Expect Miracles

Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jig

2010-11-14T14:02:00.000-05:00

After nearly 24 hours of travel time we made it home. It was difficult to say the least. Korean Air is great. If you have a chance to fly this airline take advantage. The service is a throwback to a bygone era.

We are so glad to have Chloe Grace home. When she went in her room she was scared of all the baby dolls. It as obvious she had never seen one. She looked at them like they should be alive and would not touch them. She figured it out and will now hold them like I would hold a stinky diaper...at a distance.

It took less than a day at home for Chloe to allow Deann to begin mothering her. Hooray!!! She let's Deann hold her now and do things for her without a fuss. This is a big relief. The same goes for MaCayla. They are both thrilled about this quick turn and so am I.

Chloe Grace is making huge progress. She can be so happy, playful and loving. She sometimes comes up to me and lays her head on my knee and gives it a hug.

Final Post

2010-11-05T10:16:00.001-04:00

We are headed home tomorrow. We should arrive in Atlanta by 7:35 pm Saturday. Then we go through immigration and customs. I have no idea how long that will take. I would assume at least an hour.

China has changed in the five years since we were last here. There is more affluence in the cities. Many more cars. Some nicer apartment buildings, but man are they small. I cannot imagine living in one of the millions of apartments I have seen in Beijing (14 million people), Harbin (9 million people) and Guangzhou (18 million people). I think those numbers are right. Anyway, that is a lot of people jammed together.

This has been a tough journey, but well worth everything. Nothing worth having comes easy. I am looking forward to starting our new life together as the Cook family version 3.0 in Madison, GA.

See ya soon!

Better Day

2010-11-04T07:57:00.001-04:00

The day started off very rocky at breakfast. We stayed in the room much of the day like we had in Harbin. We did a lot of hand touching and assorted methods of getting Chloe closer to the girls. It seems to have paid off some. At dinner tonight Chloe sat in her high chair and didn't have any violent tantrums. The was quite a respite for us. I know this sounds trivial to some, but we feel very stressed out at times so eating quietly was a big deal. She ate the best she has to date. She has not had any big eating issues, but it is nice to see her eat heartily.

It seems part of the issue is she wants some control of her environment so we started letting her walk on her own more in the hotel. She can walk very wobbly so it gives us a coronary watching her walk on the marble floors, but she enjoys the freedom.

Deann was able to put her in the carrier this afternoon and walk around shopping with her while I went to the bank. CG protested, but gave in after some time. Going to the bank is a big ordeal. I think I was the third person in line and waited 1 1/2 hours having American Express checks changed to RMB. That only took 15 minutes. Who knows what the two people in front of me were doing. Perhaps they were closing on a mortgage.

It is Thursday night for us. One more whole day. We leave the hotel at 9:30 am Saturday.

Update: Tonight she is not going to sleep easily like before. That was the one thing we could count on until now.

Prayers Needed!!!

2010-11-03T22:01:00.000-04:00

CG has begun to exert her will and refuses to go in the high chair, ride in the stroller or be held by anyone but me. At times she just starts screaming if we put her shoes on, change her diaper, change her clothes or anytime she is not in control of the situation. She wants to control every little thing she can in her small kingdom. She thrashes around and is very strong and has no regard for injury (yours or hers). This is making the simplest things very challenging. The plane ride home has the potential to be a disaster. I wish we could blink and be home where things will be stable and we can begin the healing process on our own turf. We know the healing has begun, but we do not have as much control as we would at home. It is hard to let her cry in public when the people are standing around staring and wondering what we did to her to make her cry so violently. This enables her to get her way every time. We had the opportunity to let her cry without interruption this morning at breakfast when we put her in the high chair because the restaurant was empty. I am not sure if this will help at this point. She has an amazingly strong will. Her heart is obviously in good condition because no one can cry that loudly that long and have any heart issues.

It is so frustrating because one can see that see is grieving so badly and we can do very little to help her get through this. We know this is temporary and she is such a joy and so precious, otherwise. It is easy to see the progress she is making physically and mentally each day. The emotions are another story. The emotions are coming out very strongly. She gets very angry when she is not in control. I hope the emotions pour out of her before she gets home so everyone can see how charming and wonderful she is.

WE LOVE HER!!!!! We will do whatever it takes.

Zoofari

2010-11-03T04:28:00.002-04:00

Chloe seems to be over her fever. She had a better day, but she still prefers Daddy carrying her everywhere. We were able to get her in the stroller for the end of our zoo trip. Deann is having a hard time with this. Although she did let Deann touch her a few times and she is letting MaCayla play with her now. She did let Deann carry her around in the ERGO last night for a stroll without me tagging along. Hopefully, tomorrow will be even better.

Papa John's to the Rescue

2010-11-02T08:09:00.001-04:00

"I would die without pizza in China"

CG Update

2010-11-02T00:15:00.000-04:00

CG had her first round of shots last Saturday and another round Monday. She has had a fever everyday since. She has become very attached to Daddy since Saturday. We think it is because she feels so terrible and only wants one person to hold her, etc. This is very difficult for Deann. She wants so badly to comfort her, but CG will not let her most of the time. The past several days have been up and down. We are so mad that the US government required so many shots. Two were for flu and pneumonia. Is that really necessary?

I am sure she is anxious every time we leave the hotel because she thinks we are taking her for more shots. Deann held her the first time and I held her the second time to show her it was not one of us who was the bad guy when it came to the shots.

She does not drink regularly. Wants nothing to do with a bottle after the first night. Loves to hold the sippy cup, but will not drink from it much. Drinks some from a straw. Likes to drink from a cup, but often chokes this way. She loves bananas and watermelon.

She seems very bright, but acts very much like a younger child in many ways. Even her cries sound like a younger baby to me. She has definitely improved in every way since we got her and we can only think she would be much further...if not for the stupid shots. She was coming along very rapidly before that. She has started mimicking us and waving at people. She likes to play with her stacking cups. She goes to sleep at night very easily. We simply place her in the crib with a few toys and she plays herself to sleep.

Today we go to the U.S. Consultate and boy do we want to give them a piece of our minds over the shot requirements. We will try to contain ourselves, but it will not be easy.

I have stayed in the other room for a few hours out of CG's sight hoping she will realize Deann is a comforter. We hope this helps.

We can't wait to see everyone.

Guangzhou Nights

2010-11-01T09:26:00.001-04:00

Playtime Oct. 28th

2010-10-31T23:30:00.000-04:00

Deann & CG Playing Oct 28th

2010-10-31T19:07:00.001-04:00

Misc. Photos

2010-10-31T01:52:00.000-04:00

Things are Hot in Guangzhou

2010-10-31T01:43:00.002-04:00

CG woke up with a blistering temp this morning. She has not cried much, but we can tell she is not feeling good. Motrin has helped her cope. She is very content most of the time. Deann and I have decided this is because we have had two very high maintenance babies and it is our turn for a little break. The odds are in our favor now. MaCayla always wanted to be held and Hannah was into everything times ten.

Today we go to "High Tea". Not sure what that means exactly. All I know is we get to eat at the White Swan so I'm in.

Tomorrow we go on a boat cruise on the Pearl River and CG gets her second round of four shots. We get to have Pappa Johns pizza on the cruise (not sure why) I think one of our guides said the food on the cruise is very exotic so they bring along pizza for us. Tuesday is our consulate appointment. Wednesday we go to see some pandas. Friday we get CG Visa and Saturday we come home.

We miss everyone. Thanks to you all for your supportive, funny, and thoughtful comments.

Remember to got to MaCayla's blog for more detail. http://macaylacook.blogspot.com

Here is the link to the video of CG getting her first four shots. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhN99gF7zPA

8 Shots

2010-10-30T06:15:00.000-04:00

CG is required to have 8 shots (vaccinations) before we can get her Visa. She had four today and will have four Monday. The most of anyone in our group. I video taped the first four shots. It is painful to watch.

At the medical examination the doctor listen to her heart and he said it sounded normal to him. She will be checked out completely when we return home.

I made a movie of the event. I uploaded it to my You Tube site patrickcook01.

I Like to Bend Over Backwards

2010-10-29T09:21:00.001-04:00

Almost Halfway

2010-10-29T09:19:00.001-04:00

Half way home.

We are currently on the flight from Harbin to Guangzhou. I was not able to sit next to my four girls so I have time to write a little.

Presently, CG is asleep and she has not cried at all during the flight. I probably jinxed that. The flight is 4 1/2 hours so it is a good test run for the two long flights home next week.

We feel like we missed the flavor of Harbin because our guide was impossible to engage. Good communication is so important during this process. Thank goodness Chloe has been relatively easy up to this point. She has had her moments as we all have being isolated to our room for over 4 days.

I did jinx it... CG woke up in a rage. Throwing her head back kind of rage. MaCayla pulled out a banana which seems to have done the trick. Deann has shown more patience than I have ever seen anyone have during this process. Pray she can keep this up.

The Russians have broken out the sausage on the plane and it is strong. Wow!!! Please not on the plane!!!

Saturday we will go to the Medical Clinic and have CG examined. This is part of the US Visa process. Also, she will have her immunizations repeated. She has already had them done here. Thanks to the U.S. Government for that. Why she can't have this done in the U.S. is beyond me. Most of next week is the Visa process. We should have some down time to play in the park and shop a bit.

We have eaten a lot of dumplings and noodles for those of you wondering what we are eating. The breakfast bar at our hotel in Harbin had a very good selection, so that was very satisfying. I have eaten sushi, steak, eggs, dumplings, fruit, sausage, chicken, rice, and toast. Deann hates the coffee and I love it. I think it must be strong, but I put so much sweetener in it I do not notice. Deann says it is engine oil.

Thanks to everyone for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. It makes a difference.

Chloe did great on the flight.

Patrick Cook

Waiting at the Airport

2010-10-29T00:55:00.001-04:00

Matching PJ's

2010-10-28T07:24:00.000-04:00

Last Day in Harbin

2010-10-28T05:09:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow we leave for Guangzhou. We will be there for eight days before we come home. Chloe is doing well

and so is everyone else.

We will be able to move out and about in Guangzhou. It has been too cold in Harbin to walk around the city. Guangzhou is warmer.

I think it is about a five hour flight tomorrow. We are anxious about how Chloe will handle flying. She seems to have some

congestion at times so I hope her ears will be OK.

In the photos below you may notice Hannah is missing in some of the group pictures. She was the photographer.

I am so proud of how she has handled things so far.

We think Chloe is understanding we are safe to be around and she is relaxing more and more.

Time to start packing...again.

Video of Chloe Grace Enjoying Some Supper

2010-10-27T08:18:00.000-04:00

Chloe Enjoys Room Service

Miles of Smiles

2010-10-27T07:52:00.003-04:00

Disappearing Eyes

2010-10-27T06:46:00.001-04:00

MaCayla and I went to Wal Mart Today and Hannah and I walked along the River and took some pictures. Deann stayed in the room all day with Yao Yao CG. CG is not ready to venture out at this point and besides it is too cold.

CG does not like elevators.

The best part of the day is when CG smiles. They are coming more frequently (Hannah and MaCayla have the magic touch).

The turning of her head from side to side only happens when she is fighting off sleep. She fights hard when she gets sleepy during the day. She goes to sleep at night with little problem (so far).

Her eyes disappear when she smiles.

I have some great photos, but I am having a hard time posting them.

Adoption Day, Chinese Take-Out and Duct Tape

2010-10-26T06:08:00.003-04:00

Today we made it official. Yao Yao is ours. The adoption process is over and the passport process begins. Passport will be ready on Friday and then we leave for Guangzhou to get her Visa finalized.

We want to thank everyone for the comments. They help more than you realize.

This is a stressful time for Shi Yao. We are calling her Yao Yao for now. It just seems to fit her better right now. She is starting to show attachment issues. The rocking issue she had when she woke up this morning seems to be part of a self comforting routine she has. She has done it several more times when she is in her crib. Also, she has started moving her head back and forth. There is a chaffed spot on the back of her neck where a collar may have rubbed if she did this motion often. She hasn't done it much with us, but it is a little unnerving...not knowing why she is doing it. We asked the Orphanage Director today and he called her caregivers. They said she is playing when she does this. We don't think that is correct. We are going to look for a pattern and see if something sets it off. She freaks out when changing her diaper. She seems to get very angry when she is sleepy and we try to put her down. But to put things in perspective we have only had her for 28 hours. So things could get better or worse. She can walk pretty well, but the orphanage said she could not walk at all. I don't understand why they would say that about a child who can walk very briskly (almost running, albeit unsteady). She is not eating at the pace we expected. Although, she is eating it is not the gorging we anticipated. We suspect she simply has not had much opportunity to experience many of the foods we have presented her. We may need to back off from that a bit. She is very quiet except when she is angry. She seems very alert. We are unsure if she is developmentally delayed, but I think it is safe to say she is in some ways. Hopefully, if she is, a little of Deann's TLC can help. This morning she had a fit when Deann put a bow in her hair...a real screaming fit, but this afternoon she tried to put one in her hair herself. She would not go in the ERGO carrier this morning, but we put her in it this afternoon with no problem.

I went out last night to find some take out food with our guide. You would think it would be easy to find Chinese take-out in China. It was not. After going to four restaurants we finally found a restaurant that would allow us to take-out. We could only take out dumplings. I didn't know how big they were so I asked for 48 (earlier in the day we had eaten 36 small dumplings easily). The waiter asked how many people we were feeding. I said four and he started to laugh. The dumplings were nearly the size of baseballs. One order came with 12 dumplings. We ate 2. We wanted noodles, but they had no way for us to take out noodles. They placed the dumplings in a big plastic bag... like a large Wal Mart bag.

An American in China has to set aside all pretense. For example, I went shopping for food today at a grocery store. I bought a six pack of Coke, six bottles of water, 10 packages of Ramen noodles, 2 cans of pringles, and Oreos. Our guide started to place all the items in one bag the check out girl gave her and I said to place them in two bags because I had to carry them about a mile in sub freezing temps back to the hotel. She looked at me funny, because in China you have to buy your plastic bags. I am just learning to go with the flow.

It gets dark here at 4:30 pm.

By the way we are now in our second hotel and third hotel room here in Harbin. Deann has unpacked three times in three days. Good thing I didn't let her bring our kitchen sink. Seriously, she would have brought it...she did bring duct tape...you'll have to ask her why...I have no idea.

We are not likely to venture out much because of the weather and trying to bond with Yao Yao. Keep us in your prayers we may get a little stir crazy. We are here in Harbin for three more days...then on to Guangzhou for seven or eight more.

New View and Chloe Playing this Morning

2010-10-25T18:43:00.000-04:00

Chloe Update

2010-10-25T17:52:00.001-04:00

It is 5 am here. Woke up at 4:15 am.

They said Chloe could not walk yesterday when we got her. While I was out picking up supper Deann watched Chloe take five steps across the room.

We placed Chloe in her crib last night with a few toys and after everyone got in their own bed and went to sleep so did she.

She just woke up and has not cried. I am looking at her as she is on all fours and rocking back and forth while babbling. She woke up this morning with a more contented look about her.

The only time she has fussed is when her diaper is changed.

She is tiny. Don't let the pictures fool you.
We had quite a bit of stress when we arrived in Harbin. The Hotel our agency insist we stay in was the worst hotel I have ever been in. It was a scary place. Like a horror movie. We tried to deal with it and stayed one night. There was a construction crane operating outside our window all night with a man on a loudspeaker shouting out instructions (this was not the worst thing). We moved to the hotel we originally researched and feel much safer and comfortable. The new hotel is a great place. Very friendly helpful staff.

Hard to process all we have been through and seen in Harbin in such a short time. Lots of stories to tell.

For instance, our English speaking Adoption Guide doesn't speak english. This has made things harder than normal. She is sweet and wants to please us so badly, but we cannot understand her most of the time. It is exhausting trying to communicate with her. I have had to ask other English speakers to help me when I cannot get my point across or understand her (essentially, a translator for the translator). She is so frustrated she hits herself in the head with her hand when she cannot find the correct word. I have resorted to speaking very slowly with a Chinese English accent to try to get my point across to her. Deann pointed the accent out to me. I didn't even know I was doing it. Still, it is nice having one guide devoted only to us.

Must get breakfast. Can't wait to see Chloe eat at the breakfast bar for the first time.

Click on Link Below for Video of Chloe Grace

2010-10-25T08:38:00.004-04:00

Chloe Grace Video

From Shi Yao to the Shangri-la

2010-10-25T04:23:00.000-04:00

We have her! The hand off was delayed by 2 hours. After the hand off we changed hotels. It is now 4:15 pm. She has done great only a small whimper at first. After that she began eating puff treats and playing with cups as Hannah and MaCayla played with her. Of course, Deann held her for a long time before that and she let me hold her.

She is active. She is adorable. She is sweet. She is quiet (so far). She is enjoying lots of attention. She has taken her first bottle and is now napping. She stands easily, but does not walk on her own. She bites...ask Hannah. She has 16 teeth. Her hair is longer than we thought and very fine. She has babbled. She says mamma, papa and Go Dawgs! Maybe I exaggerate a little, but it won't be long. Here are some pictures. They do not do her justice. She is gorgeous. Oh, and by the way, it was snowing when we got her.

I am going to try to post video soon.

We Made it to Harbin

2010-10-24T08:30:00.002-04:00

We are here and we pick up Chloe tomorrow morning at 9:00 am. She will be traveling about two hours from Daqing. Daqing is pronounced "Da Chin".

Our Holt guide met us at the airport with a driver and brought us to our hotel. We were not happy with the room we were taken to and refused to stay there. It smelled of smoke way too bad to be in there with the girls, much less a new baby! We had to call our travel agency and get it worked out. After a long ordeal they offered us another room and we accepted. To make matters worst our Holt guide does not speak English very well. She is very sweet, but is struggling to understand us. For some reason she is staying at another hotel.

After arriving at our room Deann found her coffee so things are looking up. Our apologies to the TSA.

12 1/2 hours to Chloe Grace!

Right after I posted this the first time we heard explosions outside out hotel window. Someone was shooting off fireworks right outside our window! I mean close... really close. The big kind. The fourth of July kind at Heritage Park. We are already shell shocked enough. We don't need any fireworks. Apparently, they found out we had arrived! The Chinese are so hospitable.

Forbidden Photos

2010-10-23T17:30:00.000-04:00

Bye Bye Beijing, Hello Harbin

2010-10-23T13:17:00.002-04:00

It is 12:45 AM here and I cannot sleep. I woke up and read MaCayla's blog from yesterday. She is a prolific writer. Check it our here http://macaylacook.blogspot.com. Lots of thoughts going through my head. Almost all about Chloe Grace. We are so close!!!!

We celebrated Hannah's birthday yesterday and had a cake made for the orientation feast. The cake was chocolate and raspberry (I think).

We leave for Harbin at noon tomorrow. We arrive at 5:00 pm.

We had a great day at orientation, The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square yesterday.

We were very tired at the end of the day and Hannah feel asleep at Dinner. She missed her pizza.

Hannah has been great. She says she loves China.

I wish we had more time in Beijing, but not at the expense of seeing Chloe Grace.

Things are different here (duh). For instance our bus driver made a T turn on one of the busiest streets in Beijing in front of our hotel so we good depart the bus on the correct side of the street. It would have sparked road rage in the U.S. It seemed common place here. His license would have been revoked in Georgia. You just have to see it to believe it.

China is not the sleeping dragon anymore. It is obvious in Beijing that China will be the dominant economic force in the world very soon. Five years ago the streets were full of bikes. Now they are full of cars. They bring a new meaning to the phrase "traffic jam". LA and Atlanta traffic seems small compared to here.

The masses of people on the streets is overwhelming.

I will post some pictures tomorrow. I need some sleep.

Patrick

We Have an Updated Photo-As you can see they shaved her head :(

2010-10-22T23:58:00.000-04:00

The Tooth Fairy Missed the Plane

2010-10-22T19:49:00.000-04:00

Hannah lost her first tooth at school on Wednesday (Thanks Shelly!). Because we were getting on the plane that night Hannah brought her tooth with her, but she forgot to put it under her pillow on the plane. Hence, the Tooth Fairy missed the flight. No worries she found Hannah last night and exchange her tooth for some cool Chinese coins.

We Miss You Elizabeth

2010-10-22T19:31:00.000-04:00

A Magic Teapot & More

2010-10-22T19:28:00.000-04:00

Whoa!!!

2010-10-22T04:49:00.001-04:00

Major jet lag set in for us starting about noon on Friday. Our strategy was to stay awake as long as possible. We went walking, out to eat (we found a McDonald's), and swimming. We made it until about 4:30 pm. We are now showering and getting ready for bed. Hannah is fine and acting normal. The rest of us only had cat naps on the plane and apparently that is not enough. Tomorrow we have an Orientation Meeting and a Tour of Tiananmen Square (I hope I spelled that correctly) and the Forbidden City. For Chloe's sake I hope we recover quickly. Not feeling too good right now. Things will be better with some sleep.

We knew Angie had it tough getting Ruthie the within the first few hours she was here. That is unimaginable the way we feel right now. Monday is the scheduled "Gotcha Day". Weather.com says it may be snowing in Harbin (that is where we will get Chloe Grace) on Monday. That should be interesting!

Upside Down

2010-10-21T17:25:00.003-04:00

We are sitting in the Seoul airport about to have a stroke if the coffee shops don't open soon. This place is empty this early. None of the early workers speak English so I can't find out when the stores open. Hannah did great on the looong flight. She fell asleep in the Atlanta airport, was carried onto the plane and slept for about 7-8 hrs straight. Needless to say, she feels great and is looking at all of us like we're a trio of traveling whimps!! Nothing a little coffee can't fix. Becky, we have our coffee packets handy. However, with no hot water, we may resort to coffee sprinkles!!!

We Are In Seoul-Hannah Slept Most of the Way

2010-10-21T16:35:00.000-04:00

We're Off!

2010-10-20T21:54:00.000-04:00

Countdown to Chloe!

2010-10-17T20:16:00.000-04:00

We leave for the airport Wednesday night and arrive in Beijing on Friday Morning which will be Thursday night in the States. Gotcha Day is the following Monday morning October 25th. That is one week from tonight as it is already Monday Morning in China. ONE WEEK!!!

TWO WEEKS from today!!

2010-10-06T06:08:00.000-04:00

As you all can see from our previous picture - the packing has begun!! We leave in exactly 2 weeks for China! It's hard to believe this journey has finally gotten down to such a short time. We are excited, anxious to get Chloe Grace and trying to do last minute planning. I know I will overpack but I hate to not feel prepared. The next 13 days should be very interesting to say the least!

Getting Ready!!! 17 more Days

2010-10-03T18:50:00.001-04:00

Travel Approval!

2010-09-23T13:31:00.000-04:00

We got word from our agency today that we have received our travel approval from China.

This means that we can officially go to China to get our little girl. We have to wait for confirmation on dates but it is looking really good for late October travel. We are very excited to finally see some light at the end of the tunnel in this process to get Chloe Grace. I (Deann) have started packing and have been gathering things for weeks now. I can't wait to hold her in my arms and see that she is OK. The neat part about our travel (if we get the dates we are hoping for) is that our Hannah will have her 6th birthday in China. She turned one in China without us and now we can all celebrate her birthday in China together! How cool is it to get a baby sister for your birthday?!?!? We will post our final travel plans when we know them.

MaCayla turns 12!!! and we are still waiting!

2010-08-26T13:17:00.000-04:00

Today is MaCayla's 12th birthday! Where did all of those years go? We all got up and got ready for our day earlier than normal. We told the girls that we could go to Chick-fil-A for Mac's bday. That was a huge motivation as the girls were ready before Mama or Daddy! We did make it and enjoyed a little time before the girls had to be at school.

We have received our I-800 Provisional Approval and our NVC letter. So, as of Monday, everything is in Holt's Beijing office waiting to be sent to the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China. Come on Article 5 and TA!!! Holt did tell us we could maybe expect to be in China near the end of October. I've told Hannah it would be cool if she turned 6 in China. We are all very anxious to get our hands on Chloe Grace!

Questions

2010-08-08T20:03:00.000-04:00

We often think about Chloe Grace and what she could be doing. Like right now it is 7:45 pm here and in China it is tomorrow morning. Is she waking up? Drinking a bottle? Crawling around? Can she walk? How many children share a room or even a crib with her? Does she get enough hugs? Is she ever hungry? Can she talk? She is getting older by the minute. We sent her a photo album. Do her Nannies show her pictures of our family so she at least knows something about us?

We are being as patient as we can be. It is not easy. We are ready to have her with us. The process can be frustrating. Things are not under our control. We are relying on governmental bureaucracy to do its job swiftly. So, we wait and hope that all the things that need to happen for us to go to China can happen quickly.

Kindergarten, Here I Come!!!

2010-08-05T06:57:00.000-04:00

More Update Pics of Chloe Grace!

2010-07-19T21:43:00.000-04:00

Update Photo!

2010-07-19T14:10:00.000-04:00

LOA is Signed, Sealed and Delivered!!!

2010-07-09T19:32:00.000-04:00

2010-07-09T19:25:00.002-04:00

Preparing for Chloe Grace

2010-07-09T17:53:00.002-04:00

Chloe Grace Shiyao Cook

2010-06-23T21:45:00.001-04:00

Announcing Chloe Grace Shiyao Cook. She currently resides in the City of Daqing in the Province of Heilongjiang in The People's Republic of China. Soon to be a resident of Georgia with her forever family, but not soon enough. Hopefully, if all goes well we will be traveling to the Manchurian area of China to bring Chloe Shiyao home very soon. The Cook Family is very excited to share this news with all our friends and family. Thanks to everyone for your support as we have waited for this news over the past three years.

The red dot on Chloe's forehead can represent a caregivers affection for her, beauty or a good luck symbol. The pictures seem to show a well taken care of baby girl and for that we are grateful.

Hannah & Shea Play Dressup

2010-05-05T12:27:00.000-04:00

Perfectly Polished 2010

2010-05-04T20:09:00.000-04:00

Notice the Painting in the background. MaCayla was 3 in that painting.

Another Light House Picture

2010-05-04T20:02:00.000-04:00

Captain Hannah!

2010-05-04T19:59:00.001-04:00

Dolphin Tour

2010-05-04T19:51:00.001-04:00

Dolphin tour at Tybee in the South Channel

2010-05-04T19:46:00.000-04:00

Light house near Fort Pulaski

2010-04-16T15:51:00.001-04:00

Love

2010-04-13T09:30:00.001-04:00

The secret to life...

2010-04-12T11:16:00.001-04:00

Text messaging to blog...awesome

Long Weekend

2010-03-21T22:00:00.001-04:00

We are in the process for international adoption from China, again. As a matter of fact we have been in process for over three yea

More Beach Fun

2006-06-16T14:12:00.000-04:00

MaCayla's Shells

2006-06-16T14:01:00.000-04:00

MaCayla has been busy collecting shells while on vacation. Here are a few of her favorites.

Sister Sister

2006-02-27T16:53:00.000-05:00

MaCayla is the best Big Sister ever. She is so patient and gentle with Hannah. She never seems irritated or frustrated with Hannah and she always has time to play with her. She is learning her boundaries as far as being "the mommy" and no one can make Hannah laugh like MaCayla. Hannah has a deep belly laugh.

Hannah continues to smile often, but she has lost the squinted eyes and underbite smile that was so prevelant in China. It was a fake smile anyway, but it was very cute. She is not obsessed with food anymore. She can actually fill up now. No more bottomless pit. She loves "meat sticks". Don't ask me what they are I don't want to have to find out. They look like Vienna Sausage is all I'll say.

Yikes

2005-12-21T07:09:00.000-05:00

For six days straight last week Hannah vomitted. With no medical history we were scared something serious may be wrong. After a few doctors visits and one hospital visit we found out she has reflux. When we got her in China she had a serious ear infection. After three different antibiotics she still has the ear infection, which contributes to the reflux because of the congestion and drainage.

The only thing that really upsets Hannah is not feeding her. No food, no peace. For six days we would feed her and she would vomit. She would immediately ask to be fed again, but we would stop feeding her until the next meal because we didn't know what was going on. On top of that, we really could not feed her a regular meal (clear liquids, etc.). This child eats like there is no tommorrow and we were putting her to bed hungry :( We did not feel like we had a choice.

She is better now and eating a regular diet. We will see an ENT sometime soon.

Despite the hunger Hannah was still an amazingly delightful child and her big Sister, MaCayla is showing she has a compassionate and loving heart towards her little Sister.

Oh, Hannah is drinking milk now. Yippee!

Joy! Joy!

2005-12-08T10:31:00.000-05:00

The past three weeks have been the best I can ever remember. Deann is so happy spending all her time with MaCayla and Hannah. MaCayla is having a hard time concentrating on school, because she wants to be with Hannah so much. I am joyful to see my family so happy. Hannah is a delight. It's as if she lives to smile at everyone. If it all ended right now I would still be grateful to God for the past three weeks.

Sadly, I think I have been missing out on God's blessings from previous doubt and questioning God's plan in my life. Note to self-God is in control.

Potty Trained?

2005-12-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

So many people have commented about my blog I would like to thank you all. Originally, this blog started out as a journal in a simple spiral notebook as a way to record my thoughts , feelings and emotions about our adoption of Hannah. After I transferred my journal to this blog I thought it would be a good way of keeping family and friends updated about our experiences in China as we traveled to bring Hannah home. I never expected the response I have received from so many people. Are you all just being nice? Anyway, I have no idea where this blog will go from here. I want to continue to write about my family, but I have a lot of opinions about other things too...Although they are usually trivial about my perspective on life.

I failed to write about one very funny thing that happened to Deann right after we received Hannah. The foster mother very clearly told us she goes to the toilet after breakfast. Little did we know she literally meant toilet. Evidently, at thirteen months old Hannah was potty trained. Deann was holding Hannah as she changed her clothes on the bed when Deann began making whistling noises at Hannah. Hannah abruptly stopped smiling and looked at Deann with her head half cocked as if to say "are you sure?". What happened next can only be described as "yuck". We had read where the Chinese potty train very young children by holding them over the toilet (squatty potty) and whistling to signal them to start "going". Deann can confirm that the Chinese do in fact practice this method of potty training. Needless to say, we have since abandoned whistling when Hannah is present :)

Final Thoughts

2005-11-26T06:47:00.000-05:00

Isn't it ironic that a political system, cultural beliefs (valuing sons over daughters) and policies I despise with every ounce of my being provided our family the blessed opportunity to add an adorable, lovable little girl.

How will I explain this to Hannah one day? I dread the day I have to explain. "Why, Daddy?"

Observations on China:
The Chinese people are warm and friendly and eager to please Americans.
The toilet tissue in Guiyang is not perforated.
The same TP stretches like elastic.
I did not see a bike in Beijing made after 1970.
There are more buses than cars in Guiyang and more taxis than buses.
A Club Sandwich in Guiyang is made with egg.
Chinese who speak english well have a hard time understanding my Southern drawl.
An American with a Chinese baby draws a crowd on the street anywhere in China.
The Chinese will stare at you as if you can't see them.
If you smile at them they smile back and stop staring... for a moment.
English does not always translate well. For example, a sign at the Beijing Airport read "Exit Only in Peacetime" The correct translation is "Non Emergency Exit Only".
The Chinese are embracing capitalism.
The streets in China seem dirty, yet everywhere one turns there are workers cleaning the streets. I saw workers using a floor scrubber cleaning side walks.
When looking at the horizon in Beijing you see a yellow haze (smog). When you look straight up you see blue sky.
There are some curly headed Chinese people, but not many.
Bus drivers and taxis drivers should receive combat pay.
People walk slowly.
Women sometimes walk down the street arm in arm...and so do some men?

I could sit here writing all day about the things I saw in China. These are some that came to mind.

Also,

I loved the province Hannah is from...Guizhou.
Over 7000 Americans adopted Chinese orphans this year. May God Bless each and every family. Every family thinks they got the best one.

Home Coming

2005-11-25T08:08:00.000-05:00

We made it Thanksgiving Day. Around 6:30pm we rolled into our driveway and home never looked so good. Becky, Doug, Lydia, Elizabeth, Mama Jo and Big Pop were at the airport to greet us. Tired does not begin to describe our physical state right now. I went to Wal Mart after we arrived home to buy some cough medicine and I almost fell asleep looking at the shelves and wondered how I would explain my narcolepsy to the police when Wal Mart called them about a man sleeping on Aisle 12.

We are all sick to some degree. We all have coughs (lots of pollution in China)and Hannah seems to have some respiratory problems (minor we hope). I am sitting here watching her in the play pen and she is smiling at me with her wrinkled up nose and squinted eyes.

MaCayla woke up around 4:30 this morning and wanted to go to Mama Jo's right away. We also woke around 2 am. Jet lag is in full force right now. Nevertheless, we want to talk to everyone and see you all. Hannah has been apprehensive about meeting people, but I hope she will warm up soon.

One piece of our luggage was left in Chicago yesterday. It happened to be the one with everything we bought in China. Some of the things we bought in Hannah's province are irreplacable. We were very nervous about getting this bag back. Fortunately, United Airlines delivered it to our doorstep this morning around 7:45 am.

Several people left messages on our answering machine the day we left for China, but we left so early we missed your calls. We listened to them this morning. We were touched by the messages of encouragement and well wishes... Thank you.

We're Coming Home

2005-11-23T05:18:00.000-05:00

Goodbye China...We love China, but we are ready to see 2761 Pierce Dairy Road. Maybe one day we will return to China. Undoubtedly, China will not be the same when we return. China is changing so rapidly that even the minority groups of Guizhou are abandoning their heritage to take advantage of the new prosperous China. If Hannah is interested we may come back so she can see Guizhou...we'll let her grow up a little first. We can't wait to see you all and introduce HANNAH! MaCayla is so excited to show everyone her new sister! See everyone soon.

Hannah Loves Playing in the Park

2005-11-22T23:04:00.000-05:00

Notice Hannah's hair in this picture. It sticks straight up on top and there is no combing it flat. It is like little wires. I thought curly hair was hard to manage, but this stuff is unruly. It seems to be softening everyday and I hope for Hannah's sake it flattens when it grows out. Hannah could be in for some bad hair days...literally. This picture shows her disposition most of the time. She is a happy girl.

Monkeying Around

2005-11-22T23:00:00.001-05:00

This picture speaks for itself :)

Do You Think Hannah Has Gained a Pound or Two?

2005-11-22T18:14:00.000-05:00

Hannah weighed 17.7 pounds at her medical exam Monday. We think she has gained some weight since we got her. She eats two breaksfasts. One in the room and the other at the beakfast buffet. She grazes throughtout the day and eats lunch and supper. She eats table food...all table food.

Two More Days

2005-11-22T04:17:00.000-05:00

This picture was going to be our Christmas card this year, but Hannah said "no it's not".

No touring today. We are finished touring. We will skip the buddhist blessing tommorrow. We went to a buddhist temple in Guiyang...BTDT. Today we continued our bargain shopping and walked to a McDonalds for lunch. Tommorrow we have our consulate appointment and Thursday we leave at 5:30 am to come home.

Before I forget you all must know how great MaCayla has been on this trip, which at times has been very stressful. She has barely complained about anything. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful little girl. Hannah is another blessing and she has been wonderful despite the upheaval in her life. I can't wait for everyone to see her. She is so mild mannered and soft spoken at this point, but you can see she is a real pistol.

Thank you all for your thoughts, comments and prayers. Although we have rarely responded to e-mails and comments each one has meant more to us than we can say.

Famous Red Couch Photo

2005-11-20T22:42:00.000-05:00

These are all the childen in our group. Hannah is the one screaming in the red Chinese dress. Evidently, Hannah does not like sharing the spotlight :)

Our Other Little China Girl

2005-11-20T22:39:00.000-05:00

Hannah Update

2005-11-20T06:33:00.001-05:00

This is a picture of Deann after her first purchase of the day at the Pearl Market. Even though she is under the weather she is in good spirits.

Today we prepared our documents to apply for Hannah's US VISA. I think there were 10-12 different documents we had to check and re-check before our agency sent them to the US Consulate for review.

Ironically, Hannah is now the healthiest one of us. She is doing great and MaCayla cannot believe how much she eats. MaCayla was telling me today that the stomach is the size of a persons fist. She said Hannah's fist is so small her stomach could not possibly hold all she is eating. Hannah refuses nothing except milk (formula). She ate broccoli today at lunch with carrots. She drinks from a cup. Her smiles are coming easier and easier. I can even get her to smile sometimes. She loves MaCayla who can make her laugh and smile at will. She will go to most anyone without a fuss for a little while. Last night we placed her in the crib at bed time and she laid down and watched us for a little while and then went to sleep without crying or trying to stand up.

We ate at the White Swan Buffett tonight. Deann found a tiny octopus in her shrimp fried rice and lost her appetite. After MaCayla saw the octopus she lost her appetite. After a little while I found myself sitting at the dinner table all alone eating until my heart was content, octopus and all.

Oh, we found out that Hannah was left at the doorstep of a villager in the Nanshao Village in Jianhe County, Guizhou Province. The man who found her was named Xiao Jianfang. Maybe that is where they got the name Ya Fang. This was a tiny village. No one I asked in Guiyang knew of this village.

2005-11-20T06:17:00.000-05:00

Some girls were born to shop. Hannah was born to nap while others shop. We went to the pearl and jade markets today in Guangzhou. Deann was told she could bargain with the clerks. At first she made me do it, which was fine, but later I made her try. When she talked her first purchase down from 300RMB to 180RMB there was no stopping her. She made bargain after bargain and starting coaching others in our group how to get a deal. It is expected for one to bargain for a better price here so while things are cheap to begin with they get cheaper if one bargains. When one makes a counter offer the shop keepers act like the offer is way too little, but they always come down.

2005-11-19T17:45:00.000-05:00

Deann woke up today with a sore throat. MaCayla coughed all night. Hannah slept like a baby...oh, she is a baby. The glands in Deann's neck are very swollen. Besides that, it has been 10 days since she's had a decent cup of coffee. In Beijing and Guiyang the coffee was awful and we were lucky if it came to us hot. Today is a new day at the fabulous White Swan were the coffee isdelicious and hot...we are told. We will know in a few short minutes as we go to the breakfast bar, which we have been told is one of the best in the world. This is a five star hotel...can you believe we are in a five star hotel.

Bucky, don't worry we don't have to tell Hannah you are her uncle we can just tell her you are one of the families crazy friends:)

Joan commented that I look thin...this is true...I hope to fatten up here in the next few days. We ate at a Restaurant called Lucy's last night and I had a huge plate of fried noodles and I had one bite left when the waitress took my plate. I was actually a little anry I didn't get that one last bite. I still had my chop sticks in my hand.

Doug, now I know why you use chop sticks when we eat at Happy China. I actually like using them now too, especially when I eat noodles.

The family in the picture with us are from Marietta, GA. They are great with wonderful sense of humor. Also, it is nice to hear other Southern voices.

Grandparent Warning

2005-11-19T08:01:00.000-05:00

I have not captured Hannah's full smile on film yet. Be warned when I do, or when you see it for the first time you may want to be sitting down. It will floor you. Her eyes squint, her nose wrinkles up, and her two bottom teeth overlap her top teeth (underbite). She was on stage tonight when we ate. She smiled at me, the waitress, all the patrons and anyone who walked by. This picture is not even a tenth of how she can smile.

MaCayla's Reaction

2005-11-19T07:56:00.000-05:00

This was MaCayla's reaction when I asked her if she liked having a little Sister.

Interesting Picture

2005-11-19T07:43:00.000-05:00

This is the last picture we took at our hotel. The Bellman is not smiling, because he just carried our luggage to the bus. It was very heavy with all the souveniers we bought in Guiyang :) Actually, I took the picture because I like his cap. Talk about throwback. Hannah likes the baby carrier.

Guizhou Families

2005-11-19T04:34:00.000-05:00

Today is a travel day. We arrived in Guangzhou around 3 pm and checked into the White Swan Hotel. We are about to venture out and find some food.

The families pictured are the Guizhou Travel Group. These people are the nicest and most patient people on the planet. Sick children, new families and strange surroundings will make one show their true colors and the people in this picture are like a rainbow. Look closely at this picture and you will see that many of these children are 2 years old. They need special parents with a strong fortitude to get through the bonding process. These kids have come a long way in the past 5 days.

I can see the Blog now that we are on Shaimain Island at the White Swan. I need to proof read a little better. Anyway, if you are reading this for the spelling I suggest you need a life. I am rushed everytime I post so spelling and grammar take a back seat.

I will post a new picture of Hannah very soon for all her adoring fans. MaCayla continues to be a great big sister.

I just want everyone to know this process has not been easy. We have had many stressful moments and at times have been pushed to the edge of the emotional abyss. Anyone considering adoption from China needs to be prepared for the worst and hope for something a little better, but not much. With that said, it is more than worth the effort. Just look at Hannah and MaCayla with a little sister.

One More Maio Picture

2005-11-18T17:31:00.000-05:00

I am bending down in this picture and I have my knees bent. These girls were so small. The necklace I am wearing was given to me after I married the girl on the left. Deann married a Maio boy in the same ceremony. The marriage didn't last too long... maybe five minutes before we got back on the bus and returned to our hotel.

Amazing Day Part II

2005-11-18T08:40:00.000-05:00

After going to the Miao Village we went shopping at a minority store in Guiyang. We bought several things that are part of the minority art work in Guizhou. We bought silver, jade, batek and tommorrow we are going to purchase a really cool hand carved flute.

Tonight we finally had some home cooking Guiyang style. The amount of food we had on our table was amazing. There were three types of dumplings, fried spicy egg plant, a pork dish, a chestnut dish, noodles, and a fried banana desert. I think I may be forgetting something. Anyway, all this cost us $10 and there is no tipping in China for food service (there is tipping for other services)! The walk to the restaurant was interesting, as well. At times you have to walk in the street because the sidewalks are full of food vendors at night. So, there is nowhere to walk except with the traffic. We ate dinner with a few other families who were brave enough to try some local cuisine. It is very enjoyable to get to know the other families. They are all so interesting and fun.

Regrettably, this day must come to an end now...it is our bed time. Off to Guangzhou tommorrow at noonish. The final leg of our trip and we are ready to move on. The people in Guiyang were so friendly and they love our babies. Most of them have no idea foreigners adopt Chinese abandoned and special needs children until they see us in the street and we show them the card (written in Chinese, of course) we have explaining why we have a Chinese baby. They say "Lucky baby", because they know these children will be well taken care of in the USA.

I wish I could respond to everyones e-mails individually, but I barely have enough time to write on the blog. Please know we appreciate each and every comment and e-mail. We can't wait to see you all and introduce you to Hannah Yafang.

Oh...Hannah continues to do better and better. I placed her in her crib tonight to go to sleep and she cried for less than a minute and dozed off. She is showing us how smart and energetic she is now...which is great...she is so cute...Many Chinese women stare at her and when I see them they tell me she is beautiful...I say "thank you she looks just like me". Also, many Chinese people tell me she has a good name...Ya Fang.

MaCayla has some congestion and Deann was dizzy tonight. Hannah is OK and now my other girls are under the weather...go figure.

Hannah's First Smile for Daddy!

2005-11-18T01:43:00.000-05:00

The Most Amazing Day

2005-11-18T01:23:00.000-05:00

Today we visited a minority village in Guizhou Province. The teenage boy and girls danced and sang for us dressed in there traditional costumes. We got to dance and sing and even had to drink out of a bull horn. The girl in the middle holding up the peace sign looks a lot like Hannah. I couldn't take my eye off of her, because I think Hannah may look like her. You see, Hannah is Maio just like this teenage girl. Hannh may grow up to look just like her. The Maio are a minority in China and are very distinct in their culture and looks. I have been told the Maio are respected for their dancing and siging, as well as their good looks by Chinese standards (whatever that means). They were a very handsome group of young people performing by my standards too!

Hannah and MaCayla Update!

Hannah broke out of her shell today. She is much more active. She is doing all of the things we believed she could...like crawling, talking, crying louder, eating more, drinking more, laughing more...it has been a great day so far. No bad diapers today. As a matter of fact, no dirty diapers at all. Oh boy! She is becoming a Mama's girl. MaCayla told me today she didn't realize she would love Hannah so much. When you see her you will fall in love with her too. She is precious and a delight to be around. We are the luckiest parents on earth. It is such a priviledge to parent two wonderful children. God is good! MaCayla is doing homework right now, but she is receiving a better education just experiencing all we have seen and done.

One note: if you ever come to China stick with the Chinese food. They do not make western food to our satisfaction.

Qian Park Trip

2005-11-17T07:10:00.000-05:00

The man in the photo is a famous calligrapher in Guizhou Province. The scroll he is holding he just finish painting for Hannah. The first two images on the top of the scroll are her name and the rest is a poem he wrote for her. The poem says something about beautiful music, birds singing in the park...I don't remember the rest. Somehow the characters mean one thing individually written, but when placed together they form a poem. I didn't fully understand. Anyway, it is beautiful and we will place it on the wall in Hannah's room.

The park we visited today had monkeys in it roaming around freely. People were feeding them. They were biting one lady on the hand, but she kept feeding them. The monkeys fought with each other over the food. We were standing right there in the middle of them. I do not have any pictures, but I do have video tape.

Hannah had a great day. She had only two (stinky) diapers today. She ate well, but will not drink any type of formula and drank little water today. She is so small we think she may be getting enough fluid from the food she is eating. She loves noodles and rice cereal. The rice cereal has lots of water.

We go to a minority village tommorrow. I am told the villagers will put on a singing and dancing show for us in their traditional costumes. They wear lots of silver necklaces and silver headresses. I am looking forward to seeing these people as they are Maio people. Everyone here has told us Hannah is definitely Maio. I want to see what Hannah mght look like when she gets older.

MaCayla is doing great. Several of the parents have commented on how good she is doing. They are right...she is doing great. She is maturing some on this trip and taking the big sister thing in stride. Even with how well MaCayla is doing we know there could be some rocky days ahead as we trasition from 3 to 4.

We are blessed to have great friends & family who have prayed for us these past few days. We have definitely been feeling everyones love sent our way. Keep up the prayers they are working. So many people in this group are having a slow time of bonding with their children. I have seen some major melt downs with some of the 2 year olds. Keep them in your prayers, also.

We ventured out into the street today to look for some shoes for Hannah. At one point we were quickly surrounded by dozens of people who encircled us. I thought I was video taping this, but when I looked down to stop the tape I found out I never starting taping. We have a laminated card with us that explains why we are here and when the people read it they thank us for what we are doing. We are the ones who are blessed most by this opportunity. After we tried to move on the people just started following us, but not very far.

The people here cannot help staring at us. I just stare back and smile. Sometimes they will get very close or follow you around trying not to look like they are following you.

Good night, it's bed time here.

Hannah's Progress

2005-11-16T20:27:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone,

In case you have not been able to see our the blog of our trip to get Hannah I wanted to update everyone while I have a moment.

We have had Hannah for over three days now. She was very sick when we first got her with an ear infection, temperature, and diarrhea. She was almost listless and very quiet, but her eyes told us she was OK. They never stop moving and taking everything in. Her eyes are very big and bright. The first two and a half days were very scary as we were unsure about her health status. Deann quickly started her on meds and now as I write this she is much better. At first she would let any of us hold her, but now she is starting to prefer Deann. She has been a very good baby. We think she is capaale of much more activity, but she has chosen to be very still. However, today she is breaking her shell and woke up smiling at her big sister. She has given MaCayla and Mommy many smiles this morning and it is only 9am. I think she knows some Chinese words.

Today we are going to a park were there are some monkeys. It is very cold here today so I do not know if we will get out on the streets as we had planned. We draw a crowd when we go out because of MaCayla and Hannah. No one speaks english here in Guiyang. I have been reduced to making clucking noises to describe what I want to eat.

I have to go now.

Sincerely,

Patrick Cook

Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

Wal Mart and The Forbidden City

2005-11-16T17:47:00.000-05:00

We went to a Chinese Walmart here in Guiyang yesterday. Hannah needed a diaper change so we found a bathroom. Little did we know the bathroom was not in the store. As we made our way to the bathroom with a buggy full of baby clothes (nothing we brought fits Hannah, she is so little) we passed the exit of the store which is not marked in english. We had not paid for anything and the Walmart security force quickly stopped us. Luckily, our Chinese guide was with us and quickly helped. As Deann went to the bathroom I began watching the check out lines. There were so many people I decided to take a picture...bad idea. Again the security people start chatting away and pointing at me. Soon thereafter, the Manager who spoke broken english came over to me and told me to stop taking pictures. At this point all the security people are staring at me, even more so than before. My guide was gone when this happened and I was left standing there wondering if they would confiscate my camera. I told them in english I would not take anymore pictures. I guess they understood. I am sure I have made it harder for every American who steps foot in this Walmart in the future. As I was waiting on Deann, I briefly thought about what it would be like in a Chinese jail.

I don't think I have written about this incident at the Forbidden City. I am having a hard time remembering what I have placed on the blog because I cannot see it here in China. I will explain later, if you care to know. Anyway, at the Forbidden City in Beijing we saw a small political protest. As we were entering the outer gate a commotion began near the middle bridge. Police came from everwhere and started evacuating the area near the gate. Later we learned that some young men passed over the middle bridge to try and enter the Forbidden City. That bridge is reserved for the Emporer (they do not have an Emporer now)and to pass over is taboo. There is a guard standing right in the middle of the bridge. There are several bridges to pass over, but not the middle one, which is guarded by a chain. I saw the police placing one suspect in a van. Oddly enough he put him in the front seat. They where handling the protestors very roughly, but for some reason it seemed like it was choreographed. just my perception, but if i was going to fight the police it would be much harder than the protestors were fighting. It seemed like they were just making it a little harder to be arrested, but not really fighting. I guess they were making a statement. After it was all over we made our way into the city. We were a little unerved as we pushed our way through the gates. Yes, pushed...we were in a throng a people and MaCayla was scared. It was like arriving just after kickoff at a Georgia game, but not as much pushing and shoving. i don't think there were and drunk rabid Dawg fans in the crowd. Except for me...minus the drunk part.

Traffic

2005-11-16T07:20:00.000-05:00

Tonight we took a cab ride to Pizza Hut in Guiyang. There is no roller coaster ride more thrilling than a cab ride in China. Traffic lights are hardly a suggestion and lane lines are meaningless. They have a signaling system with horns and lights that everyone understands and adheres to...I guess. It appears chaotic and unorganized, yet as cars and pedestrians come within inches of colliding someone always gives way. It is like a giant game of chicken with thousands of cars involved.

The pizza at Pizza Hut was exactly like the pizza in the USA. Hannah loves pizza (the bread part anyway). She also loves rice cereal (which we found out today). She continues to have many pooh diapers, but not as many as yesterday.

Each of the 14 families with us are facing their own challenges with their new daughters. Some cry, some cannot pooh, they are all sick (ear aches, upper respiratory infections, temperatures) and some fight violently to get away at times. Half the babies are 2 years old and understand Chinese very well and even speak some. They all have their own way of grieving. Despite the challenges there are great moments of love and affection. All the familes are taking two steps forward after one step back. So ground is being gained in the battle to win these little girls hearts and confidence.

I tried to send another picture with this post, but the cute picture of Hannah wrinkling her nose kept loading. Maybe it will work better tommorrow.

You all would not believe how easy it is to get Hannah to go to sleep. She knows when it is time and falls right off. I hope this will continue. With that said we have had a very trying day. Hannah vomited at breakfast (I call it vomit because it was so much, but it would technically be called a spit up), another vomit/spit up after lunch in the room and on the bed. A poop right on the bed. Deann thought she was finished and took her diaper off to change her and there she blows (the diarrhea makes things unpredictable). Enough of the bathroom talk for now. I can't promise I won't write about it more in the future, so if you are offended I apologize in advanced.

It is 9 pm'ish an I am off to bed. We are finally starting to recover from the jet lag.

2005-11-16T00:06:00.000-05:00

, so fa
Before we left for China we mailed a disposable camera to Hannah Foster Family. We just had them developed. This is a photo from that camera. We have not seen very many smiles from Hannah like this, so far. It looks like she is waving. The pictures we received from the Foster family show Hannah in a different light than we have seen. She is very happy with them. She has been very quiet with us. She is very scheduled and sleeps well. She eats very well. We hope her personality will start to bloom soon. We think she is potty trained, but she will not go in a western toilet. It scares her. Overall, she is a very good baby.

MaCayla's in Heaven

2005-11-15T05:13:00.000-05:00

MaCayla on nap duty.

Let's Walk

2005-11-15T05:01:00.000-05:00

This picuture helps put Hannah's size into perspective. She is not feeling well. She has had many poopy diapers today and we are worried about her health. She has run a low fever for the last 27 hours. We have given her medicine, which she takes like candy, but she has not improved. She is taking her third nap today at 6 pm. Later, we go to a dinner here in our hotel to celebrate our official adoption day. She is very alert yet subdued and I think once she feels better we may get a better look at her personality. She is still very aware we are not her normal family. You can see it in hers eyes, but she does not fuss. She is eating and drinking well, but will not drink any sort of formula. She loves for MaCayla to hold her.

Does She Have Teeth?

2005-11-14T23:19:00.000-05:00

She has 6 teeth to be exact, and a smile to go with them. She does not walk on her own, but she can walk holding my hand. All the clothes we brought to China are too big for her. Even the 12 months clothes seem too big. We do not see a lot of smiles yet, but we have only had her 21 hours. She is subdued by the fever and ear ache, but she gets along with all of us. She took a nap this morning at the meeting to finalize the adoption. She is officially ours now and no one can take her away :) She wimpers when she cries. MaCayla is adjusting well and trying to help, sometimes all little bit to much. She can't help herself.

MY GIRLS

2005-11-14T16:49:00.000-05:00

Another Gotcha Day photo. Hannah took to this biscuit right away. As I write this we have been together for 15 hours. It is 6 am. Hannah is eating a Nutri Grain Bar and drinking apple juice from a sippy cup. Mary Ellen sorry to disappoint you, but Hannah slept in her crib and Daddy is the one who has been getting her to sleep. I have the pictures to prove it too! When she woke up this morning she wanted MaCayla to hold her, but quickly let Mommy take over to feed her. Speaking of food, we could use some Mama Jo cooking. We are all losing weight. Maybe not MaCayla she seems to find enough of something. She is eating instant grits every morning. Deann just informed me Hannah is officially a Georgia girl...she is eating grits that MaCayla is feeding her. I will post some more photos later. Bye for now.

Foster Mother

2005-11-14T13:41:00.000-05:00

This is Hannah's Foster Mother. She has 3 grown children of her own.

Last night we ate i the hotel restaurant. I ordered fried fish and received a club sandwich. Guiyang is a little backwoods, not many people speak english. Sometimes you think they can, but then you receive a club sandwich.

More Pictures!

2005-11-14T13:25:00.000-05:00

More Gotcha Day Photos! Thank you all for the kind loving words posted in the comments. It is very emotional reading them all. We have read them all. We believe Hannah has an ear infection. She has a fever and pulls on her ear. Two babies in our group went to the hospital the first night. One with a high fever and the other fell and cut herself. She needed stitches on her head. Hannah slept some in her crib the first night, but awoke about 1 am and Deann is holding her now as I write this trying to get her back to sleep. I know Hannah feels awful, but she shows us some of her personality every minute. She is going to be quite entertaining when she starts feeling better. She is so hot to the touch and our hotel room, a 4 star hotel, has no AC. We are burning up. We are on the 20th floor and have the window open . Cars beep all night long in this small Chinese city of 1.5 million people. The city is located in the mountains and there are sky scrapers everywhere. We can't wait for the morning so we can get out of this room and feel the cooler outside air. MaCayla is up with us trying to console Hannah. Hannah is not loud, but difficult to get to sleep. I think her voice is a little muted due to congestion. So we have a louder cry to look forward to :) Tommorrow we officially adopt Hannah. I will try to post more pictures now.

GOTCHA!!!!!

2005-11-14T05:57:00.000-05:00

What an amazing time we had today. We left Beijing with great anticipation and hope. We arrived in Guiyang with extreme anxiety. We entered our hotel with fear. We arrived in the Meeting Room with trepidation. We met Hannah with great joy and after a few tears and and a great meeting with the Foster Family we took Hannah as our own. She seemed to like me and I held her for the first 1/2 hour so she would not cry. When we got back to the room I left her with Deann and stood outside the door to listen. That seemed to work great as she cried some, but stop shortly thereafter. I came back into the room and she was OK! We went ot eat later. Hannah ate noodles, some soup and bread. She will only drink from a cup. So far she has only had water. She would not take our formula or the Chinese formula. Also, she is very small. She was wearing three pairs of split pants and three sweaters when we got her. She was wearing diapers held up by a rubber band. She had obviously never worn diapers before, as she was badly bruised on her hips by the rubber band. She is playing inher crib now with plastic cups and her Big Sister is beside herself as she watches Hannah. She can say Jei Jei and has a cute squeaky little voice. I am off to a meeting now, but I will post more pictures later. I am unable to see the blog so someone let me know if this posts. Any comments are e-mailed to me. So let me know.-Patrick

2! That's Right 2 Hours Until We Have Hannah!

2005-11-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Look what we found in our room when we arrived in Guiyang. Two hours and Hannah may be playing in that crib. Can you believe it! We are hoping for some good bonding time. No expectations of bliss, just time together to figure how to get to know Hannah (and Hannah to get to know us). I doubt anyone will read this before we get Hannah. It is midnight in the States, but please pray for Hannah. She may not know what to think of our big noses :) Seriously, she may not like leaving her Foster family at first. Also, pray for MaCayla as she gets use to 2nd fiddle for a few days. Then we'll have two first fiddles. Oh boy!

Updated Picture of Hannah!

2005-11-13T00:04:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken around October 30th. We received it today at our Beijing orientation. It looks a little funny because it is a picture of a picture. Look at those darling eyes! We have another picture of her standing next to her crib. Her update said she can say Mommy and Daddy and she likes to talk. It also said she loves to put a play phone up to her ear. Talking and loves to play with the phone...and she's not even a teenager yet :) I think I may be in trouble. We get her tommorrow and we will meet the Foster Family. The handoff is scheduled for 3pm China time. So it will be 4 in the morning in the USA when we get her. The sweater she is wearing looks hand made. She seems so healthy. We are leaving to tour the Forbidden Palace and Tianamen Square now. I will post the other picture later.