Our China Adoption

Happy 1st Family Day, Adelyn!!

2009-03-11T15:52:00.005-04:00

It has been just over 1 year since the day Adelyn was placed in our arms. It's hard to believe that this time last year we were holding her tiny, yet mighty little body for the first time. We were somewhat "lost" about how to care for her at first. But on the other hand, we were "found." How were we so lucky to be matched with this tiny timid child, we wondered. Now, we know she was ours long before we ever made the decision to adopt. Thank you, God!!

The following pictures show Adelyn's growth over the course of the year from Referral to today.
One year ago she was 30.5" tall, weighed 19.5 lbs. Now, she is 36 1/4" tall and weighs 26 lbs.

Dec '07

Feb '08

Mar '08

Apr '08

May '08

Jun '08

Jul '08

Aug '08

Sept '08

Oct '08

Nov '08

Dec '08

Jan '09

Feb '09

Adelyn has changed so much over the past 12 months. She has grown so fast! My favorite moments with Adelyn are reading books and snuggling at bedtime. I love to watch Adelyn and Daddy say how much they love each other with their arms spread out big. I love to watch her say the blessing before dinner. She closes her little eyes, but peaks to see if we have our eyes closed too. (Of course we don't because we are watching her!) I love to hear her in the morning say "Mommy, all done resting now. Come get Adelyn." She just smiles when she sees me. Her smile fills my heart with overwhelming love. We are so blessed to have been chosen to be her parents.

I recently had a short interview with Adelyn about some favorite things in life. Here's what she said:

Favorite toy: Choo Choo Train
Favorite veggie: carrot
Favorite fruit: orange
Favorite food: noodles and chichin (chicken)
Favorite animal: giraffe
Favorite day of the week: Tuesday ???(not sure why)
Favorite drink: strawberry milk
Favorite letter of the alphabet: A (of course)
Favorite treat after going #2 in potty: 5 skittles!!
Favorite crayon color: pink and purple
Favorite activity with Daddy: play-doh!!!!
Favorite activity with Mommy: dancing and singing songs
What do want to be when you grow up: "When Adelyn bigger bigger, sing in microphone at church."

We couldn't leave out these other favorites that she may enjoy knowing when she gets "bigger, bigger":

Her favorite books: "Good Dog Carl" and "May I have a Cookie Please?"
Her favorite doll: Butterbean, of course!
Her favorite movie: "Alvin and the Chipmunks"
Her favorite TV show: "Little Einsteins"
Her favorite songs to sing: "Twinkle, Twinkle", "Come Deedee come Speckle", "ABC's", "Itsy Bitsy Spider" "Frosty the Snowman" and "Wheels on the Bus".
Her new "big" word: "Frustrated!" "Help, Mom...Adelyn fustated!!!!!"

Adelyn's milestones over the past year:

She conquered her fear of the bathtub shortly after we arrived back in the states. Now, we can't get her out of the bathtub! She can even hold her breath under water.
She can say her abc's, recognize all letters of the alphabet and spell her name.
She can count to 20 (....although some of the higher numbers sound the same right now!)
She is (daytime) potty trained.

Way to go, Baby!!! Mommy and Daddy love you sooooo much!!!!!

1st Family Day Reunion

2009-02-23T22:42:00.039-05:00

February 18, 2009 was our One Year Family Day. We can hardly believe Adelyn has already been here a year. We celebrated with our travel families. Everyone was able to make the trip except for one family. We all decided that Louisville was the most central location for the group. We had a celebration party Saturday with lunch, cake, arts/crafts, music, dancing and just catching up on happenings throughout the past year. We dined at Lynn's Paradise Cafe that evening then came back to the conference room in the hotel for storytime. After breakfast the next morning, we said goodbye to some then swam for a while before checking out. We ate lunch with the Bakers at the North End Cafe before driving home. Adelyn is still talking about her China friends.

We feel so blessed to have such wonderful travel families. It's really interesting that we don't really know alot about each other since we were all so preoccupied with our babies while in China but we feel so close anyway.

All the girls have changed so much and are so happy and expressive now. I tear up when I think about that moment that we all shared with each other as our daughters were handed to us in the large, extremely loud Consulate room. What a frightening day for them. But look at them now.......

Amelie

Cara

Audrey

Grace

Alivia

Emma

Adelyn

Sacha

We had to include this picture 1) because it's so cute and 2) because Audra will be growing up with all these Chinese girls!

1 Year Ago on the Red Couch!

Famous red couch picture (orange in this case) reunited.

Rachel made these awesome photo books of the past year in review for everyone.

Adelyn loved the ladybug hats but decided to skate on them instead. Sorry Tom and Karla!!!

Playing abracadabra with Grace's Mom, Jennifer. Grace gave the girls beautiful handmade bookmarks along with a special book. Thanks, Grace!

Having fun at Lynn's Paradise Cafe!

Daddy having fun too (without the camera).

Brrrrr! Adelyn was shivering but didn't want to get out!

Stretching and bedtime stories

Lil' Buddies huggin' at lunch-getting ready to say bye-bye.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

2009-02-15T13:17:00.009-05:00

February 14th sure was a "sweet" day for us this year!

ICE STORM 2009

2009-02-05T14:49:00.027-05:00

Luckily, our landscaping didn't suffer much damage from the ice.

Two huge bradford pears planted by Don at our old house 15 years ago were not so lucky!

We wanted to share a few pics and experiences over the last 2 weeks as we weathered the ice storm. We were without power for 6 days but thankfully had wonderful family to take us into their homes. We spent one night at home without heat. We were able to use a propane camping stove to cook some things, but we decided it was just too cold for Adelyn. We stayed with Dennis and Michelle for the next 3 nights, then stayed with Doug and Debbie for the remaining 2 nights. We are so thankful to them for sharing their homes to make us comfortable!

Cousin Lauren teaching Adelyn about Ipod technology. (Yikes!!)

"Uncle" Shell (Aunt Michelle)

Uncle Dennis trying to check his email.

Adelyn thought we were on vacation during the whole ordeal.

One night during our stay with Uncle Doug and "Uncle Ebbie" (Aunt Debbie), Adelyn wanted a snack. Aunt Debbie gave her 5 mini oreos. Adelyn didn't eat them right away. She shared 3 of them with us before eating the remaining 2. She is a very generous child. We hope she continues to learn the meaning of sharing and generosity.

After we returned home, my sister, Gracie and her family came over during the next couple of afternoons to warm up. She and her husband Paul have 5 children and still do not have electricity. It has been 10 days since the storm. They have proven to be one resilient family to pull through so many days without power. We are praying that they have heat soon!

Uncle Paul and Nemo having tea with Adelyn

Playing with cousin Laken

Posing with cousins Bradley, Jared, Michael and Christian

Xin Nian Kuai Le!!

2009-01-26T14:36:00.021-05:00

Pronounced "Sing Nee-an Kwai Ler" or Happy Chinese New Year....2009 is the Year of the OX!

Today begins a 15 day celebration of the Chinese New Year. In China, this is considered the most significant of holidays. It is a time of new intentions and new beginnings. Chinese New Year celebration, traditionally known as the Spring Festival, begins on the first lunar new moon of the year and ends on the full moon. Each new year is represented by an animal that is associated with the lunar calendar's 12 astrological animals. Adelyn was born the Year of the Dog, 2006. Positive characteristics related to this sign: Trustworthy, faithful, fair, protective, intelligent, and brave. We couldn't agree more!!!

We travelled to China last year just after the Chinese New Year. Although we didn't get the opportunity to see the fireworks, dragon parades and festivals, we did enjoy seeing the traditional door decorations, lanterns and red envelopes. The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the Chinese New Year. Lanterns are hung to symbolize the light and warmth of the coming spring as well as serve as a guidelight for the ancestral spirits.

The next photo was taken in the lobby of the White Swan Hotel, GuangZhou. This was two hours before Adelyn was placed in our arms! If you notice the tree behind us has many red envelopes hanging from the branches. Money given in red envelopes is considered "lucky." The Chinese word for red, hong, also sounds like "vast or liberal (in Chinese)," leading to the belief that money wrapped in red will bring prosperity and good fortune.

We celebrated the Chinese New Year tonight with several local families that have adopted from Asia. We met at the China Star Restaurant in Bardstown. Adelyn was a bit shy at first but warmed up to her new friends as the fortune cookies were passed out. She refused to sit by herself for the group picture so Mommy had to join her. We were glad to see so many adopted children from Asia in our neck of the woods.

MERRY 1st CHRISTMAS, ADELYN !!

2009-01-01T19:48:00.029-05:00

Christmas Eve mass. We'll always remember how mesmerized Adelyn was while watching and listening to the choir and hearing Daddy play the trumpet.

Happy birthday Baby Jesus!

After mass, we prepared cookies for Santa.

Daddy reading "Twas the Night before Christmas."

Christmas morning.

Look out Butterbean, Adelyn has a new doll.

This relationship may take some time!

"Santa brought me some nice stuff, but what about the skates and elbow pads?!"

"I really have been a good girl."

"What's this I see, a present for me?"

"Is this what I think it is?"

"I knew Santa would pull through for me!"

"This is easy! Look at me Mom."

"Yikes!!! I'm ok, I'm ok. Steady now!"

"Thumbs up. It's all good."

"Except this helmet is making me top-heavy."

Just had to add this picture of one of Adelyn's gifts to Mommy. (We took her shopping and let her decide what to buy Mom and Dad for Christmas.)

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Frosty the Snowman (with sunglasses)

2008-12-18T19:46:00.014-05:00

We are getting ready for our first Christmas with Adelyn. We strung lights outside, trimmed the tree, decorated the house and explained the story of Baby Jesus to Adelyn. She is beginning to comprehend the whole idea of Christmas. It was really sweet watching her fix up the manger and kiss Baby Jesus. She really liked playing with the animals too. And of course she is extremely excited about the "pessants" (ie presents). This Santa Claus person is a little scary to her and she keeps her distance but we have been reading "Twas the night before Christmas," and "Dora Christmas" to ease her fears. Lately, "Frosty the Snowman" has been a hit. She really enjoys the story and loves to sing the song. We couldn't get her to watch the Frosty cartoon at all. The only TV show that captivates her is "Little Einsteins." She also absolutely loves the movie "Alvin and the Chipmunks." She asks to watch this movie at least once a day and will watch almost the whole thing like she's never seen it before. She calls it "oopunks." She tries sooo hard to say Chipmunks but just can't pronounce this complicated word! It's funny to listen to her recite phrases throughout the movie as they happen or before they happen since she has watched it so much.

What's on Adelyn's wish list? Roller skates, elbow pads, play-doh and gum. We hope Santa pulls through....

Santa at the mall

Having fun with Daddy

Helping Mom make dressing for Thanksgiving

First Trip to the Beach

2008-11-22T22:07:00.010-05:00

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

On November 12th, Papaw took Adelyn and I on a trip to the beach. We had three beautiful 87 degree days while we were there. Adelyn loved the beach! We returned home to 40 degree weather. Oh, how I miss the sun.

The lobster raft....

Strollin' with Papaw.

Fun at the pool with Mom.

Testing her balance as the waves roll in.

WARM FALL DAYS

2008-11-06T22:00:00.017-05:00

Adelyn and Mommy tried to make the best of these last days with above average temps. As you can see, we painted (sporting her favorite sunglasses from Aunt Kim), and then went to Henry's Ark in Prospect. Adelyn loves to be outside. Almost every morning she asks to go "outside for minute." If I tell her it's too cold she says "jacket on, Mom." So much for outsmarting her!

MY LIL' PAINTER

HENRY'S ARK

Adelyn's First Halloween

2008-11-03T22:58:00.011-05:00

Happy Halloween from Adelyn & Butterbean!

We started celebrating at the Louisville Zoo 2 weeks before Halloween. It was great because there weren't alot of scary things/costumes. Adelyn picked up quick that treats were being given out along the halloween path. We took the "Headless Horseman Trainride" which was scary but we just kept saying "look at the horsey." I don't think she even noticed that he didn't have a head.
Our lil ladybug wore her wings out this halloween. It was a wonderful surprise that Daddy made it home in time to be with us. Don returned home from Germany as we were walking through the neighborhood trick-or-treating. He joined up with us to enjoy the rest of the night. (Thanks, Daddy....I know you were exhausted!)
We wondered if Adelyn would be afraid of all the costumes, but after getting treats from the first few houses, she didn't seem to mind. Mom has been a little strict (ok....very strict) about not giving Adelyn alot of candy. She was very under weight and we had to ensure that most everything she consumed was nutrient rich. But after halloween, she has finally discovered that the "ball on the stick" is actually something you eat. Bless her heart!

Our first stop was at our neighbors Halloween party (before all the treats).

Adelyn and Emmi

Adelyn's "old" favorite food.

"New" favorite food. Yummy, yummy!!

After all the treats!

Baptism

2008-10-21T15:51:00.030-04:00

In October 12, 2008, Adelyn was baptized. She wasn't afraid at all and actually smiled after we dried her head. The week before, we took her onto the alter and showed her the baptismal font. We explained what would take place and let her touch the holy water. After mass, we celebrated by having our families over for lunch and cake.

Adoption reunion at Hubers Farm 10-18-08
The following Saturday, we went to Hubers Farm with several of our adoption travel families. Although we didn't get a group photo, we had a great time letting the kids run around and play.

Lil' city slickers, Audrey and Adelyn

Drew, Cara & Audra

Alivia

Audrey

Ame

Leo (Grace's Daddy) playing with Adelyn and Ame

Our lil' punkin' picking a pumpkin

Adelyn and Audrey

First Day of Fall

2008-09-23T22:23:00.016-04:00

The high today was 89 degrees, a perfect first day of fall. We're not ready for summer to end yet. Adelyn has changed so much in the short time she has been here. She wants to make her own choices now, i.e. red cup vs yellow cup or blue popsicle vs. orange. Although her pronunciation cannot always be understood, she can count to 10 and say her abc's. (The "l-m-n-o-p" is not too distinguishable, yet.) She has grown over 4 inches in height and gained almost 3 pounds. She is still underweight for her age, but eats well. Her favorite foods (this month) are apples, blueberries, any kind of chicken, french fries, salmon patties, craisins, hard boiled eggs, sweet potatoes (still will not eat mashed potatoes), peas, vanilla wafers and popsicles. It took her a while to say the word popsicle but now she is fasinated by it. She walks around saying it over and over. Pop....sicle, pop....sicle.

Adelyn's favorite things to do are swimming, playing with the infamous "Butterbean", her favorite doll, jumping (on the neighbors trampoline), playing with chalk, and singing with a microphone. It doesn't have to even be an actual one. A stick will do, or a camera cable, or a crayon, or a play-doh mic. She also loves to dance to music. She seems to like all music. She loves, loves, loves play-doh and she loves to swing. She has also formed a special bond with Mr. P, our 16 year old cat. Adelyn calls him "P."

Strolling her favorite doll, Butterbean

Dumping out all the chalk

In September, Adelyn has her last visit at the International Pediatric Clinic at UK. She is a healthy 2 year old. We will miss seeing Dr. Taylor as she not only fully assessed Adelyn upon arrival to the U.S. but she helped and guided us via email while we were in China. She is a wonderful Pediatrician. We wish she had an office here.
Adelyn also had her first dentist appointment last week. She was scared at first but then just sat there with her mouth open while the dentist counted and brushed all twenty teeth. After they finished the exam, Adelyn sat up and loudly pronounced "Alllllll Done!!!" It was pretty cute.

Yeeeeaaaahh Play-Doh!!!!!

Having fun with cousin, Bradley

It's Raining!

Iron Horse Festival, New Haven
Adelyn loved the face painting.

August already!

2008-08-15T13:57:00.024-04:00

Summer at our house this year has been quite different from past years. Adelyn has brought such joy, laughter and a sense of renewal to our lives. I can't imagine life before my "lil ray of sunshine."

Adelyn's first camping trip:

F.T.I.A. Reunion in Noblesville, IN
Hanging out with Audrey and Grace

Taking time to smell the flowers with Audrey.

Making mudpies for Momaw.

Chillin' in the sun with cousins, Dylan and Audrey.

Chocolate ice cream was a hit!

Fun at the Louisville Zoo.

Adelyn turned 2!

2008-07-13T23:48:00.027-04:00

We celebrated Adelyn's birthday (7-6-06) on the 4th of July with family. We decorated while she napped then surprised her by letting her take a taste of the icing before everyone arrived. She was so excited to see the colorful streamers and couldn't wait to wear her birthday hat. Tasting the icing was a big hit too, especially after blowing out her candles then getting to "sample" the icing again. We tried to prepare her for this special day by singing to her and quizzing her about her age. She would happily say "two" as she arranged her little fingers to show her new age. We decided that in addition to her big 2 birthday candle, we would also place a "one" on the cake as well, in remembrance of her first birthday that passed as we waited for her.

Just to catch up since summer is flying by for us, we celebrated Father's Day by making some special gifts for Daddy then spending the day at Bernheim Forest. It was a beautiful day; we rode bikes, visited with the geese, ate and just enjoyed being a family.

Adelyn working on Daddy's present.

Summertime fun!

Reunion picnic at the Lovins' house with our travel families.

Adelyn loves watermelon!

First time in a pool.

Hubers Farm

Mother's Day

2008-05-20T14:25:00.034-04:00

This day meant so much to me. Don, Adelyn and I shared this day together as a family. We started the day by going to church. When our priest said for all the mothers to stand, I couldn't have been more proud and excited to stand. The rest of the day we just spent together. It rained all day so we stayed indoors then went out for dinner.

Daddy gave Adelyn and I matching Mother/Daughter bracelets for Mom's Day. Adelyn was so gentle with hers and actually kept it on for 2 days!

Here are some more photos from April. We are trying to be diligent about posting, but we were just too busy playing!!!!
We celebrated Daddy's birthday on April 28th, as you can see, Adelyn helped decorate the cake.

Also, our neighbors had a shower for us. Adelyn just glowed! She played all afternoon with the other kids. They blew bubbles, played with chalk, decorated cookies, etc... Thank you Kathy, Angie, Donna and Becky!!

Adelyn was invited to "speak" to our niece's (Jenni) 2nd grade class in Estill County at West Irvine Elementary School. Jenni had taught the children about Chinese culture prior to our travel so the class was excited to meet Adelyn. She was dressed in her traditional Chinese dress and slippers. She walked around waving to the children as Mom answered their questions.
Finally, we made our first trip to the Louisville Zoo. The animals were great, but she really enjoyed the daffodils.

When we all wear sunglasses, Adelyn says....COOOOOOL (with her thumb up).

Spring is Here!

2008-05-02T16:38:00.013-04:00

Just wanted to share some Springtime-fun moments!

March 30, 2008

2008-03-30T20:21:00.028-04:00

We've been home for just over a month and Adelyn continues to adjust to her KY home. She now sleeps through most nights, at least 10 hours. She naps about 2 hours a day. She is becoming a little more selective with her food choices. It's as though she now understands that food is readily available and she doesn't have to eat everything in front of her. Her favorites are still eggs, bananas, oranges, bread, & mac & cheese. She is now taking milk WITHOUT sugar!

Mom & Adelyn usually get up around 8:00 am, have breakfast, then have playtime. Lunch is usually around noon and then it's nap time around 1:00pm. She usually goes down pretty easy. Only a few minutes of fussing, and she's out. Nap time is a good time (and about the only time) Mom can catch up on house "stuff". Once Adelyn wakes up it's time for play again, then Mom begins dinner. Dad usually gets home by 5:30pm. Dad gets a few minutes of playtime in before dinner. After dinner it's bath time, more play time, then bedtime sometime between 8:30 and 10:00.

Speaking of bath time, Adelyn was at first terrified of the water. We tried just sponge baths in the sink, which she tolerated fairly well. But any time we tried the tub, Mom & Dad usually just ended up looking like goofballs playing in the water trying to convince Adelyn that bath time was soooo much fun . . .while Adelyn screamed with terror. Then we received a bath time gift package from a good friend, and voila . . . .see below!!!!

We visited the International Pediatric Clinic at UK a couple of weeks ago. Her examination was conducted by Doctor Shawn Taylor. We also communicated with Dr. Taylor while in China. She seemed to be pleasantly surprised by Adelyn's development and overall health. Although she is underweight according to U.S. growth scales there are no major health concerns. We had blood work done which confirmed her immunization needs and that she is no longer anemic. Her lead level was a little high (which is common in Chinese children) but should reduce with time. The Doctor did recommend we set up an appointment with a Pediatric Ophthalmologist to evaluate possible blocked tear ducts. (Her eyes have always watered a lot, especially in bright lights or sun.) Dr. Taylor has concluded her evaluation of Adelyn and has transferred her records to our primary care Pediatrician in Bardstown.

Adelyn's Easter weekend consisted of 3 separate Easter Egg Hunts. The first was on Good Friday at one of the homes in our neighborhood. This was her first experience with candy and we were shocked that she wasn't screaming for more and eating as much chocolate as she could. She seemed to enjoy being outside with the other neighborhood kids more than the rewards found inside the eggs. Saturday's egg hunt was at Mamaw & Papaw Osborne's where Adelyn was the only hunter. Her cousins Dylan and Audrey from Georgia will be in town next weekend. We'll have another egg hunt then and I'm sure her cousins will offer some respectable competition for round 2. Sunday's hunt was sponsored by the Aunt Peggy. Again, Adelyn was just happy playing and watching her cousins more than finding the eggs.

Adelyn continues to enjoy music. She loves Daddy's guitar and tries to play with him. The trumpet scared her a little at first but she is warming up to it. Big Black Cadillac might be hiring a third horn player in a few years!!! Daddy decided to pick another instrument that is not so loud....the harmonica, and she loves it! Takes a while to dry out after this little spitfire uses it! Spring is finally here! What an amazing year this will be (and already has been) for us. Adelyn Mei....our daughter is finally here.

We're Home!

2008-03-04T20:31:00.007-05:00

We finally made it home after a 24 hr flight. Adelyn survived and so did we. She did great up to the last leg from MI to KY. She 'd had enough flying for the day and decided to scream for 45 minutes before falling asleep for the last 30minutes. It was all smiles after that. We were met at the airport by our families with balloons, signs and smiles. Adelyn pointed and smiled at everyone but clung to Mommie. After the 35min drive home, we were surprised with a wonderful dinner waiting on the stove, gifts, cards, balloons and flowers everywhere. We felt so honored to have such a loving and supportive family.

Adelyn walked around the house like she owned the place. I guess she was thinking, "I'll go anywhere but in that airplane again!" Oh, and she loves to streak around the house. A typical day at her orphanage included wearing around 3-4 layers of clothes. Now, she loves to touch her arms and toes.

We spent the next 4 days trying to catch up on sleep, recover from jetlag and acclimate Adelyn to her surroundings. She seems to be adjusting well. Her sleeping is not quite adjusted, but she is starting to sleep through the night with fewer awakenings. Her appetite is still very good. She eats mostly table food, fresh fruits, eggs, bread, pasta, rice etc. She will only drink milk if it has sugar in it. We were originally told by our guide to bring sugar packets with us because the orphanage babies are given sugar in their formula to make them like it better. We are working on that, but for now we are just glad she is getting nutritious foods.

Adelyn will be going to UK International Pediatric Specialists next week to check over her entire system and update her immunizations.
We will keep posting to the blog with updates every week or so.

Andrea, Don and Adelyn

Last Days in China

2008-02-26T10:03:00.011-05:00

Feb. 25 - Monday was a 'free' day for the families. Our agency planned a tour for those wanting to go. We took a bus to a Buddhist Temple and a Chinese Folk Art Museum. At the Buddhist Temple we participating in a 'blessing of the baby' ceremony. A Buddhist monk chanted a prayer while hitting a wooden block with a mallet. He then came to us and sprinkled water on all of our heads. Adelyn wasn't thrilled with this part of the ritual and immediately began screaming & crying. Still, we are glad we participated. Although we plan to raise her in the Catholic religion, we felt it was necessary to acknowledge her birth country religion & heritage.

After touring the Temple, we went to a folk art museum to view many different forms of ancient Chinese artifacts and architecture.

We wouldn't change the schedule of tours and sightseeing for anything, but we're looking forward to normal days at home without having to remember to pack enough 'baby things' for the day's events.

Feb. 26 - This morning we met up with the group to take the famous 'red couch' photo. Adoptive parents that stay at the White Swan Hotel have traditionally taken a group photo of the travel group babies on one of the many red couches that are located throughout the hotel lounge areas. As you can see from the photo, Adelyn was thrilled to be on the couch without Ma Ma holding her. After several minutes of wailing while several cameras flashed, we decided to end the torture. Immediately upon removing Adelyn from the red couch, she began smiling and running around in her traditional Chinese silk dress and matching shoes. She is very independent. While many of the other babies want to stay close to Ma Ma and Ba Ba, Adelyn is very comfortable roaming around and babbling to herself. After a few minutes, we all gathered to take one group photo of all the babies and families.

In the afternoon we traveled to the U.S. Consulate office where we took a group oath with approximately 55 families from other adoption agencies. We received Adelyn's travel Visa and Chinese passport. This documentation will be presented to Immigration officials in Detroit where we will return to the U.S. After we pass through Immigration, Adelyn will be officially a United States Citizen!!!

On the ride back to the hotel, we became a little sad realizing our trip was nearing its end. We've met so many wonderful people over the last 2 weeks and hope to keep in touch with them as our children grow. It's amazing to see how all of the little girls have grown over the last 2 weeks with their new families. We've always wondered how China matches each child with their new parents and have never quite understood any explanation we've received. Yet, as we look now at each family, it's amazing to see how each little girl seems to fit perfectly into the family that was chosen for her.

After spending a short time doing some last minute shopping, we decided to spend our last night on Shamian Island the same as our first night on the island . . . dining at Lucy's. The big difference being that we ordered an extra plate of rice and needed a high chair.

We leave the hotel at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow morning for the long trip back home. While we're not looking forward to putting Adelyn through the 24+ hours of travel, we can't wait to bring her to her "forever home"!

Squeaky shoes!

2008-02-24T09:44:00.006-05:00

Almost every family travelling to China for adoption is familiar with squeaky shoes. We put them on Adelyn and she wants to wear them all the time. She even likes to wear them after we put her in pj's. We have been doing alot of shopping/walking the past couple of days, so she is becoming so much more independent. She is starting to walk on her own without holding my hand and she goes to "Ba Ba" (Chinese word for Daddy) a little more freely now, especially if he has food. She loves to walk by herself in the park areas. She picks up leaves, points, waves at everyone, loves to be outside!

On the 22nd, we visited Adelyn's orphanage. The conditions were sad and of course, we wanted to bring all of the babies with us. The caregivers were nice but Adelyn was afraid. She would only go to one of them, her primary nanny, but quickly came back to us. We are glad we have pictures of where she lived for her first 19 mos but we were more glad to take her from there forever. After we returned from the orphanage, we ventured out to a local shopping area within the city. Wow, there's soooo many people everywhere and it's very unsafe to walk next to the road because of the traffic. Taxis will just about run over you! It was interesting to mingle amongst the locals. I guess we would compare this experience to being in New York on New Years Eve, except everyone was sober (maybe).

Feb. 23rd was passport photo, medical exam and paperwork day. Adelyn's passport photo looks like all passport photos, just a mugshot. The med exam was very fast and not too traumatizing to the babes. Adelyn weighs 21 lbs now, but is still one of the smallest babies in our group. We had to shop for clothes for her because 18mos is too big. 12mos fits perfectly right now. We have been layering her so her clothes won't fall off. It's been difficult to find 12mos old clothes on the island. Checkup was "normal." We finished the day by joining Catherine in the conference room to complete more paperwork.

Feb 24th. We went to the Pearl Market and The Jade and Porcelain Market. We had a great time buying keepsakes for Adelyn and souvenirs. Adelyn decided that the Jade Market was boring and began to throw a big fit. I jokingly asked our guide Catherine if Adelyn was the loudest baby she has ever had in a travel group. She shyly smiled and said "Yes, I believe she is, for her age." Well, where's the shy, timid child! Seriously, fits and all, she is perfect!

Today, we actually were able to eat breakfast. Don and I were finally able to organize the morning quicker and get out the door earlier. Everything takes longer too, because people want to stop and ask about Adelyn. That's ok, but we didn't realize that we needed to get up at 6:00 in order to eat breakfast by 10:00!HaHa. Each day has gotten better.

Thanks everyone for your comments. We can't wait to get back to the states!

Peace,

Andrea, Don and Adelyn

The Journey Continues

2008-02-21T09:45:00.006-05:00

We have been really busy for the past 2 days. Yesterday, 2-20, we travelled by bus to the Public Security Bureau to apply for Adelyn's passport. The process was quick and easy thanks to our wonderful China guide, Catherine. She has been so helpful with all the babies. There have been many times where it has been difficult to communicate with the babes and Catherine has interpreted what they were trying to babble in Chinese or spoke to them in Chinese to calm them. She even sang a chinese lullaby on the bus one day.

Today, 2-21, we went to the Guangzhou Zoo. There were many of the same animals as in the states. Of course, we saw a panda bear and many other different animals. All the babies enjoyed the tour. We are having a difficult time teaching Adelyn to ride in a stroller. She has just refused because she wants to be held by Momma. She walked so much that she finally wanted to ride in the stroller.

The weather was awesome. It was 71 degrees and sunny. Everyone dressed really warm here. Most locals still wore coats even today. Don and I were wishing we had brought shorts until I was getting some odd stares wearing a sleeveless sweater. Several chinese women asked me if I was cold. Adelyn is used to being bundled up at the orphanage too. We usually dress her in at least 3 layers and a hat (even today).

The last picture above is Adelyn's first experience with chopsticks. We ate at a Thai restaurant called "The Cow and Bridge." She made quite a scene eating noodles, congee, and broccoli with chopsticks. Don and I were talking to another family in our group not paying very good attention to Adelyn as she was grabbing handfuls of noodles and tossing them to the floor. We are such rookies at this parenting thing but getting better every day. We are trying to teach her sign language to hopefully help her transition easier. She can sign "more" and "hat" so far. Daddy taught her those signs.

Tomorrow, we are travelling to Adelyn's orphanage and hopefully her "finding place." We understand that it may be confusing for her to return, but we want to be able to share her first months of life with her when she is old enough to understand.

More Family Day

2008-02-19T03:36:00.006-05:00

Thanks, everyone for your comments. We finally were able to sit down together while Adelyn was napping. She is so amazing. Don and I are dumbfounded that her report said that she was a very shy and timid girl. That's the last thing she is!! She is just a little ham...and lets you know when she is hungry and a bit of a whiner at that. For breakfast today, she ate steamed eggs, congee, and tiny bits of toast. Then for lunch she ate 1 jar of Heinz "mixed vegetable paste" and 1 jar of chicken paste" then ate 1/2 cup Cheerios then 1 jar of Heinz "apple carrot juice." For dinner, we will try to incorporate more solid foods. She has lots of teeth. She eats really fast and leans toward us for each bite. It's a little sad to watch her eat. It's as though she fears the food will disappear before she is full. When she is finished, she knows to wipe her face and hands, then hands us the napkin. It's soooo cute.

We went to the Civil Affairs Bureau and Notary today for Adelyn's "Agreement of Adoption." We were interviewed and asked questions about why we chose to adopt from China. They also asked if we were happy with the child we received. This appt. finalized the past 24hrs with Adelyn. They call this "The Agreement of Entrusting Guardianship in The Harmonious Period."

After finishing, we travelled with all the babes to "Carrefour" or aka chinese walmart. This provided all the families an opportunity to stock up on things like baby food, diapers, juice, shoes, luggage etc... We were quite the minority but taken very well. We were given many nods and smiles from the locals. Now, here we are, a little exhausted... but so blessed!

And now we're 3

2008-02-18T10:48:00.005-05:00

There is absolutely no way to describe the day we have had. Our little Adelyn is finally with us. We traveled about 5 miles to the Civil Affairs Bureau where we received our daughters. There were other families there getting babies when we arrived and it was a bit overwhelming to say the least. The room was filled with the sounds of crying babies. Then the announcement came . . . "Hui Cheng Mei - Donald & Andrea Osborne". We stepped forward and one of her orphanage workers walked her out to us. Adelyn was very afraid of us at first, and cried when we held her, but it's amazing what a few 'goldfish crackers' will do. Before we left Civil Affairs to head back to the hotel, Adelyn was pretty comfortable with Andrea. About the only way I can get any attention from her is if I have some food for her. That's pretty much what I expected, so I'm not too concerned. Hopefully she'll warm up to me a little more before we travel back home. If not, maybe she'll be okay with me by the time she gets married.

Anyway, after we returned to the hotel room, we spent about 3 hours eating, playing and just getting to know each other. We gave her a light sponge bath (which she didn't like very well) and put her in some PJ's. She was still wanting to just walk around and explore the room. She is an extremely curious little girl. Hopefully she'll begin to tire soon and we can all get some rest.

The short clip below shows some of her emotions and growth during the first few hours with us. Tomorrow morning we are due back at Civil Affairs for more paperwork processing. We'll then have the rest of the day to spend as a family. It will be interesting to see how much she changes each day as she bonds more with us and we earn her trust. If for some reason the video doesn't work below, you can also check it out on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG0MTNmIL3g

Arrival in Guangzhou

2008-02-17T20:30:00.011-05:00

The weather man lied!!!! When we arrived at The White Swan in Guangzhou it was cloudy and about 50 degrees. But, I think we were too excited to care. We checked in and received our room keys. We walked in the room and the first thing we saw was the 'crib'. Andrea immediately began snapping pictures before we 'moved in'.

The hotel room is a little smaller than the one in Beijing but it is very clean and much brighter. It's the first hotel I've stayed in with 'Floor Attendants'. Just off the elevator there is a small desk with an Attendant that is there to answer any questions or to simply greet you. There is an additional attendant that pushes the elevator door for you. One of the other couples said there were 4 attendants on their floor.

After staring at the crib for about an hour, we met the rest of the group and Catherine for a quick tour of the area. We are staying in an area called Shamian Island. Catherine walked a couple of blocks with us pointing out directions to various shops, restaurants, and grocery stores. We passed one restaurant that had tanks with live fish, lobsters, snakes, eels, & pigeons (???) that you would select for them to prepare for your dinner. Andrea felt bad for a really cute black snake, so she bought it to bring home with us (ha, ha). Anyway, we didn't feel too adventurous for dinner, so we decided to eat at one of the few restaurants that served Western food. (Then proceeded to order Asian fried noodles w/ chicken (Andrea) and Chicken Quesadillas (Don) - go figure!).

Monday - - Feb. 18, 2008 (9:50 a.m.)

After a pretty much sleepless night, we went downstairs for the breakfast buffet. The buffet was even better than Beijing. Now we have to figure out how we're going to spend our last 6 hours as a family of 2. We're going to go out and shop for a little while and become more familiar w/ Shamian Island. We will then meet up with the rest of the group at 3pm for the bus ride over to the U.S. Consulate where we will receive our daughters!

Beijing Day 3 & 4

2008-02-16T19:37:00.005-05:00

Today we went to The Great Wall. Wow, what a work-out!! We were amazed by the size and length of the wall. There were many Chinese climbing with us. We didn't feel so bad about being out of breath during most of the climb because the Chinese were out of breath too. We then toured the Summer Palace, ate lunch at the Cloisionne factory, then drove by the construction site of the Beijing Olympic Stadium. While at the Summer Palace, I (Andrea) smiled at a nice Chinese family then noticed that the mother was pushing her 8ish year old daughter toward us. As we stopped to see what she wanted, the little girl said, "Hello, what is your name?" (She was apparently practicing her English) I told her, then she said "Nice to meet you Andrea. Do you like our country?" She made several statements then "said bye bye" while her mother smiled with such pride. That little girl was so adorable. It all happened so quickly that we couldn't get the camera out fast enough. The memory will last forever, though. While we were traveling from one destination to the next, our guide, Catherine, gave us pronunciation tips and common phrases to remember. The language is very difficult to remember because different inflections in pronunciations cause the meaning of the word to change. For example, "mother-in-law" is spelled the same as "horse", just pronounced differently. Andrea didn't tolerate the bus ride well and had to be moved to the front of the bus (how embarrasing). Nothing that a little dramamine couldn't take care of though....thank goodness. I didn't feel so bad after Catherine became a little sick too.

We arrived back at Zhaolong Hotel around 5:30pm. I was ready to go bed for the night but Don managed to keep me awake until 10:00pm. We took a walk along the streets of Beijing, stopped at a small mall and just enjoyed "taking in" the culture.

Beijing Day 4-

Don and I actually slept for 9 hours last night?? We just had breakfast and are getting ready for the 3 hour flight to Guangzhou. Next post will be in a much warmer climate. Guangzhou's forecast is sunny and low 70's.

Beijing - Day 2

2008-02-15T19:08:00.007-05:00

We received our wake up call at 7:30 Friday morning. We went to the hotel breakfast buffet, which is Western style (omelets, bacon, sausage, french toast, ceral, fruit, etc., etc..) We then traveled by bus to Tiananmen Square & the Forbidden City. The weather wasn't too bad as long as we stayed in the sun. It was hard to focus on the tour at first because we kept watching the locals (especially the little kids!). We were getting quite a few stares also. I think Andrea received a few more stares because of her blonde hair. . .

When we returned we had a few hours before our next event. We went to Beijing Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant, supposedly the most famous restaurant for Peking Duck. Andrea had a spicy peanut & chicken entree w/ fried rice. I had the roast duck (half duck) which was meticulously carved into small pieces for me. Prices were reasonable and we had plenty to eat.

After a stop at the local supermarket, we met the group to leave for a Chinese Acrobatic Show. I think we were both extremely suprised at how much we enjoyed the show. It really was awesome. The video doesn't do it justice!

After we returned to the hotel we received a little more information about Adelyn. We received a copy of a questionnaire that was sent to the orphanage with their responses. Adelyn is off formula and may have been alergic to it.

We got back to the room about 7:30pm and Andrea was ready for bed, but I was hungry again! I drug her out of bed and we walked down the street a few blocks (trying our best to dodge 8 lanes of Chinese traffic -- -Look OUT!!!), and went to a local pizza buffet. We were the only 2 Westerners in the restaurant which was very busy with the Friday night crowd. The pizza was actually very good and not that different from our pizza at home. But I do have to say it's the first pizza buffet I've ever been to that served cheese pizza AND boiled quail eggs!!! YUUUMMY!

Beijing Arrival

2008-02-14T13:24:00.008-05:00

Finally, we have arrived in Beijing to finalize our adoption. The morning of the 13th didn't start very well. After only about an hour of sleep, we awoke around 4:15 a.m. to get ready to leave for Standiford Field in Louisville. Don decided to check the flight status on the web. . . eh, WHAT???? The 8:00 a.m. flight to Detroit was delayed for 4+ hours becuase of required rest needed for the crew. Our connecting flight in Detroit going to Tokyo was to depart around 12:30p.m. It appeared as though we would miss this flight and never make it to Beijing with the rest of our travel group. Frantically, Don checked the web for other alternates to get to Detroit on time to make the connection. Only one flight, leaving Lexington at 9:30 would do the trick, but the web only showed 2 seats remaining. (Driving to Detroit was also considered, but also seemed unlikely to be successful because of the weather and potential driving conditions.) He called Northwest, and after about 40 minutes on hold, we were able to book the Lexington flight and made all of our connections on time.

The only other 'hitch' actually ended with good news also. While boarding our last flight from Tokyo to Beijing, we were stopped by Northwest Gate Agents saying that our seats were no longer valid. (We worked EXTREMELY hard to get bulkhead row seating for these (coach) flights and now Northwest double booked the seats???) We were pulled aside by very friendly Tokyo staff as they frantically typed away on their computers. After a few minutes, the gate agent said they were moving us to Business Class!!!

The day (25 1/2 hours total) seemed to be filled with bad news/good news events. We can't believe we're finally here and we'll have Adelyn in a few days. The next couple of days will include a few tours and sightseeing to allow our body clocks to adjust to China time.

*Picture at top is Don at Bluegrass Field in Lexington, waiting to start the day's travels.

*Picture to the right is Ree, chilling out in World Business Class seats from Tokyo to Beijing.

Adelyn's Room

2008-01-15T18:35:00.000-05:00

The room is finally ready and is only missing one little thing . . .

New Pictures!!!

2007-12-31T23:46:00.000-05:00

And her name is . . .

2007-12-12T23:31:00.000-05:00

Adelyn Mei Osborne

We're glad to have decided on her name and we think it fits her perfectly. We wanted to keep "Mei" from her Chinese name. It means "plum flower". And we really like how it sounds with "Adelyn".

Hopefully we'll get travel approval and visa's within the next month so we can schedule our flights.

More about our daughter...

2007-12-10T21:35:00.000-05:00

We travelled to our agency in Evansville, IN Friday afternoon to receive our referral package for Hui Cheng Mei. Information was limited, but we did learn a little more:

* She is 30" tall and weighs 17.5 lbs.
* She has 8 teeth and has a healthy appetite
* She likes to watch kids play (she is very timid)
* She is a deep sleeper although routine feedings include an 11:30pm meal. (Wow, sounds just like her Daddy!)
* Her favorite toys - cars and dolls (probably the only toys available...)
* Her favorite activity - to be held (Momma couldn't be happier!!!!)

No word yet on travel dates.

Oh yeah, no final word yet on her name either.....We've committed to decide by the end of the week. We have the list narrowed to 2 options: Dawn or Andrea...hahahaha just kiddin.

INTRODUCING . . .

2007-12-06T21:08:00.000-05:00

Hui Cheng Mei

(pronounced Hway Chong May)

We couldn't be more excited to post the wonderful news of our daughter's referral. She was born on July 6, 2006 and is currently in the Guangdong Province (Southeastern China). Words cannot describe the emotion we feel after waiting so long to complete our family.

We have very little information at this time. We should receive our official packet in a few days with more information.

Thank you to those that have been praying for us. It has been a long road, but we are nearing the moment when we get to hold our daughter for the first time.

We're trying to finalize her American name but haven't decided for sure. More to follow . . .

News Soon!!

2007-12-05T17:34:00.000-05:00

Hello friends, family, & fellow China bloggers,

The latest information (rumor) we have is that referrals are on the way to the agencies. Some have posted that they received their "call" today. We've heard of people with LID's of 12/14/05 getting the "call", so that means we should be in (with our LID of 12/13/05)!

We've checked the web, email, voicemails, etc. . . about 100 times today hoping for more info. Andrea was off today and I think she dusted everything in the house about 4 times to try to keep busy. Luckily, I had a couple of meetings at work today that kept me preoccupied and helped pass the day.

We're both home now having a cocktail trying to remain (hemmm, hemmm) calm!

Hopefully there will be more to come in the next day or two.

WELCOME!

2007-11-19T23:45:00.000-05:00

Welcome to all of our family and friends who will be following our adoption journey. We began our journey in January 2005. Our completed dossier (FBI background checks, health exams, birth & marriage certificates, reference letters, home study, autobiographies, fingerprints, employer references, etc, etc. . . . ) was notorized by Nelson County, the state of Kentucky, and authenticated by The U.S. Secretary of State at Washington D.C. Our dossier was submitted to the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) and logged in on December 13, 2005. Then we waited...

And waited...and waited...and waited.

Each month our adoption agency, Families thru International Adoption (FTIA), receives "Referrals" from the CCAA. A referral is a picture and brief medical history of a child specifically matched to the adoptive parents. After almost 24 months, we hope to receive our referral in early December 2007.

So . . . the wait continues.