Climbing the Great Wall

Summer Fun!

2011-11-04T11:58:00.000-04:00

The past several months have been busy with fun events! Kinley is really blossoming, and teaching us love and lessons every single minute. We squeezed a ton of activities in this summer, including parades, parties, going to the lake and lighthouse, a week at the fair, the zoo, camping, swimming, a trip to Chicago, and much more! Kinley is a trooper and adapts quickly to all her surroundings. She has fun in the big city, and feels right at home on her Grandpa's farm chasing the kittys and throwing food to the goats and pigs.

Kinley is growing up way too fast! She runs from place to place, tries to jump, tries to do somersaults, knows how to do "Head, shoulders, knees, and toes", Pattycake, ring around the rosie, If you're happy and you know it, etc. She even tries to sing the song as she does it! Her language is amazing.....she speaks 3 and 4 word sentences, and she knows many signs and uses them to get everyone's attention. She loves music and dances and shakes her "bupp", lol. Kinley also likes to get our attention by yelling "mommy!" or "daddy!", and will continue to yell it until you respond.

She has recently discovered Sponge Bob Squarepants and Dora. It will keep her attention for a bit, but soon she's running around looking for something to get in to. She loves her best buddy Brayson, and screams and laughs when she sees him. She calls him "Bubba" or "Bubby", and gives him hugs and kisses.

We continue to be thankful for all of our blessings, especially this loving, bright, giggly little girl. Mommy and Daddy love you SO MUCH Kinley Jade!

Busy and "all in"! Now that is Lucky!

2011-06-02T15:47:00.000-04:00

It's been quite some time since I have posted, but I've been so busy being a mommy to Kinley that the blog has definitely suffered! Oh well, guess that comes with the territory of parenting a toddler.

Kinley has been very busy as well, learning so many new things! She has long since mastered crawling, and is days away from being upright for good. As for now, she can easily take several steps before stumbling to the floor, only to crawl to the next object to pull herself back up to her feet to try again. Kinley has been doing well talking and using some sign language. She says Mama, Dada, Bella, Uh-oh, No, Yes, Hi, Flower, Eye, Nose. She signs Mama, Dada, More, Eat, Flower, Milk, Drink. She can point to her hair, nose, eyes, ears, toes. She can do Patty cake, and especially likes the "roll it" part. Kinley has also mastered kissing, and will pucker up and blow kisses to anyone who wants them! She waves Hi and Bye, and will hold her foot up for me to put her socks on. Kinley also "sits like a lady", and will cross her legs. She enjoys copying people, and will copy a sneeze or yawn several times, especially when she has a willing audience. She's a little hambone and we are so blessed to have her in our lives.

Someone recently was talking about how some people are just Lucky. Meaning that good things just seem to happen to them. They win a lot on scratch off tickets. They win lots of raffles. They are the Bingo champs often at the Bingo hall down the street. But are they really "lucky"? Is there some force that bestows gifts upon them just because? Are they lucky because they win? Or do they win because they are lucky? BUT in order to win, they really have to be involved don't they? They have to be active in one way or another. In essence, they have to be "all in". They have to be willing to Lose, just like they are willing to Win. Many times in life I wished that I would be Lucky. Why is it everyone else in the world is lucky except for me? What makes them so darn special?!? The difference between someone who is lucky and unlucky in part is this: Only the lucky ones have FAITH that they will win.....someday. They jump. They're "all in". Maybe they'll stumble. But sooner or later they know that they'll get Lucky.
Just recently we celebrated 3 months since Kinley was delivered to us. Three months is such a short amount of time, yet we feel like she has been with us forever. Kinley Jade is truly the light of my life. Never have I known a love as sweet as this. She is amazing and perfect, beautiful and sweet. Kinley Jade is mine...and I am so Lucky. Finally.

Luck

I didn't come out of my mother.
I don't have my father's green eyes.
No one in my family looks like me.
People are always surprised.

I think we're a happier family
Than if we were all kings and queens.
We're so lucky we all found each other.
That's what being adopted means.

--- “Luck” by Pamela Espeland and Marilyn Nelson (Waniek)

Lots of firsts for Kinley

2011-03-18T10:30:00.001-04:00

We've had an amazing first week at home with our litle Kinley! She's adjusting well to the time change and bonding with friends and family who visit. We've had lots of firsts this week, including our first time in a car seat (they don't have these is China), first ride in a car at home, first trip to Walmart here, celebrating her first birthday, first time eating cake, first time opening presents, etc....

We are planning a large homecoming and first birthday celebration for Saturday. We are so excited to introduce her to more friends and family tomorrow! We cannot wait!

Enjoy the pictures!

xoxo Heather

Home, Sweet Home

2011-03-12T13:52:00.000-05:00

Well, after 48 hours of endless planes, trains, and automobiles we have finally made it home. We left Guangzhou on Thursday and took a train to Hong Kong. We basically checked into a hotel connected to the airport to sleep then wake up very early to check into the airport for our long flight to Detroit on Friday. Due to the time difference, we left Hong Kong on 03-11-11 at 11:00 am and arrived in Detroit on 03-11-11 at 12:30 pm. The flight was 14+ hours. Kinley did amazing on the flight. She slept some and played quietly for the rest of the time.

Shortly before we landed we heard the news of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. Our flight route was over Japan, and we are stunned to realize that we would have been flying over Japan about the time of the earthquake. We are very lucky to have not had a stop in Tokyo on the way home, because we did have a few hour layover there on our way to Beijing. Our prayers go out to those affected by this trajedy.

Amazingly we narrowly missed another earthquake on our travels. On the 10th there was a 5.8 earthquake in Yingjiang City, Yunnan Province, China. This is the same Province that we stayed in, although not the same city. (A Province is equivalent to our States--Kinley is from Kunming City, Yunnan Province). Apparently there are 25 dead and over 250 people injured, and many more with damages to there homes.

Upon our arrival to Detroit we were suprised with a warm welcome home from several of our family members, and we were driven home in style in an Excursion Limo! What a surprise that was! It was awesome being able to see everyone and interact with them and Kinley during the drive home. After all of the traveling we did, it made the 1 1/2 hour drive home seem like 10 minutes. My family never ceases to amaze me! It definitely was not expected--and not necessary, but thank you so much!!!!!!!

Once home we were greeted by more family and spent the night watching Kinley get to know everyone. She is adjusting wonderfully and I know she will continue to bond with everyone more as time progresses. We had a great first night home, although today we are exhausted with jet lag and the task of doing 16 days worth of laundry and unpacking and organizing everything else. Regardless we are glad to be home and we look forward to a nice first weekend home with family and friends.

Love you all! Thank you for all of your love and support throughout this entire process! For those of you who have been following the blog, thank you. It's been a nice way for me to document the process and express my thoughts along the way. I plan on continuing the blog as my own personal project because I really enjoy doing it. I'm sure that the posts will not be as frequent with real life getting in the way though :)

Today I've included some pictures of our last day in Guangzhou and our first day home. Hope you enjoy them :) I also wanted to take this opportunity to point out that we are all inspired to "do good", whether the inspiration comes from your parents, your church, or perhaps your own instincts--or for most of us, a combination of all three. I hope that sharing our journey has educated some of you on the plight of the orphans, and perhaps inspired you to help in some way. Live life everyday with an open heart so you can hear God speak...

The man whispered, "God, speak to me" and a Chickadee sang.

But, the man did not hear.

So the man yelled "God, speak to me!" And, the thunder rolled across the sky.

But, the man did not listen.

The man looked around and said, "God let me see you." And a star shined brightly.

But the man did not notice.

And, the man shouted, "God show me a miracle!" And, a life was born.

But, the man did not know.

So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here!"

Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.

But, the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.

xoxo
Heather

Last full day in Guangzhou

2011-03-09T16:12:00.001-05:00

Today was a fun day on Shamian Island, even though it was rainy and chilly. It's a lot of fun walking around seeing other adoptive families out and about with their newest members. Kinley seems to be feeling better today and is mostly all smiles again. Thank God the fever is gone, and we've yet to have another digestive explosion out of her so we are crossing our fingers that is over also! She ate pretty well at today and she has finished her 3 days of antibiotics so I think we are on the right track.

After breakfast we did some shopping and walked around exploring a little more. We had to get mommy a coffee at Starbucks and Kinley got an almond creme puff! Shopping really has not been as fun as I thought it would be. There are no price tags on anything and the shop owners follow you around everywhere commenting on everything you look at. I feel like saying "Yes, I know those are chopsticks. Yes, I know that you eat with them...." Ugg! And they always say that they will give "only you" a good price.

This afternoon we headed to the White Swan, a hotel where the Holt office is located. We opted to stay at the Victory Hotel just around the corner because we got a suite for the price of a standard room at the White Swan. Of course we thought we'd have a baby crawling all over, but the extra room has still been nice here. We met the other 3 Holt families to take pictures on the red couch, which has become an adoptive family tradition. Kinley did pretty well holding still and smiling; I swear she knows what to do when she sees a camera already! Some of the other children were a lot more wiggly! After lots of pictures and trying to get kids to hold still, we headed to the Holt office to get our paperwork ready for traveling and Kinley's citizenship paperwork.

We are so ready to come home! China has been an absolutely amazing experience and we have a great respect for the Chinese people and the culture. We hope that we have captured enough pictures and memories to share with Kinley as she gets older. Leaving China will be bittersweet...but we are ready to stop living out of suitcases and get back home to introduce Kinley to her amazing family and friends!

I am convinced we will be back someday soon...I'm already asking Jason when we can start the process to complete another adoption. He just looks at me wide-eyed and says we need "time to financially recover". Ho-hum. It makes me sad that money is an issue when it comes to orphans....I will continue to pray that God's will be done and He will find a way to provide if we are meant to return to adopt again. Until then I cannot shake the image of the many pairs of eyes staring up at me during our visit to the orphanage, as if asking me "what will you do"...

I asked God, "How much time do I have before I die?"

He replied, "Enough to make a difference"................

--- Unknown

xoxoxoxoxo

Heather

Consulate Appointment

2011-03-08T15:34:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a rough day for Kinley, Jason, and I. Kinley has not been feeling well--she's been running a fever and not eating or drinking much. She's also had some diarrhea and has a rash on her legs. I think the rash is either from the fever, or it is an allergic reaction because they only used cloth diapers in the orphanage. By the early afternoon I was worried that it could possibly be an ear infection, and the thoughts of flying 14+ hours with a sick baby prompted us to seek a "western style" doctor to have her checked out. The doctor said that she had a "throat infection", but says the rash is allergic and her ears look fine. He gave us some zithromax and some diarrhea medication to use if we need it and sent us on our way. I really couldn't get my questions answered thoroughly because things got lost in translation. I brought amoxicillin to give her if necessary, however the doctor states that it may make her diarrhea worse so we'll hold off on that. After the doctor we went to the Holt office and did some quick paperwork checking before returning to the hotel.

Today we had a very early morning because our group had a U.S. Consulate appointment at 9 am. Our alarms were set for 5:20 am, but Kinley woke us up at 5 burning up again. I checked her temperature and was not surprised to see 103.7. So I put her in the bathtub and gave her tylenol and motrin since the Consulate Appointment could not be changed. We were downstairs for a quick breakfast at 7 and then our driver picked us up at 7:30 am in the hotel lobby. The Consulate Appointment seemed like a formality, really. We had to raise our right hands and swear that our paperwork was correct and that we would take care of Kinley. The officials took our paperwork and tomorrow we should be able to pick up Kinley's U.S. citizenship papers. Kinley will officially become a U.S. Citizen when we go through customs at the Detroit airport.

Once we got back from the consulate Kinley got some more tylenol and then took a long nap. She woke up feeling much better it seems, so I'm hopeful she's past the worst of it. Finally we got to explore more of Shaiman Island because we've been stuck in the hotel most of the time with a sick baby. We did a little shopping and then took Kinley to the playroom in the hotel. We found out that she is a brave girl! She loves the slide and when she was on the rocking pony she kept letting go and laughing. Later we went out to dinner at a Thai restaurant down from our hotel called The Cow and Bridge. I could tell before ordering that we would regret eating out. Kinley was fussy....out of the blue she has decided that it is fun to scream randomly. Hmmm, wonder if this is just a phase or if she's still not feeling well. Jason and I didn't even finish our food and we laughed that eating out was no longer going to be something we will be doing much from this point on. When we got back to the hotel we realized that Kinley had some more diarrhea.......and it was all over. We always have her in the carrier when we are out, and lets just say that everything had to be washed in the tub, including Kinley and I. Not sure what we will do tomorrow because I'm sure the carrier will not be dry for us to use. We've had to wash so many clothes in the sink, we cannot wait to get back home where we'll actually have all the luxeries we always take for granted.

Jason put Kinley to bed tonight as I'm typing this. It's funny...he danced her to sleep, lol. Now he thinks he's the "bedtime Rumba king". Kinley has been hard to put to bed unless I lay down with her. She sleeps in our bed and likes to be right next to me. She actually holds on to my nightgown when she sleeps! When we walk around she holds onto my locket necklace or my hair. She's such a cutie pie! I hope tomorrow she feels better and I cannot wait until we are finally done with the diarrhea! I'm hesitating to give her the diarrhea medication the doctor gave us. I've never heard of it, and I don't want her to get constipated. None the less, another episode like the last and I think I'll at least give her a half dose of it!

Tomorrow we pick up our consulate paperwork and then we have the Red Couch photos. It is a tradition of Chinese adoptive families to take a picture of their children on the red couch at the hotel (red for good luck) while dressed in traditional chinese outfits. We bought Kinley an outfit today that we are praying fits her! Most of the adopted children are bigger than she is, so we've had a hard time finding any clothes or squeaky shoes to fit her.

Enjoy the pictures!

Heather

Jade and Pearl Market

2011-03-07T18:26:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we went to the Jade and Pearl Market with another Holt family. It was huge, with many shops to barter with. While there I noticed Kinley was being very quiet, which is a little unusual for her because she likes to "talk" so much. I kissed her head and noticed she was very warm, so I gave her some baby Advil. Poor girl really did not feel well at all. We shopped quicker than we normally would, and ended up getting her a few items for the future: a jade tiger pendant (she is a Tiger on the Chinese zodiac) and a strand of hite pearls for her wedding day. Jason also got me a strand of multi-colored pearls that I was admiring.
Last night was a rough night. Kinley was so hot, all she was doing was laying in bed with us whimpering. We gave her medication when it was time and gave her several baths to try to cool her off. I have some amoxicillin for her that I brought with me, but I haven't decided if I want to give it quite yet. I think if she doesn't feel better in a few hours I'll start giving it just in case. It just breaks my heart that she feels so bad, and so helpless that I cannot fix it for her.

Today we were going to go to the Safari Park, but decided not to since Kinley is not feeling well. We are free until 4:00 pm, when we have to return to the Holt office for more paperwork. Tomorrow we have the appointment at the U.S. Consulate for our Oath Ceremony and U.S. Visa. It will be an early morning for us since we have to meet the other families at 7 am. Hopefully Kinley is feeling better by then because we hear it is a 45 minute drive each way plus the time it takes for 3 families appointments.

Love and miss you all,

Heather

First Day in Guangzhou--Medical Exam

2011-03-05T11:21:00.001-05:00

Today was our first day in Guangzhou. It is great to be here! Can't believe we have less than one week before we get home with Kinley! Guangzhou is where the U.S. Consolate is located, so all adoptive families from the U.S. end up here. It is so nice to be surrounded by so many in the same boat as we are. It is absolutely beautiful here; it is victorian style with lots of flowers, wheeping willows, and bronze statues. We are on Shaiman Island along the Pearl River, so it is much more peaceful than in the previous cities.

We started out the morning heading to meet other Holt families--there are four of us here total from this adoption agency. We had a brief meeting regarding paperwork then went to have the children's pictures taken for their U.S. visas since they are not U.S. citizens until we land in Detroit. Kinley is so photogenic that she even looks cute in her Visa picture! After we were all finished we headed over to the clinic for the required medical exam, which Kinley did not like one bit! Most of the exam is pretty simple....squeek a toy to check hearing, look in the ears, height, weight, etc. Next we were in line to see the doctor who would listen to her lungs and heart. This is what I really wanted to know--how is Kinley's heart doing? When it finally became our turn we hurried into the room and tried to keep Kinley from crying during the exam which was totally impossible. The doctor listened to her heart for a long time.......then he told us to wait and left the room. After a couple of minutes he came back and told us to follow him. Now at this point I'm getting a little worried, because no one else had to go anywhere. We followed him into a back room and sat down. I gave Kinley a bottle and while I was doing so another doctor came over and listened to Kinleys heart for what seemed like several tense minutes (but I'm sure it was more like 30-45 seconds, and Kinley was actually quiet because she was drinking her bottle). He took the stethoscope off and spoke to the first doctor. Then he looked at us and said "no hear murmur". Amazing news! We will still need to have her heart checked when we get home, however the fact that the murmur is not audible is a great sign that her heart may have repaired itself!

After that we explored the island a bit, did some shopping, and took some pictures. Kinley was a little cranky occasionally because her teeth are really hurting her. Most of the time she's an absolute ham, waving at people as we pass on the sidewalk and smiling. She is so funny! Then this afternoon we had to complete some more paperwork for the adoption. For supper we went to Lucy's Diner, an American food restaurant, with many other adoptive families. I enjoyed the iced tea, however the food was pretty bad so we won't be going back there anytime soon.

Tomorrow we are touring a Jade and Pearl Market with another Holt family and we're hoping to score a great deal!

Tammy & Anna---Jason and I were curious about the white on the bottom of many of the trees also. When we were in Kunming we asked our guide about it and she said she thought it was to prevent bugs. I don't remember seeing any white tree trunks here in Guangzhou, but tomorrow I will keep my eyes open :)

Natural Child: Any child who is not artificial.

Real Parent: Any parent who is not imaginary.

Your Own Child: Any child who is not someone else's child.

Adopted Child: A natural child, with a real parent, who is all my own.

--- Rita Laws, PhD

xoxo

Heather

Last Day in Kinley's Birthplace

2011-03-04T15:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our last full day in Kunming. Jason asked me if I felt guilty for taking Kinley away from her birthplace. I thought about it for a minute, then said no. I don't feel guilty. I feel that Kunming was just where God placed Kinley to wait for us, for whatever reason. Kunming may be her birthplace, but it is not her home. We made sure to get a picture with Jayce and his Mom Maria---Maria adopted Jayce the same day we did, and Jayce and Kinley are from the same orphanage.

We made the most of exploring the park once again. It is really amazing. We took lots and lots of pictures, so that when Kinley gets older she'll be able to see her history as much a possible. We even got a picture with a lady who was representing one of the many ethnic groups located in Yunnan province. Of course we were also fighting off the curious Chinese who surround us, follow us, take our pictures, etc. They are not shy about pointing and staring. We've been told---they're not being rude....they're being Chinese! Kinley let me put her to sleep last night (after 1 1/2 of trying). She's still having some trouble adjusting to how we do bedtime as opposed to the orphanage. After last night I recognize that she does not want to go to sleep--I think she's afraid we won't be there when we wake up. She's just so sweet, it breaks my heart all that she's been through. So rocking and swaying she'd have her eyes closed and breathing heavy, then sit up in my arms and look at me smiling and waving hi. Then she would scan the room for Jason and do the same. She did this nearly 10 times (which is why the 1 1/2 hour ordeal).

Today was a travel day. Kinley went on her first plane ride and now we are in Guangzhou, the last major leg in our travels. We will stay here until Thursday, then we take a train to Hong Kong where we spend one night before flying home in the morning Today's flight was an adventure....two minutes after getting ready to head to the runway for take off I discovered Kinley needed a diaper change. To spare everyone the details, let's just say we had to do a complete outfit change in a tiny airplane bathroom. Then on the way to the hotel we had a second explosion which required a prompt bath (for both of us) once in the hotel room! While I was tending to that, Jason was happy because in searching for a late night supper he found a Papa John's pizza.

While waiting at the airport before we boarded the plane I had Kinley out of her carrier to let her stretch. I rarely have her out of the carrier in public because Chinese people LOVE babies....and they have no boundries! They will walk right up to you and stare, listen to your conversation. They will even touch, kiss, and pick your baby up! And not to be biased or anything, but Kinley is adorable and is admired by everyone . So we're sitting there with another family from Kentucky who adopted an 18 month of girl when we have a "pack" of middle aged Chinese women surround us. They're talking to Kinley trying to make her smile. Several minutes go by and they are still standing there cooing at her. Finally the pack leader (hehe) comes up to Kinley and takes her out of my arms. Now I did not protest....what could I do with the pack surrounding me?!? So I try to play it cool. BUT Kinley had no intentions of playing it cool and screamed so loud. I mean she screetched and screamed bloody murder! She was immediately given back to me where she buried her head in my neck and said "mama" through tears. Yes Kinley.....I'm your mama :)

For finding your mother,

There's one certain test.

You must look for the creature

Who loves you the best.

--- David Kirk (Little Miss Spider)

Tomorrow is a day full of paperwork for the U.S. Embassy. Hopefully we will get to explore some of Shaiman Island if we have any free time.

I feel so blessed that Kinley is attaching to me and Jason so quickly, and she goes to either of us freely. If I am holding her, she will look for Jason. If Jason is holding her, she looks for me. There is no better feeling that being a mother. I am so in love with this little girl.

Thank you all for your comments and support! I see and read every single one of them! I wish I could respond, however I cannot access the blog in China so Kaleigh continues to post what I send to her via email.

Love,

Heather

Orphanage

2011-03-02T22:46:00.000-05:00

What an emotional roller coaster yesterday was! We had a nice morning with Kinley. She sleeps so well once we can get her to close her eyes, lol. She has slept for 9 hours without waking every night so far--I know she would sleep longer but Jason and I wake her with the noise we make in the hotel room (and no, Mom, I'm not doing it on purpose, hehe). We went to breakfast then took a walk around Kunming, which we are staying in the shopping district. I never realized the Chinese people were so fashionable! I feel like a scuzball walking around in my comfortable clothes compared to them :) We tried to look for some cute China clothes for Kinley but most of the stores are women's clothing. We did see a lovely tea set that had goldfish painted on them, so we bought that to give to her when she gets older.

At 2 pm we left to go to the orphanage that she stayed in. I was very nervous about this but felt that we would regret it if we did not go. We were met by the orphanage worker that brought us Kinley on Gotcha Day. She said that currently there are 600 children at the orphanage, however nearly 500 of them are in foster care. Now remember, this is ONE ORPHANAGE in ONE CITY. There are many, many orphanages in China. Vivianne said that not all of them are "as responsible" as Kunming. The orphanage was very nice....big buildings and very clean. A playground, a few gardens, a library, etc. She told us Kinley started out in the clinic once she came to the orphanage from the hospital--this is where the children go "who are too weak to go to the regular nursery". We did not get to go inside the clinic. They took us into the play area where Kinley would go daily. I walked in the large room and saw these beautiful bundles laying in rows on the floor. I could not stop my mind from imagining Kinley laying there among those children and I just cried. Looking over the children their sad eyes just looked up at us and stared. They did not cry or flinch. We were not allowed to take pictures of this room.

My main concern was Kinley's reaction during the visit. She was just looking around, not really making eye contact at this point and was being very quiet. I had her in her carrier so that she could not easily be held by the Ai-Yi's (aunties). Next we went to the nursery where Kinley was. We did convince them to let us take pictures in this room, however we were not allowed to take any pictures of children. Again we saw several babies and one set of girl twins! Vivianne told us that any of the cribs could have been Kinleys. There are many cribs, probably 30 or more. We were told that the Ai-Yi's work 3 at a time, in 8 hour shifts in this room. Several Ai-Yi's during our visit knew Kinley and would come up to her saying "Wu Qi Ling", which is her Chinese name.

The best part of the visit was when an Ai-Yi that worked in the nursery came up to Kinley and tried to hold her hand---Kinley pulled it away! Then she held out her hands to hold Kinley, which I did not want her to do, so I just acted like "dumb American" and just smiled at her. Next the Ai-Yi came up and tried to put her hands in the carrier to hold Kinley and Kinley turned away from her and grabbed on tighter to me! This is the best reaction I could have hoped for.......my heart just sang! I walked out of the nursery and I think Kinley knew from that point on that I was not going to leave her there. She started to smile again at Jason and I for the last part of the visit. Kinley was so tired, but would fall asleep. She just kept blinking her eyes to stay awake. We took some more pictures of the buildings, statues, and garden areas. We also took some pictures with Vivianne and the orphanage worker. They asked us we if would like to stay longer and we said no. I just wanted to get my baby out of there! We said our thank you's and goodbyes and walked towards the door. As we walked out the gait I whispered to Kinley, "Mommy's got you Kinley. You never, ever have to go there again."

Within three minutes of leaving the orphanage Kinley was sound asleep on my chest. Once we got to the hotel I attempted to take her out of the carrier and she woke up crying. It was the very first time Kinley let me put her to sleep while holding her (not in the carrier). Later, at bedtime, she let me put her to sleep in my arms again! I am hoping this continues because it's very hard listening to her try to soothe herself (because that is what they did in the orphanage).

For supper last night we went to a French Cafe---who would have thought I would be so excited about a tuna fish sandwich, lol! We walked to Walmart after to get some more bibs. Now Walmart is pure madness....and China is much different regarding safety codes than the U.S. There is no such thing as suing anyone in China, which means sidewalks and other things are not always in the best conditions. While in Walmart, lets just say I had quite the spill over a pallet I did not see laying in an aisle. No worries, except for a probable broken toe, a few scrapes, and hurt pride, I am ok, lol.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds;

and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

--- Matthew 7:7-8

xoxo

Heather

First full day as a family

2011-03-01T19:28:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was our first full day as a family. Since we spent many hours on Gotcha Day doing paperwork and running errands we had a free day today just to bond with Kinley. Kinley is doing very well adjusting, she is just a dream. The only hard time we are having is bedtime. I've come to the realization that she does not know how to have someone put her to sleep. What I mean by that is the only way to get her to sleep is to put her in her crib and let her cry and self soothe--which is very hard for me to do! I want to rock her, which I do for a while. But she must think that when someone is holding her it is time to play and just will not sleep. We will continue to work on this. When we are out and about and have her in the carrier she will take a nap easily in that though, which is a blessing.

Yesterday we played in the hotel room, then went out to a beautiful park in Kunming just a block from the hotel. The park is HUGE! Kunming is called the "City of Eternal Spring" and is where many come to vacation. There is a lake where millions of seagulls migrate from Russia for the winter. The people LOVE the seagulls and will stand at the edge of the lake as the seagulls circle within a foot of them as they throw out food into the air for them to eat. Many people gather at the park, including people who are doing ethnic dancing, ballroom dancing, etc. Sometimes there are two dancing, sometimes there are groups of 100 or more. Yunnan, the province, is where the most minority groups are in all of China. Kunming is a very special place to be in China and we are so happy we are getting the chance to see it. It is 75 degrees here (and very windy as you can tell by my hair in the pictures, lol) Our only regret is that we didn't bring more shorts!

When we left the park we ended up paying a local 120 Yuan, about 20 bucks, to sketch a picture of Kinley. He did a great job! It quickly became overwhelming though, as about 75 people surrounded us to watch. The Chinese people are very curious of us, especially here in Kunming which does not see many foreigners. I'm sure the fact that we are carrying around a Chinese baby does not help! They are all very nice, however we get lots of stares and pointing. Some will even wall up and point to Kinley and try to talk to us. We just smile and say hello, and keep walking. One guy in the park actually sprinted in front of us to take pictures of us. When we notice this we just try to look away and keep walking.

Today we will go to visit the orphanage Kinley was in. I have very mixed emotions about this. I know it is a part of her history and we should go to be able to show her pictures and tell her about the visit. I worry that she will be sad and scared when we take her there, however many people believe that it is closure for them. They see that you take them back for a visit, but not to leave them there. I hope that Kinley will understand that we have no intentions of ever leaving her.

I will try to take more pictures of Kinley today. We got so busy playing with her, we did not take many pictures, so today I will make up for it! Love you all! Thank you so much for the comments, prayers, and love that you are showing us!

Heather

We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life.

But those who make their journey home across time & miles,

growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them,

are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us

by God's very own hands.

--- Kristi Larson

Gotcha Kinley!!!!!!

2011-02-28T15:28:00.001-05:00

As I type this post I'm sitting in the hotel room after a very busy and emotional day, starving and tired, but all is well because my baby girl is sound asleep on my chest. I am very, very lucky to have such wonderful friends and family to bring her home to.

I know you all wanna look at the pictures, so scroll down and check them out, lol.

I'll skip all the talk about getting no sleep, the nerves, blah, blah blah, and I'll get to the good stuff.

So we left at 8 am to go to the civil affairs office to do paperwork, then Kinley was supposed to arrive at 9. We had just started on the paperwork and then suddenly I hear someone say "Wu Qi Ling" behind me......so I turn to see who it is and it's the orphanage worker holding a tiny little girl. Now instantly I knew this was my girl. Luckily, I knew that there could possibly be little to no warning so I already had my cameras ready to go on the table. I threw the camcorder at my guide and hit record! I turn to Kinley, who the foster family and orphanage staff refer to as Ling Ling. I can't remember what I said to her.....but I remember she did not look scared. And I put my hands out for her to come to me and she did without hesitation! She put her cheek against mine and I just cried. What an amazing, unbelievable, indescribable moment. Kinely just laid her head against me for a few minutes, letting me kiss her through tears. Then Jason held his hands out to her and she went right to him also!

Within 5 minutes of meeting we had our very first smile. Probably 10 minutes after that we got a small giggle! She has been so easy going......except for when me or Jason get more than four feet away from her. I'm telling you no lies..........elephant tears!

After lots more paperwork, fingerprints, and Kinley's footprint we were done and got to come back to the hotel briefly. Then it was lunch and a quick trip to Walmart for some supplies. And no, no similarities to the Walmarts back home. It was chaos! Now poor Jason is walking all over Kunming to try to find something to eat for supper. Kunming is very different than Beijing. Very few people speak good English. There is no McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut....no English menus. And the hotel food is questionable for a very high price.

Here's what we've learned about Kinley so far:

*She cannot crawl or walk, but can sit up on her own well and plays with her toys contently (as long as you are beside her....remember the four foot rule)

*She only has one tooth that has barely popped through

*She is a peanut! She probably does weigh close to 18 pounds, however she is tiny! Her feet won't even fit in the size 3 shoes I brought for her...way too big!

*She babbles alot (and loudly), especially when she is tired and about to fall asleep

*She will look at you when you call her by "Kinley" or "Ling Ling"

*I think she may be a premie. If not, she is way behind developmentally in motor skills. The orphange says she can eat rice, however when I tried it mashed up mixed in soup she just let it sit in her mouth.

*She is super smart! If she drops a crumb of her puff snacks she will look for it until she finds it.

*The orphanage says she does not smile/laugh much....but she is about the funniest, giggly little princess ever! She giggles/smiles at just about everything, especially when we play with her.

*She has a major farmer's tan. Basically her hands and feet and dark tan, the rest of her body is very light.

*She has some hair! She's gonna give Timothy and Brayson a run for their money in the "mohawk competition", lol

As for Jason and I, we are totally in love already! She is worth every tear, every document, every moment of waiting and more. She is ours and we are hers forever. Kinley--we Gotcha, and we'll never let go!

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.

---1 Samuel 1:27

Let the countdown begin!!!!!!! 11 more hours until Kinley!

2011-02-27T10:55:00.001-05:00

Last night we never made it out of the hotel. I worked on the computer, then we laid down for a "few minutes", which turned out to be until 2 am. Had a hard time going back to sleep after that, but we managed to stay in bed until 5 am. We met Jerry in the hotel lobby at 12:30 pm today to head to the airport. When we attempted to check in we were told the flight was delayed one hour due to a "national emergency". Uh..........what does that mean ?!? Jerry said not to worry, and I'm thinking "yeah, right". After much to-do over our baggage being severely overweight by China's standards, we handed over $243 Yuan ($37 US) and got it on the plane. Let's just say that's not the end of the craziness---while standing in line waiting to go through security there was a bunch of yelling at the front of the line. Then people waiting in line all started yelling. It was pretty scary because of course we could not understand what anyone was saying. After several tense moments Jerry explained that the security guy was telling everyone that the security scanner was broke, so everyone started yelling that there was not enough workers. More security came and somehow got them working again fairly quickly. We ended up being nearly two hours delayed, but finally made it to Kunming safe and sound.

Our new guide Vivianne is from our adoption agency. She said that we will be heading to the Civil Affairs office at 8 am so that we can complete some paperwork before we meet Kinley. She said that Kinley has been treated very well by her foster family and loves to be outside in the nice weather around lots of people. The weather here is amazing from what we can tell--70's and there are palm trees lining the streets. Kunming is very different from Beijing. Beijing is very modern--lots of digital billboards. Kunming reminds us of Las Vegas, except perhaps back in the 1950's!

When we got to our room we were hit in the face with a reality check----a crib (well, pack and play)!! Then we also realized through the chaos of the security check at the airport, we lost the keys to our luggage locks so we had to have someone in the hotel come up and cut them off. Luckily I brought 4 spare locks that are combination so that should be the last of that problem.

As I am typing this I am thinking about all of the changes that will take place in our lives in 11 hours. So many emotions. Adoptive parents celebrate the day every year with their children, and they call it many different things: Gotcha Day, Forever Family Day, Delivery Day, etc... Tomorrow our daughter will finally be with her family, and we'll finally have her in our arms. Please pray that Kinley has a quick grieving process and attaches to us quickly. I know she will be so sad, and I'm prepared for that but know it will still break my heart. I just hope that her little heart heals quickly.

Thank you all for your wonderful comments on here--it really means a lot to hear from those we love dearly.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Heather

Last Full Day in Beijing!

2011-02-26T10:49:00.000-05:00

So today is our last full day in Beijing since we leave for Kinley's city, Kunming, tomorrow afternoon. Our guide Jerry will pick us up in the hotel at 12:30 pm to arrive at the airport early for our 4 pm flight. We hear it will take about 3 hours to get there and another guide, Vivianne, will be waiting for us. So as I am typing this it is 5 pm here on Saturday--which means it is 4 am for everyone back home. By my calculations, as long as things go as planned, we will be meeting Kinley in a mere 40 hours!!!

We had a busy and early day today in Beijing. We had to be in the lobby at 8:15 am waiting for Jerry so we could make it in time for the Holt orientation. We met another Holt couple today, Chris and Christina, who have a four year old girl named Katie who is also from Kunming! She is a cutie pie! They are returning to adopt a 22 month old girl from another Province, Nanning, this time. We will see them again when we go to Guangzhou, China for the last couple days of our journey. The other family was very lucky because they received updated pictures and information about their daughter today. The only specific information we got was updated measurements, which is very typical of Kunming so we were not surprised. The updates say that Kinley is about 18 pounds and about 27 inches. If these are correct she should fit nicely in the clothes we brought for her, although they may be a little on the baggy side :)

After the Holt orientation we went to lunch then headed for a tour of Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City. We had an amazing time, but it snowed a little through the night so it was damp and cold today. Tiananmen Square is the world's largest public square, said to hold one million people at a time. It houses the Mausoleum of Chairman Mao--China's first president after the fall of the Emperor. Apparently Chairman Mao is in a sealed crystal tomb that is on display in the mausoleum. Needless to say we did not go see this, although I did take a picture of the outside of the building, as well as the portrait of him marking the beginning of the square and the end of The Forbidden City. Jerry says that a new portrait is painted and hung every October--and it always has a different background. The Forbidden City was built from 1406-1420 by a million laborers. It was the home of the Emperor and his household (the Empress, his many concubines, and his eunichs (servants) until 1924, when the Emperor was dethroned. The Forbidden City is absolutely huge---imagine 6 Meadowbrook parks with ballroom size (and much larger) buildings all over, occasionally broken up by courtyards and gardens. The detail work is unbelievable. I included a picture of a mythical dragon pronounced "chi ling"---this is the same pronunciation as our daughter's Chinese name, Qi Ling. Jerry confirmed that this is a very beautiful name and meaning, and says that it means the "heart of the family, very strong and beautiful, delicate Jade".

We spent some time at a silk factory and saw how they made silk from the silk worm's cocoons. It is amazing how many cocoons it takes to make fabric. In one of the pictures they let me help them stretch pieces of silk to make a duvet---lets just say I don't think they'll be offering me a job any time soon!

Local people continue to stare and ask me to take pictures with them. I noticed today in the large crowd that many don't ask---they just snap pictures as I walk by. Jerry says that they are "very shy" and too afraid to ask me. It's a pretty odd feeling, but it seems to be all in good nature. I sure haven't seen any Chinese people with curly hair, and apparently they haven't either!

Our plans for tonight are to maybe walk a few blocks to the mall, and then we need to rearrange our luggage in order to comply with all the weight requirements in China. I pretty much realize that I'm gonna have to pay a hefty fine to get my bags back home.....especially if the shopping in Kunming and Guangzhou is as good as I have heard from others.

Love you all!

Heather

The Great Wall

2011-02-25T12:06:00.024-05:00

We had a great first day in China! We got up bright and early and made it to breakfast in time to eat a quick bite and meet Jerry in the lobby at 9:30 am. We then went to see an old Chinese community set in the middle of Beijing called a "Hutong", which means "side street". There we took a Rickshaw ride and got to visit a Chinese family's home to see how they lived. The conditions of the house was clean, but very modest and very small. Jerry says that even though the conditions are not the greatest, the families are very fortunate because the houses are passed down from generation to generation and most young Chinese people have a very hard time affording a house. Most cannot buy. We met the mother in the house, and also her father-in-law. Her husband teaches Kung Fu, and was in the academy with Jet Lee. Her son lives in Houston and is teaching Kung Fu there. The grandfather, who is 94, was teaching Jason some moves and poses with the family's collection of traditional weapons.

Next we went to a Jade factory. Jade is valued by the Chinese people. They say it is the heart of the Chinese people. The saying is "Gold is pricey, but Jade is priceless". We purchased a "Happy Family Ball" that is carved out of Jade, which we saw a craftsman making the same. It is several balls inside other ball--each moves freely but you cannot remove. In the very center is a dragon, which means good luck. It means that the family cannot be separated. We are told because of all the detail it takes at least two weeks to make each one. Once we were done shopping, we went upstairs to the restaurant and had an amazing Chinese meal.

Once we were done eating it was a 30 minute drive to the Great Wall. It was absolutely breathtaking--and treacherous. The steps were very steep, and all of them were of various heights. While there we saw some Vietnamese monks visiting and climbing the wall also. The newest section of the Great Wall is 500 years old---and it stretches 4000 miles long. We took lots of pictures while there. I kept getting stopped by local people who wanted their picture taken with me because of my curly hair, lol. It was kind of a weird experience!

On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the 2008 Beijing Olympic stadiums! We were able to get some pictures of the bird's nest and the water cube! Jerry was actually a volunteer during the Olympics and got to see many games, including the USA basketball team (which apparently is very popular in China), and Michael Phelps.

After a nap at the hotel, Jason and I set off on our own and walked a couple of block to McDonald's! Along the way we saw the Beijing street food vendors that we saw on a Bizarre Foods episode with Andrew Zimmerman. Lets just say there were definitely some strange smells along the way!

Tomorrow we have orientation with Holt and then we go to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. We are excited to be getting closer to Kinley every day! Love and miss you all,

Heather

xoxoxoxoxo

Ni hao from Beijing, China!

2011-02-24T15:41:00.000-05:00

We seem to be unable to access our blogger site from China, so unless I can figure out someway to get around it, thanks Kaleigh for posting this for me :) It looks like we'll be able to access Skype though, so that is a blessing.

Well we finally made it. 29 hours of travel and we are sitting in our hotel room in downtown Beijing. (Thanks to Mom, Shelley, Kaleigh, and Brayson for seeing us off! You guys are the best!) The plane rides were pretty uneventful, but LONG! The first flight was grueling....13.5 hours from Detroit to Tokyo, Japan. I was so tired from only 2 hours of sleep the night before but just could not get any sleep on the flight. Jason however had no problems! The 4 hour layover at Tokyo was a lifesaver....I laid down and got about 2 1/2 hours of sleep which was much overdue. Then back on a plane for a 4 hour flight to Beijing. Customs was uneventful and quick, and we were greeted by our Beijing guide "Jerry". Jerry will be with us for the next three days in Beijing.

It is currently 12 noon on the 23rd for you all back in the good old USA, but it's 1 am on the 24th for us. We are going to have to sleep fast because we'll need to be up, ready, and have went to breakfast to meet Jerry in the lobby at 9am. The plan for in the morning is to visit a Hutong Street (traditional housing), take a richshaw ride, and then visit the Great Wall.

Jerry says that we will also do the following in the next few days: have Holt orientation, have a traditional Peking Duck meal, see the Forbidden City and Tianamen Square, and go past the 2008 Olympic Stadiums (The Nest and The Cube).

Busy days ahead, then Sunday night we fly to Kunming and prepare to meet Kinley!

Love you all,

Heather

Plane from Detroit to Tokyo.

Here goes nothin! A journey of a lifetime......

2011-02-23T00:08:00.000-05:00

Well, everything is packed and sitting in the middle of the living room floor. I have so many emotions right now.... I really have so few words at the moment, so I hope my little sister Kaleigh does not mind that I am going to use hers. She posted the following on my facebook page about an hour ago, and I copied it and will be carrying it with me to China:

This is to my sister Heather and brother-in-law Jason. I can't believe what you are about to do tomorrow. Kinley is 7857 miles away from my house to Kunming, Yunnan, China, and you're going there to get her, wow. You two are going on the longest journey possible to bring one person into our family forever, saving one orphans life for the people who couldn't raise her themselves. Many plane rides and lots of luggage in tow, your only goal is to bring back our Kinley Jade safe and sound. You three will be in my thoughts for the next almost 3 weeks. She will be in your arms on 2/28/11 but I can't wait until she can be in mine on 3/11/11. Have a memorable experience there and be safe. (And don't worry, I will keep Bella by my side and she will have lots of fun staying with me.) Love, Kaleigh. :)

I am totally amazed by this girl. Only 16 years old, yet she has so much wisdom and sentiment for family. I love you Kaleigh. I will travel half the world to go get Kinley, and will travel the other half to come back to you......

One final thought before I go:

For those who have lost faith in anything, this is for you. Whether you have lost your faith in God, family, friends, fate, love, mankind........I ask you to just look at the miracle that is unfolding right now. I will be forever changed by Kinley, and by all of my family and friends who held my hand along the way. My faith had been challenged with the heartbreak of infertility, yet today it is much stronger than ever. I am right where I am supposed to be. I have faith in that.

I love you all.

Heather

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound

that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found,

was blind, but now I see........

ONE

2011-02-16T12:29:00.001-05:00

Exactly ONE week until we get on a plane and take the trip of a lifetime. 12 short days until I see my girl's face for the first time in person. Cannot wait to hold her and kiss her. Such a long, torcherous wait is finally coming to an end. What a relief to know that what I've hoped for is right around the corner.

Today is filled with tackeling some things on the seemingly never-ending to-do list. Packing, organizing, and shopping for some last minute items (I've noticed that I've went shopping for "last minute" items a few times already....haha....wish I'd quit thinking of more things I "need").

I think of Kinley every hour. I dream about her when I sleep. I wonder what she is doing right now. Has she been taken back to the orphange yet? I'm sure she has, and I worry about her so much. I know her little heart had to break when she had to separate from her foster family. She must be so confused. Wish I was there when they did that....could have been ONE less transition for her. It gives me peace of mind to know that she has only ONE more of these transitions to endure. ONE child meets ONE family....ONE day soon....very soon...

*******************************************************************************

The Starfish Story

[This is ONE of my favorite stories. Please see the "advocating for the world's orphans" on the right side of this blog----you can make a difference to ONE of the 140 million orphans.....140 million minus ONE!]

While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, picking up starfish ONE by ONE and tossing each ONE gently back into the water.
He came closer still and called out, "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."
The old man smiled, and said, "I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!" The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for that ONE."

*****************************************************************************

I'm only ONE. But still, I am ONE.
I cannot do everything, but still, I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

-- Edward Everett Hale

Shopping, Packing, and Sleepless nights

2011-02-09T23:39:00.000-05:00

Well, only 13 days until we leave for China--18 days until we meet our girl. Lots of time is being spent running here and there, deciding on last minute necessities that we need to purchase. In addition, I've been working extra hours to build up vacation time and to keep my mind busy with other things besides the big trip.

Yesterday we went to Walmart and wearily completed a baby registry. I already have a registry on Amazon.com, however it just started out as my own personal list.

Today I started packing Kinley's suitcase--I must say that I've been able to narrow down her stuff pretty nicely. I should be able to get all of her stuff in one medium size suitcase. We have heard we can get clothes laundered in China if we happen to get in a pinch. It's very hard to predict the weather at this point, and also hard to determine how many outfits an 11 month old will go thru in an 11 day span.

Other than running around like crazy people, we have our international flights scheduled and received the tickets via Fed Ex today. Here is our schedule so far:

02/23    Leave Detroit at 12:30 pm---stop in Tokyo, Japan----Arrive in Beijing, China 02/24 at 11:40 pm

02/27  Fly to Kunming, China (Kinley's Province is Yunnan--her city is Kunming)

02/28 Kinely is placed in our arms

03/04 Fly to Guangzhou (Lots of appointments, processing paperwork and her citizenship this week)

03/10 Get Kinley's U.S. Visa and then take a train to Hong Kong

03/11 10:40 am Fly home

03/11 12:30 pm Arrive in Detroit Airport

All of the planning and excitement is causing a lot of tossing and turning at night---when I do get some sleep it's full of crazy dreams about meeting my girl! Jason says he's doing much of the same. It's pretty fair to say that the only person sleeping soundly in this house is Bella---poor dog, doesn't have a clue that her world is about to change drastically!

Heather

WE ARE GOING TO CHINA !!!!!!!!!!

2011-02-01T13:41:00.001-05:00

We got our Travel Approval just yesterday---just before Chinese New Year! We will be visiting China during the year of the Rabbit!

Here is our tentative travel schedule:

          Leave for China: 02/23
          Arrive in Beijing: 02/24
          Fly to Kunming, Yunnan: 02/27
          Meet and hold our girl forever: 02/28
          Fly to Guangzhou, Guangdong: 03/04
          Consulate/Visa appointment: 03/08
          Leave for Home: 03/11

We will have our girl home for her first birthday, March 15!!!!!!!!!!! It is such a blessing! Thank you God!

The journey of a thousand miles

must begin with a single step.
--- Lao-Tzu

Still waiting for Travel Approval...

2011-01-27T13:17:00.000-05:00

Well, we continue to wait for our Travel Approval--the last step before we make our travel plans and go. Didn't really expect to get it this week, however still a little disappointed. Everyday that passes is harder than the last. We were really hoping to get approval before Chinese New Year, but I'm concerned that won't happen. And the worst part is there is absolutely nothing we can do but wait and wonder.

In the meantime we continue to keep busy with work and getting things ready for our trip. We need to make a final run to Babies R Us for some last minute items. The other day I started contemplating what clothes I need to pack for Kinley and got a little overwhelmed and put them away. I'm generally a last minute packer because I tend to change my mind so much. Besises, how in the world do you pack for a baby that you are not positive what size they are, and that you will travel to 3 different climates with, without totally overpacking? Not to mention the fact that we have no idea what bottles will work for her, will she be using a sippy cup, what snacks I should take, ect.....

We are getting really excited (and nervous) about our trip and hoping that everything goes smoothly. We really have so many things to worry about: ticket prices, weather issues, packing issues for two weeks, flight delays...the list could go on and on. Not to mention the biggest worry of all--how will Kinley handle all of the huge changes she will experience.

Kinley will be gaining her forever family, but at the same time she will experience yet another loss in her short life. I think it is very important to recognize that she has truly been through alot. She has lost her birthparents. She was hospitalized for several weeks after she was found, and was taken to the orphanage. She stayed there until she was approximately 6 months old, then went to her foster home. Shortly before our trip to get her, she will be placed back in the orphanage. Finally, she will be delivered to us at nearly 12 months old. So, in 12 short months she has suffered numerous losses. My heart hurts for her and I hope that during all of these transitions she will know that they are not in vain. The hardest for her by far will most likely be leaving her foster family....but I know that once she is in our arms she will be there FOREVER. In her bedroom we have a small canvas that simply states "Family is Forever". I hope she will feel that from the moment she is in our arms......

KISSES IN THE WIND (The Waiting Child's Lullabye)

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.
You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.

I know you wonder where we are... what's taking us so long.

But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...

Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hands until I can be with you.

I promise you, my darling, I'm doing all that I can do.

Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.

But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.

And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.

Updates from Kunming CWI

2011-01-12T11:45:00.004-05:00

Recently we recieved surprise updates from Holt regarding Wu Qi Ling! We learned that she is in a foster care village, and it appears that she is being well taken care of. Some of the information included in the updates are:

*She can tear paper

*She likes smiling

*She can sit down and stand with assistance

*She can walk freely in walker

*She is babbling

*She drinks a bottle by herself

*She can pick up a dropped toy

*She sometimes will steal other children's toys

*She recognizes familiar people

Sounds like we are missing a lot of her milestones, but at least she is doing well developmentally for a 9 month old baby. We also have been told that she is approximately 16 pounds and 26 inches tall. Not quite the tiny peanut we expected, however we are glad that she is growing well. It is a good sign that her heart is not keeping her from gaining weight, and it gives us hope that her ASD (Atrial Septal Defect) is not causing her any trouble. Our biggest wish regarding her heart is that it is repairing itself and she will not need any operations. We will see a cardiologist in the first couple of weeks after bringing her home to see what the status is on that.

In the meantime we are trying to stay busy to keep our mind off of the long wait until we meet our girl. We first saw her face on 10-20-2010 and have been counting down the days until we get to bring her home. We've been completing projects around the house, including painting the basement, hanging lights in the basement, finishing Kinley's room, and so on. We are also planning on shampooing all of the carpets since we will soon be having a little one crawling all over the place!

We have ordered new luggage for the trip since our old luggage was in poor shape. We were afraid that the old would not have made it half-way around the world, especially since we expect to fly multiple times during this trip. We have to go to three differenct places in China. The first place we will go is Beijing for adoption orientation. I think this is partially to get us adjusted to the time change---China is 12 hours ahead of us. We will spend a couple of days there, touring places like the Great Wall , Tiennamen Square, and the Forbidden City. From Beijing we will fly to Kinley's Province, Yunnan. She is located in Kunming City. We are very excited to be visiting such an awesome area of China. It is known as the "city of eternal spring", because the weather is very mild. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and is where the Chinese people go to vacation. It is also the area in China where the most minorities live--many asian tribes such as the Dai live there. We expect to meet Kinley soon after arriving in Kunming. She will be with us from that point on. We will spend approximately 5 days in her Province, where we will sightsee, shop, tour the orphanage, and hopefully locate the spot where she was found. Finally, we will fly to Guangzhou in Guangdong Province where the U.S. Embassy is to finalize the adoption. All U.S. adoptive families end up here. It is a warm area of China, and we will be staying on Shaiman Island along the Pearl River. We will be here for a week waiting for the adoption to finalize, as well as getting Kinley's citizenship paperwork complete. When we land in the U.S., she will automatically be a U.S. Citizen!!! Apparently Guangzhou is only 80 miles or so from Hong Kong, so we are unsure whether we will be taking a train to Hong Kong and then flying back home. Jason would like to do this, but much of it will depend on timing, flights, and ultimately cost. It will definitely be an adventure, all with a new toddler in tow!

As far as our timeline, our paperwork gets handed to the appropriate chinese adoption officials on January 13th. The final step is getting TA (travel approval), which means that they approve the adoption and they are inviting us to travel over to get her. Once we get this, before making travel arrangements, we must make appointments in China with the appropriate officials. Once this is done, we will be set to go! Chinese New Year (CNY) is February 3-7 and all government offices will be closed, as this is China's biggest holiday. We are praying that we get our TA before January 30th so that we can get our appointments made before offices are closed. Otherwise, we will have to wait until after CNY to make arrangments, which will likely mean March travel. We are desperately trying to make it to her by her first birthday, March 15. Prayers needed please!

We still have lots of stuff that we need to purchase before our trip, such as a highchair, bottles, sippy cups, snacks, onsies, diapers, socks, bibs, a blanket, a baby carrier, etc. Oh, my head is spinning! I also have my heart set on getting a nice digital DLR? camera before going on our trip so I can capture some quality pictures of China and Kinley, but I sure don't know if we'll be able to with all of the other expenses quickly adding up. Oh well, the important thing is holding her in our arms and getting her home as quickly as possible!

Thanks to all of our family and friends who have supported us and prayed for us during this long and crazy process! We are so happy and lucky to have you all in our lives, and can't wait for Kinley to meet everyone! She will be one loved little girl!

As you lay sleeping far away, as still as you could be,

How could you know the joy today this photo brings to me?

A few short weeks and you'll be mine, and "I" will soon be "We".

How could you know the love I feel? It's something you can't see.

So have sweet dreams, my precious babe. Sleep well and tenderly.

Some say that you're the lucky one, How could you know, it's me!

---Kris Laughlin