tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51155359149529143062024-03-05T16:08:52.190-08:00Waiting for our DaughterMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-19528680828080609662011-11-05T13:20:00.000-07:002011-11-05T13:20:50.452-07:00Update and signing off!I wanted to share one last post before ending our adoption blog. Amelia has been a busy girl lately. She was evaluated for speech and had a global developmental evaluation as well. She is doing great in everything except for expressive language. We were very encouraged by the evaluations and are looking forward to getting her speech therapy started soon. We would love for her to be able to communicate better so she isn't frustrated. She does well with signing and usually can get her point across, but I know it would be so much easier for her if she could use words!<br />
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She had her two-year-old check-up last week. She is at the 75% for height and off the chart for weight! She is 32 pounds -- no wonder I feel like I need a massage! She got a clean bill of health and didn't even peep when she got her flu mist or immunizations!<br />
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Amelia celebrated her 2nd birthday a couple of weeks ago. We had a pumpkin theme for her party.<br />
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She enjoyed all of her gifts, but the cards that sing were the absolute best!<br />
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She got her gifts from us on her actual birthday, and we have had many tea parties since then.<br />
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We have started the proceedings for her readoption in IL (mostly so she will be able to get an IL birth certificate whenever she needs one), and we had to take her to the county sheriff's office to be served her court papers. Her court date is scheduled for January 6th.<br />
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Amelia thoroughly enjoyed her first Halloween. We don't go crazy over this holiday, but we do let the kids dress up and take them around to family members and a few friends to trick or treat. Amelia's costume was easy - she went as the China doll that she is! After about the second stop she had the candy thing all figured out and eagerly held up her bucket at each house.<br />
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Overall, Amelia continues to amaze us. She is easy-going, caring, affectionate, mostly compliant, and generally a very happy little girl. Every once in a while she has a moment that reminds us that she has only recently joined our family -- a nightmare that leaves her in tears, short moments of time when she seems to withdraw a bit. But these are far between and short-lived, and we are so thankful that she is doing so well. To God be the glory!<br />
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This will be my last post, as the purpose of this blog was to chronicle our adoption process, and our Amelia has now been with us for nearly 5 months! Thanks for following along!<br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-27140698846335810392011-09-28T13:26:00.000-07:002011-09-28T13:26:05.915-07:00Look who was sneaking in the pantry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The catch on one of our pantry doors broke, which means Little Miss can now open the door whenever she pleases. She was quiet for just a little too long the other day, and this is what I found when I went looking for her.</div>
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"Look at this great big blue box I found with little bitty crunchy things in it!" </div>
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"Am I not supposed to be doing this right now?"</div>
Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-22780080831866863592011-09-28T13:19:00.000-07:002011-09-28T13:19:55.199-07:00Happy Fall!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We've been busy enjoying all the activities of fall here in the midwest. We took Amelia for her first trip to the apple orchard, and she had a great time. It didn't take long for her to figure out what to do! She had fun picking apples and carrying them carefully to the bag.</div>
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Amelia still hasn't picked up much English -- just a few words that come and go. We decided to go ahead and have a speech evaluation done. She's only heard English since June and she communicates well by signing and gestures and her few words, so we thought about holding off. A speech pathologist friend of mine noticed that the sounds Amelia makes are mostly in her throat. She doesn't have a "b" or "p" sound at all, so she might really benefit from some speech therapy. We decided that if she needs some help, there's no reason to put it off. So tomorrow we have a meeting to fill out paperwork, and then we'll have an assessment done. Hoping they will be able to help her and give us some guidance in working with her!<br />
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We are still feeling so blessed by our sweet girl. She has such a fun, jolly personality! She loves to tease us. For example, when Mark or I wash our hands in our guest bath, she runs in laughing, grabs the hand towel, and runs away with it! She then brings it back, just grinning from ear to ear. She is also very concerned about others. If one of the other kids is hurt, she will go over to them, look carefully at their face, and rub their back with her little hands. She is sweet, silly, and fun, and we are so thankful to be her forever family!<br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-1277961358014064582011-09-07T14:59:00.000-07:002011-09-07T15:14:58.270-07:00Orthopedist report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuObQDeYvJcUqlz5SlgbZ7DxqSz932JV5fTn_PVxr2x0TvgUOCuNLW-gS7vPJHft4Bkn97ntAfDn_0JcXHwHqF9RiaugBeWdgBg404jAnfuRE4K9h3nIiJ7NV7wuqGl_ySRo9trcL25Q/s1600/IMG_3251.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuObQDeYvJcUqlz5SlgbZ7DxqSz932JV5fTn_PVxr2x0TvgUOCuNLW-gS7vPJHft4Bkn97ntAfDn_0JcXHwHqF9RiaugBeWdgBg404jAnfuRE4K9h3nIiJ7NV7wuqGl_ySRo9trcL25Q/s400/IMG_3251.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649744413386673906" /></a><br />Today we took Amelia to see a pediatric orthopedist. Her pediatrician wanted him to evaluate her feet, since according to her referral she was born with "crossed feet that have been corrected." When we first got her, her legs were very bowed but her feet always seemed okay, and her legs have gradually straightened the longer we have been home. Well, the orthopedist said that if she had truly had clubbed feet, which is what everyone thought "crossed feet" were, it is very unusual that she would look and function as well as she does now. His thought is that perhaps her legs were bowed simply because of how she was positioned in utero and that those things often self-correct. So, he said she doesn't need anything else done. She can wear any type of shoes. The end result is that our daughter, labeled as a special needs child, seems to be completely healthy! We are so thankful and praising the Lord for His grace in Amelia's life! We know that adoptive families often face more issues than they were expecting, and we feel so blessed that our Amelia's special need has turned out to be a non-issue. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!<div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-12368302425467979172011-08-28T12:54:00.000-07:002011-08-28T13:06:45.322-07:00New pictures<div>Here are some pictures of Amelia taken just a couple of days ago. She continues to blossom, and her little personality shows itself more and more. She is silly and loves to tease. She can now point to several body parts (mostly because she loves "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes"). She also can do a perfect somersault. We are still waiting for her to really start talking, although she is slowly adding words to her vocabulary. She is a very busy girl, which makes homeschooling the other kids a challenge! We love her so much and are so thankful that the Lord blessed us with her!</div><div>
<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyLi31tO1NtSKzELE5jVAe58ZDjNkmEki62rVpiEYXN8SfPqtHluT2Qxblq8MZVFiH1IZsHlZ948SlNGDkVU6O47K0YbWV20qk1wsPU5-00AG8KiEFTjuL2ew42liszGSB8D8YpWLt_Q/s1600/IMG_3194.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyLi31tO1NtSKzELE5jVAe58ZDjNkmEki62rVpiEYXN8SfPqtHluT2Qxblq8MZVFiH1IZsHlZ948SlNGDkVU6O47K0YbWV20qk1wsPU5-00AG8KiEFTjuL2ew42liszGSB8D8YpWLt_Q/s400/IMG_3194.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645999572762680802" /></a>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL53rx0x08hyphenhyphenupt5EaBMbvdgrrBFk87h_0ee0kCYY1Yx3744rCPgL6e1MGykfd0ZNSR4qYzP2wz67KpNUYnjW4WVACqOXHp8kITKajzmWm8rckQRbdqRmEpS2KIXB9cmhfFkd_U29qkwQ/s1600/IMG_3198.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL53rx0x08hyphenhyphenupt5EaBMbvdgrrBFk87h_0ee0kCYY1Yx3744rCPgL6e1MGykfd0ZNSR4qYzP2wz67KpNUYnjW4WVACqOXHp8kITKajzmWm8rckQRbdqRmEpS2KIXB9cmhfFkd_U29qkwQ/s400/IMG_3198.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645999569576880770" /></a>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgV8jMJsMD8Z1LLy0NywHeZ_cAuinb3gCyLimcCsRxo9eH3SW-pE0cY5AwOYwnkYl5fB3oNO_tXyY8u2fNZRJjV0BzZhJ-aXizGCYtg-4Pbo4o5ZHbYcoKj7nAsD1LZ8kDZuz8OG6Bh0/s1600/IMG_3197.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgV8jMJsMD8Z1LLy0NywHeZ_cAuinb3gCyLimcCsRxo9eH3SW-pE0cY5AwOYwnkYl5fB3oNO_tXyY8u2fNZRJjV0BzZhJ-aXizGCYtg-4Pbo4o5ZHbYcoKj7nAsD1LZ8kDZuz8OG6Bh0/s400/IMG_3197.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645999558994931730" /></a>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6OZpcPgt4YUIYnQInIFgK9US1vSl2RsaGeo3qQFnpb5BftecwV7Lw4xB7y2Eiyc2dLOWwY0hgTr2il5tI51XPHd7PE8oJ8zvfak_YSJ6Wl6Y_0Wgh1ujT8y4p57RGr-M5xkhtTcTEuAg/s1600/IMG_3193.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6OZpcPgt4YUIYnQInIFgK9US1vSl2RsaGeo3qQFnpb5BftecwV7Lw4xB7y2Eiyc2dLOWwY0hgTr2il5tI51XPHd7PE8oJ8zvfak_YSJ6Wl6Y_0Wgh1ujT8y4p57RGr-M5xkhtTcTEuAg/s400/IMG_3193.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645999550581971810" /></a>
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<br /></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-28159026748511773522011-08-12T19:38:00.000-07:002011-08-12T19:47:29.216-07:00Good News, Bad NewsIt's hard to believe we've had Amelia for just over two months already! The days are really flying by. Our doctor wanted to do some recommended testing, and we've gotten the results back this week. First, the good news. My poor baby had to have SIX vials of blood taken to do all the testing they wanted to do. My dear husband -- and my hero! --- took her to have that done while I stayed home with the other kids. We found out this week that all of the blood work was normal! We had a few questions about some results that came with her referral back in January, so we were thrilled that she seems completely healthy! Praise the Lord!<div>
<br /></div><div>On the other hand, we found out today that Amelia has giardia, an intestinal parasite that comes from contaminated water. That explains the consistently nasty diapers. . . We will be starting treatments for that as soon as the pharmacy has it ready. Apparently the medication does not normally come in a liquid form, but there is one pharmacy nearby that will make it for us that way. Hopefully it works quickly for her.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>We have an appointment with the pediatric orthopedist in early September to have Amelia's feet evaluated, and then we should hopefully be through with the doctor's visits for awhile!</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-22340184163005476992011-08-02T09:35:00.001-07:002011-08-02T09:39:42.759-07:00Cuteness<div><br /></div><div>We came home after church on Sunday and made chocolate chip pancakes for lunch. This is something our older two kids love, and something Amelia had not yet experienced. Somehow I think she was quite pleased!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEr1KJ2yNx7Yh9SoTnWw3gjzXwO1L1G6NAHB8skI9Y1aPYsDfJaDAiB2Ke6w11c8b88D2-Tq4VjZa82FICMh2cNcAHREQxth0aquMRfIY7Z8nzZl4rL9zqgBfR6RgeML0LdsAf-49aT3Q/s1600/IMG_3092.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEr1KJ2yNx7Yh9SoTnWw3gjzXwO1L1G6NAHB8skI9Y1aPYsDfJaDAiB2Ke6w11c8b88D2-Tq4VjZa82FICMh2cNcAHREQxth0aquMRfIY7Z8nzZl4rL9zqgBfR6RgeML0LdsAf-49aT3Q/s400/IMG_3092.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636298661831464338" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjdptNFmZUWBRW5lTEw7Z4JLri2RM1zUaeTmrJ0Fn33sVDaWpAxzBkGm3wgPlx-7tN5XsBrdzCMQ4HDdFu_l5lSD8T8lLCmxvBmawWY7L1AoZSgiDtOzf3sGoTdOOCdNovt70NCz16VI/s1600/IMG_3093.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjdptNFmZUWBRW5lTEw7Z4JLri2RM1zUaeTmrJ0Fn33sVDaWpAxzBkGm3wgPlx-7tN5XsBrdzCMQ4HDdFu_l5lSD8T8lLCmxvBmawWY7L1AoZSgiDtOzf3sGoTdOOCdNovt70NCz16VI/s400/IMG_3093.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636298652567899538" /></a>We'll be doing this again!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-18469848314902170062011-07-25T14:23:00.001-07:002011-07-25T14:25:17.088-07:00Isn't she just precious?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWVFSqs9wB5cvtLJgD_iAg9_xH9hvn4H7JvfEjpNjOGL0-E2FEYnqMrdJMZpPLx3L3gd6KMWslhhp-_UCNsnJMp0SusA1CJtnDgKANw_pEZei0kC3aIV6oanzIWVy4lkVJEEOsJsjgXU/s1600/IMG_3060.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWVFSqs9wB5cvtLJgD_iAg9_xH9hvn4H7JvfEjpNjOGL0-E2FEYnqMrdJMZpPLx3L3gd6KMWslhhp-_UCNsnJMp0SusA1CJtnDgKANw_pEZei0kC3aIV6oanzIWVy4lkVJEEOsJsjgXU/s400/IMG_3060.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633403927390750562" /></a>I just couldn't resist sharing one more picture of our little miss!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-5438851498386198912011-07-25T14:01:00.001-07:002011-07-25T14:23:22.736-07:00Weekend in Michigan<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkp8O7viNI94y_8cWq83J5KbUsQ6SeDanDUF6YsZj-Htz0lwslsn-YKjkOYn1onkTSSqhoSqTdKRL-KXdHgeHAa5w-vOMD6-CrTBvTYaeA-_DLQOSKThLw5oFLpEIxgXc26NlxNHIO30/s1600/IMG_3003.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>It is a tradition of ours to take a trip to Michigan each summer. Some years we are fortunate enough to go all the way up to Mackinac Island; other years when we have less time we enjoy being in the Holland area. We spend time at the beach, pick blueberries, shop, eat ice cream, etc. It's something that has become very important to all of us over the years. This year, since we used so much vacation time in China, we opted just to take a long weekend trip to Holland. We left Thursday night after work and came home Sunday. It was just long enough to squeeze in all the things we love about Michigan.<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkp8O7viNI94y_8cWq83J5KbUsQ6SeDanDUF6YsZj-Htz0lwslsn-YKjkOYn1onkTSSqhoSqTdKRL-KXdHgeHAa5w-vOMD6-CrTBvTYaeA-_DLQOSKThLw5oFLpEIxgXc26NlxNHIO30/s400/IMG_3003.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633399838721536082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px; " /></span></div><div>Amelia traveled really well. She got nervous and quiet when we first went into the hotel, but once she realized that we were all sleeping in the same room, she started blowing us all kisses from the crib and making herself giggle. </div><div><br /></div><div>She LOVES blueberries. This is a good thing, because we brought home almost 50 pounds of them! She sat in her stroller begging us all for more while we were picking.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwCr7Cn92NM0DzldWPzZH1YnzLRL_Fv_XVmu6d0BNVK4DbSy0hTX4xdI9l5aQPqA8DnV39ufTH5KE15NLamtVTwfXqNP5uiBH8cNko7LmTGNDWoMLw3OGqadojDl5_xN4ch-nk7lT6Mc/s400/IMG_3070.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633401247673236562" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>Amelia did NOT like the sand at the beach. It was kind of like when we first came home and she didn't want anything to do with grass. So she sat on the big blanket and played happily with the sand toys. As long as there wasn't actually sand in them!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7MHSnoBKgMsMOR-YwgkPT2cRGhoniF2P_Cpdk-qaA1oWgI5rbfHCzypLt8Bjl9u9Nmj2sMbQt_7Oykv2dXd4HQtUF1SsWgde5owTr0db6NQ8NfE44LkCg82GfidsPZxYcHFaa1xGmKY/s400/IMG_3014.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633401230502308082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div>We have several favorite restaurants and ice cream places that we like to visit. In fact, sometimes it's hard to fit them all in. We have been known to plan our day around getting to a particular ice cream or gelato stop.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6xypEA5k5nnS-URc9Ixbc23RXpdN5fho31KgJetr26x_3tHOl65C3sEyHXtihILzG90B4cPLuRXHQukUHSyDWhr1b4gcj4ao93nPz9R1wmYM48ZBecdEUK0iyWiU7HjYyvuPbhWljFU/s400/IMG_3045.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633401239636146914" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></span></div><div>We had a great weekend and were so pleased that Amelia was with us to enjoy it too -- hopefully her first of many visits to one of our favorite places!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-D_0C0Q6Yhm-bc-Z_mKQE28TMcf65IIr9UmmuOXch9XBsMOCgsV70XHgvuyMC796DZHsi6PNEoOHpVTI2JOlsXs4oAShfot8PS67AjLZAqm5ZJw2APfqrCG2e4cyNE4PIokmrxhRSwuw/s400/IMG_3053.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633401245641878530" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-18910499047759694392011-07-16T19:11:00.000-07:002011-07-16T19:37:49.373-07:00Home one month<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmXa-Kwo20JbWfXqVrNL5ggIm73otZEeaLWl70s4ecnSkHGELLzd7cDFRSzT4yC91xgOfTPsCmPaoIhRcTQGR0Y2BasYh4IxSZHGZppwPpARbqbUKoMxynhjxfecxnPvqIM5w7WaQy64/s1600/IMG_2873.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>One month ago today, our plane landed in Peoria, and we were never so glad to be home! Amelia has done so well and has been such a blessing to our family. She has a sparkle in her eyes now! We have seen marvelous changes in her in the short time she's been home. We know she was in a "good" orphanage; she was well-cared for and loved by her nannies. But even a good orphanage cannot replace a family! Our sweet girl gives us kisses freely and asks for them by holding up her little arm like she's hurt herself. I can kiss her anywhere and she goes away happy. <div><br /></div><div>She has definitely been slowing down with how much she eats over the last few days -- a good sign that she trusts us to provide food for her. She has become pickier about what she eats and has even turned down food, which never would have happened just a short time ago. </div><div><br /></div><div>She loves her sister and brother. When they wake up in the morning, Evan goes into the girls' room and they all play and entertain Amelia until we are ready to get her out of the crib. It's sweet to hear them all laughing and playing together, having their own bonding time.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are still waiting for her to start saying more words. She seems to be losing the Mandarin words she knew and hasn't quite picked up the English equivalents yet. So she's actually saying fewer words now, but we know that she'll start speaking more when she's ready. Her receptive language is very good. She seems to understand most of what we say to her, and she follows simple directions fairly well.</div><div><br /></div><div>Her hair is softer and shinier and her skin is clearing up from the rash and bug bites she had when we got her. Her legs are so much stronger than they were, as well. Overall, she is really doing amazingly well. We are so encouraged and can't wait to see how she continues to grow and blossom over the months to come! We give God all the glory for how well she has adjusted.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmXa-Kwo20JbWfXqVrNL5ggIm73otZEeaLWl70s4ecnSkHGELLzd7cDFRSzT4yC91xgOfTPsCmPaoIhRcTQGR0Y2BasYh4IxSZHGZppwPpARbqbUKoMxynhjxfecxnPvqIM5w7WaQy64/s400/IMG_2873.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630144638768116754" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 239px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-22343234126494020052011-07-07T18:17:00.001-07:002011-07-07T18:50:40.372-07:00What a difference a month makes!<div style="text-align: center;">Gotcha day - one month ago</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC420eD87oJpLjSRG07qI6jyy71-pioaPk9DN4DWOdMyeSKLENm7SAyAxz1tfbbGrR3qMYPq01dzeX24f8QQPqa3Z9fCwA6eDq9-rS_AnJ5i5tq2jVKQT68JtYO64Rq4MkrPcU8g4Dvmw/s400/IMG_2119.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626785012523315490" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now -- our happy girl!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2azzVI391xrcenrM2Rw-MWTUd4xSS3fQh4KWgGgbqkc0gqG-q0YQsUXVdxe4PIxbfcxGHRUnmTOWXtGbjbz3dPOGIutuyUs2X4_Z32YaQ2r16Gzhn6yKzz6Vqho2B4snt1RgId7wvw-o/s1600/IMG_2735.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2azzVI391xrcenrM2Rw-MWTUd4xSS3fQh4KWgGgbqkc0gqG-q0YQsUXVdxe4PIxbfcxGHRUnmTOWXtGbjbz3dPOGIutuyUs2X4_Z32YaQ2r16Gzhn6yKzz6Vqho2B4snt1RgId7wvw-o/s400/IMG_2735.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626785037783856994" /></a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-4811259777115440142011-07-03T19:17:00.000-07:002011-07-03T19:50:58.724-07:00Amelia update<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>We took Amelia for her first doctor's appointment on Thursday. She was definitely well-fed in China -- she's in the 95th percentile for weight! She weighs just over 29 pounds at 20 months. Our doctor was very pleased with how she's doing. She wants Amelia to see a pediatric orthopedist about her feet, but she thinks that he will probably just want to monitor her. Her legs are okay, but the doctor feels that she doesn't walk correctly, perhaps because her feet are so flat. Other than that, she is doing great! We are so thankful not to have any major health concerns with her.<div><br /></div><div>We are amazed at how well Amelia is doing. She has gotten so much stronger in the short time that we have been home. In China she was very wobbly when she walked and had trouble standing up from a squatting position. Now she goes up and down stairs, runs, climbs, and more with no trouble. She is a great eater and is doing better about drinking milk. She sleeps at least eleven hours at night and naps for about two hours in the afternoon with no fuss. Her orphanage behaviors such as throwing things, hitting, biting, and scratching are becoming less frequent. She is learning to sign "please" which seems to help cut down on the whining a little bit. We know that many families have a much harder adjustment period than we have. We know that it is only God's grace that has allowed Amelia to join our family so easily, and we praise Him for all He is doing in her life!</div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of us are doing well, too, although I continue to find myself exhausted by the end of the day. I can't really keep blaming jet lag, as I am getting plenty of sleep! I think I'm still getting used to having another little person around all day, and trying to balance her needs with the needs of the older two, while still maintaining some sense of order in the house. Hopefully this will all feel "normal" before too long. I seem to do best when we have somewhere to go rather than staying home all day long. Not sure how that's going to work once we start schooling again this fall. . .</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are a few things we have learned about Amelia since we've been home:</div><div><ul><li>She's hungry often, and it's best not to make her wait too long to eat!</li><li>She is still unsure of grass, trees, and flowers. I don't think she saw any of these in China.</li><li>She tolerates the dog now, unless Sugar is under her chair while she's eating.</li><li>She says a few words, half in English (mama, dada, no, Amelia) and half in Mandarin (brother, sister, dog) and babbles a lot.</li><li>She loves shoes but will not tolerate hair bows or jewelry.</li><li>She doesn't much like the swimming pool.</li><li>She LOVES strawberry milk. When she gets one you would think she hadn't had liquid for days!</li><li>She likes to be tickled.</li><li>She likes to play in the bath tub, but not necessarily to be washed.</li></ul><div>Here are a few pictures from the past few days. Enjoy!</div></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAAinCeUwMQll5JpBwcLP_BBpKBS1-a88HfbLCewat85XQDg8o2DCUIMcwkIjjxTxtc4OosOL992VpSEpTelSaefvnaCXuQeJE2dIpB9EWnfWcUEoY_Z65GhX4psjySoErREBWrETCJA/s320/IMG_2677.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625322891335511954" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">Amelia LOVED the Old Settlers' Days parade in Metamora.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpY3aNgjSlXAhVYnHLPimm_2Awl4NV4O0vozqTaVJv7gCAoIHKaTJHdUk8iU4mGYql1jY83A8ipKJv-50gy1HIQjfm8bid8legqPzE199m9_nRi2O6pZAIgweFHeSqGkCYb6_7xqOLuY/s320/IMG_2675.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625322883086926466" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YSJ0H_5sg3c2EcS8Kh9IyXxzAuiQHZM7bIOykSzrcpk4z10azbIGFSgwrcvJZcNekSpShJ1QAu0oz1GTkdrNYItxodPIHm5hgzrOL8QjkmUKlckWgqYVbPtxwH4HTX7-fTsW3OBhYFk/s320/IMG_2734.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625322878547611954" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">Ready for church</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1u_oZtaSzx74OwZ_wJqnHxybibhSBJxXe7O2XfQ5PlRdCezpjhsMyZB7Ka-LiuQWHL2p73widEhQywlWdt8-mjPHMHD_AvTZQ_9x_5gMswHiVJB0Q2kK4Dadb-OMMPvqPtz1Ux4v49g/s320/IMG_2737.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625322874000919698" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">Our three fire crackers!</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-23055236104822155242011-06-27T08:28:00.000-07:002011-06-27T08:37:26.447-07:00Homecoming Pictures<div>Here are a few pictures of our arrival in Peoria, with thanks to our dear friend Lisa S!</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfP3tuJXMfEOPN8Hwdtzd8sst3NYNXfhx8qgk2Cq0n4qINeNGbYmxXrovr3BC26YyXjSEnR-6VSdz5Ux8npYL2qkOcuzHoz1gZZVn0RjsIANXRKVZLcuDPqEstDhUxkv-3fUz67rXzls/s1600/IMG_3213.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfP3tuJXMfEOPN8Hwdtzd8sst3NYNXfhx8qgk2Cq0n4qINeNGbYmxXrovr3BC26YyXjSEnR-6VSdz5Ux8npYL2qkOcuzHoz1gZZVn0RjsIANXRKVZLcuDPqEstDhUxkv-3fUz67rXzls/s320/IMG_3213.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622922850926020354" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Family and friends waiting to meet us!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5QI49jaUkBDWdGLEDKd5Ol9WVxG2QotC30g3oIty3VbpZDbhHHLPwCaPNOrGesE4h8fW-z0ZZjTNe0TGWBFbq1I8q4lIwpStJuxRYMPxufvM0UVtEkQxxsLciUouvEFyNyxMViC94tI/s1600/IMG_3217.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5QI49jaUkBDWdGLEDKd5Ol9WVxG2QotC30g3oIty3VbpZDbhHHLPwCaPNOrGesE4h8fW-z0ZZjTNe0TGWBFbq1I8q4lIwpStJuxRYMPxufvM0UVtEkQxxsLciUouvEFyNyxMViC94tI/s320/IMG_3217.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622922838647248562" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">It was so nice to be so warmly welcomed home!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVc50aRKjNBjcOzJVW7DsLWgN061qsP4dhr6NDfrpr09thoZR1ou6rVfT_4xUApR9zkW7zCKvHbm05xGQM7vo8GylwritkLEU8wTvHAAhq5Y710rxOD57Mc5AeXRc9U_rktClersvYv_Q/s1600/IMG_3231.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVc50aRKjNBjcOzJVW7DsLWgN061qsP4dhr6NDfrpr09thoZR1ou6rVfT_4xUApR9zkW7zCKvHbm05xGQM7vo8GylwritkLEU8wTvHAAhq5Y710rxOD57Mc5AeXRc9U_rktClersvYv_Q/s320/IMG_3231.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622922828489126818" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Our new American citizen, taking it all in.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47-KM-1NgghfKeoc4Mt-n78w9NhcnmvFYWp00O-TnTtTMnkA4Aia-jadXARo2MyCEqW9US_1livJSsTqGcfbpowdpPsEHUejpSXxy0NSN8ha-Y2npYr-5zywPkskRZvt_ryDdO5zVL6o/s1600/IMG_3218.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47-KM-1NgghfKeoc4Mt-n78w9NhcnmvFYWp00O-TnTtTMnkA4Aia-jadXARo2MyCEqW9US_1livJSsTqGcfbpowdpPsEHUejpSXxy0NSN8ha-Y2npYr-5zywPkskRZvt_ryDdO5zVL6o/s320/IMG_3218.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622922820750565634" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth wore a shirt that said "jie jie" (big sister) and Evan's said "ge ge" (big brother). Amelia's shirt said "Made in China."</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz70F-WW-y031F429JlolQwBOvhCgRhwTifqCoR4MycaXCY0IOWnPxyy5aqsHLcPhuLrV_CBVRgk0YHDjvWKc12RHb1cohuw-JocmiJSgbSM_uvl_PhsPKRt5DEsFF1fsulzINrGdRmcg/s1600/IMG_3224.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz70F-WW-y031F429JlolQwBOvhCgRhwTifqCoR4MycaXCY0IOWnPxyy5aqsHLcPhuLrV_CBVRgk0YHDjvWKc12RHb1cohuw-JocmiJSgbSM_uvl_PhsPKRt5DEsFF1fsulzINrGdRmcg/s320/IMG_3224.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622922817747802114" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Our sweet girl!</div><div><br /></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-6750145183894887302011-06-21T17:41:00.000-07:002011-06-21T18:18:58.417-07:00It's good to be home!<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2RF5GLjEJaFreFKfnli6kuA4JjZNOnGUKG2W9cFBnqi4Y8EpZOzaJqc1Gzox0jIH3luv5dLvk-22vR4AdSBiqYStK-mmllKrrJDZlZwGhdR63HPJCYM0PToNRr_MNBlpKCt2dwEbHi4/s320/IMG_2629.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620846450576370706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">on the train to Hong Kong</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnCFm-edxIhwn_63bCF6lNTq7sIXVaQ4_R25xwfJooekc9KAxQ8vNhUqRVPkxYHAV_wsErzRnrxnj-9I21eK3O556x6xVSib_wMRygiCuQxOnIowicYYyl-vpD7H1_aQgNK2aDHHMOwc/s1600/IMG_2639.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnCFm-edxIhwn_63bCF6lNTq7sIXVaQ4_R25xwfJooekc9KAxQ8vNhUqRVPkxYHAV_wsErzRnrxnj-9I21eK3O556x6xVSib_wMRygiCuQxOnIowicYYyl-vpD7H1_aQgNK2aDHHMOwc/s320/IMG_2639.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620846461525365698" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">the LONG flight to Chicago</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC41T5tdaDCGLz_BKe3CztMFcbwwlDa7eebHbCB32HHCkKJnE1wlwtDyxCw6WYH0Y5u5Efzxm2qzEVC0KrFT4gC6zQ6ITnnz20aFmcdZ7XBOYzmLxuPI3KQkZs3Sw1T1XH5mtu4a8DPXs/s1600/IMG_2636.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC41T5tdaDCGLz_BKe3CztMFcbwwlDa7eebHbCB32HHCkKJnE1wlwtDyxCw6WYH0Y5u5Efzxm2qzEVC0KrFT4gC6zQ6ITnnz20aFmcdZ7XBOYzmLxuPI3KQkZs3Sw1T1XH5mtu4a8DPXs/s320/IMG_2636.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620846456898038482" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">only 7779 miles to go!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>It is so nice to be home again! We are settling in and beginning to figure our days and nights out. It's wonderful to be able to drink water from the tap, to eat fruits and vegetables, and to sleep in our own beds. Our wonderful care group from church had stocked our fridge for us with lots of yummy things, and we have been receiving meals from our Sunday school class. We are very blessed to have such a wonderful church family!<div><br /></div><div>It seems as though many people have the same questions, so in case you're wondering, I'll answer some of them here.</div><div><br /></div><div>1. How is Amelia adjusting?</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>She is doing very well overall. She had a horrible night Friday night -- she was up for the better part of the night crying inconsolably. We think she figured out that this is the last stop and that she's not going back to her orphanage. It didn't seem to matter what we did or even if we were in the room with her. We tried everything; she just didn't want us. It was miserable for all of us. We have been trying to stay awake during the day to recover from jet lag, but when you can't sleep at night either it's pretty rough! Thankfully, that seems to have been her one bad night. Since then she has been sleeping really well. She is playful and active and smiley during the days, especially here at home. She gets shy and won't smile when we're in new situations or around new people. She also doesn't like to smile when we have the camera out! Developmentally she seems to be doing well. She babbles a lot and has said mama, dada, and Amelia. She can go up the stairs easily but doesn't know how to go down. We can tell that she hasn't been read to. She doesn't know what to do with books and pushes them shut when we try to read to her. We'll keep working on that!</div><div><br /></div><div>2. How are the other kids doing?</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It seems that our immune systems may be a bit compromised due to all the travel, as Evan and Elizabeth have both been sick in the last couple of days. Evan woke up with a fever and sore throat over the weekend, and Elizabeth has been feeling poorly and sleeping all day today. It took Amelia a few days to warm up to them, which was especially hard on Elizabeth. She felt a little rejected and thought she wasn't being a good sister. Now that Amelia enjoys them more, things are going better. Elizabeth likes sharing her room so far.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. What about Amelia's special need?</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>She was born with clubbed feet, which have already been corrected. She looks a little bow-legged, which we will ask her doctor about next week, but she walks fine and doesn't seem to have any trouble. We are thankful that her need seems to be so very minor!</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, things are going very well, and we are so thankful! I think the most challenging thing now is knowing how to balance meeting Amelia's need for bonding and attachment with our need not to let a toddler dominate our home. We are teaching her what "no" means while making sure she feels loved and safe. It's impossible to know whether some of her behaviors are adoption related or just stem from being a toddler! Please pray for wisdom for us as we set boundaries for her while helping her feel secure and loved.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-41643518490680747672011-06-17T19:59:00.000-07:002011-06-17T20:29:59.848-07:00Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. And a boat.<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Well, we're home! I'm feeling the effects of jet lag tonight, but here's a quick update. I hope it makes sense! Our last evening in Guangzhou we went on a dragon boat cruise of the Pearl River with some other Holt families. It was amazing and one of the highlights of our trip. The boat was beautiful, and our guide made arrangements so that we could sit on the top deck. The buildings and bridges are all lit up, and we cruised past Guangzhou Tower, which is the tallest building in China. The lights on the tower change color and it is so cool to watch!<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqulmTUmlohsDhRslfOsa_VEvvXDYBv0ZUPh-e4Dey3cCFovp8Sqv8Wgfnb4doMH7jTr4XbsCCExTKllNKQe1qdqzrp7OllLZ1QK9gtZ7KFLK4CMVN4-zyalNo_LxVZSLznyWdjoCGHn0/s320/IMG_2600.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619396520886680482" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2hKPHboQcejPRJXL0OwXge-EsO29hMujsz3gJMXKF35Ff6Bnb5vQdjp5MJc0HFkRslX20yzd21-KhdPyuMzGxv42yxqbHh7fM9SRGaS4FHd0HvQRXmTo649fAuU58L1ft3UCqT9hJPU/s320/IMG_2536.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619396502594041634" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKXPHPzl4EjTnpbXNdPTLwWUN45yw8FyzkY8WgIPL9r9WvsbA43r3WlJ68enSn74YWzyURyrhQSxzhL_3v0kJucBw3bC01LTUVOzgJCh_HxSfXtYR9N9KvCBp-KU1TxGiNMwDKFRuYaw/s320/IMG_2590.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619396511733219730" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><div>Wednesday morning we packed everything (again), spent the last of our Chinese money, and ate lunch at the Deli Shop near the White Swan hotel. They have amazing ham and cheese buns -- we ate them two days in a row! We met our guide at 3:00 and drove by the US Consulate to pick up Amelia's passport with visa on the way to the train station. Praise the Lord that it was ready on time with no problems. We got to the train station plenty early and waited with our guide. She was very helpful with buying our tickets, arranging for a porter to help with our luggage, and telling us what to do when it was time to board the train. We had to go through customs and immigration since we were leaving mainland China for Hong Kong. The train ride was pleasant, and we arrived in Hong Kong around 8:00. Another guide met us at the station, helped us with our bags, and had a van to take us to the Regal Airport Hotel. Wow! This was by far the nicest hotel we stayed in; too bad we were only there for twelve hours. The rooms were huge and it smelled fresh and clean -- a nice change after the musty feeling of our hotel in Guangzhou.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday morning we walked from the hotel through an enclosed walkway to the airport. We had decided a couple of days before to purchase a ticket for Amelia, and the very helpful United agent moved all of our seats so we could all sit together. We are so glad we had that extra seat, because Amelia slept about half of the fourteen-hour flight in it! Once again, it was L-O-N-G, but everyone traveled well, and we made it to Chicago! As soon as the plane landed, Amelia became a US citizen. We had to go through immigration, customs, hand over her visa packet, go through security, and Mark had to check in for the last flight because of some computer error in Hong Kong that wouldn't let him check in for both flights at once. We made it to our gate with just enough time to grab some dinner. All three kids slept on the flight to Peoria.</div><div><br /></div><div>What a welcome sight it was to see many family and friends there to greet us! We are so thankful for our church's orphan ministry and for the support we have had all along this journey! It was a blessing to be met with signs, balloons, hugs, and smiles from so many people! We got to our own sweet home around 7:30, approximately 24 hours after beginning the trip. Amelia loved exploring the house and even climbed our whole staircase by herself. She evidently had not seen grass before, as she resolutely refused to walk on it and cried when we tried to set her down in it! </div><div><br /></div><div>We are so grateful to the Lord for how smoothly everything went during our trip. We had NO problems at all with travel, connections, finding our various guides, any paperwork, or sickness. Praise God, and THANK YOU to all who prayed for us so faithfully! It was a great experience, and now we are happy to be home again!</div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-191400772987356422011-06-13T23:42:00.000-07:002011-06-14T00:04:24.449-07:00Consulate appointment<div>This morning Mark, Amelia, and I got up bright and early for our appointment at the US Consulate. We had to apply for Amelia's visa, which will be issued tomorrow, and then we can come home! Because we are staying at the Victory Hotel, we were on our own for transportation to the consulate, so our agency helped us book a car through the hotel. Everything was going smoothly and I was just feeling thankful that we were in a private car with Amelia sleeping on my shoulder. And then, about five minutes before we arrived at the consulate, she threw up. All over me and herself. And just as we got our wits about us and realized what was going on, the second wave came. We tried to mop ourselves off with baby wipes and got a little panicked as we saw she had blessed the inside of the rented car as well. We think she was just car sick, as she has seemed fine ever since. But just let me say that there will be no more strawberry milk around here anytime soon! So feeling yucky and wet, we made it to the consulate appointment. There were twelve families at the 8:30 appointment. We took an oath as a group saying that all our paperwork was true and then they called each family up to a window to sign one last form. That was it! We rode back to the hotel in the same car, which thankfully the driver had cleaned up while we were gone, tipped the poor man, and showered immediately.</div><div><br /></div><div>We did a bit more shopping, and I think we are all done now. The question has become whether or not we need to buy an extra suitcase to get it all home! Amelia is napping right now, and I have an "exit meeting" to go to soon. Tonight we are planning on taking a cruise on the Pearl River with our Holt group, and tomorrow we prepare to come home.</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPuS3irGBYDWhC32PZaMKonIls8rj-zjaM5Q4fbnUktWyZ7fBIETwiN0pn2Hm0ZklAbRqmWirf8S9zPLUjoYQHugbSD3hyokksmixvWlJSU7l-ko7k3Gv2AJQUYq5fbRVmVZJ1-3wNMU/s1600/IMG_2524.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPuS3irGBYDWhC32PZaMKonIls8rj-zjaM5Q4fbnUktWyZ7fBIETwiN0pn2Hm0ZklAbRqmWirf8S9zPLUjoYQHugbSD3hyokksmixvWlJSU7l-ko7k3Gv2AJQUYq5fbRVmVZJ1-3wNMU/s320/IMG_2524.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617962969226510098" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">sleepy girl</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJl1Uc_nBrxbl9a4Etj1sLD0ezvXZ9TTNnl9Hg-vT1rcUStKFMq6E5Hx0JUHR35pdglJR34DcmBT-mXkv28WNReL5RwMgH-_wDOJQI1L8TImRMSFvfmAfhZASITzSftggeGZkB8-Jr5Q/s1600/IMG_2523.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJl1Uc_nBrxbl9a4Etj1sLD0ezvXZ9TTNnl9Hg-vT1rcUStKFMq6E5Hx0JUHR35pdglJR34DcmBT-mXkv28WNReL5RwMgH-_wDOJQI1L8TImRMSFvfmAfhZASITzSftggeGZkB8-Jr5Q/s320/IMG_2523.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617962966856481362" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">beautiful Shamian island</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tB64nEWhG5noFxgKGxD06rzEhoeJUx1pnq78o-fx0l1oIRWMfkvhpGyRE8t7JuicGTUXxr7tbWRd9gi-6G0yvEVLvrZBguPZqPWtXfR0uZMTVxLYgpWDIiT-f_X_Yo0HCtqHs_Osd74/s1600/IMG_2521.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tB64nEWhG5noFxgKGxD06rzEhoeJUx1pnq78o-fx0l1oIRWMfkvhpGyRE8t7JuicGTUXxr7tbWRd9gi-6G0yvEVLvrZBguPZqPWtXfR0uZMTVxLYgpWDIiT-f_X_Yo0HCtqHs_Osd74/s320/IMG_2521.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617962952001974658" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">one of many bridal couples we have seen getting their pictures taken</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lh4Uit2CQe2lYpmxDZaiJaQaOmWkw-ZDBGajSmHPXV-gkMXn2y0u2_t1gYZmHcY_tUydHs8DO19gbJD_3kLHaPjEzQEtqxbvADxfhYhB8XLPeMJAAOS6BF5HJmKmwIZrdjpGxjRerIw/s1600/IMG_2520.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lh4Uit2CQe2lYpmxDZaiJaQaOmWkw-ZDBGajSmHPXV-gkMXn2y0u2_t1gYZmHcY_tUydHs8DO19gbJD_3kLHaPjEzQEtqxbvADxfhYhB8XLPeMJAAOS6BF5HJmKmwIZrdjpGxjRerIw/s320/IMG_2520.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617962947729911138" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">some of the many shops on the island</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-34032455969793866862011-06-13T06:34:00.000-07:002011-06-13T06:35:00.160-07:00Safari Park<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GhWWj9w4D6eUa4zboCkc3ruszWnFw3Q-teLuP8877PttWw0hpRXcKAld7omER1B7yf1mMLgorPmJkRywaC5T3ve9NjbgZsmlqhHSpSiMaaZlD1D0xXpZj7YVWyTab79MGnnFiAzm_DA/s1600/IMG_2368-700161.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GhWWj9w4D6eUa4zboCkc3ruszWnFw3Q-teLuP8877PttWw0hpRXcKAld7omER1B7yf1mMLgorPmJkRywaC5T3ve9NjbgZsmlqhHSpSiMaaZlD1D0xXpZj7YVWyTab79MGnnFiAzm_DA/s320/IMG_2368-700161.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617697396595780098" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6KEu4B-QZpZUbG1qWAO3e8T34FwkrDzIzdFeH_eB3jFG0DVw40rdh3BrCt9uBnD33QkkKyVQUpRq6kX9fcEDHTab_IbWpgOQdXPdMIkueUVa8viqzo7jCNJaWnfR5A0HstJFaNHlvw4/s1600/IMG_2406-701377.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6KEu4B-QZpZUbG1qWAO3e8T34FwkrDzIzdFeH_eB3jFG0DVw40rdh3BrCt9uBnD33QkkKyVQUpRq6kX9fcEDHTab_IbWpgOQdXPdMIkueUVa8viqzo7jCNJaWnfR5A0HstJFaNHlvw4/s320/IMG_2406-701377.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617697484202613570" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtvAu5v6KfPEIT2IOf6E0M4cEeLAABrwaE22aXaNhb5mVk9q5RJEEW9nv-l2uJjkoLaQlsCAKKtFAa4xwBd05NHBpaJyzg01-xmKaCmrqep-9Ez8lkC3ljl3uyE5I_rHYFjRp3BFqNLY/s1600/IMG_2439-722693.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtvAu5v6KfPEIT2IOf6E0M4cEeLAABrwaE22aXaNhb5mVk9q5RJEEW9nv-l2uJjkoLaQlsCAKKtFAa4xwBd05NHBpaJyzg01-xmKaCmrqep-9Ez8lkC3ljl3uyE5I_rHYFjRp3BFqNLY/s320/IMG_2439-722693.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617697495063223314" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrZlzj7HW8fOQpiGDMSq4f3sZeYYoIzQKkQ9aCwf0y0rYyXgsgsk8Mq6H7D7dOtYRWKwQugazNv8IbZptZTZ8Okp-W_5Ln-i64J-oXPZ8wL7Nxwa-Jhvd_PCExutN3uAXwEdqTDjpRlk/s1600/IMG_2467-724107.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrZlzj7HW8fOQpiGDMSq4f3sZeYYoIzQKkQ9aCwf0y0rYyXgsgsk8Mq6H7D7dOtYRWKwQugazNv8IbZptZTZ8Okp-W_5Ln-i64J-oXPZ8wL7Nxwa-Jhvd_PCExutN3uAXwEdqTDjpRlk/s320/IMG_2467-724107.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617697497728800002" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLeIByE_fg1xD8gUfk1Ir1UW3tK0Vahr2uITsjd-jIMg6fqM2JTbtqiwMDNwZwSEpA6qWDMSbmLn4n2aBWivelPhKWkZIxgiKq6VXPHmWYwKWBtokqpsEEjDwCcIm-7mjDvTiX-YOJZs/s1600/IMG_2513-725945.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLeIByE_fg1xD8gUfk1Ir1UW3tK0Vahr2uITsjd-jIMg6fqM2JTbtqiwMDNwZwSEpA6qWDMSbmLn4n2aBWivelPhKWkZIxgiKq6VXPHmWYwKWBtokqpsEEjDwCcIm-7mjDvTiX-YOJZs/s320/IMG_2513-725945.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617697507691167314" /></a></p><div style="font-family:'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div>We spent the day today at the safari park here is Guangzhou. It was great! The park is so big -- we didn't have time to see all the animals in the five or six hours we were there. We started by taking a trolley ride through part of the park. The animals are very close to the trolley and easy to see. The funniest thing was the camels; there were six or eight of them chasing each other around in circles! I'd never seen camels running before, but it was worth the trip! After the trolley ride we walked through the other part of the park and saw the elephant and tiger shows. The kids all enjoyed the park, and it was a great way to spend the day.</div><div><br></div><div>The weather has really been pretty nice. It's not as hot as we had feared since there has been some rain, but it is SO humid here. The sheets on the bed feel damp all the time, even with the AC on. There is a somewhat musty smell everywhere, and our allergies are beginning to act up. </div><div><br></div><div>Amelia is still doing well. She does great all day and doesn't like it when either of us are out of her sight, which is a good sign that she is bonding with us. She will even let me hold her when Mark is around, which is a big change from a couple of days ago. The last two nights she has had a harder time falling asleep and has woken up in the night crying. We think that as she is beginning to attach to us she is more afraid of us not being there when she wakes. We're trying to help her through this however we can. We have to remember that she has only been with us for six days, and she really is doing amazingly well. During the day she is happy, giggly, and fun. And she is SMART. Twice now she has followed directions we have given her in English, and she has said "Amelia" a couple of times. She has a couple of orphanage behaviors that we need to work on (hitting, for one) but overall she is very well-behaved. She can sit patiently in a high chair with nothing to entertain her for an impressively long time!</div><div><br></div><div>We are still having some internet trouble, but I'm going to try to attach a few pictures from today. We are ready to come home!</div><div style="position:fixed"></div> </div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-46369218657688855512011-06-13T06:19:00.001-07:002011-06-13T06:19:48.783-07:00Pearl market pictures<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFu1KzyauXGaNxE7vaEQQrjXx5wMU0Uv0lQqJlU7E4ccTLrnXO1wv1TW1tt-cXS-RYWuJXCg7299WG0pe5S8PaBqiq2Pi9Jbu0mr3YMGlsoG0RiKMvOsTTRpWKbHuJf0XNbD6quKHNqs/s1600/IMG_2318-788784.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFu1KzyauXGaNxE7vaEQQrjXx5wMU0Uv0lQqJlU7E4ccTLrnXO1wv1TW1tt-cXS-RYWuJXCg7299WG0pe5S8PaBqiq2Pi9Jbu0mr3YMGlsoG0RiKMvOsTTRpWKbHuJf0XNbD6quKHNqs/s320/IMG_2318-788784.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617693483095725570" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvACVf38jdDyXH_ECCaaYK0zjOIRmeMquShuerl0J_YbkutdNP3o9wOSkyrSIBwXDoasDTbDMTLk7wt-dYwrwf6MIikUK7jt-z0kZQRddcbDvEdV-ZE62IryszS5-VbcvI7RfIU9c24d0/s1600/IMG_2319-792808.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvACVf38jdDyXH_ECCaaYK0zjOIRmeMquShuerl0J_YbkutdNP3o9wOSkyrSIBwXDoasDTbDMTLk7wt-dYwrwf6MIikUK7jt-z0kZQRddcbDvEdV-ZE62IryszS5-VbcvI7RfIU9c24d0/s320/IMG_2319-792808.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617693501525399378" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1FiqoNwXP2o0g3Id1r54fJUa2vbnC1P_s5_6kwozLgClgAuK39swrjAuUhxeCrhvFUrb1W9WW2_x7P3tyv2z-Il2cXcht2mtj3RLra1yWj0OXwl1aXKCIto4gx1VleP1CwcQ1MHkAwk/s1600/IMG_2320-795067.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1FiqoNwXP2o0g3Id1r54fJUa2vbnC1P_s5_6kwozLgClgAuK39swrjAuUhxeCrhvFUrb1W9WW2_x7P3tyv2z-Il2cXcht2mtj3RLra1yWj0OXwl1aXKCIto4gx1VleP1CwcQ1MHkAwk/s320/IMG_2320-795067.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617693509744209618" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQj0v3bUqMD5F7gMOzH1M0F8EixBnW9Dds99Q-KJPVPuwokQhH2NBBBOAxlCjojyukKugPOpdr85yU3F64uDDlCq3xp6An71XIKxOwTVFWGovpQ3anT03aMH4wXo-vgFC0or8Mq0Jq1A/s1600/IMG_2324-798068.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQj0v3bUqMD5F7gMOzH1M0F8EixBnW9Dds99Q-KJPVPuwokQhH2NBBBOAxlCjojyukKugPOpdr85yU3F64uDDlCq3xp6An71XIKxOwTVFWGovpQ3anT03aMH4wXo-vgFC0or8Mq0Jq1A/s320/IMG_2324-798068.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617693519770241842" /></a></p><div style="font-family:'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div>Here are some pictures from yesterday. Two are from our trip to the pearl market, and the other two are just too cute not to share!</div><div style="position:fixed"></div> </div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-81815513006817820622011-06-12T05:26:00.001-07:002011-06-12T05:27:00.217-07:00Jade and Pearl markets<div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><DIV>This will be a short post today. We have been having trouble accessing the internet at all from our laptop, so I am using the computer that came with the hotel room. (?!) I can't upload pictures to this computer, but hopefully we'll be able to figure something out tomorrow. Maybe our laptop will work from Starbucks? </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>We went to the jade market and pearl market this afternoon with our Holt group. It was crazy. We found some beautiful things and were able to do pretty well bargaining on the prices. But I've never seen anything like it before. The jade market was like a huge flea market, only everyone was selling the same things. It was hot and smoky, but worth a trip anyway. The pearl market is basically a six-story shopping mall filled with only jewelry stores -- pearls, silver, colored beads, etc. We bought Elizabeth and Amelia each a strand of pearls for when they are older. We chose the pearls we liked, and the girls in the store strung them while we waited. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>We went to a Thai restaurant for dinner called Cow and Bridge. We waited a long time (which seems to be the norm here) but the food was excellent. Again, there were many things on the menu that in my opinion shouldn't be classified as food, but we all found something that was tasty and not scary.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Tomorrow if the weather is nice we are going to go with the other Holt families to the Safari park. This is something our kids have been looking forward to, so I hope we are able to go. We are all getting ready to be home. We miss the food, especially fruits and vegetables. I am very tired of not knowing where anything is and trying to live out of five suitcases and seven carry-on bags. Please pray that we will finish our time here well and with good attitudes. Please pray also for our flight home. We didn't buy a seat for Amelia, and it's going to be a LONG ride home. Right now there is a seat next to our five that is open. We would be so thankful if it stayed that way so we would have a little room to spread out. Good night from Guangzhou!</DIV></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-53841115560748324652011-06-11T04:33:00.001-07:002011-06-11T04:36:56.871-07:00A few more pictures<div>Here are a few more pictures of our girl. They were taken in the playroom in Wuhan.</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xbjR584d3VKasvYTHBCANKUCzXR0GwO7v5y5Bd63PPdhnFo-EfERmrM_kTanNgnX3xm-aQkvhBRW2ZBWTIdkwE36rym1rsD6QoCKi1mrWuk-2inKbrogcnm8VGK2Hb3aKyZRDoc4DYA/s1600/IMG_2290.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xbjR584d3VKasvYTHBCANKUCzXR0GwO7v5y5Bd63PPdhnFo-EfERmrM_kTanNgnX3xm-aQkvhBRW2ZBWTIdkwE36rym1rsD6QoCKi1mrWuk-2inKbrogcnm8VGK2Hb3aKyZRDoc4DYA/s320/IMG_2290.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616924594038337186" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7zksyWTqGZ9qSip_2vcnnhpCOz855sax4Qp9vOKeuUty0ckvf0vGvfFFEvA6B6Y35W4cdQUb2cSKuHtOTibVe2GZs5KnVBxYBFCMGoWhSnjyrorYvUqoG2pBDHs3yzG4cdq93sTMuIo/s1600/IMG_2288.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7zksyWTqGZ9qSip_2vcnnhpCOz855sax4Qp9vOKeuUty0ckvf0vGvfFFEvA6B6Y35W4cdQUb2cSKuHtOTibVe2GZs5KnVBxYBFCMGoWhSnjyrorYvUqoG2pBDHs3yzG4cdq93sTMuIo/s320/IMG_2288.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616924588581203890" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyR-O_YwxwwCzHgheQ5bTSfzvM7tor61VQ3JV2J77928597D87hKRxgqgetdfcpG9Euqww96BdASMPp5ThFD6tZS3T0IqeOPUwQPVbyNi1sxb3RbeqxMIL1qr46sYTdDM8JYzbLUx2kw/s1600/IMG_2285.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyR-O_YwxwwCzHgheQ5bTSfzvM7tor61VQ3JV2J77928597D87hKRxgqgetdfcpG9Euqww96BdASMPp5ThFD6tZS3T0IqeOPUwQPVbyNi1sxb3RbeqxMIL1qr46sYTdDM8JYzbLUx2kw/s320/IMG_2285.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616924585791136338" /></a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-16394535666082205122011-06-11T04:08:00.001-07:002011-06-11T04:32:06.232-07:00Guangzhou Day 1<div>Yesterday was a long day. We spent the morning getting everything packed again and headed down to the hotel restaurant to have lunch. We decided to take a chance and ordered "American hamburgers." They came eventually and looked wonderful. However, upon first bite we realized that they were barely cooked. Nearly raw inside. And we were the only ones in the restaurant, which meant there were at least six very attentive wait staff waiting anxiously to see how we liked everything. Pleasing us is VERY important to all of the hotel staff we have encountered. We were able to communicate that we had wanted the meat "well done" and they took our plates back to the chef. Shortly thereafter, we got them back again. The same ones, cooked just a little bit more. By this time, it was time for us to check out and be ready to leave for the airport, so we each took a couple of tentative bites and left the rest, thankful we would not be returning for another meal.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our guide was waiting for us, so we quickly checked out and headed back to the Civil Affairs office where we picked up Amelia's passport and a few other important papers. She slept through the whole time there. I was glad that she didn't have to wonder why we were going back to the place where her nannies left her. We got to the airport, checked in, and found that our flight was delayed. We finally took off at 7:45 and arrived in Guangzhou around 9:15. After claiming our luggage, finding our guide, and driving to the hotel it was very late and all the kids were exhausted. The adults were, too! But our hotel here has soft beds, so we had a good night's sleep.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4dC0wLP7k3jN5TiXS4oopOPCcZvyN5twELcVWv-XHGIW48NcQQEFxjcihMlCnzaw74l_64d3RvOZcIJoBAibdgrc5-41cWxkhHZX1qJ_CKtoj3KNzmvCGMQ190VbxSCKoBQdhnvucBI/s320/IMG_2300.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616918405649903698" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">Amelia's first plane ride. She did well, as long as Daddy was holding her.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">We are loving Guangzhou! We are staying at the Victory Hotel (west building, for anyone making travel plans soon), and it is very nice. It feels smaller and quieter than the other places we have been. We have a balcony, and there is a Starbucks just around the corner. The bathroom is huge, with a separate shower and deep tub. The hotel is located on Shamian Island, a very small island that caters much to adopting families. It is so nice to be able to walk around without worrying about being run over! This little island used to belong to the British, so the architecture is quite different than the rest of China.</span></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeez2TphcIBoxgdslRZ1-euLaY8zRi2mpPhlvf81YC9Wau3Rw7JdCPWTIPJnT-hgdrOVr_p8nm1utsvJ_9S9cmyPgOapxoMmAJbNO96CIuHi6sL1z1Ryjs3HO7PUiBnmzmKQNXhsaSP0Y/s1600/IMG_2312.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeez2TphcIBoxgdslRZ1-euLaY8zRi2mpPhlvf81YC9Wau3Rw7JdCPWTIPJnT-hgdrOVr_p8nm1utsvJ_9S9cmyPgOapxoMmAJbNO96CIuHi6sL1z1Ryjs3HO7PUiBnmzmKQNXhsaSP0Y/s320/IMG_2312.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616918439451743330" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAHrz863xE5xEh5FGt6Nlvna9NgUi6NbL0o8aRdR2sK3A2dt1Uld7iGtdTO_7kgDll3oCHNVPUcd5m-PxNAtM3TtmoulZ3ZorG5-_Mj6Qe-f6Fi_OyU9CRRpfdILTbUf_7VA1Gkcapow/s1600/IMG_2306.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAHrz863xE5xEh5FGt6Nlvna9NgUi6NbL0o8aRdR2sK3A2dt1Uld7iGtdTO_7kgDll3oCHNVPUcd5m-PxNAtM3TtmoulZ3ZorG5-_Mj6Qe-f6Fi_OyU9CRRpfdILTbUf_7VA1Gkcapow/s320/IMG_2306.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616918430384798706" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;">One of many statues on the island</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Amelia had her medical examination this morning that she needs to get her US visa. The clinic was not crowded today, and it really didn't take long at all. They checked her height and weight, ears, nose and throat, and did a brief exam. She passed with no problems and was very good.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFuysReVN0WiO0yYuZKrVRlhHuyt9Vx9Fqdk7PciwzjrfS64U3QoTel4Pyeckyptu5ODbrC4Im59efJy6zNPS93-JdntwQ8mEGJAzgGPhjB5CNp2mI2Hy27KK_HwVUY6xLYo50Svy910/s1600/IMG_2303.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFuysReVN0WiO0yYuZKrVRlhHuyt9Vx9Fqdk7PciwzjrfS64U3QoTel4Pyeckyptu5ODbrC4Im59efJy6zNPS93-JdntwQ8mEGJAzgGPhjB5CNp2mI2Hy27KK_HwVUY6xLYo50Svy910/s320/IMG_2303.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616918420648796658" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_F9P0fErUwvNcecDV8TTZbY6XJDpq4frz_CMyYZ9SDy4FEquD83iBTAdaymkjpq_cfMZa5xbQhIOv12BgWADQsNkX2iI2k1pDJW2kPp1hMIyAeA9r-5BKeP6qOBaZh8LxdRtdSPmcz58/s1600/IMG_2302.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_F9P0fErUwvNcecDV8TTZbY6XJDpq4frz_CMyYZ9SDy4FEquD83iBTAdaymkjpq_cfMZa5xbQhIOv12BgWADQsNkX2iI2k1pDJW2kPp1hMIyAeA9r-5BKeP6qOBaZh8LxdRtdSPmcz58/s320/IMG_2302.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616918413658524994" /></a>Tomorrow we will be going to the pearl and jade markets with our Holt group in the afternoon. Otherwise we have a free day. We did some shopping today and plan to do more tomorrow. Amelia continues to do well. She never did have a major grieving spell; she has just become less and less quiet and shy. Today she has been giggling and smiling at all of us, and once when she saw me in the hotel hallway she came running to me with her arms up. God is good!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-36101180740337650822011-06-09T19:18:00.000-07:002011-06-09T19:36:58.731-07:00We have giggles!<div>We are finally seeing a happy girl! Last night in the tub she was playing with stacking cups and all of a sudden made a little giggle. After that it was like we had a different girl! Not only is she happier, she is eating better and seems stronger already. The first day we had her she was very wobbly and could hardly stand herself up from the floor. Last night she was practically running between the two hotel rooms and getting up and down easily. Praise God that she is doing better so soon!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FLbyr0n3qtQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><div><br /></div><div>We leave this evening for Guangzhou, and we will be glad to get there. We have tried hard to really enjoy our time in Amelia's province, but it will be nice not to be the only Westerners anywhere to be seen. People look at us and try to figure us out. You can tell that they kind of understand the white family with the Asian baby, but then they see Evan. . . and don't have any idea what to do with that! Our next hotel is said to have softer beds also, which will be nice. The ones here are pretty much like sleeping on the floor. We brought pool rafts to put on the beds which has helped some, but it's still not quite right. I'm off to finish packing. We leave at 2:00 to pick up Amelia's passport and then head to the airport.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-80149049242732686812011-06-09T02:10:00.000-07:002011-06-09T02:32:10.879-07:00Yellow Crane Tower<div style="text-align: left;">Before I get to today, I need to write about our dinner experience last night. With directions from our guide, we started out for a walk to a Pizza Hut. We finally saw the sign, but apparently the restaurant is being renovated, because it looked completely destroyed inside. We must have looked hungry, because someone outside handed us a brochure for another restaurant inside this shopping mall we were in front of. We finally found it, and we were greeted at the door by a very friendly young lady who spoke a little English. We were quite the attraction being Westerners. We were seated in a private banquet room that said "VIP" over the door. Amelia was so good. She sat up on a big chair the whole time without making a fuss. The menu was huge. There were some things on it that we wouldn't touch (pig bowels, anyone?) but we found lots of things that looked good. We ordered a pizza, two ribeye steaks, a bowl of spaghetti, a lasagna, and five sprites, and our total bill was around $38. The waiters shut the door to our little room after they delivered the food so we could eat in private. Quite an experience!</div><div><br /></div><div>Today we went to see the Yellow Crane Tower, one of the most popular sites in Wuhan. The first tower was built 1700 years ago, and it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. This tower was built in 1984. It was quite a walk to the top carrying a very heavy baby, I can tell you! It wasn't too hot today, but we were all drenched due to the humidity.</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj765WgrJJ9It8XYgtYA7htvbKa2hjAXKJ1PTN7q1RVnDzU4OO8880tB2Q8uT42qXKi3K69IEXqeIekSZah4vkji9NnF4UL-zZck7ScWsMickNd-pKiejt7UirMNKCjrrCwqdPap0PBTdc/s1600/IMG_2216.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj765WgrJJ9It8XYgtYA7htvbKa2hjAXKJ1PTN7q1RVnDzU4OO8880tB2Q8uT42qXKi3K69IEXqeIekSZah4vkji9NnF4UL-zZck7ScWsMickNd-pKiejt7UirMNKCjrrCwqdPap0PBTdc/s320/IMG_2216.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616145444495500354" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHZCV22pNeeqdEXvHcNk5gxIOJqtunl1IWIwX3L2IskAqv1E5NfDX3WQ8SETBEs1wua-VxmaEKLlIWYusPijUfbpx63G5xAguzGySMYhDtaKtKJjY2VWyraRW3X_PGDBVvDkf0tcSo_U/s1600/IMG_2201.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHZCV22pNeeqdEXvHcNk5gxIOJqtunl1IWIwX3L2IskAqv1E5NfDX3WQ8SETBEs1wua-VxmaEKLlIWYusPijUfbpx63G5xAguzGySMYhDtaKtKJjY2VWyraRW3X_PGDBVvDkf0tcSo_U/s320/IMG_2201.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616145436857918898" /></a>This afternoon we went swimming at the hotel again. Amelia wasn't too excited about it, although she did eventually let Mark hold her in water up to her shoulders.<div><br /></div><div>When we left the tower, we stopped at the notary office to pick up some of the documents we need to take to Guangzhou. Tomorrow afternoon we will check out of the hotel at 2:00, stop by the registrar's office to pick up Amelia's passport, and then head to the airport. Our flight to Guangzhou leaves around 7:00 pm and arrives at 8:30. Thank you to everyone who has commented or sent e-mails -- your messages are so encouraging to us!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm43vXK3kU9hJaYM9tZT253qRTT6C-M89eZk2GA47sNkem1kuc_hKcQetaIuW-5iC0YfhTf22D5QjIImGZDfCg7MiJzlYyy1GgG9lHGTS71q6KaogkORyGcmfQBHoHTfsFndzDw4Z6WBo/s320/IMG_2234.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616149578231938146" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">The millenium bell from the Yellow Crane Tower</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqo9xKtO0TVsVjBCujWY2EPDSN5uPITSKcCMuO5yJfPVVf21CSLm40pUGOrS6GWoplSkqw5qh_fd7BYzDi99wB_laZEnHp9DnK0y0KG2VEgGn6xEI8uv0MUEKRqOnnlECJZcen5AeHF4Y/s320/IMG_2209.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616149570335478706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">view of Wuhan from the top of the tower</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOCQnkM5TcSISAJwpVo3YjhU8pWHX7Zsb69_KwZsC79dTecck-xTtGGr5m7oJ_EXnhYyOZRwRSDnuZQse3a3XtTqX0w_-BQN051cOZZmeOz3UIrRZHOxRLG3WSKNLxLZwPyrYlEWbmGs/s320/IMG_2249.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616149584094369186" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">Amelia ate a whole cup of oatmeal today. She hadn't been eating much, so we were thankful to see her eat this well.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-71045737499812959792011-06-08T01:37:00.001-07:002011-06-08T01:37:24.168-07:00It's Official!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZy_kjejnD_gtrrbI8E7Inw486mnpnzeSQh4MsVqW5BuBGQA3IMvCc3xdmtjTdvNKqm6uKjhtO_-fDnZoYDlKWkvgSJiQrsYYHyPIx24g8T0lUXXhjy00G8tC-KA1hz-fzI9jfjCO1LwQ/s1600/IMG_1467-744169.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZy_kjejnD_gtrrbI8E7Inw486mnpnzeSQh4MsVqW5BuBGQA3IMvCc3xdmtjTdvNKqm6uKjhtO_-fDnZoYDlKWkvgSJiQrsYYHyPIx24g8T0lUXXhjy00G8tC-KA1hz-fzI9jfjCO1LwQ/s320/IMG_1467-744169.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615765280192109410" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJvciVzx5gXFPkvTFbZTeIncnGRH0TJtHdzCTR8_VG6hBAmkuRMt3AcCRKpJJ9xBGtggKty3YGQE_NP8OE-nBKwEPfy9UMfAryWhGam4Ma0G55Xexcp-h91siTpCLY248c0KzK71_NXQ/s1600/IMG_1483-745866.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJvciVzx5gXFPkvTFbZTeIncnGRH0TJtHdzCTR8_VG6hBAmkuRMt3AcCRKpJJ9xBGtggKty3YGQE_NP8OE-nBKwEPfy9UMfAryWhGam4Ma0G55Xexcp-h91siTpCLY248c0KzK71_NXQ/s320/IMG_1483-745866.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615765288027903330" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8fGiYaz1SMpsVQERMtiXYWp61PRruKg0N59OqRQDYZ84HoSJDkyuoD3aoxIztrsIsM5vQbc1WQ561XHjux_Yjs3quPIw8ssC_01ybyiHUxGwZgKTbHOzAyS7GMyHCe9O33LSRjPPCMw/s1600/IMG_2167-747421.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8fGiYaz1SMpsVQERMtiXYWp61PRruKg0N59OqRQDYZ84HoSJDkyuoD3aoxIztrsIsM5vQbc1WQ561XHjux_Yjs3quPIw8ssC_01ybyiHUxGwZgKTbHOzAyS7GMyHCe9O33LSRjPPCMw/s320/IMG_2167-747421.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615765292966939826" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JNDwq3sQvQ64x2_4GFYu90_NVeXQD39pn8s5y-U7Pf_5nf5cT8Fz6XHvsUWQuN6amR7Q_I9w_qnxDTWzsFncrqn0pCyYY00fav7lJaNB9UeBixCJcYszHXlQZli1UJyRgqVqO_sO-7g/s1600/IMG_2173-748696.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JNDwq3sQvQ64x2_4GFYu90_NVeXQD39pn8s5y-U7Pf_5nf5cT8Fz6XHvsUWQuN6amR7Q_I9w_qnxDTWzsFncrqn0pCyYY00fav7lJaNB9UeBixCJcYszHXlQZli1UJyRgqVqO_sO-7g/s320/IMG_2173-748696.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615765298923659906" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUf95H6RN-pgd_EsgteRjRpYHd-owkHJ73YCVUQunMKw12h0sNAutENaCTZLp9_sJ3BPlz6dQAWz9vyHaGLCNAw5npsGBtsLvc9NHTRhAFZHBOQXI9oG8qXLajcZifbBUVZWgYc0hnixw/s1600/IMG_2176-750932.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUf95H6RN-pgd_EsgteRjRpYHd-owkHJ73YCVUQunMKw12h0sNAutENaCTZLp9_sJ3BPlz6dQAWz9vyHaGLCNAw5npsGBtsLvc9NHTRhAFZHBOQXI9oG8qXLajcZifbBUVZWgYc0hnixw/s320/IMG_2176-750932.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615765307043984882" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qKN-5mddbCCk9kM0nDWxyohjN_p8LUEk5fDNeBIdL954MqkH0d78HjNxKoxFABAdwoXzhwcXgiq4yK0NH1ZUD4pp8CL1qZzEX1PixrAS2UGRbK3z0SJl18FJk-Eg7xys8SZ22KuarRQ/s1600/IMG_2180-752158.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qKN-5mddbCCk9kM0nDWxyohjN_p8LUEk5fDNeBIdL954MqkH0d78HjNxKoxFABAdwoXzhwcXgiq4yK0NH1ZUD4pp8CL1qZzEX1PixrAS2UGRbK3z0SJl18FJk-Eg7xys8SZ22KuarRQ/s320/IMG_2180-752158.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615765313066012658" /></a></p><div style="font-family:'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div>This morning we returned to the Civil Affairs office to register the adoption. The official there asked us several questions, we signed lots of papers by stamping our fingerprints in red ink, and Amelia even signed with a red footprint. Amelia's nannies were there again, and we saw our first smiles from her when she saw them. They are both so sweet and obviously really love her. When we finished at the Civil Affairs office we drove to the notary office, where our guide dropped off the paperwork to get Amelia's passport. We came back to the hotel and had lunch in our room and then went to play in the hotel's play/exercise area. Then Mark, Elizabeth, and Evan swam in the hotel pool (swim caps included) and I brought Amelia back to the room so she could take a nap. When she wakes up we'll venture out for a walk and to find some dinner. Last night we survived our first street crossings, which felt a lot like playing Frogger! Hopefully we'll be able to find some place to eat this evening.</div><div><br></div><div>Amelia is doing extremely well, given what she's been through. She fusses occasionally for just a short time, but she still hasn't had a major breakdown. She is beginning to respond to her name. (We've tried calling her Ran Ran, which is what the nannies called her, but we can't even come close to saying it correctly enough for her to understand.) She will let both of us hold and feed her, which is a huge blessing. She still prefers Mark, and when he and the kids left to go swimming she stood at the door and pointed, wanting to follow him. She is beginning to show a bit more of her personality. Yesterday she just sat and observed everything quietly. Today she is letting us know more of what she wants and doesn't want by pointing or pushing things away, and she is beginning to babble a little. She is walking on her own but seems a little unsteady. We will have to make sure she gets lots of practice with her leg muscles. She does really like to walk holding our hands. We're still trying to figure out how well potty-trained she is. She woke up dry this morning and went in the toilet when we set her there. But it doesn't always work quite like that. I am beginning to wish I had bought pull-ups yesterday instead of diapers. She has a bit of a cough that woke her several times in the night last night.</div><div><br></div><div>We're having trouble accessing blogger today, so I'm sending this post by e-mail. There are six photos attached. I don't know how they will display. Hopefully our VPN will be working again soon. Thank you for all the comments and e-mails. It's truly encouraging to read them!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div style="position:fixed"></div> </div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5115535914952914306.post-23833184792463105042011-06-07T06:25:00.000-07:002011-06-07T06:34:05.697-07:00A few more pictures<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxxvQQsLCI_iDhrSfFfa__cnSFWOAPvFPn5KF4b0I-erPaA2LSfzMGTwmMcoZ5tIKOQaCCfRS2-EitmIGU8FILbLK1Ox7Eqlbr29W5fLp0dE-b4kba1f6LNuhj4wObHTUlQXz0bd38Rk/s1600/IMG_2143.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxxvQQsLCI_iDhrSfFfa__cnSFWOAPvFPn5KF4b0I-erPaA2LSfzMGTwmMcoZ5tIKOQaCCfRS2-EitmIGU8FILbLK1Ox7Eqlbr29W5fLp0dE-b4kba1f6LNuhj4wObHTUlQXz0bd38Rk/s320/IMG_2143.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615469982486453298" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Sleepy girl on the way back to the hotel</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHpEmN9ZeR-Z4bdgAsLoVqwwlm3Qs70lpNffLQqLsm2IpAIMzsb00pItoIbZsZtNs7Dx-P7El6_BZZH4Rwybni9U7wKtGWJsNJSSCL1hniTC2OMLA44cTzOfB8kgdMcP-ALEn7YX37lA/s320/IMG_2147.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615469959296688434" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">She took a nap on the bed this afternoon.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fXfir31V7O8y9K9lLENrZ6HvJFMU4NVYJAn6XlpidzveBJxj15FJ07GSxGgNpTfUlj-gX6Wqp3kIhAP6b0xDOheYGnPF0c2-0lScD3Cq9C4_QTFIY8VbAubBkkKsoelDgBQKoNnk0pQ/s1600/IMG_2150.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fXfir31V7O8y9K9lLENrZ6HvJFMU4NVYJAn6XlpidzveBJxj15FJ07GSxGgNpTfUlj-gX6Wqp3kIhAP6b0xDOheYGnPF0c2-0lScD3Cq9C4_QTFIY8VbAubBkkKsoelDgBQKoNnk0pQ/s320/IMG_2150.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615469974034514498" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Amelia did well with her bath -- no crying!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfWOGJIexX9nkkUWWPB7-GlQu5ERyqEBoQXQJNiaNBJfwDfSTYVjyTLwhQHXp3Ot6bI6vv7rAuwyBPg5OJMioVAc79J4wYqQuKGBMaX_KVtlWMEL5UrvKkmoV0oBD2nlK2ck6NZ00rQ0/s1600/IMG_2152.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfWOGJIexX9nkkUWWPB7-GlQu5ERyqEBoQXQJNiaNBJfwDfSTYVjyTLwhQHXp3Ot6bI6vv7rAuwyBPg5OJMioVAc79J4wYqQuKGBMaX_KVtlWMEL5UrvKkmoV0oBD2nlK2ck6NZ00rQ0/s320/IMG_2152.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615469969935009506" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Daddy gave her a bedtime bottle, and she fell asleep in his arms.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15106709030672893753noreply@blogger.com2