Merry Christmas!

We arrived in Guangzhou on Christmas Eve and finally met up with the rest of our travel group. It was great to see all of the families from our agency along with their new babies! We were pretty much by ourselves in Beijing up until now, so Brandon was excited to have other friends to play with.

Guangzhou is a completely different world than Beijing. Or at least it seems that way during the holidays. Our tour bus from the airport had difficulty getting to the White Swan Hotel, because everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) was trying to get on Shamian Island to celebrate. As it turns out, Chistmas is HUGE here in Guangzhou. Arriving at our hotel was like being in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve. There were swarms of people EVERYWHERE. The spirt of Christmas is definitely alive here, with beautiful lights, people greeting each other, and revelers partying in the streets.

Last night, Rick, Brandon, and I walked around the river area around the hotel and participated in the festivites. Here we are in the lobby at the White Swan:

And oh yeah, and the weather is much warmer here. We've shed all the bulky winter gear and are now wearing comfy mild-weather outfits. Thank goodness...heh. Can you tell I'm from California?

Sweetface

This picture says it all...

Ni Hao from Beijing! (Updated w/picture)

It's Day 6 here in Beijing, and Brandon, Rick, and I are adjusting well as a family. Our first day together was filled with appointments to complete the adoption process required by China. Now, we're just waiting around for Brandon's passport, which won't be ready until the 24th. To pass the time, we've been touring the city. Yesterday, we went to the Great Wall and Summer Palace. I've been to the Great Wall before, and I must say that it's still an awesome sight. Rick was a ROCK star because he CARRIED Brandon up several hundred steps before turning back. In any case, the view was breathtaking. By the way, it's COLD here (at least from what we're used to in California)! The tempreature is in the 30's during the day and feels alot like Tahoe in the winter.

More from Guangzhou when we arrive there...

Wooossaaaahhh.....

Breathe deep. Exhale. Woossaaaahhh......

My friend at work, Candra, taught me this. It helps her relax. So I'm trying it out too because:

- Tomorrow, Rick and I will be on a plane, headed for Beijing.
- And a day later, we'll meet Brandon. I can't wait for that moment.
- In the days to follow, we'll get to observe his likes and dislikes. We'll hear his laugh for the first time, and most likely, his cries.
- We'll hug him, hold him, play with him. And hopefully he'll like us back.

Breathe deep. Exhale. Woossaaaahhh......

China, here we come!

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, we received our Travel Authorization. Since then, we've been working on getting our travel arrangements confirmed. Finally.... here's our itinerary:

Dec 11 - Depart SFO for Beijing

Dec 12 - Arrive in Beijing and check into Wang Fujing Grand Hotel

Dec 13 - "Metcha" Day! Brandon will be in our family forever.

Dec 14 to 23 - Sightseeing @ the Great Wall , Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Tian An Men Square, shopping, eating, etc...

Dec 24 - Pick up Brandon's passport, and fly to Guangzhou. Check into White Swan Hotel.

Dec 25 - Brandon's physical exam appointment, take official pictures, more sightseeing. Celebrate 1st Christmas as a family.

Dec 26 - Submit Brandon's visa application at US Consulate

Dec 27 - Retrieve visa

Dec 28 to 30 - Fly to Hong Kong and visit college pals, Jerry (Go Aggies!) and Robert (Go Pioneers!), more shopping and eating....

Dec 31 - Depart Hong Kong for HOME!

Grateful

Today I am grateful for:

-My wonderful husband, loving family, supportive friends, and my son.

-Good health.

-A roof over my head. A meal each day.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Continued blessings to you all.

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;

they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

-Marcel Proust

Car Seats and Strollers and High Chairs!

Overwhelmed. That's the feeling I had when Rick and I set out to work on Brandon's baby registry. Since I knew the car seat was one of the most important items to have, we started with that. Man, oh man.....who knew we'd have all those choices? Safety is most important, but what about comfort? What about the reclining mechanism? And the weight restrictions? Sigh. I realized that once we got through the car seat aisle in the store, we were in for more fun with strollers....Well, two hours later and with just a few items selected, we went home.

Rick agreed that this would call for the assistance of an experienced mom. So, a few days later, I took a trip to Southern California. I was there to visit my nephews, Lucas (5), Boomer (3), and new neice, L.J. (2 months old). What cuties! Anyway, while my brother played with the kids, my sis-in-law and I were able to sneak away to finish the registry. She pointed out useful and practical tips that worked for her, which was stuff I never would have thought about. So, by the time we left the store, not only was our registry complete, I felt confident in my choices. We picked the car seat (it has a multi-reclining option), an everyday stroller with tray for Brandon (so he can be within reach of his snacks!), a jogging stroller with a "swivelling" front wheel (necessary for maueuvering on slightly rough and winding terrain), and high chair that will "grow" with Brandon as he gets older.

Ahhhh, success! Now, it's time to start on that packing list....Suggestions?

What a Weekend!

The phone was ringing off the hook with family and friends getting wind of the news. We're so grateful for the support everyone has shown us. Just know that for those of you who promised babysitting on our occasional "date night" -- we WILL take you up on the offer! Heh. In return, as promised, is a picture of BRANDON, the newest member of our family.

We received more details about him yesterday:

- He is 16 months old and is currently at the Beijing Children's Welfare Institute

- He is outgoing, active, smiles alot, doesn't mind sharing toys (whew!) and loves listening to music

- He can pull himself up onto the railing of his crib, and can walk into every room pushing the walker

- He loves to eat (yessss!!!!!), especially noodles, veggies, rice, and sweets.

The coordinator from our Agency informed us that we may be traveling with a group of 5 or 6 families. We don't know when that will be quite yet, but I'm hoping that we'll be back from China before the end of the year. I guess we'll just have to hope for a speedy Travel Authorization so we can book those plane tickets!

Oh My Gosh, We got THE CALL"

I'm at a loss for words. Our agency called about an hour ago...WE HAVE A SON!

His name is Chang Lie Wen, is 16 months old, and is currently in Beijing.

Can't get to our agency today to pick up the referral packet, so they're sending it overnight. We'll see our baby's face tomorrow!!!!!

I'm shaking with disbelief and excitement right now. Didn't think we'd hear anything until Monday at the earliest.

Will post pictures and more details as soon as I can!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's almost 5 months later...

...and I'm just now writing my next entry. Procrastinating? Hmm, no...(well, maybe a little), but the reason I think I haven't written anything until now, is because I couldn't get myself to BELIEVE this is actually gonna happen. This rollercoaster ride of a wait for our kiddo has taken forever - 31 months and 12 days to be exact....

But now, as the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) is about to make its monthly announcement assigning referrals to waiting families, I THINK we're about to see a picture of our baby for the first time! I know this because our dossier (application to adopt) was sent to China and logged-in on December 5, 2005. And with that assigned date, we've been able to gauge where we are in "line". Last month, CCAA announced referrals all the way through November 30, 2005. So as you can see, we're getting close!

So here we are - just days from the next referral announcement. We invite you to read our blog and count down the days before Hubby and I meet our kiddo in China.

And oh yeah, holler back in the "Comments" section when you get a chance. Would be great to hear from ya.

What's lumpia and dim sum?

This is my very first post. To tell you the truth, I'm feeling a bit flipped-out about putting my thoughts out here in cyber-space....but I'm diving in, head first. Here you go....

"Lumpia and Dim Sum" is a metaphor. Rick and I are "Lumpia" -- a Filipino dish, most popularly served at parties, family gatherings, or whenever. It's crunchy, delectable, and a favorite with just about everybody, especially the kiddies. "Dim Sum" (Again, another food reference... and for those of you who know us personally, you understand...) is generally enjoyed at a family meal/special occasion) and refers to our future son or daughter in China, who we will meet someday "soon" (slight sarcasm re: "soon". Heh.). Anyway, I won't go into details in this first post about how our decision to adopt abroad came about - just know that our desire to become parents is strong and although the wait has been a loooong one, we believe that when the day comes, it'll be worth it.