Journey to Our Daughter

Family Day 2009

2009-12-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

It has been an amazing two years with Nina. It seems like she has been with us forever, yet we it seems like yesterday we were in China. She is a wonderful daughter and we are so thankful to be a family.

Trick-or-Treat!

2009-11-10T08:31:00.001-08:00

We're a bit late with the pics - have had some illness in the house but are starting to feel better. Nina had a ball at Halloween. We went to a party at daycare Friday night, trick-or-treating at the mall Saturday afternoon and then trick-or-treating in the neighborhood at night. She got LOTS of candy. And she was just cute as a button in her costume!!

Nina turns 4!

2009-10-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

Nina had a great day on her birthday. She went to the Children's Museum in the morning with Dad, then after her nap she got some balloons and opened some gifts. She had a friend come over later in the afternoon and we all went to McDonald's for dinner and to play on the playland. Then it was back home for cake and ice cream and more gifts, and some playing with all the new toys before heading off the bed waaay past her bedtime.

Camping

2009-06-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

We went camping together for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Nina was very helpful in setting up the tent and blowing up the air mattresses. We arrived at night after supper but didn't want to miss out on the s'mores experience. Nina liked them but said she didn't want any of the burned marshmallow (that's the best part!). We left the next morning just before lunch. It was a short trip but we needed to have a "trial run" to see how Nina would do. She really enjoyed sleeping in the tent. We will have more outings this summer!

Planting Flowers

2009-06-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

There are no flowers safe from Nina and her watering can!

Silly Nina

2009-06-05T08:13:00.001-07:00

Cowgirl Nina

2009-06-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

We went to a "Western Town" and Nina got a pony ride - her very first one. It was the biggest pony I had ever seen, but she thought it was great. She rode the pony like a pro.

Life is a Merry-Go-Round

2009-05-28T13:21:00.001-07:00

We visited Spokane a few weeks ago where Tim ran in a race and Nina spend most of her time on the carousel. She loved riding it, but wasn't too sure about riding alone. We all had a lot of fun that weekend.

Growing Up Before Our Eyes

2009-04-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

All of a sudden, it seems as though Nina is doing so many "big girl" things. In the past couple of months she has stopped using her high chair and bib (except when we have something really messy like soup or spaghetti). She has grown 3 inches in the past year and has out grown many of her "baby" clothes - 24 months, etc. she is a solid 3T. She is now sleeping in her own room. She can walk Thunder and keep up a pretty good pace. And she has mastered most of the child-proof locks on the cabinets. The one thing we are still working on is the potty training, and I know that will come with time. Some days she does great with it, and others only once. People always say how quickly kids grow up and I never took much stock in it, but it is true. Nina keeps telling us every day she is a "big girl" and she is right. But we hope she can stay "peanut sized" for just a little bit longer.

Pretty as a Picture

2009-03-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

Dress up time

2009-03-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

Ready for Spring

2009-02-20T11:38:00.000-08:00

Nina is ready for spring and playing in the garden, even though we still have a long wait. In case you can't tell, she is digging in the dirt under the desk. Lets hope she has this much enthusiasm in the summer.

Happy Lunar New Year

2009-02-04T08:31:00.000-08:00

A little belated but the thought is still there!

Merry Christmas to All!

2008-12-24T08:22:00.000-08:00

Mighty big shoes to fill....

2008-12-15T12:31:00.001-08:00

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2008-12-12T11:44:00.000-08:00

Nina is all about Christmas this year. We went into the woods and cut down our tree, which she continues to talk about daily, that Daddy cut the tree and gave it an ow-ie. When it was time to decorate she did put a few on the tree (all on one branch) but was more interested in putting the hooks on the ornaments. So far she has not really bothered the ornaments much. But she is always asking to put the lights on. So far she has seen Santa (more on that later), helped wrap some gifts, listens to Christmas music ALL day, EVERY day, and this weekend will help bake some cookies. It will be a busy holiday season but so far Nina is loving every minute of it. Us too!

One Year Ago Today...

2008-12-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

We were in China meeting Nina for the first time. It has been an incredible year. We have all grown so much as a family. She is a happy, healthy and helpful girl and sometimes it is still amazing to us that she is our daughter. The sights of China are still fresh for us. It was a whirlwind 14 days but we remember so much: The first night with Nina in the hotel and the Christmas party in the lobby, the trips to the orphanage, zoo, Walmart, civil affairs office, the Cafe at 2; and our time in Guangzou on Shamian Island, at the park, the Italian and Mexican restaurants, and the Friendship store. Nina was apprehensive with us at first but soon we would see her trust in us blossom and now it is clear she is firmly attached. If every year is as good as this past one has been we will be very fortunate!

Fall cleanup

2008-11-05T13:24:00.001-08:00

We don't have many large trees in our yard and most of the leaves come from the neighbors trees, but that doesn't stop the ever helpful Nina from raking the leaves. We have to be careful of the dog deposits, but she did a fine job of getting the yard nice and tidy for winter. She is available for hire if you need a hand with your yard. ;-)

Happy Halloween!!!!!

2008-11-05T13:18:00.001-08:00

Nina's first Halloween with us was perfect! We went to a party at her daycare and then trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. she quickly got the hang of it. She said "one more house, then home" after every house we went to. Twenty houses (and a bag full of candy) later we headed home! She was the cutest trick-or-treater of all and her costume was a hit. I think she wishes Halloween was more than once a year - me too

Nina's 3rd Birthday

2008-10-16T13:17:00.001-07:00

Nina turned 3 years old yesterday. It was a great party with cake, ice cream, balloons and presents. She had a fun time and enjoyed all of her gifts. This is her first birthday in our family and we are just so thrilled to be a part of her life and overjoyed that she is our daughter.

Our First Overnight Stay at YNP

2008-08-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

Despite all the times we have been to Yellowstone, we have never stayed overnight - until this past weekend. It was great waking up in the Park! We had a cookout (always an adventure) the night before and stayed at the Old Faithful Lodge (not to be confused with the Old Faithful Inn). We took a hike in the morning to the "Solitary Geyser" and saw a few animals throughout the weekend, including a couple of bald eagles. We are planning a return trip next month, but will stay in a different part of the Park. It is one of the reasons we love living where we do!

First Haircut

2008-08-15T08:22:00.001-07:00

Nina had her first haircut on Monday (with Mom). She did great! She sat in the booster seat and held Mama's hand. she didn't cry but was a little curious about the scissors. She sat still long enough to get a trim. Hopefully we can start getting haircuts on a more regular basis.

Festival Fun

2008-08-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

Nina went to her first festival last Saturday (the kids run was part of the festival). There were lots of kids activities, that we never knew about since we didn't have kids before, and lots of good food. She hada chocolate covered banana (yum!) and enjoyed hammering and painting a beautiful wood creation, blowing bubbles, making a picture and a magnet. That was about all we had time for as she fell asleep in our arms!

First Race

2008-08-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

If you know Tim at all you know it wouldn't be long before Nina ran in her first race. Last Saturday she ran in a 1K kids run in town. While she spent most of the race being carried by Daddy, she did manage to run long enough for us to get a couple pictures.

A visit to the goat farm

2008-07-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

Last week we visited the goat farm as part of the Rec department's summer program. There must have been about 100 people there! Nina had a wonderful time feeding and petting the goats. She especailly liked "walking" some of the ones that were on leashes. They were quite a bit smaller than Thunder, so she was a pro at it. She cried when we had to go home and leave the goats behind. she wanted to take one home! (They were cute!)

Enjoying the Summer

2008-07-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I posted, but the summer goes so dang fast! It is so easy to let it slip away! Anyway, we have enjoyed the summer so far and had a special visitor a few weeks ago - Ellen. Nina had so much fun with her and continues to talk about her. We were busy while she was here, visiting Yellowstone, some caverns, a "ghost town," and just hanging around. The bear was not really this close - zoom lens!

More Happy Hollow

2008-06-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Hollow

2008-06-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

We also visited Happy Hollow, a park with a few rides and a zoo with a petting zoo. Again, the rides were a big hit. Nina also liked feeding the animals. There were donkeys, sheep, goats and a cow. Some of the animals were a little more "hungry" than others.

More Gilroy Gardens

2008-06-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

Gilroy Gardens

2008-06-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

We went to Gilroy Gardens in Gilroy. It is a family amuzement park with lots of rides for young children. Nina had a blast and loved the rides. She kept asking for "more." There are also many beautiful gardens in the park, although we didn't get to see too much of that since we were busy on the rides all day.

Seth's Graduation

2008-06-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

Seth graduated at the Rose Garden in San Jose on Wednesday. Here's a picture of the three cousins. Nina doesn't look too sure about it, but she did have a good time getting to know her cousins.

Kirby

2008-06-19T12:29:00.001-07:00

Joanna's sister has a pomeranian named Kirby and Nina LOVED walking him. He was just her size. She insisted on holding his leash the whole time. I think Kirby was less than thrilled with the idea, but he was a good sport and allowed her to walk, and sometimes drag, him along.

Trip to California

2008-06-19T12:25:00.001-07:00

Last week we went to San Jose, California for Seth's graduation. Seth is Nina's cousin and our nephew. We kept Nina busy most days and she had a ball. There was a pool in the backyard (she would only get her feet wet) and parks nearby. I will post a bunch of pictures from our trip and the various activites we did. It was a great vacation.

Fun with Stickers

2008-06-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you give a child some stickers and don't closely watch what they are doing with them!

6 months ago today.....

2008-06-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

We met Nina for the first time! It has been an amazing 6 months and I can't believe it has been that long already. She has really blossomed since that first day. I still remember the apprehensive look on her face when we first saw her, and who could blame her. Now she is such a loving little girl who likes to be held and give hugs and kisses. She is so much more than either of us ever dreamed she could be. And it just keeps getting better every day.

Cleft Clinic

2008-06-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

The cleft clinic was last Friday and we spent the morning with several other families (I never know there were so many cleft-affected children and adults in the area) and a host of specialists. Nina saw the nurse practitioner, plastic surgeon, pediatrician, audiologist, psyciatrist, nutritionist, genetist, speech pathologist, orthodontist and dentist and that wasn't even everyone! She got good reports from all. She did have a small amount of fluid in her left ear, but she had just come down with a slight cold that morning, so that is probably the cause (but we will have it checked again). She was very patient and cooperative with everyone. She didn't cry once and we were there for over 4 1/2 hours. I was especially pleased that the dentist said she did not have any cavities. Yeah!!! She will likely need braces in the future (as we suspected) since her teeth are already crowded. This is not due to her cleft. It will be interesting to see how she has progressed each year. The big issue right now was speech, but she has even advanced with that since she has been going to speech therapy.

Dr. Nina

2008-06-02T13:06:00.001-07:00

Nina recently got a toy medical kit and she enjoys making sure that all the pets in the house are in tip-top shape. Pixie, Phoebe and Thunder have all had exams (They were all very good patients). You'll also be relieved to know that her stuffed cat is also doing well. Nina's favorite part is checking their ears and eyes. She knows just what to do with each piece of equipment without even being shown. I think it's wonderful that she has such an affection for animals and I hope it is something that she carries through her entire life.

Yellowstone National Park

2008-06-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

We went to Yellowston a couple of weeks ago. Nina saw her first geyser and we saw lots of animals and babies. We even saw a grizzly bear and 2 cubs! There was still lots of snow there (as the snowbank indicates), bit it was pretty warm out and we had a great day.

Tea Anyone?

2008-06-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

Nina is the perfect hostess. She is always offering us "tea" and "cake" and makes sure that her cat and all the other animals have enough too. She is very careful that the tea is not too hot to drink and loves to offer us more. What a sweetie!

She loves her cats!

2008-05-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

One of our cats need iv fluids every other day for her kidney problems. Sometimes Nina watches us give the cat the fluid and Nina knows that it is the cat's "medicine." Apparently she thought one of her cats also needed some "medicine." She used the empty fluid bag (minus the needle of course) and helped kitty feel better!

getting bigger

2008-05-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

We often hear form people how big Nina is getting. We don't really see it since we see her everyday, but we did some new measurements on her and she has gained 1 pound and 1 inch since we got her. She is also saying a lot of 2 word sentences lately. Her language skills are moving forward and she is trying hard to make the "p" "b" "s" and "t" sounds in speech therapy. It is really amazing to watch a child grow and develop in front of your eyes. It is so true that the time goes by so quickly. We have had her for almost 6 months and have watched her develop a strong bond to both of us and learn and grow each day. She has enriched our lives beyond belief.

Dress up

2008-05-16T13:21:00.001-07:00

Like most little girls, Nina likes to play dress-up. She often pulls clothes 0ut of her closet and puts them on or just carries them around. (A born shopper!!) She is especially excited when she receives a package with clothes in it. She loves to bring the clothes (on the hanger still) up to her room and into the closet.

Outside toys

2008-05-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

We got Nina some toys to play with outside: balls, a wagon, pails, etc. We also got her a water table, that she loves. It has lots of gadgets and toys to play with in the water. We have had a few days warm enough to use it, but I bet this summer it will get a lot of use.

Happy Mother's Day (belated)

2008-05-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

I had a great "first" Mother's Day! It started off with breakfast in bed. Of course Nina joined me. No one eats alone with her around. There was also a nice card from Tim and a beautiful orchid plant. We spent the whole day together and although it was cool and it rained in the afternoon it was a good day. We did manage to have a cookout for dinner (ate it inside) and a cake for desert. The week before I got some gifts from Nina that she had made a daycare - a beautiful card with her handprint, a pot that she painted with a petunia in it, and a keychain that she picked out the beads for. Of course she didn't really understand what the day was about, but it was wonderful to be able to spend it with her (and Tim) knowing that I am finally a mother to the best little girl in the world!

Daycare

2008-04-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

Nina started daycare a week ago. She is going on campus, close to where I work. She is there for two afternoons a week right now and will probably go one extra day in the fall. She seems to like it. The teachers said they are surprised at how quickly she has adjusted (I'm not, give how quickly she has adjusted to other things) and is doing well. I would love to be a fly on the wall and see how she interacts with everyone, but if I was there to observe I know she would act differently. The daycare seems like a good place, the only downside we can see right now is that it is only open when classes are in session. They are open in the summer, but at the end of each semester they are closed for 2-3 weeks and also for spring break week and some other miscellaneous days. Right now it is working for us, so we'll stay with it as long as it does.

swoosh!

2008-04-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

You probably think all we do with this poor child is take her to the playground! We do other activities with her as well, I promise! She DOES enjoy the playground and maybe one of these days we can take her there with out a coat, hat and gloves. Unfortunately that won't be any time this week.

Speech Therapy

2008-04-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

Nina started speech therapy a couple of weeks ago. I think it will be a while before we see improvement, but that is to be expected. We are working on her making sounds like "s", "t", "d", "b", and "l". Sometimes she makes the sounds (although not as part of the word), but mostly she is just forming her mouth to try to make the sound. This is still progress. She goes to the therapist twice a week and right now it is still just play to her. But it is clear that she tries to make the sounds and I am confident she will "get it" one of these days. She is also learning some sign language and is doing great with that. She really picked that up quickly. It has helped us to communicate. She was in the tub the other night and said something that I didn't understand and she actually signed what she wanted (help with a toy). I thought that was great!

Tim turns 40!

2008-04-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

We had a surprise 40th birthday party for Tim while his parents were visiting, which was a double surprise since it was a week before his birthday! But we managed to pull it off and he didn't suspect a thing. Nina especially had fun with the balloons. They lasted over a week. I guess we know what to get when her birthday comes around.

Fun on the Farm

2008-04-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

Future Gardener

2008-04-09T10:24:00.001-07:00

Now if I can only get her to pull the weeds this summer!

Post-Op Doctor's Visit

2008-03-27T12:59:00.001-07:00

Nina had her post-op doctors visit. She does have a fistula (hole) in her mouth. The doctor was discourage that it was there but not alarmed. It is about 1/2 mm in diameter. It is definitley noticable when her mouth is wide open but her palate is certainly an improvement over what it was a month ago. Right now there are no surgeries planned to close the hole. We will monitor it and the doctor said that is could get smaller or close on its own as her palate continues to heal.
Nina is on the list for the Cleft Clinic that will be in Bozeman at the end of May so she will see the doctor again then.

We don't know how or if this will affect her speech. That is another thing we will have to monitor. Nina will be starting speech therapy in the next week or so. We are deciding on which therapist to go with and she will need an initial evaluation before she can start the therapy. She was accepted into the Early Intervention program and will get therapy twice a week for 30-45 minutes each time.

We are disappointed that a fistula developed, however, we did know that it was a possibility. Hopefully it will not require another surgery, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Nina is not physically affected by the hole at all and remains her happy-go-lucky, cute self! For that we are very grateful!

Yummy

2008-03-25T14:07:00.001-07:00

Nina is still on soft foods (hopefully today is the last day, we have a doctor's appointment tomorrow) and it sure is messy! She had some Italian ice for dessert and ended up wearing most of it.

More Easter

2008-03-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

After a big Easter breaksfast we all went for a walk. Nina insisted on wearing her rabbit ears and carrying her new purse with some eggs in it. It was a busy Easter for all of us, but one of the best ones we have had in a long time.

Easter

2008-03-25T13:58:00.001-07:00

Nina got 2 Easter baskets this year - one from the Easter Bunny and one from Grandma and Grandpa, who are visiting and meeting her for the first time. She got more eggs to open and candy, stuffed animals and some other goodies.

Easter Egg Hunt

2008-03-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

We went to an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday. It was sunny out but a bit chilly. Still, not too bad for this time of year. Nina had fun once she figured out what to do and that the eggs were filled with candy! She had a ball opening all of them once we got home. We have enough candy to last us until Halloween.

Here comes the Easter Bunny

2008-03-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

Nina doesn't really know about the Easter Bunny, but we got her some ears anyway. Sometime she cooperates and keeps them on long enough for a picture. We are hoping to take her to an Easter Egg hunt this weekend. The weather is supposed to be okay, but there is still some snow on the ground and it is bound to be muddy. All part of Spring.

Happy Easter!!

On the Phone

2008-03-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

Looks like we might never be able to receive any phone calls once Nina hits the teenage years! Luckily this is only her pretend phone for now so we can still stay in touch with everyone.

At the Playground

2008-03-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

With the weather getting a little warmer (finally) and most of the snow melting, we have been able to take Nina to the playground. She usually makes some friends while she is there and has a good time sliding and swinging.

All Dressed Up

2008-03-21T12:18:00.001-07:00

My mother got Nina this dress for Christmas. While it is adorable, we haven't had any place to wear it yet so Nina had to model it so we could get some pictures.

Too cute

2008-03-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

This one was just too cute not to share

The Duck Pond

2008-03-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

There is a duck pond nearby and we took Nina there for the first time in February. It was fairly cold out be she seemed to enjoy herself once she got the idea of what to do. Some of the ducks were more agressive than others but she wasn't deterred. It will be much nicer to go when the weather (finally) warms up.

Bathtime Part II

2008-03-13T11:50:00.001-07:00

More fun in the tub.

Paper

2008-03-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

Nina loves to open the mail or look through the newspaper and get all of the papers spread about the room. As you can see, she is a born shopper, already looking for a good deal!

CoCo

2008-03-13T11:45:00.001-07:00

One of Nina's favorite toys (for now) is her cat (or "hat" as she calls him) CoCo. CoCo often goes night-night and she is quick to point out his ears or tail.

Chinese New Year 2008

2008-03-13T11:41:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Chinese New Year at the local Children's Museum. There were activities and demonstrations. Nina had fun playing with the other kids.

Superbowl

2008-03-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

While we are trying to forget the disasterous Superbowl, Nina sure was a cute cheerleader!

A Girl and her Dog

2008-03-11T12:42:00.001-07:00

From the first day we brought her home Nina has been crazy about Thunder. He is very gentle and patient and the two of them are like peas in a pod.

Around the House

2008-03-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a glimpse into some of the daily activities: snack time, writing on paper (or anything Mom and Dad will let her write on) with a pencil and filling up any kind of bag. She is a busy girl.

Outside Fun

2008-03-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

One nice winter's day in January we took Nina to a large park in town. We sledded for a bit and then she had fun exploring and "hiding" under a huge pine tree. It doesn't take much to see that great smile of hers!

Bathtime!

2008-03-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

Nina used to hate baths when we first met her. Now she loves them! It helps that she has a tub full of toys and lots of soap to play with.

Kid in the 'Hood

2008-03-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Nina likes to wear hats around the house (or put them on the stuffed animals). Of course if we put one on her when she doesn't feel like it, she usually rips it right off.

Sledding

2008-03-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

There is a small hill in the park near our house that is great for sledding. Nina had fun going down the hill. These pictures are from January.

Better Late Than Never

2008-03-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

We are finally getting all of our pictures organized. These are from Nina's 1st Christmas.

Surgery a Success!

2008-03-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

Nina had her palate surgery on Friday, February 29. The doctor said it was very successful and he was able to close the palate. She was very swollen, sore and scared after the operation. We were able to see her right after she was brought up to her room. I picked her up and between Tim and I we held her all day and night. She was given morphine a few times and slept most of the day.

On Saturday she was feeling much better, sitting up, drinking some juice and even playing in the toy car they had. We were discharged in the afternoon. When we got home she was running around and laughing like nothing happened.

Nina was on a liquid diet for 3 days and just started on a soft foods diet which she will have to be on for 3 weeks. That has been the hardest part as she like to eat! Hopefully we will have some more food options with the soft food. She has been a little more fussy than normal and wants to be held more, but overall is doing very well. We give her Children's Tylenol to manage her pain, but she doesn't seem to be bothered by it too much. She is an amazing little girl!

She has attached well to us since we have been home. I will post some pics from the past few months to get everyone caught back up to date. She has learned many new words, many of which only we as parents can understand, but her vocabulary has grown and I expect it will even more once she learns to use her "new mouth." She loves her dog Thunder and likes to listen to music and dance and put all of her Mei Meis (stuffed animals) "night night" (to bed). She is quick with a smile or a laugh. How did we ever get along without her?!?

Merry Christmas to All

2007-12-27T12:44:00.001-08:00

Okay, so we are a few days late, but the sentiment is still there. Nina had a great first Christmas with us. She was overwhelmed with all of the gifts (thank you to everyone for thinking of her) and we had to open them in shifts, but she enjoyed everything she got and has played with all of it. I think next year will be even more fun for her, as she will understand Santa a little more and hopefully the whole meaning of the holiday.

After a couple weeks of being home we are all doing well. The jet lag wasn't too bad. Nina slept a LOT for a couple of days and after a week seemed to be adjusted to the new time zone. She is very curious, energetic and bright, all that we could as for in a 2 year old. It's been an amazing year for all of us and next year can only be better.

Home At Last

2007-12-15T20:18:00.000-08:00

We finally made it home after travelling for 36 hours. Nina did very well on all of the plane rides (all 4 of them) and slept a little during each of them. It was difficult on all of us and we were all pretty cranky, but the flights all went well with the exception of the last plane, which was delayed half an hour for de-icing (it's always the last plane, when you just want to get home). We didn't get home until around midnight on Thursday and got to bed around 2 am after unpacking some things and getting situated. One of our pieces of luggage was lost. It was supposed to arrive in Los Angeles on a flight from San Francisco but never showed up. Who knows where it is. It had most of our souveniers and gifts, so we are upset about that. Hopefully it will turn up.

Nina seems to be adjusting well. She has been very tired, understandably, and has slept for a long time at night. Nine hours the first night and 16 last night. We have been preventing her from taking naps for now until she gets back on schedule. Hopefully it will only be a few days for her. She LOVES the animals and enjoys petting and talking to them. They have been very good with her. Pixie has allowed her to pet her quite a bit and Thunder has been very gentle. Phoebe has been her usual aloof self, but does show up from time to time. I think she doesn't quite know what the think of her.

It will probably be at least a couple more weeks before Nina feels totally comfortable with us and realizes we are her mommy and daddy, but I think she is doing well, especially considering the circumstances.

We have more pictures, but haven't had time to download yet, but will have something up in the next few days. Thanks to everyone for following our journey to China. Hope you stay around for the next one!!

Free Day

2007-12-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

We didn't have any official business planned for today, so it was a free day for us. It was nice not to have to get up early and have to be on the bus by 9:00 pr earlier. Nina has been a little more fussy than usual, as she has a slight cold with cough and stuffy nose. But she is still active and good for a little girl who isn't feeling well. We decided not to do too much today, but still like to get out and enjoy the warm 75 degree weather. We know that won't last long! We went to the supermarket in the morning to buy some water, diapers and a few other things. That is an adventure itself. The supermarket is located in a 7 story shopping mall. It's on the 4th floor, way in the back. It took us a while to find it the first time. It's across the street from the hotel, and the get there you have to walk down the street to a tunnel and then back up the other side. All of this for bottled water!

We ate a little lunch in our room and then went back to Shaimen Island. Momma did some shopping (just a little) while Daddy went for a run. We had borrowed a stroller from the hotel and Nina fell asleepjust before we met up again. We walked around a little so she could nap and then came back to the hotel and had a play date with one of the other little girls, about 6 months younger than Nina. Nina was so cute showing her the toys and how to work them. After dinner in the hotel it was a bath and bedtime.

Tomorrow we have our American Consulate appointment for the entire group in the afternoon. Due to security reeasons we cannot bring our cameras in. Then we will be all set to return home on Friday, after LOTS of packing!

Medical Exam Day

2007-12-10T05:54:00.000-08:00

checking ears

relaxing with Dad while Momma shops

Getting new shoes

Family photo

Red couch photo

Strolling with Panda

Today was our medical examination appointment for the babies visas. All of the babies were there at once. There was quite a bit of crying going on but Nina did very well. They checked her height, weight, temperature, ears, nose, throat, heart and abdomen. She didn't cry at all but did look a bit concerned a couple of times. We are glad that the doctor's appointment went well as she will have a few more of those in the near future.

After the exams we were able to walk around the island a bit and do some shopping. There are many shops and it is very "touristy." There were also many brides and grooms in the parks getting their photos taken. Our guide explained to us that this is done on a different day than the wedding. At noon we all met at the White Swan Hotel and had the babies pictures taken on the famous red couch. It is tradition for adopted babies to have their photos on this couch. Our group was fairly large so we had to do it in 2 groups. Many of the babies were crying. It was chaos!

The group had lunch together at a local restaurant and then some left to come back to the hotel. Nina was ready for her nap, so Tim brought her back and I stayed behind with some other to continue shopping. It felt odd to be without her even for a couple of hours.

Our bathtime went very well tonight. Nina would still not sit down, but did not cry when we put her in and we brought in some cups for her to play with. She was hesitant at first but then caught on and had a good time. We had a hard time getting her out!

Shaimen Island

2007-12-09T06:21:00.000-08:00

The Garden Hotel Lobby

Shopping Mall

Ready to shop

Pushing one of the babies

New dress

Notice the fashion statement shoes. They light up!!

Today we went to Shaimen Island for visa passports for the babies and shopping (yeah). There was a large group of us as all of the families went together. Shaimen Island is part of Guangzhou, but is seperated by a canal and a river. It is a popular place for shopping and many American families go there.

After the photos, we went to the mall that houses the jade and pearl market (and thousands of other gemstones) and clothing. I have never seen so many beads of jewels in my life. Strands and strands of them at every booth. We (I should say I) did buy a few clothes for Nina, including a couple of traditional chinese outfits, and a few other things. We will return to Shaimen Island tomorrow to shop in a different part of town. We do have a medical examination for all of the babies in the morning, which is required of all US immigrants, and will all have lunch at a restaurant nearby, but will also have a few hours to shop on our own. It will be a long day, especially for the children.

We took a few photos of Nina in her new outfit when we got back. We will also take a group photo of all the babies tomorrow, but we couldn't wait!

Arrival in Guangzhou

2007-12-08T06:21:00.000-08:00

Guangzhou at night. Our hotel is in the background

fun in the hotel

snacktime

a star is born

listening to tunes on the plane

I have a plane to catch

We arrived in Guangzhou at about 3:00 this afternoon. It was a short flight, just about an hour and a half. Nina did pretty well, considering she had to stay in one place for 2 hours! We were hoping she would sleep, but no such luck.

We are staying at the Garden Hotel and have a suite. It is very nice and there are a lot of other Americans here with adopted children. The rest of our group is here but we have not seen many of them yet. We will meet up tomorrow for a visit to Shaimen Island and shopping (yeah!). We arrived at the hotel and had to go to the supermarket right away to get diapers and some other things. It was in a 7 story mall with many other departments and was quite confusing. There is a lot of shopping here and many restaurants inside and outside the hotel. It seems as though this area is more prosperous than Chongqing. Seems hard to believe we will be in China for only a few more days.

Last Day in Chongqing

2007-12-07T01:55:00.000-08:00

Tibetan bear

Hippo with baby

Family photo

Giant Panda in action

Breakfast time

Today (12/7) we went to the Chongqing zoo. We only saw a portion of it, but of course we visited the panda exhibit. There were red pandas, which are quite a bit smaller and have long tails, and giant pandas. The pandas were active while we were there, eating bamboo leaves. Many of them were very close. Nina enjoyed looking at the animals.

Later we went the Three Gorges Museum, which tells the story of a dam being built on the 2 rivers in Chongqing. It is set to be completed in 2009 and is being built to control flooding, and will also generate 15% of the electricity used in Chongqing. It will flood many of the cities along the river and 1.2 million people will have to find new homes! It is quite an undertaking but was very interesting to see. There was a huge mural painting on the wall about 200 feet long and 7 feet high depicting the cities and the new water levels, but we were not allowed to take pictures. There was also a gift shop that had many paintings, some by the artist who did the mural. There was also a painter there who lost his arms in an electricity accident at age 4 who was painting with his teeth, “paintings” done of embroidery, and many beautiful jade pieces.

This afternoon we completed more paperwork for the American Consulate in Guangzhou and got Nina’s passport. Tomorrow it is off to Guangzhou, the final leg in our China journey, and then the long ride home.

Nina continues to do well. She usually enjoys being held by one of us and likes to ride on the bus. She is pretty good about sitting in one of our laps. She is a good sleeper and eater. She likes to play with her food a little bit, but still eats it. We have not had any issues with her cleft palate. She can eat okay and most of the time we forget about it! Each day continues to get better and better.

Da Da Da Da Da, I'm Lovin' It! McDonald's

2007-12-06T00:51:00.000-08:00

Happy at the play area

Walking with Daddy

First McDonald's meal...yum!

Christmas in China

Street scene in Chongqing

Chongqing Metropolitan Center at night

Today was a “free day,” nothing planned, so we went to the Metropolitan Center, a 7 story shopping mall and city square. We had gone last night with one of the other couples, just to get away from the hotel and the same restaurant we have been eating at.

After walking around the mall today we went to McDonald’s. Not our favorite place to eat and we certainly don’t want to encourage Nina to eat there all the time, but at least it was familiar and we knew what we were eating. She enjoyed the chicken and corn and apple juice and after lunch we played in the play area, which she LOVED. She liked sliding with Daddy and crawling in the tunnel. We took a taxi back to the hotel and she was asleep before we got back (a successful trip!).

One note about the traffic in Chongqing. There are many cars and busses, but that is not the most interesting part. There are lanes in the street but no one uses them. They just drive anywhere and weave in and out of traffic until they get through. Pedestrians just walk whenever they get a chance and will wait in the middle of the street if they need to. We thought there would be an accident a few times while we were in the taxi, but we made it back safely. Thank God we don’t have to drive here ourselves!

Dianjiang Orphanage

2007-12-05T00:38:00.000-08:00

Colorful walls at the orphanage

Just visiting!

with Director Dai

Dianjiang city

Nannies in the baby room

Today (Wednesday) we visited Nina's former orphanage. It is 2 hours aways from the city. We met with the director, Dai, and Li, whom we saw on Sunday. Nina was not interested in going back to them and would not even let them hold her! We saw the room that she stayed in when she was first there. There are currently 17 children at the orphanage, all babies, and 39 more in foster care. It seemed as though the nannies cared for the children well, given the primitive conditions. There was no heat in the building. They just bundle up the children very well. There is a play area that the children use with lots of colorful toys.

Dai and Li took us out to lunch at a local restaurant and then said goodbye to Nina. From her reaction, she seemed very content to leave with us.

Chongqing Sightseeing

2007-12-05T00:25:00.000-08:00

Tea ceremony

Chongqing City

Ancient Town

Eling Park

On Tuesday we had a sightseeing tour of Chongqing. It is the 4th largest city in China - 31 million people. The main industries are automotive, tobacco and silk. It is built on a mountain, so there are many hilly, winding streets. The streets are so narrow and dangerous that they do not permit bicycle riding in the city. We went to Ci Qi Kou Ancient Town, which is basically a shopping district. They had just about everything to buy. Each vendor had a small stall which was very colorful. After that we went to Eling Park, which was actually quiet. Everything is very green here because it has been raining or misting since we got here. The park was very hilly but the flowers and statues were pretty. There is a tea house in the park and we went there for a demonstration of a traditional Chinese tea ceremony and tasting. The teas were all very good and I had a good time purchasing some!

Nina had a big nap in the afternoon and then we went out to eat with the other couples for hotpot, which is the local cuisine. It is best described as a sort of fondue, but all of the ingredients go into a pot of broth and oil and cook and then you fish them out and eat it. Typically this is a spicy dish with plenty of chili peppers, but we got the mild version. All of the food we have eaten has been very good and is similar to American Chinese food, but they have a little bit different ingredients (I won't go into the types of meat. We have been eating beef and chicken) and a LOT spicier. I am amazed that they can eat food that spicy.

We had another good night with Nina aside from the bathtime. She seems to be attaching to us very well so far and is always laughing and playing.

Officially a family

2007-12-05T00:16:00.001-08:00

Signing Papers

Official Paperwork

Getting ready for bed

Looking good!

It's official as of Monday, December 3. We are Nina Mei's parents! We had an appointment at the Adoption Registration in the morning. We each had to put our fingerprints on a piece of paper and had our first official family photo taken. Nina is crying in it because she just woke from a nap.

In the afternoon we went to Walmart. That was interesting. We got some baby formula (Nina still drinks that, not whole milk yet) and an outfit, a few small toys, including a panda that she loves, and a few souveniers. All of the stores and the streets are very loud. There is always music playing and people milling about. We're just not used to it in Montana!

The second night was better as Nina did not cry. She has a bottle before going to bed and then we usually have to hold her and rock her to get to sleep. A difficlut job, but someone has to do it! She has really been very good and is generally not fussy. She is always on the go and is independent. She like to get her way, but is usually easily distracted. She is a good eater. It has been a little difficult being confined to a hotel room keeping her from getting bored, but we are managing and have trips planned for every day. She is a wonderful little girl!

Getting Acquainted

2007-12-02T20:39:00.000-08:00

The first night with our daughter went well. After we got her we spent some time in the room and she explored her new surroundings. Then we ventured out in the hall and eventually down to the lobby. It was crowded as the hotel had a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony last night. She did hold our hand and let us both pick her up and hold her. We climbed the stairs and walked around and around the lobby. She is very active, just like they said and like to walk and run. We did get her to smile and laugh fairly quickly as she love to have both of us hold her hand and swing her. We met the other couples in the lobby and about 2 hours after our first meeting had our first meal together in the hotel dining room. We had pizza and sandwhiches, and while the food we have had so far has been good, it was nice to have something different. Nina is a good eater and likes everything. We did get her some rice as they said that is what she eats most often along with vegetable, eggs and meat.

Around 8:00 we made our way back to the hotel room, and tried to get her ready for bed. Then the waterworks began when it was bath time. She wouldn't sit in the tub and hated the whole experience. So it was a short bath.

She kept walking to the door and we could see that she was expecting to leave and was confused. She cried a little and we held her and walked with her in the hallway. She seems to enjoy being held and walked. I was beat and went in to bed around 10:30, but she would have none of it, so Tim took over. He did a great job of wearing her out and she finally fell asleep around 11:00. We kept her in the bed with us and she didn't cry during the night, but thrashed around quite a bit. She woke up aorund 7:45 this morning.

All in all I would say she is doing quite well for being out of her comfort zone and being with "strangers."

Now, what you have all been waiting for, PICTURES!

Gotcha Day!

2007-12-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

We have our daughter! There were some anxious moments as Elsie said the babies would arrive at 2:30 and we heard nothing. We are with 2 other families in Chongqing who are both from Kansas. The Lees are adopting a little boy, Matthew, 18 months and the Duttons are adopting Laura, 13 months. Anyway, they were both called to Elsie's room to receive their children and we heard nothing. We were starting to wonder if we would get Nina on Sunday as the time just ticked away. Finally, around 4:15 Tim called Elsie's room, which is actually right next door to ours. She said they had gotten a late start and would be arriving in 10-15 minutes. Just after 4:30 Elsie knocked on the door and said they are here! We gathered up some snacks, the bear and photobook that we had brought and gift for the director and nannies and headed next door. We knocked and went in and there she stood with 2 administrators from the orphanage, the director, a videographer, and Elsie. She was so beautiful! It was clear that she was a little confused, but she did not cry. They showed her the picture book and tried to get her to understand that we were mama and daddy and we were able to give her some cookies. We had a list of questions that we gave to Elsie to translate and get answers. They gave us some formula and rice cereal and some instructions on when she eats and sleeps and we signed some papers to agree to be her legal guardian for the night. The official adoption comes Monday at 11:00. Then we came back to our room and started to become a family.

Waiting for news!

2007-12-02T17:19:00.000-08:00

Hi,
Ellen here! I'm posting for Tim and Joanna while they're out of an internet service area (as so much of China has such strict rules and conditions for internet access).

Just wanted to let everyone know that I received an email from Joanna & Tim at 1:56am Sunday morning (ET) that they were in Chongqing waiting to hear from the coordinator that Nina had arrived at the hotel!! I'm sure it's been a whirlwind to everything done and of course getting to know their daughter.

I will post any messages as soon as I receive them as I know we're all anxious for an update on their journey!!

Beijing in a Day

2007-12-01T14:39:00.000-08:00

Great Wall

Great Wall

Forbidden City

Tian'anmen Square

We had a whirlwind tour of Beijing today: Tian' anmen Square, The Forbidden City, Olympic Park and The Great Wall. It was amazing to be in places that are hundreds and sometimes thousands of years old! It was chilly this morning, around 30 degrees, but it warmed to the low 40s by the afternoon. The forecast called for sun, but we were unable to see it through the smog. It did peak through a couple of times in the afternoon. Beijing is a city of 16 million. There are cars and people everywhere but it is spread out so they are not on top of one another. We drove for over an hour and were still in the city! Tomorrow is the day we have been waiting for. We leave for Chongqing at 7:20 am and will leave for the airport at 5:30 am.

Welcome to Beijing

2007-11-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

After 4 flights and 2 days, we made it safely to Beijing. The flights were uneventful (fortunately) and the final flight was over 12 hours long, but it wasn't as bad as expected. We were able to get some rest, as much as you can get on a plane. It was getting dark when we landed and by the time we met up with our coordinator, Lina, and the other families that arrived today it was dark out, so no pictures of Beijing yet. Tomorrow we go to Tian An Men Square, the Forbidden City and then the Great Wall. It will be a full day.

While we have no sightseeing pictures we were surprised to get updated pictures of Nina. I believe they were taken this week. Even though we will see her in a couple of days, we are thrilled to get new pictures! She is just so beautiful we can't wait for her to be our daughter!!

Finally Able To Say "Tomorrow"

2007-11-27T16:07:00.000-08:00

It seemed like it would never get here at times, but we are now able to say we leave for China tomorrow. Not in a few months, not next week, but tomorrow! When you begin an adoption journey you often times wonder if it will work out. We went down several paths that did not work out, but finally found the one we were destined to be on. And once you realize that you are on the right path, you always know, somewhere in the back of your mind, that you will get your child one day. It is very difficult to see through all of the paperwork and waiting, but you know at the end of the journey that a child is there for you and will become part of your family.

So it is the end of the beginning part of our journey and the beginning of the BEST part of our journey when all of the paperwork and waiting pays off and we get to travel to China to see our daughter. It will be an incredible few days just to get to her and I can't even begin to imagine how we will feel once we are able to hold her for real.

So join us on the last leg of this journey and the first leg of our journey as a family.

Reality Hits

2007-11-13T14:05:00.000-08:00

We received the itinerary for our stay inside China. We will be staying at the Radisson SAS in Beijing and will visit TianAnMen Square, the Forbidden City & the Great Wall on Saturday, December 1. Wow! Sounds like a jammed-packed day of sight seeing. But I'm glad we will be able to see some of Beijing. Who knows when we might return.

We travel to Chongqing early on Sunday will be staying at the InterContinental Hotel. Surprisingly will meet Nina that afternoon! We thought the meeting would not be until Monday. One day earlier is even better. The adoption will be official on Monday and then we have a free day Tuesday and will go to the zoo (pandas!) on Wednesday and Ci Qi Kou Ancient Town on Thursday. More paperwork on Friday and then off to Guangzhou on Saturday. We will have some time during the week to explore on our own and of course do some shopping.

In Guangzhou we stay at the Garden Hotel and only have a few appointments during the 5 days that we are there: a medical exam, a consualte appointment and then taking an oath at the consulate and getting Nina's visa. The rest of the time we will be free to shop (do you sense a trend here?) and do some sightseeing.

It seems more real to me everyday that I will have a daughter soon. We leave in just over two weeks. Yesterday we were organizing her room after getting a new rug installed and I was sorting through her clothes and it struck me that soon she will actually be WEARING those clothes, they won't just be hanging in her closet! I was also thinking about Christmas the other day and realized that it won't just be Tim and me for Christmas this year. We will have Nina too! It will be an adjustment for all of us and we can't wait for it to happen!

Welcome November

2007-11-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

Am I ever happy to see November! I am not usually one that likes to rush through October, since it is my favorite holiday Halloween (and this year our 10th anniversary) and Nina's birthday (although this year we celebrated seperately), but it feels really good to see November on the calendar, in particular November 29! Just 4 more weeks until we leave for China. It is certainly time to start getting REALLY prepared, making sure we have everything we need, sorting through all the clothes we have and deciding what we will bring and if we need to buy any more, getting all the paperwork together that we will need (that's a big chore in itself) and getting all of the other little details taken care of. I am not someone that packs weeks before a trip, so I will probably leave most of that until a few days before. But I would like to at least gather everything in one spot.

We have been reading a blog of a couple that is in Chongqing right now adopting their 2 1/2 year old daughter and it is so neat to be able to say that we will be there shortly! They have taken very detailed pictures and it is a great site for reference, especially since we will be leaving soon. Hope you all take the journey with us too!

Airline tickets

2007-10-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

We purchased our airline tickets to China. We leave Los Angeles on November 29 at 8:30 am and return to Los Angeles at about 9 am on December 13. We will have to stay overnight in LA on November 28 to catch the early morning flight and will not arrive back home until late (after 10:00) at night on December 13. It seems more real now with the airline tickets purchased. We should have them "in hand" in the next day or two. It was great to be able to buy a ticket with the name "Jiang Mei Gui" on it!!

We will be in China in just a little over 5 weeks!!!

New measurements for Nina

2007-10-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

We got some updates on Nina's size:

Jiang Mei Gui Height: 85cm Weight: 11.5kg Head size: 46cm Chest size: 47cm teeth: 13 feet length: 14cm

This translates into about 25 pounds and 33 inches tall! She is right in the target range for a healthy 2 year old. It looks like she is being well cared for in her foster home.

Consulate Appointment Confirmed

2007-10-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

We got word from our agency that our consulate appointment has been confirmed. So much for the "several days" that was predicted! We can now make our travel arrangements and get our airline tickets. The choices are enough to make our heads spin! We will have to try to pick the best times and prices. There are several options and it may include an overnight stay in Los Angeles. It will be a big relief to get them purchased and then just GO! Hopefully all our flights will be on time and smooth. If one is late it may throw us off for the whole trip. One thing is for sure. It will be a LOOOOOONG couple of days, coming and going, so we are trying to get the most direct flights possible!

Buying tickets makes it seem even more real, even though it is still almost six weeks away (Come On November!!).

Now that we are starting to have to pay for things like travel it makes us think it's REALLY going to happen (and it IS!)

TA has arrived

2007-10-18T13:48:00.001-07:00

We got word from our agency that our TA arrived today!!! That was fast! Our LOA only arrived in China a little over a week ago. It was an unexpected and pleasant surprise! It's nice to have something come BEFORE expected.

What does this mean now? We still can't buy our airline tickets, as we have to wait for a confirmation of a consulate appointment in Guangzhou. Our agency has requested a date of December 11. We may not hear back for a week or more as to whether or not this date is confirmed. As of right now, our tentative travel dates remain the same, despite the TA coming very early. With a large travel group, it was easier to keep the same tentative schedule. So, we are still hoping for a November 29 departure date. Of course we would LOVE to travel sooner, but it is probably better this way as there are still MANY MANY things to do before we can bring Nina home and Joanna needs to continue working her second job to get some more money so she can afford to take the full 3 months Family Leave from her first job!!! It will all happen just as it is supposed to.

We do know that, if everything holds true, we will be united with our Nina on December 3 ("Gotcha Day")!

Coutning the days............

Pictures!

2007-10-09T12:26:00.001-07:00

These are the first pictures we saw of Mei Gui. She was about 16 months old at the time. She will be 2 year old next week, on October 15!

Welcome!

2007-10-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our blog! This is our first time doing this, so please bear with us. First we want to thank you for your interest in our Journey to China to get our daughter, Mei Gui. Her English name will be Nina Mei. Also, a BIG thank you to all of you who have supported us along the way. It has meant so much to us and we would not be where we are today without you!

For those of you who don't know, here is a bit of our history:

We first became interested in adoption in February of 2005. We originally started with a local program that brought Russian children to the US for the summer with the hopes of finding them a family. That didn't work out and we then tried many other options: Khazakstan, US foster care, and US infants. In July of 2006 we decided to try China. It seemed to be a good match for us and we sent in our paperwork in early November. A few months later we received word that our LID (log-in-date) was 12-25-06. Our first Christmas miracle!

We waited in the LONG line of LIDs for China and learned in March 2007 that our agency, Children's Hope International (CHI), had a "Waiting Children" (WC) list, which is a list of children that are waiting for parents. These children are considered "special needs" by China, meaning they could have anything from Mongolian Spots or Cleft Lip/Palate to Hepatitis B or congential heart disease, or anything in between. We decided we would be interested in one of these babies, depending on the severity of "special need" and whether or not it was correctable with surgery.

The way CHI's WC list works is anyone who is part of the agency can look at the website and if interested in a child they can fill out a form and hope to get chosen to review the child's medical file. All forms are collected after about a week and a family is "randomly selected" to review the child's file. One family may look at a file at a time. They have one week to decide if they want to adopt the child and then they submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to Adopt that child to China.

In March, we submitted forms on two different children, but were not selected.

The next WC list came out in June. There were 3 children that we were interested in and submitted a form for each of them. It was a tense weekend with many prayers being sent that we would be selected to view a file. Tim got a call on June 26 that we HAD been selected to view a file! It was for a 20 month old girl, Mei Gui, that Joanna had thought about all weekend long! We later learned that we were chosen out of 73 couples that had sent in forms! (miracle #2!)

A week later we sent in our LOI to China and it was received there 7-13-07. We now needed to wait for our Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from China saying that they had reviewed our file and we were approved to adopt Mei Gui, whom we would call Nina Mei. This typically takes 70-90 days for those with similar dates as ours.

The last few days were tense as the waiting was beginning to take its toll, but we received a call from CHI that our letter had arrived from China on October 2, day 81. We received the letter, signed it and sent it off. Now we await our Travel Arrangements (TA) from China, which is when they say we can come. Those typically take 2-4 weeks. CHI has already given us a tentative travel date of November 29. We will be in China for about 14 days, and will be home for Christmas (Christmas miracle #3!)

We are so blessed to be on this journey to China to get our daughter. We know she is the child meant for us, without question. Thanks for taking the journey with us!