Last post from Guangzhou!

We leave tomorrow morning -- being picked up at hotel at 8 am for our 3 flights, home about 28 hrs later if all goes well!  Our plan is to hit the breakfast buffet for the last time at 7, maybe even all of us at the same time (C has had a fever the last few days).  Its fun to take a toddler alone to a buffet...

Its been a great trip and Tayler is fantastic, and now we are a family of 4. Yikes.  Caitlin has wisely volunteered to sit in the one seat away from our other 2 on the long flight (14 hrs).

Tayler's first completely new English word is Tatelin (Baba and Mama don't fully count), and its been hard for her to stay away from her for the last few days with C's fever. 

Thank you so much to all of you who have followed our posts.  

All the best,

Jennifer

Happy, Tired Dad

Well, we have two more days in China and are looking forward to coming back home.  Caitlin and I have been sick for the past couple of days, but we are both feeling better and should be OK for the flight home.  I feel very lucky to now have two wonderful daughters.  Caitlin has been really super- helping us keep Tayler safe and entertained.  It has been a long and sometimes stressful trip for her, but she has been very patient and kind to her new sister throughout.  I am really proud of her.

Tayler is already very much part of our family.  She delights us all with her laughter and games.  Her new game is to imitate our voices, then giggle for 30 seconds.  She imitated my bletch for 15 minutes, which we all thought was hilarious.  She is also quick to make friends in the "swan room", which is the playroom on our hotel.  There are at least 40 families adopting children in our hotel.  The breakfast buffet is a bit surreal comprised of hungry babies, stressed out parents, and international business executives.

I hope all is well with you! 
Dave

Quick Update

We are in Guangzhou where we just finished our paper work for the US consulate (2 days early!) Along with 40 other families, we took an oath that we did not lie in our application for immigrant status for our adopted children.   We all raised our right hands and swore an oath.  Tayler (aka Mimi) thought this was great fun and started high fiving me throughout the experience.  I am certain that her Grandfather Ken is smiling somewhere because he taught Caitlin how to high five upon her return from China.  This is basically the last step on the adoption path.  We now wait until Friday when the US issues Tayler with an immigrant visa, which will allow her to be an US citizen when we land in DC!

Tayler is thriving!  She is a very happy child who is full of giggles and loves to play tricks on her dad.  She has stolen our hearts, and I can’t wait for you all to meet the newest member of our family.

Dave

Have Documents, Can Travel

We received Tayler's documents today via courier from Nanning to Guilin -- all provincial/Chinese things are there including her first passport.  Her passport photo makes her look about 40 and dressed for a librarian's conference. Hilarious. If it were easier to upload photos, if we could even get on the blog ourselves at all, I would try to post it.

Went swimming today (all 4 of us) in hotel pool.  Tayler pretty happy.  She loves the bath and this was about the same temp.

So now we can leave as scheduled in am for flight (short, <2 hrs I think, guide is meeting us with tickets) to Guangzhou where we do US paperwork (which is honestly worse than the Chinese paperwork but at this point it should be routine). 

It will be even hotter in Guangzhou.  hmmm.  I just looked it up since a few facts are always useful, but I wish I hadn't. High tomorrow (eg when we land about 1 or 2) will be 36 (98F) with isolated thunderstorms, humidity 81%, and heat index 10 extreme.

C and I are in trouble!

Jenn

River Cruise

We took a river cruise. It was on the Li River. If you look it up it will be on the Chinese 20 Yuan (like dollar) bill. I took this picture. What he is selling is fake jade.  

Caitlin

On Balcony of our Hotel This AM in Guilin

River Cruise/Other Tourism

River cruise was great, beautiful limestone (karst) piled up mountains, misty river, water buffaloes, cormorants (for fishing), some simple (old fashioned) houses etc.  Plus, a whole line of boats in a line taking tourists down the river.  Buffet lunch.  Men in simple wooden boats approached our big boat head on, then grabbed on the side with a big meat hook contraption, and tried to sell products, mostly ‘jade’.   Its 4 1/2 hours down, 7 hrs back. They go downriver full of tourists (2/3 Chinese, 1/3 from many other places) and go back empty -- long working day for the captains.  We personally get shepherded around in a minivan, with AC.  AC is key. Driver plus English-speaking guide with a degree in English Tourism (ie Chinese tourism for English-speaking visitors).  Her university also had degrees in hotel management etc. Whenever we are done at a museum or whatever (eg get off boat), she calls ahead and the driver meets us at the exit.  We feel a bit like emperors, but boy is it nice. When we go out alone the traffic is difficult for us.  Have to stick like glue to someone who looks like a low risk-taker (e.g. are not texting).  Culturally/geographically, GuiLin city is very modern -- neon, cars, many motorbikes and scooters. Not so many bicycles since 2-5 years ago. It’s a very small city, I think she said 700K*. No skyscrapers (>7 stories) are allowed due to the city relying on tourism -- they don't want to block the beautiful views of the limestone mountains all around. There are 4 interconnecting lakes in the city with walkways around and artificial lights in many colors (lots of greens) lighting up the trees (banyan, osthmanus (sp??), a lot of recently built bridges in varied architectural plans (e.g., Crystal bridge, golden gate bridge, various dynasty style bridges, Greek style) -- all built in recent years, with a master planner, with tourism in mind.  The tourists seem to be from all over – not easy to tell by looking where a person is from. Its not over-run by Americans only.  (We met a couple from Columbia yesterday on the boat who asked us if we had tried to have a baby “the other way” – the question was so out of the blue and in Spanish that they repeated it in English and Dave got it.  Made me laugh.  People ask the oddest questions!)   On a related subject our guide explained that the pandas (we saw 3 this am in a zoo) don’t know how to make babies or how to look after them, so they have to show them DVDs, to help them know how to ‘make the sex’.  We all thought that was pretty funny.  Can this possibly work? These DVDs were not on display for the tourists however. *Guide was shocked to hear Canada has <35 million people ("That's 2 Shanghais!"). She knew it was 2nd largest in size and the capital, and she wants to go to Vancouver. Along the boat trip and minivan trip back to Guilin, we could see more rural and regular life. Rice growing, also grapes (for eating), lotus leaves, Chinese cabbage (I think bok choy), etc. From the car only, garages fixing motorbikes with welding machines, and a couch and tv with grandparents/young children in same room.  Laundry hanging on balconies of big apartment blocks.  Little children without helmets being transported in laps on motorbikes and scooters. Many 2 story houses are shells on second floor (unpainted concrete, no windows). Our guide said the family has enough money to decorate the first floor for now, but when their son gets married or they get more money they will add windows etc to 2nd floor.  Not all houses do have windows though.  Related to windows, Mimi had bad mosquito bites on her legs that are healing.  Of course this will sound like a silly proud parent, but we are kind of amazed at what she can do.  Used a 2 word sentence yesterday.  Can take lids off and on water bottles (more impressive since she only has one hand) -- she does have a bit of a wrist though on the other hand, and uses that a lot, holds things against her  chest etc.  She has quite impressive strategies to get stuff done with the one full hand plus arm/wrist.  She can eat with various utensils (not 2 chopsticks yet, though she did successfully spear dumplings and pick them up).  Learning stairs (up). etc.  Helps to get dressed (eg lifts foot to put on pants or shoe). Likes to thumb through books with real paper in them (still not impressed with the board book; so sorry to have misunderestimated her).  Well, its all normal stuff but it is a great relief to see her so healthy and happy....  its great she was in foster care.  She was clearly well taken care of and in a home with real affection and playfulness, based on how she interacts. Jenn

Picture

Site Problems

We are having trouble accessing the site, but feel free to post and we will see later.  We will continue sending updates to you.  We know lots of people can't comment (not sure why though), but we can access our email and are receiving notes that way.  So, do not worry and thank you! 

Random unedited updates...

1. We took a normal Chinese train 5 hrs yesterday from Nanning to Guilin.  That was great, glad we did it.  Happy also to get off and back into a lovely hotel! 

2. Tayler aka Mimi LOVES dave.  First she called him Baba, but now its Mama.  She has now warmed up to Caitlin. I assume I am next.  Luckily I am patient.  We have decided I am playing the role of Don Draper (in Mad Men), only the fatherly role, that is.  Eg. Provider (of food from buffet), distant figure.  Dave is playing the role of  Betty, without any paid assistance (or the intense beauty regimens).  His arms are tired.

3. Personality wise, Mimi (Tayler) oves to laugh, play little games (eg pretend to feed you, swipe it away and eat it herself).  She loves to walk in lobby of hotel, swinging her arms and smiling.  She loves to take lids off water bottles and dump them out.  Loves the stacking toys.  She is a fantastic sleeper. First night she told us when she was tired (pointed at crib). Next 2 nights I told her it was bedtime (in Cantonese, are you impressed?) and she walked to the crib, and Dave settled her in and sat next to her until she slept.  Then she slept til the morning. She used to have a bath 2x a day, and loves the few we have given her.  (ok, the 2 baths in 3 days which is about 4 too few. Our guide was NOT impressed we didn't give her a bath the first night.  Hey, if she were older and we shared a language she would say, "But I had one LAST night!!")  Those of you who know our daily childrearing know the whole-straight-to-own-crib and frequent child washing are not our prior style. IE given our nomadic early-parent lifestlye C didn't have a crib.  We are trying not to mess up the sleeping.  Sleep experts out there, all advice appreciated!  (how often have you been dying to smarten us up on this subject before??? this is your chance).  She was also toilet trained.  She does not like the diapers.  We just can't manage the holding technique to put her on the toilet, partly because we have Western toilets in the hotels.  Ok and partly because we have no idea what we are doing.  We don't care if she regresses on this, really.  She is 17 months old, come on!    She loves to eat.  Prefers familiar foods (I guess they are familiar...ie not Western foods).  Likes congee but yesterday and today we couldn't get it and she is eating normal enough soft foods plus formula. Loves watermelon and grapes.  She is helpful (when in the mood) re dressing.  She seems very healthy and happy (apart from missing her foster mama).  She is shorter and plumper that Caitlin was at the same age. Smaller feet even than C's at 12 months.  Then again, C now wears a women's 5. Mimi has a great smile and crinkles up her eyes when she is happy. Infectious giggles.  She has 10 teeth.  Can drink out of most things (eg bottles, straws, juice boxes [likes to assemble by herSELF!], regular water bottles, cups with help). Does not use utensils (ie chopsticks) but likes to feed herself or for us to feed her with chopsticks. Sometimes wipes her mouth on a napkin when she is done (very cute). Loves cellphones (are you all laughing now, since we don't have one?)  -- listed as her favorite toy on info we received.  Managed to trade 2 grapes for a phone from someone on the train, then turned on the music. Tried to take a picture with it. 

4. We toured a giant cave (0.5 km walk around it) this am with new guide.  Tomorrow is long day, including 4-5 hour boat ride. Will be beautiful.  Hot.  Yesterday was 35 degrees, tomorrow maybe 32. A bit humid.  We are staying here in Guilin (google it) which is quite touristy.  IE not like the train.  Had eggs sunny side over this am for example.

5. Dave and C are swimming now in the pool.  If Mimi wakes up I am ready for the screaming! 

Jenn

Tuesday with Tayler

Tayler was a real champ last night sleeping until morning and waking a bit groggy but not too unhappy. She perked up after the visit to the breakfast buffet (just like her dad).  We spent the morning taking care of official business to complete the adoption including an interview with a provincial official and an interview with a notary and a final meeting the orphanage director.  Each meeting was finished with an exchange of gifts (I hope they like Penn State Football in Southern China--hey, what else can you find in State College?).  By the end of the morning, all paper work was done and Tayler is officially ours in the eyes of the Chinese government.  We celebrated by going to Walmart.  I know shock/horror.  Tayler continues to warm up to her new family and is full of giggles.  Enjoy the pics of the new sisters.

Dave

645 am on Tuesday

Hello everyone,

Tayler’s nickname is Mimi. We didn’t make that nickname up. It is from her name in Cantonese.

When we were waiting to meet her, our guide Belinda went into the other room and took a picture of her sitting on a rocking horse—one of those kind of plastic ones. Then they brought her in and Mom held her and she was crying at first but then we gave her a bottle and she stopped crying. She kept on eating Cheerios. She would stop crying when I gave her a Cheerio and then cry again.

And she talks in her sleep. She sometimes says Mama, or just mumbles or says words that sounds like they are made up to us.

Caitlin

Finished by Jenn: Now she is waking up and Caitlin is feeding her a bottle.

We are now a family of four!

Well we finally have Tayler in our lives!  As you can see Caitlin loves being a big sister and Tayler is on board as well.  It has been a magical day with with screaming, clutching, soothing, Tayler teaching us some Mandarin (her second language), many tears and laughter all around and we are all pretty tired. We did go out for dinner and then she fell asleep in my (Dave's) arms about 930, smiling. Given the info we received that her normal bedtime is 12 we hope this is not a nap. We promise to post more pics and write more later but for now we are going to try to get some sleep.  Much love to you all!

Dave, Jenn, Caitlin & Tayler

From Caitlin Monday Morning

I can not wait until I meet Tayler!!!! I hope that she will warm up to us and that she will begin to understand  what will happen.  I hope that everyone at home is happy.  

China is really really different than I imagined.  I thought that it would be poor but it isn’t.  I hope that people can come to china if they have a chance.  Beijing has all sorts of fashion.  Very stylish but different than the US.  The food is GREAT.  I liked how the rice was not overcooked.  It was way better than back home . for example the fried rice is really good here..  The steamed rolls with meat were extraordinary!  The people in China like to stare at me..it kind of creeps me out!  

Caitlin

Random Updates

Forgot to say that our guide told us that she heard Min Xi Wei is very smart, and can peel an orange by herself. 

we had a quiet day yesterday and stayed by/in hotel but we got up at 930 am in time for breakfast which was pretty good considering we got to bed at 4! we stayed up all day, C&D went swimming. 2x there were monsoon like rains; the first time it got so foggy all of a sudden we couldn't see the skyscrapers <1 km away. its very humid, but cool in hotel! delicious dinner in hotel last night.  the host helped us order from 100s of choices (there were pictures too); she had to suggest we get some vegetables [more of a balanced diet thing than an upsell, as she told us when we had enough food, and said we only needed 2 bottles of water, not 3]. This morning I tried to eat a chili including all seeds for breakfast, thinking it was a red bell pepper. Now I am awake.

this am, copying passport photo pages and getting gift bags ready (eg photo album for foster family) and getting Tayler's stuff ready (diapers, food) and searching the room for choking hazards!
at 3 our guide will come and take us to the another hotel and we meet her!!! 
supposedly all Chinese paperwork is tomorrow. (next week is for US paperwork)
then wed this week we are taking the train 6 hrs to Guilin (look it up, very beautiful)

the city is very new, apparently only 2 milllion 10 years ago and now 7 million.  its different than in Lanzhou, Gansu in 2002 (not sure if its the location or the time diff) -- many more hotel people speak English for example, as opposed to none!  Here many people already speak 3 languages (Cantonese, Mandarin, and a regional dialect).

off to shower and finish getting ready. tonight at dinner we will be 4!

jenny

Geographic/cultural surprises so far...

1. Washington DC is so far east and north that the best route to Beijing involves flying for endless hours across the length of Quebec (which is 2x the size of Texas), over Davis Strait, Greenland, the North Pole, Russia, and Mongolia. That is, over the Atlantic/Arctic oceans and never over the Pacific. (Unless the co-pilot was just joking around and put in a fake flightpath on the tv monitors to freak us out.)

2. Nanning, Guangxi, the provincial capital where we will meet Tayler tomorrow (YEAH!!), is by no means a major city in China. But its the size of London.  

3. The hotel provides info in English about how to access a VPN (perhaps to bypass Google censoring?) If you are reading this, its working.

Jenny

PS. (that's my name outside North America)
PPS (can you tell I am super jet-lagged???)

We made it....finally!

Well after 36 hours of travel, we arrived at the Nanning International Wharton Hotel.  Quick description of the trip:
4am wake up
6am flight to DC
11:30 am Fight to Beijing (15 hour flight)
2:30 pm china time (2:30 am eastern time) arrive at beautiful new Beijing airport, clear immigration and customs and take shuttle to different airport to discover our final flight is delayed resulting in 8 hours waiting for our plane. 
10:30 pm Flight to Nanning
2:30 am:  arrive Nanning
4am in bed at Hotel

 We are all doing really well given the travel and jet lag thanks in part to "western buffet breakfast"  including spaghetti. omelets, sweet buns and dumplings. Caitlin has been really great keeping me (dave) entertained during the trip playing many many rounds of her new favorite card game called spit...(thanks Tracy).

Here is the important news.  We meet Tayler Monday afternoon at 3:30!  Our guide Belinda informs us that she is very smart.  We hope to keep you all up to date as live out the wonderful adventure.  We will try to post a few pictures later but not sure how reliable is here.  More later...
Dave

Leaving early tomorrow

Thank you so much to all of you who wrote or called or dropped by to wish us a fantastic trip! 
We think we are ready to depart, with the 100s of random tasks completed or abandoned...now just to sleep to prepare for the 4 am alarm. Can't wait to get started on the journey.

Highlights of our schedule, as we understand it

Friday (10 Sept) 6 am - leave State College, connect in DC & Beijing
Saturday 11 pm - arrive in Nanning
Sunday - crash
Monday - meet Tayler; provincial paperwork
Tuesday - more paperwork
Wednesday - take train 5 hours to Guilin. We lobbied our agency to let us take the train by ourselves rather than a 6 hr van ride (sans car seat with a toddler). Hopefully this was the right choice!
Thurs-Sat in Guilin, river cruise, caves
Sun (19 Sept) fly to Guangzhou
Mon & Tues - US medical, consulate appointment, paperwork
Wed - Autumn Moon Festival, Jenn's birthday, and major holiday
Thurs - US swearing in ceremony
Fri - Visa available
Sun - Fly Guangzhou-Beijing-DC-State College

When I write it down, it seems so short... Will see how that goes...

new camcorder

this is us goofing with our new camcorder...just a test

Last day of camp in Victoria for Caitlin

I just talked to my cousin Jordan who lives in Grimsby, Ontario. She is 6.

Today was my last day of camp until we go back to State College.  This summer I did 5 camps so far: Golf/Tennis, Behind the Scenes at the Royal BC Museum, Dance on Broadway, High School Musical Dance, and Eco camp.  We grew our own sprouts and today we had a feast of local foods that kids brought in -- cinnamon buns, a kind of tart, really super small grapes (less than 1/2 a cm), yellow plums from our tree, cucumber, and blueberry scones.

she is a bug you are a bug no i am just joking!  I just wanted to say that, no one is a bug

by Caitlin

2 days left in Victoria

Only a couple of days before we leave Victoria. Yellow plums are ripe on our tree.

Introducing Tayler Xiwei Almeida Maggs

Min Xi Wei in January 2010 (9 months)

You are a bug

Today Jenn and Caitlin slept in and now we are learning to blog.  Caitlin is doing the hula with a lei from her party yesterday. Dave is biking. 

We are trying new fonts.