home, sweet home!

It's so good to be home.

Our journey home was long, but uneventful! As you may recall, I wrote an entire coming home post for Ben's journey! What a trip!!!

Fortunately, Lucy Mei's journey went as expected....when traveling with a 2 year old. No major melt-downs. Just lots of snacks, drinks and restlessness.

We received Lucy's Visa (Yay!!!) and left for Hong Kong in our van on Friday at 4:15 p.m., as scheduled. After a 3 hour drive (heavy traffic) and an odd change in drivers/vehicles and a "laser" gun (?) pointed at our foreheads in immigration, we arrived at our airport hotel. Hong Kong is BEAUTIFUL. The lights, scenery - mountains, water. Gorgeous.

The Regal hotel was expensive (no internet or free breakfast), but convenient and very large rooms (with a nice crib). We faced the runway and water/mountains, Lucy enjoyed watching the planes from the huge windows in the morning. 

We ordered room service ($60 - Hong Kong is not cheap! Food was great! Pasta and one last TsingTao for me. No Chinese food for a very loooong time!) and we were quickly to sleep. The next morning at 9 a.m. we called the porter who loaded our bags on an airport trolley while we checked out. We literally walked an aisle and made a left into the airport. Very convenient!!!

We checked in at Cathay Pacific very easily and then saw Warren & family checking in at United!!! We got to say a final goodbye, again. LOVE them! They are a hoot and made our journey so enjoyable. Great "groupies"!!!

First on the agenda, breakfast for Lucy Mei. When this girl wants to eat, she wants to EAT! We finally found a bakery, and I purchased a chocolate muffin. She spit it out. Obviously NOT a fan of chocolate. Soooo sad. A banana held her over.....while I went to Popeye's for chicken tenders and fries. She LOVES fries. No judging. Desperate cries, desperate times, desperate measures.

Well, she wouldn't touch the chicken...only the fries. 

So, I removed the fries until she ate some chicken. Melt down ensued, Greg doesn't like it....thinks I should give in. I probably should have. But, it's hard for me. We leave the restaurant. Lucy keeps crying and finally points to the chicken. Eats about 8 large chicken strips. Girlfriend was hungry. Mama feels better. :) A few fries later, she was full.

Then it was off to find flight "snacks". Anything to keep her happy. Gummy bears, chips, etc. Dread and fear settling in. I sooooo did not want a repeat of Ben's flight.

Loved Cathay Pacific!!!! Awesome!!!! Fantastic legroom, movie selection outstanding, free coloring and sticker bags for the kiddos and best of all, free wine and beer!!! :) Just sayin'.

We had 3 seats on the side. Lucy Mei sat in the middle and I was by the window. It was a 14.5 hour flight and Lucy slept the last 4 hours (only). I slept a few hours and poor Greg, about 10 minutes. Lucy was restless, and cried a few times. But, for the most part, she was excellent. Just a handful. :)

Greg and I each watched 3 or 4 movies so the time passed somewhat quickly. We left at 11:50 a.m. China time and arrived in Chicago around the same time, same day. Figure that one out. Ha! A 14 hour time difference and a 14 hour flight. Jet lag is killer. It was 2 a.m. China time and we were zombies.

We made it easily through immigration and Lucy Mei was officially an American citizen!!! Yay!!

We then rechecked out bags on American for the flight to Evansville and departed the International terminal. Greg's Aunt Maxine (who lives in Chicago) was waiting for us! It was sooooo sweet! She had a little sign for Lucy and a Panda necklace. Lucy wouldn't wear it and threw the Panda box on the ground....I'm sure she'll appreciate it later! Thanks Max!!! :)

Max also brought a car that moves by balloons! (I had blogged earlier that Lucy loves cars and balloons!). Plus, she brought fresh apples and grapes! Yummy! Lucy, tired beyond comprehension, was interested in Max but not her usual, happy self. It was a short visit though, Max couldn't enter the Domestic terminal, so we had to part ways. We look forward to you visiting Evansville soon, and thanks so much for welcoming us home! 

Lucy had her biggest traveling home melt down going through Chicago security, because we had to remove her shoes and take her out of the stroller. Poor girl was beyond tired. The security guards were sweet and offered her a sticker. Lucy has no idea what stickers are....seriously, she has never seen one. She took it off and threw it on the ground. I explained the shoe thing (from an orphanage, shoes are her stroller are security, etc.) and they were so nice and congratulatory. She was quickly quieted once her shoes and stroller were back in place.  

Next stop was the potty and coffee! Lucy was dry, again, and peed on the potty! Seriously, this girl is nearly trained! Yay! Not an accident during a 14.5 hour flight! Whooo hooo! 

We waited about 90 minutes for our flight to Evansville and nearly all fell asleep. Lucy wanted no part of me at this point. Not sure why - but, she was all about Baba. Made me sad, but also happy.

Our Evansville flight boarded on time - a 50 minute flight! We all slept and arrived CRAZY excited to see our family and kiddos!!!!

We were the last ones off the plane (seated in the very back). Greg packed the stroller with all of our carry-ons at deboarding and I held Lucy Mei.

We entered our little airport (like, only 2 gates total!), headed up the escalator........and saw everyone immediately!!! Ohhhh, whatta feeling!!!

I think I started to run. I know I was crying, and waving, and Lucy was confused.

The first person I saw was Jack Jack. Front and center, wearing his new Purdue shirt (one of his daily "China gifts" that Greg must have bought him!). He looked so handsome!!!! - and big! A HUGE grin on his sweet little face. I hugged him immediately.....ugly cry setting in. Oh, how I love my kiddos. It's all a blur, but I think Benny was next. He hugged me and asked why I was crying! Kid cracks me up! Then Sammy and Ellie....or maybe Ellie and Sammy. I need to watch the video! Regardless, lots of hugs, kisses and cries.

Lucy Mei did great!! No crying. Just soaking it all in....thumb in her mouth, mostly. Pointing occasionally. Overwhelmed by it all.

We had a huge crowd of welcomers! My parents, of course. My sister, Holly, her husband, Kevin and their kiddos - Connor, Sophie and Lucas. My brother, John, his wife, Amy, and their 4 kiddos - Vincent, Katlynn, Dylan and Trenton. My Uncle Butch, Aunt Linda and 2 of their grandchildren - Emily and Devin. Our next door neighbor and our great friend, Amy and her 4 kiddos - Drew, Lizzy, Anna and Emily. Our close family friends, Justin and Lanae. Quite a group!!!! 

It was so touching to come over the escalator and see this huge crowd of people. People we love so dearly. It was such an emotional and tiring journey. To know so many people came to welcome our sweet Lucy home meant the world to us. We will always remember each and every one of you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!!!

Lucy immediately bonded with Sam....even letting him pick her up and put her in the stroller! Ben was also trying to push her in the stroller. First hints there was going to be conflict for her attention. :)

Unfortunately, we couldn't visit long. We were exhausted and needed a little "family" time before bed.

Sam put Lucy in her car seat in the 3rd row, and buckled her in. No problems! Sam sat next to Lucy, and Ben on the other side. They both held her hand on the way home. Sam commented how fat her fingers are! Cracks me up. They are so chubby! Jack sat in the middle row in front of Lucy Mei (closest to his Mama! :). Ellie and Greg took my parents home in the other van.

Lucy walked in and was immediately introduced to Chezzy, the dog. The dog then "happy peed" all over Lucy and the floor. Soooo sad. Lucy, was not, and is not, a fan.

Coming home, like with Ben, was utter chaos. The kids are wired and crazy about seeing us and especially their new sister. They were each vying for her affection and attention. Immediately, they wanted to give her a tour of the house and their rooms. So sweet, so overwhelming.

We decided to give the kids a bath first and then eat dinner. Lucy loves baths and we thought it would be a good icebreaker.

They all piled in (well, not Sam) and Ellie's first comment (in a whisper to me), "Mommy, she has the same pee-pee as me!". Hmmm....I asked her if she thought it would be different??? She said, "Yes Mommy, she's Chinese". Hmmmm......what?! Cracked us up! Greg and I are thinking that maybe because Ben's was "different" than Jack's (if you know what I mean), she expected Lucy's to be different? Anyway, it was quite a hoot!!! Ellie is quite relieved, all is well.

Lucy did great in the bath, but she was fading fast. We quickly finished and headed down for dinosaur chicken nuggets and apple sauce. Hey, we're in survival mode. No judging!

After a quick dinner and some cheese balls (a VERY special - "while we are in China only" treat), the kids cuddled on the sofa for awhile and watched TV....great bonding....for a few minutes. Then, BED!!! Finally!!!! 

We thought we'd try Lucy in her crib (she's sharing a room with Ellie). Lucy cried for 15 minutes or so. I would go in every few minutes to pat her back, reassure her. She finally went to sleep. In China, she slept in a crib directly next to our beds. If she cried, I would reach out to her. It was very comforting for her to know we were there. I wasn't sure how this new arrangement was going to work.

Around 12:30 a.m., the crying started. Greg went up to rub her back and settle her down. It didn't help. Eventually, we moved her to the pack-n-play next to my side of the bed. I literally spent the night with my hand hanging over the side of the pack-n-play, for her to hold, which she did. Poor girl. Poor Mommy. Not the most comfortable position, and very little sleep for me.

We woke up around 8 a.m. on Sunday and the kids were fired up! They couldn't wait to see Lucy Mei. She was very happy, but again, cautious - soaking it all in. Breakfast was Cheerios and banana....the kids helped (fought) to feed her.

Sam was singing in the church choir at 10:30 a.m. Way too early to introduce Lucy to church and new people, etc. So, I took Sam while Greg stayed home with the kids to play and bond. Lucy opened up to Ellie with coloring and holding her hand walking up/down the stairs. 

Ellie and Sam keep saying how cute she is. Ellie even said, "She's way cuter than I thought she would be!". Ha! Ben is not interested, at this point. He's just very happy I "came back". Jack is trying so hard, and not understanding why Lucy won't talk to him or hold his hand. He and Ellie each approached me separately yesterday with worry that Lucy Mei doesn't talk to them or play with them. It's so hard for the littles to understand. In time. This too shall pass, hopefully, soon! 

Sam and I arrived home and it was lunch time. The kids ate (Lucy even ate turkey!) and then Lucy Mei and Ben needed to nap. Lucy slept from 12:30 - 5:00 p.m., in her crib!!! Sweet girl needed to rest, the jet lag and change and over stimulation are completely overwhelming for her.

Sam and Ellie played outside with the neighbor friends and I played inside with Jack....who was needing some Mama time, and I happily obliged! :) We played "Chutes & Ladders", drank hot cocoa, played Lego's, pictionary, colored and made cupcakes! Whew!

My mom stopped by for a while to "rehash". My parents thoroughly enjoyed watching the kids! They said it was much easier than they thought!!! Wow! They developed some "house rules" that we will be carrying on! They also created a "good list" which had 31 items on it! We reviewed the list with the kids on Saturday night and they were so proud!!! Greg and I are so proud of how they behaved. We love the time they got to spend with my parents and they seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. Praise the Lord!!!

We finally woke Lucy Mei up from her nap, around 5 p.m. Jack went with me and she was so happy to see him! He loved it!!! She pointed at him and said, "Jack"....in her own, unrecognizable way! It was bath time again. She wasn't as interested this time. The kids may be scaring her a little. They expect her to know English and they're very touchy, feely, loving. She just needs more time. Greg got Papa Murphy's pizzas (which she/we love) and it was off to bed for the littles.

I put Lucy in the crib again, and she cried. We told Ellie she could stay up for a while until Lucy fell asleep. After about 15 minutes, Lucy was out. She slept very well until 12:24 a.m. Not that I'm counting.

Greg headed back to work today and the kids are all in school. So, I was on Lucy duty.

This poor girl cried from 12:24 a.m. until after 3 a.m. Greg moved the video/talking monitor into her room earlier in the day so I could sing and talk to her, if needed, to calm her fears. It worked sometimes. Eventually, she'd be back to crying. I rubbed her back a few times and that always calmed her down. But, I can't always do that. She needs to feel safe, and I know that takes time.

Greg and Ellie eventually moved to the basement....and both, thankfully, had a great night's sleep. I had about 4 hours total. Blogging now while Lucy sleeps. It is 10:07 a.m.

Today, is Lucy Mei and Mommy day. Hopefully, a quiet and relaxing one. I definitely have chores (laundry, unpacking, grocery, etc.) to tend to. But, for the most part, me and my girl will be chilling.

After living in an orphanage her entire life - and awakening on 10/29 to a 3 hour van trip to a new city - meeting complete strangers and saying goodbye to everything and everyone she's ever known. Then, traveling to and staying overnight in 4 cities (Zhengzhou, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Evansville) with 4 new beds and routines. Experiencing 3 major bus/van/taxi/car trips, countless bus trips/appointments, 3 flights and even a river cruise! Traveling half-way around the world and meeting a ton of new people, none who speak her language. This poor girl, 2 1/2 years old, is spent.

Greg and I are taking her to Cincinnati Children's Hospital on Wednesday for her International Adoption medical evaluation. We are leaving at 4 a.m. My parents will be watching the kiddos again. Another long day. No worries at this point though. We suspect her "special need" is no longer a need. We will elaborate more once we receive information. Praying for positive, healthy results.

We also have our first social worker post placement visit this week.

Lucy will also be enrolling in the same preschool as Ben. We need a few weeks to settle in with her at home. Greg and I will be using our remaining vacation days until we're comfortable she is ready. I plan to introduce her to the school in small increments, like I did with Ben.....and he did great!!!! We are hoping for the same with Lucy, although we understand she is a different personality.

She is such a sweet, sweet girl. It will take time. She's not the only one experiencing major life change. Our friend asked me yesterday, "How long did it take Ben to settle in, to feel secure, to know this is his home?"......I said, "A year, maybe longer". It's the truth.

It's a loooonng process. We have added a spirited 2 1/2 year old to our family. There will be a lot of ups and realistically, a lot more downs. We will all need to adjust. New routines, family/life changes (Ben no longer the baby, Ellie no longer the only girl and sharing a room). It's a LOT of work for ALL of us. But, we know we will get there....and we'll have fun along the way! Ben has changed so much in just the past few months. Ohhhh Benny Boo Boo. How we love you. From his perspective, his comfort and security and place in our family are very, very strong now. But, it took time and effort and lots and lots of love for him to feel on equal footing as the other kiddos. The adoption "journey" doesn't end when you set foot in America.    

The first night home, Saturday evening, after the kids were all in bed. I broke down. After cuddling with Jack in his bed for 20 minutes or so (because he asked me to :), and kissing all the kiddos goodnight, I couldn't take it. My love and appreciation for each of them is overwhelming and so powerful. I feel like the luckiest Mom in the entire world.

A lot of work, yes. Worth every second, ABSOLUTELY!!!

 

last post from china!!!

Well, this is it. We leave in 2 hours for Hong Kong. Bags are packed and Lucy Mei is napping. :)

Last night was Papa John's with Warren's family...and it was actually quite good! Tasted just like the good 'ol US of A! We ate outside by the kids' playground so the kiddos could let off some "steam". Warren, as always, was fired up and entertaining us all! Love that kid!!  

Another Lucy Mei first tonight: she let someone other than Greg and I hold her. Georgette and I were walking with the kids over a bridge near the playground and Lucy must have gotten scared. I was ahead of her, so she put her arms out to Georgette, who carried her back to the playground!!! YAY!!!!

No livin' on the "dangerous side" tonight. We were all tired. It was an early night - asleep by 7:30 p.m.!

Lucy Mei started to stir around 7 a.m., waking me up! LOVED catching up with a good night's rest! I guess Greg "worked" for a few hours in the middle of the night though. We're not thinking the Papa John's liked Lucy Mei very much. Her pants were a mess. Yuck. Off for a quick bath.

Breakfast buffet, last time. Lucy is going to miss the fried noodles and fried dough sticks. So sad. Cheerios and oatmeal await her at home. Sam and Ellie facetimed us while eating....but, the connection was very bad. We hurried through breakfast to skype with them from the room.

Jack and Ben were already asleep. Mom indicated all the kids have been great! Ben and Jack like to hide from her under the covers. Glad to know they are playing well together! :) Jack's teacher even emailed to say he is doing great and can't wait to meet his little sister! :)

Ellie and Sam seemed great!! Ellie is going to LOVE having a sister. She is sooooooo excited!! She kept telling Lucy how cute she is and making kisses. Mom said, "Lucy Mei is feisty!". She's got that right! Lucy loved making faces at the kids and trying to say their names. Ohhhh, I can't wait!!!

Warren's family knocked at the door (on their way to breakfast) so we waved 'em on in. They got to meet my Mom, Ellie and Sam. Warren had never skyped before and was freaked out by the whole thing! It was funny!

Another BIG first for our sweet girl today: we have been telling her "no" or using the Chinese saying (which sounds strangely like boo yah!) and she normally just smiles at us, or completely ignores us, and keeps doing it (normally playing with the toilet, the iphones, the computer, etc.). She definitely understands us....she just doesn't care. So sad.

Anyway, today I was sitting at Greg's computer (checking Facebook) and she wanted to sit on my lap. I told her, "Ok, but no touches. If you touch, you have to get down". Trust me, she understands. She started touching the keys. I then told her, "Ok, Mama said no touches. Now you have to get down.". I placed her beside me.

A few seconds later I looked over at her, and was standing there with her bottom lip stuck out and crying quietly. It was sooooo sad. The first time she has shown any "correction concern".....as I like to call it. Ha! There is hope!!!! :)

After another Lucy Mei blow-out and change of clothes, we met our entire group (minus a family that left for home yesterday) at 10:30 a.m. in the lobby for a last stroll through the park. It's a huge, Central Park type park, located across from our hotel. It's beautiful and very crowded.

Our huge group was quite a site. All 20 or so adults, plus all the kiddos. We stopped for an orchestra/band that was playing. They LOVED performing for us and many were videotaping us videotaping them! Ha! They played "Jingle Bells", "Auld Lang Syne" and a few other songs. It was so sweet!!!

We then walked by the lake so the kiddos could feed the koi. We sat on benches and a Chinese woman offered Lucy Mei some fish food. Lucy took a piece and put it in her mouth! YUCK. Thankfully, she spit it out quickly. The other families ate Subway....we weren't hungry and still recall our last bad experience with Subway on Ben's trip. Yuck, yuck.

It was VERY humid here today. No breeze at all. Warmest day by far. So weird to know it's almost Thanksgiving back home and it feels like summer here!!!

Lucy was great at the park. She even tried a piece of another Mom's Subway turkey sandwich! This girl is really branching out!! Ha! It was time to head back to the hotel to pack and Lucy to nap. After another messy diaper (hoping it's the last one today!), she was ready for "nighty night".

Our journey home will be long. Very, very long. Like, 20 hours from Hong Kong to Evansville. We will arrive in Evansville at 5:50 p.m. (or 7:50 a.m. China time). Soooo, if we look a little ragged in the "coming home" photos/video, you'll know why!! We are hoping to sleep on the flight from Hong Kong to Chicago. We know Lucy will need to to nap. Even a few hours for us will make a huge difference.

This girl is something else. Truly. Her sweet, sweet spirit, her spunk, her sass, her stunning beauty. Her playfulness, her love and trust in us. She is inspiration and strength, defined.

She loves to give kisses and hugs and run to us. She is restless and cranky when tired - and quite a spitfire when she is both of those, and doesn't get her way. The tantrums are over quickly, and almost funny to watch. God love her! We have enjoyed every minute with her and can't believe we get to spend the rest of our lives with her!  

A lot of people have asked how Lucy and Ben are alike and/or different. That could be an entirely new post, but honestly, it's irrelevant. They are each very unique individuals. Vaguely similar beginnings to life and a shared birth country. But, suffice to say, one thing is for certain - they are both Schultzs through and through - just as God intended.  

Our next post will hopefully be the "homecoming". :) I will try and keep everyone updated on Lucy's transition and meeting her family. Greg, of course, will keep posting photos! So, check back and stay-tuned. Thanks again to everyone for following - your prayers and well wishes are, and have been, greatly appreciated.

Lastly, a HUGE thank you to my parents for watching our kiddos...and the crazy dog. We couldn't have done it without you. LOVE YOU THE WHOLE WORLD!!!! XOXOXO

Blessings,

us consulate appointment!! check!!!

We completed our US Consulate appointment this morning! Yay!

Lucy Mei has officially completed all of the necessary paperwork in China and will officially become a US citizen when we arrive in Chicago. We will receive her Visa tomorrow afternoon (fingers crossed!!!) before checking out of the hotel at 4 p.m. for our van to Hong Kong.

We will spend the night in Hong Kong and board an 11 a.m. for our 14 hr. flight to Chicago!!!

Whew....we can finally see the light!!!

It's 12:30 p.m. here. Lucy and Greg are napping.

Last night we ate with Warren's family in the hotel.....a high-end, huge buffet!!! Not Golden Corral type buffet....like, made to order filet's type buffet. I ate sushi and chips/hummus and apple crisp pie for dessert. Yummy! Lucy loved the chips and rice and Warren, of course.

Georgette wanted to take the kids swimming. It was late (well, like 8 p.m.) but she's teaching us to "live on the dangerous side" in her sweet Mississippi southern drawl....so, we went! I'm so glad we did. It was so fun!

Lucy Mei was bustin' out of her 2T swimsuit and tried to pull it down/up/over. Girlfriend is obviously not accustomed to showing any skin. She was fired up though! She, Warren and Jaden were running and screaming down the hallway. It's a wonder we don't get kicked outta here!

The weather was gorgeous outside and the pool area was beautiful. Greg (reluctantly) got in and I handed Lucy to him. I was shocked when she agreed! I snapped a few photos and then she was done. I was proud of her though!!! Big step for our girl! 

Lucy and I chilled on the lounger and watched Warren and Jaden play. I drank a TsingTao and enjoyed listening to American music piped from the hotel bar poolside. Another little guy from our group, Jett (20 months), and his 14 year old brother, Tanner, joined us. Jett is such a doll and actually fell asleep on Greg's lap. Greg wanted to take him home too. :) Just sayin'....

We didn't get to bed until 10 p.m.! Lucy slept great, as always, and woke up dry - again! We took her to the potty first thing, and she went immediately!! Next stop, bath. She definitely knows the routine. :)  

We met our group in the lobby at 7:55 a.m. for the Consulate appointment. All went fine. Very anti climatic, same as last trip.

We arrived back at the hotel in time for the breakfast buffet. Sam facetimed us at breakfast. LOVE IT!!!! Not the best connection, so he held up a sign that read, "I have a sore throat"......poor guy! He was really only interested in seeing Lucy though. They are sooooo funny and sweet together!!!! Sam makes faces at her and she imitates him!!! She can say his name too! They are going to be best buds!!!

Our guides had a "departing Guangzhou" meeting at 11:15 a.m. for 1 member from each family to attend. I just returned and we're officially all set to go! It was our last item on the itinerary. Our group informally decided to meet in the lobby tomorrow morning for one last hurrah - Subway lunch at the park.

Once Lucy and Warren awake from naps, we are planning to shop outside our hotel with Warren's family for a few souvenirs and spend the last of our RMB money.

Tonight is Papa John's  with Warren's family - maybe eating outside by the playground.  

Tomorrow's agenda is park in the a.m., napping, packing, Lucy's Visa arrives and FINALLY -- the van to Hong Kong!!!! (about a 3 hour drive).

What an exciting and life-changing 2 weeks. Every child deserves a family.

To witness the transformation of 10 little lives and families, in less than 2 weeks, has been beyond awe-inspiring. To watch children laughing and bonding with their new families, feeling secure and loved and happy. It's truly beyond words for me. I am forever changed.

My children, all of them, are forever changed. Ellie is already saving money for the child she will someday adopt from China. :) 

There is nothing more fulfilling or rewarding I could do in my life. Not because what it means to the child, but the joy and love and happiness this child brings to our lives and our family.

So, as our journey comes to a close.....(I cannot imagine staying another 7-8 days. Ben's trip was 22 days. No way, hosay!)........a few thoughts: 

We are very comfortable saying, Lucy Mei is ready for home, ready for her brothers and sister! We, without a doubt, are beyond ready!

Our sweet girl has surprised us in sooo many ways.

The utterly terrified, shaking and tearful little girl, always running towards the nearest exit, is no longer.

She's happy, silly and feisty. :)

She's now equally comfortable with Greg and I. Wowza!

She loves to give kisses, tickle us, give high-fives....all the "normal" things a 2 1/2 year old child enjoys.

She loves to be held....but, be warned, she's quite a load!

She's very active, very much a toddler...and sneaky! We turn our backs for a second, she's headed straight for Greg's laptop (knowing very well it's "off limits"). Ha! Love her!

She loves to "learn" English....although most of her words sound the same. She has the sweetest little voice. She points at almost everything and wants to know the English word....and attempts to repeat it.

She also "selectively" understands almost everything we say. :)

For those who may be meeting Lucy Mei in the coming weeks, days....

Unlike Ben, who literally strutted off the plane like he owned the place, Lucy Mei will need time before being held, and perhaps even touched.

She will likely be overwhelmed and frightened with the attention, or she may completely surprise us (the kiddos should help her immensely in the transition).

........a little side note, we are hoping she's terrified and/or allergic to Chezzy. So sad. Ha! Buh, bye!

I will try and blog a last post tomorrow. Thanks again for following along!!

Blessings,

 

boo yah!!!

Whew!!! It has been a busy few days. I am missing my kiddos something fierce. Only 3 1/2 days until our family is reunited. I cannot wait!!!!!! My kiddos are going to love and adore their baby sister, and Lucy Mei will be in heaven!!!!

Ok, I'll start where I left off in the prior post....

The Pearl River dinner cruise. We passed on this tourist "activity" last trip. It was typhoon season and the waters were wavy, if the boats journeyed at all. This trip, we decided to give it a whirl, and I'm glad we did!!

Less than half our group attended (it's fairly expensive) and the food is reportedly awful. Our guide indicated the price includes a buffet dinner, a 90 minute cruise up/down the Pearl River and "clown" entertainment. We weren't exactly sure about the clown....but, we were in. What the heck. When in China....

We arrived at the boat and it was VERY WAVY. I thought I was going to throw up....another Mom with our group, also sitting at our table, was feeling the same. Suddenly our guide, Kathy, noticed us feeling queasy and ran over. She immediately began pressing her finger very hard above my upper lip and then on my temples. Apparently, she was rubbing a motion sickness liquid that left a beautiful, glossy green tint. So sad. Anyway, once we set sail, the waters calmed down a lot. Thank goodness!

First on the agenda, the buffet. It was an all out cattle crush. Manners were non-existent. The buffet was the worst "Chinese" food I've ever seen or smelled. TsingTao dinner for me! Lucy did eat the noodles and some rice though. She also loved sitting by the window and looking at the lights and sticking her fingers in the TsingTao pull-tab beer cans. Not good. 

Next was dessert, they brought out a tub of Nestle chocolate hard ice cream. I dished Lucy a big bowl, thinking Greg would eat some (he was upstairs taking photos). Lucy Mei nearly finished it off. This girl loves sweets!! Kathy ran over very concerned, "Ohhhh, no, stop feeding her.....she will have a belly ache." So, that was it for Lucy Mei. But, she handled it well. :)

Final item on the agenda, the "clown" show. Let me set the stage. I was standing and holding Lucy Mei. Greg was behind me taking photos. This creepy "clown" came running out dressed like a "pig" with fake breasts and nipples fully exposed, wielding a hatchet down on the ground and on the table. It was beyond frightening and bizarre.

Lucy literally jumped into Greg's arms, from mine.

FIRST TIME EVER!!!! BOO-YAH!!!!

She must have thought the creepy "clown" was too much for Mama to handle! Ha!!! It was the ice-breaker she needed and they've been lovey ever since!!! Praise the Lord!! Pearl River Cruise may be one of worst tourist attractions ever, BUT, it brought Baba and Lucy Mei together. LOVE.

We arrived back at the hotel around 9 p.m. and sweet Lucy was zonked. Next morning was the Safari Park at 9 a.m. and she needed to get to sleep asap. She slept great again that night and breakfast the following morning was more of the same. Not a lot of variety in her diet, for now.

We were excited about the Safari Park. It's awesome! We had toured last year with Ben. It is expensive though. Half of our group toured the Safari Park and the other half toured the Guangzhou Zoo.

Lucy enjoyed the animals and was only afraid of the mascot type animals. The weather was perfect and Lucy behaved very well....just soaking it all in. We were all tired when we returned to the hotel. We had about an hour before our group and family photos in the lobby. Lucy took a short nap and was NOT a happy camper when we woke her up....hence, her crying in the photo. :(

Greg and I ran into our guide, Jon, from Ben's adoption in the hotel lobby. He remembered a lot about Ben (thumbs up! :)....and said Lucy Mei looked like a "cartoon penguin".....but, that "it was a compliment"??? Hmmm. So, I did a little google research on famous Chinese cartoon penguins.

Do you see any resemblance? Ha! These are the "Pororo" Chinese cartoon penguins.

It was then off to dinner with our group to a Cantonese restaurant near our hotel. It was very good, pre-ordered again by our guides. We sat with Warren's family (as always! :) and the kids were great! The tables are round and contain lazy susans in the center. The waiters bring out many different dishes, family style....and Pearl River beer. Boo yah!

Lucy Mei loved the noodles and rice....would not touch a veggie to save her life. She was very sweet and patient. She and Warren sat next to each other, of course. Another great evening!

We walked back to the hotel and Georgette wanted to visit the outdoor playground with the kids. So, we stocked up on a few TsingTao's and headed outside. It was a beautiful night and we were anxious to try Lucy Mei on the swing....we thought her first swing. But, she LOVED it. (Ben was terrified of the swing initially. One of his only fears.) We are confident she had been on a swing before. LOTS of smiles and belly laughs.

It warmed my heart watching Lucy run around, playing on the playground with Warren and Jaden and behaving like a happy, carefree child. Laughing, smiling, clapping, imitating. Not a care in the world. Belly full, feeling loved and safe and secure. The change in this girl over the last 10 days is nothing short of phenomenal.

Ohhhhh, how we love this girl. Given everything she has gone through in her short life....and especially the last 10 days. The trust and love and confidence she has placed in Greg and I....there is truly no better feeling. She completes us. Our family will be forever changed and blessed. She is such a joy. She's the right mix of feisty and sweet. She's a mother-hen, yet loves being tended to. She's independent, yet a snuggler. And most importantly, she absolutely adores children.  

It was another perfect night of sleep for our girl (and us!). Praise the Lord!!!

Lucy woke up dry (which she is most of the time) and pee'd on the potty. :) Bath time has been in the morning, and she loves it!!!! She also loves to brush her teeth and brush her hair.

She's also getting MUCH better about throwing things. I haven't noticed her throw anything in over a week! If she doesn't like her hair clip (which is most of the time), she takes it out and hands it to me. Same with her sippy cup or toy or snack cup.

Breakfast was interesting this a.m. because election coverage was on in the bar next to our breakfast dining room. It was still very early with polls just closing...but, it was all the buzz. According to our guide, China is 55% Obama.  

This morning was our TB check at 9:50 a.m. We met our group and returned to the medical office from Monday. We were first to be checked. Lucy Mei was freaked. They pulled up her sleeve and the screaming commenced. A quick 1 second glance and nurse indicated she was good to go! Yay! All the kiddos in our group were passed!!! Boo yah!!!

Back to the hotel for a quick potty break and then our group was leaving for the Pearl Market and shopping @ 11:20 a.m. Greg and I opted out of pearls. Not sure why. The pearl market is huge - like 9 or 10 stories with 25-50 stores on each floor! The guides took us to the top floor to an "approved" retailer. Nearly everyone in our group purchased bracelets or necklaces for their daughters or their son's future wives.

Our group then split up for shopping and lunch and cab rides back to the hotel. We went with Warren's family to McDonald's. Lucy's first McD's. She got a happy meal with fries, chicken nuggets and water....and a Hello Kitty toy. :) This girl LOVES fries. She does NOT understand the concept of "dipping" though. Ketchup, sweet and sour sauce - uh uh. We finally had to take the dips away - too distracting. She only wanted fries. I finally told her she had to eat some chicken before she could get more fries....and she did!  

We then decided to walk to Shamian Island (where we stayed on Ben's trip). There are a lot of touristy souvenir shops there and it's a beautiful island to walk around. We were all shocked at how deserted it was. Every room in the White Swan hotel is demolished. The touristy stores are nearly empty....shop owners begging for business. The island is now full of model photo shoots and local families enjoying the scenery.

Georgette, the MASTER shopper, walked away loaded. Greg and I, empty handed -- well, 2 Coke Zeros. So sad. We need to find souvenirs for the kids, but no luck today.

It was wayyyy past nap time for sweet Lucy Mei and she was glad to let us know it.

Girlfriend is STRONG. Ben, who we often had to wrangle in China, was smaller and quite weak. Lucy Mei is tall and very, very strong. On the other hand, she is VERY easy to console...vs. Ben who would rage for hours. Lucy is over it in minutes or seconds. But, the outbursts are almost on the level of Ben....thankfully very, very rare.

We caught taxis back to the hotel (showing a business card with our hotel address in Chinese) and now I'm blogging (finally!!!!) and Lucy Mei is napping. Greg is watching Obama's speech on his iPad and washing his dirty underwear in the sink. We are planning on the dinner buffet at the hotel tonight with Warren's family....no group dinner planned.

Tomorrow morning is the US Consulate appointment!!!!! BOO-YAH!!!!! This is the LAST official step in our journey and makes Lucy Mei an American citizen. We will wait for her Visa tomorrow evening and take a van to Hong Kong the following day (Friday). We will spend the night in Hong Kong (at the airport hotel) and fly home the following morning, Saturday!!!!! Our flight to Chicago is 14 hours. Yikes.

We are so close. It has gone by so fast, yet soooo slow. The journey home will be long and tiresome. But, I'm sure we'll all catch our adrenaline rush when we land in Evansville. I cannot wait to see my kiddos. Ohhhh, how I have missed them!!!!!!!!! I am so thankful God has blessed us with this amazing, courageous and beautiful child. The journey, albeit long and hard, is worth every second. But, I long for the moment I can hold each of my 5 kiddos in my arms.

Thanks for following along -- and for the emails and comments. We love reading each and every one!! Greg has posted lots of photos, I think. If not, check back soon and he will!

Love to you all!!!!

medical exam and stuff!

Last night's dinner was our first group dinner. We walked with our guides to a nearby restaurant called Macau Street. It's a local favorite and features a wide variety of food - Portuguese, Southeastern Asian and Chinese cuisines. The guides had pre-ordered for us, and thankfully everyone loved the food. Lucy Mei is definitely a rice and noodles only girl. No dumplings or veggies for this girl.

Our group sat at 4 large tables...and of course, Lucy and Warren were seated next to one another. Lucy Mei is such the "mother hen" with Warren....and very in charge! If his bowl was too far away, she'd move it closer. If his hands got dirty, she'd grab a tissue to clean them. If he did something "out of line", she lets him know and corrects him...and he listens to her! We so enjoy the company of everyone in our group. The kiddos are all amazing and it's such a blessing to watch them all bond and flourish with their new loving families.
We walked back to the hotel and toured the pool and playground areas with Warren's family. It's very nice!! Can't wait to get Lucy Mei on the toddler swing outside! Unfortunately, (not really) we can't swim until after the TB test is read in 48 hours. The pool is supposedly heated, not so much.

Then, it was back to the room for nighty night. Lucy Mei was NOT wanting to go to sleep because Mama was watching TV (CNN) and eating Pringles (ok, with a little TsingTao). Sweet Lucy was having none of it. So lights out for us all. Apparently, Greg is up half the night though - work emails, text messages (updates on Sam's basketball games) and watching football. He's napping now....after posting photos and polishing off a huge 600ml bottle of TsingTao. Oh, the joys of single child parenting!!!! Carpe diem!!!

Lucy Mei was a happy camper again this morning. She's ready to get dressed first thing....and eat! Luckily, I had gotten up around 5 a.m. to shower, so I was ready for her! We skyped with the kiddos back home....one at a time (it's the only way). Lucy Mei was busy eating Gerber puffs and waving as each kiddo took their turn. We miss them sooooooo much. It's so hard seeing their beautiful faces and hearing their sweet voices. I'm just not the same without them...a piece of my heart is missing. I know they are in great hands, but I cry just thinking about them. Only 5 1/2 days until all my babies are together!!!!!!

After skype, we headed to the breakfast buffet and were seated in the absolute furthest corner of this huge restaurant - we refer to it as the "adoption" section. A lot of families adopting from China, who are not in our group, also stay at this hotel. We are all seated in the "adoption" section. Hmmmm. Highchairs already at our tables. It's so fun! 

New Lucy Mei breakfast item today: apple juice! Yay! Would not touch anything other than banana, rice and noodles though. She is definitely the pickiest eater of all the kiddos in our group. Good news though, she isn't food obsessed and knows when she is full.

1 week ago we met our precious girl. Wow. It seems so much longer!!! She behaves very much like a typical 2 year old. Not a lot of patience (and it's lessening as we bond with her more :) and irritable and whiny when tired (overstimulated). But, she's also extremely happy and sweet. She gets over things VERY quicky. Not a tantrum so far!!!! Praise the Lord!

Honestly, she's amazing. Given everything this precious baby girl has experienced the past 7 days, we are in awe. Every single thing is new to her. She lacks nearly all typical toddler life experiences. It's like an infant that is 2 1/2 years old....but with a history and a life we know nothing about.

She has the sweetest little voice ever. Her smile and laugh will light up a room (and definitely her Mama and Baba's hearts!). She is strikingly beautiful and, we believe, very smart. She seems to understand almost everything we say. Unlike Ben, she's not so big on sign language - like nada. But, she understands a smile gets her most anything!!

She's also not a fan of cleaning up toys (that must have been Warren's "job" - he's a great helper!) and she doesn't know how to blow her nose. (Ben knew this immediately and was quite good at it!). She does NOT like hair clips / bows in her hair....but, Mama is as feisty as she is...so I sneak them in when I can. Her hair is very thin, like Ben's, due to diet and lack of vitamins. But, it IS styled every morning with gel and spray. Just sayin'. :)

She has the tiniest teeth I've ever seen. Her third "dimple" is the cutest thing EVER!!!! She can say, "up" and we're working on "please". She also points at every man and says, "ye ye" - meaning Grandpa. She also says, "Jie Jie" - Warren's nickname. She also says "Mama" and "Baba" and "Hi" and "Bye bye". She's working on "car", "tree", "nose", "eyes", "ears" and "mouth". She can also say "Ge Ge" (brother) and she's trying so hard to say all the kid's names. She almost clearly says Jack. She makes sounds close to Sam, Ben and Ellie. She seems to like to learn.

She bites her nails, sucks her thumb and plays piano on her nose with her other fingers....when she's sleepy. She loves her bath, but not the water poured on her head. She loves all children and children's TV shows. Other than the Chinese phrases above, we've heard her say nothing in Chinese. She seems to understand Chinese when spoken to her, but does not respond.

She loves to grab items off the shelves in stores....and attempts to chew the bag. The aisles are narrow in the 7-eleven, so we have to be quick! She can climb stairs but walking down a hill / incline was new for her. She did it, but was very unsure of herself. She's always proud of herself when she tries something new. We see her confidence building, day by day!
Ok, back to the morning -- after breakfast, we met our group at 9:45 a.m. for the trip to the medical exam building. Knowing our Lucy Mei, we knew it wasn't going to go well.

The first station was weight, height and temperature. She wanted no part of it. Seriously. Would NOT step on the scale. Screaming in terror. So, the nurses laid her on an infant scale. Poor girl was terrified. Big alligator tears, shaking and clinging to me....and that was just weighing her!!! Oh my. I think they guesstimated height (didn't see what they wrote down) and took her ear temp quickly, which I'm assuming was ok.  

Next station was eyes, ears and throat...all in about 10 seconds. After a very quick squeeze of a squeaky toy on each side of her head, hearing check complete. Ears then checked. Last, was the dreaded throat check. Girlfriend was not happy having her mouth pried open for this strange man to place a stick in it. Lucy is soooo strong and fought and kicked with every ounce of her being. I'm guessing she passed. On to the next station.

Next was medical and surgical. A doctor reviewed her orphanage medical records and noted her identified "special need". He attempted to listen to her heart and lungs but she was kicking and screaming. It took both Greg and I to hold her down. He also examined her unclothed (only her shirt on) and pointed out her Mongolian birth mark (on her lower back), which we obviously knew about. He asked about her gross and fine motor skills, and if she could walk without shoes....which he requested she demonstrate. We're guessing she passed because we were then instructed to head to the TB shot area. Stress!!!

Soooo sad. I covered Lucy's eyes as they stuck the needle in. Obviously, she was NOT not a fan. Vaccinations at home will not be pretty. Poor girl. But, a big hug and a few kisses from Mama and she was good to go. :) We will return to the medical exam office in 48 hours for the TB test to be read.

We arrived back at the hotel around noon. Lucy (who had a late breakfast and snacked on Cheerios most of the morning) ate a nasty vienna sausage thingy, a swig of apple juice and off to nap. She started to cry very loudly though - which seemed odd. I went to check on her and the poor girl had her shirt half off and twisted around her neck. So, no shirt at nap-nap. Just like her brothers!! Then, she was out. The over stimulation and stress of the morning wiped our sweet girl out.

She did let Baba hold her today in the elevator and he even kissed her a few times on the bus! She is definitely opening up more to Greg. He dressed her this morning and he had her laughing while playing ball.

She pooped on the potty again....a little bit....and then proceeded to pee on the floor as we walked to the bed to put on her diaper. So sad. She definitely gets the hang of the toilet...maybe Mama was rushing her a little today? :( She is definitely not a fan of pooping in her diaper. This is a very good thing. We likey.

Tonight we are going on the Pearl River Cruise with our group. We didn't take the tour last time, so we opted for it this time. It includes dinner and lots of photo ops. :) We meet our group at 5:45 p.m. - so a later night for our girl. Tomorrow is the Safari Park. We LOVED the Safari Park with Ben, so we're looking forward to it!

Speaking of Ben's trip....Greg was in the lobby yesterday and ran into our guide, Jon, from Ben's trip last year!!! We love Jon and, needless to say, he was shocked to see Greg back again!! He remembered "Gang Gang" Ben....and Greg showed him pictures of Lucy Mei. He is escorting another family staying in our hotel this week.

I guess that's it for now. Lucy Mei (and Greg) will be up from nap soon. We're hoping to visit the playground before the dinner cruise.

As always, thanks for following! New photos are posted!

Blessings,

guangzhou! LOVE!

Apologies for the late post!

We all slept in this morning (7:15 a.m -- slackers!.), no time for blogging once sweet Lucy Mei is awake! (She's napping now in a pack-n-play :)

Yesterday was a big day!

It (Saturday) marked our half-way point in this journey and our flight to Guangzhou, in the southern part of China. Guangzhou is home to the US Consulate's office where we will receive Lucy Mei's Visa and immigration paperwork. She will officially become an American citizen when we touch ground in Chicago!

Our last morning in Zhengzhou went quickly. We needed our luggage outside our door by 9:40 a.m. for our 10 a.m. departure to the airport. Breakfast went well. Lucy was loving the rice and Cheerios's and Sam skyped with us at the table! Gotta love technology! The weather was rainy and very cold. A perfect day to be heading south! :)

Our group loaded 2 buses (lots of luggage!) and we were off. Thankfully, Lucy loves the bus rides. She sits in a seat by the window (with a seatbelt, if the bus has one). I sit beside her and hold her hand. :) She stares quietly outside and just takes it all in. Can't imagine what she's thinking!

We arrived at the Zhengzhou airport with plenty of time to spare. Traveling in big groups - with our agency - ROCKS! Our guides are wonderful and everything is taken care of for us. The kids keep each other occupied (for the most part!) and the support and companionship of the other parents is priceless.

After getting through security, we found a small indoor playground. It was very apparent Lucy had never played on a playset or been down a slide. She was intrigued though. She hesitantly agreed to sit on my lap going down a circle/twisty slide and she loved it!!! Belly laugh and all!

We spent the rest of our pre-boarding time cruising around the airport with Lucy Mei on a luggage cart (just like Ben!!....free entertainment in China!!) searching direly for a Coke Zero. No such luck. 

 

(On a side note - while I'm thinking of it - we weighed Lucy before checking out of the hotel. For reference, Ben is 4 and weighs 34.5 lbs. Lucy Mei 2 1/2 and weighed 32 lbs. :) She's also very tall. She fits her size 3 clothing perfectly. Big girl!!!).

The flight to Guangzhou was about 2 hours and Lucy Mei did great! She seemed nervous at take-off and landing (had a window seat all to herself!) and looked to me for reassurance that all was OK. :) She slept on my lap the entire flight...and so did Mama. Hoping for the same on our 14 hour flight from Hong Kong to Chicago!!!

We arrived safely in Guangzhou and immediately noticed the extremely warm temperatures! Awwww. We waited forever for our luggage and then met our new Guangzhou guides, Jason and Kathy. LOVE. They are bundles of energy!!!! Extremely nice and very attentive and helpful.

We also LOVE Guangzhou. The weather is AMAZING!!!! The air is clear, people wearing shorts and flip flops (or "slippers" as our guide calls them). It's in the upper 70's with a beautiful breeze and lots of sunshine. Our hotel, the China Hotel, is a Marriott. It is outstanding. Truly, first class. Last trip we stayed on Shamian Island at the famous (in the adoption world), White Swan Hotel. The White Swan is currently closed 2 years for renovations. In addition, the US Consulate's office and the Medical Exam office are now located off the island. So, adoptive families are staying in Guangzhou city. We plan to visit the island during our visit though. The scenery and architecture are beautiful (think Greg -- photo ops).

Our group is spread out in this hotel. In Zhengzhou we occupied most of 1 floor. However, we are just 3 doors down from Warren! Marriott originally booked us 4 floors above Warren, but we were having none of that!!! We are on the 8th floor with a beautiful view. The room is gorgeous and smells great! - even has a see through window into the bathroom. I'm not a big fan...thankfully, there is an electronic screen for privacy. :)

Everyone at the hotel seems to speak English. There are a lot of Europeans, Westerners -- very international. There are playrooms inside, and outside. Also, an outdoor pool and a Starbucks and a McDonald's downstairs!! 7-eleven is right outside the hotel. The biggest plus for me, the entire hotel smells amazing!!! Even the elevators! It's a beautiful scent....no smell of smoke at all!

While we waited for our luggage to be delivered to the room, Mama relaxed with a can of TsingTao. :) It's soooo good. There's something about an old-style pull-top tab of TsingTao. Love it. Actually, I loved 2 of them! Lucy Mei and I cuddled and snacked on the bed. She's so fun, this girl!!!

We met Warren's family around 7 p.m. for dinner. We decided on a Chinese restaurant in the hotel. It was very good, but VERY expensive (although our guide indicated it was "cheap"...hmmmm). $9 for Lucy Mei's apple juice. So sad! Lucy and Warren sat in high chairs next to each other....I can't get enough of these two together!!!! Lucy sweetly shared her food with Warren. When he got messy, she would wipe his hands. They even held hands! They're killing me, these two!!! He makes her so happy. We are starting to see more of her true personality shine through, even when Warren's not around. :) A very good thing.

The dinner, well, it was hilarious. Georgette and Rusty and Aunt Betty crack us up. Soooo, Rusty wanted a dish with chicken that wasn't on the menu. The waitress was not understanding him, so he started flapping his arms like a chicken. Then, Aunt Betty started the chicken dance. I think we were all a little slap happy at this point! (I know I was a wee bit tipsy - 2 more TsingTao's with dinner!) It was a great time though. Nice to relax, laugh and enjoy a great dinner with good friends.

We all stopped at 7-eleven on the way back to the room for "treats". Greg, a pint of Haagen Dazs ice cream. Me, a can of Pringles (gotta have the salt!). It was $17 total! Wowza. Children in China typically drink and eat everything hot. Greg gave Lucy Mei a tiny bit of ice cream and she made the funniest face! She liked it though....once over the initial shock. She had likely never experienced anything that cold before. It was a later night for us, all asleep by 10 p.m. As usual, Lucy Mei is a great sleeper. Never a peep. :)

Our pretty girl awoke this morning all smiles. She is definitely accepting change and new experiences much, much better now and feeling more comfortable with us every day. It's such a beautiful, heart warming thing to experience. Every moment with her is pure joy. Seriously! Even her cries. LOVE her to pieces!!!

This morning's late start had us slow going. We needed to unpack, shower, bathe Lucy Mei (Greg did again and no cries!) and skype with the kids before breakfast. Sam (at his friend Preston's house - big shout out to the Shake's!) skyped us and we learned he did great in his first basketball game of the season! So proud of him!!! We also skyped with Gramma Joy (Greg's step mom) in Chicago. Her niece, Angelina, was also there visiting. Angelina studied in Beijing and knows Chinese. She spoke a little to Lucy Mei, but got no response. Lucy just waved and said, "Hi". :) We also skyped with our next door neighbor's daughter, Lizzy, and her friend, Morgan. Lizzy is like a daughter and very close friends with Sam (same grade/school) and our kids. We tried several times skyping home to see Ellie, Jack and Ben but no answer. :) Hoping to catch them tonight (Sunday morning US). Missing them all soooooo much!!! Can't wait for them to meet Lucy Mei in person. They are going to win her over in seconds!! Oh, the hilarity's that await us! I cannot wait!!!!

We headed to the breakfast buffet around 9:45 a.m. I've never seen anything like it. It was ginormous!!! I ate my usual protein bar in the room with my Coke Zero (so sad, no getting "off schedule" for me), but Greg and Lucy Mei loved it. Lucy ate 1 1/2 bananas and a ton of rice. She also drank a lot of milk - cold! Yay!! She wasn't interested in much else today though.

Our group is taking a temple tour and shopping trip today. We took the same tour last year with Ben's adoption, so we opted to spend the day at a nearby park. It's a beautiful day here! The park was amazing!!! Lucy just soaks it all in. She saw a young couple playing badminton and could have stood there for an hour. There were boat rides, an amusement park, nature trails, kids playing everywhere.

We stopped to eat a snack and an elderly couple (grandparents?) were sitting by us with a precious 1 year old boy. They held up 4 fingers....asking if Lucy was 4. We held up 2 fingers, they were shocked, to say the least! They spread their arms like, "tall". We shook our heads, agreed.

They tried to speak to us in Chinese, so I showed them our badge which indicates, in Chinese, that Lucy Mei is being adopted by us....and states her Chinese name, Qian Geng Yun. The elderly woman read the badge and laughed. She pointed at Greg and Lucy Mei - signaling she thought they looked alike!!! She was very surprised Lucy was adopted! SOOOOO funny!!!

We decided to head back to the room for Lucy's nap, around 2 p.m, I am blogging and Greg just headed down to meet our guides to complete US Consulate physical exam and immigration paperwork.

Tonight is a group dinner night at a Portuguese restaurant, close to our hotel. Should be fun!

Tomorrow morning (Monday) is Lucy Mei's medical appointment and TB test. Not thinking she's going to be a big fan. The medical exam is a requirement for the US Consulate's office prior to issuing the Visa. All adoptive children must complete the physical and children over age 2 must have the TB test. :(

I can't believe it's 1 week tomorrow that we met our beautiful, sweet girl. She has come so far, so fast. She is such a tremendous blessing and a joy, truly a miracle. She's still warming up to Baba, but we're certain she's making progress. Baba is definitely smitten with her!!! Oh my. There's something special about Daddy's and their girls. I know it will mean the world to Greg the first time she reaches for him. Please continue to pray for Lucy's comfort and trust in both of us.

Thanks to all those helping out at home!!! We couldn't be here without the support of our family and friends. Thanks also to those following our journey and praying for Lucy Mei's transition. We appreciate all of your love and support.

As someone very special to us likes to say, "over and out". :)

 

free day!

So, it's 3:50 a.m. and we have a very busy day planned today. We're taking a 2 hour bus trip with our group on a "temple tour", among other things - although I'm unsure exactly what or where. Meeting in the lobby at 8:30 a.m. and returning at 5 p.m.

Sweet Lucy Mei. Yesterday was difficult for her. Let me start at the beginning.....

She woke up around 6 a.m. (her "normal" wakeup time per the orphanage) and responded well to me. I changed her diaper and we cuddled for a minute in the chair with her favorite pink blanket. Then she pointed to the bottles, "uhhhh uhhhh". Greg, again, made her a bottle that she did not drink. Since it was a "free day" we weren't in any rush for breakfast. We straigtened up the room and Greg worked on photos while I showered. Lucy sat on the floor outside the bathroom and looked at the 2 photo albums of the kids for almost an hour. She also ate her Cheerio snacks from the duct taped snack cup and proceeded to take them out one by one, place them on the floor, and then eat them. So sad. 

She LOVES looking at pictures of the kids and trying to say their names. Her little voice is so sweet. It just warms my heart to see her get excited when she points to each of them. 

Clearly, throwing toys is the norm in the orphanage. Not in a dangerous way...just rough play. We're working on that and it's completely normal. She's not a delicate little flower, that's for sure!!!! She is not aggressive or angry - ever. I would describe her more as "in charge". :)

She and Ben (and I know it's 100% unfair to compare them....but, they were both raised in instituional environments until about the same age) are very, very different. I suspect Ben was given a lot more attention, training and discipline. For example, Ben knew songs, animal sounds, playful games, etc. It's all new to Lucy Mei. Also, Ben was extremely, extremely remorseful and upset if we ever used a discipline tone or corrective action with Ben. Lucy Mei, not so much. Ha!

For example, the "throwing the toys" issue. I would correct her and show her the correct way to play and make a big exciting deal about it. I would walk back into the bathroom and she'd throw them again and I'd correct her....same routine...again....and again. Finally, I took them away. She could not have cared less. On the other hand, Ben would have been extremely remorseful - terrified to be disciplined in any way - and tantrumed for an hour if we took the toys away. Yep, very different!

I think it's important we try to show her how to "play" nicely and gently - as much as we can - before we arrive home. :) Riiiiiight. Oh boy.

We did skype with the kids and it was a horrible connection. The kids were completely blurry and Lucy Mei was confused when I was trying to point out each child. She would wave and say "Hi" but I'm not sure they could see her. It was a quick call. Said we'd try again later that night after school.

We were heading down to breakfast and I thought we should try the stroller. I know it's new....and she's be afraid....but, "free day" = lots of walking = stroller. :) So, I put her in (well, more like pushed her). So sad. She cried and fought it....and loved it! :)

We arrived at breakfast and guess who she saw? Yep, Warren!!! Always a good start to her day! We were seated next to their table. Warren had been eating nonstop for over an hour! Kid cracks me up! I asked the waitress to bring us a high chair - another first for Lucy Mei and something she was not into yesterday. I was on a mission with breakfast - she needed to eat something other than dry Cheerios....and sit in the high chair. :) 

I held Lucy up so she could see all the choices on the buffet. Girlfriend knows what she likes and doesn't like! She's a hoot. She became very animated when she saw the watermelon and canteloupe. She also pointed to the sweet rolls, scrambled eggs and sausage. No noodles, or rice or dumplings.

I wasn't sure she'd actually eat them though...or sit in the high chair. But, she did both!!!! She sat facing Warren and two of them ate away. She ate 3 servings of watermelon, a sausage, a few scrambled eggs, a fried dough stick with syrup, an apple sweet roll and canteloupe.....and banana chips. We filled our snack bowl with those! :)

After breakfast we headed to the kids play room in the hotel. It's small but packed with cool stuff. A tunnel for the kiddos to climb through, a huge ball pit and a few rocking toys. Another family from our group was already in the room - a 2 year old little boy and his older sister. Lucy Mei loved watching them play. She wanted no part of being in the ball pit, but loved throwing the balls. She wouldn't climb through the tunnel....despite Mama climbing through ahead of her or sit on any of the toys. She enjoys children soooooo much and lights up around them.

We then met Warren's family to walk to the park near our hotel. It was a beautiful day! Perfect temperature and no smog!! The park was beautiful and packed with families and children. Lucy Mei was in the stroller and loving it. She loves to be outside too. She is mesmerized by all the hustle and bustle outside our hotel. The cars, buses, bikes, scooters, people, noises - a LOT of stimulation. It tires and overstimulates her though. The park had a little amusement park area and a toddler carousel type ride with 3 animals. Warren and his sister, Jaden, hopped on. Lucy Mei wanted no part of it. The ride started and the laughter began. The kids were cracking up!!!! Lucy Mei started to push away from me - like she wanted to ride it. So, I put her on - and she did it!!!!!! I couldn't believe it!!!! She was smiling so big. God love her. Made this Mama soooo happy. :)

We stayed in the park for an hour or so.....drawing quite a crowd whereever we went. The Chinese people are very interested in us and our new children. Many will try to speak to us. They love for their children to offer treats to our children or engage in some way. We saw a lot of "split pants", elderly people "exercising" and one man on a bike with an umbrella wearing a bra packed with large fruit. So, there ya go.

Lucy Mei was very, very overwhelmed and tired at this point. She was crying in the stroller and wanted to be held. :) I pulled out my Boba carrier and strapped her in. Thumb in the mouth, head down, hood up and she was off to sleep....for a few minutes anyway. I carried her for quite a while in the carrier and she loved it. Plus, it's a great workout for Mama. :)

We arrived back at the hotel around lunch time. Lucy Mei had eaten a huge breakfast (late) so she wasn't too hungry. She did manage to slam down 2 of those weird sausage thingys from yesterday and a yogurt drink. She laid down in the crib exhausted and slept for 90+ minutes or so. I watched a movie on my iPad ("The Wedding Date" - thanks LR for the recommendation!) while Greg posted photos.

When Lucy awakened from nap, she was very sad. She was crying a lot, very tired and irritable and only wanted out of the room. She kept pointing towards the door and her shoes. So, we bundled her up (a must in China) packed her in the stroller and went for a walk.

We walked to a very nice bakery across the street from our hotel. We asked the workers what they thought Lucy Mei would like. They showed us several items, we purchased the little round sponge type cakes and some muffins. Both she LOVED. I think she ate 6 or 7 total!

The worker ladies in the bakery wanted to talk to Lucy. I motioned they could and thought it might be interesting to see how she responds. Well, they touched her. NOT good. She screamed in utter terror. They backed away and we quickly left. Not a fan of strangers. In time.

Lucy will only drink HOT water or formula. Nothing even room temperature. This presents problems when you've eaten 7 bakery items and the water in Mama's bag isn't HOT. Our guide says, if she's thirsty enough, she will drink it. She has started taking little sips...progress. 

We walked and explored for a few hours and headed back to the hotel. Lucy cried a lot in the stroller - especially when we stopped. She wanted to be held too. I finally picked her up and carried her for the last leg. She was sooooo sweet. She would point at things and say, "wow" - or something that sounds like wow! She would wave at everyone and say, "hi" or "bye bye". I started teaching her "nose", "mouth", "eyes" and "ears". She's very receptive to learning....but short attention span. I did get a few laughs too! :)

We don't speak any Mandarin with her. Even her name. The orphanage called her Yun Yun (pronounced like, "wion wion" - ryhmes with onion). Well, we can't say it - she doesn't respond to it. So, Greg just calls her "Funyon". :) She is beginning to respond to Lucy Mei and understand simple instructions - "put it in the garbage", "hold my hand", "come over here", etc. We're also trying simple sign language with her....she's not interested. It's just all so much to take in for our little girl. So, we're letting her guide the way and not pushing it.

Once at the hotel, Lucy wanted to walk. She's also wearing "squeaker" shoes - and I swear the people on the 5th floor can hear them! Ha! A family from our group was in the lobby so we stopped and chatted. Lucy Mei offered their little girl some of her bannana chips. She smiled at the little girl too. She just loves kiddos. Praise the Lord!!! She's got a home full of 'em!!!!

Lucy was also sharing her snacks with Baba and at one point, Baba got to rub her back!!!! This was HUGE folks!!!! He also left the room and she was very concerned. When she saw him she said, "Baba" in a very happy voice. Awwww. It's progress.....slow and steady. Greg still isn't able to hold her or change her or have any contact with her. He tried playing with her on the floor today and she just stared at him. She seems less terrified of him each day though. :)

We headed back to our room and stopped at Warren's room to say hello (Lucy needed a little Warren time :). The highlight of the day for me. Watching these two interact and play and laugh and communicate is the best feeling ever. We sat in the hallway and watched Warren and Jaden run back and forth, Warren nearly exploding in belly laughter and Lucy Mei just observing it all with huge smiles. She's so beautiful.

At one point, another family exited their room and asked me to come inside to smell it....it smelled of sulfur or something just awful. In the brief 5 seconds I was in their room, Lucy completely freaked. Terrorized. Trembling and screaming. Poor girl. I ran down to pick her up and she was still shaking. I'm thankful for the bonding but so sad my girl is experiencing such anxiety and stress. Please pray that she begins to open her heart to the security, trust and unconditional love that a family provides. It will be a tough transition for her in a lot of respects. It's just her personality. The orphanage forwarned us.

People used to ask me about Ben, "Is he afraid of anything or anyone?". I would say, "No, everything and everyone is new to him. He has no filters. He goes with the flow". I realize now, Lucy's filter is much different and delicate.

A lot of families were going out to dinner but we decided room service would work best for our sleepy and overstimulated girl. Mama gave her a long, HOT bath (our guide said HOT water) and she loved it!!! She played with all the toys and did not want to get out. Her poor fingers and toes shriveled up and she was very concerned. Obviously, another first! I also cleaned her ears and she was ok with that! Definitely a first, as the q-tip would attest!

I lathered her in lotion and put on her jammies - a short sleeved, short pants set. She kept trying to pull the sleeves down to her wrist and the pants to her ankles. I don't believe she's ever slept unbundled in multiple layers of clothing. So, I got a pair of socks and pulled them up to her knees. She seemed confused, but went with it. 

Room service arrived and she wanted no part of it. Greg ordered fried shrimp, rigatoni with meat and cheese pizza......and 2 bottles of TsingTao. :) We tried a HOT bottle and she wasn't interested. Thinking the bakery and snacks filled her up.

We then skyped the kiddos again, the morning of Halloween at home! The kids were waiting for us and looked soooooo cute!!!! Ben was dressed in his farmer overalls for "Harvest Day" at preschool. Hair slicked to the side. Soooo handsome. The Good Shepherd kiddos were all wearing Halloween shirts and excited for the day ahead. We had a much better connection this time and they were able to see Lucy Mei clearly. She waved a lot and said, "Hi".

The kids  are going to LOVE her. I can't wait for our entire family to be together again. It kills me being away from my kiddos. I truly ache for them. It's just too difficult to even think about. I love and miss them terribly. I know they are in wonderful hands with my folks though. Mom and Walt are doing a tremendous job and the kids are doing great. They will never know how much we appreciate all they're doing....we know, it ain't easy!!!

Lucy Mei was beyond exhaustion at this point. She actually pointed to her crib!!! I laid her in, rubbed her back and head for a few minutes, sang her a song and she was out. Such a beautiful blessing. This girl is amazing. Her strength and courage and trust in me - just 48 hours in. She is grieving and utterly terrified at most times though. There are glimpses of her personality and true self. God knew what He was doing when He chose her to be a Schultz!!

Greg and I were about 10 minutes behind her. Seriously, I'm not sure we've stayed up past 8 p.m. since we've been here! Makes the 3:30 a.m. wake-up time doable! :)

Gotta run folks. Lucy Mei is talking in the crib (awwww, she just said "Hi" to Baba) and we need to move fast to meet our group by 8:30 a.m. Thanks again to everyone for following and commenting. We truly treasure each and every comment!!! If you've made it this far in the post, God love ya!!

Blessings,

it's official!

3:30 a.m. again. Jet leg is killer. On the flip side, we were asleep by 8:00 p.m. last night! Too tired even for dinner!

Greg is off to 7-eleven for Coke Light and who knows what.

I'm going to blog our journey yesterday, taking no time away from our precious Lucy Mei. She is sleeping peacefully behind me in her crib. :)

The day started with Lucy Mei waking up. This was a big deal.

In a new place, strange people - how would she deal. Greg checked on her periodically and at 7 a.m. he noticed her eyes were open, thumb in her mouth. I walked over and said "Good morning, Lucy Mei. It's Mama." and I reached for her. She looked confused.

I grabbed her blanket, picked her up and we sat in the chair. I turned to look at her and she smiled....big!!! It was soooooo sweet! She even did it twice!!!

Then she pointed (more of a "uhhh uhhh" type sound) towards the bottles. Greg quickly made her a bottle but she only took a few sips. We decided this girl needs some real food! Decided to try the breakfast buffet.

We were meeting our group at 9 a.m. for the ride to the Registration Office to finalize our adoptions so we had to get moving.

We got Lucy Mei dressed - new outfit, new shoes, socks - everthing. Clearly, this girl has never worn jeans. The material and buttons and zipper were all very intriguing to her. We believe she's worn mostly legging type pants or pajama type bottoms. She's very cooperative getting dressed and loved looking at herself in the mirror. I slipped a little hair clip in to hold back her bangs. She wanted no part of that.

We headed to breakfast and Lucy quickly spotted Warren. She became very excited and animated and walked right over to him. In fact, she wouldn't leave his side! We sat a few tables over and the kiddos couldn't stop looking and smiling at each other! Cracks us up!!

Greg gathered some breakfast food from the buffet.....a huge variety because we have no idea what she likes. Fruits, cereals, rolls, donuts, croissants, eggs, sausage, dumplings, noodles. She wanted none of it. Wouldn't try a single thing....except Cheerios.

She also wanted no part of a high chair. Something new, I'm assuming. Mama's lap worked fine. Cheerios aren't messy anyway. :)

We left promptly at 9 a.m. with our group and headed back to the Registration Office where we met Lucy Mei yesterday. It was a beautiful day, clear skies.

We arrived in front of the building and she freaked. She clung very tightly to me and began crying. Breaks my heart. She didn't know what was happening. Were we returning her to the orphanage? I held her tightly and we walked inside. The kids all began playing in a little gated in play area at the end of the room. Lucy was timid, but she entered when she saw Warren playing. :)

Lucy Mei also reached up for me to hold her....a milestone!!! (Now it's all the time. She's learning to say, "Up"). She also takes my hand a lot and always wants to know where I am. She's comfortable walking around by herself (in the lobby, at breakfast, etc.) but always with an eye on me. :) I love her independence.

After 30-45 minutes or so, all the adoptive parents and children were told to stand in a semi circle in the middle of the room. One by one, we would each be called up to receive our official adoption certificate. This is the moment when Qian Geng Yun officially becomes Lucy Mei Schultz! Forever.

It was so touching watching each family walk up to the Officers and receive their certificate. After everyone received their certificate, our guide announced, "It's now official. Congratulations to all the families." Everyone clapped and celebrated....for ourselves, our children and the other families. What a moment. 9 families celebrating 10 less orphans in the world. Wow....a moment I will never forget.

We then headed to the Notary Office to have all of our documents notarized for the U.S. Consulate appointment in Guangzhou (to receive Lucy Mei's Visa to enter the US and become an American citizen!!). I think Lucy Mei was relieved to be leaving the Registration Office still in our arms. :)

The Notary Office was up 8 or 9 flights of stairs...holding our sweet, solid Lucy Mei. :) Glad I've been hitting the Y at lunch! Ha! We finished this process rather quickly and headed back to the hotel. We had 1 hour before meeting Warren's family for the 2.5 hour drive back to the kid's home city of Zhoukou to file for their passports.

Back in the room, we tried feeding Lucy Mei the cold leftover pizza (no microwaves, so sad). She wanted none of that. Bottle? Nope. Snacks, heck yeah! The problem, sweet Lucy likes to take the lid off the snack cup and inevitably, snacks are everywhere....and she's eating them off the floor. We experienced this same issue with Ben in China and knew what we needed - duct tape. Georgette stated she had some so Lucy Mei and I wandered down to their room. 

As soon as we walked in and Lucy saw Warren, her personality changed....a LOT. She is much more outgoing, talkative (gibberish or maybe Chinese....who knows?) and assertive. She walked right up to Warren and grabbed a vienna sausage type thingy he was eating. Georgette, Rusty (her husband) and I were cracking up!!! Then, Lucy proceeded to grab 2 additional sausage thingys from Jaden (Warren's sister). She then walked directly into the bathroom (alone) and we heard the toilet seat slam. Sure enough, she threw one of the sausages and the empty bag into the toilet!!! What a hoot! Oh my....

Georgette stated the orphanage director gave her these "treats" on Gotcha day. Said the kiddos love them. Lucy Mei was holding one (and had to be starving) so I cut it open and she ate it in 3 bites. Girlfriend was hungry!!! Georgette gave us 2 more + the duct tape and we were on our way. 

Back in the room, Lucy Mei wanted another sausage thingy. Again, 3 bites and gone! She also snacked on crackers and cheerios and drank a yogurt milk drink popular in China.  

We wrapped her snack cups in duct tape....Lucy Mei, NOT a fan. We also tried her in the Baby Bjorn type carrier I brought. She was facing me and it was soooo comfortable. These are popular in adoption for bonding....better than a stroller. Perhaps we'll try it out today in the park. Not sure how she feels about it yet.  

At 1 p.m. we met our guide, Rita, and Warren's family for the drive to Zhoukou. The van had 3 rows and was not entirely comfortable. We were in the back and surprisingly, no motion sickness for me! Lucy Mei fell asleep in my arms almost immediately (nap time) and slept the entire way.

It was an interesting drive. All interstate, but countryside. Something we haven't seen before in China.

We arrived at the Zhoukou City Police Station and the orphanage administrator from yesterday was there to greet us and file paperwork for the children's passports. He tried assisting Lucy Mei out of the van and she freaked. She wanted no part of him and was terrified. Her little arms clung around my neck so tightly. God love her. She has to be so confused!!!

The orphanage administrator indicated there are 200 children in the orphanage and 100 of them are about Lucy and Warren's age. The other 100 are older. He stated Lucy Mei and Warren are very close and she calls him brother. :)

We completed the passport paperwork and inquired with the orphanage administrator if we could visit the orphanage. Not surprisngly, he said no. Our guide indicated the larger, wealthier orphanages often allow visitors. :( We asked if we could drive by and take pictures. He agreed. 

I recognized it immediately. We drove to the front entrance and a guard approached our guide. She explained, and he indicated we could stand back (not approach the gate) to take photos. Lucy Mei recognized it too, I think. Again, she held on to me tightly but loosened up once we were all outside the van. We spent about 5 minutes taking photos and left. As we were getting in the van, I placed Lucy Mei in first. She screamed for me in utter fear. I think she thought she was leaving and I was staying!!! Seriously, this kid has been through the ringer!!! Poor girl.

We cuddled in the back seat....sang songs, played pat-a-cake (she loved!).....until she and Warren (seated in front of her) started to play. Ohhhhh my. These two. Lucy would grab his hands and squeeze them tightly and make some kind of sound. At one point, she grabbed his ear. She would tickle him. She would take his stuffed tiger and they would throw it back and forth over the seat and belly laugh. It's sooooo amazing to see her true personality. What a gift and a blessing to be traveling with this family. To boot, they are a hoot!!!! We love them. They are soooo fun. Can't wait to connect with them back in the US.

I'm so glad we visited the orphanage....even just for pictures. Just standing in the spot where our baby girl lived her entire life until now.....was very emotional and a blessing. To experience the sites, smells, sounds - all of it matters. It's the only bit of history we have. We were unable to visit either of the children's "finding spots". They were 40 minutes each in opposite directions...and it was a long day already. Our guide did indicate that Lucy Mei's finding spot was located very close to a hospital. 

We arrived back at the hotel around 7:30 p.m. - completely wiped out. No dinner. Gave Lucy Mei a bottle, changed her diaper, jammies on and right to sleep. Greg and I - asleep 10 minutes later. Luckily, the rooms here are fabulous. Comfortable beds and great air conditioning.   

Lucy Mei is still lukewarm with Daddy. She did feed him Cheerios at the Notary Office today. A huge first step! He also got a smile in the van ride to Zhoukou. It will come in time. She is a child very weary of change.....and ohhhhh, the change she is experiencing. I can't begin to imagine. At this point, I am her safety and security. She will open up in time. The orphanage administrator told us today that men at the orphanage play with the boys and the women play with the girls. I'm sure she's had very little interaction with men. I'm confident she'll be a Daddy's girl in no time....giving Ellie Sue a run for her money!!!

We are getting to see more of Lucy Mei's personality and trust and love each day. It's a truly amazing experience to watch her trust blossom and grow. She cries when she's tired or scared (any moment of transition), but for the most part, she's extremely well behaved. No tantrums, just pitiful cries and alligator tears. She wasn't reaching for the door today, although we weren't in the room much. :) 

She's very strong and solid physically. Not sure what she's been eating but she hasn't missed many meals! She doesn't seem to understand how to "play" - more of an observer - and we're thinking she may need some training in the sharing department! She's very interested in looking at the photo albums of the kids and learning their names. She loves balls and being around children, in general. She has shown absolutely no aggressiveness or anger towards us....but, when she's with Warren, we can tell they were very physical. Lucy Mei was in charge....let's put it that way! :)

Lucy Mei is starting to stir, so I must go! Thanks for following along!! We love connecting with everyone back home and your comments and posts will be treasures for Lucy forever in this travel "journal". Please pray for Lucy to open her heart a little for Greg. Today is a completely free day - looking forward to lots of good bonding with our girl!

P.S. Photos! - top of the blog! Click to see our Lucy Mei Shutterfly site with all the photos daily. Greg is in the process of updating now. Once on Shutterfly, click "Pictures & Videos" at the top of the page in the menu bar. :)