Day 3 and 4 with Pearl

Sorry I haven't written much lately. We spent most of our 3rd day together in the hotel room. It was my turn to feel sick. Pete gave me lots of time to rest and I am feeling a little better today. Mostly, it is a cough and just dealing with the humidity. We have been very fortunate with the weather as the temperatures remain fairly cool and the sun has been screened by clouds. Nevertheless, just going to KFC for dinner can be an exhausting experience with the moisture in the air.

Our hotel is conveniently situated. Within a block are McDonalds, KFC (with a play area), Pizza Hut and lots of fine shopping. Daisy and I took Pearl to a department store to buy some clothes and shoes and Pearl seemed so excited to have things of her own. The store we shopped at was an upscale department store, so the prices were not all that great, but the items we purchased were 50% off (summer clearance), so I got some good discounts.

After 4 days with Pearl, we are still in a honeymoon phase. She is so easily occupied with whatever you give her and she loves to call us "Mama" and "Baba". She smiles a lot and doesn't compete with Chloe for things, although she has a strong understanding of which things are "hers". Chloe has been very good with Pearl as well. She shares and offers affection. She had a bit of a crying fit on the second day, I think mostly to the stress of turning her world upside-down, but she is a trooper and recovers quickly.

When we go places, Pearl requires little intervention, just hold her hand and she happily follows along. Chloe is the opposite. One minute she wants to be held, then ride in the stroller, and then walk. But when Chloe walks, it is never in a straight line, she doesn't like her hand held and she prefers to run, skip or hop. It is a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. With our guide and Daisy, we have 4 adults to 2 toddlers. Pearl requires one adult; Chloe requires 3. It has been so wonderful to have this help.

Today we went to the famous Chengdu Panda Research Station and viewed pandas. One the way there, the driver remarked to our guide that Chloe never stops talking. We all laughed as he was clearly correct. Pearl sat there quietly and Chloe constantly makes noises like a cat, dog and frog. It was amazingly humid and we were sweating profusely, but it was still worth the trip as the girls really enjoyed the pandas. The guide says that Pearl was asking many questions and was very excited. The timing was very fortunate as there are two sets of twin baby pandas on display, a very rare experience. One set was about 3 weeks old and one set was about 2 weeks old. They were in incubators receiving supplemental feedings by staff when we got there. Even the cute red pandas were a source of excitement as they bounded around playfully.

This afternoon we will rest and tonight we go out for dinner. Sorry, we didn't take many pictures lately, we will try to do better tomorrow.

Pictures from Day 2 at the Notary Office

Pearl and Chloe found some toys
Daisy blows bubbles for the girls
Pearl signs the official adoption decree with her hand stamped red

Pictures from our first day together

We have Pearl!

After trying 5 times, I have only managed to post one picture, so you will have to wait until I wake up in the morning and try again.

Wow! What a day today has been. We were prepared for a very tough meeting. Daisy, Pete, Chloe, our guide and I headed off to the Chengdu Childrens' Welfare Institution at 9 AM. Chloe must have sensed something as she was clearly out of sorts this morning. She is still waking up at 4 AM and consequently, so are we. The orphanage is located in the sub-burbs approximately 40 minutes from the center of town where our hotel is. After we passed through the city, we entered a place with very nicely designed high-tech factories by Intel and Motorola, some car manufacturers, and lots of pharmacuetical companies. Just at the end of the road was the orphanage, rather large and attractive as far as orphanages go. Our guide said it was the nicest one she had ever seen. It had been built only 4 years ago.

We entered the orphanage and were quickly escorted into a conference room. In only a moment, in walked Pearl with a timid smile upon her face, clutching the photo album we had sent her only a month ago. She calmly walked up to Pete and called him "Baba" which means Daddy. She then looked at me, smiled and called me "Mama". She is so thin and delicate with such a sweet smile upon her face. She seemed almost eager to see us. Chloe also was very interested in the activities as Pearl looked at her and addressed her as "Mei Mei" (little sister). She was so very proud of her photo album as she could name off each of the people in it and point to her bed in her room.

I was quite surprised by our initial greeting, but less so after I learned that she had never been in foster care (like I had thought), but had rather spent her entire time in the orphanage. If she had been leaving a mother that had cared for her, she would have been seriously grieving. I guess there was a misunderstanding on my part regarding the paperwork and its translation. Pearl seems to be anything but a special needs child. She is perfectly healthy except for some mosquito bites and the tail end of a cold. She was originally diagnosed with a light case of brain paralysis (cerebral palsy), but then she recovered from her symptoms and seems totally fine.

So far, after only one day with strangers (us), Pearl is quiet, yet chatty and inquisitive, calm, curious and compliant. This really made things easy for us today as Chloe was her usual rambunctious self and far more. These girls are like yin and yang. Pearl is thin and at least two inches taller than Chloe. She can wear Chloe's clothes and they are loose on her. I am sure that in time, when she comes out of her shell, she will behave more like the toddler she is. Seeing these new sisters together made me really appreciate Chloe's very unique, crazy, silly, funny and wild personality. Most people in China seem amazed and amused by her antics.

The staff at the orphanage emphasized that Pearl is very clever, a comment that reinforces her description in her medical report. She can speak Chinese fluently, although Daisy sometimes has difficulty with her Sichuan accent. Just watching Pearl color and interact with Daisy gives us the impression that this is one very smart little girl.

Immediately after meeting Pearl, we were shuffled into a larger gathering room with sofas all around the perimeter. There were three other families receiving their children. One of the babies was screaming for dear life and the other two appeared shut down and confused. It was amazing that we received such a calm smiling little girl. After that, we toured the orphanage and grounds and took a picture of Pearl by her old bed. The gardens are very beautiful and there is a brand new track and basketball court in between the playgrounds. Pearl was so excited to show us off to all the staff and other children she met along the way, however, when it was time to get in the car to leave, she became scared and cried. I think she must have expected we were coming to live with her rather than take her away from the only home she has ever known.

Next we went out to Pizza Hut for lunch and Pearl ate very well. Even Chloe ate much more than her usual 3 bites. While we were sitting there, a song began playing over the speakers. It was one of my favorite songs, entitled "Someone to Watch Over Me". Pete said hearing that song and its lyrics nearly caused him to cry. It seemed most appropriate, given our circumstances.

Well, I must get to bed. Sorry, the pictures didn't post, but check later on and I should get them up in the morning (afternoon/evening your USA time).

Tour Summer Palace and Travel to Chengdu

Today was a very nice day. Daisy and her family took us to the Summer Palace in Beijing. It was a beautiful day and we were able to walk all around a very large lake on mostly level ground and in the shade. It was perfect since we had Chloe in her stroller. Daisy's mom insisted on pushing the stroller and Chloe didn't seem to mind. This palace was the vacation home of the emperors and it is the largest (land area) palace in the world. After strolling halfway around the lake, we took a boat (see picture below) out to an island and then walked across a famous bridge and back to the starting point. Most of the place is under restoration for the Olympics, so much of it is inaccessible. We still enjoyed our tour very much. There are a lot of people here today and the crowds are amazing. Watching the people is half the fun of the experience.

Afterward, we got a quick rest and then headed for the airport with Daisy and her uncle to travel to Chengdu. Chloe was very good today, even when she was visably tired. She has been so much fun and is falling in love with Daisy. They are so cute together! Soon, we will have Pearl. Stay tuned.

Summer Palace

Summer Palace Pictures

Beijing Dinner Show

Chloe the drummer

Forbidden City pictures

Daisy's Mom,
Daisy, Pete, Chloe & Lori



Tienanmen Square & Forbidden City Gate

Forbidden City

Wow! This place is awesome. We walked for two hours straight and only saw about half the place before Chloe went into melt-down mode and begged for a nap. It is so large that we walked about a mile through a park and several outer courtyards before we even reached the South gate into the Forbidden City. It is a busy Saturday and the place is very crowded with tourists, mostly Chinese.

Daisy and her mother took us and then hired a private tour guide to walk us around the place and tell us about each of the rooms. It was built in 1406 and completed in 1420, only 14 years, an amazing feat. Many of the buildings have been recently restored and others will be restored before the Olympics. It is incredible to see the detailing in the paintings on these lovely structures.

Daisy and her mother helped out oftentimes pushing Chloe in her stroller or just managing the stroller while Pete or I carried her. The guide told us that a typical day like today sees 40,000 visitors. I only saw 3 other strollers and 2 wheelchairs. I am not sure how someone can carry a toddler for this entire tour.

Tonight we will get a second chance at the dinner theater. We had to cancel out last night as we were not feeling well. It should be quite an experience. Tomorrow afternoon we will get on a plane and travel to Chengdu to meet Pearl, now only two days away.

Some pictures from Beijing

Beihei Park, Beijing

Daisy, Chloe and Mom on the Great Wall of China.

We're in China!

We have had quite the adventure so far. It has been fraught with some amazing challenges and I hope that what lays before us is not as difficult as we have just experienced.

We almost didn't make it to China. Pete had been sick since Sunday and our flight left Tuesday evening at 11:50 pm. It started with flu-like symptoms and a cough and by Monday, he thought he had a bladder infection. He went to the doctor on Monday, they confirmed the infection and prescribed some anti-biotics. Tuesday morning he was in agony and feared he had kidney stones. He went back to the doctor's at 10 am and they did every test possible to diagnose his condition. Stones were ruled out early, but appendicitis was not. That would have required immediate admittance to a hospital. It took 5.5 hours for them to decide that it was a bacterial infection and clear him for travel. He arrived home and we left an hour later for the airport. That was really cutting it close.

When we arrived in Beijing, we were exhausted (and Pete was still very ill). Daisy and her father picked us up at the airport and later that evening took us out to a famous restaurant that serves Peking Duck. They even give you a certificate for the number of the bird you ate. A little hard for Lori, the vegetarian, but when in Rome..............

This morning we went to the Great Wall and rode a cable car halfway up the mountain. Then we walked around a little bit, but didn't climb too far with Chloe. Chloe has done amazingly well so far on this journey. We got some really bad news from home that we cannot share on the internet, but suffice it to say, we are doing all we can to keep our wits and sanity. It is very stressful right now. Pete wasn't well enough to join us for lunch. It was an Emperor's Feast served in a beautiful Palace in Beihei park. Tonight they will take us to a dinner show. It is probably a bit much for us, but they are such gracious hosts and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Daisy's uncle is driving us around today and he has even decided to join us on our trip to Chengdu.

Well, I need a nap, so that's all for now.

Ready to Go

Here is our itinerary thus far:

August 22, 2006 11:50 PM
Depart LAX to Guangzhou to Beijing, arriving at 10:55 AM on August 24, 2006.
August 24-27, 2006
Sight-see in Beijing and visit with Daisy and her parents. Stay at Fujian Hotel.
August 27, 2006
Depart in morning for Chengdu, Sichuan Province, taking Daisy with us. Stay at the Crowne Plaza Holiday Inn.
August 28, 2006
Meet and receive our daughter Pearl
August 29, 2006
Finalize our adoption paperwork - Pearl will be officially ours.
August 30-September 2, 2006
Time for bonding and sightseeing with Pearl as we wait for her Chinese passport.
September 2, 2006
Depart for Guangzhou with Daisy, our final destination. Stay at the White Swan hotel on Shamian Island.
September 4, 2006
Pearl's medical exam
September 5, 2006
US Consulate appointment for Pearl's visa (to travel home)
September 6, 2006
Pick up Pearl's visa and depart Guangzhou at 9 PM for LAX
September 6, 2006, 6:50 PM - same day - arrive in Los Angeles with Pearl and Chloe

***OUR TA IS HERE!!!!*****

For those that don't know what TA is, it is short for Travel Approval from the People's Republic of China. It is an invitation letter to come get our daughter. We are half packed and ready to go. We have tentative travel dates of August 23rd-Sept 6th with a Forever Family Day of August 28th. That means we leave in only 3 weeks.

WOO HOO!!!! Can you hear us?