yesterday, we were discussing their similarities. They both are funny as heck, are great eaters, travel well and can sleep anywhere. Baby S and J are also active, inquisitive, intelligent and the biggest hams. We can't wait for them to meet because we are sure that they will instinctively try to out ham each other. It's going to be interesting to watch.

Baby S just reached another milestone, her first #2 diaper. It is normal for the babies to be constipated due to the change in diet and stress. So glad we brought prunes (also not available at Walmart). She is back in her crib (3:22 a.m.) and no longer fussy.

Today, Wednesday, we are going to visit the Stone Forest, a two hour drive from Kunming. We have seen pictures and is is simply beautiful. Will post pictures tonight.

Stupendous S

Baby S bidding farewell to the orphanage director and her nanny.
They both cried upon kissing her goodbye and it was a rather poignant
moment for us. She was obviously well cared for and quite frankly, it
appears that she was held A LOT and also hand fed all her meals.

Forever ours, as her adoption is finalized.

Lady Bug nap. Poor thing only napped for 45 minutes.

Due to an unexpected outing (that included witnessing a brawl
at the Carre Four) our very tired baby did not get to sleep until
11:30 p.m.

Striking a pose, even as she sleeps.

Spectacular S

Baby S, Baba and S Bear ( a gift from Grandpa A).
Thanks Grandpa A, for being so supportive during the
seemingly never ending wait.

Baby S and Baba

This is the first opportunity that we get to post. We have been on the go since leaving Guangzhou Sunday. We will edit the post later but we know that what matters are the pictures. We met Spectacular S 07/07/2008 at noon, we signed a “harmonious period agreement” (granting us temporary custody), that usually lasts for 24 hours. We were granted the opportunity to finalize the adoption two and a half hours later and all six families accepted. We spent a whole hour at the hotel getting settled, returned to the Civil Affairs Office and finalized the adoption in the afternoon.

We have no idea what we have done to deserve Spectacular S, but we are not questioning the powers that be.

We are going to enjoy some down time with our girl and will provide details later. Thanks for following along.

WE ARE HERE!

It’s 12:47 a.m., July 6th, and we just arrived at our hotel (OK, so we “lost” a day due to the International Dateline). What an experience; a long, drawn out experience. We left our home at 7:00 a.m., July 4th, and departed from SFO that same day at 2:00 p.m. A two hour layover in Tokyo, then on to Guangzhou. We are exhausted, but also very excited. Our guide, Grace, met us at the airport and we met two other couples that are in our group. The rest of the group arrives tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. One of the couples will remain in Guangzhou for the entire trip, since their daughter is placed locally. The other couple is here for their fifth adoption; all girls.

We should meet Baby S on Monday (Sunday for you guys home, as China is 15 hours ahead), and will try to post pictures ASAP. We were able to view her blog here, but have no idea if it will be accessible in Kunming. J is our plan B if we can’t post from Kunming.

BTW, we are watching Cubavision International Channel; yep Spanish TV in China. Talk about surreal. Will post more later.

PICTURES!

WANTED: For stealing her parents' hearts. Still, best mugshot we have ever seen. Beats any you can get on TMZ.

"Are you talking to me? Are you talking to me?" Baby S proving that she can lounge with the best of them.

The smile that stole our hearts.

The 411 on Baby S

Chinese Name: Wenjia Si Jing
DOB: 03/15/2007 (Big brother was born on 03/21, Auntie C was born on 03/13)
Height: 24” Weight: 13.2 lbs. (as of 12/2007)
City: Kaiyuan
Province: Yunnan
She is waiting for us at the Yunnan Social Welfare Institute (SWI)

Baby S:
- Is a deep sleeper (like her dad).
- Holds her head up, rolls over, picks up small things with her fingers (time to get Cheerios), crawls, and follows voices and objects.
- Laughs out loud, differentiates between strangers and acquaintances (this is going to make our transition interesting), is active, likes music and toys (great, because there is plenty of both waiting for her), is happy (like her big brother), smiles a lot and is quick to react (like her mom).

We are waiting for her picture via FedEx and will post it as soon as we get it scanned. While we are sad that we missed Baby S’s first birthday, we are elated to finally be able to bring her home. Our anniversary is next Sunday (06/15), and we are incredibly blessed, for the second time in our marriage, to be given the gift of life as an anniversary present.

Two years later...

We might get that long awaited phone call. Yes, The Call. WOW! Hopefully today we'll learn her name, DOB, province, and SWI. We are excited and exhausted. The wait has been the worst rollercoaster ride we have ever taken. Ironically, we both love rollercoaster rides; some (J included) have called us rollercoaster junkies. Heh! Baby S., can't wait to see you.

Here We Go . . .

01/27/2006

This first post finds P and I on opposite coasts, as I am home in California, and he is in New York visiting relatives. Ironically, when our relationship began, I was living in Southern California, while P called Northern California home. Why am I not with P tonight? Because he is spending much needed individual time with his grandmother, MC. He is also spending time with his uncle J and his family, and his aunt V. He is coming home Sunday, and I find myself missing him something awful.

Last night, we spoke after P left his grandmother’s home. P’s grandfather passed away in December 2004, and we attended his funeral in Florida. It was the first time I met MC, J (his wonderful wife and children) and V. I never had the opportunity to meet his grandfather JC and I truly regret this. We only spent a few days in Florida, but I learned more about P in those days than in the nine years we had spent together. Like his grandfather, he is kind, sensitive, quiet, loyal, and loves to care for others. He also shares another trait with him, the inability to close drawers, cupboards and other assorted things that become a danger to the rest of us. Can’t blame the guy for genetics. P misses his grandfather very much and regretted not spending more time with his grandparents.

So, for Christmas (2005), I asked P for a very special present, the gift of his presence to his family. Initially P was not very sure about traveling, let alone going without me. Yes, we are in the process of adopting S, but this is as important. Then, we received the news that referrals are going to take longer than initially expected. While we were both devastated by the delay, it benefited us in other ways. For one, traveling to NY would not affect our adoption funding, and P decided to go. I am so proud that he decided to make the trip as it has already impacted our family in a very positive manner.

Yesterday, P spent the afternoon with his grandmother and they had dinner and talked for hours. P called me as he left her place and we continued that conversation once he arrived at his hotel. For those who need genetic clarification, my grandparents raised me, but to me, they ARE my parents, and our marriage license reflects that fact. My grandfather passed away when I was ten and my grandmother joined him six years later. While they were with me for such a short time, I was blessed with their undivided attention for those years. As we get closer to being united with our daughter, familial ties and unresolved issues become so important. Also, it turns out that P’s grandmother is incredibly excited by the addition to our family. This will be her first great-granddaughter and she cannot wait to meet S.

Why start a blog? We have been following adoption blogs and WebPages for quite a while. It’s been a truly educational experience for us about the process. But the best part is that so many people have shared their journey to China and their forever child with us, and we are grateful for the opportunity. While I doubt that anyone other than family and friends will ever read our musings and assorted rants, but just in case someone stumbles upon it, we hope that it helps that someone with their own journey. Also, we have relatives in so many states that this is an easy way to keep in touch. Here’s my blog address, drop by if you are interested in keeping up with the adoption and our incredibly boring lives.

I better start posting and learning how to navigate this medium, and hopefully I’ll have it down by next year.