Adjusting

This may not be a sunshine and rainbows adoption post.  So if that's what you're looking for, you may want to stop reading.  This will definitely be a reality check post!

We had 1 week of our routine before the Christmas craziness hit.  Kenzi had a great first appointment with our pediatrician.  She goes back to see him next week to get the results of some lab work he ran.  Her appointment with the cleft clinic is January 17th.  We will have a better idea at that point of what surgeries we're looking at to repair her lip and palate.

Christmas was great!!!!!!  The kids all got a TON of stuff.  The day after Christmas, we cleaned up and organized all the toys so that we could fit all the new stuff.  We put together boxes to donate and some toys to just put away for a while.

This week, we've all been stuck at home for various reasons ......... the weather was bad at the beginning of the week, Jacinda has had a cold, Luke and Kenzi have been coughing, and I have had pinkeye .... in both eyes.  Oh, and Kenzi screams her head off any time she's in the car anyway.  So we're all going a bit stir crazy this week.  School starts back up next Tuesday and we're all ready to get back to a routine.

Adjusting ........ I won't lie, it hasn't been easy for any of us.  Luke has been great, though!  He has settled nicely into having another little sister.  He's been such a big help and Kenzi ADORES him!

Jacinda - She has had a very hard time sharing her mama. Plus, she's had a cold, so that isn't helping any.  Her birthday is in a few weeks, so I'm hoping that we can focus on her then and maybe that will help.

Kenzi - She still wants me to hold her most of the day.  She is getting down and playing with Luke and Jacinda a little more every day.  She snuggled with her Daddy for a few minutes today ..... she initiated it, so I'm hoping it's the beginning of her deciding he's one of the good guys!

I've forgotten what it was like having an 18 month old in the house.  Our house is not baby proofed any more and Kenzi is exploring by putting things in her mouth.  Luke and Jacinda never really did that.  Also, I had gotten used to being able to have a few minutes to myself during the day to take a shower or read a book or whatever.  Not any more!  If I want to take a shower, I need to get up earlier than Kenzi.  Or, I have a water sling I can use to have her in the shower with me.

We've had a few friends bring us meals and that has been so wonderful!  This adoption stuff is not easy.  I thought I was prepared for it, but I don't think you can really be prepared.  But we're trucking through and know that everything will be fine.

I do believe that this is all an attack from Satan .... all the craziness that has happened since we've been home - leaking water in the dining room ceiling (which is now fixed), sickness, crack in the windshield of the van, on and on and on.  He doesn't really care for families being created and good things happening out of bad things (the good thing being Kenzi having a family, the bad thing being her birth family not being able to keep her.

I take comfort in Ephesians 2:10, which says:  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  I know that God has prepared us for this and that everything will work out exactly as it is supposed to.


And now, I leave you with a few pictures!


Kenzi's first trip to our favorite frozen yogurt place!

Christmas morning.  Happy girl!!!

My mom opening her Christmas present.  A better pic of the gift is below.

Luke with his new robot.

Jacinda with her "new"dollhouse.  It was her Grammy's dollhouse!!!

China Travel Tips

Here are some of our tips for your adoption trip to China:

• Pack everything in plastic baggies and bring extras in all sizes.  We used them for everything.  Also, bring a Sharpie so you can label them.  I labeled some like this:  Toiletries - Suitcase, Liquids - Carryon.  That way, you don't have to remember what goes where.
• Speaking of liquids, there are NO liquids allowed in carryons on in-China flights.
• There is a strict weight limit on checked bags for the in-China flights.  If your bag is overweight, your guide can explain to the airline employees why and you might not have to pay.  But the fee is pretty small.
• Sizes of clothes for baby - don't bring too many of one size.  The weights we had received for Kenzi were all over the place, so I assumed she would be the size of Jacinda when we brought her home.  Jacinda was 21 months and wore 12 month sizes, so since Kenzi was 18 months, I assumed 12 months would be a good size to bring.  Everything I brought in 12 month sizes was way too small!  You will be able to buy clothes in China.  They may not be the colors or patterns you'd prefer.  Also,  bring things like leggings and long shirts or dresses.  Sizes are a bit more forgiving for those.  Bring things you can mix and match.
• If you need to buy an extra suitcase in China, wait until you get to Guanzghou and buy it on Shamian Island.  We bought a huge suitcase there for around $20, and we didn't bargain much .... we could have gotten it a little cheaper than that.
• If your kiddo has an unprepared cleft lip/palate, bring more bibs and burp cloths than you think you'll need!!  I brought about 10 bibs and wished I had 10 more.  We went through 4 bibs a day!!!!
• Constipation - This is a common issue in newly adopted kids.  Between the stress and the new foods they are eating, we've experienced it with both kids.  Kenzi wanted nothing to do with the baby food prunes we brought.  In China, you can get Baby Enemas.  Or bring something with you, like glycerin suppositories.
• Packing clothes - pack an extra change of clothes for everyone in your carryon.  Also, divide up your clothes between your suitcases.  That way, if 1 suitcase gets lost, everyone has at least something to wear!
• Space bags!!!!!  Get the ones you can roll the air out of, not the vacuum ones.  But be careful .... they get you more space, but it's easy to get your luggage overweight!

Any questions about travel, just ask!!!

Home Sweet Home!

On Thursday afternoon, we picked up Kenzi's visa, and then boarded a train for Hong Kong.  We spent the night at the airport hotel in Hong Kong.  Friday morning, we started the long flight home.  We flew 14 hours to Detroit.  Kenzi was a champ on the flight.  The last few hours, she got a little fussy, but we all were by then!!!

There was a family from our travel group in the row in front of us, and that was fun to have people to talk to.  Their son also did great on the flight, which may or may not have had something to do with Benadryl :)

While we were standing in line at U.S. Immigration, Kenzi threw up all over me and her.  Our friends quickly gave us some wipes and we cleaned ourselves as quickly as we could.  We made it through Immigration and Customs.  Then we had to go back through Security to get back to the gate area.  Finally, we made it through and once again, Kenzi and I changed clothes in an airport bathroom!

We had a 5 hour layover in Detroit and all we wanted was to just get home!  We finally made it!!!!!  Aaron and I aren't jet lagged at all, thanks to something called No Jet Lag.  I highly recommend it!  Unfortunately, Kenzi IS jet lagged, which means she isn't sleeping at night, which means her mama is not sleeping at night.

On Saturday, Kenzi was napping in her own bed (for the first time), so I decided to take a shower.  Aaron came running upstairs and told me that water was leaking into the dining room downstairs!  So we'll be calling a plumber first thing this week!

Tomorrow is Monday, which means we are back to reality.  Aaron is going back to work in the morning, but he's working half days for a while.  Once I get Luke off to school, I have a ton of phone calls to make for Kenzi ... pediatrician, cleft team, and Early Intervention.

Dining and Shopping

Beijing
Pizza Hut and KFC in mall - across the street from the Novotel Peace hotel and about 2 blocks down
Le Cabernet - right outside hotel. Pricey, but good.
Dumpling place - mixed reviews. Not sure where it is, though.

Shamian Island in GZ
Cow and Bridge - thai
Lucy's - Western food
Orient Express - french
Fish tank place - across from Lucy's. not sure of the name, but it's local Cantonese food.
Starbucks
Subway

Near China Hotel
Starbucks inside hotel
24 hour McDonald's next door
Tekila - take taxi. Near garden hotel.  GREAT Mexican food!!!!!  We went here the last night and if we had remembered before, we would have gone several times.
Order Papa John's from Concierge
Agency took us to a local place and it was awesome. It's either in or near the Sino hotel.  about a 10 min. walk.
See my China Hotel post for more hotel food info.

Shopping
Save most for province and GZ
Agency took us to a silk store. It was not Silk Road.

Province
Get only local stuff - each province is famous for something, so get that stuff!

Shamian Island
A Gift From China  http://www.agiftfromchina.com/  MUST go here!!!!!  All handmade stuff and profits go to charity.
Local shops. Can bargain there
Jordon's shop. He will do your child's Name in calligraphy for free. Lots of good stuff. We bought our extra suitcase here. He's kinda pushy outside, but leaves you alone once you get inside. He'll also answer questions you have.  Bargain with him, especially if you get a lot of stuff.

Near China Hotel
Mall next door
Children's shops. Use underground walkway near Dong Fang hotel (not the Metro tunnel). Follow hospital exit.

Thoughts on the China Hotel in Guangzhou

For our last adoption, we stayed at the White Swan Hotel on Shamian Island.  That hotel was nice, and the island is quaint.  But we got tired of the shop owners asking us to come in and shop all.the.time.  A few of them even chased us down.  The White Swan is now being remodeled, so our agency is now using the China Hotel by Marriott, which is not on the island.

I know a lot of people will disagree with us .... even people in our travel group.  But we LOVE this hotel and we were SO glad not to be on the island.  Here are some things about it:

• We booked the Executive Suite and it is fabulous.  It has 1 1/2 bathrooms and 2 separate rooms separated with a door.  Our travel agency prices were not that much more for the suite, so we decided to go for it.  We are SO glad we did!!!!!  There is another suite called the Executive 55 suite and I think that one is larger than a regular room, but doesn't have the totally separate 2nd room.
• The Concierge has strollers you can rent.  It is a 200RMB deposit and then 20RMB per day.  The strollers are not that great, but it's getting the job done.
• The Concierge has a Papa John's menu in English and they will order it for you.  Go down to the desk and you can point to what you want, they'll call and order, and then tell you when to be back in the lobby for the delivery!
• The bed is perfect.  After the beds in Beijing and Fuzhou, our backs are thanking us!
• The Concierge staff speaks pretty good English.  If you want to go somewhere by taxi, they will write it in Chinese for you to give it to the taxi driver.  And the China Hotel info is on the little paper, so that can help you get back!
• McDonald's is next door to the hotel.  We are not McDonald's eaters back home, but we did eat there a couple of times.  It was cheap and the ice cream was great! They do have picture menus with some English on them.
• Hotel restaurants - Food Street is good, Cafe Veranda is where the breakfast buffet is and their lunch/dinner menu is good, but expensive.
• 7-11 is pretty close.  We found drinks and bottled water to be cheapest there.
• As usual, ask the Housekeeping staff to empty your minibar so you can use the fridge for your own drinks!
• Small convenience store is in the Shopping Arcade.  They have basics, including baby stuff.
• Exchanging Money - Technically, the hotel only allows you to change $200 per room per day.  However, the Concierge staff is wonderful and I bet they would let you change more.
• Shamian Island - By taxi, it's about 15 minutes, and 20RMB one-way.  We did go a couple of times to do some souvenir shopping.
• Marriott Rewards members get free internet.  If you aren't a member, join for free when you check in.
• Underground tunnels - there are a few we found.  One is for the Metro, but you can use the tunnels instead of crossing the street!  Yue Xiu Park is great!!!!!!
• The hotel has an outdoor play area on the 4th floor.

A few pics of our suite.  Please pardon the mess!!!!!

Front door and minibar/counter area.

Living room.  Just to the right of the couch is the door to the bedroom.

Safari Park Pictures

On the way back, we saw this truck carrying boxes labeled Hitachi!

Everywhere you look, you can see apartments buildings like these.  Just everywhere.

Tuesday - Safari Park

Quick post because i'm trapped under a sleeping baby! Tuesday, we went with the other families in our group to a Safari Park. We were there for about 5 hours and didn't get to see all the animals! Kenzi seemed to like the animals, which is good because we go to the zoo a lot.

Dinner was Papa John's pizza in the room.

Tomorrow is our US Consulate Appointment and the rest of our shopping. We leave here on Thursday to head to Hong Kong. We'll apend 1 night there and then fly out the next morning.