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. :)

 

lucy mei day!!!

Apologies to everyone for the delay in posting. It is 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning here. We have a very busy day ahead and I know I won't have time to post.....so, here goes!!!

Meeting Lucy Mei Day

Lucy Mei is amazing. She is truly stunning. Her eyes, her lips, her beautiful skin and her adorable personality, with a little feistiness sprinkled in.

Our day started at 9:30 a.m. when we met the 8 other families adopting that morning in the hotel lobby. (Yes, Tiger Woods is in the house. 1 floor above us. A member in our group saw him getting off the elevator while she was getting on!!).

But I digress, everyone was so excited - for their families and for the other families! Traveling with a large group is amazing!!!! Such a gift to get to know these families and witness each of their first moments with their blessed new children. Miracles in the making.  

Our large tour-type bus arrived, and I started to cry. This was really, really happening.

We loaded the bus and our guide, Yisha, began explaining what was about to happen, how the children may react, how we should care for them, etc. I couldn't concentrate. I was already in tears...on the verge of the ugly cry.

After 15 minutes we arrived at the large governmental Registration Office. As we were walking towards the office, Georgette (Warren's Mom), turned back to me and said, "Kim, they're here. I saw them get out of the van."

That's when I glanced up (very, very briefly) at the building and saw her standing there. And lost it. Completely. I couldn't walk. Another Mom (I have no idea who it was because I was already in "ugly cry" mode with my eyes shut!!) helped me walk to entrance. Greg was ahead of me and already inside.

It was chaos. People everywhere. Orphanage workers, families, children, Registration office officials. I walked inside the office and couldn't find her - or Greg - through the crowd and my tears and my shaking legs.

Finally, I saw her. My very first thoughts...

Wow, she's very, very tall, breathtakingly beautiful and utterly terrified.

She was dressed in the outfit we sent in her care package. It was size 18 months!!!....and intended to be a donation to the orphanage. She was dressed in 3 layers of clothing and wearing a diaper.

I bent down to her level. I was crying and it scared her. She started to cry. Her orphanage director stated (through our guide) that she is very scared of strangers. They knew this would be tough for her. They were very sweet and loving with her. We could tell she loved them too. :)

I offered her some treats, toys, a sucker.....she wanted none of it. Our guide began showing her the photo album we sent and pointing "Mama", "Baba". Still, not interested.

Finally, (after having been through a similar experience with Ben), I just picked her up.

I walked away from the orphanage staff (who she didn't see again) right over to visit Warren! :) She lit up!!!! What a blessing!! That's when the bonding started and the tears stopped.

I held her in the Registration Office for nearly an hour as the other families received their precious kiddos. We played ball, cars and ate lots of snacks. She even shared her snacks with me.

She was very fearful of Greg and the chaos in general. I think Greg's huge camera and constant photos freaked her out. Sadly, she would not go to him....or even let him touch her. We had to sit for a passport photo and she was terrified sitting next to him. :(

After her orphanage directors left (discreetly), Lucy Mei began pointing outside and crying. It was heartbreaking. But, I would distract her and it worked! She loved the red wall at one end of the office. She would point and in the sweetest voice seem to say, "Wow". She waves bye and even imitated me by saying, "bye bye". The girl is a genius! :)

She is also grieving. She is terrified. Her world has been turned upside down and she has no idea who we are or what is happening. She wants her "home", and I can't blame her. It's all she's ever known. But, all will be ok. She is our daughter and will learn to love and trust us, day by day. We definitely see glimmers of hope through the tears and fears.  

For example, she would reach for my hand in the Registration Office when walking. :) She would look for me when she was playing with the other children. Another Mama offered her snack but she would only accept it from me! Seriously, how amazing is that?!

I noticed almost immediately that Lucy is not going to be a tantrum kiddo. PTL!!! She cries a sad kind of cry with big alligator tears. BUT, she's easily calmed and assured. Food, water, a toy....and she loves to play with other kiddos. And Warren, well, they are 2 peas in a pod!!! She lights up and becomes very animated when she sees him. Although, I will say, Georgette was holding Warren with his back facing us. I carried Lucy Mei over to see him....and she slapped him right on the back. Ha! These two are cracking me up!! They're like siblings!

We learned from the orphanage that Lucy Mei and Warren were roommates. :) 3 kiddos to a room. They were and will always be close. Georgette and I are committed to that!

The entire experience was surreal. Meeting our new daughter and witnessing 8 other families meeting their children. It was something so special. I will never, ever forget. I can't understand why everyone doesn't adopt?? Seriously, we all boarded the bus with our new little ones thinking, "Why are there orphans?". We can't personally adopt them all. But, wow. Unless you've been through it, you can't possibly imagine the feeling, the joy, the gift. Impossible to put into words.

The bus ride back to the hotel was precious. Lucy Mei stared out the window. In a daze. Yawning at times. Her eyes fixating on the world passing her by. She laid her head on my chest for the first time and waved at people in the cars. Deboarding the bus and entering the hotel was another trigger of stress. She started crying. It was someplace new. Very different than anything she's ever experienced. Greg walked through the huge revolving door....I thought better to carry her through the side door. It's the little things. Every single thing is new and scary for our precious girl. 

We arrived back to the room - she walked a little while holding my hand - down the long hallway. She would stop at nearly every mirror. I don't believe she's ever seen herself. She was scared entering the room - I had to hold her. We started by playing a little and ordering room service.

Then, it was bath time (my absolute favorite! I've dreamt of this for months!). Textbook adoption will say, no bath. Wait 2-3 days. The kiddos have been through so much and it's traumatizing to remove the only thing familiar to them (their clothing).

Well, this Mama couldn't wait. Not for cleanliness reasons. She smelled wonderful and seemed very clean and well cared for when we met her. There's just something about a bath for me. :) A bonding moment. Also, for me, it's so important to see your child, the whole child - her precious little inny belly button, her Mongolian birth marks, any rashes or scratches or marks. Sorry folks, just gotta do it. 

She was terrified as I began removing her clothes (shoes first, which is very traumatic) but quickly calmed down once in the bath. She enjoyed the toys once we started playing. It's obvious she's never sat in a tub of water. She was holding on to both sides and had difficulty keeping her balance when letting go. She loved the toys and we got our first real smiles. :) I washed her hair quickly and poured water on her head to rinse....not a tear!

It was nap time by then so I put her in pajamas and we cuddled in the chair to eat lunch. The food had arrived and she wanted no part of it. Congee and noodles. She adamantly shook her head and made a "seeeee" kind of sound. Cracks me up! We tried a bottle with formula and again, she wanted no part of it.  She fell quickly asleep and slept in my arms for an hour. I then moved her to the bed so she (and I) could rest more comfortably. She laid on her back, thumb in her mouth, playing with her nose and staring quietly at the ceiling for an hour or so. She never fell back asleep.

By that time (3 p.m.), Greg needed to meet our guide, Yisha, to fill out adoption paperwork Lucy Mei and I decided to spread out the toys on the floor and play! It was sooooo fun. She's a hoot. She would point towards the door and say, "Baba, bye bye" and wave! She LOVES looking at the photo albums of our family....especially the kiddos. She's even trying to say their names! She did say Jack. :) I have learned, she loves balls, cars and balloons. Dolls, stuffed animals and stacking cups? Not so much.

She also loves to snack (cheerios, Gerber puffs, yogurt melts) and just like Ben, she ripped the top off the snack cup right away. Smart kids. Will need to find some duct tape today.

The orphanage said she takes a bottle with formula every 5 hours. We went to Wal Mart on Sunday evening with our group and purchased the formula and an extra bottle along with some Goldfish and chocolate cookie snacks.

I tried a formula bottle again but she wanted no part of it. The orphanage also said she drinks warm water from a bottle. She loved that. So, we sat on the floor, playing.....each with our bottles - hers water and mine Coke Zero. :)

I started "cheers" with our bottles and we would each take a drink. Then I started making the "ahhhh" sound after each sip. And so did she! This girl is killing me!!! I also started feeding her Gerber Puffs with my lips. I would hold one between my lips and she would open her mouth wide and eat it. She loved that. So far, she seems to be a very good natured child....loves other children...and isn't going to take any smack. LOVE HER!

We tried playing dolls. I would hold the baby and say, "awww, Mama give the baby love." I offered her the baby, and she slapped it. Not a fan. So sad. 

She also had her first (very messy) diaper. It has been a while since I've changed one of those. Wowza.

Greg finally returned (with a new pink umbrella stroller!) and then it was my turn to meet with the guide and sign the paperwork. I took Lucy Mei with me. We found Warren in the hall and she became very animated. Warren's sister was running around the group in circles and I heard my baby girl's first belly laugh! She's going to love the shenanigans awaiting her at home!!!

Greg ordered pizza and fried rice (takeout) for dinner. Guess which one Lucy Mei liked? Yep, pizza! She wanted nothing to do with the rice. Daddy fed her the pizza which was a great bonding moment. Greg has held her once, while I was in the restroom.....and she screamed. Poor thing. It will come with time and Greg is ok with it (I think)....but, I know it's hard.

I believe it's just her personality. She's going to bond with one parent initially - which the majority of newly adopted children do. Within a few days she will be daddy's little girl, no doubt!

Lucy fell asleep in my arms after eating....love. I held her until it was time to Skype with the kiddos and my parents at home. She was exhausted by then. I woke her up by brushing her teeth, giving her a Flintstones chewable (which she did not care for!) and changing her diaper.

We watched TV (Chinese cartoons) until the Skype call to keep her awake. She was in a zombie like state but loves TV. This may be helpful in the future, just sayin'. :)

Finally, at 6:35 a.m. in the US, we called the kids. They were so excited to meet their baby sister. She was very tired and eventually started to cry. Although the call was brief, they got to meet their baby sister. What a blessing. The kids looked great and so did my parents!!!! They are kickin' it! Beds made and kids ready for school by 6:35 a.m. Gramma is rockin' it!!!! 

It was 7:35 p.m. here and her orphanage paperwork stated she goes to sleep at 8:30 p.m. and awakens at 6:00 a.m. She sleeps on her back in a crib. So, I tried it. I put her in the crib next to our bed....and she screamed in terror. She stood up and wanted no part of it. Motherly instinct kicked in and I thought - maybe a warm formula bottle??? 

Greg quickly made a bottle and she sucked it down! I laid her down in the crib and she whimpered a bit. I held her hand and rubbed her beautiful little head through the bars. She sucked her little thumb and slowly fell asleep. The thumb fell out. Arms above her head....lying on her back. A beautiful thing! She has been sleeping since 8:30 p.m. last night and not a cry!!!! It's 5:50 a.m. now!!! 

Today will be a very, very busy day. We are meeting our guide and the other families at 9 a.m. to finalize the adoption!!!! We will arrive back to the hotel around noon. At 1 p.m., we will travel with Warren's family and our guide to Zhoukou City to apply for Lucy Mei and Warren's passports. It's a 2.5 hour trip each way. We may or may not have the opportunity to tour their orphanage. Knowing Lucy Mei's personality, I'm a little nervous about her returning to the orphanage. But, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to see her first "home". 

Whew. What a crazy 24 hours it has been. I cannot believe our beautiful baby girl is asleep in her crib behind me. Never again without a family. Her sparky personality, playfulness and sweet demeanor will capture everyones' hearts. She certainly has won us over. She is as beautiful on the inside as she is the outside. What an amazing blessing. I'm still in shock. There are no words to describe the love and gratitude I have for this amazing child. She is - and always has been - a piece of me. My daughter. Our child. Forever.

For those wanting photos (HA!), Greg has loaded over 100 photos from yesterday on Lucy Mei's Shutterfly site. The link is at the top of this page. "Photos!". Then click on "Pictures & Video" on the Shutterfly site. Enjoy! Thank you all for following our journey. We love to read your comments. :)

Blessings,

 

almost time

Our beautiful Lucy Mei is in transit at this very moment. She has no idea why or what is about to happen. We are going to rock her world!

She (and her little buddy, Warren) are being escorted by an orphanage director and enduring a 2 1/2 hour drive to the Registration Office in Zhengzhou, Henan.

People often ask, "Does Lucy know about you?". Folks, even if she were told, she would not understand. Lucy doesn't know parents or families or siblings exist. Her world has been solely institutional. Sadly, it's all she knows.

My heart truly breaks for her. She will grieve and be overwhelmed with sadness, confusion, fear and over stimulation. At the same time, my heart is overflowing with joy and love and unbridled excitement. Knowing this beautiful, sweet girl will be loved unconditionally, extraordinarily adored and cherished, forever - in a family, melts my heart.

As you likely know, Lucy Mei will be our 5th child and our 5th adoption.

The anticipation, excitement, nervousness and overwhelming love does not lessen with each adoption or child. If anything, the emotions intensify because the fear lessens. Heck, we got this adoption/parenting gig kicked!

Riiiigght. Maybe it's the jet lag?!!

So, how does one begin to prepare for this moment? The moment you are about to meet your child.

It's very surreal, stomach in knots, butterflies....yet strangely peaceful. 

We will leave in exactly 1 hour for the Registration Office where we will meet our sweet Lucy Mei.

We will likely begin completing paperwork. Soon after, the children meeting their forever families begin to arrive. There are 9 families in our group - adopting 10 kiddos. Oh the joy!!!! The children will have journeyed from destinations all over the Henan province. We will anxiously await Lucy Mei's arrival - perhaps looking out the window as the vans arrive. She will enter the room and we will be handed our daughter. Chills. 

Think for a moment, as parents, how much love, affection, physical contact, encouragement, guidance, attention, adoration, nurturing, comfort, discipline, experiences, routines are showered on your newborn to toddler age child.

Imagine instead, if your child were raised in an orphanage through 2 1/2 years of age. An environment comparable or worse than most poorly-average run daycare facilities....24 x 7, their entire life. Rotating caregivers, rotating children. Very few, if any, life experiences. Very little variation in food/diet. Very little love.    

These children are in survival mode. They bring with them  many coping mechanisms and institutional behaviors. Some intensely cry or melt down (think Ben Ben :) or some withdraw and must learn to cry because their cries have always gone unanswered.

Love changes lives. We cannot wait.

Ellie asked me last week, "Mommy, why didn't you just adopt a girl with Benny so you wouldn't have to travel again?".

I said, "Because, Lucy wasn't available to be adopted then". She smiled. :) 

Please pray that Lucy Mei will open her heart to us, welcome our love and.....smile. Beyond anything else, I look forward to seeing our precious girl smile. Oh, what joy awaits us.

Last post as a family of 6!!!

gratitude

Today, my 45th birthday (soooo sad) and the eve of our journey to Lucy Mei, has been emotional.

My heart is overflowing with gratitude and appreciation for the countless blessings in my life. 

* My partner in life, my best friend, my biggest supporter - my sweet husband. After 17 years, he still makes me laugh every day. He is the world's best dad and his genuine excitement and enthusiasm for Lucy Mei makes my heart smile. :)   

* My 4 beautiful, talented, spirited children, each with amazing hearts. Their love makes me happy, their hearts make me proud. Far from perfect, they are each special little souls.    

* My children's birth parents....in Heaven and on Earth. Those we know and treasure, and those we'll never meet. Each one made me a Mom, and helped create our family. 

* My inability to conceive children. Yep. For those readers who may be experiencing the same, please know, I mean this with every ounce of my being. God knew what he was doing. I can't imagine life without my children, these children. 

* Our very loving, supportive and understanding families. Your excitement, encouragement and unconditional love for us and our children means more than you'll ever know.  

A very special thank you to my parents for graciously agreeing to watch our 4 kiddos during the trip! We couldn't do it without you!

* Friends who are like family. I have been blessed with a circle of friends that I absolutely treasure and adore. We may not hang out as much as we'd like (life, kids, yada, yada...), but I know they're there for me, and our family. I have never taken our relationships for granted. 

I received a special gift in the mail yesterday from a dear friend. A friend I have never met. Her name is Jennifer, and we connected through adoption. Someday, I hope to follow her on a similar journey. Her thoughtfulness made me cry and reminded me how treasured true friendships are.      

* A job that is way more than a "job". DCM is my 2nd family. I truly love and appreciate going to work every day. I adore my co-workers, their spouses, their children - they are my friends and my extended family. Things happen for a reason. Truly God's blessing.  

Gift from my DCM family: hoping it will offset some of Gramma's "treats" while we're gone! :)

* Our children's school - the faculty, parents and children. GSCS provides a supportive, loving, nurturing and faithful community - beyond anything I ever hoped for.  

* A parish and Church community where the pews are filled with our beloved friends and family. A Church where the leaders and staff are actively involved in our lives, our children's lives and the youth ministry.   

* My health and the health of my children, family and friends. Not a day passes that I'm not purposefully thankful for this treasured blessing.

* Last, but not least, I'm humbled and grateful for our beautiful baby girl. Forever in our arms in 72 hours.

We have prayed for this child, indeed.

itinerary

We first saw her face 254 days ago on Valentine's Day, 2012. What a looonng 254 days it has been. 

8 months and 11 days to be exact. 

Nearly a full-term pregnancy. I am fully dilated with no epidural! :) 

Ready to meet our beautiful baby girl!

ITINERARY

10/26 Depart Evansville for Chicago (10:10-11:30 a.m.). Depart Chicago for Beijing (9:05 p.m.).

10/27 Arrive Beijing (11:30 p.m.). 13.25 hrs. flying time! - Qianmen Jianguo Hotel.

10/28 Depart Beijing for Zhengzhou (10:20-11:50 a.m.) - Crowne Plaza Hotel.

10/29 LUCY MEI DAY!!! (10:00-11:00 a.m.) - Provincial Government Office. (US time: 9:00-10:00 p.m. Sunday, 10/28.)

10/30 Finalize adoption in the morning. Travel by van, 5 hrs. round-trip, to Lucy Mei's home city of Zhoukou. We will apply for her passport at the public security bureau and potentially visit her orphanage.

10/31 - 11/2 Free days. Receive Lucy Mei's passport 11/2.

11/3 Depart Zhengzhou for Guangzhou (12:50-3:05 p.m.) - China Hotel (Marriott).

11/4 Free day.

11/5 Lucy Mei's physical. 

11/6 - 11/7 Free days.

11/8 U.S. Consulate Appointment (interview and oath) applying for Lucy Mei's Visa.

11/9 Receive Lucy Mei's Visa. Depart Guangzhou for Hong Kong via van. Regal Airport Hotel.

11/10 Depart Hong Kong for Chicago (11:50 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.). 14.20 hrs. flying time! Depart Chicago (4:50 p.m.). ARRIVE EVANSVILLE (HOME) 5:50 p.m.!!!