We Are Home! Eli is an American Citizen!

I was totally exhausted our last night in China and we had to pack for a very early departure to the airport…so, needless to say, I did not update my blog…

The last day we took a group picture of all 12 families that ended up in Guangzhou at the same time from CCAI ( our adoption agency). Then we finished up the trip with one last taxi ride back over by the White Swan hotel to do some shopping….then back to the hotel to pack!

We got back to Denver at 6:35 pm on Wed Aug 24! It was a 26 hour ordeal that started on Aug 24 in China…it was a very taxing trip with a 27 pound toddler in our laps and getting through the airports with no stroller! But we made it!!!!

When we got to DIA we had an excited to meet Eli group waiting for us! Eli had gotten enough sleep on the plane to charm his siblings!

After meeting grandparents and Zoe, we gave Eli a bath and bottle and tucked him in bed at his new home in Colorado…he slept 16 hours straight…broke the record of 15 set by Jenna years ago!

A huge thank you to all of our family and friends that supported us through this journey! We could not have done it without you! Eli seems to be settling in quite nicely. I will be getting him to all of his doctors’ appointments over the next couple of weeks..please check back periodically as I will be updating our blog every once in a while!

Every child truly does bring us God’s smile!

The Paperwork is Done!

A quick look back at the day before I collapse…first off we went to the US Consulate appointment and took an oath and turned in the last of the paperwork! Tomorrow we will get Eli’s visa and we will be ready to go!

Next, Dave and Eli took a 3.5 hour nap and I went on the Pearl Market excursion. The first picture is the inside of the big mall that was full of pearls and beads!!! Then we walked around outside in that area…

This evening we went on a dinner cruise down the Pearl River, which is the 4th longest river in China…the bright lights were really cool reflecting off of the water…in the pics you will see the 2nd tallest building in the world!

Tomorrow is our last full day in China!

All is going well with Elijah Mingzhe! Today he crawled up half a flight of stairs! He continues to show us more and more of his personality! We are anxious for you to meet him!

Have to get in bed…goodnight

A Day of Rest!

We opted out of the city tour today…we just needed a rest and to be on our own schedule! Dave got up early to go by taxi to find a Catholic Church. Then we took another taxi to a store to get diapers and a battery charger for my camera..somehow my converter and camera battery charger are messed up….it’s all under control…got some laundry back and our paperwork for our consulate appointment ready. Luckily a kind lady in our travel group had a prescription for intestinal problems…Dave is doing much better! This evening we took another taxi back over to Shamian Island to do a little shopping and have dinner at Lucy’s for the second day in a row!

Tomorrow is our consulate appointment! We are on the downhill slide!

We have another full day ahead! Eli now knows how to get off of a bed…we showed him that he needs to get on his tummy and slide down feet first. He is really fun to watch as he is acquiring lots of skills quickly! When we ask him if he is ready to go bye bye, he goes over by the door! He continues to charm everybody! Today the taxi driver noticed we had a China boy! Another said China baby! They were funny!

Dave got a kick out of the boy peeing sign. It was to let you know it was the men’s restroom! The signs over here are funny and seem a little awkward to us!

Goodnight!

Physical Exam Day!

Today we went as a big group to the health clinic for adopted children to get them checked out. What a zoo! We are almost done jumping through hoops! I think all we have left is the appointment at the consulate’s office and then we will get Eli’s visa the next day and then we fly the next day….

Eli weighed in at 27 pounds with clothes on! He will be able to hold his own!

After we were done at the clinic, we walked around the area, had lunch at Lucy’s Café and went and checked out the White Swan Hotel…We are still not sure what the deal is because that is where everybody traditionally has stayed here in Guangzhou, for those of you that don’t know, our understanding was that it was closed for renovations…it was business as usual it looked like to us! We checked out the red couches that everybody takes pictures on! The people in our group that have been over here before, said they like the lobby at the White Swan, but The China Hotel has way better rooms! For any of you that are getting ready to travel to China, this hotel is amazing and the breakfast is equally amazing…we have gotten over the fact that we aren’t staying at the White Swan, but we are still figuring out where we will take our group pictures…

We are opting out of the city tour tomorrow to have a down day. Dave plans to take a taxi back to the island to find a Catholic church. Eli and I will start our day when Eli wakes up….

Tonight we went to a great restaurant as a big group! What an undertaking our CCAI reps have! We were quite the sight! The food was delicious…a mix of Chinese cuisine and Portugese!

Today was the first day we have seen the sun since we landed in China except for when we were 35000 feet up in the airplanes above the clouds!

Enough for tonight..again the bed beckons!

Goodnight from Guangzhou

We are in Guangzhou!

Wow! What a day…it started out kind of slow and relaxed…got Eli’s passport and packed up…then as the day went on I got more irritable…wish I could say I am a flexible traveler…long story short for tonight…Eli took his first airplane ride, to my knowledge…as we were taking off, I noticed that he had a poopy diaper…it was all down his leg…I think you can imagine the fix we were in! Tired toddlers and weary parents…didn’t know if I could do another five nights here…then we walked into the China Hotel! You can look it up on the internet. It is a Marriott property. Pretty sure we will make it now! The bed in our pics today is our new room at the China Hotel in Guangzhou! The air conditioning works great! It is very clean and ….get this , it smells good!

Eli did good for all that we put him through today. No nap and busses and the plane and the shuttle and a bath, bottle and bed! He is starting to show us who he is more and more…when we got to this new hotel room, he was checking everything out! At the last hotel room after we got him, he would sit for hours content to play with a small amount of toys…he continues to want me to hold him and my finger to walk with..I guess it will all just take time…tomorrow we head to the health clinic…

Again, it is past bedtime!

Goodnight,

Provincial Museum, Hung Out, Got More Documents

The group is wearing down…a couple of the children are having a hard time with the adjustment..our clothes are getting dirty and the choices for getting them washed don’t work for us right now…we are wanting chocolate and a salad…getting tired of squatting to go to the restroom…our stomachs are not doing so well… can’t drink any tap water or use it to brush our teeth, we have to boil it in our room… haven’t seen the sun….eating is challenging if you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg at the hotel…McDonalds and KFC are a hike…

This morning we went to the Provincial Museum. It was pretty cool. It showed the history of China through each dynasty and the artifacts that have been excavated. The oldest piece was around 8000 years old!

We got some more documents that we will use in Guangzhou and at immigrations in the US. We are preparing to fly on to Guangzhou tomorrow…it will be Eli Mingzhe’s first airplane ride…that would be my bet anyway!

Today is our 27th wedding anniversary! I also bet this is the only wedding anniversary that we will celebrate in China! Dave is at the Seven Eleven looking for a candy bar for me and we are getting pizza to go at the Italian restaurant in the hotel! I told him absolutely no need for a gift! We have our little souvenir right next to me sleeping in his 5 star crib!

Speaking of Eli…he is a keeper! He is a sweet little boy..a good little sleeper…a good little eater and drinker…he likes to go walking and today he has been flirting with all the ladies! He has the cutest little smile as he shrugs his shoulders and turns his head! He knows who his Mama is!

Dave just returned with a Snickers and Dove bar! Happy Anniversary David! I love you!