final itinerary!

Nov.10: Arrival Guangzhou 10:35pm.
Nov.11: Meet Jack in the afternoon!
Nov.12: Civil Affair Registration and get Adoption Certificate.
Nov.13: Applying for Jack’s Chinese passport.
Nov.14,15,16: Waiting for paper work/local tours and shopping.
Nov.17: Depart for Guilin at 1:30pm. Arrival Guilin at 2:20pm.
Nov.18: River Cruise. Arrival in Yangshuo in the afternoon, then back to Guilin for flight at 8:15pm to Guangzhou. Arrive Guangzhou at 9:15pm.
Nov.19: Receive Jack's Chinese passport. Medical appointment.
Nov.20: Consulate Appointment at 9am.
Nov. 21: Around 2:30pm, go to Consulate for Swearing In Ceremony. Jack's American Visa will be ready around 4:30pm.
Nov. 22: Depart for U.S. at 8:30 am!

And, Laurie called last night with great news! She has confirmed her CA on November 20th, too, so we really WILL be together in China!

Halloween preview

the Fairy Princess ballerina, Elizabeth!

pumpkins

Elizabeth decorated a pumpkin at Miss Kelly's and brought it home today--very cute!



We also carved a pumpkin at home tonight! Elizabeth was less than thrilled to scoop it out--she was more interested in carving it. We took turns, and we were very pleased with how it came out!

flight plans confirmed!

Sunday 9 November 2008
Depart: Portland Int'l Jetport 6:00:00 am
Arrive: Detroit Wayne County Airport 8:24:00 am
(Travel Time: 2:24)

Depart: Detroit Wayne County Airport 12:30 pm
Arrive: Tokyo Narita Airport 3:50 pm (now, Monday 10 November 2008)
(Travel Time: 13:20)

Depart: Tokyo Narita Airport 5:55 pm
Arrive: Guangzhou Baiyun Airport 10:35 pm
(Travel Time: 5:40)
_____________________________________________
Saturday 22 November 2008
Depart: Guangzhou Baiyun Airport 8:30 am
Arrive: Tokyo Narita Airport 1:45 pm
(Travel Time: 4:15)

Depart: Tokyo Narita Airport 2:35 pm
Arrive: Detroit Wayne County Airport 12:10 pm
(Travel Time: 11:35)

Depart: Detroit Wayne County Airport 1:42 pm
Arrive: Portland Int'l Jetport 3:34 pm
(Travel Time: 1:52)

another red thread

I found out last night that my single friend, Laurie, also using Harrah's, will probably travel at the same time for her SNs daughter, Claire! Claire is in Hunan Province, so our trip will overlap at the end, and our CA and medical appt should be on the same days! Laurie and I met online on APC when I was exploring adoption as a single; she was finishing her dossier to adopt her DD Olivia. She's in Nebraska--I'm in Maine. We kept in touch thru bringing Olivia and Elizabeth home, and now talk on the phone at least once a week. Livvie and Laurie even flew out to stay with us for a week last year. When I found out in the summer of 06 that Harrah's had singles openings, I applied and was accepted, as did Laurie. We were LID together in Dec 06. We were so excited that our next DDs would come from the same orphanage and that we would travel together to bring them home. Things didn't quite work out as planned...we both found our second children on the SNs shared list within a week or so of one another! And, we've ended up traveling to China together to bring our children home!

one more picture of Elizabeth

Happy 4th Birthday, Elizabeth!!!

When we left Picture People, we left without some wallet-sized photos (their fault--not mine). When I came back in to pick them up, they'd put another 8 wallet-sized photos in the envelope of a pose different from ones I'd already chosen. So, here it is: the extra pose!

new pictures of baby Jack!

How can I ever thank Gretchen enough? She and her husband just returned from China with their new son, Isaac. They visited the orphanage and took photos of Jack for me (and of other children for other waiting parents). What a gift! He looks healthy but again is not smiling! He looks pretty serious about a cookie that he is holding, though...

FINALLY!

I have confirmed that my consulate appointment is on November 20th at 9 am. I will take the oath at the consulate the following day at 4:30 pm. If I arrive early enough on November 11th, then I will meet Jack that day. Otherwise, I will hold him in my arms the next day. I am SO HAPPY!

posting from Bar Harbor, Maine...

I've been in Bar Harbor since Monday morning, attending a conference. I feel so out of the loop! I haven't been able to read RQ as much as usual, and I'm going thru withdrawal!!! My agency has been trying to confirm my CA and apparently ran into a snag--the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou told them today that they needed my fingerprint clearance--huh??? Ten days ago, I confirmed via email from the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou that they HAD received confirmation of both my current I-171H and my fingerprints. Thank God I brought my "Jack's adoption" file with me to this conference! I faxed that email to my agency this afternoon. They in turn faxed that email AND my current I-171H to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou. Now, I wait (because of the 12-hour time difference) for the consulate to say everything is in order and to give me my consulate appointment date. One would think that it would get easier, now that I'm in the home stretch! Ha! The saga continues...

another busy weekend with my adorable daughter!

Yesterday, Elizabeth went to Chinese school--her second year. She is a Snapdragon! I really like her teacher, and I think she will really enjoy herself this year! We met friends for lunch at China Rose, and then we went to SnipIts, where Elizabeth had her hair cut. Today, we went to Picture People--I cannot believe how much she's grown in the last year. She will be four next week, and we will also celebrate our 3rd Gotcha Day next week as well (plus Halloween). I can't forget that I will leave very early tomorrow to drive to Bar Harbor for a conference...My father's birthday is this week, as well. Oh, and there's that trip to China that I've been thinking of taking...I'm tired already!

I am SO HAPPY!!! Patricia called this morning to tell me that I have travel approval (TA)! This means that Harrah's will schedule my consulate appointment (the last thing that one does in China is to go to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou) and that I may now make travel plans! I have tentatively decided to leave on Saturday, November 8th, so that I might meet Jack at the Civil Affairs Office in Guangzhou on Monday, November 10th (which just so happens to be his 18th-month birthday!). This also means that I would be home to celebrate Elizabeth's birthday on October 26th and Thanksgiving with Elizabeth and my parents--it's perfect timing! More later!!!

not-so-scary witch

No, Elizabeth does not want to be a witch for Halloween--she likes this witch's hat, though, and enjoys wearing it. She will be a fairy this Halloween! More about that at a later time...

same eyes

When I first saw Jack's photos, I thought, They have the same eyes! What do you think?

Elizabeth at the airport

It occurred to me only very recently that my brother-in-law had a video camera at the airport when Elizabeth and I arrived home in Maine from China. I asked him for a copy of that video--he made a copy for me which I will get when I see him this weekend. He sent a little preview of it by email yesterday. All I could think was, She's so tiny! and, She's very concerned about her foot--look at her frown at it! Here she is!

new picture of Jack!

I received scanned copies of Jack's medical file from my agency and now have another picture of the little guy. He's all boy in this photo! I cannot wait to see his smile!!! (And, by the way, today he is 17 months old!).

this is why I live in Maine

exploring a tidal pool with Matt

success! a little crab!

getting a little help from Nancy, our social worker

let's go fly a kite!

Elizabeth and I went to a picnic at Reid State Park, near Bath, on Sunday, October 5, organized by my homestudy agency. This was our view from the picnic site...this is just one of the reasons why I love the State of Maine!

Baby has a name!

After much deliberation, Elizabeth and I have decided:

my new son and her little brother will henceforth be known as

Jack Edmund JinPing!

Storyland

We FINALLY made it to Storyland this year--third time's a charm! This time, it didn't rain, but it sure was COLD! It was windy, but as long as you were in the sun you could tolerate the cold...Elizabeth's favorite things this year: the rollercoaster (she and I went on it three times) and driving the antique car all by herself! She rode the train, the carousel, the flying whales, the teacups, the turtles, the wooden shoes, and the flying fish. We saw Little Red Riding Hood and walked through the Three Bears' house. She also saw the Three Little Pigs, the Three Billy Goats Gruff, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Goosey Goosey Gander, the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, and (my personal favorite) Mother Goose. We visited Cinderella's castle (Elizabeth was fascinated by the glass slipper, displayed under plexiglass), but Cinderella never showed--we were told that she was at lunch with Prince Charming. We stayed for a while, hoping that she would return, but then gave up and walked down the hill. Who did we run into? Cinderella, of course! Elizabeth was THRILLED! By the time she sat on Little Miss Muffett's tuffet, she was just exhausted, hence the priceless expression on her face in that picture. She fell asleep before we left the parking lot! It was a great day!

care package

Elizabeth and I packed a small box of things to mail to Zhao JinPing: a New England Patriots outfit; a lovey; a photo album; two disposable cameras; a disposable video camera; and candy for the nannies at the orphanage. I also included a letter to the Director of the orphanage, thanking them for loving and caring for my son and requesting that they take pictures and video of him and return everything to me at the time of the adoption. Fingers crossed that they DO return it all. Elizabeth helped me tape up the box--she very carefully cut the tape, placed it on the box, and then smoothed it down so that it was perfect (which added fifteen minutes to the task!). I will mail it at lunchtime via USPS...well, I did mail the package off to my little guy: it weighed 6 lbs 6.9 ounces and cost $55.50 to mail (express mail, guaranteed to be delivered in six days). One more thing to cross off my "to do" list...