Our Trip to China for Jensen

HBO Documentary July 14th

2008-05-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

China's Stolen Children

The boom in stolen children in China has resulted from the government's one-child policy, which makes it beneficial to have a boy. Approximately 70,000 boys are kidnapped each year, and sold. This film follows the parents of Chen Jie, a five year old, who was snatched from a market where his grandmother was selling vegeables, as they continue to try to find their son. It also presents cases where parents who don't have permits to have children are forced pay fines they cannot afford and, so, must sell their children to traffickers. Director Jezza Neumann. Broadcast July 14

Journey for Jensen

2007-06-05T01:42:00.000-07:00

Since our trip is completed, please return to our regular blog in order to read about our daily happenings. Thank you for sharing the journey with us.

www.journeyforjensenkorber.blogspot.com

We're Home

2007-06-05T01:38:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know we made it home safe and sound. Jensen did remarkably well on the three flights we had.
Adjusting to home life is going to take some time, of course. He hates his crib. He screams bloody murder when we put him in it. He is so afraid of it for some reason. Needless to say, Mommy and Daddy have not gotten much sleep. The only way he will get any shred of sleep is if he sleeps with us. I know a lot of you out there are against co-sleeping, but it's the only thing that works for us right now. Once he gets used to his surroundings more, we're hoping that he'll sleep by himself.

Jensen Vs. His Socks

2007-05-31T22:52:00.000-07:00

Jensen hates to wear socks and shoes. He's always trying to pry them off of his feet. Here's proof.

More Pictures

2007-05-31T22:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some new pictures for you to enjoy!!!! Jensen wore the little polo shirt and khaki pants to his consulate swearing in ceremony yesterday. We weren't permitted to film anything there so these are our consulate day pictures of him. The other picture is of Jensen is the White Swan playroom.

Last Day for Blogging

2007-05-31T15:28:00.001-07:00

We want to let everyone know that today will be the last day that we do our blogging here on our site until we get home. We only paid for two weeks worth of internet service here at the White Swan. It was a bit pricey, but it was so worth it. It was wonderful to be able to keep in contact with our friends and family throughout our trip.
We basically have a free day here until 6:30 this evening. We're going to go out to supper with our guide David at the Cow and Bridge Thai restaurant. I'm proud of Ron for suggesting that we eat there again. We had a delicious meal there a few days ago.
I guess we're going to start our packing and maybe go buy a few last souvenirs perhaps. I hope no one will be offended if we didn't buy them a gift. We did send postcards home to a lot of people. We don't have too much room in our suitcases for too much extra stuff. I did buy some things here for Jensen: a pair of silk pyjamas, a beautiful silk blanket with dragonflies on it, some movies,Chinese/English books, and Chinese lullaby Cd's.
I can't believe that we leave China tomorrow. I am truly amazed at just how fast our trip here went. We'll be happy to be home, though. There are so many people who are very eager to see our little man. Plus....it'll be nice to have our comfortable bed back once again!!!

Change in Schedule

2007-05-31T02:42:00.000-07:00

Well, things got changed up a bit today. We had our swearing in ceremony today instead of tomorrow. We don't know the reason why things got changed, but they did. It was a very simple procedure, actually. The White Swan provided a charter bus to the American consulate for the families going to the ceremony today. It was about a 30 minute trip there from the White Swan.
When we arrived at the America Consulate, they gathered all the adoptive families into the processing room. We stood in line one by one and the officials checked our paperwork and verified we were Jensen's adoptive parents. After that we took our seats and we waited until all the other families were processed. There were probably 100 families there with us. When all the families were done we all gathered together and said an oath that maybe took five minutes tops to do. Easy stuff.

Danny's Bagel

2007-05-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

We tried a new restaurant here last night called Danny's Bagel. It's an American-style restaurant which has lots of yummy comfort foods on their menu. They make deliveries to your hotel, too, which is an added bonus!!!! We're going to have take-out from them for the last couple days of our trip.
Last night we got macaroni and cheese and chicken noodle soup for Jensen. The soup was real hearty with nice pieces of carrots, celery, onion, chicken and noodles. He ate two big helpings of it. He loved it! Then we gave him some of the macaroni and cheese and we think he liked that even more than the soup. He kept licking his lips for more. Our son definitely has a healthy appetite. We were worried that he might not be a good eater due to his cleft palate, but he's proved us wrong luckily. This kid is an eater for sure! He'll fit in real well with our families! HA HA!
Ron got a cheese steak and said he was great. I got the chicken Parmesan and the portions were HUGE, enough for two people. It was definitely worth the money to eat there. The quality is excellent.
Check out their website: www.dannysbagel.com

Consulate Appointment

2007-05-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

Today is our Consulate Appointment for Jensen. Our guide David is going to take care of it all for us. We met with him yesterday and filled out all the paperwork that needed to be done for this appointment. There's just so much paperwork involved with adoption. It truly amazes me how much has to be done for a single adoption.
Tomorrow we will all go to the U.S. Consulate and do our swearing-in ceremony. We will take our oath for him to become our son and an American citizen.
The U.S. consulate is about a 30 minute drive away from our hotel. Our guide said it used to be so convenient because the former U.S. Consulate building was close to the White Swan and families could just walk there. No big deal, though. At least we get transportation to there and back.....that's all that matters to me!!!

Medical Issues Today

2007-05-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

Today hasn't been the happiest day of our trip for our little guy. We started things off with going to the medical clinic. It was only a short walk to there from our hotel. Jensen did well for most of the exam. He was tired, though. You could see it in his eyes. By the end of the exam he was indeed a bit cranky. He threw a minor fit during the hearing test. They checked his heart, took his temperature, checked his weight, and checked his sight and hearing. He did fine in all those areas.
However, our little man has been quite the constipated little one as of late. He's only pooped for us one time. We took him to the clinic here at our hotel and the doctor gave him an enema. Poor little guy was so scared and afraid. It broke my heart to hear him crying so harshly. But the enema worked its magic. Our little man is no longer constipated. He is cured!
I know.....like you really wanted to hear about enemas and constipation today! HA! I'd really advise all the parents who are coming to China in the future to bring some sort of children's laxative or something to help with bowel movements. A couple of parents have mentioned that their children are constipated. Stupid us brought every medical item known to mankind with us to China, but forgot any sort of laxative item.

More Pictures

2007-05-29T15:47:00.001-07:00

More Pictures

2007-05-29T15:43:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from our Pearl River Cruise. Jensen seemed to enjoy being on the boat.

Medical Appointment

2007-05-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

We have Jensen's medical appointment today at 10:00. Luckily for us it's not too early in the morning so we can sleep in today. Jensen and his Daddy like to sleep!! Most people who have done the medical portion on the trip have told us that it's not too bad. Jensen is so mild mannered so I don't think he'll cry his eyes out when the doctor examines him. Of course, I say that now. Watch me eat my words! HA!

Pearl River Cruise

2007-05-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

We pretty much have a free day today until this evening. Hopefully the rain will subside so we can go out and do some shopping. There are a few things I'd still like to get for Jensen before we leave China. I want to get him some squeaky shoes and a few outfits. Also, I want to get some friends and family a few small souvenirs. And, yes, Sheryl, we are going to hunt down that item for you today, too.
This evening we're taking a Pearl River Cruise. I assume most families take this cruise while they are here adopting in China. I'm looking forward to it. There's supposed to be a big Chinese supper on it. Yummy! Let's hope that there is something there for Ron to eat.

Blogger Still Down

2007-05-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

Are any of you out there having problems with Blogger???? We've been trying to access our friends' blogs here since yesterday, but they won't work for some reason. Blogger still lets us post to our blog luckily, but we can't view our blog. I guess the posting works since we're still getting comments. It's just annoying that we can't view other blogs!! Grrrrrr!!!! If you have something on your blog that is important for us to know, please send us an e-mail instead. Our e-mail works fine: vdkorber@yahoo.com
Thanks!

Laughing Boy

2007-05-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

We finally managed to get a picture of Jensen in laughing mode! Isn't he adoreable? I'm quite biased, of course!!!!!! We were having lots of fun playing on the big king size bed we have. He absolutely loves rolling around on the bed. He just laughs and giggles the whole time he does it. It is priceless, trust me!!!!!!!!!!

More Pictures

2007-05-27T23:02:00.001-07:00

I know today is Memorial Day back home. We spent today at two different places. The first place we went was to the Park of the Five Goats and also we visited the home of the first President of China. Enjoy the pictures!

Weird Blogger

2007-05-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Our Blogger is acting up this morning. I can post items, but I can't view my blog or other family's blogs for some reason.
April, if you are able to read this, e-mail us at vdkorber@yahoo.com I sent you an e-mail this morning about getting together if you're able to.
I hate when Blogger acts up like this. At least I'm still able to post on this site.........

One Week

2007-05-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to believe that we've been a family for one whole week already. Our little man has been ours and nobody else's! What is also amazing are the changes in Jensen in just one short week's time. He is laughing and smiling now. He seems a little more relaxed with us. His appetite has grown by leaps and bounds. He has so much personality it amazes me. He makes our life complete. We've wanted a child for such a long time. All the pain and sadness we've experienced during the past six years just doesn't matter anymore. I love my little guy with all my heart.
Today we're going to take a tour of the home of the first president of China. We've passed the house several times on our way to other appointments. It looks beautiful. There will be some great opportunities for pictures. Hopefully the rain will subside. We haven't taken as many pictures as we'd like to on this trip due to the weather conditions.

Playroom

2007-05-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have not come to China yet to adopt your son or daughter, here's a bit of advice: take advantage of the White Swan's playroom. Your kids will love it and you'll love having an opportunity to see them having so much fun. Jensen really likes going there we've observed. We try to go at least twice a day if our schedule permits. It's also great for the adults to go there, too. Ron and I love meeting people from all over the USA. The adoption community is so strong here.

Here's a picture of us in the playroom.

Our Zoo Trip

2007-05-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

We had a nice time at the zoo, despite the rain. I really wish that this freakin' rain would stop already! We would love to get out and about, but the rain is keeping us captive indoors. We don't want to take Jensen outside and risk him getting sick.
We saw some really cool animals. We think he liked the tiger the best. Hie eyes got so big when he saw it. He was transfixed on it. Also we think he liked the monkeys. He wasn't phased by the panda bear (mommy loved it!).
We'll upload some pictures later once Jensen takes a nap. Right now he's having a bit of lunch with Daddy.

Our Guide David

2007-05-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

This is our guide David Kong. He is taking very good care of us while we are in Guangzhou. He is a wonderful man. He arranges all of our appointments and our site seeing opportunities. We are very fortunate to have David while we are here. He has made our stay here so smooth.

Zoo Trip Today

2007-05-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today we're going to go to the Guangzhou Zoo. I wonder what Jensen will think of the animals. I hope that he will grow to love animals as I do. I've always loved animals as long as I can remember.
There is a panda bear there our guide David told us. Woo hoo!! I love panda bears!!!! I wonder if it will be active or just sleeping away.
We hope that there will be some nice photo opportunities there. We'll post some pictures later this evening.

Personality!!!!!

2007-05-26T00:44:00.000-07:00

Jensen finally laughed and smiled for us!!!!!We were playing silly with him on our hotel room bed when his little mouth curved up into the cutest smile. Oh, his little face just lights up a room. His laugh and smile brought tears to my eyes. He amazes us every second with things that he does. We tried to get pictures of him smiling, but we didn't succeed yet. Here are some others for his adoring fan club.

Also Jensen hates to wear socks. Today he learned how to pull them off his feet. It was cracking us up as we watched him tear them off his feet.

Free Saturday

2007-05-25T21:57:00.000-07:00

We have a free day here. Of course, naturally, it has to be pouring down rain. We had planned to go out and do a bit of shopping today....grrrrrr!!! We don't want to risk taking Jensen out in all this mess right now. Hopefully the clouds, rain, and thunder will pass. We took Jensen to the White Swan playroom for about two hours this morning before his nap. We had a small milestone there today. Jensen started to play with us there. We would pass a big plastic ball to him and he passed it back to us. We were so excited that he finally did that. He even managed half a grin while we were in there, too. Yea! It's always nice to go to the playroom because we can interact with other families there, too. We've met a lot of nice people.

New Foods

2007-05-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

Our little man is branching out in the food department. Of course, he still loves his rice cereal and his congee. However, yesterday he ate scrambled eggs, bananas, mashed potatoes, and goldfish crackers. Today I'm going to see if he'll try some more fruits at breakfast. I'd also like to see if he'll drink anything new, too. He just likes water. I'd like to see if he'll try some apple or orange juice. I did try to give him the strawberry yogurt drink, but he spit that out. Oh, well, more for me to enjoy....ha ha!

Success!!!!

2007-05-25T05:23:00.000-07:00

Jensen finally did a massive poop!!!!! Woo hoo!!! How can so much stinky poop come out of such a tiny body????? Ha ha!!! We're so proud of our little guy. We were wondering if he would ever number two. Our worries are gone now.

Dong Guan Social Welfare Institute

2007-05-25T00:12:00.000-07:00

Today we made a journey to where Jensen has been spending most of his life, the Dong Guan SWI. I had all kinds of mixed emotions about going there to be completely honest. I was afraid of how he would react to seeing all his familiar surroundings and to see all the nannies that have been taking care of him. I was worried that he would cry when he had to leave, etc.

There was one nanny that we could tell that he liked. His eyes were very expressive when she held him. It made me happy that he was loved by the nannies here. They were all so kind and they were all so happy to see Jensen again. We think they were happy for him to find a forever family.

The orphanage itself made us sad. The baby room tore at our hearts especially. In Jensen's room there were about 20 babies in cribs. These cribs were pieces of plywood that they were sleeping on and had a little blanket that looked like a towel....maybe it was a towel...I just wanted to scoop up every child I saw there and take them home.

The SWI was very clean and very sterile. Dong Guan SWI is taken well care of from the government we were told by our guide David. The director of the DongGuan SWI is Mr. Ken Chen. He is a wonderful, kind man. He is the man who brought Jensen to us on Monday. We were happy to have the chance to see him again. He gave us his business card and asked us to keep in contact with Dong Guan so they can see Jensen's progress through the years. We will gladly do that.

Today's Plans

2007-05-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Today we're going to be taking a trip to the Dong Guan Orphanage where Jensen lived. This is definitely something that I have been curious about. I'm am dying to know the conditions he lived under. I am dying to know what type of people took care of him. What were the nannies like? What were his daily routines? I think that we're very fortunate to have the opportunity to visit his orphanage. Some families that we've talked to here have not had that opportunity like we're getting today.
I don't know if we'll be permitted to take any pictures there or not. If so, maybe we'll have some for you later.

Gift

2007-05-24T05:28:00.000-07:00

A lot of the adoptive families are aware that when you come to the White Swan Hotel, they give the little girls a White Swan Barbie Doll. We always wondered what the little boys got, if anything. We were out and about today and when we returned to our room there was a nice gift waiting for us on our desk. It was a 5 pack case of Matchbox cars made by Mattel. Mattel sponsors a huge playroom in the White Swan hotel full of all kinds of toys. Here's a picture of Jensen with his new toys.

Sightseeing in Guangzhou

2007-05-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

This is Ron posting today, Valeri and Jensen are both napping after our long sightseeing tour this morning.

David, our guide, took us to a Buddhist temple here in Guangzhou. There were tons of people there doing their daily rituals praying to Buddha. We always wanted to see a real temple and this place was fabulous. We saw the bronze statues of Buddha along with statues of the God of Mercy of China and the God of Mercy of Thailand.

After the temple, we went to a mall. They had some great deals on kids clothes. Valeri bought Jensen 3 pairs of shorts. We just walked around the mall looking at a few other stores then we came back to the hotel. The mall had a McDonald's, KFC, and a Pizza Hut. We were stuffed from breakfast so we didn't eat there.

Today was another hot day with humidity in Guangzhou, but at least the sun is out today.

Crying

2007-05-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

Jensen had his first big crying spell last night around 11:00 or so. He had been sleeping very good up until that time. My heart was breaking as he cried his little heart out. It took about a half hour and then he calmed down and went right back to sleep. He didn't wake up for the rest of the night then. Our poor little guy has so much to deal with. He's so brave and he's only two years old.

Our Nosey Little Guy

2007-05-23T05:48:00.001-07:00

We are cracking up over Jensen's curiosity. He loves to watch people. When a new person enters a room or if he hears a noise his head automatically goes to where that sound is. His looks are priceless. He is really curious about everything that is going on around him. That's a good sign hopefully!!!
Jensen doesn't talk. He makes some sounds when he sleeps, but very rarely makes any sounds while he's awake with us. He's still scared of us we believe. However, he is gaining trust in us little by little. He lets us feed him, dress him, bath him, change his diapers, etc without any fuss. he sleeps so well, too. I'm jealous that he sleeps better than I can!!
We found something to entertain Jensen while we are here. The White Swan Hotel has a playroom for families with children. Anyone who stays at the White Swan is entitled to use this room. We took Jensen there for the first time today. We think he enjoyed himself. He got to play with a big truck and he was a happy camper. Well, at least we think he was happy. Our little man is still so serious. We wish he'd crack a smile or laugh. At least I can think of the positive things, like he's eating very well. He still hasn't pooped for us, though. If he doesn't poop by tomorrow we're going to take him to the clinic here at the hotel.
Tomorrow we're going on a tour of a temple which should be nice to see. Also we're going to do some shopping at a mall.

Police Station

2007-05-22T20:36:00.001-07:00

Today we're going to the police station to get his passport started. Our guide David told us that it takes five working days for it to be processed. That's all we have on the agenda for today. It's VERY hot here today and the humidity is awful. We're planning to stay in the hotel a lot today so I don't have a repeat performance of my heat sickness from yesterday. Me and the heat just do not mix well together.

Here's a picture of Jensen from today. Here's Sydney Crosby's newest fan. Maybe sometime we'll actually get a smile out of him!!! And notice he still has that little red firetruck. He won't let go of that thing!!!

Day 2 pictures of Jensen

2007-05-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

Here is what everyone wants to see, more pictures of Jensen.

Rough Day

2007-05-22T05:46:00.000-07:00

Today wasn't all peaches and cream. I got pretty sick from the heat. Most places here do not have air conditioning and it took a toll of my stomach. I've felt queasy all day long and dead tired. Luckily SuperDad Ron stepped in to save the day. He took care of Jensen while I took a much needed rest. I think all the lack of sleep caught up to me in all honesty.
Today we had our Notary Appointment for Jensen's adoption. It all went very smoothly. We were at the office for no more than an hour I guess. Jensen is officially ours now. We signed all the paperwork for his legal adoption today. Tomorrow we will go to the Police Station to get the paperwork for his passport. It will take five days to process.
Jensen had his difficult moments today, too. He doesn't like to eat much. The only thing he'll eat from us is rice cereal, some congee and some cheerios and goldfish crackers. Maybe this is just an adjustment period for him. Hopefully he'll start to get an appetite.
I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

Gotcha Day

2007-05-21T05:27:00.000-07:00

Here's what all of you have been waiting for.......introducing Jensen Morgan XiaoMing Korber!!!!! He is the sweetest little boy in the world. When the adoption officers from the DongGuan orphanage brought him to us today he was dressed in a cute pair of pajamas. Everything happened in such a rush there, actually. He came to us and didn't cry. He was actually pretty much emotionless. He didn't know what the heck was going on. I was on my best behavior. I didn't bawl. I promised myself that I wouldn't scare him by sobbing. We noticed that he has a heat rash and some mosquito bites. We were told the mosquitos are bad right now in DongGuan. Thankfully we took him to a clinic and the doctor checked him out. He said we could use the ointment we brought from home and that would be fine for him. We just spent the entire rest of the day in our hotel room because the weather has been utterly miserable all day long. We have plenty of food here for all of us to eat so we decided it was best to vegetate inside. It took Jensen a while to warm up to us, but I think he's starting to get used to us little by little. We brought some different toys from home for him and he is obsessed with a little red car. He keeps holding onto it for dear life. We gave him a bath tonight, too. I was worried how he would react to the water, but he loved it!! We got to hear his first laughs and see his first smiles as he splashed away in the tub. He sure splashed Mommy a lot! His laugh was so sweet. He's only had one "meltdown" so far. When I went to take a much needed potty break, the tears poured. He wanted his Mommy. Yes, he is a Mommy's boy....ok...I know it's only one day....but he's stolen my heart!!!!!!!!!!!

Chinese Coca-Cola Can

2007-05-20T20:34:00.002-07:00

Here is a picture of a Coca-Cola can in Chinese writing. I thought it is rather interesting and different. It is still the same great taste.

Today is a very rainy day here. We walked 2 blocks to a store and with umbrellas and we still were drenched. This is some of the hardest downpours we ever experienced. The humidity is still around 100%. Maybe, just maybe sunny days are ahead....

Squeaky Shoes

2007-05-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

I've had my first run-in with the famous squeaky shoes this morning. At breakfast I saw an adorable little girl running around with those type of shoes on her feet. They are the cutest thing!!! I have to buy Jensen a pair of those. I wonder if I could actually find a pair for boys here. Shoes are not easy to find here I've noticed. There are tons for girls, however. I think my Mom would get a kick out of those shoes!

Breakfast

2007-05-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

First we're going to start the day at the breakfast buffet at the White Swan. I'm glad that we have this buffet. It will be nice to take Jensen to it. There are so many different foods for a person to eat. It will help give us an idea of what kind of meats, fruits, cereals, breads,cheeses, soups, etc he might like to eat. I've been "people watching" like crazy. I've been trying to notice what most of the Chinese children are eating on their plates. I see lots of them chowing down on watermelon especially. I saw the cutest boy about 3 or 4 years old yesterday devouring piece after piece. It was so cute seeing how happy he was and you could just see the love in his parents' eyes too.
Other items I've noticed some of the children eating are noodles, bananas, yogurt, rice and scrambled eggs. I wonder what types of foods Jensen will enjoy eating. There are probably so many things that he has never been exposed to that we'll have to introduce him to.

Today is the Big Day!

2007-05-20T15:05:00.001-07:00

I am a wreck!!!!!!! Today in less than 10 hours from now we will be united with our son, our first child. I can't believe after all these years that we're finally going to have the child we so desperately want.
Of course, I didn't sleep much last night. I think I slept for about 4 and a half hours. Who can sleep on such an important occasion as this? My husband, of course. I swear that nothing phases this man. I wish I could be more like him, calm and collect.

Packing for Our First Meeting

2007-05-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

We have all kinds of things prepared for meeting Jensen tomorrow. I have a bag full of little snacks, a little bowl for the snacks, a thermos and a cup, a Snoopy stuffed animal (how surprising, eh?), the taggie Snoopy blanket that Sara made for Jensen, lots of tissues, and lots and lots of love!!!!
Ron is in charge of the picture taking. I will be way too emotional to be able to do that!!!
I can't sleep so I figure that I would occupy my time by serfing on the internet, do a blog, catch up on some e-mails, etc. Ron is watching Happy Gilmore on television.

Nervous/Excited

2007-05-20T04:43:00.000-07:00

I have all sorts of emotions churning inside of me right now. In less than 24 hours I am going to be a mother. My stomach is in knots right now about this. I am so nervous and worried about how he is going to react to us tomorrow. I know he is going to be so scared of these strange people taking him. (Well...Ron is stranger than me...ha ha) He'll be scared of leaving everything that he is familiar and used to in his life. It will absolutely kill me seeing him so sad and frightened. I hope he will be able to sense and understand just how very much we love him. Tomorrow will be the most wonderful day of our life as a family. I just have to learn to let Jensen grieve for his former life. It's all going to change all so quickly for such a little boy. It will be a hard adjustment for him.

Day 3 Pictures

2007-05-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

This is Ron today doing the posting of the pictures. Valeri is resting right now. It was very muggy today with off and on rain. The air temperature is only 75, but the humidity is 100%. We are sweating like pigs today. Luckily, we have a/c in our hotel room.

Here are some pictures that were taken today. The first picture is of my buddy Dave. He is the wonderful chef that makes omlettes to your liking while you watch. We are forming a beautiful friendship, ha ha!!!

The second picture is of our hotel, The White Swan. There are 28 floors inside.

The third picture is of Valeri in front of a sculpture of a dragon. It was in a park near the hotel.

The last picture is a waterfall inside the lobby of our hotel. There are catfish swimming at the bottom of it.

Day Three

2007-05-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday morning here right now. It's a bit past 6:00AM. Yet again it's a rainy, overcast day here in Guangzhou. Will this blasted rain ever stop??? We have a free day today. Hopefully the rain will subside for a little bit so we can go outside and walk around Shaiman Island for a while. We really haven't had the opportunity to take many pictures due to the weather conditions. Today is my last day as a being childless. Can you believe that tomorrow we're going to be parents??? I am so overwhelmed with emotions right now. We get Jensen tomorrow at 4:00PM. I am going to be a bundle of nerves tomorrow. I wonder if I'll even manage to get any sleep tonight? Odds are no.

Some Pictures

2007-05-19T09:02:00.001-07:00

The quality of the pictures are not the greatest. It was raining most of the day so we didn't take any. These were taken about 2 hours ago. They're from our hotel. Noticew the lovely style of my hair. Humidity has not been kind to me.

We'll take more pictures tomorrow when there is better light.

Entertainment

2007-05-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

It's been raining on and off since we arrived here. To pass the time we've been watching some television. To our surprise we have some English speaking channels to entertain us. Most of you know how much of an entertianment junkie I am...lol! We're watching Nip/Tuck right now, which is one of my all-time favorite shows. Also, we saw American Idol, House, 24, CSI and there's also ESPN which makes Ron happy. I just thought that I would let you know about that in case anyone was wondering. There's also CNN and BBC America to keep informed of the world around us, too. At least we've had these diversions to occupy our minds until we get Jensen!!!!!!

Just Noticing

2007-05-19T04:52:00.000-07:00

It gets dark here quite earlier than it does at home for us. We're just resting here about 7:30 and we looked outside and it's already pitch dark outside. Just a weird observation that we noticed, I guess.

Impressions of Guangzhou

2007-05-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

Guangzhou is a massive city. Our guides told us that there are nearly 10 million people who live here. It is truly a booming area. I can't believe how westernized this place is. I guess I bought into the stereotypes of China that every part of it was poor and run down.I should know better then to fall into the trappings of stereotypes, for pete's sake! I'm and ESL teacher! The Guangdong province is actually one of the wealthier provinces our guide Rebecca told us yesterday. There are some things that make one feel like home here: there's a Papa John's, a McDonald's, a KFC, a 7-11 across from our hotel, and even a Starbucks close to our hotel. Even our hotel The White Swan has an American style breakfast buffet. One can get anything imaginable there to eat. Ron is happy because he is eating well and has not gotten sick from anything yet.
We met our other guide David today. He is just as wonderfully nice as Rebecca was yesterday. He took us on a shopping trip today to a store called Carrefour. I guess you could describe Carrefour as a Wal-Mart type of store. We bought a few more items like bottled water (20 cents for 1.5 liters....how cheap!), extra diapers (a lady gave us a coupon for 10 off a massive package), a couple of snacks like Pringles and an extra mouthwash. I went to give David a tip for helping us today and he refused it. I hope that I did not offend him in any way. I worry about cultural differences like that.
By the way...yesterday we exchanged $100.00 American dollars and we got 760 in Yuan. The exchange rate is great. It amazes me how far our money goes here.
We also found out today that we will get Jensen on Monday at 4:00 PM. I am one psyched Mama-to-be!!!!

Day Two

2007-05-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

We're starting day two here. Our first day was spent mostly in the confines of the White Swan Hotel. We were so tuckered out from our flights, etc. We slept most of Friday away. We're going to meet our guide David today. I'll post more on our meeting with him later. We ate at a restaurant named Lucy's last night. Ron survived! Of course, he ate a burger and fries. I had the Cantonese Sweet and Sour Chicken. It was mighty tasty if you ask me. The stores near the White Swan are great! Those of you adopting little girls will go into a shopping frenzy. There's not as many boy items, but that's okay. We brought plenty of clothing with us. Well, I'm going to shower right now. I love our shower at the White Swan!!! Can I bring that home as souvenir??????

We' re Here!!!

2007-05-18T03:20:00.000-07:00

We made it here to Guangzhou about 6:00 this morning. Our flight was pretty nice. I slept through most of it, thanks to Advil PM. We did have a moment of panic at first because it took a very long time to receive our luggage. I was a nutcase for a few minutes I must admit. We were picked up at the airport by our Small World representative Rebecca. She is so sweet and she has a great sense of humor, too. We look forward to working with her during our trip. We will have another guide named David that will meet with us tomorrow at 9:30 am. We were supposed to meet with him today, but he was very busy with another Small World family who had a Visa disaster and who had to fly home this evening. Scary! I hope nothing happens to us like that!
We're just vegetating in our hotel room today. We're still pretty tired. We'll venture out later to get something to eat and walk around the area. Of course, we're here resting in our room and Ron just had to find ESPN on the tv....and a Red Sox game. I can't even get away from the Red Sox while I'm in China!!!! LOL
It's very hot and humid here in Guangzhou. I'm so glad that our hotel has wonderful air conditioning. I'm not a fan of humidity. I hope it's bearable in the days to come because I can't wait to venture out and explore this area. We're not posting any pictures today because it's rainy and the picture quality isn't the greatest in our opinion.
We just wanted to let everyone know that we're safe and sound here at the White Swan Hotel. Not too shabby of a place, I must say.....

Insanity!!!!!!!!

2007-05-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

I am so stressed out and nervous about our trip. we leave tomorrow!!!!!!! Can you imagine this?????? AAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I hope my nerves can take this. I never imagined that I would be so worked up over this trip. Once I get there I know I will be much calmer. Right now I'm one big ole basket case!!!!!!!!!!!!

May 16th

2007-05-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

We will be leaving for China on May 16th! I can't believe that we're only 8 days away from being in China!!!! I am a raging nutcase about everything right now. I don't know how Ron stays so calm about it all!!! We will return home June 3rd/4th.
Hopefully our laptop will work in China. People have told me that the Internet access is soooo slow there. We might have some problems accessing things there. Grrrrr!
Tonight we're making a pilgrimage to Wal Mart to buy some last travel items for Jensen like pull-ups, Little Swimmers and some snacks for us to take to China.

China, Here We Come!

2007-04-28T05:19:00.000-07:00

We received our travel approval on Thursday!!! Wahooooooo! Of course, now that means we have to get our flight plans in order for China. I think we're going to use China Southern Airlines. They have a direct flight from Los Angeles to Guangzhou, China. Since we're going to be in Guangzhou the entire time that would be the ideal flight for us. We're researched flights from New York and Newark, but none go directly into Guangzhou. We would prefer something that is a direct flight. So we'll probably fly from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles to Guangzhou. We think we'll leave on May 17th. We'll be getting Jensen on May 21st. We'd like to have an extra day to rest and get acclimated to the time difference before we get him in our arms. Once we get Jensen we know we won't have any time for resting!!!!!!! Ha ha!

Packing Process

2007-04-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

Whew! The packing process is so much harder than I had imagined it would be!! I've been at it for three days now. I guess I'm a bit of a perfectionist and being worried about forgetting any sort of items, etc. I don't think we have too much longer to wait for Jensen so I want to get as much done as possible so I'm not a raving lunatic the day before we have to leave.

So far I've done packing for all the toilletries for me and Jensen. I'll let Ron worry about his own items. I've also gathered the clothing that we'll take to China for Jensen. I found some 18 and 24 month items that we have. I hope they will fit him. I realized that we'll have to buy a jacket and hat for him. I don't want Chinese people coming up to me and yell at us for not having him bundled up enough. *LOL* Also, I'm still searching for shoes for him. Our local stores have nothing to offer in that area so I'm browsing on E-Bay for a few things here and there for him.

I still want to find a sweet little dressy outfit for his consulate appointment. I'm going to check out a few stores tomorrow for after-Easter sales. I bet some stores might have some cute bargains now that the holiday madness is over.

Maybe May????

2007-04-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

We heard from our agency two days ago that possibly in May we could be going to China. It might be in the middle or close to the end of the month. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens!!!

We need to get our butts in gear and get stuff ready for our possible trip next month!!! Woo hoo!!!

Baby Shower

2007-03-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

We had our baby shower a few days ago. Now we have an idea what we still need to buy for our trip to China. We did get some nice items for traveling like travel cups and bowls, a few small Johnson and Johnson lotions, and a few small toys.

I wish we had a clue as to when we're going to China.....oh, well.....

Our Packing List....a Work in Progress!!!

2007-02-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I figured I better not wait until the last minute to get this together. This is our packing list for China....so far. I call it "our work in progress"!!! If you have any suggestions of things to add, please let me know!!! I'm sure that there are tons of things we are forgetting to list.

FOR OURSELVES: 3 or 4 shirts or tops and 3 or 4 slacks and underwear, socks, etc. sturdy, broken-in, pair of walking shoes. sleepwear or extra T-shirt. travel-sized toiletries & toothbrush. x sanitary protection, if needed. x comb, brush, barrettes. x lightweight jacket or sweater (youill use it mainly in air-conditioning & plane) x collapsible umbrella, smallest you can find (almost guaranteed to rain) x security pouch for money & passport x camcorder, converter& extra batteries. x camera, film and extra battery. Also take lead pouch to protect film from x-rays. x Small pocket notebook - for addresses, reminders, ref. notes on pictures taken. x backpack large enough to use for camcorder, essentials and as diaper bag. x 2 Rubbermaid-type 1-qt. plastic bottles to cool off sterilized water in your room. Designate one for drinking (keep in room fridge) and other for toothbrushing. x Small calculator for doing exchange rates, calculating duty owed, etc. x Business cards to give to guides, orphanage director, caregiver, etc. x couple of boxes antibacterial wipes. Use after washing your hands (remember that water is unsafe) and after changing diapers x toilet paper (2 rolls is plenty). Trust me and keep a roll in your backpack. x Small package laundry detergent or use hotel laundry x Make & carry 3 copies of all documents. x Ziplock plastic bags of different sizes. All kinds of uses. x Snack items - Food in the hotels is very good but not much Western (except the White Swan) so instant oatmeal is good. Small snacks that travel like cheese & crackers, soup, x Medications

FOR JENSEN:x 6-8 one piece outfits or combinations of tops and bottoms. Choose with the weather in mind. It is very hot and humid in China during the summer. For toddlers, I suggest stretchy shorts & leggings in bright colors and t-shirts for maximum wear. x One beautiful arrival home outfit to dress up in. x Light-weight sweater or jacket - needed for air conditioning & plane. x Cool summer hat to wear when you go out. x Couple of drool bibs x Baby shampoo and lotion. Small bottle Eucerin for very dry skin. x Socks (and shoes if child is old enough to walk x 3-4 cloth diapers - burp pads if infant, cleanup rag for toddlers x 1-2 baby blankets, for covers, security, the plane, etc. x comb or brush for children. x Baby nail clippers. x Small thermos for hot water for bottles when you're on the go. x Small bowl and spoon for feeding toddler. x Sippy cups for toddlers. Get no-drip type. x Box of rice cereal for baby; Cheerios, Goldfish crackers, arrowroot cookies for toddlers. It is best to stick to the diet the child is already on until you get home. x Diapers - bring one bag, but buy more in China. Diapers and formula are what tend to fill up suitcases and itis not necessary when you can buy them there. x Wipes - Bring one large box, whatever the age of your child (you can use them as toilet paper, to wipe a dirty face after eating, to cool off a sweaty child, etc.) and (if you have room) a refill pack. x A small box of scented diaper disposal bags. Youill find these in the baby stores. It sounds silly, but remember that you are in a hotel room with no way to dispose of those stinky diapers. x Toys - For toddlers, try bright manipulatives such as links, sound books, little purse with mirror, plastic keys and comb, stacking cups, a doll, bubble maker, pop-up cars.

MEDICATION - FOR US: x Flu/cold medication. x Immodium AD x Pepto Bismol chewable tablets or other stomach irritation medication. x Aspirin, Tylenol, ibuprofen (take some of all 3 - they work differently), also Midol or other medication you take for cramps if needed. x Sleeping pills or Melatonin.

MEDICATION - FOR CHILD: x Tylenol drops x Liquid Motrin x Pediatric cough syrup and/or expectorant - consult pediatrician about brand. x syringe-type dropper or medicine spooN. x Pedialyte replacement for dehydration or diarrhea. There is a powdered (packets) brand that you can reconstitute called Kao lectrolyte. x Lice medication x Hydrocortisone cream (half or one percent) for rashes. x Desitin or preferred diaper rash cream. x Thermometer - digital ear type is nice and least intrusive

New Blog

2007-01-28T15:37:00.000-08:00

This will be our blog to detail our trip to China. We hope that you will come and visit our site when we make our fantastic voyage to our son. I cannot wait until this day becomes a reality!!!!! There won't be much activity on this blog until we get closer to our trip date. You'll be able to follow us on our crazy adventures in China!!!

We want to thank Sara for designing our blog!!!! You rock, Sara!!!! Thanks a million for all of your help!!!!