Update...

First of all, thank you to those who have checked in on us over the past few weeks. I know many of you are wondering about us and our transition to a party of 5. Each day is a new day and we are so thankful.
Wild Man... he hasn't missed a beat. According to him, being the big brother of one or the big brother of two is "about the same". Girls are gross. Dolls are gross. Pink is gross. Princesses are gross. He loves the girls in his life-but they're still gross. In case you are wondering, that scenario includes ME. Hehehehe. The rhetorical question of the month is this... If Little Miss got a sister...why can't I have a brother? Hmmm...

Little Miss... well, she's had a hard transition. She is going to be the best Mommy some day. She is so sweet and attentive to MeiMei but she has no concept of personal space. :-) She's always up in her face, smothering her with bear hugs or trying to drag her around like a baby doll. Unfortunately it has led to SEVERAL "altercations" between the two of them over the past month. The good news is Little Miss and MeiMei are slowly becoming friends. It has been a tough transition in the sister department but they are making progress.

MeiMei... thankfully she has decided we're not so bad after all. The day I wrote this post, just as I speculated, something changed. I wish I knew WHAT CHANGED but at this point it's not important. She's feeling more comfortable in her new family. The stink eye has been replaced, most of the time, with random and unprompted toddler smiles and occasional giggles. She's picked up quite a few words already and her comprehension is pretty impressive. We know she speaks about 15 words (both English and the only Cantonese words WE understand combined) but since our Cantonese is nonexistent a little rusty we are clueless about the chatty chatter. :-) I'm pretty sure she's told me EXACTLY what she thinks of me a few times but unfortunately (or thankfully) I'll never know what she said. :-)

the Chief and Mommy... we are truckin' along. We survived the first month and lived to tell about it. At one point I thought it was questionable. Hahahaha. :-) We have run the gamut of emotions over the past month but at the end of the day we would do it all the same. We would pray the same prayers. We would rejoice in the same circumstances surrounding her care in China. We would circle the globe for the exact same reason. We would cry the same river of tears. We would embrace rejection in the midst of the same heartbreak. We would grieve along side the same broken child. We would fall flat on our faces in search of answers from the same God who brought us all together. Was it difficult? WITHOUT A DOUBT (and it still is even with the progress we've made). The first month was more than we could wrap our minds around---much harder than we ever imagined BC (before China)--but I think the most important thing is this. If rewinding the clock to September 9 were a possibility, would we still board the same bird to China and do it all over again to become her forever family? ABSOLUTELY! What an indescribable privilege it has been to watch her blossom over the past two weeks. They tell us the hardest part is behind us and we are starting to truly believe they are right.

I have photos to share and more stories to tell but for now this will have to suffice. Again, many thanks to those who have supported us so well over the past month. Some of you have heard the good, the bad and the incredibly ugly--both close friends and complete strangers with similar adoption experiences. Your unwavering friendship means the world to us.

If your name is Mommy you MUST watch this...

I was crackin' up all the way through this video. Between the lyrics and watching her "break it down" I was rolling out of my seat. I say most of these lines to my children EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Oh--I could have written the second verse word for word (where she is wearing the sweater and pearls). LOL! Sooooo true! It takes three minutes, but if your name is Mommy, the chuckle will make your day.

Something to ponder...

Sometimes I'd like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine & injustice when He could do something about it but I'm afraid God might ask me the same question.
-unknown

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I've had this quote in my post drafts for a while now but never found the right time to publish it. Until today. Yesterday our church began a new series entitled "One Month to Live". I'm still processing much of what was discussed and how it relates to my own life. After yesterdays sermon this quote has been running circles in my mind. What am I doing about it? What are WE doing about it? What are YOU doing about it. Something to ponder...

(Mom--before you start worrying--No--that's not what I'm talking about)

Meeting the infamous Dr. K...

Today was MeiMei's appointment with the infamous Dr. K and it went very well. We were relieved to hear his recommendations were just as we expected. He felt the repair she had in China was good and it would be appropriate to follow the typical treatment plan. She will see him yearly until she is 4 years old. Sometime between the age of 4 and 5 she will have her first surgery. From that point forward she shouldn't need another surgery until adolescence. Dr. K will work together with the orthodontist to determine the timing of her second surgery (probably between 9 and 12 years). Thankfully there were no surprises. Everything is just as we expected. PTL!
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In addition to family and friends, I know there are many adoptive parents who read our blog. I think the range is across the board. From those who have gone before us to those who are just beginning to consider adoption. I loathe the term "special needs"...always have. I know it's the PC term but personally I've never liked it. I much prefer my own made up term "uniquely gifted". If I can be a resource to anyone considering adoption, especially China's "uniquely gifted" program, feel free to email me. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about the process.

Maybe...just maybe...

someone has been assessing the situation...

or maybe someone has decided it's OK to trust the new people in her life...
or maybe someone has accepted that you CAN love two families (not just one)...

or maybe someone has discovered that being sad is way too boring when there is so much fun to be had...

or maybe someone declared that exactly one month together is her turning point...

or maybe, JUST MAYBE, "Someone else" saw the tears and heard the prayers of a family who wanted nothing more than to love this precious gift and that "Someone else" showed them the glimpse they had been waiting for...It was a cheesy-faced wrinkled-nose squinty-eyed baby smile. It was a momentary glimpse but it was genuine, true and heartfelt. We've seen a few of these smiley glimpses over the past three days and each one made my heart skip a beat. We're not there. Not even close. But maybe, just maybe, we've stepped away from the starting gate and THAT realization feels good. It feels very VERY good.

Happy 1 month Family Day MeiMei! We love you all the way to China & back again!

Four weeks ago today...

two excited yet anxious parents...

entered a crowded and chaotic room in southern China...

and met Mei Mei for the first time...

and as we held this precious and beautiful child in our arms for the first time...

her heart shattered into a million pieces...

and our hearts were broken in return...

we've taken teeney tiny baby steps since September 14th...

but four weeks later we are still standing at the starting gate. Tonight I was scrolling through September posts and came across the post I wrote the night before we left for China. Honestly, I've never read it. I hit publish, got in the shower, went to China and never thought of it again until tonight. Until now. I didn't realize how much of my heart I poured out into that letter. It was so raw--such an accurate description of where I was at the time. In the middle of that letter I wrote this...

...Isn't it amazing how BIG God is? Before the beginning of time He ordained THIS day. THIS child. THIS family. THIS country. THIS miracle. He planted THIS seed in my heart as a little girl before I knew where it would take me. He brought two teenagers together who happen to share THIS heart for babies all over the world without Mommy's and Daddy's. He orchestrated every last miraculous detail of THIS awe inspiring story--her story--a story I can't wait to tell the world once she is safely home in our arms. He knew THIS day would come even before she was born--before WE were born. Did I always believe THIS day would come (especially over the past year)? No. But you know what? He did. He knew even when I stopped believing. In the winter, when I desperately wanted to believe He was bigger than my fears. When I wanted to believe He had a plan but I wanted Him to tell ME the plan. When I cried myself to sleep at night wondering if all of this was in vain. You know what? He already knew about March 27. He already knew about MeiMei. He already knew her story before she took her first breath. He knows her story from this day forward and we are so humbled He chose us to be part of it. I adopted Hebrews 11:1 as my verse for MeiMei long before we ever knew her face. It says "Now faith is being sure of what we HOPE for and certain of what we do not see". Somehow we knew this was the plan He had for our family. No, we did not hope for the circumstance behind how she will become part of our family. We hoped that someday we could become the parents of a child who needed a family. In so many ways, it is my children who have helped grow my faith, each in their own way. Even before holding this child in my arms she has taught me that faith is not about God answering your prayers. It is about believing He can and He will, if He so chooses, in His own time...

...Despite the unknowns of this week, there is one thing I know for certain. MeiMei was meant to be our daughter. Whatever the next few weeks, months and even years may bring, we will face it together. As a family. I pray she will feel the love we have to share with her and want to accept it. I have faith the One who created her will heal her heart. It will take time but I believe it will happen eventually...

I wish I had dozens of smiling Mei Mei photos to share. I wish I had any photos to share but since I've only picked up my camera once in the past two weeks I have none to showcase. I haven't missed them. There haven't been any to capture. I wish I had gushy stories to tell of bonding and snuggles and eskimo kisses. But I don't. I know so many of you are coming back to read the "happy ending" but right now the only happy ending is that MeiMei is here with her forever family. I don't have much more than that and I'm not going to pretend everything is coming up roses. That would be a lie. I know we have a long road ahead of us but we have to have faith that it will come. Wasn't that her verse? Now faith is being sure of what we HOPE for and certain of what we do not see? No longer are we hoping for her physically. Now we are hoping for her emotionally to show us a glimpse of the real MeiMei. Not the sad, broken hearted little girl she is today. I believe He will equip us with what we need to heal her broken heart. It will come. I must believe it will come, but in the meantime, please continue to pray for Mei Mei and the rest of the Womble 5.

Who was it that said Swineflu--Schmineflu?

Oh yes. It was me. Who was it that has been eating her words for the past five days? Yep, that's me as well. As if we don't have enough going on, I woke up with the flu in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. I've been cooped up in our bedroom attempting to keep my germs to myself while the Chief has muddled through without me. To his credit, he's taken excellent care of all four of us. Thankfully I think I'm on the downhill now. I said I wanted to catch up on my sleep but this isn't exactly what I meant. Be careful what you wish for. As for Mei Mei, today is the first day the Chief has "allowed" me out of our room. Apparently she has decided after five days of my absence that I'm not allowed to come near her again. Ugh! One tiny step forward. One huge step back.

Finding our Way...

As of a few hours ago, we are 9 days AC. I feel as if life in general is being viewed through a lens of BC/AC (BC=before China and AC=after China). I have received many emails and messages this week checking in on us and I appreciate every last one. If I have not replied or returned your call, it's not personal. We have had to refocus around here as we adjust to life with a very sad and grieving toddler who has lost so much in such a short time. I plan to go back and post about the last 9 days, including the airport, which so many have asked about. I am still waiting on one last set of pictures but it may be a while before I have my hands on them.

As for MeiMei, I'm not really in a place where I am ready to share. Honestly, I'm not sure how to put it all into words. The day will come. At this moment I hope it comes sooner rather than later. I wish I had been more prepared. I thought I was. I wasn't delusional. I knew this would be difficult. I recognized the challenges and felt equipped. What I have come to realize in the last 19 days is you can't anticipate and thus fully prepare for such uncharted waters.

There is a song by Matthew West I fell in love with the first time I heard it. For the past 19 days, I have been singing this song to MeiMei. It doesn't remotely resemble a lullaby but the lyrics have taken on new meaning for me. BC it was a song written to ME. AC it is my song to MeiMei. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be singing it to her...maybe weeks or months or heaven forbid years. I don't know. What I know is her sky fell down on September 14. Right now, more than ANYTHING, I wish I knew how to make it turn blue again.

Meeting Dr. Melinda...

This afternoon Mei Mei met Dr. Melinda at her first routine Pediatrician visit. She gave the entire hour two HUGE thumbs DOWN (and I even talked her way out of any "pokes" today). Overall, I think Dr. M was impressed with her growth, development and surgical repair. The nurse asked me the typical 18 month questions but some of them were impossible to answer. Allergies? Food preferences? How long does she typically sleep per day? The one I found quite funny was, "During the time you have known her, has she spoken 15 intelligible words?" Hmmmm...well, I think so but since I don't speak Cantonese I can't say yes with absolute certainty. :-) We were blown away by her measurements.

Weight: 21 pounds 14 ounces (~15th percentile)
Length: 31.5 inches (~40th percentile)
HC: 47 cm (~60th percentile)

Can you believe that? Those percentages are on the AMERICAN growth chart!! I was prepared to bring in a Chinese growth chart at our next visit. Many children adopted from China don't even plot on the American chart. Typically children from southern China are even smaller compared to the rest of the country which is why southern China has a separate growth chart. Haha... not Mei Mei. She's an All-American girl from the start. She eats better than some adults I know so I don't think it will be long before her weight evens out with the rest of her. We owe so much to True Children's Home. They took excellent care of Mei Mei during her first 17 months of life. We know they are the reason why she is so healthy.

On the 14th, we have a Plastic Surgery appointment with "the infamous Kevin K.". That's what I called him when I was a nurse in the PCCU. I think I worked there over a year before I actually met the man. He was always in and out of the unit so quickly and with such an entourage it took me that long to figure out which Dr. was Dr. K. Ha! We consulted with him after Mei Mei's referral and he seemed genuinely happy to help. We are anxious to hear his recommendations. Also, she will be having a few more tests the same week. We are praying all is well with our little Mei Mei.

Happy Half Birthday MeiMei...

MeiMei turned 18 months old today. Instead of celebrating with cupcakes as I had intended, this is how she celebrated her big day...If she could speak English I'm fairly certain she would like to tell you...

Jet Lag Stinks!!!!

I'm pretty sure she has a lot she would like to say right now but since I do not speak Cantonese I'll keep the speculation to a minimum. Happy Half Birthday MeiMei. We'll celebrate as soon as we all figure out which time zone we're on.

Dear Newk...

I'm sure you are wondering why we haven't stopped by in a while. We've been in China and unfortunately we discovered you weren't there. By the end of our trip we spoke of you often. Truthfully, we daydreamed about you on more than one occassion. We even described you in great detail to our Northern friends who have never had the oppportunity to meet you. Don't worry--we promise to introduce you someday when they fly south for the winter. We arrived home late last night and couldn't wait to see you. We had no idea what we were going to eat during our time in Guangzhou BUT we've known for the past 10 days EXACTLY what we were eating today...

Thank you for welcoming home the Chief with open arms. Next time we see you, we may need to make a few changes in our seating arrangements but I'm sure you won't mind. As always, we look forward to seeing you soon.

P.S. If you're interested, I know of an interesting little island in Guangzhou, China that could REALLY use your culinary assistance.
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L & A...we satisifed our craving within 12 hours of being home. The taco came within 18. Wish the three of you had been here to enjoy it with us.

Day 16: Some Babies Come by Plane

Do you have any idea how long I have been waiting to use that title?

The flight from Newark was only a few hours but it felt about as long as the one from Hong Kong. We were hoping for the "beam me up Scottie" approach but apparently that only happens in the movies. One minute on that plane was too long for us. We landed on time around 7 pm. Coming from Newark that was a miracle in itself. Thank you Lord!

On approach, as we began to recognize the familiar below, I could not contain the Charlie Brown tears. It was (and still is) so hard to believe we went all the way to China, met our daughter and came HOME with her in our arms. HOME-- there truly is no place like HOME. We cursed kissed that plane goodbye as fast as we could and started the sprint to our babies. If we don't see the inside of an airplane for a while it will be OK with us.

Coming down those stairs, I have never been filled with more JOY--exhausted and emotional joy--but pure JOY nonetheless. I had promised myself (since I had a lot of time to think during my 15.5 hours of misery) that I was not going to turn into a weeping mess at the airport. I didn't want to scare the begeebeez out of MeiMei. She had just decided I wasn't the devil so I certainly wasn't going to mess that up with the scary-ugly cry. I'll be the first to admit it took every ounce of emotional energy to keep the flood gates locked up tight.

First, at our request, we were greeted by our two FAV-O-RITE blond haired little people who were about to explode. They were waving cute little MeiMei signs and jumping up and down with excitement.We squeezed each other until it hurt. Then we switched little people and did it again. And again...and again... It IS possible to miss someone so much it hurts. Make that TWO someones...
This one makes me teary every time I look at it...
How did they react? After a few hugs and "I MISSED YOU SOOOOO MUCH" sentiments, they were all about MeiMei. Wild Man proceeded to wave his sign 2 inches from her face while whispering "Hello MeiMei. I'm your big brother" in her ear. It was so precious I could have melted right there. Little Miss squeezed and smothered her with kisses. Then went straight to playing "beauty shop". She had her brand new Happy Meal "powder puff" ready for big sister action.
After traveling FOR.EEEE.VER to get home, we all needed more than a powder puff to freshen up. :-)

As for MeiMei, I think she was in shock but she did SO well. She took it all in and never shed a single tear. Her pal Mrs. Kim knew how to win her over from the very beginning. Did you know the power of a DumDum sucker crosses all language barriers?What a blessing it was to be greeted by family and friends. The sea of familiar faces at the end of those stairs was one of the most BEAUTIFUL sights we have ever seen. Ever. For as long as we live, we both agree, we will never forget it. Ever. To each of you who took the time to hang out at an airport on a Thursday night to welcome home our daughter with open arms...THANK YOU! That seems so inadequate considering both of us could have squeezed the life right out of you with each and every hug. We were THAT happy to see you. :-) You have stood beside us through this long and stressful journey and your presence meant more to us than you will ever know.

(We're missing a few people in the photos but these were the only group shots captured)

I love this picture of Laura and Rachel, two of my besties in the whole wide world. Inside the sling is Rachel's new baby Eli. He was born seven days earlier while we were in China. Yes, that's right. She had her 4th c-section the week before and still made it to the airport to meet MeiMei. Anyway, we joked our entire "pregnancies" (hers physical--mine on paper) that she would have "Baby Noname" while we were in China. Much to our dismay we were right. Instead of meeting our babies at a hospital, as we have the other five times, we met them on the same day in an airport. One newborn. One 18 month old. Both equally as miraculous as the five who came before them.

Funny story (well, not really funny but)...
We were a few steps from the baggage claim escalator when we were greeted by a couple who recognized the Chief. What I didn't know was it was one of his pals from Men's Fraternity (and his wife) who came to the airport to greet us. What I didn't know was they were being so thoughtful by coming up to help us with our carry-ons so we could greet everyone downstairs. The most important thing I didn't know was the Chief stopped briefly to talk to them when I thought he was two steps behind me. About the time I turned around to talk to him I heard clapping and a gleefully familiar scream from this little one...I glanced down the stairs to find Wild Man and Little Miss below and there was no stoppin' this Momma after that. I immediately darted down the stairs...with MeiMei on my hip...without my better half at my side. Oops! According to the camera time stamp he was about a minute behind me on the escalator. Luckily the paparazzi was there to record one of my finest moments. SOOOO sorry honey. I promise I'll wait patiently next time we have a large group of people waiting for us at the bottom of an escalator. I have no idea if that opportunity will ever present itself again but IF it does I promise to let you go first. ;-)

Today, Thursday September 24th, 2009 was MeiMei's introduction to her new world. A world full of people who have loved her and prayed for her before they laid eyes upon her precious face. A world with a big sister who'll share her toys, her kisses and teach her how to be a girly girl. A world with a big brother who'll tickle her tummy until her sides hurt, share silly jokes and show her how to play Wii. A world with a Daddy, a FOREVER Daddy, who will protect her from the boogey man (and the boys who are sure to ring our doorbell someday). One who will teach her how to praise God, drive a car and understand the rules of football. A Father who will walk beside her on the first day of school from Kindergarten to college. And someday, if she meets that special someone, he'll walk beside her down the aisle on her wedding day. He'll give her away to a man who will promise to love her forever (but not nearly as much as he does). What a lucky girl she is to have a Father like him. And last, but certainly not least, a world with a Mommy. Not a first Mommy. Not a temporary foster Mommy. A FOREVER Mommy. One who will kiss her boo-boo's, help her with homework and take her for pedicures. A Mother who will smother her with hugs, kisses and a mountain of prayer. A Mommy who will cuddle when she's sweet and forgive her when she's sassy. A Mommy who will teach her the importance of loving God and loving people above all else. A Mommy who will attempt to answer hard questions about her beginning and wipe away her tears when she doesn't understand. A FOREVER Mommy who will love her unconditionally every minute of every day forever and always. Welcome home MeiMei! With time we pray you will grow to love us as much as we love you. In the meantime, we promise to meet you where you are until that day arrives.

Day 16: The Never Ending Thursday

We awoke to a BEAUTIFUL view from our Hong Kong hotel window--blue skies and happy clouds to begin what was to be the longest, most stressful day of our 16 day trip. We were up at 6 am to prepare for our departure and Skype with Wild Man and Little Miss before we took to the friendly skies. On CST, we started our day Wednesday at 5 pm though technically we began on Thursday morning Hong Kong time. Thus the title...26 hours of travel time from HK airport to home airport...40 hours of travel time from Guangzhou to home airport. Any way you look at it, it equates to the Never Ending Thursday.

We had no problems at the airport and breezed through the health inspection area without a second glance at MeiMei's rash. Woohooooo a second time! The airport itself and the views outside the terminal were amazing. I wish I had taken more photographs while we were there but I was so anxious I forgot all about the camera. Once we found our departure gate, we spent $117 HK dollars on drinks and breakfast at Starbucks. Before you have a stroke that's only about $15 USD but $117 looks ridiculous on a receipt from Starbucks. If only they had told us the 5 drinks we bought for the plane were not allowed past the jetway. Ugh--NOW you tell us!!

We boarded our chariot for the next 15.5 hours and took off at 10:25 am as scheduled. Homeward BOUND!!!! We were all less than thrilled to be on A plane but ECSTATIC to be on THE plane that would take us home to the US.See what I mean? Look at the Chief in this picture (he's going to kill me BTW). Ready or not... here we go. We've been asked several times, "How was the flight?" and I'm not sure how to answer it. It was about as MISERABLE as you would imagine a 15.5 hour flight with a toddler. :-) I know the people around us wished they had chosen a different cabin. Honestly, I wish I could have chosen a different cabin as well but the screaming baby belonged to me. No flames--just keepin' it real. I'm pretty sure she would have gone to an Asian ax murderer if he had reached out his arms. She was crying out for "Mama" and "Baba" to every Asian face in sight (and there were A LOT of Asian people on the flight). There were a few times I wanted to pull out our adoption papers just to prove she was our baby. No one thinks a thing about BLATANTLY STARING at you FOR MINUTES, not seconds, in China and there was A LOT of that to go around. It could have been worse. It could have been better. I won't be making that flight again any time soon.

I can't tell you how many times we looked at each other and said, "Oh no, they seated us in the wrong cabin. Our seats are in the front of the bus?" "Where's the warm nuts? The grapes and fancy cheese? The ice cream sundaes?" "What? No linen napkins? No Continental china? No fresh rolls? No butter patted in little shapes?" LOL! We had to find some kind of humor to keep us sane. I had mediocre hopes for the food but we drew the short straw this go round. For lunch...steamed sole or black bean chicken anyone? For snack...chicken fajita wrap with WARM gooey lettuce? For breakfast...egg omelet or noodles? I would like to note that the omelet was called an omelet but there was nothing inside. Soooo...doesn't that make it a scrambled egg? Maybe omelet sounds more gourmet? Either way, the Chief and I ate a roll and a few bites of vanilla ice cream over the 15 hour flight. The best part of the menu was the fact they had Mr. Pibb on the drink cart. You can keep your nasty black bean chicken. Just hook me up with a Mr. Pibb. Now it was not the real deal but it came close to giving me the Dr. Pepper fix I NEEDED.

The good news for the day was somewhere between Russia and the North Pole MeiMei decided I wasn't Satan reincarnate. Actually, it wasn't the greatest timing considering I was on the verge of throwing up most of the flight but I guess beggars can't be choosers. It's scenarios like this that confirm to me that the Lord has a strange sense of humor. MeiMei has nothing to do with me for 11 days but decides to like me in the midst of my least favorite activity. Just when I was dangling from the end of my rope she decides to mall all over me for the last eight hours of the flight? Perfect timing MeiMei. Perfect timing. :-)

She slept a total of two hours and the Chief and I slept less than that. Apparently no one in the Womble family can sleep on an airplane. I would look at the screen and it would say something like "7869 miles to your destination". In what felt like an hour later, I would look again and it would say "7861 miles to your destination". At one point, in my delirium, I said "I think I can DRIVE HOME faster than this". Believe me, I would have attempted if there wasn't that thing called an ocean between us. I did not think we would EVER get over Russia--do you know how stinkin' big Russia is? It's huge! HUGE I tell ya!

We landed in Newark on Thursday at 1:30 pm, 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Wooohoooo! We handed over the INFAMOUS brown envelope to the immigration officer and breathed a huge sigh of relief. I wanted to know what was inside but the Consulate made it very clear it was NOT to be opened by anyone except immigration. Once we relinquished it to the immigration officer, he said, "You know, they act like this is such a top secret document. It's really not that big of a deal. You already have copies of almost everything in here anyway." We had been guarding that thing with our lives since our Swearing In Ceremony thinking the world might stop if we cracked a corner. LOL!

MeiMei automatically became a United States citizen the second her feet hit the ground in Newark. I purposely made sure her feet did not touch until I had camera in hand. This is the official moment MeiMei Womble became an All American girl. She wasn't going for the "waving the American flag while smiling sweetly" pose I've been hoping for all these years. Instead we have the "expression-less non-waving feeble attempt to pacify me while Daddy bribed her with fruit snacks" photo opportunity. After 15 hours of misery, I didn't make many attempts before I threw in the towel. This one will have to do...

Welcome to the USA MeiMei!

Day 15: Our Final Day

We enjoyed one final breakfast with the Guarino's before the packing marathon began. There are several things I am going to miss about China and they are #1 on the list. What an amazing experience the four of us have shared over the past 11 days. Lori and I became friends during the wait to travel and our DH's hit it off right away in China. I am going to miss sweet Lily and the infamous blue backpack, her sweet smile and her happy dance. We can't wait to travel "up north" for a visit so the Chief and "Tony" can show off their matching North Fakes Face jackets. Hopefully by the time I agree to get on a plane again, Lily will agree to wear her traditional Chinese dress and MeiMei will agree to wear her dress without screaming. Lori--you need to find Cape Cod's version of the red couch? We spent most of the morning packing. We did a lot a little shopping while we were in China so we had to be creative to get it all home. Truthfully we needed to purchase another suitcase but decided to risk it with what we had. With only one international flight, our limit was bumped up to 50 pounds per checked bag which was a huge help. The real problem was the 8 pieces of luggage, a stroller and a baby to wrangle through two train stations, three taxi rides, five baggage check/claims, four security stations, three customs, three immigrations and finally the mini van on the way home. That realization made my arms hurt before we ever left. Considering I wasn't even allowed to PUSH the stroller without MeiMei screaming her head off I knew who was going to be dragging most of that luggage (and I am not the one with the muscles in this marriage).

Our driver picked us up from the Victory at 2:40 pm, drove us to the US Consulate and dropped us out on the curb where we waited for our facilitator. There is nothing like watching all of your personal belongings speed down a busy street in China without you. As he drove away we both looked at each other and said, "Uhhhhhhhhh...I sure hope he comes back!" Right before we went in I finally met my agency pal Joan, her new daughter Mary and the rest of her family. We had missed each other thus far because they spent their first week in the province of Mary's birth. We have corresponded by email off and on for months so I'm glad we got to meet even if it was for a short time. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. It was a pleasure to finally meet you.

All three of our agency families attended the Swearing In Ceremony together. You can not enter the building with anything but your passport so I do not have any photos from the ceremony. The oath was short and a little anticlimactic but we were all teary by the end. We clapped, cried and hugged our babies in celebration. After all this time, this is FINALLY over. No more stalking Rumor Queen. No more frantic calls to our agency. No more deep discussions with the FedEx guy about the importance of our packages. It's over. Our girls are finally OUR GIRLS and we can move on with our lives. I wish Wild Man and Little Miss could have been there with us but I made sure they were there in spirit.After the swearing, Lori and I kept looking at each other and saying "no tears"--"no tears" because we knew what was coming. Goodbyes. Ugh! We were leaving immediately from the Consulate to go to the Guangzhou train station. They were returning to the hotel for a morning flight out of Guangzhou. The 4 of us hugged and cried (even the guys were a tad bit misty) and then it was time for their shuttle to leave. It was like one of those sappy movies where someone is standing on the sidewalk waving and the person in the car are car is pressed to the window waving goodbye until everyone is out of sight. That was the toughest part of the day. Their friendship has been a blessing to us and we can't wait to see them again. Soon Lori, very soon.

It was at this point our whirlwind 40 hour travel marathon began. Immediately after saying our goodbyes, Gracie took us to the train station. We took the 6:15 from Guangzhou to Hong Kong which was about a 2 hour ride on the bullet train. I was concerned about the medical check before we boarded with MeiMei's crazy rash still running wild. I could see ahead they were randomly screening people as they came out of security. Would you believe both the person in front of us and the couple behind us were waived through the medical check lane and we were waved directly to the boarding area? Woooohooooooo! Thank you Lord! Once we found our seats and a place to stow all of our stinkin' luggage, the train ride was uneventful. Gracie purchased first class tickets which I found rather hard to believe. If that was the first class car I would hate to have seen economy. Those little white papers on the headrest totally grossed me out. Let's just say I don't think they are changed with each train ride. I think I rode the entire train ride with my head slumped forward. We were hungry before we left Guangzhou but we were so tired of Chinese food we just couldn't eat. Well, I doubt MeiMei was tired of Chinese food but her Mom and Dad were. Once in Hong Kong, we breezed through customs, immigration and medical inspection (PTL!), claimed our luggage and exited the secure area. It was at this point we saw the most glorious sight. Glorious I tell ya. I'm pretty sure the sky parted, the angels sang and a bright light shined upon the golden "M". That's right...I have NEVER been so thrilled to see a McDonald's (which I normally despise) in my life. There was only one tiny problem...Hong Kong uses a different currency and we did not convert any money before we left the mainland. Ahhhh!!!! Even more frustrating was it was after 8 pm so there was only one money exchange open in the entire train station. Ahhhhh!!!! After searching frantically for the money exchange we finally got our hands on the correct currency. I guarded the luggage and MeiMei while the Chief ran upstairs to find the holy grail.Even MeiMei was excited about our dinner plans which made us wonder if she already recognized the golden "M". Or maybe she was feeding off of our ridiculously giddy excitement? Who knows but within minutes MeiMei was chowin' on her first McDonald's french fries. I committed a great travesty by not capturing the moment but honestly I forgot. We were too busy stuffing our faces with the BEST cheeseburgers and fries we have EVER eaten to whip out the camera. Well, that and holding on for dear life. We ended our time in China with the craziest taxi ride to date (and we experienced MANY crazy ones while we were there). The taxi driver zoomed past 100 mph on the expressway and he was just keeping up with traffic. :-0 We were so tired and hungry, all we could do was laugh. I was thinking if this is THE BIG ONE, at least our last meal was Wild Man and Little Miss' fav-o-rite.

Hong Kong was BEAUTIFUL at night and felt even more modern than Beijing. It did not even resemble Guangzhou by any stretch of the imagination. I wish we could have spent some time there but 16 days is too long to be away from home. Maybe next time. ;-) We made it to our hotel, the beautiful Novotel Citygate, around 9 pm. It was along way from the train station but about 5 minutes from the airport which was perfect for our morning departure.A quick bath for MeiMei and we all collapsed into bed for our last night in China. Our weary heads were looking forward to the comfort of our favorite Egyptian cotton sheets. That night I went to bed wishing my name was Dorothy...

there's no place like home...there's no place like home...there's no place like home...

Day 15: Goodbye China

Today is a bittersweet day as we prepare to leave the country of MeiMei's birth. This afternoon we will attend the Swearing In Ceremony at the United States Consulate. We will raise our right hands and swear that all information we have provided has been true and accurate. It is hard to believe all of the paperwork, signatures, notaries and logistics over the past 18 months culminates into one five minute ceremony. Soon after we will receive MeiMei's VISA and board a train bound for Hong Kong to begin our long journey home.

There is part of me that is overjoyed by the mere thought of going home but the other part of me is overwhelmingly burdened. Yes, we love MeiMei. Yes, we are her parents in every way that truly matters. Yes, we believe she was chosen to be our daughter before He spoke the world into motion but we recognize the realities of adoption. We are bringing her home to a sea of unfamiliar territory. Everything will be different to her. Everything. Sights, sounds, smells, faces...all of it...unfamiliar.

MeiMei continues to mourn the loss of her foster family and she has every right to continue for as long as need be. She has been taken from all she has ever known and I will not make light of that fact nor will I pretend that I am content with the situation. Quite frankly, this has been one of the hardest weeks of my life. I am heartbroken but this isn't about me. It is about HER and that's just part of being a Mommy--putting your child's needs above your own even when it hurts. I have reminded myself many times over the past week how heartbroken Wild Man or Little Miss would be if they were taken from us. The situation is different--her foster family was temporary--but she didn't know that. To her they were her family which makes me wonder if our arms...no, make that MY arms...will ever be enough. I will pray for the rest of my days that despite significant loss and many unanswered questions that somehow our love, and more importantly His love, will be enough.

As a Mother, I can't say I completely understand how so many of China's children are abandoned but after being here, after seeing all we have seen over the past 15 days, I understand now more than ever. We are forever changed by what our eyes have seen. The children we have met. The conditions people live. The policies that make it nearly impossible to parent more than one child. The glares and attitudes toward children with visible special needs. The obvious difference between the "new China" in Beijing and the "old China" in Guangzhou. How can anyone see this and NOT be forever changed?

As we leave today I can't help but think about her birth mother. I will never know the woman who made the unfathomable decision which in turn gave us our daughter. Did she love her? Does she think about her? Does she wonder if she was found? Does she wonder if she someone was able to help her? Does she think she is still in the orphanage? These are all questions I contemplate knowing someday MeiMei will wonder the same. I wish there was some way I could tell her of our love and commitment to MeiMei but that opportunity is not ours.

I have so many thoughts running through my head but not enough time to put it all into words. The past 15 days has been amazing, overwhelming, humbling and unbelievable in so many ways. This has been a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to receive a gift like no other--a blessing orchestrated straight from the hands of God. A seed planted within my heart years ago and the culmination of answered prayer for a little girl He chose for us to love for the rest of our days. Someday we will return to China. How soon and for what reason I am unsure but I know in my heart we will return. Goodbye for now China. Thank you for the gift you have entrusted to us. We will love, adore and cherish her always.

Day 14: CA day and the famous Red Couch

~sent 12:49 PM China / 11:49 AM CST

This morning we went to the White Swan Hotel before our Consulate Appointment at 10:30 am. It is China adoption tradition to have your travel group photo made on one of the many red couches at this hotel. I have followed so many families to China through their adoptions so it was surreal that it was finally our turn to sit on this couch. There is always at least one baby in the photo who is screaming her head off while all the other babies stare. Guess who happened to have that baby?

Notice how she isn't crying when Daddy comes to her rescue?

Our Consulate Appointment went well for our facilitator. We did not have to attend the appointment but had to remain in our room until we got the OK. One final step tomorrow afternoon and then we are outta here. We are soooooo ready to go home. Don't get me wrong. We love China but we are so ready to see our children at home and they are SOOO ready to meet their sister.

For one last hoorah, we shopped a little more and had dinner at La Dolce Vita with our travel group. Technically we only share an agency with the Guarino's but all four families share the same facilitators here in China so we consider ourselves a travel group. Also, the Eckert's daughter LiLi was a TCH baby so there is an extra connection for us with their family. Our agency has one more family that came in over the weekend but we haven't caught up with them yet. Hopefully we'll see them tomorrow at the swearing in.

It is bittersweet to say goodbye to our friends, especially the Guarino's, but we are all anxious to get home. We have spent most of our time in Guangzhou together, our girls have become buds and so have we in the process. All of us live states away which makes our goodbye even more bittersweet. We all shared such an amazing experience together and who knows when our paths will cross again. I hope some day we can have a red couch retake with smiley happy girls across the board. Specifically to my friend Lori--you have been such a blessing to me both before China and during. It has been an emotional rollercoaster all the way through, especially the past 11 days, and I'm so glad we were able to share this experience together.

Now for what you really want to know...
MeiMei sat in her highchair tonight which made Daddy's arms and legs very very happy. She is doing very well with her signs for "more" and "please" especially when it comes to food. She let me feed her a little at dinner and even offered to share her half eaten slobbery pasta but I politely declined. She is very independent, much like her big sister, and likes to call the shots on her terms. She is crying for "Mama" less and less and pointing to her brother and sister's photos more and more. MeiMei seems more comfortable with me in the room but still doesn't seem to trust me in public. That should make for an interesting flight home. I know it will come and I'll be waiting when it does. Her rash continues to come and go which is making us nervous about traveling home. If we end up detained and miss our connections I might need to use those drugs I chose to forego on the way over.

We have a few last minute things to accomplish tomorrow before we leave for the Consulate at 2:40 pm. I will try to post from Hong Kong when we arrive and settle in but I make no promises. Please continue to pray for safe travel, happy baby, patient parents and for us to arrive on time Thursday night at 7:05 pm. I have never wanted to see the faces of two blond haired little people more than I do right now. Only two more sleeps until we come home.

Love from China...
Mommy, the Chief and MeiMei