Guangzhou

 

 

We made it to Guangzhou last night. This is the final stage of our journey. Our plane was delayed 1 1/2 hours so we had to take turns chasing a 3year old around the airline terminal. We both decided we are not in shape!!!! Lainey fell asleep about 10 minutes before we landed and stayed asleep till 7this morning! She slept though getting our luggage, taking the bus to our hotel and checking in to a new place!!! Our hotel is beautiful and there is a Starbucks in the lobby so Dave is doing much better now! Guangzhou is a welcome change from Wuhan City. We feel like we have experienced real China but this is much more westernized and we feel much more comfortable. It is great seeing everyone with their new additions! There are so many adoptive families here. Everyone from the US has come here because this is where the US embassy to China is. The first picture is Lainey with our escort we had in Wuhan City. She was with us the whole time and such a huge help to us! The next picture is us signing official paperwork and then there is Lainey viewing her passport! This morning she had her picture taken for her visa paperwork and her medical exam. She did so well and never got upset, not even when they did her TB test. Some of the other families have had some struggles but are making baby steps. We feel so very fortunate and blessed! Everyone is jealous because Lainey tells us she loves us! Our friends from Mississippi have a little girl who is 16 months and only 16 lbs! She is so tiny! We are working on sharing now that we are around others children. Have a meeting soon. Hoping to go to the safari park tomorrow if the weather allows!

 

Happy 3rd Birthday Lainey!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today was Lainey's birthday. The hotel prepared a cake for her. It was a beautiful cake almost too pretty to cut into! She wasn't fond of the taste but it was fun anyhow. This morning we went to a museum which housed items from this province (Hubei) more than 2000 years old. We were fortunate enough to drive by the orphanage where Lainey was taken care of. We got a couple of pictures there too. This afternoon Lainey took a good nap which was nice. Our escort is so amazed at how well she is doing and at how smart she is. She repeats everything she says. It is funny though when she gets mad at us and chews us out in Chinese!!! She speaks the local dialect here so sometimes the escort can't even understand her so I am glad we didn't invest our time in learning much of the language! Tomorrow we travel so probably won't post. Thank you to everyone who is following us along our journey! Can't wait to see you all!

Yellow Crane Tour

 

We just got back from our Yellow Crane Tower tour. It is a famous place in Wuhan City built 1800 years ago. Lainey was a trooper and climbed all the stairs and back down. She has a stubborn side and likes to do things herself. Which is great except when you are in the city! After that our driver took us by the children's hospital where Lainey was abandoned. We got a couple of quick pictures but she was sleeping and it was very crowded. Tomorrow we may go out into the countryside for a drive for daddy's sake. I do believe the city is getting to him as it is me. Tomorrow is Lainey's birthday, she will be 3. Our escort said the hotel will probably make her a cake. The picture of the Lilly pad looking flowers are called lotus flowers. You can eat the roots and the seeds. You see people on the streets selling them. Till tomorrow,,,,,,,

Doing Awesome!!!

 

Thi

 

 

 

This morning we went back to the Civil Affairs office to do more paperwork. Lainey slept very well, just cried for about 5 minutes then fell asleep and slept for ten hours then we had to wake her up. She let out a few cries during the night but never awoke. Her photo book that we sent her in January has obviously been looked at constantly cause it has been taped back together. She carries it around and says our name, we are working on her sisters names and she looks at the pictures of our house and dog. We feel so very grateful and blessed. She loved her bath last night, probably could have spent 2hours in there if I would have let her. There were others children at the Affairs Office this morning and she was not about to share her things with them! We will have to work on sharing! She is a good eater and loves French fries! She is already learning so much and saying things like good girl, hello, good bye, 1,2,3, and she calls us mama and papa. The director said she is a very clever child! She loves things with buttons, music, and dancing and stickers! She has started giving us funny looks and then she cracks herself up. She was even being a little naughty at lunch today standing on the chair and Dave and I both looked at each other and said, she's gonna wear us out! She loves to give the thumbs up sign and tells everyone we see bye bye. We are doing well just wish there were more to do here in Wuhan City, and wish it wasn't so hot! Love to you all!

She has blossomed!!!

 

Had to just share these pictures! Lainey has just opened up this afternoon! She has laughed, squeezed, and ran around and climbed! No tears unless we try to take off her shoes. She is definitely a daddy's girl! The picture with her tongue out is with an Oreo in her mouth. We got so much information from the orphanage and even a baby book with lots of pictures. Wish we could just come home she is doing so well but paperwork does not allow! Girls, she is even trying to say your names! Will post more tomorrow about how our night goes!

Gotcha Day!!!

 

 

Our day has arrived! Lainey has obviously been well prepared for arrival. She never shed a tear and seemed very calm the whole time. She has taken a liking to her father and even after only 4 hours we have gotten a few smiles! She seems very smart and very well behaved and easy going. After leaving the civil affairs office we had to go get her passport picture taken. We stood in line for an hour. It was extremely hot and she fell asleep in her daddy's arms. She loves the frosted Cheerios we brought her so better have the cupboards stocked girls!!! She also loves her little bracelets I brought her and her toy phone. We are just bonding the rest of the day then have to do more paperwork in the morning. Thank you again for your prayers! So far it's going great!

Wuhan City

We flew into Wuhan City today. I thought it was hot in Nebraska but they call this place the melting pot of China. Ten million people live here and it was 90 degrees and 99 percent humidity. The sky just looks like it could pour but it's just the way it is. This is where we will meet our daughter in 14 1/2 hours. Yesterday we were a little nervous but calmer today but maybe because we didn't sleep last night. It was hard leaving our escort Jerry, in Beijing. Great guy and such a big help! He was with us the whole time. We met a lot of families there and will be reunited with them in Guanghzou. It will be so much fun to see everyone with their new additions! The Midwest was well represented with two families near Kansas City and one from Wichita. We really bonded with a couple from Missippi. Our escort here is named Echo, and she seems wonderful too. She is with us this whole week, even in our hotel so she can help us with language barriers when we need her too. Please pray for us and for an easy adjustment for Lainey. We hope she likes us at least a little bit! Also please pray for our dog Maggie back at home. We hear she is not doing well at all. I will try to post pictures tomorrow of our special day!