Crazy About Jia!

Our 3rd Forever Family Day Anniversary

2010-05-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

We met friends from TX in Seattle that were in China adopting their daughter at the same time as us. They just happened to be taking a weekend business trip to Seattle and got in our 3rd anniversary so we aptly went to Chinatown for dinner. Sadly, they were without their daughters, but we had fun showing them the city!

First Halloween

2007-10-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

Happy One Month Anniversary, Jia!

2007-06-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it's been one month that you came into our lives and changed us forever--for the better. In some ways we feel like we've known you your whole life, and in others we learn new things about you each and every day. Your smile has melted out hearts since the day we first layed eyes on you (March 5, 2007). Because you were so scared when we first became a family, we weren't sure how long it would be before we got to see your little eyes disappear behind that big beautiful smile. Now, however, you smile readily (except when Mommy has the camera out!), and giggle and laugh all the time!

You are so brave, Jia. You have amazed us over and over again at how brave you are. It takes a special kind of person to leave everything they've known to travel to a whole new world, with new people, new smells, new sounds, and to handle it with such courage. We can tell you are still trying to take it all in, because often in a new situation you will hide behind Mommy, or you will reach out for Daddy to hold you. We don't blame you. Maybe we've pushed you too fast, but no matter what, you just go with flow. You extend us such grace. We know you were meant to be our daughter; God had it planned before you were born. Even though we missed out on the first two years of your precious life, we feel we are making up for it by leaps and bounds with the joy and energy you've brought into our home. You are so silly! You crinkle up that little button nose of yours at the funniest times! We've even had people wonder if you were disgusted with them, or if that was actually a "happy crinkle"! (You have Grandma Sandy guessing, that's for sure!)

We call you the "spazmanian devil" and our little "kamakazi girl" because you run around the house and bounce off all the walls and furniture without blinking an eye. You barrell down steps with no concern of taking more than one at a time. You seem to have no fear! We're just sure you're going to need stitches before you're 3. You came close to it last night after falling head first into the cabinet corner! Just a big goose egg is all that you got for that one. Don't worry, though, as we're sure there will be more opportunities!

You are so quick to learn new things. You have been able to put your alphabet puzzle together for 2 weeks now. You just pick up a letter and put it right where it goes. You know the following signs: please, more, all done, all gone, water, cup, ball, share (that's a new one I taught you that surprised Daddy!), bowl, book, table. You don't sign them all readily but if we show you, you know what we mean. We've also learned some of your Chinese (your 2 year old jibberish Chinese, that is) and we know when you want to know what something is, when you want a drink, and when you have to go to the bathroom (we learned that one REALLY quick!). You also use many many hand gestures, pulling us around by the hand, and body language to communicate with us. We're not quite as quick as you are, but you are very patient with us! You always want to hear us say words to you over and over again, and you repeat them each and every time. When you want to know what something is, we'll ask YOU "What is it?" and you will tell us. (Sometimes we think you're just testing us to see if we really know English.) You also buckle yourself in your booster seat at the table, and your chest buckle in the car. There really isn't much need for Mommy or Daddy except you need food on the table and someone to drive you around.

You love to organize things. You will lay things out in a line, or group things together when you're playing. Grandma Mary thinks you'll be an engineer, but I'm pretty sure those are signs of a brain surgeon in the making.

You like animals. You love to pet the kitties now, and visiting the neighbor horses. These are almost daily rituals. You are gentle and kind to them. We can tell you have a gentle heart and soul.

You make funny faces. Whether it's the crinkled nose, your monkey face, or the one-eyed pirate look, you always have us laughing at your silly faces! You also like to pretend you're asleep, and then you laugh because you can't keep a straight face!

You're helpful. You will carry silverware, plates, napkins and cups to the table. You also like to help with dishes. Honest! You put your toys away when asked and you generally take 2 year old pride in the things you do. Sometimes you even get embarrassed!

You are a gift. You have brought us more joy than we thought possible, and our love for you is overflowing. God has created you and fit you into our family. For that reason we celebrate you, and the day you came to join our family. We hope you will feel as blessed one day as we do right now, and we hope you will some day consider adoption to extend your family, as it is the most incredible thing we've ever been a part of. After all, it brought us to you!

We love you, Fei Fei!

Click below to see the photos with captions, or

click here to see a slide show without captions.

"Giggly Girl" video is fixed now!

2007-06-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

See below :)

Bordering on cruelty?

2007-06-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

It's hard to resist the big belly laughs that come out of her while being tickled, so I look for as many opportunities as I can. This one I happened to catch on video :o)

Giggly girl

Ice cream....the cure all!

2007-05-31T22:50:00.001-07:00

Ice cream
Originally uploaded by jnknthecatsIt's hard to tell by the photos that Jia had her first visit with the pediatrician today--and she cried the ENTIRE time! Nothing that a little ice cream can't take care of, though. I'm pretty sure she liked it.

She had an ear infection and some hardened wax built up in her ears that was dug out by a tool that looked more like a long toothpick minus the pointy end. Not something a mom or dad feels good about being crammed into their screaming daughter's ear! OK, cram is an exaggeration, but it still looked terrible! The Dr. was a pro, though, and got out the "gunk" (sorry if you're eating while reading this). Typical stuff for kids who have been in orphanages. She also is "long and lean", as the Dr. put it at 25 lbs. and 36" tall. Dr. B said to give her whole milk because she doesn't need to worry about her weight right now! Lucky girl. Developmentally she is just where she should be, and the Dr. was quite pleased with that. Now if we could just get her to speak English!

On another note, Jia has been off and on as far as liking her Mom. :( The last few days have been challenging because she hasn't wanted to have much to do with me. I am trying to be patient because I know she is still adjusting to life with us, but I won't say it isn't difficult. Today seemed better, but tomorrow may be another story! Jason goes back to work next Tuesday so it will be just Jia and I at home. A friend recommended I take Jia to do something fun, just the two of us, and do it often. That way she will associate that fun event with Mommy. This is important during the attachment stage. She loves riding in the bike carrier, and going on walks in her stroller. I think I might take her to visit the animals at Hovander. Any other suggestions (outside of the house) would be greatly appreciated, as I've never had to entertain a 2 year old on a regular basis! Overall, we are all doing great and we are really starting to feel like we're getting the hang of this parenting thing, not that we're good at it! Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers. Oh, and feel free to give us a call whenever. We'd love to hear from you. :)

Something I'm learning to get over

2007-05-29T10:54:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by jnknthecats

Yep, motherhood has been a good opportunity for me to let go of some things. What kind of things, you ask? Well, lets start with playdough. *Playdough comes in many different colors, kept separate by individual cans. Correct me if I'm wrong, but when an adult plays with playdough, I'm pretty sure we like to keep it from mixing. This makes it much easier to determine which can it goes back into when one is done playing.

Looooong gone are the days when the playdough will remain true to its original color. Blobs of pink, blue, purple, yellow and green are no longer! Now it's pinellow, bleen, grurple or a mixture of all of the above. Just the way a 2 year old likes it. So yes, I'm learning to get over the fact that playdough is BETTER when it's multi-colored. It's definitely more fun to look at, even if it does stretch my anal-retentive mind (or is it obsessive-compulsive?). I guess I'll look at the bright side...we no longer need multiple cans to store it!

*I think someone could make BIG money by marketing playdough that is already mixed, made especially for obsessive-compulsive parents like me. Hmmm, I think I'll write to Hasbro right now.

2+ weeks as a family

2007-05-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe we've had Jia in our lives for 15 days. In some ways we feel like we've known her forever, and in other ways it's all brand new. Each and every day she is getting more comfortable with us, but at times we are reminded how fragile she still is. We look forward to the day she can meet you all! We aren't sure when that will be but rest assured, it will happen!

She is soaking up everything around her, and loves to imitate us. We're pretty sure her first English words were "Veggie Tales", but it probably takes a mom and a dad to decipher it! It sounds more like "vehee tae-wuhs" to a tune that is similar to the true song. Who knew a 2 year old would be this fun??

Jet-lag is a B-U-M-M-E-R!

2007-05-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure Jia's photo speaks for all of us...we're in a daze. Jet-lag is every bit as hard as I've heard, and then some. Throw in a little sinusitis and you've got a rip-roarin' good time. Jia and I are both stuffed up, and I've been downing the Sudafed while she is hopped up on children's Triaminic. I finally wised up and bought the "strips" that melt on the tongue instead of some awful pill or liquid that dribbles down her chin because she's gagging too much to swallow it.

Let's just say our first day at home was plain hard on us all! However, it was made sweeter by the lawn being mowed (thanks, ~~Jim~~ Carol!), groceries in the fridge (thanks, Lindsay & Laurie!) and flowers to boot from Grandma & Grandpa. Jia likes her room, and seems to be very comfortable here, but she doesn't care to venture outside much, nor does she like the cats.

Well, you be the judge...

She's also not too keen on visitors right now. She basically tried to shut the door on our neighbor, who graciously took care of our kitties while we were gone. I'm pretty sure that's not on the top 10 list of How to Win Friends and Influence People. She also cried when Grandma & Grandpa A. came over to see her in all her cuteness. That'll have to wait for another day! She hid in her room after about 30 sec. of introductions. Luckily we prepared G & G because we'd already had the "door-shut-in-the-face" episode and knew what to expect. I'm pretty sure they still love her anyway. :)

We've got a live wire, I tell you! When the orphanage said she was active, they weren't kidding. She is not one to sit still. I think I'll write a weight-loss book: "Want to lose weight? Adopt a 2 year old." I'm pretty sure I'm going to have my hands full with this little dynamo. Once we get cable internet (I'm calling today-dial up won't do when I have a gazillion photos to upload!) I will try and upload a video clip of her since we may not be up for visits for awhile. She is hilarious! We are constantly laughing at her silly antics and she seems to be coming up with some new ways of making us fall in love with her even more. She is really catching on to the sign language and also picking up a few English words too. I'm pretty sure she'll be ready to start Kindergarten next year. (That's a joke, in case you thought I was one of those "my child is a genius" mothers-even if she IS a genius I don't want to push her. :)

Saying Goodbye

2007-05-22T07:35:00.001-07:00

Am I cute, or what?
Originally uploaded by jnknthecats.

Today we went with friends, the Schultz' and Nelsons, to the Chinese flea market (a.k.a. Haizhu Square) to wonder around and kill time while we were waiting to go to our consulate appointment. Jia was so spunky today and man is she ever fun! Each day her personality comes out more and more and we can see that she is the perfect fit for us. Jason says you never have to guess how she's feeling (like Mommy), and she enjoys playing around and being silly (like Daddy). You should see some of the faces she makes! She mimics us too which is hysterical to see sometimes. That is partly why she already knows a few signs (sign language). Because she was stuffing her mouth so quickly, I motioned to my mouth and then rubbed my throat and said "swallow" (that wasn't a "sign" but I was trying to show her to take her time while eating). Well, tonight at dinner she would look at me when her mouth was full and then she'd rub her throat. She's a quick one! I'm pretty sure I'm going to have my hands full at home. They described her as "active" and now we know why. :)

She really is the joy of our lives already and it is amazing we've been a family for over a week now. Others in our group have commented how much she's progressed, which is true for all the children here. One little girl, Kiera, would only walk around in a 12 in. radius for the first several days. Now she laughs and plays with her Mommy & Daddy! It's so fun to see them all blossoming!

We didn't take many photos today, and I only chose to post one. When we get home I will upload the rest of the photos to our Flickr album. I plan on continuing the blog when we're home, for awhile at least. We want to thank you for joining us on this incredible journey and for prayers you may have said on our behalf. We truly couldn't have made it the past 2 years without the encouragement and support of all of you!

So we say goodbye to China, for now, and to the new friends we've met along the way. It's sad because we've shared something special in this place, and yet we're happy because we are bringing home a daughter, to a new life, and to people who love and care about her already. We can't wait for you to meet her!

P.S. We have a loooooooong day tomorrow--up at 4:30 a.m. Please remember us as we take the long journey home. Thank you!

Sadness & joy

2007-05-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Jia with our guide, David

I have such mixed emotions about leaving China on Wed. morning. We have really enjoyed our tour group, and plan on keeping in touch with many of them. It has been so nice to spend time with other families that are going through the same things we are. There is real camaraderie here at the White Swan because there are so many families here that are adopting. China is an interesting country with so much history. We have actually seen ancient history! Jia's culture is one of grace and pride, and the country is changing every day. The "open door" policy has made a difference in the life of the people here, both good and bad. I am so grateful we experienced the culture and the people. I can honestly say we would do this all over again if we could because it is an experience of a lifetime.

Yesterday a friend and former colleague from Evergreen met us at the hotel and joined us for our afternoon shopping excursion at the pearl market. Joan and her husband, Don, have lived in Guangzhou for the past 2 years while teaching at an International School. It was so fun to have my own personal tour guide! After the pearl market (there were bags and BAGS of pearls everywhere you looked!) we had about an hour and a half before dinner so Jason took Jia back to the hotel and Joan took me to the real China. We hopped on the bus and rode to the cloth market and then to a place called Haizhu Square. Haizhu Square is where you would buy anything and everything that is "Made in China"--literally! Booth after booth of just about anthing you can think of. I could have spent hours there! The shopping in this city is amazing!

When we got back to the hotel, Jia seemed very out of sorts. In retrospect I'm not sure it was a good idea I left her behind. She cried and cried all through dinner and wanted nothing to do with me. She actually woke up a bit on the cranky side. Today, however, she warmed up to me again and we had a terrific day! When she is happy, she is so fun to be around! She is still having a hard time in the mornings when she first wakes up, and doesn't care for either of us. It seems it takes her awhile to wake up. She's taken to just lying in her crib and shaking her head "no" when we reach to pull her out. We don't push her because we aren't in any hurry here. Jia is a very compliant child and is so good for us unless she is tired. We are very blessed that way! She picks up her toys when she is done playing, throws her garbage away, and basically does what we ask. What more could a parent ask for? And her smile; we still can't get over her smile! Even when she's crying she is so darling! She is a very good eater too and eats pretty much every vegetable (LOVES broccoli, and also eats tomatoes & onions!), but her favorite thing to eat is Cheerios.

(click the image for a slideshow)

The funny thing is she doesn't care for bread so I think we'll be eating a lot of rice and noodles at our house! I'm going to have to take some Chinese cooking classes. :) If I could only make Chinese food the way they make it here. Chinese food at home just won't be the same.

As far as Jia's itching, I gave her some Benadryl today and it helped. One of the babies here had scabies and her mom treated her for it and the itching went away, so we're not entirely sure that is what is going on. She has a doctor's appt. on the 31st so we are anxious to figure it out. It can be pretty miserable for her.

Tomorrow is our consulate appointment (I think at 3:30pm) and once that is done the adoption will be completed. We then will pack things up and get ready for a VERY early departure from the hotel on Wed. morning. I know we are going to be exhausted when we get home (it will be 1:00am China time) and it will be a long day of traveling for us. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We are hoping for a smooth transition back home. :)

New photo album

2007-05-21T05:33:00.000-07:00

Look on the right hand side and you'll see I added "Our Photos". I will be using that from now on to upload photos so if you need your Jia fix, you can check there :)

Photo album

2007-05-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

I want to thank Mary for reminding me to include the link for our photo album. I don't upload every picture because it takes so long, but all of the photos that I've used on the blog are there. It is http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w264/jnknthecats/.

Mom, you were right about Jia not needing her bear as much. She wouldn't let it or her blanket out of sight for the first 4 days but now she is much more comfortable without them. They were actually part of a care package we sent to her (Great Wall sent it for us from Beijing) and apparently she became very attached to them.

She woke up early (4:45) this morning and has been itching like mad! The scabies make them itch terribly, even up to 4 weeks after they are dead. Poor thing. It is amazing how much a parent's heart aches for their child when they are not feeling well. She has finally fallen back to sleep so I must go catch a few winks before she is up again. Today we get to tour the Chen Family Temple. I'll post more photos tonight :)

2007-05-19T06:16:00.001-07:00

We made it!

2007-05-19T05:52:00.001-07:00

After a very long day of traveling for only a 1.5 hr. flight, we finally made it to Guangzhou and the famous White Swan hotel. We left Changsha at 5pm and didn't get to the hotel until 11pm! It was very taxing on the kids. Jia did surprisingly well for her first airplane ride. I think she was so exhausted she just didn't care once she got over the initial shock of it all. She finally fell asleep (sitting up!) after we were in the air for an hour. Needless to say we were exhausted when we got in (which is why I didn't post last night).

The White Swan is just as beautiful as I've been told, and we are wishing we would have been here in Guangzhou the whole time! It's so peaceful around the hotel with very friendly shops that want to sell you any keepsake they can. They do quite a bit of business because pretty much when you become a parent of a Chinese child you get an "I'm a sucker" stamp on your forehead and everyone can see it but you. Truly though there are some wonderful mementos that we will be bringing home with us. I'm not sure they will be as important to Jia as they are to us, but it doesn't matter.

Today we had the medical exam and the funny thing is they have a sign in the room where you wait in line that says "Keep Quiet". Um...how exactly do they propose we keep our child quiet when they are being poked and prodded in a strange room by a strange man with a funny shiny disc on his forehead??? They said she weighs 25 lbs. which I find hard to believe, but I'm sure within a matter of days she will weigh at least that, and probably more. The girl can eat!! She packs it in like a little chipmunk and STILL wants to put more in her mouth! We were warned about this though. Our guide said they will eat and eat if you let them. They are not used to an unlimited supply of food.

My internet connection shuts down in about 5 minutes, so I have to wrap it up for today. Keep praying...she had a hard morning but was doing much better this afternoon. She was a total Daddy's girl today and didn't want much to do with me until this evening. Her parent of choice seems to change daily. :)

The eel video should be fixed

2007-05-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

I think I fixed the link for the eel video. Check it out below :)

What a difference a day makes!

2007-05-17T04:40:00.000-07:00

As I write this, Jia is having her evening bath and I hear talking and squeals of laughter as Jason entertains her! She can be so silly and it is so fun to watch her crinkle up that nose and let out big belly laughs. She woke up much happier this morning and finally started to really "play" with her toys instead of just hording them. She would walk around the room carrying everything she could fit in her little hands and arms, and rarely would play with the things. (Bird, she LOVES the "quiet book"!) Today, however, was different. She is starting to feel much more at ease with us and we are so thankful! The only time she has really been cranky today is when she is tired. She had a bit of a melt down at nap time today. The benefit, though, is that she slept on my stomach for over an hour. She LOVES to be rocked to sleep and that has become a precious time for the two of us.

Today we had a bunch of paperwork to take care of (well, Jason did ;) and then this afternoon we went to a 3 story Wal-Mart! We bought Jia some squeaky shoes which China is famous for, but I had to take the squeakers out! We also got this great toy that has Chinese/English translations for about a gazillion words. You put a card in it and press the picture and it will say the English and the Chinese word. I think it's going to be a great help for Jia to learn English. We can tell she has quite a vocabulary of Chinese words already.

Tomorrow night we will fly about an hour to Guangzhou which will be the final leg of our trip. We are looking forward to a new hotel room but we will be sad that we are leaving Jia's province. While we're in Guangzhou Jia will have her medical exam. We are anxious to see how much she weighs and how tall she is. You should see her little jeans just hanging off her bottom! She just fits 18mo., and 24 mo. are a bit loose, especially the bottoms. She's not as tiny as a couple of girls in our group, but she is definitely petite. She has big feet though!

We want to thank you for your continued prayers, and for your words of encouragement while we've been away. It has been a blessing to hear from home. Only 6 days to go! We're looking forward to breathing some fresh air again (the pollution is unlike anything we've ever experienced--the sun disappears!) and to seeing familar sights and faces of home. In the meantime we are going to soak up every moment of China while we can. :)

Day 3 was a bit rough

2007-05-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

Today Jia woke up out of sorts and stayed that way for the majority of the day. There was no consoling her. She sort of wimpered/whined all day which she really hasn't done yet. I was pretty sure she wasn't feeling well. Her nose is pretty runny and even as she's sleeping now I can hear she's congested. I will be honest and say Mommy had a bit of a breakdown (hiding in the bathroom) because it hurt so much to see her so sad. We will not be disheartened, though, because we know her little heart is still aching for her "Baba" at the orphanage, and she's only known us for a few days now. I guess we'll give her some grace. :)

On our Gotcha Day we basically spent a total of a half hour at the Civil Affairs office, and then we went back to the hotel. We then had to RETURN to the Civil Affairs office at 3:30 that afternoon for the next step in the paperwork--some sort of a cruel joke! It was at that time that we found out that the man who had been watching Jia so intently the first time we were there was actually the Orphanage Director, Mr. Wong. It was so clear that Jia and Mr. Wong had a special connection. He told us her nickname was "Fay Fay" (phonetic), and so we have decided in honor of their special bond we are going to name her Jia Fei (spelling is yet to be determined). Names are extremely important in the Chinese culture, and we are grateful that both of her "American" names will reflect her Chinese heritage.

She is just so precious to us, and we can't imagine life without her. We know that one day she will grow to love us as much as we love her, though I'm not sure that's humanly possible! She's absolutely beautiful, and we are anxious to see her personality come to life. Her smile, sometimes with a crinkled up nose, will turn you to putty! She's going to be a hit at home, that's for sure. Only 8 more days!!

The pictures from today weren't as good, and we didn't take as many because she just wasn't feeling well. The picture of her with the french fry (yes--we have already introduced her to McDonalds--you can thank us later Jim and Sharon!) was from last night. Today we toured the embroidery museum and went to the Yue Li Academy (look it up online if you're interested). I know you don't care about "sightseeing" photos right now so I'll leave those out!

Oh, in case you hadn't noticed, I fixed the two missing pictures from yesterday's post. The sleeping face shot with the tear pretty much summed it up for her. Jason and I get choked up every time we see it.

Our love to you all, and thank you for continued prayers on our behalf. God has been good to us!

New photos below

2007-05-15T16:12:00.001-07:00

Day 2 in Changsha

2007-05-15T04:41:00.000-07:00

Well hello everyone, this is Jason! First, I can't tell you what your comments and encouragement have meant to the two of us. Reading your loving thoughts brought the both of us to tears. (Before I forget, hope all you moms out there had a terrific mom's day, and I'm supposed to give a shout out to the Evergreen Christian family from Mrs. H. Actually she wanted me to send you all hugs and kisses and that sort of thing but my salutation sounds way cooler.) Day 2 has been both encouraging and heart wrenching if that makes any sense. Jia was loved beautifully at the orphanage. In fact it's clear that she was a favorite of the director. Her very strong bond to her caregiver and the director makes her unnatural and abrupt separation from them the most painful thing Krysta and I have ever witnessed. She continues to mourn her loss with a crying that is so filled with sorrow and suffering sometimes we think our hearts will literally break into millions of pieces. It's impossible for Krysta and I to hear it without joining her. She's not really mad at us, just full of confusion and deep pain. I wonder how large of a scar it will leave on her.

Ok, now for the encouraging part. Because Jia received such wonderful care, her overall development is far beyond the other children in our group from the same orphanage (we're a little conflicted about that, as you might imagine). Her language skills are more advanced (and I'm not just speaking as a proud father - entirely). She has already begun to sign "please", "thank you", "more", "bye-bye" etc. She's sharp as a tack.
It's also quite apparent that Jia has a strong capacity to love people. Not only has this been demonstrated in the severity of her separation sorrow, but also in the way she has begun to connect with Krysta. She's allowing Krysta to help her through her pain. When she cries out in anguish for her "baba" (that's what she called the director), she wants Krysta to hold her and stay with her until a merciful sleep takes over her exhausted body. Krysta is "mama" to her now and the beginnings of their relationship are full of hope!

In addition, if you will indulge a little vanity on my part (ok, alot), she happens to be about the most beautiful little girl in all of China (actually I'm thinking the world, but that just sounds over the top doesn't it - even if it's true). But you don't have to take my word for it (though I do consider myself completely impartial). Just ask any one of the dozens of people who have told us that on the streets, in the stores, from our guide, and in our group. It's almost embarrassing!!! One lady stopped me while I was pushing Jia through a department store today to give me the "thumbs-up" sign. For those of you not aware, the "thumbs-up" sign is the universal signal for "that is the cutest kid in the entire world."

One last note, we think she has scabies. Krysta rubbed her down with some sort of cream from head to toe and now her hair looks like Pat Riley's. Pretty cool. One very last note, SHE'S POTTY-TRAINED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gotcha Day Photos

2007-05-14T07:09:00.001-07:00

Our Gotcha Day

2007-05-14T06:30:00.001-07:00

Well, let's just say it wasn't as smooth as I had hoped. She was pretty much kicking and screaming as soon as they placed her in my arms. She reached out for Jason (so sweet!) but she really wasn't in the mood for being comforted. Poor thing. But, boy, is she ever beautiful!! It took her about 3 hours once we were in our room for her to stop crying. I won't say it was easy, because honestly it was the hardest thing I think we've ever done. She was well loved by her care givers, and for that we are grateful. She is sleeping peacefully now, and I need to follow suit as it's been an exhausting day. She's beautiful, she's our daughter, and we are incredibly blessed. I'll give more details tomorrow, but I wanted to post the few photos we took amidst the chaos! Love to you all, and thank you for praying!

We made it to Changsha!

2007-05-13T05:24:00.000-07:00

We got our wake-up call at 5:00 a.m. and we headed out at 5:30. The flight to Changsha was about 4 hours, and I thought I was feeling better until they brought out the breakfast! I grabbed the air sickness bag just in case. I think I still have a bit of a bug, but I also think some of it is just nerves! I remember when I was young I seemed to get sick at every major holiday just because of the excitement. Multiply the awe and wonder of a child at Christmas by 100 and that's about what I'm feeling right now!

Jason, on the other hand, is cool as a cucumber, just as I would expect. He's taken care of all the paperwork and money since we've been here and that has been a great blessing, especially in light of being under the weather. When they wheeled in the crib today I had to break out the video camera to capture the moment. In any other other situation it would be so completely mundane, but for some reason I just want to soak up every moment (even if we have to yawn through the video some day!).

Today we had a free day so we took about a 15 minute walk to a store that is similar to Wal-Mart. WOW! What an experience! The most interesting thing was the live seafood--which you scoop up with a net and put it on the floor for someone to clean it for you. I thought you may enjoy seeing the eels :)
We had a delicious dinner tonight with more food than you can imagine for $6 per person! The Hunan Province is known for its spicy food, and now I know why! Our guide asked them to make it less spicy and even HE thought it was too hot! Very tasty though. Well, off to bed and then in 13 short hours we will be on the bus to Civil Affairs where we meet our baby girl! I'll post more tomorrow night!

P.S. We can't read the blog from China so that means we can't read your comments (or check to see if the pictures and video are working!) but please don't let that stop you. We will look forward to reading them when we return home. :)

P.S.S. Happy Mother's Day to our Moms!

Starting off rough

2007-05-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it to China, just in time for me (Krysta) to get a touch of the flu. Yesterday we were to tour Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall. I woke up at about 3:00 a.m. with body aches and spent the morning crying, thinking I wouldn't be well enough to go touring. Can you believe it? Here we are in China and I may have to stay in the hotel all day! I decided I would give it a go. There are some great people in our travel group and they were trying to think of anything they had with them that might help. Our guide, David, was so sweet too, as he went to the store and brought back bananas, some sort of interesting rice biscuit-type cookies and water. I made it through Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City, but I started going down hill quickly at lunch time and ended up sleeping on the bus the whole time we were at the Great Wall. Yep, major bummer. Jason, however, made it to the top of the Great Wall! I was too sick to even really get up and look out the windows, and frankly, too sick to care. The weather was beautiful so Jason got a few nice pictures.

It was right back to bed for me and I woke up at 3:00 a.m. (I'm seeing a trend...) with a fever. I brought packets of electrolytes for Jia so I drank some of that and took some advil and went to sleep for another hour. Now I'm feeling pretty close to normal, but we could sure use your prayers as it would be a really big disappointment for either one of us to be sick when we meet Jia. Which by the way, happens tomorrow morning! We are so excited!! We have to be out of our room and downstairs at 5:30 a.m. this morning and I think our flight leaves at around 6:00 a.m. We will have the whole day free to explore Jia's home town and get everything ready for her. So while the beginning was rough, the moment we've been waiting for is almost here!

Can you say "carry-ons only"??

2007-05-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, we did it! Two weeks of necesseties (and some not-so-necessities, like chocolate, but Jason would disagree) for 3 people in 2 carry-on bags and 2 backpacks. If you only knew what a big deal that was for me you'd be amazed too! We even got everything packed LAST NIGHT, so this morning was just tidying up, saying goodbye to the cats (pathetic, I know) and taking video of our yard and home so we can show Jia when we're in China. We spent last night looking at each other saying "This is the last time it will be just the two of us in this house. Weird!"

We fly out at 2:20 p.m. tomorrow (Seattle) and arrive in Beijing Friday night at 9:25 p.m. Saturday we tour the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and Tienamen Square. Sunday we fly to Changsha (late evening) and meet Jia Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. at the Civil Affairs Office. We'll keep you posted!

By the way, for those of you inclined to pray for us, our biggest fear right now is the initial meeting with Jia. Please pray she won't have too hard of a time and that we will be able to comfort her during her transition. Thank you, and we'll see you on the other side of the world!

6 Days?

2007-05-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

I'm getting twinges of anxiety and excitement every time I glance at the 'countdown' ticker. Only 6 days??

Only 6 days until we face the most incredible challenge of our lives (for now).
Only 6 days until this precious gift will rely on us to meet all her needs.
Only 6 days until we finally become a family of three.
Only 6 days until the dream becomes a reality.
Only 6 days until we experience a love like we've never known.

I think this is going to be the longest 6 days of our lives.

Prayer Card

2007-05-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

I had fully intended on printing this out and giving it out to those of you I may see before we leave. However, time escaped (the story of my life right now!) and I decided to post it here instead. If you click on the picture you will be able to print it if you like so you can remember to pray for us while we're gone. I love the internet!

Jia's first shoes

2007-05-04T22:51:00.001-07:00

Since many of you may not get to see Miss Jia when she's dressed up in all her cuteness, I just had to share a photo of her first shoes. I couldn't resist buying the cotton-candy pink mary-jane Crocs when we were in Seaside, and the gingham checked Baby GAP shoes were a gift from a friend. Heaven help her Daddy as the shoe obsession has already begun!!

Your room is finally completed...

2007-05-02T15:39:00.001-07:00

...and ready for you to come home! Your "Auntie Bird" sewed ALL of your bedding (12 yards of fabric in the dust ruffle alone!) and she even made coordinating basket liners to go under the crib. You will be so blessed to have people love you as much as our friends at home. The amazing thing is that my Secret Pal (from 1 1/2 years ago) knew we were doing the 'shabby chic' look in your room, and she made a nightlight, a wooden basket liner (I use it for your socks) and a sweet tote bag all in the same fabric we used for the bedding--without knowing it was a perfect match!

***I stand corrected: it was 22 yards of GATHERED fabric for the dust ruffle (something that will be etched in Bird's mind for a looooong time!)

You can come to China with us!

2007-04-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

OK, not really, but you can pretend you're there by following our journey! While we are gone we will be posting pictures here and sharing our experiences. Our posts and any comments you make will become part of a memory book for Jia. We are excited to share this with her because this will be a time that changed our lives forever!

P.S. You don't have to sign up to leave a comment. Just choose "anonymous" but make sure you leave your name in the body of the comment.

Mother's Day will have new meaning

2007-04-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

Last week was spring break and we went to Seaside, OR with our friends. While we were there we received the news we were waiting for...we'll be leaving May 10th! The best news is we will be united with Jia for the first time on Mother's Day! It's amazing how the timing has all come together. First, receiving our referral on Jason's birthday, and then to become a forever family on Mother's Day. God is so good to us!

A gift for us!

2007-03-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

I happened to join a Yahoo group for families with children from the Changning Social Welfare Institute (where you've lived for the past 2 years!) within days of when one of the ladies was traveling back to do some 'family history' research for some adoptive families. I asked her if she would be willing to look in on you when she was there and if possible, maybe take a picture of you. I never expected she would actually find you, let alone take two photos AND update your height, weight, etc.!!
This was an incredible blessing for us, and we were able to see that you look like you have been well cared for and seem happy. We cannot stop looking at your sweet, sweet face, and we look forward to the day we will actually get to look at you in person!

The first time we saw your face

2007-03-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

We were given the news on your daddy's birthday!

We are going to keep your given name, Jia, because of it's meaning. Here's how we finally settled on it...The 1st and 2nd graders at my school, not knowing what your name means, created a special card for me that said "She's beautiful" on the outside and it had a copy of your picture in the middle. (Of course I started crying when I saw it!) Later, one of the moms asked me what we were going to name you, and I said we were thinking about keeping your first name. She wondered if we knew what it meant and when I looked it up, this is what it said "JIA: Chinese name meaning "beautiful".
Of all the names you could have been given by your caregivers, your name means BEAUTIFUL. Once we found that out, it was very clear we were supposed to keep your name because beautiful is indeed what you are!