One Month!

Hello All and belated Merry Christmas,
Tomorrow it will have been a month since Mary and I met Marie Ling in a sparcely decorated office at the Civil Affairs Office in Xi'an, China! A month! I can hardly believe it. I have been tired so much of the month, a lot of it seems to run together. Though most days it seems we take two steps forward and one step back, in the big picture our little lady is making progress.

Our first week home was really an excercise in survival. We were all tired as it took Marie Ling over a week to sleep through the night. Additionally, our days felt as if they were endurance tests. Marie Ling had to explore everything, test everything and challenge everyone. Fortunately, I had two snow days, Mike had one and Matthias and Magdalena were off Thursday and Friday. Friday we ventured to the eye doctor with a man from China who is a visiting teacher at Nativity School here in town. Kyle was most helpful; sadly, our little one was only partially cooperative. We did manage to get  a prescription and ordered glasses. One week after arriving home we recieved a nice present in the form of two silly girls dancing and giggling in Magdalena's room while Dad caught the whole thing on tape, so no one could deny it had happened!

Week two started with a very long visit to the International Adoption Center at our own Cincinnati Children's Hospital. We met with a nurse, a social worker, an occupational therapist, a nurse practitioner and the doctor! Fortunately, an interpreterwas with us during the whole process and we checked our girl from head to toe! As anticipated, she is developmentally not quite up to her age level, yet she shows great aptitude for learning and for being incredibly flexible! She is healthy and strong. She and I returned to the hospital on Tuesday for a few x-rays and some bloodwork. Thank God and "all ye mothers in heaven" she was cooperative for both!

Marie Ling has now had four English lessons. Since the service we hired and the teacher are unaccustomed to working with strong willed eight year olds, the lessons have been less than 100% successful. Nonetheless, we do think Marie Ling is understanding more and more English. Of course, she understands more than she speaks and we use our hand held translator for giving direct information about where we are going or what something is used for. She lacks the patience to look long at a book or use flashcards cards of any sort though I have tried many! We picked up her new glasses on the 23rd and she did seem a bit awestruck for a while. Most of the time she is willing to keep the glasses on her face. I just hope they survive her active and less than gentle manner!

On Christmas Eve Marie Ling shared in her first liturgy with us! We went to St. Xavier for their family mass which was much less crowed and much shorter than our parish liturgies would have been. We went prepared with coloring books, snacks, etc. and were surprised and grateful at how well she did. She even sat with Magdalena and our friend Len while Mike, Matthias and participated in the procession and the recessional.

On Christmas Day and again on the 26th we drove up and back to Springfield to spend time with my family. Considering that there were 23 people in the house whom she had never met, Marie Ling did very well. We avoided all out meltdowns and no one would say she was shy or intimidated by the situation. More often we had to stop her from running and remind her to use a quiet voice. There will be no wallflowers at the Meyer house!

Friends and family have showered Marie Ling with presents. For the most part, each time there was gift giving she waited patiently for her turn and said thank you for each gift she received. This is all rather astounding given that at the orphanage clothes and toys were all communal property. She did pile her things neatly away from others and was sure to take everything of hers to her room right away. I think most of us would do the same had we never had things of our own before. I just hope that the generosity of the holidays have not created a monster of expectation.

We are slowly creating boundaries, establishing relationships, building vocabulary and learning manners appropriate to American culture. A couple of nights ago, Marie Ling asked for Mike to lie down with her at bedtime and today she asked repeatedly for Magdalena to go out for a bike ride with her and Dad. She squeals in delight when Matthias gives her piggyback rides. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as this family building is bound to be a long process. More soon.
Michelle

12 -15-2010 Day four at home.

Hello from Loveland,
The last four days seem like a blur. I still feel somewhat lightheaded or disoriented at times from the jetlag. Mike, Marie Ling and I have yet to sleep through the night and we are all working on survival mode. I started back to work yesterday after Moeller had a snow day on Monday. I can't say I have been terribly productive at work, but I am grateful for a break from the intensity of being with Marie Ling as this is a really stressful time for her. Also, while I am away from home Mike is getting time to bond with Marie Ling and that is very important. Once we are all home for Christmas break, there will be very little time for one on one connections.

We scheduled an appointment with an eye doctor for Friday afternoon 12/17 to get a prescription for glasses. I want our little one to be able to see as well as she can even though it is likely to be  February by the time we see the opthamologist and get surgery scheduled for her wandering left eye. I also set up for her to have six sessions with a private tutor to give her a boost on learning English. She will start school at Loveland the second week of January and receive some English as a Second Language services then. I am hoping a few lessons will help to make these first few weeks less frustrating for all of us. Her first lesson is Friday morning.

This afternoon we went to the home of some friends from St. Margaret of York. They graciously agreed to let us take some pictures in front of their Christmas tree since we have yet to put up any decorations muchless a tree. Thanks McConnells! Maybe this weekend we will get started on such things...right now I am just too tired! Please keep praying for all of us. Marie Ling has had a lot of tears in the last 24-36 hours, some tears of anger and some tears of sadness. It is easy to understand why she is crying given all that she has lost and all that is new to her. May each day bring her a bit more peace and an increasing sense of security and may each night bring her a longer nights sleep!

Michelle

Welcome Home! December 12, 2010 Cincinnati

Hello from Cincinnati!
We made it home just ahead of a snowstorm. The other WACAP family who travelled to Detroit with us was headed for Green Bay, WI. After sitting on the tarmack for nearly two hours, they started their 90 minute ride to Green Bay only to be turned back to Detroit after 45 minutes. They are stuck in Detroit without luggage and won't be able to head to home until MONDAY afternoon! Say an extra prayer for Lisa, Bill, their daughter Kelsey and their new daughter Lily who just turned three.

All said and done, we were in route for just over 25 hours! I got up at 4:00 am, and we had a 2 and a half hour drive to Hong Kong including a border stop where we had to receive a visa to enter (though HK is part of China right!) We took off about 10:40 am and were in the air just over 15 hours! Considering the length of the flight and the inability to move around our little one did very well on the trip. thank you Aunt Mary for your willingness to hold little feet and be kicked occasionally when Marie Ling had her head on my lap. Thank God the Boeing 777 has individual video screens and Delta provides many movies, TV programs and games - even a few that kept Marie Ling's attention! When we arrived in Detroit we had less than two hours to make her citizenship finalized, go through immigration, through customs, recheck our luggage and go through security one more time. We ended up running to our gate only to be delayed in bording and delayed more before takeoff. Nonetheless, we made it home in one piece with our luggage and three tired bodies. My Aunt Sally, our friends Patty and Paul and Len joined Mike and the kids in welcoming us home.

I could barely stay awake until 8:00 pm. ML and I crashed and my gracious husband let me sleep through. Mike tells me Marie Ling was awake much of the night; I slept until 5:00 am.  You know it is going to be a long day when by 8:30 am you have watched nearly an hour of Seasame Street, colored several pictures in a coloring book, and you have made and eaten a hot breakfast.

Overall, Marie Ling is doing well given that she has now been home a whole thirty hours. She understands who is in the family and understands bits and pieces of English related to daily activities such as eating, bathing and using the bathroom. The exception is that she still has the Chinese habit of putting wet toilet paper in a trashcan instead of the toilet! She and Magdalena giggled a hundred times today which helped the time pass. We just need to convince Magda not to laugh when Marie Ling is doing something irritating or inappropriate. At this point, Magda just finds ML a riot to watch and ML loves the audience. Poor Matthias is not sure what has hit him. I think he is taken aback by how immature ML's behavior is at this point.  Mike reminds him that this is a process and she has only been with us for hours not days, weeks or months.

I will try to post messages every few days for the next few weeks, so that if you want to you can see how we manage Marie Ling's first weeks in the states and the holidays. Thanks for your continued prayers. Please keep them coming. These are intense, exhausting days.

Peace,
Michelle

Two pictures from the airport. Yeah, we are home!

Almost Home

December 10, 2010  Last posting from Guangzhou (Canton) in China!

Hello one last time from our hotel room in Guangzhou.

There was absolutely nothing scheduled today so they day has crept by. We set up two "playdates" with Maddie, Rachel's 7 year old daughter. This mornng Mary and I took Marie Ling, Maddie and her new little brother Yuting (Christian) to the playroom for over an hour so Rachel had time to do some packing and take a bath in peace. This afternoon Mary and Rachel are with the kids so I could have time to pack and be prepared for the last leg of our Chinese odessey. I have done all I can do to be prepared for tomorrow including packing some chewable benedryl for our little lady on the plane!  I have saved a couple new coloring books and actvities so she has some new things to entertain her on the 14.5 hour flight from Hong Kong to Detroit. Pray hard that she is cooperative and that the snow predicted in Ohio and Michigan come after we get home.

One family left at the crack of dawn this morning and another will leave the hotel within the hour. Before the Smith family headed to Beijing and on to Walla Walla, WA I took Marie Ling down to their room to talk with Ellie for a few minutes. Ellie as I have said before was adopted from China last year and still speaks mandarin. Together we looked at a few family pictures. I am trying to prepare Marie Ling as much as I can for meeting the rest of the family and Mowgli the family dog. I have seen mixed reactions from her to dogs here in China. Having pet dogs seems much more common here in Guangzhou than it did in Xi'an. Ellie and her mom told us that most Chinese people have a strong bias against those with dark skin. I wanted to make sure that Marie Ling knows that Matthias and Magdalena are darker than Mike and I because they too are adopted from another country. I question strongly her knowledge of global geography, but thought the fewer surprises she has the better. We sent a care package to her in September and I was pleased to learn that she received it and was allowed to look at it right away. Thus she has seen pictures of the family for a few months. Understandably, at this point, she is much more interested in looking at the few pictures that she brought from the orphanage than she is inn looking at the photos I brought with me.

There is but one step remaining in this endless process of jumping through hoops; this afternoon our guide is to go back to the consulate to pick up our children's passports with a visa to enter the US pasted into each. When I see Elsie to get the passport and visa, I have a list of things I am going to ask her to talk with Marie Ling about: 1. getting up in time to be in the hotel lobby at 5:30, 2. a 3 hour drive to Hong Kong, 3. a long plane ride followed by a second shorter flight, 4. not kicking the seat of the person in front of her, 5. not screaming out on the plane and 6. the fact that the long plane ride  will include a night of sleep. Do you think one little girl can remember all of that?  If this whole trip is comparable to labor, the flight home must be likened to the actual delivery. The poor little thing has so much new being thrown at her; it is amazing she is doing as well as she is.  This morning she cried sad tears, not angry ones, for about twenty minutes. She did not want to be held. I simply sat next to her and rubbed her back gently. For months I longed to come to China and to meet our new daughter. Now I long for the day when we can communicate easily with each other. Thank God her capacity to learn English is much better than mine is for learning Mandarin. Thanks again for all the prayers and support!

A belated birthday wish goes to my cousin Cece and a special Birthday hug is sent to our nephew Liam in Alexandria, VA!

More when we are on American soil! 

Almost home!

December 9, 2010 Second to last day in Guangzhou

It is Thursday afternoon here and folks in our group are all beginning to turn their attention toward the trip home. We have seen many other adoptive families and met others from all over the states, Finland and I think Great Britian. The first of our five families leaves early tomorrow morning. That is the family from near Seattle who have been with us most of our journey. The Blunts adopted Sophia Grace who is just under two and has what they believe to be a healed heart condition. Their 16 year old daughter is with them and they have three more at home including two young boys adopted from Russia. Another family the Smiths leave Friday evening. Patty the mom came with 13 year biological son and a 15 year old whom they adopted from China last year. This time they adopted a 13 year old male friend of the 15 year old girl. At home they have one biological daughter and two more Chinese teens. Patty and her husband will have six teenagers! The other two families the Madsens and the Estes will travel with us Saturday morning via van to the Hong Kong airport Saturdday morning. The Madsens are on the same flight we are to Detroit. The Estes go Hong Kong to NYC and then on to CT.

Today we visited a Pearl and Jade market. In American terms, it was a big mall five or six floors with an open center and shoppes around all sides. The amazing thing is that the whole place was full of jewlery, beads, and stones of every variety. It amazes me that all these shops are in one place. I would think the competition would make it not very profitable. The guide says they do a lot of wholesale buying and selling, so I guess we walking customers are not their primary source of income. We went to a jade factory and museum in Beijing, so Mary and I focused on looking at pearls and other non-jade things. I bought some lurma jasper beads with which we could make some necklaces ( I admit I have never heard of lurma jasper, but the beads are pretty and the price was reasonable). 

Next we visited Liuhua Park, a park which also turned out to be a mini amusement park for kids. The park and lake were lovely and full of flowers and flowering trees and Marie Ling enjoyed riding a couple of rides with her new friend Madison. In the playground area (which cost a dollar a family to get in) must have had a dozen different rides that spin or twist in some way  - think merry-go-round with seats or pedals or animal shapes. The girls loved it!

After a bite of lunch across the street from the hotel at McDonalds we are having some down time in the room. We put on a DVD we purchased here and it is full of children's songs. Marie Ling danced around the room for at least a half and hour. She was having a great time and obviously is no stranger to dancing. Like Mary said, it is great to know a few things that "tame the savage beast". She sang with a few of the songs and adjusted her dancing to different tempos and what I assume are different messaes in the songs.

There is nothing scheduled for tomorrow other than packing. It could be a very long day! I keep thinking about things I want and need to do when I get home. I hope I can find another family or two in the Cincinnati area who have brought home an older child from China recently. I have really enjoyed meeting other adoptive families. We met a dad at the medical examination who had a nine year old and they live in Indianapolis. Another family we met with an older girl is from Buffalo. Across town would be so much easier. Having a child who can speak and who is bringing home a history of memories is so different than bringing home a little one. I think of how different it was bringing home Matthias and Magdalena. We just went to the airport to pick up Matthias and Magda was only nine months old so the trip to Calcutta was more of a cultual experience for us than her. The other big difference is that we were the only famliy adopting from that agency in Calcutta at that time. Here we see other adoptive families everywhere. Anyway I try to process it, this two week journey has been a strange version of a visit to a labor and delivery room. It is like no other maternity ward I have seen....

Until later,

Michelle

It's Official!

December 8, 2010 Wednesday in Guangzhou

We are official now! I did the oath taking ceremony at about 3:15 today at the American Consulate. How appropriate on this feast of Mary! Now when we land in Detroit on our way home and Marie Ling gets her passport stamped she officially becomes an American citizen!!!!!!!!! Actually, the consulate here is the fourth busiest visa and passport processing consulate in the world. Today my oath simply said that the paperwork we submitted was complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and ability. Thirty-three families took the oath at the same time! Brook,the consulate official told us that about 66% of the adoptions from China this year were for special needs children!

When we returned to the hotel four of the five families met to take pictures with their little ones in traditional Chinese attire; yes, I bought a dress for Marie Ling. She chose hot pink instead of the more traditional red (that's my girl! already challenging the status quo!). After pictures, we ran upstairs to change clothes, so that we could go for a few minutes to the room of Lillian Grace Madsen who turned three today! Her parents were hosting a little party in her honor. The Madsens of Green Bay, WI have a 19 year old son at home, a thirteen year old daughter with them and have just adopted Lily who has Down Syndrome. I am impressed with their willingness to take on that lifelong commitment! Both are teachers. You have just got to love educators!

This evening a handful of us went on a riverboat dinner cruise on the Pearl River which runs through the city. The views of the city and all its lights were fantastic. The food was varied and passable. The near stampede for the buffet line was just down right rude! Our guide went with us which made the meal easier with Marie Ling. We got back to the hotel about the time we have been having lights out so I was nervous about bedtime, but she must have been tired. She was out, with me next to her her in about 15 minutes!

Three times now Marie Ling has played with Madison a seven year old sister of a little boy adopted this week. I have been most pleased to see the two girls play together in the playroom, on the slides and while riding on the bus. I think the two could color next to each other for hours! It is a relief that playing with a non Chinese friend does not seem an issue and on several occasions Marie Ling has helped or engaged Christian the 2 and 1/2 year old little brother. Madison is her mother Rachel's only companion on this journey to pick up Christian! Again, I am so grateful for my dear sister Mary's willingness to accompany me on this adventure.

Here is a special hello to those of you at St.Xavier and HCESC who are following along and to my dear cousins - you members of the Cousins Cozy! Thanks cousin Cece for assembling all the squares into a quilt for Marie Ling. Mike said it looks great and he is to pick it up from the quilting shop on Saturday morning. Thanks also to Jeanie, Gail, Paul and Brother at Moeller for all your support and help surrounding my adventure to China.Only two more days and we will be on our way to Hong Kong to catch our flight home.Yeah!!!!

More soon,

Michelle 

December 7, 2010

Hello Again from Guangzhou,

Mary and I are on our count down.Today and Thursday are really filler days with nothing official to do and sight seeing the only things on the itinerary. Tomorrow morning our guide goes to the consulate for our official appointment and then we go in the afternoon for our "oath taking ceremony". I have one skirt with me for Marie Ling, so she will look especially spiffy for our big day.

Last evening we received a miracle direct from heaven via the intercession of Our Lady and Marie Agnes my mom. Every night since we have met her, bedtime with Marie Ling has included crying, screaming and kicking like a two year old. I decided to try another approach. I explained our situation to Elsie our guide and she said to call her at bedtime. When she came to our room I asked her to tell Marie Ling that I want to treat her like the big girl that she is, but each bedtime she has been acting like a baby or a two year old. Elsie shared my message and I told her I would lie in my bed next to her.  Elise's words worked like a charm. She went in and got into bed, I gave her a kiss and I got in mine next to her. Once she "asked" me to get in bed with her which I declined though I held her hand. She went to sleep without one kick or one scream! Pray hard that this continues. I am happy to comfort and reassure her, but the screaming and kicking for 40 minutes each night I can do without!

Today we visited two points of interest, Memorial Hall and the Five Goats Statue. Memorial Hall is actually named after the man our guide likened to our George Washington. He led the revolt against the last dynasty in 1911. The hall seats thousands and is used for governmental meetings and concerts. It was built in 1929 four years after their founding father died. A big statue of him adorns the large garden outside.

Our second stop was at a big park that includes the Five Goats Statue. The local legend says that during a famine in the region five fairies came on the backs of five goats to bring rice seeds to the people. I guess it is a symbol of prosperity and assurance that the people will never again be hungry. We took a group picture in front of the statue and eight or ten Chinese folks took a picture of us, too. I guess we are quite a spectacle since we are five family groups each with a Chinese child!

This afternoon Rachel, another adoptive mom, her seven year old and her new 2 1/2 year old, Marie Ling and I found a playroom here in the hotel complex. A galloping pony like one would see at the front of Meijer's or Walmart, some rocking toys and bowling pins entertained three kids for over an hour! Rachel and I were delighted to have them in a confined safe space and have an opportunity to have casual mom talk. I just know Mary hated having an hour and a half to herself in our room!

I am not feeling up to par today; I will gladly go kerplunk with my new daughter should she allow it! Oh yea, every store, hotel and restaurant has Christmas music playing. It is rather strange to hear so out of context; I am trying to let it help me get into the Christmas spirit! More soon.

Michelle

Guangshou

Hello Again from Guangzhou,

We are enjoying a few hours of down time in our hotel room and loving it. Our guide helped me to find a Chinese cartoon on a DVD, so Marie Ling is in hog heaven sitting on Mary's bed with a computer on her lap. I am delighted not to be fighting the mass of humanity on the street and not needing to be on constant vigilance with our girl. Each day gets a little easier. Getting more sleep at night has been a huge help and each day she seems to know a little bit more of what to expect from us. Marie Ling seems to vacillate with the moment of wanting us close and pushing us away. One minute she is full of hugs and the next she is defiant and full of vocal outbursts. I've asked our Chinese guide what she is saying in these outbursts and it seems they don't really mean anything. Translation = I am frustrated that I cannot communicate with you!

Trying to be brave and appreciate the local culture, the three of us ventured to a Cantonese restaurant on Saturday night. Among the bizarre and unrecognizable things on the menu, we managed to find a shrimp curry and a chicken dish we agreed to try. The shrimp came with everything but the head and the chicken was primarily skin and gristle! Mary and I both wanted to puke and ended up laughing through much of our less than pleasant meal. Marie Ling was oblivious to our disdain for the meal and was quite content with me peeling shrimp for her (see picture!)

Sunday we visited a place that was part amusement park, part zoo and part driving safari. We did not buy the ticket for the amusement park, but waited in line for 20 minutes to go on a tractor pulled train ride through the driving safari. They had a great number of and a large variety of animals. If it had not been for the exhaust of the passing buses and cars and our compassion for the animals, we could say it was a treat. I am afraid Marie Ling could not see a lot of the animals because of how far they were from us. I just cannot imagine what it has been like to go through eight years not being able to see far or see clearly. The world will burst open before her when she has surgery and gets glasses! After the "train ride" we walked around, visited the animal nursery and attended both an elephant show and a white tiger show. Both were packed; I would guess the tiger arena held four or five thousand people who all entered and exited through one 12 foot path! The elephant show included six elephants. We wiggled our way right up front and Marie Ling apparently could see because she laughed heartily at several of the stunts. She was much more subdued during the tiger show. She was interested but leery about these fifteen huge animals!

Late this morning we returned to the island right near Guangzhou where we had our medical exams on Saturday. Fortunately, every child in the group had a negative response to the TB shot each received on Saturday. I was quietly very relieved as she has been coughing since we met her. Of course, she coughed a lot when she had her eyes examined and the doctor took note. At that doctor's recommendation, we started her on an antibiotic two nights ago.

After the medical check we did a little shopping and bought her a traditional Chinese dress. I succumbed to peer pressure and also bought her a tee shirt that says "Made in China"!

Thanks to all for your continued support and prayers. Each time I skype with Mike he tells me folks are calling, stopping him at school or at church or emailing him to see how things are going and to say they are following along on our blog. Though we tried our hardest to get it all set before we left, I am not able to see the blog. It is conveniently blocked! So if you have posted something in response, Mike and the kids can enjoy it and I will see it when I get home. Right now I email Mike and he posts the entry for me. Thanks again and Happy St. Nicholas Day from Guangzhou.

Michelle

Relaxing with Aunt Mary

Mom and me at the zoo!

Shrimp is good!

Eye Exam.

I love you mom!

Guangzhou

___________________________________________________________________________________________ 

December 4, 2010 First full day in Guangzhou

 

My days are running together. Today is our first full day in Guangzhou. Yesterday we travelled from Xi'an to Guangzhou. Marie Ling was apprehensive and excited about her first flight. She fought sleep the whole flight and of course fell asleep about ten minutes before we landed. The landing scared her and she screamed out. Fortunately, the moment came and went quickly. Elsie, our guide here has already earned my vote of confidence because even in the car from the airport she did not hesitate to speak to Marie Ling about appropriate behavior. What a blessing!

 

Our last day in Xi'an included two highlights a visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and a cultural show of music and dancing. The pagoda was built to house the translations of Buddhist writings done by the city favored son - a monk who travelled across China and to India and Pakistan hundreds of years ago. The pagoda is a part of a much larger complex that is the imperial temple. A significant emperor from the Tang dynasty built the temple in honor of his mother. The temple included many impressive statues of Buddha.

 

Our guide then took us to a local diner that he said had good food and was much cheaper than the food at the dinner/theater. Our dinner came and was a large bowl of chopped up "pancakes", rice noodles and beef with broth and a few vegetables. It was quite tasty and so filling. I could not eat the whole bowl (at least four cups) and Marie Ling chowed and ate the whole thing! She must have a hollow leg! I think their food is not as rich as ours so they often eat a lot of it; most dishes are a lot of noodles, rice or "pancakes".

 

The cultural show included seven or eight separate performances. Some were dancing with music and some were musicians only. I loved the colorful ribbon dance and found the instrumental group of six men most entertaining. They played drums, cymbals and something like a xylophone. My favorite though was the guy who played something like a trumpet and a whistle held inside his mouth. We all laughed out loud.

 

Here in Guangzhou we are staying at the Garden Hotel, by far the fanciest hotel in which I have ever stayed. We have two rooms which is a great blessing, so all three of us need not go to sleep and wake up at the same time. We are on the 14th floor and have a great view of this big city (about 13,000,000!) there is a strong British influence here and this is by far the most modern city we have visited (though they may tell you it is Beijing!).

 

Their are five families here who have worked with WACAP, our adoption agency in Seattle. Their are two families from Washington, one each from Wisconsin and Conniticut and us. The family from Walla Walla, WA is adopting a 13 year old boy who is a friend of the 15 year old girl whom they adopted last year. The 15 year old still speaks Chinese so she is a great help to have around. I think Marie Ling is growing more frustrated with her inability to communicate openly with us, so having Elsie and this 15 year old around is sooooooo helpful.

 

Today we went for our TB shot and the medical examination. Apparently, Marie Ling's vision is very poor. One examiner led us to the next and a doctor fitted her with the "glasses" one gets during an exam and she still did poorly. Her two eyes are definitely not working together at this point. We will need to see a pediatric opthamologist in Cincinnati right away. The site for the examinations was PACKED with Caucasians, mostly Americans. I think we went to six different stations and Marie Ling was a real trooper through it all. She did not shed a tear during the shot and did not seem to mind the "cattle call" like environment. I was relieved when it was over. One doctor seemed concerned about her cough; another parent had prepped me to play it down so as not to draw attention to it. We did not want to need a chest x-ray!

 

This is more than enough for today. More soon.

Michelle, a mother of three! with Aunt Mary and Marie Ling.

 

 

 

 

December 3

We had a chance to go to Marie Ling's orphanage and school before we left Xi'an.  Here are pictures of Marie Ling saying good bye to her teacher, with some the children in the orphanage, showing me her bedroom, and Dancing with the Stars.

Happy December

December 1, 2010 Xi'an City

Wow each day feels so full!

Monday - Met Marie Ling in the morning and spent the afternoon together including a walk to the supermarket. Dinner with the other daopting family at a Cantonese resturant. They had some wild things on the menu including duck feet, intestines of either a pig or cow and Mary swears she saw rat, too!

Tuesday - Another full day. Went to the Civil Affairs office to process the adption at the local level. The official was not pleased with the power of attorney letter I brought. It was notarized locally, authenticated at the state level and certified at the federal level in washington. He says it was then to have been approved by the Chinese government. Ours was not so it has taken a few extra steps. Our guide, Tom assures me that it will work out and we will have her passport for departure to Guangzhou on Friday. We were at the office for 2 1/2 hours in the morning and then went to the passport office for her to get a picture taken in the afternoon. Last night we visited the "Muslim Bazaar" and saw the drum tower and bell tower from which they gave the people time markers in the ancient times. Later, with the help of our guide, we ordered and feasted on plates of dumplings. Yum, yum.

Wednesday-  We had two big adventures today. First we drove about an hour to see the Terra Cotta Warriors. They were amazing! Three "pits" hold a total of over seven thousand warriors intended to protect the First Emperor of the Chin Dynasty who is buried about a half mile away. Each soldier is unique. Most were damaged and reconstructed, but it is incredible to see this huge place larger than four football fields full of rows and rows of them. The adults in the crowd could have spent much longer learning about the place and how the warriors were made, but our little one became bored and tired of hearing people babble in English around a big hole in the dirt. Thank God for the concession stand on the way out which helped distract her from her foul mood. It is clear that when she has had enough she has HAD ENOUGH!!!!

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the orphanage where Marie Ling has been for the past few years. It was a very pleasant experience and the visit did wonders to relieve the fears that have been racing through my mind since we recieved her referral in January. The "Pink Castle" as the orphange is known in adoption circles included three large buidings and a playground full of swings, multiple climbing structures and even a trampoline! We saw the classroom and the dormitory where she stayed as a little one and the dormitory she stayed in recently when she moved up to the first grade. The dormitory for young ones was neat and orderly with sixteen "seven dwarf" sized beds. The dormitory she moved into in September held two sets of bunk beds. Marie Ling was excited to show me everything and to introduce me to her teachers and caretakers.She danced with her classmates to the tune of This Old Man (the teacher said the song was about a rat!) She shared her candy with a couple of her friends and hopped up on her bed for a picture. I was afraid the visit would upset her and we would leave reluctantly and with tears. Neither was the case; I can't think of how the whole experience could have  been more positive and I am so grateful to have a view into what her life has been like the past few years.

More soon.

Michelle