Journey to Our Daughter

4 Months

2010-12-08T22:09:00.001-06:00

Hannah has been home for four months already, which is hard to believe! Time has this strange way of going by quickly, yet it feels like she's been a part of our family for much longer than four months. She is continuing to pick up on many words and starting to put words together. Some of the words we hear a lot around here are "no" and "mine." Since she has two big brothers, these words are quite necessary. :) She also started saying "I do it" recently! She's an independent little girl for sure, trying to do everything herself and only asking for help when absolutely necessary.

I continue to fall more in love with her every day. She's my princess & I am so blessed to have her as my daughter.

Fundraiser-Monkeys jumping on the bed!

2010-10-07T23:08:00.006-05:00

Our friend, who is a professional photographer, is very graciously holding a fundraiser to help us cover our remaining adoption expenses. She is going to be doing a unique photo shoot this Saturday from 3-5. Expand the image to full size to get the details. If you're interested, you can email her directly to reserve your spot!

Two Months (a few days late!)

2010-10-03T22:11:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that it's been two months since we met Hannah for the very first time. It's amazing how much she has changed since that night in the hotel room two months ago where she was throwing toys and screaming at the strangers who were now her parents. I can't blame how she reacted to us, we were perfect strangers to her, besides seeing our pictures, that was all she really knew of us. After only two months, the little girl who was saying less than five words in Chinese, her native language, is now repeating countless words in English. On her own she says over 20 words-I've lost track because she keeps learning new words every day. The same little girl who was afraid to let anyone touch her or get close to her, will now give hugs and kisses and high fives to people. She understands almost everything we say to her even though two months ago she hadn't heard any English before. She wants Mommy to kiss her when she gets hurt and runs to the door squealing with joy when Baba gets home from work. She jumps out of my arms to get to her brothers when we pick them up from school. Yes, this is the same little girl who not too long ago didn't know the stability of a forever family. We are amazed at how quickly she has become a natural part of our family. She fits in so well and adds so much joy to our home.

New Words

2010-09-12T20:48:00.002-05:00

Hannah seems to be picking up on new words every day! I started writing down the words she knows, and I can think of at least 13. She says: mama, more, ge ge (Chinese for big brother), up, ni-ni (night night), shoe, bubble, no, uh-oh, go, bi ba (diaper), ear, nose. Isaiah sees me teaching Hannah different names for body parts, and then on his own I'll hear him teaching her them. I love it! With such great big brothers, she's going to learn English really quickly I'm sure!

Unknown History

2010-09-02T16:42:00.003-05:00

I'm filling out a patient medical history form for Hannah's appointment with the pediatric cardiologist. I didn't know filling out a form could be so hard. I don't know my own daughter's birth weight, her family history, or even the exact date of her heart surgery. It's so sad to right the words "unknown" under all of these boxes. So much will always be unknown. If it's this hard for me, how hard will it be for her to not know anything about her biological history? My heart is sad for my little girl and all of the unanswered questions she will have someday. I pray that her security in God's love and our love will help her overcome these difficult realities.

One Month

2010-09-01T10:25:00.001-05:00

Today marks the 1 month anniversary since Hannah joined our family. I can't say that every day is perfect, but for the most part, she is adjusting well. She definitely loves playing with her brothers! She still has quite a few tantrums (she is two after all), but most of them happen when she doesn't get her way, versus the ones in China where we had no clue what was causing them. We are still working on bedtime. She really struggles to fall asleep at night, but naps aren't a problem at all. She isn't talking much yet, but she gets her point across through pointing and some signs. We still hear a lot of grunting, but I'm hoping she picks up more on signing and words soon to ease the frustration. When you consider all she has been through, she is doing very well!

Update

2010-08-23T21:28:00.005-05:00

Many people are asking how Hannah has been doing. I posted on our family blog today a little about her communication, but I wanted to include some details here as well. She is adjusting extremely well as far as we can tell. The past couple of nights we put her in the pack and play in our bedroom, and that seems to be working out really well. She is definitely attached to Mommy, and we know over time she'll attach more to Daddy as well. It's strange because in China she definitely preferred Daddy. We aren't sure exactly why she's changed to preferring me so much, but we do know she was constantly moved from orphanage to the foster family and back since January, so it's really hard for her to trust anyone. She probably thought for the first days or weeks with us that it was temporary, and that she would be sent back to the orphanage, since that's always what has happened in the past. She may have first attached to Jason in China because the women in her life haven't been very trustworthy (she's mostly been around women). But then over the couple weeks in China she began to trust me and then attached more to me, probably because she is more used to women. We do know that she was close to the foster dad, so maybe that loss was really hard for her, so she's struggling to attach to Jason. We'll never know for sure, but this is our reality right now. It is very painful to be the parent who is being rejected, so please pray for Jason during this time. We know it is only a matter of time, but it is still very hard to deal with day by day. Hannah certainly loves playing with Baba, and giggles so hard when they play together (as you can see from the video below)!

I've posted a picture of our happy girl below. She seems much happier now that we're home, and it's so great to see her face light up when we are able to understand what she wants! We are loving her smiles, giggles, and laughs. It's so nice to hear more giggles and less grunts as we are able to better communicate with each other!

First few days home

2010-08-18T07:45:00.008-05:00

The first few days home have gone really well. I thought I would do one big post to cover the past four days and give a quick update. We are gradually getting Hannah on a schedule, and she is sleeping really well at night. We had to wake her up from naps for a few days because she wanted to sleep too long, but other than that, she has transitioned to IL time really well.

On Saturday we went swimming at the hotel where Gamma & Papa were staying. Hannah really loved the pool, especially when Daddy would throw her into the air!

The weather has been beautiful, and Hannah seems to love being outside. Yesterday we went to the park, and she had fun on the swing (going very low), and she loved going up and down the stairs (by herself, of course). She's enjoying getting to play with her brothers and exploring her new home.

I think I'll switch to the family blog from here on out now that we're home. If you want to continue to follow along, that site is http://mockworld.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for following along on our journey to Hannah!

First time in the pool

Having fun with Daddy

Playing with her kitchen

Exploring her new toys

Holding her new doll (she was not sure what to do with it at first)

Giving Papa high five

Going under Gamma's legs

The two big brothers (ge ge in Chinese)

Squirting Elijah (good distraction while Mommy does her hair)

The boys trying on their traditional Chinese outfits-so handsome!

Hannah's shirt says "mei mei"-little sister

Elijah taking Hannah for a walk

Look at all those bows & the adorable bow holder thanks to Erica and the bow-making crew!

Our neighbor Payton loves playing with Hannah

Enjoying the swing

Riding the dinosaur (this was the boys idea!)

Is something wrong with this picture?!

First s'more!

Traveling Home

2010-08-17T07:27:00.013-05:00

We are back on US time, and are amazed at how quickly we were able to adjust. Hannah is actually slept until 8 AM yesterday morning, so we are very pleased. I'm slowly getting around to posting about our trip home. For some reason we've been a little busy the past few days. :)

Thursday morning was our last time on the island, so we did some last minute shopping and finished packing. We left around 2 to return to the US Consulate to pick up Hannah's visa. We had to wait there about an hour, then left for the train station, where we waited another 2 hours, and then took a two hour train ride to Hong Kong. We arrived at the hotel around 9, and Hannah fought falling asleep until 10:30, and we were up at 6 to catch our 9 AM flight. Thankfully the hotel was attached to the airport, so we had a few minute walk to get to the airport. We actually brought Hannah to the airport in her PJs, so we didn't have to wake her up any earlier. At the check-in gate, she started to have a meltdown. We were both really worried what the day ahead would be like at that point because we knew we had 20 hours of traveling ahead of us. But she actually did great after that. The flight went amazingly well. She slept for about 3 hours (and we slept a little too), and then she played for a long time. We were blessed to have the bulkhead seats, so we had extra leg room and there was a hallway right in front of our seats where Hannah had fun running and playing peekaboo with us. She probably spent 45 minutes peeling the backing off of foam stickers and putting them on paper. Her fine motor skills are amazing! When we started to descend, her ears really bothered her, and so she had a really hard time for about 45 minutes. We finally touched down in Detroit, at which time Hannah became a US citizen! We had a 2 hour layover and then boarded the next plane to take us to Bloomington. Hannah started to cry almost immediately when they turned on the engines (flashback to the previous plane), but I was able to calm her and she hardly cried at all going up or down, so we were really pleased. As soon as we touched down in Bloomington, where our family and friends were waiting, her eyes went shut. I guess we forgot to tell her to stay awake for the welcoming party! Thankfully she woke up a few minutes later happily, where her brothers and lots of family and friends were waiting to welcome her home. The boys actually got to see our plane land and watched us walk to the airport. Jason told me he could see them in the glass, and I wanted to run to them so badly. It was a wonderful reunion, as we had so many family members and some good friends waiting for us. Hannah seemed to recognize the boys immediately, and wanted to touch them and play with them right away. The boys were playing tag with their friends who were there, and Hannah was running along, chasing after them, having a great time. She was also playing peekaboo with her brothers under the chairs at the airport. She loves her brothers! When it was time for her to get in her car seat, she watched big brother Isaiah get in his, and then smiled when we put her in hers! We couldn't believe this was the same child who couldn't stand wearing a seat belt in China! She fell asleep around 6:30 while we were eating dinner and woke up briefly when we got home, but then slept until 5 AM the next morning! So the first night went really smoothly. It is so good to be home!

One last picture on the island

Train ride to Hong Kong

Jet that took us to the US

Ready for takeoff in Hong Kong

Playing with stickers on the plane

Enjoying some ice on the plane!

Big brothers watching our plane land

Together at last!

Boys giving Hannah the bear they made for her

So happy to meet her brothers

Hugging Isaiah

Big brothers with the sign that our friends made

Peekaboo with big brother Isaiah

Playing peekaboo with ElijahHappy girl at the airport

Playing with Grandpa

First time in car seat (they don't have car seats in China)

The moment Gamma has been waiting for!

Made it home!

2010-08-14T13:38:00.001-05:00

We're finally home. More details to follow of our last couple of days in China, once we get the chance...

China Day 13: Oath Taking Ceremony

2010-08-11T09:51:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe we are leaving Guangzhou tomorrow to begin the journey home. We'll head to Hong Kong via train tomorrow night and leave early Friday morning on a long flight back to the US. I have mixed feelings about leaving. I am so anxious to see the boys and have our family all together! And I can't wait to show off our little girl to everyone. I'm also tired of living in a tiny hotel room (although I don't miss grocery shopping or cooking!). But, going home means leaving our daughter's beautiful country. We've come to really love China. The people are so friendly, and you feel safe everywhere you go. There are things I won't miss, like the people hacking on the street (this is quite common and acceptable here) or the extreme humidity, but overall, we love it here and are so happy we've been able to experience our daughter's culture.

This afternoon we boarded a bus and took a 45 minute ride to the US Consulate where we had a "swearing in" ceremony. Unfortunately we couldn't bring cameras in, so we don't have any pictures to document the event. We joined a roomful of adoptive parents from many different agencies. We all waited for our child's name to be called, then we went up one at a time and signed a document. Once everyone did this (there were probably 50+ families), an official shared some statistics on adoption with us, thanked us for our care in adopting a Chinese child, and wished several kids a happy birthday, including our Hannah Liuxia. Then we all stood up and raised our right hand and promised that all of the paperwork we submitted was true. Then there were hugs and applause and tears, as this was the final step in our children being granted their visas. The officer told us that everyone's visa has been processed, so we are good to go home on time! Praise God! All of the paperwork went so smoothly, and we are so thankful!

After the swearing in ceremony, we decided to reattempt the red couch picture since we were at the White Swan. Thankfully, Liuxia cooperated this time! She was literally jumping on the couch, but we managed to get a couple sitting pictures as well. So, now I feel like we can go home because we got our red couch photo! :)

Tonight we decided to eat at Lucy's, which is a restaurant on the island that serves American food. It is very popular with adoptive families who are wanting some comfort food. Jason and I really enjoyed having a hamburger and fries after two weeks of Chinese food. Hannah had her first french fry, which she promptly chewed up and spit back out. I'm sure she'll learn to love greasy American food soon enough, but we ordered Hannah's favorite at Lucy's-a bowl of noodles.

This will be our last post from China, as we'll have a short hotel stay in Hong Kong tomorrow night (and I don't know if we'll have internet there), and then we'll be heading home. We are so thankful for the way Hannah is attaching to us and are feeling really good about where we're at as we head home. We are so excited for everyone to meet our spunky, beautiful little girl! I am teary eyed as I write this, realizing that our long journey is finally coming to a close, and we'll finally be able to introduce her to everyone so soon.

Photo captions
Jumping on the red couch!
Red couch photos
Not very ladylike on the red couch
Family picture-and Hannah is smiling!
White Swan hotel lobby
Hannah at Lucy's
First french fry
Daddy enjoying his cheeseburger!

China Day 12: Banyun Temple & Boat Cruise

2010-08-10T22:06:00.001-05:00

I'm posting this a day late, but yesterday was mostly a better day. I couldn't believe it, but Liuxia let me put pigtails in her hair, which she hasn't let me do in a week! In the morning we went to visit a temple called Six Banyan Temple. It was a Buddhist temple that was built 1400 years ago. I think the current temple was rebuilt 600 years ago. There were several different Buddha statues, and people were burning incense and praying at the different statues and buildings. There is a beautiful pagoda there as well. It was definitely a very unique experience to see the religion that is practiced by so many Chinese. While we were there, an older Chinese lady offered Liuxia some of her food. In the US, first of all this would never happen, and if it did, we wouldn't let our child eat someone else's food. But here in China, it's like everyone is one big family. So Liuxia took a bite of some of her food, and then the lady ended up giving Hannah the whole plate of food to take with her! She kept giving us a thumbs up!

We went on a dinner cruise last night, which was a wonderful experience. Believe it or not, we had Papa John's pizza for dinner! Our agency had it delivered to the boat for us. It actually tasted pretty similar to Papa John's at home. So Hannah had her first pizza, and she seemed to like it. It probably took her an hour to eat one piece, but she did eventually eat it. I have never met such a slow eater in my life! She carried it around with her on the boat and nibbled away. She did great on the boat cruise and seemed to really enjoy it. She was starting to interact with the other kids, which was cute.

Photo Captions
Pagoda at 6 Banyan Temple
In front of pagoda
Temple
Hanging out with Mommy
Lady who gave Hannah her food
Flowers on the island
Serious but adorable face
Happy face!
Papa John's delivery!
Boat we rode on
First bite of pizza
Fuzzy picture, but shows the lights of the city-just beautiful!
Notice the pizza in Hannah's hand still!
On the boat (still eating!)
Really neat looking bridge we passed under

China Day 11: TB result & red couch attempt

2010-08-09T08:06:00.001-05:00

Today we went back to the medical clinic for them to check Hannah's TB test. It was negative, so that was good news. The traditional "red couch" picture with our agency was scheduled for 2:30, so we tried to get her down for an early nap. She didn't fall asleep until close to 1, and we had to wake her up at 2 to get ready to get the picture taken. It is tradition for adoptive families to take their child's picture on a red couch at the White Swan. Adoptive families have been doing this for years, so I was really excited to put Hannah in a traditional dress and get her picture with the group of kids from our travel group. Since we woke her up, she was not in a good mood, but when we got to the White Swan hotel where the picture was being taken, things went from bad to worse. She was screaming nonstop. I don't mean just crying, but screaming at the top of her lungs. We couldn't get her in the picture at all because she was throwing a complete screaming fit. We actually had to go back to the hotel, missing both the picture and the afternoon tea with our travel group. She probably screamed for 45 minutes, and there was nothing we could do to snap her out of it. We think something triggered her to start grieving again. We put her in a dress her foster mom gave us, so we're wondering if that's what did it. But she was also extremely tired, so it may have been a combination. All we know is that it was just awful. She had been doing so well, so this setback was really devastating for all of us. We laid low in the hotel room the rest of the afternoon where she was quickly back to her laughing, playful self. We didn't even attempt to go to a restaurant for dinner, but went to a deli shop where you can order and eat outside. We didn't take many pictures today, but there are a few from the park here on the island. They have statues all throughout the park, and Liuxia wasn't sure what to think of them. She eventually went up and touched them, but wasn't sure about them. The other picture is her with her new parasol that we bought today. Now she is a true Zhejiang girl, as almost everyone in her province carries one around to shade themselves from the sun!

China Day 10: Hannah's Birthday!

2010-08-08T09:13:00.001-05:00

Today was a very special day since Hannah turned 2 today! We went to a Christian church here on the island this morning. It was in Mandarin and English, so we were able to follow along. We sang a song a couple of times that went "We are the body of Christ." It was touching to be halfway across the world worshiping with other believers. It was similar to our service, with several songs, prayer, and a sermon. There was also a testimony at the end of the service. It lasted about an hour, and Hannah did pretty well. No one seemed to mind her occasional loud noises, so that was good. The church was completely packed with a mix of both Chinese and foreigners.

This afternoon we went shopping at the jade, pearl, and silk markets. We hired a lady to help us and she was able to get great prices for us. We had so much fun, but I'm sure Jason's exhausted from carrying Liuxia around for 3 hours! Everywhere we go people comment on how beautiful Liuxia is. We agree! We took a taxi a couple of different times, and it only cost between 10 and 13 yuan each time, which is about $1.50-$2! After we got back, we went out to dinner. It's too bad we aren't seafood eaters because I'm sure it's delicious here. It's so fresh that the fish are literally swimming in the tank until you order your food! They also had frogs, toads, and eels for sale, apparently to eat! We passed on that and stuck with chicken and beef. After dinner Hannah had her first ice cream cone. She wasn't sure about ice cream when we tried it a couple of days ago, but this time she loved it and got really messy eating it! When we got back we gave her a few presents. Everything is new to her, so I'm sure it seemed like just another day, but we wanted to try to make it special by giving her some new toys. We had some people tell her happy birthday in Mandarin, but we don't know if she understands what a birthday is yet.

We aren't hearing Hannah talk much yet, but she does a lot of baby babble. The only word we hear her use consistently is "aiyo" which means "gosh" in her local dialect. She also says "ker" whenever she wants something opened (like a bottle or a window); "ker" sounds close to "kai" which is the Mandarin word for "open" (perhaps in her local dialect is it "ker"... we don't know). She also says "mama" and "baba" sometimes (especially when mama is out of sight, which she doesn't like). Right now she communicates through grunting and crying, so we're hoping she can learn some words soon. We did notice her shake her head no a couple of times today, so she's starting to communicate that way and we think she's beginning to understand some of what we're saying.

Picture captions:
Hannah being silly wearing a shower cap!
Beautiful birthday girl
Laughing
Pretty girl
With Daddy at the pearl market
Mommy trying on Jade bracelets (this guy was forcing it on my hand-I thought it was going to break!)
Special pineapple drink
Restaurant we ate at-it is a really pretty setting outside with lots of lanterns
Hannah doesn't like to touch her food and is very creative about eating without her hands
Ice cream face
Opening birthday presents
Trying on her new hat (it didn't stay on her head long!)
Happy girl

China Day 9: Medical Exam

2010-08-07T09:13:00.001-05:00

This morning we went to get Hannah's medical examination done. This is mandatory for the visa application, so all adoptive families have to bring their child to the clinic for an exam. We thought this would be very hard for Hannah, as she was hospitalized when she was only 13 months old, so probably doesn't have a great memory of doctors. But she did amazing and cooperated with the nurses and doctors at all three stations. She had to get a TB test done since she'll turn two before our consulate appointment, so we'll have to go back on Monday and check the results of the TB test. It was really interesting to see all of the other kids and their parents at the medical exam. The other kids were happy to be held by their parents, but our girl spent the whole time running from room to room in the examination area and trying to play with adults and kids alike. She is such an active girl! We feel so blessed to have such a healthy child, and she is doing better with us every day.

I think I forgot to mention in the previous posts that we have Hannah's passport. We applied for on Tuesday, and we actually got it already on Wednesday! It was incredibly fast! So the next step is to apply for her visa. So our current prayer requests are for a negative TB test and quick processing of the visa so we can leave on time next Friday.

Another neat tidbit is that the foster family and/or orphanage must have played the lullaby CD we had sent for Hannah. We turned it on the other night when she was crying before bed, and she stopped crying instantly. As soon as we play the CD, she settles down right away! We're so thankful that they played this for her, as it's really helping her to fall asleep, which is typically the hardest part of the day for her.

Picture Captions:
First taste of ice cream (she wasn't so sure!)
Beautiful Shamian Island
Medical Check

China Day 8: We made it to Guangzhou!

2010-08-06T06:27:00.001-05:00

We left Hangzhou and took a 2 hour flight to Guangzhou this afternoon. We will stay here until Thursday, when we leave for Hong Kong and then head back to IL. It was Hannah's first airplane ride, and I don't think she's very fond of flying. She did pretty well the first half and fell asleep. We were really relieved because she had been fussing quite a bit before that. When we started to descend, her ears must have started to bother her, and she woke up screaming. There was nothing we could do to help her since she wouldn't take her bottle or any food. When the flight attendant came over and talked to her, she snapped out of it and stopped crying. She did pretty well after that, but it was pretty bad for awhile. I asked the flight attendant if she could have a little juice, and they brought us a whole huge bottle for her. She didn't want to let it go and carried it all through the airport. It was the cutest thing to see this little girl with a huge bottle! She's so independent, we couldn't help her with it, but she wants to do everything herself. She does so well doing things on her own. She is a pro at eating with a fork and even drinks out of cups without a problem. Since we got to the hotel, she's been doing amazingly well. She did get into the toilet paper as soon as we got to the hotel, so I had to post a picture of that. She's definitely going to keep us busy! We are more in love with her each day!

Picture Captions:
Picture with our guide, Echo
Ready to get on the airplane
First flight
Goodbye Hangzhou
Sitting with Mommy
Carrying her orange juice bottle
Destroying the new room!!

China Day 7: Trip to Wuzhen

2010-08-05T18:57:00.001-05:00

I was too tired to post last night (went to bed at 9:30!), so I'll post about yesterday before the princess and Daddy get up. Our driver recommended we take a trip to Wuzhen, which is about an hour's drive from here. It is a very popular tourist area because it's a city built on canals. They call it the Venice of China. We are so glad we got the opportunity to go, as it was a very unique experience. We were able to ride on a boat through the canals and walk through part of the town. The boat driver said that 300 people still live on the canals, mostly old people who have lived there their whole lives. The government tried to buy them out of the houses, but the people loved it and wanted to stay. I can't imagine having tourists walking through your neighborhood every day, but the people didn't want to leave, so that's their reality now.

Hannah slept on the way there, so the trip was easy for her. She clung a lot to our guide Echo today, which was a little disappointing to us. It's understandable though since Echo is Chinese and speaks Hannah's language. After we left, though, Hannah actually wanted Mommy for most of the day. It's strange how she keeps flip flopping between the two of us, but as long as she's happy with one of us, that's good!

It's hard to believe we are leaving Hangzhou today and heading to Guangzhou. It'll be fun to meet up with the other Holt families and see them with their new children. We have a two hour flight today, so we're hoping that goes well for Hannah. Maybe she'll sleep the whole time!

Pictures:
She's actually laying on Mommy's lap!
Family photo at the canal town (Hannah did not want to sit for a picture!)
We went for a boat ride through the canals
Several pictures of the canals and houses
Hannah eating a bamboo leaf sticky rice snack that is very common here & quite tasty
Eating shrimp at lunch-She goes crazy when she sees shrimp & eats them whole! She'll put it in her mouth and then pull out the parts you aren't supposed to eat. It was so strange to watch her stick it in her mouth-eyeballs and all!
Having fun in the van-Jason was blowing bubbles & Hannah and the little boy in our group had so much fun popping them
Hannah in her swimsuit-we went to the pool, but the water was cold & Hannah wasn't interested in getting in, but she sure looked cute in her swimsuit! All of the clothes I brought have fit her perfect!
She loves the tub!

China Day 6: Free Day

2010-08-04T19:42:00.001-05:00

I didn't post anything last night, so I'll post about yesterday before we head out this morning. It was a hard day for Hannah. She didn't want anything to do with Mommy for most of the morning, which was really hard on me. I am really missing the boys too, and being rejected by Hannah makes it harder. She did warm up to me in the afternoon, and she even fed me the goldfish she was eating! I thought that was huge! She's funny because there are certain things that only Baba can do (mainly hold her) and that Mama can do (such as put on her shoes). She's just very particular about who is allowed to do what with her. But she will definitely let her will be known!

We didn't have anything scheduled for the day, so we slept in (until after 9!) and then Hannah took an hour long bath. She loves playing in the water! After we got ready, we went to Toys R Us. The toys and prices were very similar to back home. Hannah loved the riding toy that was there. It was fun hearing the Toys R Us song in Chinese while we were there! After Toys R Us we went to lunch in the mall that the store was in. It turned out to be a disaster. We realized later that it was nap time, so we're sure Hannah was just tired and hungry. She threw several screaming fits while we were there, and so Jason and I left early to head back to the hotel. She fell asleep instantly when we returned. After her nap, we went and walked to the West Lake. We saw a crowd gathering, so we figured out that there was a fountain show about to begin. While we waited for the show, they were selling bubble machines. We bought one for Hannah and were just playing with her. Pretty soon we noticed a crowd gathering around-they were watching us! I haven't seen hardly any Caucasians in Hangzhou, so everywhere we go, we are stared at. But we hadn't experienced anything quite like this! A young girl wanted my picture with her, and then the same family gave Hannah some crackers. People are very friendly here! It was fun to watch the show over the lake, but partway through Hannah wanted to get down, and walked several feet away and laid down on the cement. She was done! We stopped by a small convenience store to buy some milk and food for dinner. I made the mistake of putting her down in the store, and she grabbed a bag of chips. They were now her chips, so she ended up eating almost the whole bag. Once she has something, we can't take it away from her, so we're still learning to avoid situations where she will get something we don't want her to have. We're used to the boys, who will take a few crackers, etc. and give the bag back to us. Once she has a bag of anything, there is no getting it back!

One thing that is going really well is her sleeping. She sleeps all through the night, without any fussing. Right now she is sleeping with us, as that's what she was used to in the foster home. It's been working out really well, but we have a king sized bed here, so that makes it much easier.

We just got back from brunch, and it was another disaster. We're reluctant to go anywhere in public because it seems to always end in a huge scene. If she doesn't get her way, she screams. We get stared at anyway because we're two blonds with a Chinese child. But when that child is screaming, it's even worse. We're trying to not let it get to us, but we're definitely the center of attention wherever we go (and have always avoided such back home). We definitely don't have a "shy" and "quiet" girl that the orphanage described. I wonder if they ever saw her real personality.

Thanks for your continued prayers. Please pray for us as we often feel like we're not sure how to handle her behavior. She's definitely keeping us on our toes!

Pictures:

Skyping with brothers and Grandma
Riding the train toy at Toys R Us
In front of West Lake
In front of an ornate boat on West Lake
Watching the fountain performance

China Day 5: Finalizing Adoption & Trip to Taizhou

2010-08-03T11:10:00.001-05:00

It's been an incredibly emotional and exhausting day. This morning we went back to the Civil Affairs Office to finalize the adoption. The official there read a statement declaring us Liu Xia's parents and handed us the official adoption certificate and a stuffed panda for Hannah. She's officially ours forever!

After finalizing the adoption, we started the long drive to Taizhou, where Hannah is from. It is about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Hangzhou. Hannah fell asleep right when we left and slept most of the way there. The drive to Taizhou was beautiful, and I've included pictures of the scenery. When we got to Taizhou, we had to apply for Hannah's passport. Our guide was able to convince them to expedite it so we could get it by Friday instead of the September date that it would normally take to get the passport. The director and associate director were at the passport agency, and Hannah again would not go to them. We also found out while we were there that we would not be able to visit the orphanage after all. Yesterday the director agreed to let us come, but today she said we were not allowed. She said it was against the rules, and so we wouldn't be able to go. I was very emotional over this news, as we were fully expecting to be able to go. Other families who have adopted children from the orphanage before us under a different director were allowed to visit the orphanage. We are the first ones to adopt under the new director, so that's why things are different for us. She did take down our email address and promised to send us pictures of the orphanage.

After leaving the passport agency, we went to Hannah's finding spot. I am grateful that we were able to see where she was found, but it was an incredibly emotional stop. We took pictures and collected a rock from the ground nearby. Since this is a sensitive part of Hannah's past, we are not going to share pictures here of it.

Our next stop was to meet the foster family at a tea room. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were ushered into a private room. There was a large TV camera there videotaping our entrance. The foster dad works is the head of the Civil Affairs Office, and he and his wife fostered Hannah to set an example to the people to help orphans. He told us that he was keeping a blog detailing their times with Hannah, and so we think the camera was there to document this part of the story for people who are following the blog. The foster family treated us to a huge dinner, and they kept bringing out more and more food. Hannah's favorite was the shrimp, which she tried to eat whole-eyes and all! Hannah was very attached to the foster family, and it was another very difficult emotional experience for us all. They gave us a CD with many pictures of there times with Hannah, along with the journal that they kept (in Chinese). They also gave us several gifts including a jade bracelet and necklace for Hannah and a traditional outfit and silk dress for her as well. It is obvious that they loved her very much.

Pictures:
Official telling us that Hannah is ours!
Family picture with adoption certificate
Scenic pictures on way to Taizhou (3)
Roadside stand in Taizhou (there were many of these along the road when we got into the city)
Picture with foster parents
Foster parents and Director Lin and Director Chen

China Day 4: West Lake, Playing, First Bath, Meeting Elijah & Isaiah

2010-08-02T08:48:00.001-05:00

We are amazed at how well Hannah is doing! She slept for 3 hours this afternoon, and then we went to get a family picture taken for the adoption. After that we walked across the street to the West Lake and took a few pictures. The West Lake is so beautiful! After that we went out to eat with our guide and the other family in our group. Hannah was squealing all through dinner, and then when we returned to the hotel, she had so much fun going up the steps and running around, playing with us. She is such a happy girl! We went back to the room and she had her first bath. She wasn't sure of it at first, but slowly warmed up to going in to the tub to play with the stacking cups. We don't know if she's ever had a bath in a tub like this, so we slowly introduced her to it slowly. She had fun so much fun splashing Mommy and playing with the cups. After an hour of playing, we convinced her to come out. Then we Skyped the boys, and Hannah got to see her two geh gehs (big brothers) for the first time. Elijah said she is very pretty but doesn't talk much! She was really tired when we were on the phone, so she just stared at the screen. We knew she was tired because she's been babbling and squealing all day, and has only been quiet when we are walking around outside. She is taking everything in and is loving all of the attention she is getting from Mama and Baba. She doesn't want either of us out of her sight. She still prefers Daddy to hold her most of the time, but wants Mommy with her as well. We are so incredibly blessed!

Attached pictures:
Hannah & Daddy at West Lake
Boat on West Lake
Eating noodles at dinner
Playing in the lobby at the hotel (several of these)
First bath
Meeting Elijah & Isaiah

China Day 4: 1st Visit to Civil Affairs & SMILES!!

2010-08-02T02:47:00.000-05:00

Hannah slept through her first night with us, and we even had to wake her up at 7:30! We went down to breakfast, and she was pointing to food and showing Baba what she wanted to eat. We tried to feed her, but she insisted on doing it herself. Her favorite food was the fried noodles, and hopefully her big brothers will learn from her how to lean over when they eat! She was so cute leaning over her plate slurping up the noodles! After breakfast we went to the Civil Affairs Office, where three other families were meeting their children for the first time. It was so neat to see the other families with their new babies and see another dad in our group meet his 8 year old son. While we were there, Jason decided to put Hannah in my lap. Every other time he's tried to give her to me she screams and refuses. But, this time, she was totally okay with it!!! I couldn't believe it! Then by the time we left the office, Hannah was going back and forth from Jason to me happy as can be. She wanted Mommy to put on her shoes, let me change her diaper, etc. When she's tired she wants Daddy to hold her. While we were in the Civil Affairs Office (for 2.5 hours), we witnessed many parts of Hannah's personality. She gave us smiles, lots of screams (both happy and mad), and even some laughs! The director of the orphanage was there, but Hannah wouldn't go to her. She seems to know that we are her parents, and she has Daddy wrapped around her little finger already. She's been doing a lot of baby babble, but we've heard her say "uh-oh" several times, and she definitely says some words in Chinese beyond the baby talk. We are feeling incredibly blessed and thank you so much for praying because we're already seeing a huge change as her personality is coming out and she is warming up to us so quickly.

We'll be visiting her foster family tomorrow. I'm hoping it doesn't set her back to square one because she was definitely attached to her foster family. Please pray that this visit would not confused her, and that she will know that Jason and I are her forever family. Hopefully we'll have time to visit her finding spot and orphanage as well. Thank you for all of the comments and emails. We feel so loved and supported!

Here's what the attached pictures are of:

Hannah & Daddy at breakfast
Hannah loves the noodles!
Making the paperwork official with a red thumbprint seal of approval
Hannah's handprint approval
Daddy's thumbprint approval
Hannah is sitting on Mommy's lap!!
Looking at a book with Mommy
A smile!
Playing with Daddy

China Day 3: Getting Hannah Part 3 (Video)

2010-08-01T17:51:00.001-05:00

Here are a few short videos from last night. Enjoy (we sure did)!

China Day 3: Getting Hannah Part 2

2010-08-01T16:52:00.001-05:00

I just went over Jason's blog post, and he did a great job detailing how the night went. He wrote it last night, but for some reason it didn't post, so sorry for those of you who have been on the edge of your seats waiting! It's now early morning (5 AM), and Jason and I are both wide awake, but our little princess is still sound asleep. We haven't heard a single sound from her all night long. She is a heavy sleeper! We changed her clothes last night and carried her around, and she didn't wake up at all. I wanted to post this picture because it shows her beautiful long hair. She is so beautiful! Please pray for her as she is going through a time of grieving as she transitions into our family. And please pray for me as well. It was very hard last night to not be able to hold her after so many years of waiting. I knew that it was very likely she would only bond to one of us, but it is still heartbreaking. They told us she prefers men to hold her, so it's natural that she would bond to Jason at first.

Also, we found out last night that the foster mom has one request-that she would love to meet us. It's very rare to ever meet a foster family, so we were very surprised to hear this. So, we'll be meeting the foster family on Wednesday when we go to Taizhou. It sounds like she was so well loved by this family, and I am happy I will get to thank her in person for the love she showed to our daughter. Hannah went to their house on the weekends starting in January, and she's very strongly attached to the family, crying when she would have to return to the orphanage each week.

China Day 3: We get HANNAH!

2010-08-01T16:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, Jason here. Much to share and little time to do it. We got our little girl, tonight! We arrived at the airport around 5PM, then transferred to the hotel around 6PM. We had all of our stuff unloaded into our room within an hour (in spite of three calls to housekeeping - one for a crib, one because the power went out when a bulb in the room blew, and one asking them to clear-out the mini bar -- I'm sure they were sick of hearing from us!). Then at 7PM we waited anxiously for the next hour to roll around when our daughter was scheduled to arrive in our hotel room. I'm not sure if the photos will show up in the right order or not, but here are some captions to go along with the order of the photos describing what happened next.

Before 8PM, Angie and I were both so anxiously awaiting Hannah's arrival. Angie likened it to our wedding day -- we knew the other party was ever so nearby, but we couldn't see them until the appropriate time. That was the longest hour of my life.
Shortly after 8PM, we get the call that they are on their way. A minute or two later, the orphanage director, assistant director, car driver, and our translator walk Hannah up to the door to our hotel room.
Bring out the Cheerios! Unfortunately, she didn't seem to care for them.
Next up, they Chinese ladies gave us a carton of milk to offer Hannah. She licked that right up and drank the whole carton dry.
Time to try something other than food... Daddy goes for the "play with tower blocks" strategy, which seemed to mostly work, though she wouldn't take the cup from my hands and later started throwing the cups. That said, I think this was the tipping point for her, which foreshadows the fact that she was mostly a "Daddy's Girl" tonight...
We were so grateful to learn that our photo album did arrive and that the caretakers had been reading it to her. Apparently, she even would kiss the photo of us on the way over. We brought out the album to help make the connection that we were the same people the caretakers had been talking to her about.
Hannah goes back to stacking cups, this time completing the tower. She very much prefers to play independently, in spite of my offers to help her finish the tower.
The caretakers leave once it seems that things are going mostly well (about 15-20 minutes after they arrive). Liu Xia (as they call her -- by her full name), is rather upset and cries fiercely (which, though very painful for us in the moment, is a good sign long-term). To help distract her, mommy whips out the bubbles, a sure hit with kids back home and apparently no different here in China.
Eventually Hannah starts reaching for the bubbles.
The first smile we've seen on her face, ever! Also probably the last one of the evening.
Throughout the rest of the evening, Hannah would occasionally notice the door and make the connection that her caretakers have left her via that door and start crying, fiercely. She actually came to my arms to let me hold her (talk about melting my heart!), and I was able to distract her by showing her the reflection in the window of the two of us. I point to her and say "Xiao Xia" (the nickname they also call her by and "Ba Ba" (Daddy in Chinese) when pointing to my reflection. Angie and I both hear her say "Ba" at one point, so we think she's making the connection, herself.
After an hour or so of toggling between crying and being distracted, she finally falls asleep and Mommy gets her (sadly) first chance to really hold Hannah.
Hannah arrived in a cute pink dotted dress with Hello Kitty pigtail holders (I'm sure Angie will correct me on their proper terminology--I have a lot to learn about being a daddy to a girl!). She's a big girl! After she had fallen asleep, we weighed her to be 27 points.
Then, of course, we had to share Hannah with our boys via Skype, even if she was asleep!
Mommy with her precious little girl--Angie's dream come true after so many years.

Tomorrow: the originally scheduled meeting with the CCAA (we just got her 12 hours earlier, but still need to do the paperwork in the morning). Then more to come after that. What a whirlwind of a day!

China Day 2: Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square

2010-07-31T05:58:00.001-05:00

We had another full day in Beijing today. Our morning was spent at our agency's orientation, which Jason already commented on. Towards the end of the orientation, they showed a map of China and then they started putting pictures of our children up on the map, one at a time. After the picture came on the screen, each family identified their child (if they were able). Hannah's picture was the second one they showed, and of course we recognized her right away since she hasn't changed much since the last pictures we have of her. I was once again stunned at how beautiful she is. They said she had just woken up before they took the picture, so maybe that's why she looks so sad. After they showed everyone's children, they began passing out the red books. These books contain the new pictures and information about our children. There were four new pictures of Hannah, two being recent pictures, and two of the others from last August. Tomorrow we'll have the real-life version, but it was still so wonderful to get some new pictures of her, and I can't stop staring at them!

After lunch, we went on a tour of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The Forbidden City was the emperor's palace that was built from 1406-1420. I had no idea how vast the Forbidden City was. It was amazing to see the architectural details and walk through courtyard after courtyard and take in the rich history that is held there. It was amazing and a bit overwhelming with so many people there and so much to see! Then we went over to Tiananmen Square and took some pictures there as well. We've really enjoyed getting a glimpse into China's history the past couple of days and have learned so much! Of course, what we are really excited about is meeting our little girl tomorrow. We can't wait!!