Her new American girl doll in matching outfits.
Emma. Almost two years old.
- Posted by Ruth
Location:Ellicott City, MD
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sadie had her sixth birthday
We drove from NJ to MD to celebrate Sadie's birthday. She had a party on a farm. Pony ride, walk in a maze and pizza. Except Sadie does not eat tomato sauce, so she had chicken fingers. It was a fun visit.
Her new American girl doll in matching outfits.
Emma. Almost two years old.
- Posted by Ruth
Her new American girl doll in matching outfits.
Emma. Almost two years old.
- Posted by Ruth
Afterthoughts. 2
Let me address the beds. All of Adleys's cribs had a wood mattress. Some had a little padding. In the orphanage in the summer there was a padding with holes to make it cooler. The mattress at the first hotel had slats that she could have fallen through. She had bumper pads at the third hotel. The babies sleep with pillows and heavy quilts. None would be acceptable in the US. Our beds were like the story of the Three Little Pigs. The first hotel the bed was just right. The second hotel the mattress was hard. And the third hotel, We were sleeping on a slab of wood. Hard as a rock. I prefer that to a soggy bed.
I never had a good hair day. It was ringlets and frizz.
Jack and I are zombies suffering from jet lag. It is Monday. We got home Thursday night. The time difference is 12 hours.
All the water consumed by humans in China needs to be boiled or bottled. Makes you appreciate tap water in the USA. We were very concerned about getting sick. Never ate a salad or fruit that was not peeled. Boy did I miss lettuce.
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I never had a good hair day. It was ringlets and frizz.
Jack and I are zombies suffering from jet lag. It is Monday. We got home Thursday night. The time difference is 12 hours.
All the water consumed by humans in China needs to be boiled or bottled. Makes you appreciate tap water in the USA. We were very concerned about getting sick. Never ate a salad or fruit that was not peeled. Boy did I miss lettuce.
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Location:Westfield, NJ
More Pictures, Day three at home
July 25-- day three at home. Adley turned over and back again. The siblings are in love with her. Maya is changing diapers and taking care of her. Holden, who does not like babies, is singing to her and holding her hand. The house is in the honeymoon stage and I pray it continues. Adley is in a pack and play. When she wakes at night, she looks to see if Eve and Dave are sleeping there also. She says da da. But today, she has a new sound. Like clearing her throat.
Arm covers to protect from the sun.
The Chinese neighbors could not wait to visit Adley. Eve and Dave are
renting an apartment while they are putting an addition on to their house.
Our fashion plate guide at 6:45 AM on the morning we left China.
Red Sofa picture with all the families. Baby Claire pulled Jillian's hair just as we began to take the pictures. This caused great unhappiness and we did not get one good picture.
Leila and Adley. They are wearing the same outfits in the same size. They are twenty days apart in age. Notice Leila's budda belly and difference in size. They were four pounds different in weight. Our three babies had their hair trimmed. One mother requested that the nannies not cut the hair and therefore it was not shaved. But you will notice that many of the babies had their hair shaved off. They believe it makes the hair grow in thicker. I also think it prevents lice in the orphanage.
All around the city, we saw pictures being taken like this. They are magazine shoots not brides and grooms.
One more picture of Adley
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Arm covers to protect from the sun.
The Chinese neighbors could not wait to visit Adley. Eve and Dave are
renting an apartment while they are putting an addition on to their house.
Our fashion plate guide at 6:45 AM on the morning we left China.
Red Sofa picture with all the families. Baby Claire pulled Jillian's hair just as we began to take the pictures. This caused great unhappiness and we did not get one good picture.
Leila and Adley. They are wearing the same outfits in the same size. They are twenty days apart in age. Notice Leila's budda belly and difference in size. They were four pounds different in weight. Our three babies had their hair trimmed. One mother requested that the nannies not cut the hair and therefore it was not shaved. But you will notice that many of the babies had their hair shaved off. They believe it makes the hair grow in thicker. I also think it prevents lice in the orphanage.
All around the city, we saw pictures being taken like this. They are magazine shoots not brides and grooms.
One more picture of Adley
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First day at home in NJ
Wearing shirts that say father, big sister, big brother, little sister.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Westfield, NJ
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Family of 5-- Home to the USA
Thirty hours, two plane flights and all went well.
She was very happy and allowed everyone to hold her.
Meeting family for the first time.
Daddy Dave with Adley
Bottle at the airport. It takes a helper.
Maya holding Adley for the first time.
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She was very happy and allowed everyone to hold her.
Meeting family for the first time.
Daddy Dave with Adley
Bottle at the airport. It takes a helper.
Maya holding Adley for the first time.
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Location:Westfield, NJ
On the plane. Home to family
Sleeping on the plane
Diaper changing in shanghai, China
Baby going home -- has other siblings.
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Location:Pudong Airport Rd,Shanghai,China
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Afterthoughts
Mother and grandmother were watching us take the pictures for the Red Sofa. They gave us a thumbs up. Or approved of us adopting the girls.
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All of our guide were wonderful. They were well trained, beautiful, and very different. Connie, the last, was extremely fashionable. They were all thin. Everyone in this country is thin. But Connie was larger boned. Connie always wore HIGH heels Wanda was a breath of fresh air. She wore the smallest and sweet clothes. She had two child, aged 1 and 3. Since both her husband and she were only children, they were allowed to have two kids. Her husband has a government job. They were taking the kids to Disneyland in Hong Kong next month. Connie has a 15 year old son. A good student. Rose ,the first guide, would like to be married and wants a child. She just bought a golden retriever and has no idea about dogs. She was leaving the dogs loose in the small apartment for hours at a time. It is 3 months old now. They all appear to earn a very good living. They would all carry umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. We should try that and maybe there would be less skin cancers. I never thought to take good pictures of the guides.
The hairdos of all the women are wonderful. Of course, it was all straight black.
Connie
Wanda is one girl in white skirt, holding a baby.
Rose
Wanda
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The food was good for the most part. They have and eat little meat. They eat everything. Every part of living things. One lunch the guide ordered the meal. One dish looked like a strange meat. I took some and the guide asked if I knew what it was. It was the lunch with all the staff from the orphanage. Turns out it was beef intestine. I ate it and it was not good. The second trip the the other orphanage we packed our lunches. The director said, people always get sick at the restaurant he would take us to. The only good one in the town. They eat out of a small bowl, with chop sticks. We would be healthier and thinner if we ate their way. They forget dessert and eat fruit instead. The only chocolate I have had in the two weeks is the little piece left on the pillow.
This is their version of moo shu pork. Notice is wrappers.
So many things are new in the country. New airports. Subways but no escalators. Switches to turn all the electricity off in a bedroom. High rise apartments and highways are being built everywhere. Road systems seem to be layered. No tattoos.
Multiple employees doing jobs. Two people to open the door to the restaurant. Two people to take your order. A special machine to put your wet umbrella in a plastic bag before you enter places. In some ways they are more polite then us and then you see the spitting on the street. Also the babies doing their business everywhere. I must say that in the hotel the babies were in diapers. Wealthy parents do not have the kids peeing on the street, maybe.
Sending this as we leave for the airport on five minutes.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
-------------------------------
All of our guide were wonderful. They were well trained, beautiful, and very different. Connie, the last, was extremely fashionable. They were all thin. Everyone in this country is thin. But Connie was larger boned. Connie always wore HIGH heels Wanda was a breath of fresh air. She wore the smallest and sweet clothes. She had two child, aged 1 and 3. Since both her husband and she were only children, they were allowed to have two kids. Her husband has a government job. They were taking the kids to Disneyland in Hong Kong next month. Connie has a 15 year old son. A good student. Rose ,the first guide, would like to be married and wants a child. She just bought a golden retriever and has no idea about dogs. She was leaving the dogs loose in the small apartment for hours at a time. It is 3 months old now. They all appear to earn a very good living. They would all carry umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. We should try that and maybe there would be less skin cancers. I never thought to take good pictures of the guides.
The hairdos of all the women are wonderful. Of course, it was all straight black.
Connie
Wanda is one girl in white skirt, holding a baby.
Rose
Wanda
---------------------
The food was good for the most part. They have and eat little meat. They eat everything. Every part of living things. One lunch the guide ordered the meal. One dish looked like a strange meat. I took some and the guide asked if I knew what it was. It was the lunch with all the staff from the orphanage. Turns out it was beef intestine. I ate it and it was not good. The second trip the the other orphanage we packed our lunches. The director said, people always get sick at the restaurant he would take us to. The only good one in the town. They eat out of a small bowl, with chop sticks. We would be healthier and thinner if we ate their way. They forget dessert and eat fruit instead. The only chocolate I have had in the two weeks is the little piece left on the pillow.
This is their version of moo shu pork. Notice is wrappers.
So many things are new in the country. New airports. Subways but no escalators. Switches to turn all the electricity off in a bedroom. High rise apartments and highways are being built everywhere. Road systems seem to be layered. No tattoos.
Multiple employees doing jobs. Two people to open the door to the restaurant. Two people to take your order. A special machine to put your wet umbrella in a plastic bag before you enter places. In some ways they are more polite then us and then you see the spitting on the street. Also the babies doing their business everywhere. I must say that in the hotel the babies were in diapers. Wealthy parents do not have the kids peeing on the street, maybe.
Sending this as we leave for the airport on five minutes.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Scenes from Guanghou
Jack with a store worker, he fell in love with. That is sweat on his shirt. So hot.
More statues
The area we are in is very British looking.
Baby form Spain
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More statues
The area we are in is very British looking.
Baby form Spain
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Last day in China and the White Swan Hotel, Red Sofa Picture
Today is one more rainy day. It is still very hot and muggy. We went walking around the neighborhood and shopping. Looking for the final gifts.
2 years old today and going home to the US today. The hotel gave her a birthday cake. Delivered it in the morning so she would have it before she left.
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Adley in the morning . She slept for 12 hours and feels great.
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Before a family leaves the White Swan Hotel, they always take a picture on one of the red sofas. The group that travels together will all be on the sofa together. I have seen pictures with as many as 30 babies on and around the sofa. We only have three very special babies.
We are on our way to dinner with our guide. Tomorrow is about 30 hours and two plane flights home.
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2 years old today and going home to the US today. The hotel gave her a birthday cake. Delivered it in the morning so she would have it before she left.
----------------
Adley in the morning . She slept for 12 hours and feels great.
---------------------
Before a family leaves the White Swan Hotel, they always take a picture on one of the red sofas. The group that travels together will all be on the sofa together. I have seen pictures with as many as 30 babies on and around the sofa. We only have three very special babies.
We are on our way to dinner with our guide. Tomorrow is about 30 hours and two plane flights home.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Guangzhou, China
Ruth and Jack, First morning in China.
The first breakfast in China was very emotional for me. I did not know that there were ten other families and eleven babies at the hotel. I had been reading the blogs from parents that were part of the group that would be traveling the same time as us. I walked into the restaurant and saw one couple I recognized from a blog, and then saw more tables with the babies. I fell apart. So overwhelmed to see these new families. I am talking to Laura , Face Time, on the iPad and am crying. Jack as you can see is laughing at me.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Beijing
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The Happy Hotel
I was told about an article in the Wall Street Journal titled " the happiest hotel in the world". It was and is the White Swan. That is because so many babies stay here for the final step of their adoption. Happy parents with children getting a family. As I said there are today around forty adopted children in this hotel. Food at the hotel and in all the restaurants in the area come with small plastic bowls and baby spoons. All the restaurants have many high chairs. I wonder how many cribs this hotel has. Every child is photographed on the red sofa before they leave. The babies will all wear Chinese outfits for the photo. We bought Adley a nice pink one and a purple one. They all wear red, white and blue for the visit to the US embassy. Sept. 1 the hotel is closing for one year. They are going to rebuild it. The red sofa is going. By the way the lobby is filled with red sofas. When I read about the sofa I thought it was only one sofa. Someone in the US wants to buy a sofa and bring it to the US. I wonder if there will be a new sofa that becomes famous when the hotel is rebuilt. We take our picture on Weds.
Jack put his Steeler hat on and not one minute later a man stopes him on the street. He was from Pittsburgh also. He and his wife were here adopting child number eight and nine. They have seven adopted children. That is more impressive than Angelina and Brad.
We met a mother, sister and friend. Parents have adopted a five year old girl. They are Asian. They are now adopting a two year old boy and a two and a half year old girl from different orphanages.
Saw a mother with about a seven year old and she was adopting a baby girl.
I always though most of the parents were Childress. But it seems to me the ratio must be 50%.
Big sister with her new brother and sister, from two different orphanages. Home will be Texas .
Going home-to Spain
Home to Spain
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Jack put his Steeler hat on and not one minute later a man stopes him on the street. He was from Pittsburgh also. He and his wife were here adopting child number eight and nine. They have seven adopted children. That is more impressive than Angelina and Brad.
We met a mother, sister and friend. Parents have adopted a five year old girl. They are Asian. They are now adopting a two year old boy and a two and a half year old girl from different orphanages.
Saw a mother with about a seven year old and she was adopting a baby girl.
I always though most of the parents were Childress. But it seems to me the ratio must be 50%.
Big sister with her new brother and sister, from two different orphanages. Home will be Texas .
Going home-to Spain
Home to Spain
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Adley goes to the US Consulate- button- grandparents free day
This is the button, one of the mothers in our group, made for all the babies that have a log in date from 6/20--6/30--2006. The moms are wearing it on their diaper bags and they can then recognize that they are part of the same group. The moms were all logged into and reading the Rumor Queen. She is some unknown woman that tracks what is happening with the Chinese adoptions. She has graphs to show the time span from one group of referrals to the next. And how many babies were in each group. There are chat rooms on all subjects and becomes a life line for the families. Remember, all the parents waited 5 years on their babies. Eve had been in contact with the two moms she is traveling with through the group. I had emailed the mom that made the buttons. She lives in driving distance to Pittsburgh. So I hope to see her girl sometime in the future. She is at the hotel with a beautiful little girl.
The RQ is where I was reading all the blogs from other parents that had and were waiting to adopt. Therefore I decided I wanted my own blog about the event.
Adley went to the US consulate this morning. Jack and I can not go into the room and it will be many hours so we are having a free day. They apply for the Visa and have a swearing in ceremony stating you will care for these children. Tomorrow the Visas are delivered to the hotel and we can leave China. We have hired a guide and have a day of touring.
Peter, our guide took us to the sun yat- sen memorial hall. And to the Chen's ancestral hall with folk art in it. A movie was being filmed there. We went by subway and foot. Up and down many steps. This might be the first day we forgot the umbrellas and did it rain. It has rained every day in Guanzhou. There is fog, smog and that is good. It is hot enough without the sun shining. Again the air is not good for me. Peter then took us though the fish, flower and furniture markets. He was the only one to buy something. Two paintings with frames. He will throw away the print because he bought it for the frame. A very nice man. He lived in the US. Is a US citizen. His wife and son, in college, live in CA and he is very happy being single. He also works with the adoptive families in the city. He got the call about touring while swimming in the morning. Jumped out of the pool, rode home on his bike, dresses and was at our hotel in an hour.
Notice the women are wearing jade bracelets. The woman here are all wearing them along with jade necklaces.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
The RQ is where I was reading all the blogs from other parents that had and were waiting to adopt. Therefore I decided I wanted my own blog about the event.
Adley went to the US consulate this morning. Jack and I can not go into the room and it will be many hours so we are having a free day. They apply for the Visa and have a swearing in ceremony stating you will care for these children. Tomorrow the Visas are delivered to the hotel and we can leave China. We have hired a guide and have a day of touring.
Peter, our guide took us to the sun yat- sen memorial hall. And to the Chen's ancestral hall with folk art in it. A movie was being filmed there. We went by subway and foot. Up and down many steps. This might be the first day we forgot the umbrellas and did it rain. It has rained every day in Guanzhou. There is fog, smog and that is good. It is hot enough without the sun shining. Again the air is not good for me. Peter then took us though the fish, flower and furniture markets. He was the only one to buy something. Two paintings with frames. He will throw away the print because he bought it for the frame. A very nice man. He lived in the US. Is a US citizen. His wife and son, in college, live in CA and he is very happy being single. He also works with the adoptive families in the city. He got the call about touring while swimming in the morning. Jumped out of the pool, rode home on his bike, dresses and was at our hotel in an hour.
Notice the women are wearing jade bracelets. The woman here are all wearing them along with jade necklaces.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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