Thursday, March 29, 2012
Quiet Day March 29,2012
Today is a quiet day. There was not a ton on the agenda which was nice. Kathryn and I got up and skyped with family and friends back home. It is always hard, trying to stay connected when you are 13 hours different. I know my kids at home are so busy, but I miss them so much. I love seeing them on Skype but we have been a little challenged with their schedules and mine.
It is much cooler here today. It has been very warm but some rain came in last night and cooled everything off. The first thing we did was go to a very beautiful park that surrounds a lake. We were able to take a walk and just enjoy being in the outside. Kathryn was a little cranky this morning, she just seemed unsettled. She slept good so I am not sure what she is feeling. She is not singing and chatting like she has been. After walking around the lake for awhile the group then went to a porcelain shop. Nanchang is known for their porcelain. I did not purchase anything but 2 of the families did. They were very beautiful tea sets for their little ones.
Between the park and the porcelain shop this took about 3 hours and after that we were done for the day. We headed back to the hotel and really didn't do much. I fed Kathryn and then she took a 3 hour nap. Maybe that is why she seemed a little off this morning. Not sure. When she woke up she was back to her happy chatty self.
Friday is going to be another busy day. We are traveling in the evening to Guangzhou, I should be getting Kathryn's passport today and away we go to our next step in the process. I am excited to moving on. Once step closer to coming home.
Love,
Kathryn and Elizabeth
Orphanage Visit and Finding Spot March 28, 2012
So today was our orphanage visit. Because Kathryn had gotten so much sleep the night before she was wide awake for the 2 hour bus ride to get there. Apparently the ride used to be 4 hours before the highway was built. Now the highway makes it feel much like the US, except with different scenery. As we passed by I could see the farmland being tended by hand and with an Ox in some cases. Instead of cows in the fields you could see small herds of oxen. I did see one herd of cows like you would see in the US. On the highway there are many trucks hauling goods. The trucks are not nearly as big as the semi's in the US, most of them are cab-overs with 2 drivers. (I only know they are cab-overs because Gabe likes to call them out when we are driving)
Our destination for the day is the Fuzhou Children Welfare Center, Fuzhou City in the Fujian province. When the group arrived at the orphanage we were taken to a meeting room. In the meeting room they had created and hung 3 banners for the 3 that had come from there. In the pictures you can see the banner it says "Welcome Fu Ya Lan Back Home". This was very nice of them. The director of the orphanage talked about how he gives the little children names. Fu - which is Kathryn's Chinese last name comes from Fuzhou. Ya - which is Kathryn's first name comes from the year that she was born. Lan - which is Kathryn's middle name means Orchid. The children are called by their middle name so Kathryn went by Lan. No child in the 20 years that Director Joe has been at the orphanage has ever had the same name. I got to take the banner with me, it is quite large, but wouldn't that be nice to have at home?
In this meeting room all of the families were given each child's orphanage record to look at. While we couldn't understand it we could take pictures of it. I only took 2 pictures. One of Kathryn from the day she was found and one of the person who found her. I think this will be important to her as she gets older. We than proceeded to take a tour of the orphanage. They have asked us to not put photo's of the orphanage on our blogs so I will respect that wish. This orphanage is very big and very clean. We only saw a few children which I think was by design. Most of the children from this orphanage actually go to foster families. Kathryn was with a foster family most of her life prior to being with me. As I walk though the buildings I can't keep from comparing the surroundings of my little Grace and where she came from and Kathryn, so very different.
After our tour the group went to lunch. Once again this was a very traditional Chinese meal. Some of the food was very good. I am not good at eating spicy foods so I had to pass on some of the dishes. But what I did try was very delicious. Kathryn was really hungry at lunch time so I actually spent a lot of time feeding her. She really likes the steamed eggs, I am going to have to try and figure out how to make them. I am not having much luck again at getting her to eat her baby cereal, I am going to have to try something else.
After lunch we proceeded to go to 2 of the 3 babies finding spots. I was able to see where Kathryn was found at, it was a very busy street with many shops. She was found in front of a large gate in a very busy area. I take this to mean they really wanted her to be found and to be loved, and loved she is. I felt bad for Trish and Jay the family that could not see their finding spot for their little girl. There was not enough information for them to determine exactly where she was found. The third little girl with us was able to see her finding spot. It was also in a busy area where she was sure to be found.
After all of that excitement we took the 2 hour bus ride home. Kathryn, still wide awake was just snuggling with me, talking like she loves to do. I am hoping to get some video uploaded of her chatting away. Struggling to make it work. I don't think it is me, but it could be:)
The evening ended very quietly. It was a long day and Kathryn was tired. She went to bed early again after eating and slept the whole night through.
Love to all,
Kathryn and Elizabeth
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Tuesday 3/27
Tuesday 3/27
Today we started our day a little tired and of course over slept. Kathryn slept through the night, she was so exhausted. And of course I didn't sleep through the night, I kept getting up to check to make sure she was OK. I should have known better. We got up around 7:30 and needed to be ready to go by 10:00. I was able to make it happen! Multi-tasking by feeding Kathryn while Skyping saved some time. Kathryn was very hungry and ate all of her cereal, which by the way, I am getting better at mixing and she seems to enjoy it now. It used to be that I was either too dry or too runny, but now I think I have it.
Today we visited the Tengwanggee Pavilion. This Pavilion was first built in the early Tang Dynasty and it is a 4-A scenic spot. (Not sure what that means but that is what it says in the hotel local attractions section. Which by the way, is where all of this is coming from. :) It lies on the Ganjiang River.
I have attached some pictures from our sightseeing day. It is starting to get very hot in the late morning so it was nice to be inside the Pavilion, the cool breeze felt very good. While we were in the 9 story Pavilion, I took some pictures of the city that I am sharing as well. Nanchang is the capital of the Jiangxi Province. It covers 7,402 square kilometers and the total population is 4.85 million. Our guide, Grace, says there are no small cities in China. Very amazing isn't it!
After we went through the Pavilion we then went to a traditional Chinese restaurant. Grace picked out the food for the group and it was delicious. We enjoyed some of the local beer that you can only get in Nanchang. It was very tasty. Maybe that is what made me so tired. Or maybe it has just been that the adrenaline rush was finally subsiding.
After our late lunch, the group went back to our hotel. Some people made a second Wal-mart run, Kathryn and I stayed in. The two of us went to bed very early. Kathryn slept for almost 11 hours, getting up once to eat. I slept on and off but it felt good to catch up on my sleep. Tomorrow we get to visit Kathryn's orphanage. Apparently this is not normal so I feel very lucky to get to go.
I hope you enjoy the pictures!!
Love Kathryn & Elizabeth
Pavilion from the entrance gate
Bottom of the Pavilion steps. We climbed to the entrance of the Pavilion, then took an elevator to the top and walked down, looking at each floor as we went.
On the 6th floor we were given little performance by some dancers
View from the 6th floor balcony. The balcony went completely around the pavilion.
A view of the city from the balcony.
The next three pictures are views of the city.
Grace our guide for the trip
People on the right are with my group…view of the city.
These two pictures are from inside the pavilion
Lunch
Kathryn can’t keep up…
Today we started our day a little tired and of course over slept. Kathryn slept through the night, she was so exhausted. And of course I didn't sleep through the night, I kept getting up to check to make sure she was OK. I should have known better. We got up around 7:30 and needed to be ready to go by 10:00. I was able to make it happen! Multi-tasking by feeding Kathryn while Skyping saved some time. Kathryn was very hungry and ate all of her cereal, which by the way, I am getting better at mixing and she seems to enjoy it now. It used to be that I was either too dry or too runny, but now I think I have it.
Today we visited the Tengwanggee Pavilion. This Pavilion was first built in the early Tang Dynasty and it is a 4-A scenic spot. (Not sure what that means but that is what it says in the hotel local attractions section. Which by the way, is where all of this is coming from. :) It lies on the Ganjiang River.
I have attached some pictures from our sightseeing day. It is starting to get very hot in the late morning so it was nice to be inside the Pavilion, the cool breeze felt very good. While we were in the 9 story Pavilion, I took some pictures of the city that I am sharing as well. Nanchang is the capital of the Jiangxi Province. It covers 7,402 square kilometers and the total population is 4.85 million. Our guide, Grace, says there are no small cities in China. Very amazing isn't it!
After we went through the Pavilion we then went to a traditional Chinese restaurant. Grace picked out the food for the group and it was delicious. We enjoyed some of the local beer that you can only get in Nanchang. It was very tasty. Maybe that is what made me so tired. Or maybe it has just been that the adrenaline rush was finally subsiding.
After our late lunch, the group went back to our hotel. Some people made a second Wal-mart run, Kathryn and I stayed in. The two of us went to bed very early. Kathryn slept for almost 11 hours, getting up once to eat. I slept on and off but it felt good to catch up on my sleep. Tomorrow we get to visit Kathryn's orphanage. Apparently this is not normal so I feel very lucky to get to go.
I hope you enjoy the pictures!!
Love Kathryn & Elizabeth
On the 6th floor we were given little performance by some dancers
The next three pictures are views of the city.
These two pictures are from inside the pavilion
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Official Adoption Day March 26, 2012
Today was the "Official" adoption day in Nanchang. It was very exhausting for the both of us.
First stop was the Civil Affairs office to sign our documents. Every time the group goes anywhere we are driven by the bus driver from the hotel. As the bus driver pulled up to the government building he hit a 2ft. high brick wall with the bus. This put a huge scratch and dent in the bus, I hope he didn't get into to much trouble.
The group then proceeded to go up to the 26th floor of this building. Smoking is allowed everywhere in China and so I find it amazing that people will smoke in elevators, which is what happened to us. Simple things like this remind me how different it is from the US. When the group got to our floor we were given a document that we needed to verify the following: name, address, birth-date and passport number. A very simple task. But it came with the warning that if any of the information was incorrect and we proceeded on we would have to fly back to Nanchang to get it corrected before we could meet with the consulate. This warning seem to make it all the more important that everything were positively correct before we proceeded any further. It was very nerve racking.
After signing the necessary documents and getting our official adoption paperwork I then met with an official and had to swear that I would take care of Kathryn and would never abandon her. (In my head I was thinking....it took me 6 years to get her, why would I ever even think to abandon her.) Of course, I did not say anything but yes!! I also had to promise to send her to a University!! Hope I can afford it by the time she gets to be that age! I hate to think of what it is going to cost in 18 years.
After this momentous occasion we celebrated by going to of all places Wal-mart. Each member in the group really needed to get some stuff for their babies. I needed to get a stroller. While Kathryn is very tiny and probably doesn't weigh 16 pounds yet, continuously carrying her was not easy. I wanted to purchase an inexpensive stroller. I also purchased some Chinese baby food while I was there. Good think because Kathryn really likes it. I think we will be making one more trip and so I might need to buy some more for her then.
After shopping and a bite for lunch the group then headed to the local police station. Kathryn and the babies needed to get their pictures taken for their passports. This was a very simple process and didn't take to long. We met up with some other US families from other agencies doing this to. The babies were all very cute.
One last stop for the day was to the notary. The Notary signed one of the documents, not sure which one. Again, I needed to swear that I would take care of Kathryn and send her to the University. This process didn't take very long but by now it is getting late in the day 3:30 or so, and it is getting hot. Kathryn was getting a little cranky and was certainly getting tired. I was ready to be done. After all families had their paperwork notarized we headed back to the hotel. Thank goodness....
For supper the families decided to order pizza. So Kathryn and I joined in, well I did at least. After supper we headed off to our room. It is going to be an early night tonight. Both of us are very tired.
Tomorrow we are doing some sightseeing and maybe some shopping. This should be fun. Kathryn has been just a little dream child. She loves to move her head to music and likes it when I whistle. I really need to learn some new songs.
Love you all
Kathryn and Elizabeth
Official signing of the paperwork, farmilies are checking over their information.
Wal-mart sign
Wal-mart escalator - takes both people and strollers
Police Station
Police officer who took Kathryn's picture
Pictures of kathryn throughout the day!!
She is teething!
First stop was the Civil Affairs office to sign our documents. Every time the group goes anywhere we are driven by the bus driver from the hotel. As the bus driver pulled up to the government building he hit a 2ft. high brick wall with the bus. This put a huge scratch and dent in the bus, I hope he didn't get into to much trouble.
The group then proceeded to go up to the 26th floor of this building. Smoking is allowed everywhere in China and so I find it amazing that people will smoke in elevators, which is what happened to us. Simple things like this remind me how different it is from the US. When the group got to our floor we were given a document that we needed to verify the following: name, address, birth-date and passport number. A very simple task. But it came with the warning that if any of the information was incorrect and we proceeded on we would have to fly back to Nanchang to get it corrected before we could meet with the consulate. This warning seem to make it all the more important that everything were positively correct before we proceeded any further. It was very nerve racking.
After signing the necessary documents and getting our official adoption paperwork I then met with an official and had to swear that I would take care of Kathryn and would never abandon her. (In my head I was thinking....it took me 6 years to get her, why would I ever even think to abandon her.) Of course, I did not say anything but yes!! I also had to promise to send her to a University!! Hope I can afford it by the time she gets to be that age! I hate to think of what it is going to cost in 18 years.
After this momentous occasion we celebrated by going to of all places Wal-mart. Each member in the group really needed to get some stuff for their babies. I needed to get a stroller. While Kathryn is very tiny and probably doesn't weigh 16 pounds yet, continuously carrying her was not easy. I wanted to purchase an inexpensive stroller. I also purchased some Chinese baby food while I was there. Good think because Kathryn really likes it. I think we will be making one more trip and so I might need to buy some more for her then.
After shopping and a bite for lunch the group then headed to the local police station. Kathryn and the babies needed to get their pictures taken for their passports. This was a very simple process and didn't take to long. We met up with some other US families from other agencies doing this to. The babies were all very cute.
One last stop for the day was to the notary. The Notary signed one of the documents, not sure which one. Again, I needed to swear that I would take care of Kathryn and send her to the University. This process didn't take very long but by now it is getting late in the day 3:30 or so, and it is getting hot. Kathryn was getting a little cranky and was certainly getting tired. I was ready to be done. After all families had their paperwork notarized we headed back to the hotel. Thank goodness....
For supper the families decided to order pizza. So Kathryn and I joined in, well I did at least. After supper we headed off to our room. It is going to be an early night tonight. Both of us are very tired.
Tomorrow we are doing some sightseeing and maybe some shopping. This should be fun. Kathryn has been just a little dream child. She loves to move her head to music and likes it when I whistle. I really need to learn some new songs.
Love you all
Kathryn and Elizabeth
Official signing of the paperwork, farmilies are checking over their information.
Pictures of kathryn throughout the day!!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Gotcha Day March 25, 2012
What a trip this has been! I left Minneapolis Airport early Friday Morning. Fast forward through a long flight, long layovers and extreme exhaustion to Sunday at 4:30 pm. After 6 years, 5 months of endless paperwork and long periods between with nothing happening Fu Ya Lan was placed in my shaking hands. Her American name is Kathryn Ya Lan.
She is absolutely beautiful!! She is very tiny and very inquisitive. She loves looking directly into my eyes, searching, I am not sure what for. She is everything that I could have hoped for and have dreamed about for years.
Once the babies were given to us we took them to our rooms to feed them. (I am traveling with 3 other families from this point forward.) Kathryn was only slightly interested in food. I will need to work on that and also my technique. I am not sure what the maid is going to think when she comes into my room to find I have shot baby formula all over the mirror! Multiple times!!
Kathryn is very chatty. I am sure you will all agree she will fit right in with me and the family. She has a great smile and is fairly calm. I was able to Skype with family and friends back home and she did very well with all of that. Her Dad, sisters and brothers were finally able to meet her for the first time on Sunday. They all were in awe of her. Ella kept commenting on what beautiful eyes she has and Gracie just loves her little thithter (sister). I can't wait till they can hold her too.
Today we are off to the Civil Affairs office to sign our official documents. Then off to Wal-mart to get our needed supplies. I will need a stroller, she loves to be held but I realize I should have been lifting weights at some point in time!!
Kathryn and I made it through our first night! We are getting up and getting ready. Today is going to be a great day!! Love you all at home, I hope you enjoy the pictures.
Elizabeth
She is absolutely beautiful!! She is very tiny and very inquisitive. She loves looking directly into my eyes, searching, I am not sure what for. She is everything that I could have hoped for and have dreamed about for years.
Once the babies were given to us we took them to our rooms to feed them. (I am traveling with 3 other families from this point forward.) Kathryn was only slightly interested in food. I will need to work on that and also my technique. I am not sure what the maid is going to think when she comes into my room to find I have shot baby formula all over the mirror! Multiple times!!
Kathryn is very chatty. I am sure you will all agree she will fit right in with me and the family. She has a great smile and is fairly calm. I was able to Skype with family and friends back home and she did very well with all of that. Her Dad, sisters and brothers were finally able to meet her for the first time on Sunday. They all were in awe of her. Ella kept commenting on what beautiful eyes she has and Gracie just loves her little thithter (sister). I can't wait till they can hold her too.
Today we are off to the Civil Affairs office to sign our official documents. Then off to Wal-mart to get our needed supplies. I will need a stroller, she loves to be held but I realize I should have been lifting weights at some point in time!!
Kathryn and I made it through our first night! We are getting up and getting ready. Today is going to be a great day!! Love you all at home, I hope you enjoy the pictures.
Elizabeth
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