All is well

All is well; we are just getting busier and busier!  Kelley is settling in and we are doing more and more things with her.  She is truly part of the family...like she has been here all of her life.  She takes everything in stride and nothing seems to frustrate her.  We are being careful not to overwhelm her though.

Last week was Kelley's first doctor's appointment for a complete exam.  We were at UH for three hours on Monday meeting with the adoption specialists and having lab work done.  The nurse and doctor examined her and watched her behavior.  They were very pleased with her attachment and the way her hand looks and works.  The lab drew blood to check her vaccinations, vitamins and other levels.  She laughed when they poked her with the needle!  The doctor encouraged us to work on her language and bonding with the family for the next three months and then come back.  We will have a complete report in a few weeks when all of the tests come back. 

Kelley also had a preschool screening with the County last week.  She was monitored by specialists for 45 minutes.  The county will wait for the UH report and then make their decision.  I think she needs a "disability" to qualify thru the county.  I believe her hand and speech should let her in...we'll see.  She is learning more and more English words every day, but her speech is still a little unclear.  Her laughter is very clear and very heartwarming.  We hear it all of the time.  We also hear screams as she runs thru the house playing with Kimmy or trying to scare Daddy.

Last week, Kelley and I went shopping.  I gave her some choices and she said yes or no if she wanted to try them.  We even picked out some matching outfits for her and Kimmy, based on Kelley's choice.  She learned "no-no" and "come on" while we were shopping and now she uses them on me.  Her nickname on Monday was Huangtao no-no and she called me "come on, come on". 

Saturday was a beautiful day and we headed down to my Aunt & Uncle's house outside of Mt Vernon.  The kids got to see baby goats that were about a month old, tractors and farm equipment and got to ride in a barrel train.  They also had fun shelling corn and letting go a Chinese lantern...only one because it was too windy.  Kelley took about 100 pictures with my phone; I only kept 5.  Most were pictures of feet or people and animals with missing heads.  She had fun and thought she was special.  Kimmy got the camera and also took about 100 pictures; I kept at least half of hers.  The girls played well with their cousins:  Mikayla, Emma, Samantha & Rachel.  Later, Kimmy told me how happy she was to have Kelley as her sister.  I think Kelley feels the same way about Kimmy.

Sunday was cold and windy and nothing was on the calendar.  Kimmy spent the night on Saturday with Grandma & Papa and decided to go back Sunday afternoon to ride her pony.  I thought that might be a good time to introduce Kelley to the ponies again.  She has gotten very comfortable with Kimmy and will do anything that she does.  I saddled up Smoki and Kimmy went for a short ride.  I asked her to jump off and give Kelley a quick turn and then  Kimmy could ride some more when she went in the house.  Kimmy cooperated and Kelley did not.  Smoki took 2 steps and Kelley shook her head yes, that she wanted to go more.  We walked around the ring a few times with Papa holding her leg and then I told her it was time to get off.  Kelley refused to let go of the reins and the saddle horn.  I had to pry her hands off and pluck her out of the saddle.  She cried.  She bit me.  She threw her helmet at me.  She threw her mittens on the ground and stomped on them.  That was the first sign of bad behavior that I have seen from her in a month.  I was too stunned to do or say anything.  Secretly I was laughing.  Papa saddled up Sofie and led her around awhile and it was all better.  Kimmy got back on Smoki and the two girls rode together.  I'm in trouble now.

Sunday night ended with both girls in the bath tub, laughing & splashing and getting their hair washed without any issues.  Then off to bed they went.   

Another week in Ohio

We have wrapped up another week in Ohio and Kelley continues to make progress and adjust to American living.  We've tried a lot of new things with her this week and she has accepted most of them. 

First off NO MORE HIVES!  After last weekend, we cut out all of the Halloween candy and have been keeping her diet bland and watching it closely.  Towards the end of the week we started adding in a larger variety of food with great success. 

She has also decided (on her own) that she doesn't like the name Kelley, Kelley Tao or Tao Tao.  She wants to be called Huangtao (Hwong tow), her Chinese name which means yellow peach.  She is a peach!  I still write about her as Kelley and talk about her as Kelley, but usually call her Huangtao when I'm talking to her.

Tuesday night we went to Hiram College for their trick or treat.  Kimmy was a mermaid and Kelley was a ghoul, who didn't wear her mask.  That means, she was basically, just a kid.  Each group or club had a table and gave away candy after the kids did an activity.  She figured this out right away and learned to grab a sucker and say thank you.  Kelley fell asleep on Thursday and missed trick or treat from house to house in the rain...smart girl!  Kimmy & I dredged out in Garrettsville for about 45 minutes.

I don't remember if it was Tuesday or Wednesday, but she took another successful bath in the big tub with Kimmy AND we got her hair washed without too much trouble.  She cried for a minute or two and then laughed at Kimmy.  Good thing Kimmy is here to help with much of the transition.  It makes things much easier on Kelley (and Mom & Dad).  Her hair is still very fine and brittle so I have started adding some leave in M&T conditioner.  I hope to get it long & thick, like Kimmy's. 

Kelley has been sleeping all night in our room, on a mattress on the floor, without crying at bedtime.  She has even gotten pretty good at sleeping straight or turning a little sideways, but not upside down.  We decided a mattress on the floor is perfect.  One night she did fall out of bed, but only eight inches!  She can also undress and half dresses herself, which makes things easier in the morning. 

Daddy stayed home with her on Tuesday & Wednesday this week - the two nicest days.  He cleaned the garage and she helped.  He swept dirt out of the garage and she swept it back in.  I think she also rode her bike, the 4-wheeler and blew some bubbles.  They went to Home Depot to buy new outdoor Christmas lights for the new house.  She tagged along and afterwards they visited me at work for lunch on Wednesday.  She likes Wendy's chili (one of the new foods added in). 

When I stayed home with her it was cold and rainy and there was nothing to do outside.  She likes to play on the piano and especially likes the Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star tune.  She has sung a Chinese song to us that follows that tune.  We've been working on the ABC song (same tune) and she is picking that up.  This morning she sang the whole thing to me, including "now I know my ABCs, next time won't you sing with me".  I was impressed.  She just laughed...which is what she does most of the time.

Friday night we went to a Chinese buffet for dinner and she ate the inside of a breaded shrimp, the inside of a pork potsticker, some fried rice and then Kimmy's chicken wing.  She ate it all...even started gnawing on the end of the bone.  I had to take it away or she would have eaten the whole thing!  We met another family that was from Macedonia that had 2 older girls adopted from China, 11 and 8 years old.  It is nice to be able to connect with other families that are similar to ours. 

We went to the Akron Zoo on Saturday, in between rain sessions with Grandma, Papa, Mommy, Emma, Kimmy & Kelley.  I think she like the river otter slide the best.  It was enclosed, but actually went thru the water in their enclosure.  There were times they could like sideways in the slide and see the otters swimming.  Or maybe it was the lion she liked best; since she can show you how loud he can roar.  The Zoo had a special to promote the grizzly bear and offered 1/2 off admissions.  Their Zoo is smaller than Cleveland, but a perfect size for kids to walk the entire way.  Of course, she did get a piggyback ride from me & Papa at the end of the trip.  That was our way of controlling her and getting out on time.

On Sunday, we had the Harp family from Elyria join us.  We missed our get together with Kimmy's group of Chinese sisters in August because of our move.  The Harps wanted to meet Kelley and check out the new house.  Kimmy knew Shu and Jie from the past four years and was off to play as soon as they got here.  Really, it might have been that she was happy to show off for her friends.  Kelley was running and screaming thru the house like she was best friends with them, too.  She doesn't speak much English, but she knows the universal language of children...play!  They settled down and watched a movie and had some soup and sandwiches, too.  Dan and I visited with Ken and Sharon and before long our time was up.  Kimmy invited the girls to come back next weekend.  Kelley would be happy if they came over every day!

I would also like to give a shout out to our AWESOME girl scout troop.  They have been very supportive of our adoption and have been following along on this blog.  Last week they gave a present to Kimmy & Kelley...matching shirts that are perfect!  Kimmy has been with these girls for a year and enjoys all of their activities.  In another year or two Kelley can join and hopefully her troop will be as great as #595. 

Tomorrow morning is her first doctor's appointment with the International Adoption Specialists at University Hospital.  They will examine her, draw blood to test titers and lead levels and recommend a treatment plan for her hand.  Last week I had to fill out a 300 questionnaire that measures her development.  Some of the questions, I couldn't answer because I just don't know.  Can she count to 10?  Probably in Chinese, but I had to answer no.  Over the next few months, I will answer the same questions again and again to see how quickly she progresses in the different areas. 

At the end of the week, she has a preschool evaluation with the county.  We are hoping to get her enrolled at the beginning of the year at Garfield Schools.  When we went to China, we weren't sure when she would be ready for school.  We were told that she was in Chinese kindergarten and enjoys learning.  I think (hope) she will be ready in January, but we are letting her set the pace.  One thing is for sure, she likes to play, help and learn.  If it turns out to be too much for her, we can wait till after spring break or try again in the summer.

Urticaria & fever

Well our little Kelley has been feeling bad all weekend.  Last Wednesday she woke up with a few hives on her back, but felt fine.  I put cortisone cream on them and they went away quickly.  That same evening they were back - times 10 - and all over her back and sides.  Dan dragged her to the pharmacy at 7:00 pm and asked for some quick advice.  They suggested Benadryl and cortisone cream (as I suggested) and follow up with the doctor for some possible allergy testing.  We knew the signs to look for.  If it started to affect her throat and breathing call 9-1-1.  The hives were gone on Thursday and Friday and we started to think it was a possible mild food allergy. 

Friday afternoon she started to whine and feel sick, so we stayed close to home.  Saturday afternoon she felt ok and we went to the school Halloween party.  She had fun coloring, stringing beads, watching 8th Count Dance and playing games.  She bowled with pumpkins, threw footballs at cups, tossed rings on an octopus and spun the prize wheel.  Kimmy was dressed up as a mermaid princess and Kelley was a ghoul, but she didn't want to wear the mask...even though it was the only costume she would wear at home.  She did get the idea of filling your bag with candy.  That was fun.

Shortly after we came home, Kelley sprung a fever.  We administered some Tylenol and have been fighting it ever since.  We had made plans to go out for Chinese buffet Saturday night and they were cancelled.  We were in China for two weeks and I never ate fried rice or lo mein noodles!  Most days they weren't on the breakfast buffet.  I did have some dumplings, but I wanted some sweet & sour chicken and pepper steak and other yummies.  We thought Kelley would like some noodles and fried rice, too.  She did like the Contessa Fried Rice that I bought from Giant Eagle last weekend. 

She took a little nap and woke up after 6:00 and was covered in hives again...all along her head and hairline.  Her ears were red and her scalp was itching.  And she had a fever of 104.1.  When we were in China I asked the orphanage if she had any allergies and they said none.  We talked about it and thought about it for another 30 minutes.  We gave her some Benadryl and Tylenol and then packed her up and headed to the emergency room.  Akron Children's has an office in Hudson that is open till 11:00 pm...usually with no waiting.  I started the paperwork with the front desk, while Dan took her back to be examined. 

I had her vaccination record, but we haven't had titers drawn yet to verify that she is up to date.  We explained the situation to the nurse and physician.  We've only had her for 2-1/2 weeks and have only been in the states for 1 week.  We really don't know much about Kelley, other than that she is sick!  I was hoping it wasn't a new strain of bird, swine or Asian flu that was going to have us quarantined since we just came from a foreign country!  They examined her and found her ears were clear, but her throat irritated.  Her fever had come down to 102 something and her hives had subsided some.  The doctor thought that the hives and fever were unrelated.  She may have picked up a virus from Kimmy, Grandma or Papa or anybody we came into contact with at the airport.  He suggested Benadryl & cortisone cream for the hives and Tylenol/Motrin for the fever and follow up with her pediatrician.  At least we slept a little easier that night.

Sunday morning she woke up with a fever and more hives on her back and abdomen.  Her face was also puffy and swollen.  We gave some more Tylenol, Benadryl & Cortisone cream.  I remembered the orphanage told me that she would get a skin irritation, called urticaria, every spring and fall.  I had to look thru all of the paperwork to find the correct spelling.  I could have just googled "hives", because that is what it is.  I looked up pictures of mild urticaria and that's what her back looked like.  I spent the afternoon researching on the computer and have diagnosed her with acute urticaria via WebMD.  Of course, we will go to the doctor's for an official diagnosis and treatment plan.  It is possible the virus caused the outbreak of hives.  Or they could have come from the change in weather (extreme cold), environment, food or any other stimuli that she has experienced in the past week.  The internet says it may be one trigger or any number of triggers or a different trigger each time.  It is hard to pinpoint one thing that causes it. 

 
We gave her a cool bath to help with the fever, which I later read will also help the hives.  She slept off and on most of the day and finally woke around 5 feeling better.  Her face was still a little swollen on the left and she still had a fever of 100 something.  The poor little thing feels miserable and she can't even tell us how bad it is.  She has been good about taking her medicine, as long as it followed with a glass of water to wash it down.  I'm going to call the pediatrician in the morning and schedule an appointment as soon as they have available, hopefully tomorrow afternoon.  At least now, I know that is it not a life threatening disease and we can treat it!  We will watch her fever and continue to treat with Tylenol (Motrin can be a trigger, too) and hope she feels better soon. 

A few new pictures

Kelley sleeping sideways on the long plane ride to Chicago.

Kelley at the Freedom Park Playground.

Kimmy & Kelley on their bikes.

Kimmy & Kelley on the glider.

Kelley blowing bubbles at the FCC Fall Moon Festival Party.

Kimmy & Kelley (upside down) in bed.

Kelley at the Freedom Park Playground.

Kimmy & Kelley raking leaves.

Kelley eating Daddy's special soup.

Another good day

Yesterday was another good day for Kelley.  She got a bath and slept thru the night.

Dan took the girls shopping to Home Depot yesterday and Kelley conned him into some beef sticks that she saw on the shelf.  Kimmy loves them and Kelley does, too.  They came home and we all laid around having a lazy afternoon.  Kimmy kept asking when she could take a bath, so we tried it in the afternoon.  Dan filled up the tub with warm water & bubbles.  Kelley had fun throwing bubbles at Kimmy, Daddy, the wall and the dog.  It was a success!  We didn't try to wash her hair; that will be for another day.  Afterwards, Kelley took a little nap and then woke up when Grandma Carol came over to visit.  A little bit later Grandma Judy brought Emma & Mikayla over, too.  Kelley had fun playing with her cousins and looking at pictures from our trip.

At bedtime Kelley cried for about 15-20 minutes, but then fell asleep and slept all night thru.  She did flip-flop and turn sideways.  She even sat up and looked around a few times, then went back to sleep.  She doesn't like the covers on and intentionally kicks them off.  That makes it hard to sleep with her in the middle, so we have two blankets.  She doesn't want blankets, but she does like to snuggle up to stay warm.  She doesn't even know what kind of cold is coming!

I just read this morning that Beijing is shut down due to poor air quality.  They have closed the airport and schools until it clears up.  Good thing we made it there in time and that we flew home from Hong Kong.  Some other families that we met were flying from Guangzhou to Beijing, with a seven hour layover and then flying home.  UGGHH!!  Some with later Embassy appointments were flying this past weekend.  I hope they made it home!

Settling In

The past two days have had their ups and downs.  Kimmy and Kelley have played well together...no problems with those two getting along.  As expected, Kimmy is feeling a little out of place because Kelley gets to do special things...like eat in the living room or play with Kimmy's toys (the toys not in any pile).  I spent part of Friday alone with Kimmy and Dan spent the morning alone with Kelley.  Saturday morning I took Kelley, while Dan took Kimmy shopping in Middlefield.  In the afternoons & evenings we had family time together.

Friday afternoon around 3:00 pm Kelley finally woke up.  That put her on a different time schedule then the rest of us.  I was actually in pretty good shape recovering from the jet lag.  When Kelley gets up at 3:00 pm, that means, she's not ready for bed at 8:00 pm.  She finally got to sleep around 11 in her own bed and was up crying again at 2:30 am.  She stayed awake till 4 or 5; I don't remember what time she finally cried herself to sleep in bed with Dan and I.  It is very heart wrenching to hear her sobbing in pain and knowing that we are part of the cause.  All we can do is let her grieve, hold her and touch her so she knows we are there for her.  Saturday morning we woke her up around 10 and put her to bed around 10:00 pm.  This made for a somewhat normal day for her.  We only need to adjust by another two hours and she is where she needs to be; I hope. 

Kelley saw the ponies Friday afternoon, but was more interested in the swing set and bikes.  Kimmy and Kelley laughed while they swung together on the glider.  Afterwards, we took two kids and two bikes for a short walk on Headwaters Trail.  Kelley's legs were a little shorter than the tricycle was adjusted, so she didn't go very fast.  Kimmy had a ball.  Dan, Kimmy and Kelley then went on to retrieve Neeko in the evening.  She isn't afraid of the dogs or cats, but doesn't like the dogs in her face.  For the most part, that isn't a problem with our dogs, who lay around and mind their own business.  I caught Kelley trying to feed some fruit loops to Dixie last night, who was happy to partake.

Today, I took Kelley with me to clean stalls.  Actually, she stayed inside with my mother while I cleaned.  Papa was outside, also, and eventually came in.  When I came in, Kelley was cleaning out their refrigerator.  She ate some grapes, a banana and chicken noodle soup.  Papa taught her to say "hmm, hmm, good", like the Campbell's commercial.  She is starting to repeat more words and can say a few English words when you point to something...like banana.

After lunch we hit the grocery store in the rain...all four of us.  I wasn't sure I could handle the two girls and shopping, so Dan came along as extra security.  We ran into Dr. Cline's wife, who has a 14 year old daughter adopted from China.  He talked to her, while I did the rest of the shopping, alone with the girls.  Kelley did everything that Kimmy did and they were both very helpful.  We stocked up on fruits and vegetables, bread and some fried rice. 

We headed home and attempted another bath before our Chinese Moon Festival party.  Dan filled up the tub and Kimmy jumped in.  As soon as he called Kelley into the bathroom the screaming started.  We compromised with her just sitting (fully clothed) in his lap and then my lap, watching Kimmy take a bath and play in the water.  Kelley wanted none of it.  She cried and screamed for 1-1/2 hours, long after the tub was empty and she was out of the bathroom.  I'm not sure why she has such a fear, but we will work thru it, baby steps.  I don't want to traumatize her by actually throwing her into her worst fear (even though she needs a bath).  I sponged her off, which wasn't a major objection, but she was already crying so I don't know. 

We joined the FCC Geauga Group for a Fall Moon Festival at the Swine Creek Lodge in Middlefield tonight.  There were six families with adopted children from China.  Everybody was interested in Kelley's story and wanted to know if things were the same or different from when they adopted.  We found out that one little girl is 2 days older than Kelley, but a little smaller. 

Kelly interacted with all of the girls and had fun running around and playing games.  She blew an entire bottle of bubbles and loved it.  She also played a game with marbles, where you have to pick them up from one bowl and move to another bowl, with chopsticks.  She is very adept with chopsticks and did well.  She also loves to eat.  At one point she went back to the line, 2nd or 3rd time, and was eating fried rice out of the bowl with the serving spoon!  In China, they said she wasn't picky about eating and now we see that she really likes all food and lots of it.  I bet she will put on a few pounds in the first month. 

After dinner and after the rain stopped everybody went outside with extra hot dog buns and fed the fish in the pond.  The girls also ran around and screamed.  Kelley fit right in and got some piggy back rides from the older girls. Kimmy also did a great job playing with the girls and roasting marshmallows over the fire.  I remember that Kimmy would barely talk or play with the girls for the first two years.  She isn't the youngest anymore and has come along way, feeling very comfortable with the Chinese girls that she sees every few months.  To end the evening, we went out to the parking lot, lit and let loose ten large Chinese lanterns, while making a wish for good luck.  It was beautiful to see the lanterns floating away with the full moon as a backdrop.  I wish I would have had my camera! 

We got some suggestions tonight from Rachel about how to introduce water for a bath in a pleasant and fun way.  Lucky for us, we have a glamour tub in the master bath at the new house.  It is deep, big, round and doesn't look like a bath tub.  We finished the night with all four of us, sitting in the glamour tub, fully clothed, laughing and tickling each other.  Dan and I climbed out and the girls were dancing barefoot in the dry tub.  I turned on the sink water and there was no fuss.  I poured a glass of water into the tub and they dipped their toes in it.  Pretty soon, Kelly turned the water on and laughed when it splashed on Kimmy's jeans.  Kelley even put her foot under the water stream and laughed.  We quit with that, but I think we are on to the fix! 

The night ended well and hopefully, Kelley will sleep thru the night.  She is back in bed with Dan and I tonight.  We might have moved too fast by putting her in her own bed and she will probably need our comfort for a few more months.  I am glad we are part of the FCC Geauga group and we can do some fun cultural activities with other Chinese girls.  Kelley is really a beautiful girl inside and out.  I was so happy to see her so happy with other girls.  I knew she was looking for friends when we were alone in China.  Tomorrow is another uneventful day and then it is back to work for Dan on Monday.  I will stay home on Monday with Kelley, while Kimmy goes back to school. 

Home

We stayed at the Hong Kong Regal Airport, which was attached to the airport.  Thursday morning (China time) we woke up and walked to United Airlines to check in with all of our bags.  The process went pretty smoothly and we were at the gate about an hour before take off.  I stopped at a gift shop and bought a few more trinkets; as if I needed anymore.  From what I could see on last night's drive and this morning, Hong Kong is a beautiful city.  It is nestled in some small mountains and along the China Sea.  It is also sub-tropics and the plants and trees stay green year round.

It was finally time and we boarded the plane with about 350 other passengers and at least 2 other adoptive families that we recognized.  One family was from Colorado Springs, CO and the other from Beckley, WV.  We were the last row on the side, with three seats together...window, middle & aisle.  Dan took the aisle; I got the window and Kelley was pickle in the middle.  The flight was long & uncomfortable as we flew over Japan, Alaska, Canada and the Northern United States.  Even though it was just a few hours time for those at home, there was a 12 hour time change and our total flight was 15 hours.  We watched a few movies and she slept a few hours...sideways...on both of us...at least she was quiet.  Thursday afternoon we landed in Chicago as weary travelers. 

We managed the customs line and immigration in about 30 minutes and were ready for our last leg.  Our flight was early, so we had some time to kill...another McDonalds meal.  Kelley loves their fries and happy meal toys, but could do without the hamburger.  She tried a bite, but wasn't interested in any more.  We caught up a little bit on some emails, texts and phone calls.  We boarded...our last flight for awhile...and took off from Chicago.  As we descended into Cleveland, the clouds changed.  We were flying over top of a blanket of fluffy cotton.  It was very pretty, but all electronic devices had to be off, so I couldn't take any pictures.  That was also about the time that Kelley started crying and wailing.  She had to stay strapped in her seat for another 15-20 minutes, which seemed like forever to her.  As soon as the plane pulled up to the terminal she ran to the potty and came out quiet.

Waiting for us at the baggage claim was Papa and Kimmy.  It was good to see them.  Kimmy missed us and asked lots of questions about Kelley, who was quiet as a mouse.  We gathered our bags and jumped in the car with two kids in carseats.  Kelley accepted that, but was very quiet, while Kimmy rattled on and on.  Dan and I weren't sure how this was going to work out when we got home. 

Everybody piled out of the car and Kelley headed straight for the bike in the garage.  She climbed on and rode around and around.  After about two minutes inside, the girls were hugging, laughing and running all around.  Kimmy took her upstairs and showed her the toy room and bedroom.  Kelley sat down and played with everything that looked interesting.  Next they went to the basement and looked at the big toy room.  She was amazed at what was down there.  Before long the girls were playing hide & seek, running & laughing through the house.  Kimmy talked in English & Kelley talked in Chinese, but they both knew how to play.  Kelley petted the cat and laughed at the taxidermy fish & goose.  Tomorrow she will meet the dogs and ponies.  About 10:30 pm we started to wind down and went to bed. 

Before we left, Kimmy decided that she didn't want to share her room with Kelley, so we weren't sure what the sleeping arrangements would be.  Thursday night, she decided that it would be OK for Kelley to sleep in her bedroom.  Instead, we had both girls sleep in the big bed with Daddy, while I wrapped things up downstairs and took to the couch...my backup bed (it really is comfy).  I talked to Kimmy last night and she was happy that Kelley liked her and she likes Kelley, too.  She was worried (like us) about how it would really go.  They cuddled up together and slept until about 4:30, when Kelley woke up scared, and still on China time.

Dan and I are happy to be home.  Kimmy is happy to have us home.  I don't think Kelley is ready to call this home.  In less than a day, she left a world where everything looked, sounded, smelled, tasted & felt Chinese.  Even though the hotels & airports were not her Village, they were still connected to her culture.  Now, she is in a new world, where everything and everyone is different.  Kimmy & Kelley went thru the gift suitcase last night and played with some of the Chinese toys.  I'm glad we took pictures & videos and brought home a bunch of memories (even the extras I bought at the airport) that will help her remember her past.  One day, when they are both older, we will go back to China for a vacation.  In the meantime, we will do our best to give her a happy & loving home, incorporating Chinese customs and foods as much as we can.  Saturday evening we will be joining our friends with other adopted Chinese children to celebrate the fall moon festival.  I wasn't sure if we were going to venture out this soon, but I think Kelley will like to see other Chinese kids.  She will enjoy letting loose some lanterns and seeing a little of her culture thru our eyes.  I'm sure if we could speak Manderin she would tell us all about it!

Trip to Hong Kong

Today was our last day in Guangzhou.  It was warm like every other day that we have been here.  The lobby was packed this morning with business men headed to the trade show.  We had to eat in the Carousel Restaurant for breakfast, because the Cascade was full.  The Carousel is a circle type restaurant on the 30th floor.  It was an amazing view, but of course I forgot the camera. 

We hung out in the room till check out time and then headed down the street for some lunch at Subway.  There was no more room in the suitcases for shopping, so we just window shopped.  It was rather uneventful.  Around 4:00 Lucia showed up with Kelley's passport & US VISA and all of her important adoption papers that are needed at Customs.  We said our goodbyes and jumped in a van to Hong Kong for a 3-1/2 hour ride.  The driver & van are from Hong Kong, so the steering wheel is on the right. 

We were leaving Guangzhou at the start of rush hour, so there was a lot of stop & go traffic...even on the highway.  I sat in the front seat and watched where we were going.  There was lots of tropical looking plants and some low mountains.  We went thru a few tunnels, similar to driving thru Pennsylvania's mountains.  There were factories on both sides and many apartment buildings - some very nice and some very simple.  The weather was hazy, maybe smog from the factories or maybe leftovers from the typhoon.  There was a sprinkle or two, which was the first rain that we have seen on this trip.

Kelley fell asleep in the back seat for the first 1-1/2 hours.  She woke up and proceeded to throw up, mostly on the floor.  Dan did the best that he could to clean it up with a box full of Kleenex.  We stopped 30 minutes later at the Customs office and cleaned up.  I took her into the restroom, while Dan and the driver cleaned up the floor.  She took one look at the squatty potty and ran out!  I was able to convince her to wash her hands. 

After that we entered Customs, but stayed in the car.  They didn't ask us any questions, but verified that our passports matched our faces.  At one point an agent pointed a thermometer at our heads to take our temperature.  We passed.  I hope that means she was just carsick and not cold/flu sick...like Kimmy is at home.  We continued on straight to the Regal Airport Hotel...on the left side of the road like the English do.    We unloaded our bags and the driver pulled away.  Five seconds later I realized that the laptop case, with our flight info and Kelley's important papers were still in the back seat!  Dan yelled and ran after the van.  The driver stopped at the end of the driveway to make a phone call, so Dan was able to catch him and retrieve the bag. 

We checked in around 9:00 and had a quick dinner at the hotel cafe, grill & bar.  I'll be happy to be home and cooking our own food!  They had live entertainment: a beautiful girl singing and a man playing the piano.  Kelley was enthralled and stared at the team until her dinner arrived.  The girl smiled at her and Kelley would laugh.  Around 10:00 we headed back to the room to crash for the evening.  Tomorrow morning we will fly out of Hong Kong on a 19 hour flight to Chicago, IL.  Hopefully, we are past the screaming and puking stage, but who knows what tomorrow will bring...except one day closer to home!

 

 

 

 

we have made it to chicago & kelley is officially a us citizen.  our plane leaves in an hour & lands in cleveland @ 7:15.  papa & kimmy are coming to pick us up.  we should be home by 8:30 & sleeping in our own bed!

Kelley's Adoption is Official

We made it past another hurdle.  Kelley is now officially adopted in the eyes of the US Government.  She is still a Chinese citizen until she reaches a US Port of Entry aka Chicago, IL on Friday afternoon.  We got up early today to have an early breakfast and quick Skype before our US Consulate appointment.  During our Skype call we found out that Kimmy isn't feeling well.  She has a fever, sore throat and will be staying home from school on Tuesday.  She was in the picture, but didn't talk much.  Kelley was wide awake and touched her a few times on the screen and laughed.  I hope she feels better!  Dan & I are doing our best to fight off a runny nose caused by a cold or allergies.  Neither of us have a fever, thank goodness!

We met Lucia in the lobby and headed to the Consulate.  Inside the van, I realized I forgot all the paperwork in the room, so had to run back.  We still made it there on time.  The lines were super long...mostly for Chinese citizens to get a VISA to come to the US.  We were able to bypass them and go right to the adoption line.  We passed security and went to an area where about 10 families met together for an 8:30 appointment.  We recognized two or three families that are staying in our hotel.  We met a new family from Colorado that will be taking the same flight back from Hong Kong to Chicago.  We all stood and took an oath that all of the information was accurate and true.  Then the kids were allowed to play while we waited our turn to go up individually.  There was a minor typo in our paperwork (eat vs east on her abandonment decree) that could have been a problem, but they didn't catch it.  The whole process was over in about 30 minutes and we were on our way out.

On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the Six Banyon Tree Buddhist Temple.  Dan through a coin into the blessing pot and wished for a quiet plane trip back.  Let's pray it works!  We saw a temple of Buddha past, present & future.  While we were talking, Kelley kneeled down and prayed to Buddha.  I'm not sure if she repeated what she saw others doing or if she really knew what to do.  We also saw the Buddha of Mercy.  Those are the two most common Buddhas at the 300 year old temple. 

We took another little shopping/strolling trip and ended up at McDonalds for lunch and then back to the room to practice English.  The traffic has picked up some and the hotel is hopping because the trade show started today.  We learned that it last three weeks:  1st week heavy manufacturing, 2nd week light consumer goods & 3rd week is textile, clothing & fashion.  It is held twice a year in April & October and is the largest trade show in China.  It is held at an expo center on an island on the Pearl River, by the high end of town.  We saw the expo center at a distance from the evening cruise.

At 5:40 we met Lucia in the lobby and headed out to the Pearl River Cruise.   We were leaving at rush hour, so she said it might be a little crazy.  Which it was; but I think drivers were crazier in Taiyuan.  We made it to the boat in plenty of time and cruised up and down the Pearl River.  They served a buffet dinner of traditional Chinese foods; Kelley loved the dim-sum and sweet corn.  Dan was happy!  We saw the tallest TV tower at 600 meters, including the mast.  We saw the stadium where they held the Asian Games in 2010.  We saw a dragon boat, Lucy's and the White Swan Hotel among other attractions.  The ship also had a little magic-fun show for the kids, which had everybody laughing.  The weather was beautiful, with a cool, soft breeze and almost a full moon.  The boat is similar to the Jet Express and has three levels.  Kelley enjoyed standing in the back and watching the lights. Dan was happy again and is planning a summer trip to Kelley's Island next year. 

Kelley did pretty good today (better than sick Kimmy).  A few times she thought about tears, but held them back.  She was ready for bed tonight as soon as we arrived at the hotel.  Tomorrow afternoon we will receive her Chinese passport with VISA to travel to USA and then we will jump in to a van to take us to the airport hotel.  It is about a 3-1/2 to 4 hour ride.  I hate changing hotels rooms again, but it is the easiest way out.  It looks like the typhoon that is coming in will be north of Hong Kong, so we should be OK.  One day closer to home!

Guangzhou Zoo

Today was another dry, beautiful day in Guangzhou.  It was a little cooler than yesterday at 86 degrees, but still hot!  We skyped with Kimmy and then had a little breakfast with the same group of southern adoptive families from the Lifeline Agency.  We met another family today from Atlanta that is on their third Chinese adoption.  Dan laughed when he heard a previously adopted Chinese girl say "ya'll coming?"

Next, we headed off to the zoo with Kelley Tao and a camera.  The zoo is located in the middle of the city.  It is surprising that there is that much undeveloped land.  Lucia said that the city grew around the zoo, which was there first.  Now, many big business would love to have the space.  It is similar to our zoo with lions, tigers, bears, elephants & hippos.  The monkey house was being renovated, so we didn't see any.  There was a beautiful pond filled with swans and another filled with pelicans.  Kelley dragged us away from the lions to see the birds.  She was quite happy watching them or maybe she just liked being by the pond. 

We were lucky enough to watch a zoo keeper training the red pandas.  They came down from the trees and had to climb on a stand for a piece of food when the keeper whistled.  They like to stay up in the trees where they cannot be seen.  They are soo cute!  The zoo also has a panda house.  The pandas leave for the summer because of the extreme heat and return in the fall.  They were just brought back within the past month and are still in the glass house getting used to things.  In another month or so they will be allowed out in the natural exhibit.  Next we saw the giraffes.  For a few yuan we could buy green branches and leaves to feed the giraffes.  Their tongues are super long!  Dan & Kelley fed them while I took pictures.  She liked the animals and wasn't afraid.  Next were the zebras.  She ran to them and yelled their name.  I think they were her favorite; she's my girl!  We told her that there are ponies (almost zebras) waiting for her at home. 

After the zoo, we went to the Government store, which used to be a Government porcelain & ceramic factory.  They did not make enough money selling high end porcelain and pottery so they added souvenirs.  I don't think it really has anything to do with the Government, but that it what Lucia called the store.  We bought matching outfits for Kimmy & Kelley and other gifts for the girls.  It's a good thing that I brought an extra suitcase!  There was some beautiful porcelain that I would have loved to bring home.  I'm scared to spend that much money and bring something so breakable home.  Between me, the cats and the kids, I'm sure it will get broke (assuming it survives the flight).  Dan was afraid that Kelley broke his nose today when she wacked him with her knee as he was picking her up.  He is fine, but that's my point. 

I do miss the little shops on the island around the Victory hotel where you could barter for nick-nacks.  I also miss the outdoor playgrounds close by.  The nearest park to our hotel is a 20 minute walk.  We decided to stick with the hotel courtyard, playroom and walking up and down the streets.  We discussed the rest of the week's plans with Lucia and everything still depends on the TB test results.  She dropped us off at the hotel and called about an hour later with results...negative!  That means we will go to the US Consulate tomorrow morning for our appointment.  Lucky for us, Kimmy was adopted before the test was mandatory. 

I went for a little afternoon walk up and down the local streets.  There must have been a school close by.  It looked like a lot of kids were released around 4:00 and walking home with Grandmas and Grandpas.  Lucia told us that most parents work and the Grandparents raise the child(ren).  Mothers can stay home for 3-6 months with a newborn and then they return to work.  Parents don't normally trust day care and the kids stay home till they are 3-4 years old.  Many times the parents and grandparents will argue because the grandparents spoil the child.  The 1 child policy is starting to loosen.  If the parents come from a 2 child family than they are only allowed 1.  If the parents come from a 1 child family than they are allowed 2 children. 

I also saw many banks, clothing stores, nail salons, local restaurants & bars and traffic police.  I scoped out a few new possibilities for dinner tonight and wrapped it up at 7-11 where I bought some snacks for Kelley and cucumber flavored potato chips for Kimmy at home (which Kelley grabbed right away).  When I came back to the hotel room Kelley and Dan were working on her English.  My Little Ponies was on tv and she said ponies, horsies and can I ride pony, repeating after him.  She can rattle off a lot of Chinese and we would like her to remember Chinese while she is learning English.  I'm not sure how that is going to work. 

After reviewing the choices for dinner, we settled on Pizza Hut again.  Kelley still wasn't interested in pizza, but she ate half a plate of chicken & pork fried rice.  We planned for an early bedtime, since we have to be up early to make the 8:30 am Consulate appointment.  We even decided another bath would be in order.  As soon as Dan turned the water on, the tears started.  After such a good day, we thought she can just get cleaned up with a wash cloth and keep the peace.  Kelley is a happy girl with quiet moments and plenty of laughter.  I am sure she still misses her Grandma, but I don't think she blames us.  I've seen her hand in her mouth throughout the day, which is a sign of stress and needing comfort.  At least the cough has disappeared. 

Tomorrow morning we have an appointment with the US Consulate where we take an oath to care for her and never abandon her.  Afterwards we are on our own, while Lucia waits for the VISA to be issued.  In the evening she has scheduled us for a Pearl River Cruise, including buffet dinner.  It will be our last full day in Guangzhou.  The trip is winding down quickly...getting closer to the big plane ride home.

 

from Chen Clan Temple to Pizza Hut

It was a good day today...no tears and lots of laughter. I was falling asleep last night as I was typing, so I hope it made sense and the pictures matched my story. We all had a good night's sleep and Kelley woke up today while we were skyping with Kimmy, Emma, Jenna, Julie and Papa at home. She came out of the bedroom with her hair all a mess and wanted to see what was going on. I can tell, she wants a sister in the worst way! Kimmy went on a Girl Scout corn maze trip yesterday and spent the afternoon with Grandma Carol. She told Kelley all about it.

We are starting to recognize some of the other families from the US that are on our same time schedule. After breakfast, Kelley wandered out on the patio to watch three Chinese sisters from Georgia. The youngest one, who is now in the process of being adopted, is a few years older than Kelley. They all sat outside by the pond and Dan took some bread out so they could feed the fish. That is a good way to start a conversation. The other family is from Georgia and has good friends in Chagrin Falls that they visit yearly. They knew exactly where Aurora and Mantua were located. We caught glimpses of them throughout the day and I'm sure we will see them tomorrow at breakfast. They are from a larger group of around 8 families. I miss having other families with us. This time around we are the only family here from our agency, so Kelley won't have any special friends to share in this adoption. On the other hand, we get one on one time with our guide and she takes us anywhere we need to go (like the pharmacy).

Next it was time to go to the Chen Clan Temple. I didn't remember until we got there, that we had seen the temple in 2009. I remembered some of the basics, like the woodwork, gardens and bonsai trees, but the exhibits and displays have changed. The Temple was originally an academy built by the Chen family about 100 years ago. Now, the rooms display tea, jade, ivory & bone carvings, porcelain, embroidery, paintings and Cantonese furniture. This was the place that Lucia recommended to buy some nice souvenirs, like a tea set, fans and jade bracelets. Kelley was wound up when we get inside and played a game of hide & seek (or run away from Dad) for about 5 minutes. She finally settled down and was mesmerized by the room where people played music on the calabash. The calabash looks like a small gourd/squash and sounds like a flute. I liked the room with all of the embroidered pictures on display. I'm not sure what Dan liked best, but I know he did not like the Cantonese furniture room. There beds were all hardwood (no mattress) and they used pretty, painted, curved porcelain blocks as a head rest or pillow.

We finished a little before lunch and Lucia suggested the Buddha Temple. I think we saw that the last time, but decided to go again. In the van Dan started to feel sick, so we headed back to the hotel instead. I finished my third and last book that I brought, while he slept for a few hours. I ordered a new book from Amazon for the tablet and then found out that I couldn't read it in China. Blocked! Kelley and I played silly games in the room and she watched cartoons. It was another 90+ degree day in Guangzhou with high humidity and I chose to wait till after 6 before going outside. We headed to Pizza Hut for dinner, which is less than a block away and a whole lot cheaper than the hotel restaurant. They have the basic pepperoni pan pizza plus many other Chinese varieties. We thought we ordered pepperoni & sausage, but only got pepperoni. Kelley took a bite, but wasn't sure about it, especially after she saw the waffle fries and fried rice bowl that I also ordered.

We walked around some more on the streets and stopped at 7-11 for an ice cream cone before bed. The sidewalks are crowded with people walking. We haven't seen many bikes here and are told that scooters are outlawed in the city. They were everywhere in Taiyuan! The streets have plenty of old & tall shade trees and lots of beautiful flowers. Lucia said that the government put a lot of money into beautifying the city before the Asian Games in 2010. Everything is extra green, in preparation of the big trade show coming up, too. She also told us there are about 12 million people in 20,000 square kilometers (7,700 square miles). It is considered to be in the subtropics and they don't get any snow, just an occasional hurricane. Guangzhou is also the third largest city in China and has a strong manufacturing economy. On our van ride to Hong Kong we should go past many factories, including Nike and where they make the iphone.

Dan and Kelley are in bed asleep now. He gave her the Indian Name "Refuses to Sleep Under the Covers" because she always kicks them off. Sometimes I think it is a game with her, especially when she is happy. She was happy to snuggle up next to him and feels safe in his big bear arms. Tomorrow we are going to the zoo, which we have not seen before. There are two pandas that I hope to see. We will also stop at the Government store, which is where we can buy Chinese clothes. That is a new stop for us, too.

First day in Guangzhou

Kelleytao slept in this morning till almost 8:00; she was tired after yesterday's flight. She was very quiet all morning and most of the day...even had a few short breakdowns, crying for Nye-Nye. We had another wonderful buffet breakfast, that is included in the price of the room of $140/night for this 4 or 5 star hotel. Breakfast is becoming my favorite meal of the day! She tried a banana and some pears today and loved them and is not so fond of scrambled eggs.

Dan woke up with back spasms from sleeping on a hard bed. Lucia, our guide said that these beds are soft by Chinese standards! It took him some time (and a pain pill) to get his back straightened out. He called the hotel staff and they brought up some extra padding to put on top of the mattress and under the fitted sheet. He is hoping for a better night sleep tonight. He was also complaining of ear pain from a possible infection. Lucia said that we could pick something up at the pharmacy to help.

Lucia picked us up at 9:30 and we headed by van to the medical exam, which is close to the US Embassy. Kelley had to go thru 3 stations. The first one was for weight, height, temperature and ear/nose/throat. I didn't see the doctor look in her ears or nose, but he did check her throat. The same doctor looked at Dan and said his ears were inflamed due to runny nose. He told us what to pick up at the pharmacy to help. The second station for Kelley was a blood draw to test for TB (no tears). We will get the results back Monday afternoon. The last station was a general exam of her body and verifying her special need. Kelley clung to us and watched all of the other kids in line doing the same thing. She has already had 2 surgeries in less than a year on her hand. I don't think she was scared of the doctors, but more missing Grandma who was there for every surgery.

On the way back we stopped at a pharmacy and picked up some nose spray for Dan. Then we shopped at a local super market for some snacks: water for us and yogurt drinks for Kelley. We saw a live fish market inside. You can select your fish for dinner and they will kill it for you. There was also other dried meats and sausages hanging on the wall. I was afraid to look to close. Kelley kept it under control; better than at WalMart. She did throw a few things in the cart that I put back when she wasn't looking. I managed to get them safely back on the shelf before she noticed.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was ours. What is there to do when you are by yourself in a different country? Without a car? With a 4 year old child that may start screaming Nye-Nye at anytime? And it is 93 degrees (96 with heat index) outside? Well, we went to the children's playroom on the 6th floor. The problem is that the 6th floor of this hotel is closed. We found that out after riding the elevator for 5 minutes. The playroom is on the 6th floor of the Garden Tower Apartment building, which is attached. She played there for almost an hour by herself (and with us). Then we headed back to the hotel to meet the laundry guy. We took a walk down the street, just to see what was available. Lucia had shown us many restaurant options for dinner.

Kelley played some games, cried a little and colored with crayons until dinner time. She has been snacking on snacks everyday around lunch time, so we've just been going out for dinner. We headed back to the hotel restaurant for a buffet dinner. We should have listened to Lucia. They were supposed to have a bbq buffet tonight, which sounded good. The problem was that we were there at 5:30 and the buffet didn't open till 6:00. We took a little stroll thru the outdoor courtyard and watched the fishes swim and a large waterfall. That wasted 20 minutes so we went in. At 6:10 there was still nothing set out for the buffet (may be because nobody was in the restaurant). Dan and I decided to eat off the menu. Our caeser salads were good, but not that filling. We ordered chicken fingers and French fries for Kelley. She loved the fries and wouldn't try the nuggets. There is a Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Starbucks and Subway within walking distance of our hotel. We will have to check those out for lunch tomorrow.

After dinner we went for another outdoor stroll down a side street and finished the day with some ice cream for Kelley. She loved it, but didn't like the outside cone. At 8:00 bedtime we skyped with Kimmy and family. Kelley was playing by the bed and came running to the computer as soon as she heard Kimmy's voice. She was doing her best to play with Kimmy thru the computer. She showed her a doll, waved it at her and pressed the belly button. She made a bear noise and face for Papa. Our quiet little girl just came around at bedtime tonight.

Tomorrow's excursion include the Chan Clen Temple (which is tall according to Kimmy) and the FolkArt Museum.