It's Been Awhile!

A few random pictures...

Happy New Year Greetings! These statues are in all the restaurants now, the excitement is building to a fever-pitch for the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year)!

My pouty girl!

Home sweet home...Room 8304 at the Victory Hotel

Brides are everywhere on beautiful Shamian Island...this couple from Miami took a break from thier picture shoot to pose for us

Sorry I haven't posted more...it's hard when you're basically a "one-woman" show! Kaelie and I are doing great except for a little chest cold which has spread pretty rampantly among our travel group. It wouldn't be so bad except for the coughing at night! I have some Tylenol cold for me but it is basically for a head cold. I'm hoping to find something for a chest cold among our group today.

On Sunday, we attended the Chinese/English service at the Christ Church on Shamian Island. What an experience! The message was a beautiful sermon entitled "The Assurance of our Hope" from First Corinithians.

After lunch, we filled a bus and a van and headed out for an afternoon at the zoo!

Pomerianians on display!

A girl has to primp for an important photo shoot, right? Kaelie LOVES taking a bath!

All ready to go...it's time for the red couch photos!

Panda sisters...Kaelie, Lauren, and Giorgia with their sweet moms Stephe, Donna, and me

Jill and Mary Elizabeth, me with Kaelie, and Kathy with Sierra

My angel :>)

Six sweet babies pose, and another is very unhappy...guess who!

Look at that cheeky grin!

Red couch nap!

Ray and Leslie celebrate their daughter Isabela's first birthday! We had a get-together on the M floor in the lobby with cake and fellowship and sad good-byes

The hotel staff always coo over Kaelie...here, before the birthday party

Our group of 15 is now a group of 7! The 8 families who traveled to other provinces (besides Guangdong) all got off this morning for home. And in 24 hours, Kaelie and I will be heading east! I think in all it will take us about 27 hours to from Guangzhou to Jacksonville. I can't wait to see all my guys and show them their beautiful daughter and sister! I love you all so much!

So, what have we been up to? SHOPPING, a "quick" trip to the consulate to re-do our vaccination affidavit, an outing to the Guangzhou zoo, shopping for pearls at the pearl market, and more SHOPPING! We've had a great time here and the only thing that would have made it better would have been to have the rest of my family here.

Quick Post - Medical Exam - January 17

My sweet Kaelie has turned into a "hold-me" baby, so this is going to be a quick post. I'll try to fill in more later.

Yesterday (January 17) we had the medical check-up and visa photo. It took Kaelie three tries to get a good visa photo, as she was more interested in touching the seat than looking at the camera.

We had a little scare at the medical exam yesterday. One of her chicken pox scabs had festered up, and the doctors said it looked like a new one. I was freaking out! Thank goodness for my sweet hubby David, whom I called after I rushed back to the hotel. His reassuring words really calmed me down. David suggested some triple antibiotic ointment and reminded me that if she was having a relapse, Kaelie would have more than one blister and a fever.

Thankfully, this morning, after the Neosporin, it is a little pink but no yellow pus! I think it might leave a scar but this one is on her stomach so it won't show.

Visa Photo Shop

Clinic

Temperature and measurements: 19 pounds and 28 inches!

Two doctors consult about the blister on Kaelie's tummy, while I try to stay calm and keep Kaelie calm as well. I was nearly in tears!

Sightseeing Day!

Yesterday (January 15) was a sightseeing day for our little happy adoption group. We boarded the bus, then headed into the heart of Guangzhou to visit the ancestral temple of the Family Chen. It was a beautiful structure with elaborate architecture. I'll have to tell you more about it when my brain comes out of this fuzz!

The H family and the S family while we wait for the bus (Victory Hotel lobby)

Stephe and Karen with Precious Panda beauties Giorgia and Kaelie

Following the culture and tradition of Chinese mothers and grandmothers, I always try to make sure Kaelie is clothed properly for the weather!

Gargoyles warding off evil spirits (Family Chen temple)

Preservation work at the Family Chen temple. Note the bamboo scaffolding...

Ceramics on display at the Family Chen temple (I believe these are on loan from the Guangzhou Folk Arts Museum)

Kaelie enjoying a bottle in the garden of the temple

Sculpture in the garden of the Family Chen Temple

Next our group made their way to the Yuntai Botanical Garden. What a sight to behold. This was very reminicient of Callaway Gardens (for you Georgia folks!). It was filled with fountains and all different kinds of plants and flowers, familiar ones (like petunias and roses) to ones I had had never seen before.

Kaelie and Karen

Giant jug given by Germany

Water Wheel

Kaelie amongst the roses

Roman columns and fountains

Unusually shaped and sculptured tree

I must say here that our wonderful agency has arranged for us to eat at some beautiful and delicious restaurants. Allison has been terrific at ordering the food, and there's hardly anything that I won't eat! I'm so glad that I've practiced with chopsticks over the past few years, it has really paid off! We ate at a wonderful restaurant today near the botanical garden.

After our sightseeing was over, we came back to the hotel to rest. Kaelie and I walked down the street to Michael's Place to drop off our laundry, and I found a stroller suitable for bringing home. I really think that I'm going to need it, especially for the long, six-hour layover in Detroit.

After some shopping, we headed out to the Cow and Bridge, a Thai restaurant, where I ordered the sweet and sour chicken with cashew nuts. Delicious!!!!

Sweet Kaelie girl

Donna, Stephe, Chrissy

A Beautiful Day in China! January 14, 2009

Good morning from Guangzhou!

Kaelie and I called it a day and turned in early last night, around 6:30 pm. We had a great day but we were both totally exhausted.

We had most of the day free, so we spent the day exploring Shaiman Island. This is a beautiful part of the city. Everywhere brides and grooms were having their wedding pictures made, the streets were quiet except for the occasional honking of a car horn, and the people were just so friendly.

My travel group has been so kind to allow me to hang around with them. Yesterday, Donna, Joe, and I went for a stroll around the island. We wandered into Jenny's Place. This is a beautiful little shop right around the corner from the hotel entrance. Jenny is so sweet and kind. I bought Kaelie two outfits and a pair of squeaky shoes. I see more squeaky shoes in my near future, as Kaelie isn't walking yet and I KNOW that she will love to squeak around once she is going everywhere. She loves toys that make noise, and I bought here a traditional drum toy in Jenny's as well. Jenny also gave me a rattle with jingle bells on it, Kaelie loves that too.

We wandered on down the street to another shop called Susan's Place. Susan's does same-day laundry, so I might be wandering back down there later today. I bought Shelby and Jeremy beautiful matching traditional Chinese outfits, and I bought Kaelie two winter outfits here. In China, it is very important to bundle and wrap the babies appropriately, so they won't be cold. The children are accustomed to being very warm.

Next, we strolled down the avenue and wandered past the Polish consulate and several former consulates, including the American and German consulates. We made it the beautiful White Swan hotel, where many adoptive families also stay for their adoption trips. We've heard, though, that the White Swan is much more expensive than the Victory, and the rooms are smaller and not as comfortable. The lobby of the White Swan is beautiful, and we found the Mattel play room. Stephe, Chrissy, and Giorgia were already there, so they let us in and we played with the girls.

Lunch at Lucy's was next. By this time Kaelie was taking a great nap! I had the grilled cheese sandwich and American-style fries, and it was a great taste of home! I didn't know grilled cheese could taste so good!

At 3:00 pm, we boarded the bus and headed out to make our applications for our daughters' passports. We received our adoption certificates and also received a VERY IMPORTANT paper for the consulate. Allison said, "Keep it well." The appointment went very quickly, and on the way home, Allison explained that she ordered pizza from Papa John's for dinner. It was so good! Then, off to bed for a happy mama and sweet, sweet baby!

Gotta run, baby wants a bottle and dry diaper!

Love to all, Karen

Jenny and Karen

Donna, Jenny, Karen

Kaelie in the stroller

Lauren and Kaelie

Beautiful Baiyun Trees are all around Shaiman Island

Donna in the lobby of the White Swan

Precious Panda Sisters in the Swan Room...Karen and Kaelie, Stephe and Giorgia, Joe, Donna, and Lauren

Happy Girl!

Kaelie loves balls, but she needs to pick on one her own size! :>)

Donna, Joe, and Lauren at Lucy's for lunch

Princess Giorgia

Joe and Lauren