E and J, on the red couch

I just thought it would be fun to look back. Two different couches, two adorable babies!

we're HOME!

on the red couch

in the elevator at the White Swan

saying good-bye to Laurie and Claire

XiXi, holding Jack, and me before leaving the White Swan for the last time

just before take-off (and ripping the frame off the window...)

"I loved the emergency instructions card" said Jack.

Elizabeth, feeding Jack

Elizabeth, feeding Jack (part deux)

and still adjusting to the time difference--13 hours' difference, to be exact. Yesterday and today, Jack woke up at 4:00 am and would not go back to sleep. He wakes several times during the night as well. And, Jack and I have colds. I am exhausted, but every day gets better. Elizabeth loves her new brother very much but struggles with having to share her Mama. She cries often and wants to be picked up and held. From the very beginning, though, she wanted to feed him and to change his diapers. She begs me to let her prepare his bottles and to pick him up and to hold him. I have to go back and re-read Siblings Without Rivalry...I know that with a little time, things will be much better.
As an aside, I'm reading Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost. In fact, I took it with me on my trip. For ANYONE who has traveled to or plans to travel to China, it is a must-read...
As for our final day in China...On Friday, I let Jack walk around the hotel room naked while I filled the bathtub. He followed me to the bathroom and watched me from the hallway. Then, without warning, he started to pee. Boys really are different from girls...Laurie, Claire, Jack, and I had breakfast at the buffet, and Laurie checked out of the hotel. She put her things in my room, because she was not leaving until 6 pm. We then did last-minute shopping, taking turns while Jack and Claire napped. We also took them downstairs for the obligatory photo shoot on the red couch. The pictures came out very well, I thought. I feel badly that I don't have similarly good pictures of Elizabeth (though I do have them, they aren't as good as they could've been...) We met the Valentis at Lucy's for dinner, and then it was time for Laurie to leave for the airport. It was very hard to say goodbye, but I know that we have forged a life-long friendship through the adoptions of our four children and that we will see each other again very soon.
Friday night, I finished packing around 11 pm and then could not fall asleep right away. I woke up at 4 am; left my luggage outside my door as instructed at 4:30 am; and was downstairs with Jack by 5 am to meet XiXi and the Valentis for our van ride to the airport. I didn't really plan on a special outfit for Jack to wear home, except for a blue one-piece fleece that had American flags all over it.

At the airport in Guangzhou, I had the "good fortune" to have my luggage hand-searched before check-in (oh, joy!). Thank goodness for packmates--my clothes were easily moved around--but after packing everything so carefully, I was ticked that everything was pulled out, felt, and shoved back inside the suitcase. One rather funny thing: After boarding our plane but before taxi-ing away from the gate, Jack decided to rip the frame off the airplane window! The flight attendant said, I've never seen that happen before! Leave it to Jack...She called a mechanic to fix it, but we were able to force it back on with a little effort. Didn't exactly inspire confidence in Northwest airplanes, though...I had the good fortune to have an empty seat next to me, so Jack slept for a portion of the flight to Narita, Japan.

I wasn't so lucky for the longer flight to Detroit--I had an aisle seat in the middle of the plane and held Jack for the entire flight. My arms ached by the end of it all. I sat next to a really nice guy, though, who was very patient with me and with Jack, and on our walks up and down the aisle Jack got lots of smiles from the other passengers. When we landed in Detroit, Jack became a U.S. citizen! I thought it fitting--Detroit--Motor City--cars--he's a boy...We had to retrieve our checked luggage in Detroit and then go through Customs. Thank goodness for Jay--he put my suitcases on a cart for me, and I somehow managed to push the loaded luggage cart and pull Jack in his stroller, computer case hanging off the handles, with the backpack on my back. One of the Customs employees took one look at me, said to a co-worker that she would be right back, and quickly took my luggage cart from me and pushed it over to the place where we were supposed to dump our checked luggage. She truly was a gift from God. Next was the security checkpoint from hell. Not only did I have to take out the laptop, camcorder, and camera, but also everything with a battery in it (my cellphone, for instance) AND all of the cords and chargers (for the camera, computer, camcorder, and cellphone). I also had to take off my and Jack's shoes, take him from his stroller, and fold up his stroller so that it could be placed on the conveyor belt and go through the x-ray machine. This (all of the cords and chargers) was a first for me. I was sweaty and tired and ready to just take someone's head off--but I didn't. I think it took me a good twenty minutes, once I got there, just to go through security and to put everything back in place. Do I feel any more secure for all that? Not one bit.
Our final flight from Detroit to Portland was entirely uneventful, and we were met at the airport by Elizabeth, my parents, and wonderful friends who are like family to me. It was SO GOOD to hug my little girl!!!!!!!!!! She seemed so tall! and more beautiful than I remembered! As for the drive home from the airport? Jack didn't mind his carseat a bit. I sat on the floor of the minivan on the ride home, sandwiched between him and Elizabeth. It was so good to be home!

last post from China!

Claire and Jack

waiting to get on the bus to the Consulate

sitting on the steps in front of the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou

on the bus, going back to the hotel

Lucy's (American food near the hotel)

We had some unexpected news when we woke up this morning: the other mom in our group of three was admitted to the hospital late last night, so Laurie and I watched her daughter for her and her husband today here at the hotel. My normally mellow Jack had a bit of a meltdown when I held Carolina--he didn't like it at all. That suprised me (and made me laugh!). We spent quite a bit of the morning in the Swan Room (the playroom in the hotel) with Jack, Claire, and Carolina. Jack had a really good time practicing walking backwards, of all things. At around noon, I took Jack and Carolina up to my room for a little nap--she slept in the crib, and Jack played on the bed and the floor. At one point, though, he disappeared. I quickly found him in the bathroom, staring down into the toilet with a big grin. He had thrown one of his sneakers and one of his brand-new brown squeaky shoes into the toilet! I am in trouble! (Elizabeth never did things like this--is it a boy thing?). XiXi called and said that all went well at our Consulate appointment this morning and that she wanted us to meet her at 2:30 pm to go to the U.S. Consulate for the oath. Originally, we were supposed to go to the Consulate for the oath tomorrow. This actually was much more convenient--it frees up our last day in Guangzhou to do whatever we want. So, at 3 pm, we boarded the bus with (50?) other families for the 45 minute ride to the U.S. Consulate. Everything looked the same as when I went there with Elizabeth, almost exactly three years earlier. The U.S, Consulate is located on one floor in a large modern office building. We all filed into a large room with rows of plastic seats facing Consulate employees at a long counter behind glass. After a few minutes, XiXi handed each of us photocopies of the picture page from our passport and from our baby's pasport. Then, all the parents lined up with our children and, one by one, handed the man behind the glass our photocopies. He then compared our photos to each of us, said "thank you," and we were done. Jack actually slept through this part--I had to turn to the side so that the guy could see his face! Once everyone had done this and sat down again, another Consulate employee came out to briefly address the group. He then administered the oath, which simply was this: we swore that all of the information provided in the paperwork we had submitted to the U.S. Consulate as part of our child's adoption was true and correct. I actually got a little bit teary (but it doesn't take much to make me cry...). XiXi handed us a sealed brown envelope which contains original immigration documents that we must handcarry and give to immigration officials when we first arrive at the airport in the U.S. We then boarded the bus again and drove back to the hotel. Laurie and I had dinner with Jack and Claire at Lucy's and then did a little shopping. I bought a cute pair of Chinese pajamas for Jack: they are royal blue with a gold dragon on the top and gold cuffs on the sleeves and pants legs. Pictures tomorrow. While buying them, Jack reached into my backpack and pulled out his glass baby bottle and promptly dropped it on the foor. It broke (of course). I will look for another one tomorrow. Jack fell asleep on the short walk back to the hotel and didn't wake up when I put him in the crib. He is a solid sleeper, thank goodness! Tomorrow, Jack and I will shop a little bit more and will take lots of pictures. I also need to pack!

Jack and I will leave very early on Saturday morning. I am incredibly sad to leave China, the place where my children were born, but I am more excited to come home, to hug Elizabeth, and to introduce Jack to his big sister and to his grandparents. I cannot wait!

the medical appointment

Claire and Jack

"I want to leave--now!"

first pair of squeaky shoes!

just too cute for words

Today (Wednesday, November 19), was the day that Jack and Claire went for a brief medical exam. This is required by the U.S. in order to complete their immigration paperwork. So, off we went! I really cannot say that Jack enjoyed himself very much--it actually was the first time that he cried. I can't really blame him--the worst part for him was when the doctor checked out his privates--must've been a little too "up close and personal" for him. First, he was weighed and measured--I think he is 21 pounds. Then, they took his temp (under his arm). Next, he was seen by the ENT doctor. I asked her to look closely inside his mouth because I suspected that he might have an unrepaired cleft palate (when I look inside his mouth, it looks as if he has a CP; and when he eats, food--yogurt, watermelon juice--sometimes comes out of his nose). She tried to look inside his mouth, but he struggled and cried, so we moved to another room with better lighting. Eventually, she said he did NOT have CP. What a HUGE relief! I dunno, though--when I look in his mouth, it looks as if the roof of his mouth is caved-in. I guess I'll have lots of questions for his doctors when I get home...After the ENT doctor, he saw another doctor who checked him all over. The last doctor to examine him listened to his heart. He said he could hear his VSD and that his heart was working harder because of his bronchitis(!) (I thought he had a cold). So, I started him on amoxicillin today which I'd brought from home, as well as applying salve to his eyes--he's got conjunctivitis. We picked up that medicine at the pharmacy after the medical exam. Laurie and I did a little shopping, and then we (Jack and I, Laurie and Claire, the Valenti family, and Greg and Caprice and their daughters) ate dinner tonight at La Dolce Vita. The restaurant was crowded, so we ended up in a private room upstairs, which was pretty cool. After dinner, Laurie and I stopped at Starbucks and I had a Caramel Macchiato--so, so good!--and then we went back to play at the Swan Room. Laurie and Claire went upstairs, and Jack and I socialized a little bit more with Greg, Caprice, and the girls. They go home tomorrow--I will miss them a lot. I really, really hope that we stay in touch. As for Jack, he becomes more sociable every day--he laughs and giggles and "talks" babytalk a lot. He is a HUGE mimic, too. We play this little game where he looks up at the ceiling and then back down at me and then I do the same--he and I play this game over and over again--he doesn't tire of it. He also will shake his head back and forth vigorously and then stop and look at me. Then, I do the same. He does it again. I do, too. Over and over...He purses his lips or smacks his lips and then waits for me to do it, too. You get the idea...He loves to be out and about in his stroller. He knows and uses the sign for "more" (as in, more formula or more food). I'm totally in love--can you tell?!

more pictures

kicking the closet door

eating an unpeeled orange

the Li River

hangin' with Tony

walking on deck

checking out his reflection in the shiny sign

wasting water

look, Nanny, no car seat! (but when in China...)

at the park near Elephant Mountain

a Chinese family, on the back of a motorcycle

having fun at Guilin Airport

back at the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou

We've been very busy the last few days: on Monday morning (November 17), Jack and I flew to Guilin, in Guangxi Province--his very first airplane ride! It was a 45-minute flight, and he did marvelously well--happy as a clam, as a matter of fact. He never cried, and he fell asleep just before landing. My adoption agency hired a car, a driver, and a personal tour guide for me while in Guilin--honestly, I felt a little silly, but it truly is the only way to travel when in China...Our guide, Tony, and driver, Mr. Hu, met us at the airport and drove us to our hotel. The next morning, we took (seriously) a four-hour cruise down the Li River. It was indescribably beautiful. The mountains, which are made of limestone, just rise straight up out of flat farmland. It was almost surreal. Believe it or not, but ever since Elizabeth and I first watched Big Bird Goes to China I've wanted to visit Guilin. Elizabeth asked me to look for Big Bird, Barkley, and Shou Fu, the little girl in the movie, while I was there--I did look for them, but unfortunately I didn't see them... :( After the cruise, Mr. Hu met Tony, Jack and I with the car, and we drove back to Guilin and to the airport. Jack had a blast, waiting for our flight, toddling around the airport, waving at EVERYBODY (and everybody waved back--he was quite popular). I had a bit of a temper tantrum when we went through security at the airport there. The security woman made me dump out the two bottles of formula that I'd prepared for Jack. I was absolutely LIVID. When I protested, she pretended not to understand me. The other security persons would not even acknowledge my presence. Eventually, I gave in (it was either that or be hauled off to jail for causing a disturbance--I knew when I was beat). But I'm still TICKED OFF (emphasis supplied!!!), considering that I was allowed to bring bottles of formula onto the flight from Guangzhou to Guilin only one day earlier...Anyway, when we arrived back in Guangzhou, XiXi met us and we waited only a short time for Laurie and her new daughter, Claire, to arrive from Changsha, Hunan Province. They traveled with another couple and their new daughter. All of us (and every other adoptive family from the U.S.) must go to Guangzhou because the last few things that one does is to go to the U.S. Consulate to obtain the baby's visa in their Chinese passport. (The babies travel on Chinese passports, because they are still Chinese citizens. They become American citizens when their feet touch American soil. Jack will become a U.S. citizen when we land in Detroit (Motor City; boys; cars...quite fitting, I think!). Back to the White Swan and to bed...