The kicking has to stop

So I wrote a long, thoughtful, witty and brilliant essay on how it has been traveling home and through the first week. However, I don't see it on my blog so I either posted to someone elses or hit delete. Either would be par for the course.

So, Mia has discovered her toes. As in she can suck them which she uses to comfort herself. Trying to sleep with her Friday was a challenge. Her brother wanted to stay with her. I had the sliver of bed to the right. My butt doesn't fit on a sliver which is how I came to be awake to take this photo. Mia kept sucking her toes, getting tired, kicking her feet down and hitting Aidan and me in our sides. Aidan, in typical 4 year-old fashion kept complaining "she's kicking me." In my true parenting from the handbook style, I told him I understood that kicking was unpleasant and that I knew he was a smart kid who could find a solution. He did.

They may not get along while awake but are peaceful in sleep.

The Harmonious Period

Gotcha Day came on September 10th. Or the 9th I guess depending on what part of the world you are in. Too tired to do the math. Our daughters were quite traumatized by the time they met us and went back to the hotel with us. They hadn't been outside in their lives other than to go on a three hour bus ride to meet their new parents. The new parents were strange people with strange faces (albeit some stranger than others) and this just didn't go well for our daughters. Some were absolutely terrified and cried almost hysterically for a day. After that, they were only comforted by being held and carried by their dads and a standing position (the dads, not the kids). It is amazing how much babies know about their altitude.

After 24 hours or so, we got our paperwork to sign. The first was an agreement for custody during "the harmonious period". This was the day before we got formal approval to adopt. I read it again. Yep, it really said the "harmonious period". I wondered if September 11th is the Chinese Version of April Fools. If the first 24 hours is the harmony we are going to get, we need to buckle ourselves in as it will be a wild ride. Somewhere in China, some contract writer is laughing his butt off.

Day three?

A wise man just said reading my blog is as informative as reading the back of a Chinese Mint Box. That is indeed true and part of it's charm (okay, I'm adding the charm bit). However, I believe it pales in comparison to what my family says they have to do by trying to figure out what I am saying with mixed metaphors and half thoughts. Not that I don't have a full thought, I just like the Cliff Notes version. Makes lie all the more interesting. So, there is more than one way to skin a calf. Onward..

"Karma" and God don't pass

Finally home. Found out why we couldn't get to the blog - if you're blog includes karma, tibet or God, there is no browser in China that will get you there.

Interesting and more later.

The Long and winding road...

Yesterday we visited Mia's orphanage - Jiang Cheng City Social Welfare Institute. So much to say about it but I am holding a wiggling little one and bouncing her on my lap and singing "sitting on my lap and going on a horsey" for at least the 200th time. 99 bottles of beer on the wall is coming up next...

Gotcha DAY!

Here it is - gotcha day. September 10th, China Time.

Here's Mia

This isn't the best photo. The best photo just got deleted. Long day and interesting method to getting the info here.

We have photos!

Here is Mia with the official who approved her adoption!

Miss You Monkey!

Today I didn't get to talk to my little boy and I really, really miss him. Here is a picture of us last week. We miss you and love you Aidan and Mia can't wait to meet you! Love you, Mommy (and Daddy and Mia)

We HAVE GOTTEN IN!!

After five days, we have finally gotten into our log. Turns out the servers were down but we thought their was a lockout by the quality control information folks here in country. Haven't figured out how to load photos in yet (am in a coffee shop using their machine) but at least we have been able to get in!

So, we got Mia two days ago. It was rather odd - we went to the official building but they had two groups. The Canadian group got the big room and we got into some other very small room. Then, the babies came in rapid succession. The family that was getting their child would be in the middle while the rest of us would be around the room standing on top of chairs to shoot photos. There wasn't much room and they apparently store chairs in the room so we did what we could.

We were second to last out of nine. A nannie brought her in. All the kids were wearing matching yellow outfits. Mia has the most hair - enough that we could cut if we had the guts to try. However, she does have a bald spot on the back of her head from her wooden crib so we may leave the hair to cover it at least for a while. She was willing to come with us but spent the first several hours looking at us like we had some serious facial defect that she couldn't figure out. Robert's nose was of her greatest interest. At 3:00 pm. we went back to the hotel. MIa began to cry in a existential angstsortof way. She seemed so deeply sad and nothing could relieve her of her sadness. She finally fell asleep and slpet through the night.

We are now getting to know one another. We had our two interviews yesterday. We passed although we had some discussion in one as to what year we had gotten married. Gave two answers. I was wrong. Guess time just flew by - what's a year or so? But, they passed us. We are official.

Mia had some rather bad jerking and very odd tongue rolling the first day. It has gotten better each day and is completely gone when she sleeps. We think it comforts her. She is amazed by her thumbs and will clasp her hands to look at them. She is learning to sit up and is doing a pretty decent job at balancing for a while. She hasn't learned to hold toys or objects but is trying to do so and we are trying to help her learn.

Mia has bonded well with Robert and wants to be held all the time. She isn't too thrilled with me. Perhaps it is my lack of an interesting nose. At least, I'm going to tell myself that. She does sleep next to me.

Mia does know her name which is Jin Jin, pronounced roughly Jen Jen. So, we call her Mia Jen Jen and she will look to see who is calling her.

Now that we know the government isn't trying to suppress our babble, we feel much better. We didn't think that the government had any issue with our ramblings but we do have two writers along on the trip. They are a bit better at drawing the picture so we were blaming them. Now, harmony has been restored. Tsing Tao's for all!

More later..

We are in Hong Kong

We have arrived. The flight came in early but it still was a long 14 hours. The food was interesting.

When we got to Hong Kong, we found the hotel counter and bought a ticket for the shuttle to the hotel. Then, we went and stood outside the wrong door on the advice of a director who told us "4". We didn't quite get that. But, we did find out way. Then, we get on the bus and it drives us to Disneyland. The Mouse House of Asia. We are looking at each other like, "no we didn't make reservations at Disneyland" when we stopped and picked up a bunch of people who apparently also were going to the hotel. Talk about relief.

After a day without sleep, we are going to crash and get back at it tomorrow. We will do some sightseeing that will not be including Disneyland. They even have the same deports, etc. as Orlando. I guess if it works, export it.

Missing family.

Killed the hard drive

Two months ago the computer and lightening seemed to come together in an unauthorized pairing. One hard drive later I realized that I had lost what was important - my entire email address book and all of my emails regarding Mia's adoption (congrats you've been approved and down the line). I intended to print them out for a book for her but you know what they say about good intentions. It's true. I intended to back it up but couldn't figure out how to find the files. I do now have an awesome tech guy. We call him "the thinker" from his ad and he really is awesome but no one could protect me from my stupidity in arrears. So now I sit wanting to contact special people but I can't. Don't have their addresses. So this is my public service message for the day - friends don't let friends neglect to backup important data. And, if you are one of those friends, I'm at pjoan@bellsouth.net.

God is good

With gratitude to Don and Be:

Isaiah 43:5 Do not be afraid; I am with you.I will bring your children from the East and gather you from the west.

We are not packed yet are ready to go. We will be bringing some small gifts for the orphanage that have been generously provided by very good people in Atlanta. When I had Aidan we were generously blessed by giving family and friends. I didn't think it could get better. As we have traveled to Mia, it seems the whole community has responded. Family. Neighbors. The online community. The Chinese adoption community. We went to Home Depot Saturday for the kid's clinic which is the best entertainment you can get for free anywhere. The gal running the clinic was adopted. It's just amazing how many good wishes are lifting us up and carrying us on. We are grateful.