I know it seems hard sometimes but remember one thing. Through every dark night, there's a bright day after that. So no matter how hard it get, stick your chest out, keep ya head up.... and handle it.” Tupac

Some things are hard. 

Tomorrow I take sweet little Belle to Children's Hospital to have a mediport put in so she will be able to receive her transfusions with a minimum of pain.  Her veins, like the rest of her, are very tiny and fragile.  Some of the IV team put forth the theory that maybe she was more than 19 months old because her veins were so 'beat up' that she would have had more than 6 transfusions (we only know of 6 for sure).  I can't believe she is older than that because of her size. But ???

Some things are hard.

I think about how little I know about her, really.  She has a whole story that I only have the cliff notes to.  I feel a little like Rick in Casablanca when he asked Ilsa, "Who are you really, and what were you before? What did you do and what did you think? "

Some things are just plain hard.

Continue to hold Belle and her doctors up in prayer.  It is going to be so difficult to let them take her from me tomorrow when she goes for surgery. The longest she has been away from me  is the time it takes to shower and I am sure her port placement will take longer than that. 

But some things are sweet.

Once Belle has the port in place, her monthly transfusions will be much easier.  Gone will be the days of multiple sticks and tear streaked faces.  It will be a 'one and done' deal. 

How sweet it is!

 

Airplane travel is nature's way of making you look like your passport photo.

As nice as a trip to China is(and it does have it's high points) it is so much better to get home.  With that in mind we said goodbye to our travel group and hopped in a van bound for the Guangzhou airport for our 10:30pm flight to Hong Kong. When I was booking our flight home (on the United website)it was $200 pp cheaper to fly from GZ change planes in Hong Kong with a 12 hour layover than drive or train trip to Hong Kong and fly from there ON THE SAME FLIGHT!!!!
We were flying Dragon Air.  DA has the coolest logo. Seriously, google it.  And that is where the coolness of Dragon Air ends!   We get to the front of the line and check our 3 pieces of luggage to San Francisco. Once we were finally checked in for our flight(after standing in line forever) and waded thru immigration, customs and security(oh my!) and seated somewhat comfortably on the plane, they announced a one hour delay due to traffic. So our flight left at 11:30pm instead of arriving in Hong Kong at 11:30 as scheduled.  You know you are in trouble when they start serving drinks and snacks before you take off. 
We arrived in HK sometime around 12:30 and were off to our last hotel of this trip, Sky City Marriott.   But we had to figure out how to get to their shuttle.  We had to go thru immigration and customs.  Even though we were still in China technically.  By now it is 1 am and immigration is down to 4 officers and about 5 planes have landed.  So we waited in an hour long line to clear customs and immigration from China to China.

 Let me take this moment to sing the praises of sweet Serenity.  She was a trooper this whole trip.  Even the long march home.

By the time we actually get to our hotel and into our room it is 2 am.  The three of us take quick showers and hit the sheets.  I have several Hank the Cowdog books on my iphone and they are wonderful for winding down your mind to help you fall asleep.

We were up and out the hotel room door by 8:30am.  I am glad we booked using points because I would have hated to pay for less than 7 hours in a hotel room.  We had a very nice breakfast at their buffet and were back on the shuttle and back to the airport.

Remember earlier when I said I booked on the United website and we checked out bags thru to San Francisco?  Throw out everything you may think that means because it doesn't.  When we got to the United counter to have our boarding passes printed things kind of fell apart.  But bless my sweet hubby's heart he took care of everything.  We couldn't find the luggage claim tags we had received in GZ so she could make sure our luggage would make the plane.(???)  After calling and tapping on the computer and a good bit of time, everything was hunky dorey and she was able to print our passes.  Let me say here and now she was a very pleasant lady never seeming irritated at us or annoyed at the situation. 

Back thru immigration, customs and security(oh my!) on a tram, down the hall to the gate and walked right on the plane.  Boom, boom, boom! Now we settle in for a 12 + hour flight.  I won't bore you with the agonizing details but I will say that Belle is mommy's girl and this trip was no different.  She was none too pleased when I had to use the 'ladies' on the plane.

Landed safe and sound in the good ole USA, hallelujah!  We were off the plane and headed to (say it with me) immigration, customs and security (oh my!) But is was all good because Belle was a citizen!  We got in the line for immigration, choosing the US citizen line and when we came round the first bend(you know how those lines are back and forth, back and forth) there was an officer.  We showed him the sacred 'do not open no matter what' brown envelope and he opened the rope and led us to a special window.  The officer asked us a few questions, and directed us to 'window 40' . Window 40 officer gave us a form, told Matt not to fill it out and we could have a seat until called.  So we did.  There were (I think) a total of 6 adoption families on the plane.  We were #2 waiting to be called.  Pretty quickly we were called up to another window, bing, boom, bang we were through and on our way to customs.  We pick up luggage go thru the customs line and over to re check our luggage.

At this point we were flying standby thanks to a gift from some good friends that work for United.  So again it took some time to figure things out. But it was all settled and looked like we could make the next flight east to Chicago instead of waiting 9 hours for a direct Pittsburgh flight.  So we checked out luggage there and then it was back thru security, down the hall, round the bend, over the river and thru the woods to our gate.  We waited about 15 minutes and were told, yes there was room for us on this flight.

This was the only time Belle got really fussy.  And let me tell you I do not blame her one iota!  To her tiny body it is the middle of the night and she wants to go to bed! But we made it to Chicago pretty much unscathed waiting for the last leg of out journey.

Did someone mention LEG?  Let me tell you friends, my legs were swollen up tighter than a tick.  It was amazing to look at not so amazing to feel.  And remember Belle loves her mommy so I was trudging her the whole way. 

So we get to our gate for the Pittsburgh flight just as they were loading.  We were 13,14 and 15 on the standby list of a full flight.  Believe it or not one of us could have got on the flight.  I was just as glad to not make that flight since the next one was only 2 hours later.  I needed a break from airplanes and airplane food.  So we made the trek to the next gate.  Again Serenity was being a trooper, always concerned how her sister was doing.  She is such a gem.

At the next gate I saw a Starbucks and gladly ponied up the dough to get Serenity and I Frappacinos!   MMMM icy goodness.  Matt struck out in search of food.  Successfully slaying the wild hotdog and ensnaring the cunning deep dish pizza, he ensured his family was fed.  And then I used one of our carry-ons to put my puffy tootsies up!

We made the next flight no problem and I even had an open seat beside me.  We landed in Pittsburgh just after midnight making our total journey time 24 hours and 15 minutes!

Dean and Nikki picked us up and we were bound for home sweet home.  Thank You Jesus!

This is how we spent 24 hours!  Either in the Saddle or just in my arms. 

Sometimes we struggle through a tasteless coffee till the last sip, then we find sugar lying at the bottom .. that's life, sweetened but not stirred well.

Somehow my last post didn't post.  It is out there somewhere....it may show up someday unexpected, who knows.  But I will try to reconstruct what my jet lagged brain can gather.

Our last days in Guangzhou flew by.  We were able to visit Shamain Island twice and it was great.  I absolutely love the island.  It was probably 15 degrees cooler since it is surrounded by water and tree lined.  We walked around and showed Serenity some of the places that were important in her adoption trip.  We shopped and had dinner at the famous Lucy's.

The consulate appointment went off without a hitch.  I was able to meet the officer I had emailed with to expedite Belle's Article 5.  It was so nice to put a face with the name.  I thanked him for being so responsive to her need.  We had left the hotel at 8:50 and were back by 11:15. Pretty quick.  We did group pictures with everybody and the reality that we were heading home soon started setting in.

Then next morning we had nothing we had to do except pack!  After a nice breakfast we started finding places for all the treasures we had gathered up along our journey.  But we needed to leave a little room because the afternoon was time to hop on the bus for more shopping!
(are you sensing a theme in Guangzhou?  Not only is it the place to do the American portion of the adoption but it is also the reward for surviving Zhengzhou!)
We started at the Pearl Market.  We bought 6 strands of pearls, 1 for me, 1 for Serenity, 1 for Belle, 1 for Nikki and 1 each to give Mattie and Donovan's brides on their wedding day, Then it was back to the island.  We were able to find the shop we had been looking for and make some special purchases for back home.

That evening we bid farewell to Guangzhou and started out trip home.  But that is a tale for another time.  Until then Guangzhou in pictures

How we traveled around China.  Matt started calling the Hip Hammock 'The Saddle'.

Stringing our pearls

White Swan hotel is still under renovation

Waiting to go into the consulate

Cathy and Belle

Cathy and the big girls

Group 2012

Babies.

baby face

hotel pool

Medical appointment waiting.  

Famous Shamain Island statues

I'm not sure how Matt did this picture but I thought it was cool

Medical and more

Guangzhou time is flying by. Yesterday morning we did a city tour. 

First stop was Six Banyan Buddhist temple. We missed visiting here with Serenity because she was sick. We had the option of having a blessing by a monk. We declined but enjoyed visiting and exploring the grounds  

The next stop was Chen Academy. It is a beautiful place. I love looking at the traditional architecture. Funny thing is I never thought of myself as someone who was into architecture but I kinda am. 

Last stop was an arts and crafts market. Ka-Ching!!   We bought several goodies including tea and Belle's baptism dress. 

Back to the hotel for a nap and daddy went to do some paperwork for the consulate. After dinner we went to do a little more shopping. Belle loves the shopping.  She points and babbles the whole time. 

I brought her back for bed and dad and big sister went for a swim. Then dad went for a massage 

This morning we had the required medic appointment. Belle did not enjoy it. If that is any indication if what we have to look forward to, we may be in trouble. 

After Belle wakes up from her nap we are going to Shamain Island for..wait for it....more shopping. 

But  first some pictures

Pre-breakfast cracker

Everyday she wants a cracker right away

Fortunately she is under 2 so we avoided the TB blood draw

Wine vending machine at med center

Just in case....

Big Sisters on the bus

Ya lookin at me dad?

I'm lookin at you

So am I

Despite the look on her face she was having fun teasing dad on the bus. Slowly but surely dad is gaining ground

Guangzhou baby

ALast stop on the China adoption march. Guangzhou is where all Americans must visit to complete their adoptions. We are at the China Hotel. It is a Marriott and Matt is an elite member so we have a very nice suite with executive lounge privileges. And best of all the ac is working very well. 

The orphanage visit went well. It is a brand new facility. They just moved there June 1. The first room we went in was Belle's.  We got to meet her special 'grandma'. This was the woman that went with Belle for her hospital stays. It was her day off but she came in because she heard Yu Qing(Belle) would be there. I owe this woman so much, a debt I can never repay.  We took lots of pictures for waiting families and I cried plenty.   

That night Belle did her first grieving session. An hour and a half of inconsolable crying and wailing.  It was hard to watch but I know it had to happen. I'm sure it isn't the last time it happens and I'm sure we will get thru it. 

Today she was a happy camper. She had her first plane ride and did great. She slept for most of it. A big thank you to the inventor of the Hip Hammock. It made going thru the airport a breeze and kept her secure on the plane while we napped. 

And now for what I know you are waiting for. 

She loves the bows

And the hats

Got Yogurt?

Serenity and Alex

First flight and the Hip Hammock

Adventures in China

As a child of the 80's, my generation was the first to have 'at home' video games.  We started with "Pong" and graduated up to  Asteroids, Pacman, Ms Pacman and Donkey Kong.  What does that have to do with China?  Remember Frogger?  Well crossing the street is a lot like that.  You cannot imagine the traffic.  Four lanes of traffic in each direction, but the lanes are 'more of a guideline, really'.  More often than not there are 5 or 6 vehicles in those 4 lanes, merging, honking, speeding up, slowing down.  But the traffic, while nerve-racking for this small town girl, is just a drop in the bucket compared to the sidewalks.  The side'walks' are really motorways for the scooters.  I guess since the road is so busy its not safe for the scooters to drive there so they use the sidewalks.  Venturing out is something of an adventure to say the least.  Yesterday we walked to a local park.  And while the park was beautiful and very entertaining and relatively close, the trip there was not for the faint of heart.  Poor Serenity had to deal with me constantly fussing about her walking, 'right in front of me!'  Poor kid.

Enough whining.

Belle is progressing well.  She eats almost non stop.  She is a slow and dainty eater, but an eater just the same.  2 hour breakfasts are our norm, which is ok with me because the coffee here is fabu!  I sip my second or third latte while I feed Little Miss.  Once we are back to our room from breakfast she reaches out for the bag of Gerber Puffs.  

She has started showing a strong preference for mom. While she seems to adore Serenity (Serenity even got the first kiss) Mom is preferred.  That little tidbit will be put to the test later today when we visit her orphanage.  I'm not real worried about it.  We visited with Serenity with her adoption trip and there was no doubt she wanted to leave with us. I  am sure Belle will be the same,  It just is very important to have that closure and sense of finality for Belle. Serenity doesn't want to make the 90 min  each way van ride so she is staying back at our hotel with her new BFF Alex (don't worry brothers at home, Alex is short for Alexandria) and her family.

But now it is time to take Belle for her two hour breakfast and for you to enjoy some pictures!

Hello again

This will be brief since I am typing on my phone.

Let me start by saying an adoption trip is not a vacation. It is more like a mission. A hot steamy uncomfortable worthwhile mission.  

We have Belle and she is so precious. She is a tiny baby weighing in at 20 lbs. she is so serious and she watched everything with her deep black eyes. I often wonder what she is thinking. She hasn't cried much, her method of coping is to shut down. When she does that I hold her close and whisper in her tiny ear, mama ai ni YuQing(mama lives you YuQing). Eventually she will look at me and touch my cheek. Somewhere deep inside I hope she understands. 

Now a few more pics for you all

Official!

Sisters

Not sure who cried more at gotcha .  But a rice cake helped Belle

First moments. Mama loves you Belle