Sunday, February 26, 2006

Sunday Afternoon, 2-26-06

This photo was taken by Joseph Mamer
all rights reserved. See more of his work at www.joemamer.com



Hello from Minnesota. Our plane touched down in Minnapolis yesterday (Saturday) afternoon around 3:45 PM, and it's taken me over 24 hours to just find some time, and energy to get back to our blog site.

But, first things first. Let's pick up the story where we left off, in Guangzhou on Friday, getting ready to leave.

We did have all the bags packed by 1pm and the Alexanders were so helpful in letting us keep our carry-ons in their room, while the other bags were put out in the hallway around 2pm for a bellboy to take downstairs until our departure.

(Sarah is at the far right; Billie Angel Alexander is next to her in the white shirt.)

Also at 2pm, all the families showed up with their daughters for picture on the red couch in front of the Chinese panels on the first floor of the Red Swan hotel. (For the families who traveled with us last time, the Dragon panels were gone.) It was rather chaotic as nine little girls don't like tobe left sitting on the couch and have all these strangers standing around snapping bright lights at them. The crying started and Sarah was pretty good until the end and at that point they were all wailing.



At 2:50 our group of nine families piled into our tour bus, and there were 4 other buses there for other families. All buses left for the U.S. embassy together, which is now a 30 minute bus ride across the city, which wouldn't take so long if it wasn't for all the traffic. The embassy just moved this past fall; prior to that, it was located a block from the White Swan and only required a leisurly walk down the street. Last time too, strollers, cameras, etc. were all allowed in, but now we were allowed a diaper and wipes, a little food for the baby and that was it. Not even a pen is allowed inside the building.

All the families went to the fourth floor and passed a review of our passports, a metal detection check, another review of our passports and then were left to wait in a big waiting room. I did a quick count of the

families there and estimated around 40 families were waiting to bring their daughters home...that is just one swearing in ceremony this week, and we were told there by Shirley there are are usually three a week.

The ceremony was as simple as we remembered it, but the question was not about abandonment as I posted earlier in the blog, but about being truthful on our paperwork. A gentleman from the Embassy came into our room, congratulated us and wished us luck on the trip home, asked all parents to stand and raise their right hand and then asked us one question: Do you affirm that all information provided by you is truthful to the best of your knowledge? We all said yes, and that was it. Each group's guide was given the babies' passports with their U.S. visa afixed in it and a sealed packet of information that was not to be opened except by a U.S. customs official at our port of entry. Back on the bus.

We arrived at the hotel around 5:20 and had just enough time to run up to the Alexander's room and change into travel clothes, convert a few dollars to RMB for food at the airport and I had to do a crash and burn 'fill out Chinese paperwork' to leave the country...Shirley had forgotten to give it to our family until on the bus and there are three forms per person to be completed for departure from China, just as there were three forms per person for entry (note: leaving the US as a citizen required no paperwork and returning requires only two forms for the whole family). I was a bit frazzled, but luckily Susan and Mark were quite calm. Mark went with Steve to help convert money and Susan helped me get Sarah changed and fed Emily something to eat. We hugged each other good-bye and it was a bit sad to know we were leaving, but for the most part, we just wanted to be on our way. The Alexanders were on the 4:45am Saturday morning "leave the hotel" timeline that all the other families had flying Northwest.

Molly went with us to the airport, which was very comforting after what happened in the Guangzhou airport on our arrival. She stayed with us until our bags were checked in and took us to where we needed bording passes to enter. We grabbed a light dinner and then boarded the plane. This time, with the tailwind, the flight was only 13 hours, instead of the 15 hours going to China. The girls slept for 11+ hours of the flight and woke up in time for breakfast. Steve and I slept as best we could, but the economy business class of China Southern is certainly not as comfortable as Northwest business class as the seats don't lay down as far and the headrest gets in the way. When we landed in LA, it was around 5:45. Clearing customs took little time and was uneventful, but getting our luggage took about 50 minutes and waiting for our shuttle to the airport took another 35 minutes, so we got to the hotel around 2 hours after we arrived. Then it was off to dinner, good old American food of steak and salad that we enjoyed.

The good part of staying over night in LA is that Matt and Alison, Steve's children, live in San Diego and drove up to see us. It was so nice to see them again, to be able to visit and kick back in our room and just relax and have them meet Sarah and play with Emily. Around 12:30am, I finally started getting tired and Sarah had fallen asleep, but Emily was wide awake. So Steve, Emily, Matt and Alison headed out to get the big kids something to eat. They got back around 3:30 am and Emily finally was tired around 4am and slept until 7am, but Steve didn't sleep at all.

In the morning we were back to at LAX for a 10:15 flight home andall four of us slept the entire way home. Of course we had the last row on the plane so it took forever to deplane. Grandma and Grandpa were waiting for us at the airport and was it ever good to see them. We got home to find Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Elin, Uncle Joe and our cousins Libby and Frannie had made wonderful meal for us and were waiting to greet everyone. Our grandparents had decorated the house with welcome home signs and a fresh boquet of carnations and little white and light pink rose buds, j

ust for our new 'little Rose Bud.' After dinner we shared treasures and gifts from our trip.

Sarah was very apprehensive at first with all the new people, staying only in Mommy's arms for about the first two hours. Gradually she warmed up and went to Joe first and to Elin for a brief time. Later she played with Grandpa, laughing and walking to him. Finally, around 8:00pm she walked to Grandma and she got her first big Grandma hug.

It is so good to be home.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Friday Morning - 2/24/06


It’s Friday morning and today we have the swearing in ceremony at the U.S. Embassy. This is when all the families stand before a Government official and promise to care for our newly adopted children and to never abandon them. We leave at 3:00pm for that and are back at 5:30. Then we have to hop on a 6:00 shuttle and off to the airport for a 9:00pm flight. But get this we have to have our luggage packed and waiting out the door by 2:30 and we’re supposed to have group pictures taken on the red couch in the lobby (a tradition) at 2:00pm. I don’t know how Ann is going to pull it all off. (ha ha)

Sarah is awake and jabbering in her crib. Her crib is next to Emily’s bed and she holding Emily’s hand while Emily is asleep. Tried to get a picture but wasn’t fast enough. We have many nick names for Sarah. Emily calls her Sarah Barah Narah; give her a break as she is only five and Mrs. Sullivan has her rhyming everything. I call her Mellon Head, give me a break, I’m on a diet and all I think of is food. Her head is almost perfectly round and it reminds me of a beautifully shaped mellon. My favorite nick name however, is the one Ann calls her. She calls Sarah her “little rose bud” because she has a rose bud mouth. It’s perfect for her. Emily has always been her “little sweet pea” and when Ann has slipped and used that name for Sarah, Emily has reminded Ann, “Hey, I’m sweet pea.”

Last night when we were coming back from the dinning out I had Emily on my shoulders and she wanted me to sing with her, so we started to sing “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” So we started going down the list, He’s got the little tiny babies and so on. It was a long walk so we had to make some up and Emily suggested “He’s got all the little girls” so when I suggested “He’s got all the little boys” Emily said girls don’t sing about boys until they are older or if the boy is a prince. What are they teaching her at that school? ;) The last verse she sang was “He’s got all the vegetables, in his hands.”

Now that Emily knows we’re leaving today for home, she is again planning her ‘gradulation’ party for Sarah (yes a cross between Congratulations and Graduation). Before we left, she hand made invitations for her friends and talked about the need to decorate and have everyone come over to meet Sarah. Today, she keeps telling us all the things we need to do to get ready for the party, “We need cupcakes, check; cake, check; balloons, check; ribbons, check; camera, check…” and the list goes on and on. We can suggest things for the list and if she agrees, she’ll say “check.” We love the little mental check list she uses.

I walked by the bank when I went to get lunch. The guard almost gave me a heart attack was there and he agreed to let Mark take a picture of him handing me my lisence. He told me he was still laughing about it today.

Ann’s part of the blog - later Friday morning

It is now around 10:21pm and we're pretty much packed, girls both had baths and we had some family pictures snapped by the waterfall. Steve and Mark Alexander just headed out to find some lunch for the girls, probably peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from Lucy's for the bigger girls and congee for Sarah and Billie. Emily and Anne are pretending to be dogs on the bed in our room. It is just a waiting game right now to leave.



Here are a few other tidbits of information.
This morning we picked up the chops we ordered. A chop is a square stamp, usually carved into a heavy block, that has your name etched on it and is used with red ink to stamp your name, most commonly seen by westerners on Asian paintings and other artwork. Our chops have our last name on it, both in Chinese characters and English. We also need to buy snacks for this evening as we don’t anticipate time to find dinner tonight…should be interesting with two hungry little girls and limited, if any, food options and the chaos of the Guangzhou airport.

I did some shopping over the past two afternoons and it is an experience. Every shop owner sits outside his shop and politely asks you about your child or how you are, then asks you to come in his/her shop. If you do enter, they follow you around the store, pointing out everything they offer. If you show one bit of interest in something they are showing you how something works, other colors, constantly asking, “You like?” Here’s the best part. Some prices are marked, some are not, so if you ask the price, they tell you, “If you like, good price for you.” So now, after I ask the price and the salesperson answers, I ask, “If I like it, how much is it?” Also, as with most places where you negotiate the price, you simply start to walk away and the price drops, or “If you buy more things, we give you good price.” Often, you just have to keep smiling and saying “no thank you, not today” or “I already bought that” as most shop owners carry the same items. It gets old after while, though Susan Alexander and I were able to find shops that let us browse on our own once we got a block or two off the main strip of shops right outside the hotel. Overall, we purchased two traditional red Asian dresses for Emily and Sarah for 100RMB ($12.50 US), and picked up a traditional dress for me, matching embroidered shoes and a silk robe for Steve for 500 RBM. We also picked up some paper cuts, a few small water colors by local artists and some gifts.

We may have some time to post another blog on Friday night (US time) after we're settled in our hotel in LA...I'm sure there will be some interesting stories from the plane ride and we'll have cleared US customs at that point as well. Just need to get that IR-3 stamp in her Chinese passport and we're done; she's automatically a U.S. citizen at that point.

I remember the plane trip home with Emily to be very uneventful and wasn't so bad, but Emily was a very calm baby that liked to cuddle and wouldn't walk yet. Sarah is more active, full of energy, wants to walk continuously and we have a five year old along this time, but luckily Emily is a great little travelor...should be very fun! Sense of humor is needed for this trip. Sarah has also learned how to play limp and to throw her head back when she doesn't get her way...I remember that from Emily so was ready for it the first time it happened.

We'll probably add a final blog once we arrive back home so everyone knows we arrived safe and sound and we can post a picture of Sarah in her forever home.

Thursday Night 2-23-06

Adoption Blog - Huanggang Social Welfare Institute Near Wuhan

Today was a free day, only a quick 1:00 meeting to check some paper work. I let Ann handle it. If I did it our new daughter’s name could end up being Haras. I am posting some pictures of playtime in the hotel's play room and our return to the park. At the park we saw people taking dance lessons and playing games. Emily played with other kids who came to China with their parents to adopt another child.

Last night most of the guys got together to smoke cigars (Cuban). We congratulated each other and patted ourselves on the back, taking credit for all the work our wives did getting us through the adoption process. It was a lot of fun and they are a great bunch of guys.

We went to a real Chinese restaurant tonight. One of the moms (born in Taiwan...grew up in Kansas) speaks Mandarin rather well, so we knew we wouldn’t end up ordering Ox stomach and tongue by mistake. Don't laugh, it was on the menu. This was a very adventurous move for me. Any one who knows me knows I’m a roast, corn, mashed potatoes and apple sauce kind of guy. But I have tried American cuisine in China and it all pretty much taste like Ox stomach and tongue. Surprisingly, the food was delicious! I guess it only proves the old adage, “When in Rome do as the Romans do.”

I had an interesting event today when I went to The Bank of China to convert some U.S. currency to Chinese. We normally do it in the hotel but for some reason they won’t do it between 3:30 and 5:30. The hotel cashier told me to go to the bank which is literally right next to the hotel. I didn't bring my passport, as it is not needed when doing this in the hotel. However the guard in the bank, who spoke broken english, said I could use my driver’s license. I completed the paper work and was waiting for my turn when the guard came up to me and said in a very stern voice “I must see your ID.” I was a little taken back by his tone as he was very nice just minutes ago. So I opened my wallet to get my license and couldn’t find it. He said again “I must see your ID, show your license.” I gotta tell you my mouth went dry and I am sure the fear and confusion was all over my face. I just had my license but I couldn’t find it now. As I was digging in my wallet the guard said “your license.” I continued to look when he said again “your license” but this time he tapped me on the shoulder as he said it. I looked up and he was holding my driver’s license. When he saw the look on my face he cracked up laughing. I had left it on the counter and he picked it up and then proceeded to have a laugh at my expense. You could tell it made his day. Apparently the Chinese love practical jokes. Oh well, anything for world peace.

We begin our return home tomorrow!!!!

Do you think Minnesota is ready for this?

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Wednesday 2/22/06 12:30pm

It is turning out to be a warm, muggy day here in Guangzhou. Very hazy, as are most days here and they were the same in Wuhan.

We went down for breakfast at 9am this morning and it was a madhouse...the noise of about 200 people eating, everyone shuffling around as it is completely buffet style, so everyone is running all over to grab their food. It was just chaotic and very hard to enjoy a meal, you just want it over with so you can leave.

At 10am, we met the other families and Shirley and headed off to get the medical examination completed, a requirement in order to get a US visa. Shirley made sure we walked fast as she saw other families gathering in the White Swan to do the same thing. Lucky for us, we were the first group there so got in immediately, whereas when we left, there were atleast 10-12 families waiting for their turns. The exam itself is very cursory; Sarah was weighed and measured...she is 78 cm long, but they did not give me her weight. She was then checked to see if her eyes followed a toy and if she turned her head when a squeaky toy was squeaked and if she heard some other music. Tongue depresser used to look in her mouth and I don't recall anyone looking in her ears. Then a doctor listened to hear lungs and heart, measured her head and checked over her body for any problems. That was it. The whole thing took about 8 minutes. I remember last time being so worried because Emily had a cold and thinking, what if there is something wrong, we won't be able to get her out of the country, home to the U.S. This time, we gave Sarah some baby cold medicine to stop her noise from running, as she has had a small cold (though most of the kids do have colds and did on our last visit to) and didn't worry about a thing. It was just a formality. It certainly is easier the second time around as we know what to expect...we were in the same rooms in the same building as last time and the exam seemed even shorter this time than it did the first time.

Shamian Island is really quite beautiful...lots of huge, knarly-looking banyan trees everywhere with Spanish moss hanging from them. Everything is green here, some palm trees, lots of bright colorful flowers. Lovely older buildings, manicured lawns and hedges between some of the buildings, and clean streets. Those living here have money, drive nice cars and there is an elementary school on the island with the children dressed in uniforms. We found a playground in the parkway, between two small side roads, as we walked home from the clinic; it had lots of new playground equipment and was new since our last visit. Funny thing is that all the older people on the island come out and use the equipment for their morning exercises. It looked like a health club for retired folks; they were using things that turn and twist to work our their arms and upper bodies, riding some of the equipment to stretch out their legs...it was amazing. I almost wonder if some of the equipment was really put there for adult use, rather than children, as it seemed to fit the adult body size quite well. It was unusual by Western standards to see so many adults out stretching and doing this. No tai chi, however, though we've seen that exercise practiced in a different park by the Pearl River, down the street from the hotel. Emily enjoyed running around the track and playing on some of the playground equipment. Sarah just wanted to walk, holding one hand, though she'd prefer to hold no hands; she continually tried to get out of our grip.

After coming back to the hotel to pay off some final hotel fees, Steve and Emily headed off to the local McDonalds, about a 20 minute walk away, and I stayed back in the room so Sarah could take a combined morning and afternoon nap; I'm expecting her to sleep for about 2 hours. I've got classical piano music playing on the intercom system in our room, have a quiet, air conditioned room and a computer, and am enjoying some time to myself...may even read a book. Then its rice cereal and formula for lunch and off to the streets to shop.

By the way, we have a great little eater on our hands. Sarah refused bottles back in Wuhan...I was a bit flustered at first, not knowing how we'd get enough liquids down her and knowing we depended on formula and rice cereal with Emily when we couldn't find other food. I even used the bottle the orphanage gave me with the slit nipple, but she only took that two mornings. I had thought the nipples I brought were too hard to suck, not what the children are used to in China...I put pin holes in mine and that didn't work. I finally started putting the formula in a sippy cup I brought, without the stopper in it. That did it. I gave my bottles, nipples and bottle liners to another family in Wuhan and decided bottles are done for. Now Sarah's drinking her formula again! And then you should see her eat at breakfast - a bottomless pit. Steve thinks she's going to eat us out of house and home. Congee (a rice and water porridge, very bland), steamed eggs, scrambled eggs, banana bread, white fish, watermelon (LOVES this fruit), oranges, bananas...she ate all this in one morning. The other night for dinner she devoured chicken, noodles, cooked mushrooms, bread, virtually everything I put in front of her. She likes to feed herself. However you have to watch her carefully as she isn't good about controlling her portions, especially with bananas. I let her hold 1/2 banana and bite it herself. I caught her with a two inch long piece in her mouth this morning and had to get my fingers inside to to get it out. Luckily she didn't bite my finger this time.

Emily, on the other hand, has become quite picky. Almost everything we give her, she takes a bit and tells us she doesn't like it. She then picks and picks and two hours later is hungry. We've used snacks to fill in, but she seems to be waiting now for the snacks to fill her tummy and just acts fussy at all the meals. We've had some talks about needing to eat when food is available (just like you use the restroom when one is available, especially a western style toilet), but it is hard for children her age to understand this. I can't wait to get home and cook her some healthy food that she likes to eat...something other than starchy foods like rice and noodles. Skim milk will also be another wonderful thing...we can only find full fat milk and none of us like it. (Mom and Dad, can you remember to pick up some skim milk when you come up?) : )

That's it for now. More later.

Early Wednesday Morning, 2/23/06

Good morning...or to those in the states, should I say good afternoon as it is close to 4:30pm in Mpls.

I just wanted to send a big thank you to everyone that is reading our blog updates and especially for those that are taking the time to send us emails. You don't know how encouraging it is when you are half way around the world, sitting in a hotel room trying to entertain two little kids, looking for food they'll eat, tired yourself, and then you find an email from family or a friend. It means so much knowing that you are all out there with us, thinking about us and praying for our safe travels and return. What wonderful people we have in our lives. We just want you all to know how much you are loved and appreciated.

A little note to All Saints School and all of Emily's friends, teachers and their families...thank you for the continued emails. Emily loves to hear from you. An extra special thank you to Maddie and Ava for sending Emily emails! Mrs. S and Mrs W., thanks too for your kind words.

Kayla, Libby and Frannie, Emily also liked to hear from you...she gets a smile on her face when she gets an email from you.

Thanks for the notes from the crew at ConAgra Foods...Diana, your emails are wonderful. I miss you all, and yes, I'm missing work.

Lastly, thanks to our family that continuously sends us emails, literally every day. Joe, Elin, we appreciate the advice when Sarah first arrived. Bob, your emails make me laugh every day. Nan and Butch and Fran, we're so glad to hear from you. Mom and Dad, what can I say but we love you and can't wait to see you at the airport.

OK, one final Sarah story. Last night Emily was on the computer and Sarah and I were playing on the bed. Emily asked some help so I turned and took two steps to help her. Sarah immediately called out, "Mama," so I turned and walked back and told her I was there. I went back to Emily and again, Sarah called out, "Mama" and I went back and she laughed and so did I. We did this two more times and Sarah laughed more each time. The fifth time, she waited a little longer and this time, called, "Baba" (Which is Daddy in Chinese) and I turned and looked and she laughed again, almost like she was teasing me. "I'm not Baba," I told her and just then Steve returned to the room from down the hall and Sarah heard him and smiled. We are a family!

Tuesday in Guangzhou

(Veiw from Hotel)
Hello from Guangzhou!
Yesterday was a very long day for simply taking a 90 minute flight to Guangzhou; we left around 12:45 from our hotel in Wuhan and arrived at our new hotel around 6:20. We hadn't eaten since late morning and were all tired and rather crabby. All we did was find some food and get out PJ's and get to bed.

This is our second visit to the White Swan Hotel, one of the top hotels in China. It is a primary hotel for business travel as well as adoption travelors. There are atleast 50 families here each week for adoptions, mostly from the U.S., but also from other countries around the world. The Swan Room still exists, a room sponsored by Mattel that is filled with toys and lots of space to play and crawl around on the floor. Mattel also still sends a "Going Home" Barbie doll to each room, which is a blond Barbie holding a dark haired baby, designed just for adoptive families.

We were up around 6:30 and had the complimentary morning buffet that is absolutely huge and full of lots of great tasting Western food, just perfect for families that have five year old kids that haven't been eating very well. But just like in Wuhan, the meals for the rest of the day become a bit of a problem. In Wuhan, the food in the hotel was just too authentic for our tastebuds, and there were no other places to eat on the street, other than McDonalds or Pizza Hut, which we ate a lot of, along with snacks. (By the way, I got pretty sick on Monday night, we think from something I ate. Luckily, I was better by Monday morning and am back to eating normally and feeling good).

Here in Guangzhou, the food options are limited. The hotel offers much, but is VERY expensive. A hot dog at lunch is 98 RMB, which is about $12.25US. At dinner time that same hot dog costs 128 RMB. Congee, a staple for Chinese babies made of rice and water, was over $10 for a bowl. One of the families ate in the hotel last night and spent over $100 for the family. We've been eating at Lucy's about a block away, as are most other families; it runs about $25/meal and often, the choices we buy aren't being eaten as they don't taste like what we expect. Tomorrow we're ordering for a local delivery place that we used last time.

(On top of roof of Chen Academy)
We toured a Buddhist temple today and the Chen Academy, which used to be the Chen Family temple before it was converted into a museum. We'll upload pictures another night, but both were fascinating, even though we visited them four years ago when we were last here. Lastly, we went to a pearl and jade shop and did a good job on negotiating for some jewelry. This afternoon all of us took a two hour nap, then off to find dinner and a quiet night in the room.

Tomorrow morning Sarah has her mandatory check up at the local clinic, required to get our US visa.

Sarah is giving us lots of smiles and cuddles now, doesn't seem to be sad anymore, and is calling out to me as Mama and to Steve as Baba, using her Chinese words. She actually said "more" 2 times today when she wanted more food. We've been reinforcing the sign language for more and hungry and she seems to be getting one of them.

Just a few more days...we're counting them down and anxious to get home.


More tomorrow.

Ann, Steve, Emily and Sarah

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Sunday, Mid Day, 2/19/06


This is our last full day in Wuhan. Steve just left to hoof it down to McDonalds to grab us dinner; Sarah has a cold that is getting a bit worse and we don't want to take her out if we don't have to. It is about 45 degrees F outside but it gets chilly in many of the buildings and you get chilled quickly. Emily and her friend Anne are playing and now watching a movie together and Sarah is playing with toys on the floor by me.

After breakfast, one parent from each family was needed to complete our final paperwork for the U.S. side of the adoption, to request a visa for Sarah and declare her an orphan. We also paid our final fees and went through the itinerary for the remainder of the trip. Three hours later, we walked out and have the rest of the day free.

Sarah is doing a lot of walking...she moves from piece of furniture to the next by holding on to it, will walk holding only one hand. She is very wobbly yet, but prefers to keep going that way rather than holding two hands. She was just sitting in the middle of the floor and looked up to me and started laughing with a big smile. We hear this little "Heh heh" over and over. Emily is quite patient with her; I watched her move Sarah's hands off the DVD player and tell her, "You can watch the movie but you can't touch it." Just now she carried Sarah half way across the room to move her away from the DVD player and then, thinking she could stand, Emily just let poor Sarah go and she crumpled to the ground. I had to remind Em that she has to set Sarah down gently as she can't stand yet.

Sarah seems to be adjusting well to us. We are not getting the frantic crying lately and she cuddles with us, atleast when she wants to. At those times, she likes to push her head hard up against my head, usually with her forehead. Sarah talks all the time. We hear what sounds like "Bu yah"...Bu Yao is "don't want" in Chinese, but she usually says this when she wakes up or sees food and is hungry so I don't think there is any correlation. I don't hear anything else out of her that sounds like Chinese. We also hear "Yayayayayaya" a lot and have heard her pronounce b's, d's, m's, y's. I've also noted that she puts things in her mouth when she finds them on the floor, which is a big difference from our first child, that never put ANYTHING in her mouth. We had less watching to do of Emily than I expect of this munchkin...I think Sarah will push the limits much more than Em did.

I've been writing a few lines, playing with Sarah for a bit...writing a few lines, playing again. Just now I was playing and she leaned forward and took my finger, put it in her mouth and bit so hard I couldn't believe it...my finger is bright red, still numb a few minutes later and feel like I just slammed it in a door. Well, we know the teeth work.

We'll post again if anything exciting happens today.

Ann, Steve, Emily and Sarah

Orphanage Visit


We were fortunate to be able to visit Huanggang, Hubei Province to see the city Sarah was born in/by and to see the orphanage she spent her first year at. An official from the Adoption sector of the Wuhan government, Shirley Zhong (pronounced Jong) accompanied us on our visit, along with 'our' Shirley and Molly. The city is about two hours away, by bus, from Wuhan. The drive through Wuhan itself was interesting, seeing East Lake, new condo developments that have a very Western feel to them, and "Optic Valley" which is the biggest area in China for production of optic wires and cables. We noted that it took about 20-30 minutes to get outside of Wuhan from our hotel downtown; given that there are 15 million people in this city, this seems nearly impossible that the city isn't sprawled out further. Just gives you an example of how densely populated the Chinese cities are.

Outside of Wuhan, the countryside opened up and was quite beautiful. The land is terraced almost everywhere so that crops can be grown up and down the hillsides. There are lots and lots of rice paddies and almost every space is used for growing something, even right up along side the roads. It snowed last night in Wuhan and during much of the trip we could see a light dusting of snow over all the vegetation. Three crops are raised each year, usually two of rice and one of wheat.

We were told that Huanggang and the nine counties around it had a population of 5 million; Huanggang itself has 400,000, so 'by Chinese standards, it is a small city.'

(Sarah In Orphanage)
The Huanggang Social Welfare Institute is located close to the center of town. It houses approximately 120-150 children; last month 30 children were adopted out of the orphanage, but of course, new children arrive constantly as well. We were met by the orphanage director, the vice director and a number of other people, including a group of women that stood close together, by the front gate. Everyone in these smaller cities are so curious to see the Westerners, just as we noted last time we were in China. Steve was the last person off the bus and we were standing together when one of the women, dressed in a brown coat, came up and put her arms out to Sarah and Sarah immediately leaned towards her and put her arms out. Usually, Sarah pulls back when people have done this over the past two days, especially when Steve is holding her. Steve handed Sarah to the woman and the woman cradled her in her arms and rocked back and forth and instantly I knew it was Sarah's foster mother. (It turns out, the woman was Sarah's foster grandmother)The woman started crying and in a few short seconds, handed Sarah back to Steve, rubbed the tears from her eyes and turned to leave. I tried frantically to get the camera out for a picture, but the woman was gone and I had missed the opportunity. My heart ached for the woman and I held back tears. We had been told by Shirley that by law, the foster parents are not allowed to be at the orphanage when we go to visit; this law was enacted because too often the foster parents would continue to return day after day to the hotels where the adoptive parents are, making it very difficult for everyone. It was gutsy of the woman to be there and I know she just wanted to make sure Sarah was ok and to see what we looked like, especially since our caregiver package never arrived at the orphanage (that is another story I'll write later).

We were taken inside the building to the third floor where we were brought into a reception room with a U-shaped table and baskets of bananas, tomatoes, tangerines and lollipop candies were setting on the table for us. Steaming hot green tea was also served in plastic cups. We were seated, told to eat, and the orphanage director and vice director welcomed us and told us about the orphanage. He told us how many parents who have adopted send updates to them; one family recently told them that their 9 yr old daughter won a gymnastic competion. If we send updates, we should send two copies so that one set can be given to the foster family and one can remain with the orphanage. He also told us that by what he could tell, the children in the room were with families that truly loved them. Other workers from the orphanage were also there and wanted to see the girls again...many knew the girls by name, or if I said "Ping Jun" they nodded and smiled, or would call to someone else in the room and call out Ping Jun's name, as if to say, "here she is..."


We were then invited to go on a tour of the facility. We visited a building where girls around 10 years old were living. No panes of glass in the windows, doors open wide to rooms with bunk beds; the rooms were not heated on a day it was about 36 degrees F. outside. There were also a few boys that came up to see us...all were very friendly and full of smiles. We next went upstairs and saw a room with 12 cribs in it; children were kept here only until a doctor had checked them and determined they were healthy enough to place with a foster family;

the little ones are then moved out and remain with
the family the rest of the time until adopted. This is very different from the orphanage where Emily was as there was no foster care with that orphanage; Emily was in the orphanage itself the full 12 months she was in Yangzhou.

We returned to the main building and were taken to the second floor where lunch tables were set and one table had ingredients out so that they could show us how to make a Chinese dessert used for special occasions and holidays; it is a boiled rice ball, but I can't remember the Chinese name. The vice director empied soft rice flour into a bowl and started slowly adding water and mixing it with 2-3 fingers, kneeding it into a sticky paste. While he was doing this, Shirley from the government agency started teasing him that he is a good husband to have because he knows how to cook and that all women should find a husband like him. Then the man's wife walked in and she was told about the teasing and she got a big grin on her face and nodded quite a bit. Shirley also teased that the best men work at the orphanage because they also know how to take care of children.

Once the paste was done, it is flattened and a dark pasty mixture (sugar, cinnamon and other spices) are put in the center. The rice paste is rolled around the dark center and a ball is formed. We were asked if we wanted to try, so many of us took a turn at making a rice ball; I helped Emily make two of them. The balls are then boiled in water and served in a bowl floating in the water; it is customary to serve four balls per bowl.

While the dessert was being made, a number of the ophanage workers were talking with Steve and telling us, through translation, that Sarah is so smart.

Next, lunch was brought out to us, on what looked like metal lunch trays with various food compartments in it. We were told a chef from a local three-star restaurant was hired to create a 'western lunch' that we would eat. Food was wonderful...a beef and potato dish, tomatoes and chicken, corn and peas, white rice, and a version of french fries with a side of ketchup, plus bottles of cold water. Emily only liked the rice and fries, Steve wasn't too fond of any of it, but I certainly enjoyed it. There was so much food on each tray and Steve and I commented on how well we were treated as guests...we probably had more food than many of these people have on any given day. I also noted that no one from the orphange ate with us; they left the room when we ate. Towards the end of the meal, the director came around and I asked Shirley to tell him how good the food was. He smiled and told me, "We'll remember that for next time you come. We'll have the chef make more of it."

That was the end of our visit...they thanked us again for coming to visit and again told us they looked forward to our next visit. Their hospitality was so warm and welcoming and the two hours we were there went by quickly.

We walked back down to the street level and moved towards the front gate and our bus. We spent about 10 minutes on the street, taking pictures by the gate and interacting with the local people. It was rather chilly outdoors and though we had Sarah in the coat we brought along and the bulky snow pants she was sent to us in, she wouldn't keep her mittens on or wear her hat. One woman came up and took Sarah's hand in hers and it must have felt cold...she started talking to the other women and then reached inside the collar of the coat and didn't feel enough layers on Sarah...she gave me a stern look and kept talking and I could tell I was getting lectured about how to dress a child. I was laughing on the inside as the same thing happened to me when I was carrying Emily around the streets of Nanjing, but on the outside I was calling for Steve to bring me Sarah's mittens as I was "getting scolded again."

Soon after, Steve and I got on the bus, but were waiting for a few other families and for the director to bring out tea that some of the families purchased. It was then that I saw the woman in the brown coat again...Sarah's foster grandmother. I grabbed the camera and stood up, walking to the driver's seat but she was then standing behind others and walked into the building...but a few seconds later she was on the sidewalk, about 10 feet from the bus, waving at Sarah and smiling. I got up and went to the opposite window and told Steve to look...I snapped two pictures of her and waived and she looked right at me and waved, keeping the hood of her coat over her head and not exposing much of her face. I mouthed "thank you" and put my hand over my heart and she appeared to not at me; I took another picture and waved again. She just kept waving and smiling and I noticed that Sarah was staring outside and had her hand pressed up against the window. Sarah again saw the woman she knew as her grandmother. I barely kept from crying...and then the woman walked away, again with her head down. She didn't come out again until the bus drove away and I looked back and saw her in a crowd of women. I realized she'd never see Sarah, her Ping Jun, again, but I vowed to send updates so she knew how our little angel was doing. After that, the bus drove around the city and stopped at each abondonment site so we could see where our daughters were found. Sarah was found at No. 12 Shengli Street which is where the "old" department store is located. We got off the bus and walked about, noted the street number and had some pictures taken. It is VERY busy...can't imaging anyone leaving a child and not being noticed, unless it is during the night or very early morning hours. It was not as overwhelming as I expected it to be, but I'm happy we have pictures to show Sarah as she grows up. Our Shirley also took us to see the outside of the police station, as every child is taken there when found before taking them to the orphanage. She also took us to a local park where lots of children were playing as it is Saturday.

While we were waiting on the bus while for other families to see their daughters' abondonment sites, we talked to Emily about what was happening and that this was the same thing that had happened to her. She asked if a policeman also found her, and we said yes. Then she asked, "Mom, can you tell me the story about me?" So I told her about how we got her and our visit at the orphanage in Yangzhou. But within minutes she wanted me to tell her a story about a pink and a blue poodle...so typical with children. To the point and then on to the next topic.

Finally, it was time to return to Wuhan; it was a quiet bus ride as we were all tired and it felt good to be on a warm bus after being out in the cold. Steve and I both noticed today that Sarah only wanted Steve at the orphanage and on the bus trip home, we think because she is missing her foster mother.

We arrived back at the hotel around 4pm and didn't leave our room for the rest of the night, eating dinner in. Though Sarah wanted nothing to do with me most of today, she was a different kid in the room...I played with her, fed her, and then she really started opening up. She wanted to walk everywhere and got fussy when we wouldn't hold her hands and help her walk; Steve even took her for a walk around the floor. She was laughing and teasing and reached for me many times. In fact, she was standing by the couch and I was in the middle of the floor; I reached out for her and called her name and she took three steps on her own and came right into my arms. She is already turning her head when she hears us call "Sarah."

Emily truly loves her sister. I hear her calling, "Sarah Sarah Sarah" all the time when she plays with her. I find this interesting as I used to say, "Emily Emily Emily" to her when she was younger...Emily loves to play with Sarah on the bed, as we all do. She loves to throw herself into the pillows or flat on the bed, almost like she's doing a belly flop in the water. Then she lays there and waits for us to tickle her or pull her back to us while she laughs, "heh heh," always two little short sounds.

Tonight was bath night, Sarah first, Emily second. I had Sarah on the bed and Steve was drying Em's hair in the bathroom when he noted a scratch under Emily's eye. He asked what happened and was told, "Sarah did it. Sarah didn't like me at first because she thought I was going to eat her. She thought we all would eat her. But now she knows we're not and she likes us Dad." I laid Sarah in bed next to Emily while we said our prayers and Emily asked 'to lead' and did a prayer she learned at school. After that, Em asked me if I would put Sarah into the crib so she wouldn't bug her, and then they both were tucked in and quickly fell alseep.

We are so blessed to have these two beautiful daughters. What an incredible day it was.