Welcomed with Love

Our reception home is a bit of a blur, but I will never forget the love expressed to us and Sugar Plum. All of these folks and SO many more carried us in prayer this last year. The support and love expressed to our family is overwhelming. The encouraging emails, notes, help with Mason and Ryan while we were traveling, the meals on our future calendar all are blessing us tremendously. 

 

Home Sweet Home!

Our Journey Home

Feel free to skip over this story, but I want to record it, for posterity sake. It's all part of Avery's journey home. And what a journey it was.

Our Friday Aug 2 at 5 p.m. the four of us left GZ in a mini van on our way to Hong Kong. Due to the rain and traffic and customs we arrived at the hotel (without dinner) at 9 p.m. Crossing the border into Hong Kong requires going through customs, checking that the passengers match their passports. We also had to give notice of our departure from China  and our arrival to Hong Kong.

We spent one night in Hong Kong and thoroughly enjoyed a small taste of home with blueberries, pineapple and strawberries at the buffet breakfast (a first in 17 days).

We headed to the airport at 7:40 a.m. to catch our 10:32 a.m. flight. Met up with the Waldman family b/c they too were headed to Newark. We boarded the plane and sat for an hour without much explanation. Finally we took off, boy were we excited. 

About 3 hours into the flight an announcement was made requesting any doctors on board to come to the back of the plane for a medical emergency. Our friend Brent Waldman is an Airforce Dentist offered his assistance. An OBGYN and a med student also stepped in all were involved in the efforts of saving a young woman's life. Most of the passengers had no idea what was going on. About 30 minutes north of Beijing (3.5 hrs into our flight) we were told we would be circling back (30 mins) to make an emergency landing in Beijing. The Chinese emergency crew was on board as soon as we landed. We sat and sat and sat. We got updates about every hour for FOUR HOURS! It was nutty. Everyone remained so calm. I still can't believe it. The flight crew was clearly devastated as the young woman was actually a flight attendant on duty and we weren't even sure the woman was still alive. The medical team took her off the back of the plane. We sat and sat as the Chinese gov, airport officials and flight crew worked out a plan.

Meanwhile we are on an airplane with a toddler for 8 hours and making no real progress home. Not to mention the fact that I was changing a dirty diaper almost every hour and could have been more often if I hadn't been worrying about running out. Nightmare!

No one could leave the plane b/c no one had visa's back into China. The airline requested emergancy 1 day visas and it was denied. So, then, the airline was hoping to get us to the states before the crew "timed out." The plane had to be refueled and the medical equipment used during the emergency had to be restocked. The decision to fly back to Hong Kong was devastating, but after 4 hours of just sitting we were relieved to be doing something. No one was told what would happen after we landed.

We landed back in Hong Kong 12 hours after our original departure. Then we sat and waited for stairs and buses to be brought out to the tarmac. While we waited, the pilot informed us that a new flight on the following day (Sunday at 2 pm) would be arranged and all passengers would have their same seats on the plane. Our connecting flights would be arranged overnight while we slept and given to us at check-in the next day. This was a HUGE relief b/c we were totally panicked that all 300+ passengers would be fighting for spaces on other flights.

Once in the airport we stood in line for our hotel arrangements. Then we stood in line to get through immigration. Then we waited for a bus to take us on our 24 mile drive to the hotel (without our luggage) and only to wait in another line to check-in at the hotel. Isn't this insane?!?!

We finally collapsed into bed at 2:45 AM with a toddler who barely ate dinner and a 9 yr old who didn't. They were incredible. God gave us all such patience. I was almost unable to carry Avery by the time we got to the hotel, I was so tired.

At 10 AM we boarded a bus for the airport to start our day all over again. Keep in mind we were still with the Waldmans, a total God send. God gave us the strength to be on the look out for all the positives in this new day. Wow! We were able to buy diapers and wipes at the airport, essentially for another 17 hrs of flying.

At 2:30 we boarded the very same plane with the slightly less passengers. We were late leaving but it didn't matter b/c we were leaving!!

Avery did incredible. Her stomach was better and we had a reprieve from so many trips to the changing table. We had bulkhead seats and a bassinet that hung off the bulkhead right in front of us. Owen sat behind us on his own or up a few rows with his buddy Beck.

Avery took a short nap in the bassinet after take-off and then later at 9:30 p.m. (with the help a tiny dose of benedryl) she slept for 8 straight hours!!! She is good at sleeping on her back with lots of noise, one advantage to her orphanage upbringing. It was a LONG 15 hours, but so much easier with her asleep. We were so thankful and everyone around us was relieved too :)

Owen and Beck and Everlee were great travelers too. Such a blessing!

The difference in Avery from her first plane ride to a week later is astonishing. She leaned into my lap, rested her head on my chest, babbled up a storm, pulled herself up to a standing position (over and over again) on my legs. She knows us and her trust of us is growing each day. It's awesome to watch.
We arrived in Newark late. Thankfully we had 3 hours before boarding our next 1 hr flight. Even with that amount of time we barely made it. Avery became an American citizen upon arrival of Newark's customs and immigration. We basically just handed over passports and paperwork. No photos allowed :(
Our next flight was short and sweet and our excitement and anticipation of seeing family and friends was building. Owen could barely stand it. We got off the plane at 10:30 P.M. almost 24 hrs after arriving at the Hong Kong airport (for the second time). It's SO, SO, good to be home. We have enjoyed so many firsts. Our bed, ice and cold beverages, salad, fresh fruit, washing machine, dishwasher, brushing our teeth with tap water, seeing the SUN (for real) and STARS.

 We were not the only ones excited for our return. Oh, how it killed me to delay our reunion.

We are HOME

We stepped off our final airplane at 10:30 PM last night after a 48 hr attempt to get home. It's a crazy story that I do plan to share, if I ever get more than a few minutes to sit down. We are so thrilled and happy to be home, but it's a little overwhelming too. We are healthy and sleeping well, so I can't complain.
We had such a wonderful crowd of loving friends to welcome us home despite our late hour arrival. I get teary eyed just thinking about it. SO, SO grateful for all the prayers that carried us through. Thank you!
Mom spent last night to help us get a little added rest this AM and she did almost ALL our dirty laundry today, such a blessing!!!
I will be back with more pics soon. Avery is taking it all in. A little overwhelmed but such a trooper. The boys will not leave her alone ;)

Day 16- Saying Goodbye to Guangzhou

I finally got a shot of the waterfall. This is in the same garden where I've been taking Avery's picture so much. It's at the hotel. Hence the name, The Garden Hotel. This was taken while sitting at our breakfast table. We choice our last morning to sit outside.

 

Our breakfast time has been getting later each morning. We are in trouble when we flip 12 hrs. Instead of our 5 AM wake up time like last week in Taiyuan, we are more like 7:45 AM.

She wants to go, go, go. This morning at the poolside she happily practiced standing up from a seated position. Oh, the little things :)

Our bags are packed. We head out at 4PM today to travel to Hong Kong. One more night to go. Please pray for our 15 HOUR flight (your Friday night/Sat) OH MY GOODNESS! Pray also that we get through immigration  quickly in time to board our second flight. I am not sure the exact process, but that is when Avery will become a citizen of the great USA (between flights).
If you live locally and want to come to the airport, I have put info on the side column. Hope to see you there!

Day 15- Team USA

Today, we had our U.S. consulate appointment. The whole reason we are still in China and in Guangzhou. All U.S. adoptions finish here. We submitted all the necessary paperwork and gave an oath that it was true to our knowledge and tomorrow our guide will pick up Avery's visa! I might have sung "God Bless America" on the bus ride over and did a little dance afterwards. Sadly, we were not allowed any electronic devices (including watches?!?!) so you'll just have to take my word on both the singing and dancing ;) When Avery lands in the U.S. she will be an American citizen!!

 

The 4 of us were all decked out in our red, white and blue. Since we were not allowed to bring cameras, we tried to get a family shot back at the hotel and it started raining. After Avery's nap, I snuck her back to the garden while the boys were at the pool. I got about 10 photos snapped before it started raining again. Thanks to Grandma she wore another precious bow!

 

I don't think I have really taken time to reflect on the fact that I have daughter. She is ours, finally! It feels strangely natural to hold her and kiss her and snuggle her. I can't say that it feels like she receives it naturally, but that will come. She has come such a long way in just 9 days, I can hardly believe it.

She is really looking me in the eye now and she loves to copy my expressions. She is walking now if we hold her hands and she'd be happy practicing all day. I foresee lots of laps up and down the airplane isle.

The rain drops started and the wind picked up.

She was ready to go. She is still trying to figure out the wind.

Tomorrow we head to our final destination before boarding a plane home. 2 days!

Saying our goodbyes. Ann, on the far right, left with her family today. Their consulate appt was yesterday. Maria, to the left, heads out tomorrow at the same time we do. I will see Jess's family on our long flight back to the states. We can pace the isles together and exchange baby toys too :) Plus, Owen and Beck will have a buddy on the flight!

Day 14

This afternoon Jess and I ventured out on our own, back to some shops we had done on the pearl shopping day. We had no problems getting there or shopping, but when we tried hailing a cab back, 3 drivers refused to take us once they found out where we wanted to go, so strange! So, Jess being way more adventurous than me, bargained down a ride on a moped rickshaw thing (like the one on bottom of collage). My life definitely flashed before my eyes. No helmet or seatbelt and apparently he can avoid all traffic laws like red lights, driving between lanes, speed limit, etc. It was one heck of a ride. The closest I will ever get to a motorcycle :) Jess mostly laughed at me the whole time. I told her it was still better than the hospital experience and boy am I glad it didn't put me back at the hospital.

We rushed back to get this group photo before our Pearl River Dinner cruise. 7 kids adopted this week by 5 different families from our agency. There are a lot of other families here in our hotel, but they have not been part of our travel group. We say goodbye to one of the families tomorrow afternoon.

At our table on the boat.

The Chinese buffet looks a little more like a free for all.

 

The food wasn't very good, but the view was worth seeing.

Avery is certainly more fun to hold now. She leans toward me almost completely, I can tell she still has her guard up a little, but it's so different from a week ago! And she looks me in the face now instead of quick glances. yay! She was a snuggle bug tonight ;)

The Garden

Our hotel has some incredible hidden (from the city streets) landscape. Today was the first opportunity we had to explore. After breakfast (with views of the waterfall) we went out for a photo shoot of Avery in her new silk dress :) This is just a sneak peak of my girly girl. She has stared throwing off her hats but so far he headbands have stayed put!

 

Day 13 Shamian Island

(I added some pool pics to day 12 post)

 

Today, we traveled a short distance to Shamian Island.

Shamian, previous known as Zhongliusha or Shicuizhou, is an elliptic sandbar in the Liwan District of Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. The island's name literally means "sandy surface" in Chinese... The mansions there form the best preserved Western Europe style building complex in China. Forty-two out of 150 buildings are counted as the most exotic ones, Gothic, Baroque, and Neoclassical, in Guangzhou...Since the early 2000s, the Island has become well known for many Western couples who reside there, seeking to adopt Chinese babies and young children, most of whom are orphaned and female." It was also the former location for the Consulate of United States in Guangzhou. (travelchinaguide.com)

 

We walked around, entered a game of the Chinese version of hacky sack and some Chinese dancing and shopped.

Shamian island has a much different feel about it. It reminded me a little of Savanah, GA with the architecture and trees and sculptures. The humidity here is insane. I knew it would be bad, but wow!
There were brides and grooms everywhere getting their portraits taken. I can't imagine how hot they felt.

 Owen is doing his best to bring the Harlem Shake to China ;) Avery is catching on.

 

 She is getting steadier on her feet, but she didn't really like being with these sculptures.

She doesn't fuss much, but when she does, she is loud :)

I know, I know, welcome to mothering a girl :0

 

We've all been feeling well and sleeping great. My body isn't hating me for the hard bed or carrying Avery around. PTL! Thanks for the prayers! Tomorrow is a free day. Jess and I might do a little more shopping during naptime and then in the evening we have a group photo and a dinner cruise.

Day 12 - the Zoo

Ha! My last post said 4 days to go. Really it's 5. I thought today was Tuesday already. Wishful thinking ;) Anyway, the Lord is good. Time away with Owen was just what I needed. I LOVE being with Avery, but it feels stressful right now. EJ has been so amazing and really caring for her so much. I could be tempted to feel guilty for getting away this morning, but really he didn't want to go to another zoo. It was a nice morning, but I am so glad she didn't go. It's so humid and hot here that it would not be helpful with her issues. Now he and Owen are out at the pool while Avery naps. There is even a little bit of sun peeking out.

The Guangzhou Zoo

We rode through the whole zoo on little trams, first. Then took about 1.5 hrs to walk back to spots we wanted to see. These 3 are becoming inseparable so I tagged along with their families. (we prayed for friends for Owen- God provided more than we could have imagined)

This dragon art is made entirely of butterfly wings!

The mosquitos were biting, none of us brought repellent to the zoo. Someone suggested a banana peel? So I busted out my banana from breakfast buffet, split it up between the kids and we all rubbed peels on our legs :) As if we aren't a spectacle enough ;) It did the trick, well, that and we moved away from the pond area ;)

My fav pic of the morning. A real smile and not because I asked him to turn around and smile. He just did!

As hard as this is, I am SO thankful Owen is here. He is already talking about whether we will come back for another child or go to a different country. (sorry grandma, we won't ask you, I promise) It's going to take a lot of convincing me ;) I can't wait to show you the group photo. The Lord is doing a beautiful work.
We spent most of the afternoon and early evening at the hotel pool. There are a lot of pool rules, but the kids still manage to have fun.

 Avery came down after her nap :)

She is really starting to move around more. EJ keeps asking me why I want to encourage her so much before our 15 hour flight :) It's crazy to watch her b/c in a lot of ways she is a 2 year old trapped in a 1 year old's body. We can tell she is on the verge of so much more. Each day we see big progress.

 

 The 3 kids on the right are siblings, here adopting another brother and sister! They joined us for dinner at a Chinese Tai restaurant with an English singing Chinese band ;)