A Sneak Peek!!!!

*Please see below for a question from Jen, and comment if you can!

OK, I'm sending you a sneak peek of what Miss W has on today! One because I'm stuck in the room for a couple of hours while the guides go to my consulate appt. for me. Two because there's no guarantee she'll have this on for the whole day!! We're going to try to keep the poop in the diaper today!! She and I have already had a talk about it ;) Madelyn, do you see that she has the dress you sent her for Christmas on? It fits her perfectly. And I have to say...It's super cute!! I'm also adding a cute smile shot from yesterday. Thank the Lord the smiles come freely these days!

I have been teasing the boys because I catch them singing "Hickory Dickory Dock" or "One Two Buckle my Shoe" to themselves at the craziest times. I think it's hysterical. They've been playing with her so much and those songs are playing constantly, so who can blame them...but it's pretty funny!

I thought I'd list some things I'm looking forward to when we get home:

*my soft bed!!

*some good Louisiana food!

*MY HAIR DRYER!! We never made it back to a care4, and at this point, I'll just deal with it.

*Ice in my Coke

*drawers that hold our clothes. There are no drawers in any of the rooms so unpacking means putting everything in stacks all over the room.

*my washing machine! (never thought I'd say that!)

I'm sure there are many more, but that's all I can think of right now. I'll post about our day tonight!!

*I woke up to a request from Jen. One of their travel group families adopted a precious little girl with a cleft pallate. They are having a difficult time cleaning it. Does anyone who has BTDT have any helpful suggestions for these new parents. Thank!!*

Hooray For Shopping!!!!

We had a really fun day today. We spent the morning shopping in Guangzhou and then ate lunch at Lucy's. It was lots of fun! We bought all kinds of goodies, but of course, my favorite part was the squeeky shoes! I told Richard I came to China for 2 things: my baby and squeeky shoes! He started to balk at the number of shoes I was getting, but seriously, how can you not!! In fact, I've decided that I need more, so will be going back tomorrow for round 2!! Wesleigh is still coming more and more out of her shell. We had our first belly laughs tonight. She is supposed to be sleeping but she keeps smiling so sweetly at us from her crib that we can't help but get her out! I finally just turned out all the lights in hopes that she will fall asleep, but she's in her crib talking to a baby doll!! How cute is that? This is the most I've heard come out of her mouth ever. The pics of her in the crib were taken just a couple of minutes ago.

Richard is making his way into her heart slowly but surely. She actually reached up to him to get out of her crib earlier today. Of course, she wasn't thrilled after he did, but any progress is welcome. When I got back from the paperwork, she was sitting on the bed surrounded by snacks, toys and boys. She looked like the queen ruling her subjects. I wish I had a picture of it.

We had an eventful lunch at Lucy's. The food was pretty good, but when we got up to run to the bus (because we were about to miss it), Miss Wesleigh had made a HUGE mess in her pants! That cute turquoise dress did not make it through the day!! I was laughing so hard I hardly knew what to do. The couple we were eating with took the boys and ran to the bus to tell them we were coming while I carried her (arms stretched way out) to an area where people were not eating. I had to strip her half way down and bring her to the bus. Those of you who have been here know what a hit that was with the locals... running through the street with a half naked Chinese child. She might have been half naked but she still had her bow on her head! By the time we made it on the bus we gave everyone quite a laugh. It's been a LONG time since I've had to deal with blowouts!! This is the second day in a row!!

Tomorrow we have to stay in the room during the morning while our guides go to the consulate's office for us. We'll then head back for some more shopping in the afternoon. YAY!! I wonder what the chances are that Wesleigh will like her stroller tomorrow? My hips are killing me!!! Oh well, we shall see!!

Bonus Post!!!!

There are a few things people have asked about that I have just forgotten to put in my post. I thought I'd post a few litte things about Miss W that you may or may not have noticed:

*size: She is VERY skinny but VERY tall. She measured 33 inches and 22 pounds yesterday. The clothes I brought fit, but just barely because of her height. She can wear an 18 mo. if it's a 2 piece and doesn't snap at the crotch. The dress she had on yesterday was a Gap 12-18 months and you can see that it's a little short. She's not unhealthy skinny, just very thin.

*Her hands are the daintiest little things ever. Her fingers are long and skinny, and she likes them clean! She will hold them up to me to clean them if she gets food on them.

*She LOVES noodles and bananas. Richard has been the "maker of the noodles".. Yesterday, she found her bowl and started handing it to me, telling me she wanted some noodles. I took her hand and said, "Let's go tell daddy you want some noodles". She walked with me, carrying her bowl, into the other room and we told Daddy, "I'm hungry, can you make me some noodles?" She watched him make them and then he fed them to her. So cute!

*Her feet are long and skinny too, and she definitely has Boe' toes (basically fingers for toes ;)

*She uses her left and her right hand to write on the magna doodle. The first day, she only used the left and I thought I might finally have a lefty like me. Yesterday, she used her right, so who knows!

*She has the LONGEST eyelashes ever. Nobody in my family has long eyelashes, so this thrills me. The only problem is they point straight down. She's going to need a serious eyelash curler in the future ;)

*She makes the sweetest little "oooohhh" and "ohhhhhhh" sounds. She's just now starting to "say" more than that. Bryce was repeating the sounds she was making last night and she thought that was funny.

*She's a good eater. She has tried everything we've given her. If she doesn't like it, she waits until I put my hand to her mouth before she'll spit it out. I think that's so cute.. We tried broccoli last night and she loved that. Lasagne was a definite no!

* She walks pigeon toed. It's really the funniest thing, and those white boots she's been sporting makes it stand out even worse! No wonder she fell and cut her face ;)

* Her scar is very low on her back. It's pretty long, but You won't be able to see it with a bikini on! From what I've heard, this is good from a medical standpoint too.

* She loves her bath! She will sit and play with the stacking cups as long as you let her.

* She's the most beautiful baby, ever! (Of course, I'm not biased or anything!)

Here's something else for those of you who are soon to follow:

Best packing tip I received:

Put Wesleigh's outfits in ziplocs, together with tights, socks, etc..

AND

Bring duct tape! Our hard case suitcase has a latch that won't stay closed. We'll be looking for a strap, but the tape was good in a pinch.

Worst packing tip I received:

Don't bring a hairdryer! I can't believe I listened to this one. I knew better but was running out of space. They have them here, but they look like a vaccuum cleaner on the wall. They're AWFUL!! Hence the hair in the pony tail everyday!!

We leave in a few hours to go shopping, but if you have any tips...please share!! I forgot to ask last night.

Guangzhou!!

We have had a busy day in Guangzhou. We started early in the morning and got our physical exam done. I don't have a picture of that on our camera because Richard and the boys stayed at the hotel while Wesleigh and I went. I didn't think I could juggle the camera and everything else...and I was right. Wesleigh has decided that the stroller is of the devil, and it's killing my arms!!!!! She did let the boys hold her tonight and it was a welcome relief! I'm sure as bonding goes, it would probably be a little better to not have the boys doing so much for her, but I have to say...it's so nice that they can help. I do make sure Richard and I are the ones that feed her, but if she insists on being held all the time, Bryce is going to get his fair share ;) She is venturing out a little more. She will walk down the hall with us and lets me leave the room if she's busy with the boys. She walked through our room by herself to find me in the bathroom earlier...and she wasn't crying!!! Richard is playing with her trying to make friends as I type. I sure hope she warms up to him soon. It will make life alot easier. Tomorrow we have our paperwork party, so I'm going to leave Richard and the kids for a couple hours tomorrow afternoon. I'm hoping big strides can be made while I'm gone. Prayer for that to happen would be appreciated. He's being very patient about it and his head understands it. That doesn't help his heart, though.

I have been getting a good bit of teasing for my collection of bows. I LOVE it! They annouced on the bus that I would have to take her bow off to get her VISA photo and everyone thought that was hysterical. (she's the only one wearing a bow) I announced that I thought it was discrimination against southern bowheads!! You missed her first outfit today because she pooped all over it. I can tell you that is was very cute. When I get the picture from the other family, I'll share it ;) Here are a few pics of the day.. We get to go shopping in the morning and I can't wait! Squeeky shoes...here I come!!!!

Reid...give me your email address so Bryce can answer you back ;) He can't wait to show his sister off to you!!

Yay!!! We are in Guangzhou!

Today has been amazing. We spent the morning in the room packing and getting ready for our flight. Wesleigh became more and more vocal as the day progressed. She loved playing with her toys which she had ignored before now. She even walked across the room by herself to get something the boys were eating! That is progress!!

The plane ride was SO good. She used those 2 hours to really come out of her shell. She started babbling and laughing. Our seats were separated, and I had Bryce by me. He was very helpful and played alot with her. The biggest hit was anempty water bottle. She drank the water and then started to put the top on and off. She is actually very good at screwing the cap the way it needed to go. She would take the cap off and pretend to pour some water in Bryce's cup. He would pretend to drink it and she got a big kick out of that! We had our very first tea party right there on the plane! She has been playing with that bottle ever since. She will now "pour water" into all the boys' hands and they drink it right up! Her little voice is so sweet. She's not really saying words but more like "ooohhh". Unbelievably cute!!

We are in Guangzhou! The humidity was so bad getting off the plane, I felt right at home! I'm pulling out the flip flops tomorrow!! We have our clinic visit tomorrow morning, so that should be fun. I think Richard's just going to stay here with the boys instead of all of us going. It will be easier. The hotel we're in is not on the island, which I hate, but the rooms are great! I have the air conditioner kickin' and there is plenty of room to spread out. I'm off to bed!

By the way, one of the pics is of Richard and the boys practicing baseball in the hall of the hotel during Wesleigh's nap. Don't worry Rays, just because Braden isn't there practicing with you, doesn't mean he's here doing nothing ;)

The City of Nanjing!

This post is mainly for the students at LVE! I wanted to show them a little of the city of Nanjing. As I mentioned before, Nanjing is considered the southern capital of China. It is a beautiful city. As you walk around you can imagine how gorgeous it will be in the spring when everything is in bloom. This city reminds me a little of home. There are sycamore trees that line the roads and form a canopy just like we have oak trees at home in Louisiana. The traffic is crazy here! The lanes are very small and the drivers just go from one to another whenever they want. There is also a big lane only for bikes and mopeds. There are lots and lots of people riding bikes always. I can't even imagine driving here! Today we visited the city gate. It was built for protection from intruders. It was very big and had lots of cavities that the soldiers used to hide during a war. We also visited a local market where people set out tents to sell goods and food. The food selection was quite interesting. In fact, Mr. Cade opted to stay in the bus because he would have lost his cookies for sure! He can't handle those "interresting" smells and sights. The rest of us loved it and got lost of attention from the locals. After that, we went to Confucious' temple. There is a big market surrounding the temple but it's more like a shopping center. This is where we found the McDonalds and introduced Miss W to french fries and chicken nuggets! Of course, she loved them!! Here are a bunch of pictures of the city. There is a picture of a gold tree. The Chinese people write their wishes on the red ribbons and throw them in the tree so they will have good fortune. They have lots of different symbols and traditions to give them good luck, fortune, health, etc. I am sure this is because they do not believe in God. Our family believes that God is the provider of our good health and fortune. We don't need to participate in rituals to try to make those things come to pass. I feel sorry for the people who feel that this is what they need to do. I can't wait for the boys to get home and be able to shared all their experiences with you. They have been having a great time and, unbeleivably, have have been getting along very well. They were told that they would need to rise to the challenge and that's exactly what they've done. I am very proud of them all. If you would like to email them some questions or comments, I know they would love it. They will answer you back! They can't wait to come back and show off their little sister!

A Good Day!!!

Today was a good day. Wesleigh woke up with a slight smile this morning. She seemed much happier than other days. We went on the tour today to a really neat part of the city. We saw some historical sights and also walked through an open air market. I am working on a post about the city with pictures of the market. I have to say that Cade stayed on the bus instead of walking through the market and it's a good thing. He doesn't do very well with "gross" things and bad smells. I know he would have thrown up in the middle of the market! Richard, me and the other boys loved it. We bought a few things and loved looking at all the crazy stuff people eat! We also got to eat lunch at McDonalds! Wesleigh got her first french fries and chicken nuggets. She LOVED them (like any true American toddler would ;)Wesleigh was cranky on the tour and especially the bus ride home. I let the guide hold her, but she didn't quiet down any better with her, so she gave her right back. I just figured that if she needed someone familiar for a little while, that should be ok with me. It ended up not being a big deal. Besides, my arms were killing me from carrying her the whole morning, so the break was kind of nice.

We got back to the room and let Miss W take a nap. When she woke up, it took her a little while to warm up but then she really started to loosen up. She actually ventured away from me a little and started shoveling crackers in her mouth. Our travel buddies came to the room and I think that helped her loosen up. Their little girl, Hannah is all over the place. She was very playful with the boys. In fact, Bryce was combing his hair and she pointed to her head and said, "uhh". He started to comb her hair which was really sweet. Anytime he'd stop, she'd do it all over again. She ate really well and....she took a bottle!!!! I couldn't believe it!!! She started taking some of the water bottle, but then I stuck that formula bottle in her mouth and she sucked it down! I am so excited about it. She ended the night with a long bath. Braden sat outside the tub and played with those stacking cups for about 20 minutes. It was a great afternoon!

She still isn't sure about her Daddy, and I know he's a little disappointed, but it will come. She still cries when he fools with her too much. I'm sure that will change soon.

Tomorrow morning, we pack up for Guangzhou. I am very anxious to get there! It's WARM!!! Yay!!! Today marks the half way mark....we're halfway home! We'll leave the hotel at 1:30 for a 4:00 flight. Please pray that Wesleigh does well on the plane. She doesn't seem to like cramped spaces, so I'm very nervous about it. The fact that she might start taking formula bottles gives me a little extra amunition for the plane, but I'm very nervous. She also needs to get her system cleaned out before we get on the plane...if you know what I mean. It's been a couple of days and I don't want to risk a blowout up in the air.

Again, thanks for all the support. Your comments are the reason I had Richard make that bottle tonight and stuck to it. Your support and advice are priceless!!

I'm off to bed. I got Richard to get his clothes together tonight so he doesn't wake us all up in the morning. I'm exhausted!

Love you all!!

It's A New Day in Nanjing!!!

Well, it's a new day! Wesleigh, once again, slept through the night! Yay! She is definitely a good sleeper. In fact, she's the only one who slept through her dad fumbling around this morning. He is bored...God help us all! LOL... It's a good thing we're changing cities tomorrow because the natives are getting restless!

Mom, this picture is for you. Do you see what she has in her hands? Bryce brought a couple of cars with him and she ended up loving this one ;) She didn't quite get into "playing roads" but I'd assume that will come.

I'm anxious to see what today brings.

To answer a couple of questions:

*Yes, she was sick when we got her. She just has a really wet, yucky sounding cough.. I started her on the amoxil I brought with me on Tuesday. I'm not sure it's helping, though.

*I did use the carrier yesterday, but there was alot of getting on and off the bus. Sitting on the bus with the carrier on was not comfortable so I ended up taking it off. We're going to bring the stroller today, and she loves that so she might not be attached to me, but nobody else will be holding her either.

Does anyone have any tips for getting her to take a bottle? I know she took one in the orphanage, but she wants nothing to do with it. She is eating well, but not drinking much at all.

Thanks for all the sweet comments and encouragement. It's like my adoption friends and face to face friends and familyare all meeting each other. I love it!!

Thanks also to Diana for being such an awesome "scribe" as she puts it.

I'll let you know how it goes!

One Day at a Time with Wesleigh Jane!

Well, I have to admit that today wasn't quite as magical as I had hoped. This morning started good. Wesleigh again slept through the night and didn't wake up until 8:00. She was happier this morning, but not thrilled. We had a tour with our guide scheduled which was fine except that it was raining and cold. Our guide insisted we get out and walk though this garden in the rain...great fun! We went to the cloud baroke institute. Jiangsu province is known for their hand woven baroke fabric. It was very interesting and really neat to see the workers hand weaving the fabric. I got a framed piece to put in Wesleigh's room. Our trouble began when our guide took Wesleigh from me because she thought I was tired from holding her. Wesleigh was fine with it...in fact, a little too fine. I got her back but on the bus she was crying and the guide took her from me again. She immediately stopped crying which killed me, although I completely understand that she represents what Wesleigh is familiar with. I am still completely opposite. When I took her back at the hotel, she cried to leave the guide. Not a fun experience.

The good news is that Richard is making great strides with her. He fed her lunch and then put her in bed for a nap. She didn't fight him. When she woke up, he went in and got her, gave her a snack and then brought her into the other room to play. We actually got a few small smiles from her and she stood there on her own. It was fun to see a little of her personality start to show. She is not feeling great. She has a very wet cough so I started the antibiotic a few days ago and am hoping it will get better soon.

When I laid her down tonight she was crying a little so I laid in my bed right beside the crib. She just laid there and stared into my eyes for the longest time. I told her that I loved her and I would never leave her. It was very sweet and I think a very good sign. She is now sleeping, and I will be following her shortly.. I am exhausted!!

Everyday has been better than the last and that's all I can hope for. I know that tomorrow will be better than today. We'll bring Wesleigh's stroller tomorrow so the guide won't want to pick her up. Friday afternoon we will leave here and head to Guangzhou where we will be with our original, wonderful guides. I am looking forward to that.

You can see how absolutely adorable Wesleigh looked today. Kristie...I was told today that I have champagne tastes because her outfit was so soft and it fit her perfect. Everyone got a big kick out of her flower on her hat. I have to say, I totally enjoy making people look twice.

Enjoy the pics. I'm going to bed...Tomorrow will be a great day!

The Magical 3rd Day!

We are about to start our 3rd day. Most mom's who have traveled this road before me say that the 3rd day is the breakthrough day. I have been praying that is the case for us. She is doing good, but definitely is not comfortable with either of us. She totally enjoyed the stroller last night as we walked around town. She would hold her hand up for Cade to hold as we walked. It was totally adorable. We went into a department store and rode the escalators up to the 6th floor. Every time we got on, she would get so excited and make some very sweet sounds. We found another pink phone there since the first one stopped beeping after it got dropped. She hadn't let it out of her sight, so we needed another one. When it stopped making noise, she would hold it up to me and go "uhh". So cute. What i wouldn't have given to be able to fix that stinkin' phone!

We are supposed to go sightseeing today, but it might rain, so who knows. I think, even though she loved the stroller, I might use the carrier instead to have a little more contact.. Our guide keeps telling me "children spoil easy...do not spoil her".. Well, I've got a different opinion than that one, so hopefully we can agree to disagree ;) I am also going to get the boys to pay more attention to their dad than doting on her all day. I want her to see how much they love their dad and that she can trust him to. They will do good with that job. They seem to be willing to do whatever I ask them for her.

Here are a few pics to tide you over...The little boots are what she came in. Are they not the cutest things ever? I love them. Mom...they kind of remind me of the little red and white boots I had when I was little. Also, mom...I wished I had read your comment BEFORE I had makeup on!! Thanks for all the support.

I'll post again tonight and let you know how the day went!

So Far... So Good!

Here we are, the afternoon of Day Two. She had a rough time before bedtime last night and didn't eat or drink at all (except for Gerber puffs and cheerios). I finally laid her down in her bed and she played for about 30 minutes and then went to sleep. Much to my delight, she slept the whole night!! We had an early meeting at the Civil Affairs office, so I had to wake her up. She was NOT happy to see me this morning :) That's alright...we got dressed and went down to breakfast. She ate alot of eggs and congee, so that is progress.

At the Civil affairs office, we had a short interview and signed the paperwork saying we wanted to proceed with the adoption...just try to take her away from me!!! This is also where we gave the orphanage donation. Braden was very curious about what was going on and has lots of questions about the money part. We haven't been able to talk about it yet, but we will. In the eyes of China, Wesleigh is ours! The orphage directors were quite impressed with the boys. Not for anything they did, but because they are all boys!! I'm telling you...I'm quite the bomb here :)

The boys are still fighting over who's going to sit by her and who gets to hold her hand. I'm not letting them feed her yet because I want her to know that Richard and I are the most important :) It also cuts down on more arguing about that too! Overall, they have been amazing. They are all so proud of her and will do anything they can whether it's holding her diaper bag or even backing off when they need to.

After the civil affairs office, we went to the local walmart. We all got a big kick over it. I meant to bring my camera but forgot it in the van. Cade started gagging when we saw the dried chickens hanging. I was worried we might have a problem, but he held it together. While we were there, we got Wesleigh a stroller which my arms greatly thanked me for. She loved it and really started coming out of her shell. She was laughing at the boys and eating Gerber puffs like a pro!

We are now back at the hotel and Richard has taken the boys on a mission for McDonalds! VERY EXCITING!! Wesleigh let Richard feed her some noodles and is now taking a nap. She really is very sweet. Even when she was upset last night, she wasn't screaming, but the tears definitely flow! She wears her bow like a true southern girl and the orphanage directors seemed to get a kick out of it today ;) I don't think I brought enough layers for the liking of the Chinese women. I put Wesleigh in this warm up suit because it's the warmest thing I have. Hopefully, I won't get yelled at! She came in 3 very thick layers, so nothing could compare to that!

This afternoon we're going to do a little sight seeing with the other couple who is with us. It should be alot of fun. I really like this city. It is MUCH different than Beijing. Nanjing is considered the southern capital of China. "Jing" means capital. "Nan" means south. "Bei" means north. So we went from the northern capital to the southern capital. This city has lots of trees and flowers. The climate seems to be similar to ours in Louisiana. I will take some pictures and post them so those classmates can see the difference between the two cities.

I'm going to go clean up these rooms a little. It is hard for 6 people to live in these tight quarters, but we're doing pretty good.