She is cast-free!

As of today, Mary Kate is free from her cast. She remains in a brace for the next two weeks and then we will see her Orthopedic doctor again and he will hopefully allow her to have a few minutes each day out of the brace. She has been rather stoic today as her little body is very stiff. She did remember how much she likes to be held by mommy and has been in my arms most of the day. We will keep you posted with her progress!

Two Weeks From Today

Two weeks from today, Thursday, November 13th, Mary Kate is scheduled to have her cast taken OFF! We are anxiously awaiting the day. She will be fitted for a brace that will keep her from bearing weight on her hips, but I don't know too many details yet. Her orthopedist said that she will wear it anywhere from six weeks to two years. We will keep you posted. Thanks for your encouragement and prayers.

The Day After Hip Surgery

Mary Kate's hip surgery went very well yesterday. For those of you who are more technical, the surgery included a pelvic osteotomy and reduction of the right femur. She is now stabilized in a hot pink body cast for the next few months. Although she is not crazy about the cast, she is adjusting to this new way of life. The good news is that she can eat as many cheerios as she desires! Mary Kate has been stoic, brave and compliant, we are very proud of her. Thank you so much for your prayers, we have been filled with peace as a result.

The Day Before the Big Day.

Today is Sunday and we enjoyed a fun day that included church, swimming, (laundry for me) and family dinner. Mary Kate loves to jump to her daddy in the swimming pool and Jack and Lily are fish! They have become wonderful swimmers this summer and I am so proud of them.

Tomorrow is Mary Kate's hip surgery. We are anxious, but know that God will take great care of us throughout the process. Thank you in advance for your prayers.

One Down, One to Go!

One week ago, Mary Kate had palate closure surgery and received her first set of ear tubes. She is doing great! She has been such a trooper, but I think she really misses her beloved cheerios. She has been on a liquid/soft diet for the past week. We have a follow-up appointment tomorrow with the oral surgeon and I am hopeful he will add a few additions to her diet as she is growing tired of oatmeal, applesauce and yogurt! She also misses her sippy cup and bottle!

On Monday 9/22, Mary Kate will undergo hip surgery to correct the right hip dysplasia and will be in body cast for THREE months. As you can imagine, we would appreciate your prayers during this difficult time. Thank you so much!

...Twenty Days Later

Mary Kate is doing great in our family. She has grown to love Jack and misses him when he is at Kindergarten as he is her protector and playmate. Lily is still adjusting to not being the baby in our family. She asked me this morning when she woke up and saw Mary Kate sleeping, "Mommy, why do we need a baby sister?"

Mary Kate saw the pediatrician this week and weighs 19 pounds and is 31 inches tall. She is healthy, but seems to struggle with pressure in her ears, which will hopefully disappear when she receives tubes in her ears. This is a common problem with cleft lip/palate children. Mary Kate is scheduled for palate surgery and ear tubes on September 10th. We pray that it will not only be successful, but also tolerated by sweet Mary Kate, who also requires hip surgery to repair a congenital dislocation of her right hip in late September, which will be followed by 3 full months in a body cast...poor baby!

Mary Kate loves to eat, laugh, play and jump. She is by no means mild, but is a busy and active toddler. Her English vocabulary has grown to include; more, out, hi, and mama. Although she is still a mama's girl, she no longer cries when I leave the room (for the most part) and thinks it is very fun to wrestle with her daddy, Jack and Lily. Her progress to me has been amazing for only being home a short time.

WE ARE HOME!

We are so happy to be at home with our family. We landed at midnight Saturday night/ Sunday morning, 34 hours after departing Guangzhou, China, we were so happy to be met by our family members, especially Jack and Lily! Mary Kate has transitioned very well so far and Jack and Lily could not wait to wake her her Sunday morning to see her again. I am sure the newness will wear off eventually, but I am savoring these moments. We are so blessed to have three precious children, thank you again for your love, support and prayers on our behalf.

Our Last Day in China

Today is our last day in China and we are very, very, ready to come home to the USA! We have our interview at the US Consulate this afternoon and will receive Mary Kate's visa for travel. Once we land in Chicago tomorrow, she will immediately become a US citizen!

More of Guangzhou

Today we went to 2 different parks in the city, one was the Guangzhou Park which included a Memorial Hall for the Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the first Premier of China after the overthrow of the last Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. I just had to ask Jay who he was because I was paying more attention to Mary Kate than the museum. We went to a large outdoor mall this evening that had hundreds of stores, thousands of people and most importantly, McDonalds. I am not a big fan of McDonalds at home, but I have eaten more of it in the last ten days than I have eaten in the last ten years! It is certainly comfort food to us.

Mary Kate has become fond of her daddy and thinks that he is a great playmate. She loves to carry his shoes around the hotel room, wear his Yankees hat and play peek-a-boo with him. She says mama often, but I think she quietly wishes for a Chinese mommy as she reaches out to nearly all of the Chinese women to pick her up and hold her. She loves to play, laugh and smile and is doing better than we expected. We can't wait to bring her home to meet her new family and friends. Miss you!

Happy Baby!

Mary Kate has been to Starbucks at least a dozen times in our short time together and I must say that she is starting to enjoy it as much as we do! She laughed and played peek-a-boo with us, we tried to upload more photos and will try again. Today Mary Kate and I toured the Chen Family Temple in Guangzhou, it had beautiful architecture. We met back at the hotel for lunch with Jay and walked to the Cow and Bridge restaurant, a Thai restaurant, and apparently Mary Kate does not eat Thai food. She shook her head no when she tasted the noodles and insisted on white rice instead. I am planning to make a trip to the Asian food market in OKC soon after I return for Mary Kate because Jay has informed me that after this trip, we will no longer be able to afford P.F. Changs!

We have our last day of touring tomorrow and Thursday we have our appointment with the US Consulate to receive Mary Kate's visa to enter the US. We learned from our guide that it is very difficult for the Chinese people to receive a visa for travel to the USA. The government will not allow most couples to travel together to the USA because they fear the couple will not return to China. The Chinese are permitted to travel to the US for business and education.

We have met so many nice families from the USA here at the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou. Many of them are here adopting their second, third or fourth child from China! One little girl, Anna age 8, told us at dinner tonight that her family adopted their third this trip, a boy, and that he has really changed her life! I pray that Jack and Lily are prepared when we return home with their baby sister!

Healthy Baby

Mary Kate was evaluated today by the medical examiner in Guangzhou and was a very brave girl, she only shed a few tears. The doctor said that she had ear wax in her ears, but no infection! She also weighed Mary Kate and she has already gained one and a half pounds in the last week. We have run out of cheerios, but she has discovered a new favorite, Ritz Peanut Butter Crackers, she is on her 3rd package today!

The photographer took the day off today so I apologize for no photographs. He is very homesick and it does not help that Mary Kate will not allow him to hold her hand, give her a bottle or carry her more than momentarily. We are assuming that she must have been very close to her foster mother, which is a blessing, we think that she was very loved. She is so precious and full of personality! I can't believe that today marks our first week together, it seems like it has been much longer.

More of Guangzhou

Although we are enjoying the hotel here in Guangzhou, Jason said that he would much rather be at The Skirvin Hotel in OKC for one week of vacation. We have met many nice families from the USA and have seen many beautiful children from China though none as pretty as our Chongqing girl! The Chinese refer to the girls from Chongqing as the most beautiful and the "Spicy Girls." This is not only because of the hot and spicy food in the region, but also the spicy temper, which we have certainly experienced a few times. We miss Chongqing, especially our guide and friend Sophie!

Today Mary Kate learned to wave and say, "Hi." She cruises through the hotel lobby waving to everyone. She has gone from being near mute to being a complete extrovert in less than one week, isn't that amazing! She is a great sleeper and has truly become addicted to cheerios, we cannot go anywhere without them. Tomorrow is her physical examination, Visa photo and of course, more money to be paid! I am thankful as we will be one step closer to coming home...only 6 more nights in China!

We Made it to Guangzhou

We made it to Guangzhou today and our flight was uneventful. Thanks for your prayers, Mary Kate did very well. She did not like being strapped in with the seatbelt on the flight, but she managed. We are staying at The White Swan Hotel, which has been nicknamed the "Baby Hotel" because there are so many Western families with Chinese adopted children who stay here. It is a very nice resort hotel with a playroom, 2 swimming pools and a Starbucks around the corner. Mary Kate has really turned the corner during the past day or so. We no longer believe that her personality is mild as she is quite vocal and independent. She knows what she wants and is quick to let you know, she and Lily certainly have something in common here! She utters many sounds, but they do not sound like words to us other than mama. She also walks well, but is not terribly steady because she does walk with a limp due to her congenital hip dislocation. She has become more brave and now walks around the hotel room, which is amazing progress from several days ago when she would not stand alone. We love her more each day and I think the feeling is mutual. We miss our family and friends terribly and can't wait to see you when we return home in one week!

Says, MAMA

Breaking news...tonight in a cab ride back to the hotel, Mary Kate grabbed my face and said, Mama. It was worth the wait!

CiqiKou Ancient Architecture

Today we went to the CiqiKou ancient architecture area and found many Chinese people shopping in the free market. There were street vendors selling everything from silk pajamas to pig hooves! We bought pajamas for Mary Kate and Lily and also saw a large Buddhist temple, which is pictured. In this area, an apartment rents for $40 dollars per month and the people are not required to purchase a pet license for their dog or cat so it is a desirable area in Chongqing. We have learned from our guide, Sophie, that people in China are in the Upper Class or Lower Class, but there are few Middle Class. She also told us that it is becoming more appealing than in the past for families in the city to have a daughter rather than a son because she will give them leverage when she is of age to marry. The father desires 3 things for a man to possess when marrying his daughter; a big car, a big apartment and big bank account. Jay thinks this is a great idea and will require this for his daughters.

Today was our last day in Chongqing. Tomorrow we fly to Guangzhou, please pray that Mary Kate tolerates her first plane ride.

Eling Park

Today was a tour of the General Stillwell Museum. He was a US General who helped China in a war against Japan and had a beautiful residence in Chongqing. We also visited Eling Park, a beautiful park overlooking the city. At Eling, we went into a Tea House for a formal tea ceremony. Mary Kate was an angel baby and sat next to me for over an hour sampling tea biscuits during the presentation. The tea was delicious and a highlight for me! We then visited a bookstore, where we purchased a book to help us with basic Chinese words and phrases. The book was in the children's section intended for 2-3 year olds. I do not know whether I am up for the task of learning the Chinese language, but I will certainly support my daughter to be bilingual if she desires. We had lunch at McDonald's and then came back to our hotel for Mary Kate to nap. She is a great sleeper and does not seem to mind her crib. We took her to the hotel pool and she was not sure whether she enjoyed swimming, but she certainly looked cute in her swimsuit! Tonight we ventured out without our guide for dinner and our toddler Chinese book assisted us in ordering vegetables, rice and noodles for dinner. Pig blood and dog are favorites on the menu here so we had to emphasize NO Meat! The dinner was great and we had a nine-year old Chinese girl visit our table twice during dinner. Her name was Lucy, she was precious and spoke beautiful English. I have grown fond of the Chinese people, especially the women. They are very intrigued by our Chinese daughter. Mary Kate is 17 months old today and is growing more fond of us each day. She is happiest when she is on my lap or in my arms and she loves, loves, loves Cheerios. She also likes rice, congee (a Chinese rice) and banana bread from Starbucks. The Chinese refer to Chinese American girls as bananas because they are yellow on the outside, but white on the inside and we think that Mary Kate is on her way!

The Chongqing Zoo

http://gallery.me.com/jsigmon24#gallery

Our guide, Sophie, took us to the Chongqing Zoo today and as you can see they have a wonderful panda exhibit. The pandas eat 25 kg of bamboo and there is one panda in the exhibit, who is the youngest and most spoiled, her trainer supplements her bamboo with watermelon, ice cream and pepsi! We also saw the red pandas, which have the panda face but are built like a raccoon and red in color. There were many other animals, but Mary Kate's favorite was the panda. When we saw the pandas, she lit up and pointed to them. She loved being outdoors and held close to me, she definitely recognizes and trusts me, but I am not sure that she considers me mama yet. Each morning it takes her some time to get reacquainted with us, but her appetite is increasing and she smiles more each day, though still very stoic most of the time. Her orphanage director said that her name also means brave and she has certainly been that, we cannot imagine what must be going through her mind.

As you may or may not know, I am married to a photographer, who has been nicknamed" The Paparazzi." He is truly a very talented photographer and has taken many pictures on this trip. Attached at the top of the page is the link to his gallery. Click on each album to view photos.

P.S. Thanks for the darling bubble for MK, Jenny, I think it looks perfect!

Mary Kate Day 2

Today was a special day for us because our guide, Sophie, took us to The Civil Affairs office in Chongqing to finalize our adoption. We had to promise to never abandon her and to love her in sickness and in health, which made both of us very teary, especially my husband. We now have an official decree with her English name and less money in our hotel room safe! She is worth every penny!

We also spent time at the Paradise Mall, which is paradise to a Westerner because it had Starbucks, McDonald's, KFC, Haagen Dazs, Nine West, Paul Frank, and a wonderful department store where Mary Kate enjoyed her first shopping experience. She is very smart...she realized that if she points to something, mommy or daddy will buy it for her. Needless to say, she ended up with several new things!

We learned to use Skype before our trip to China, which is computer technology that has allowed us to communicate via camcorders with our children at home. Jack and Lily both smiled when they saw Mary Kate and then asked when we would be home from China. We miss them very much, but know they are in great hands.

What we know about Mary Kate:
-Her Chinese name XueLian means lotus snow flower and is pronounced "Shoe-lee-ann."
-She lived with a foster mom for 11 months, who had a 6 year-old granddaughter that MK adored.
-She did not have air conditioning in her orphanage or foster care and chills very easily. FYI, the climate was hot & humid!
-She loves to be held, enjoys her bottle and seems to be a great sleeper!
-She is 79 cm in height and 9 kg in weight...translation tall and very slim, only 18 pounds!

Thank you all so much for you thoughts, prayers and blog comments. Your support has made this journey much easier for us.

Meeting Mary Kate!

We arrived at the Dianjiang orphanage this morning to find the Orphanage Director outside the door holding a precious baby girl. Apparently, I said, "Is that her, Is that her, Is that her" but I don't remember much about our first minutes there. As you can see, she is PRECIOUS. She fell asleep on my shoulder within ten minutes of meeting her and then napped in my arms through lunch and during part of the car ride back to Chongqing.

The Orphanage Director took us to a wonderful restaurant for lunch. We were in a private room and the director ordered one dish after the next, practically feeding us, especially me since my arms were full. The meal was the the best we have had in China, several dishes reminded me of P.F. Changs! We learned that Dianjiang is know for growing a variety of vegetables including spinach, lima beans, broccoli, green beans, corn, and bell peppers, all of which we enjoyed during our feast.

Mary Kate has been stoic, but has wanted to be held by us constantly. We were told that she has a mild and sweet personality, thank you Lord! She has spent the day staring at us and we have just admired her every move. She seemed a bit lifeless at first, but has really warmed to us during the past few hours. She has smiled, played with her stacking cups, eaten cheerios and is getting ready for her first bottle. We are already crazy about her and cannot wait for you to meet her.

We are in Chongqing...one day from MK!

We landed in Chongqing this morning and were amazed at the size of the city. Our guide told us that by the end of 2008, Chongqing will have a population of 34 million! I think we were with half of them today as we explored the area around our hotel. It was very sad to see the devastation from the earthquake in May and the number of people in the area who are now homeless as a result. This city looks COMPLETELY different from Beijing. It is filthy and the people seem poor and oppressed. Jay said that it reminded him of his trip to Bucharest, Romania 14 years ago.

On a much more positive note, we are so excited to meet our baby girl tomorrow morning. We cannot believe that we will be a family of five by noon tomorrow. For those of you who know me well, you will not be surprised to learn that her outfit (including a pink bow) is set out and her diaper bag is packed and ready to go. Please pray for us and for Mary Kate tomorrow as I know it will be an emotional day for all of us.

Can't wait for you all to meet her too!

Full Day of Beijing

We had a very full day seeing the Old and New sites of Beijing including Tianammen Square, The massive Forbidden City, The Great Wall of China and the Olympic stadium. Our legs are very sore as we thought it looked simple to climb to the top of the Great Wall, but we were mistaken! It was a beautiful day and a very impressive city.

We made it to China!

We made it to China and have been awake for 26 hours so I apologize there are no pictures, but I don't think you want to see me now anyway! We checked into the Poly Plaza hotel, bought bottled water at Wu Mart and ate an interesting meal at Jimmy's. I never realized that chicken could be four different colors, wow! We are heading to bed to rest for our day of tours in Beijing tomorrow and are looking forward to experiencing the Great Wall of China.

Finally Going to China!

Today we received our appointment with the American Consulate in China, which was the very last document needed in this lengthy process. We are flying to Beijing on July 17th, two weeks from today, and will fly home to OKC on August 2nd. Most importantly, we will receive Mary Katherine Xue Lian on Monday, July 21st!!!

Travel Approval Today

We finally received Travel Approval from China today. We were told that we will travel in July and our departure date will be sometime between July 17th and July 31st. Again, we are hoping for earlier rather than later in the month! Thanks for your prayers and support.

LSC Today!

We received our LSC today from China, which officially recognizes us as the parents-to-be for sweet Mary Kate! We are so excited and cannot wait to meet her...hoping for a July travel date!

Still Waiting...

We are still waiting to receive our LSC, Letter Seeking Confirmation, which means that China recognizes us as Mary Kate's adoptive parents. Today is Day 78 of waiting since our dossier was logged into the CCAA, Chinese Consulate for Adoption Affairs, and the average wait is 80 days. Please pray that we will be able to travel to get her before the Olympics this summer in Beijing.

We received our PA !

Yesterday we received our PA, Pre-Approval, from the CCAA which means they have reviewed our Letter of Intent for our daughter and have accepted it. This puts our dossier on a track for expedited review since Mary Kate is considered a "waiting child." We can't wait to meet her!

DTC Today!

Our dossier (completed and final paperwork) was sent to China today and is expected to arrive there on Monday. We will now wait 3 to 5 months for processing and will then receive a letter (LSC) stating that China recognizes us as Jiang Xuelian's parents. We are praying for this process to move quickly!

Received I-171-H and Completed Final Paperwork!

Yesterday, we received our I-171-H, which was the final document needed to send our dossier to China. The dossier is a compilation of medical, financial, personal and various information about us and our family. We mailed a large packet of paperwork to our agency today, and will look forward to hearing soon that our dossier is on it's way to China.

Fingerprinting Completed

Yesterday Jay and I went to the USCIS office for fingerprinting. As far as I know, it went well and we will now wait to receive our I71-H paperwork. Hopefully, it will be processed quickly. Thanks again for your prayers to bring Mary Kate home soon!

Our CIS Application has been processed!!!

I just recieved an email from CIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services) and our application has been processed. On Monday, I emailed them asking if they would be willing to expedite our application since we are adopting a child with special needs, who is needing surgery between 12 and 18 months and they immediately emailed back requesting a letter from a treating physician. I sent a letter this morning from Dr. Kevin Smith, an Ear Nose and Throat Physician at OU Medical Center who specializes in the treatment of cleft lip and palate. His letter reiterated the need for surgery before 18 months of age and I am so grateful for his help. Because of his letter, we are now scheduled to be fingerprinted next Wednesday, February 6th at the US-CIS office in Oklahoma City. Then, we will wait for our 171-H, more required paperwork, to be processed. Once we receive our 171-H we will be able to send our dossier to China. And, once we send our dossier to China, we will wait 3-5 months before we are given travel notice. Thank you for your support and prayers...we are so appreciative.

Mailed Appl. to CIS

Yesterday, I mailed our completed homestudy, birth certificates, marriage license and application to apply for I-600 A status, which is an international orphan petition. This must be done through Immigration Services and Homeland Security. I have heard this takes between 2 and 3 months to process so I am hoping for sooner rather than later. We are now one step closer to heading to China!

Our Referral

On Monday, November 19th, 2007, we received a call from Great Wall China Adoption Agency informing us that we had received a referral for a baby girl born in Chongquing, China on February 24, 2007. The baby girl, Jiang Xuelian, was born with a unilateral cleft lip cleft palate and had her lip repaired in July.

We just completed our Home Study for the pending adoption and will send it with our I 600-A form to Homeland Security, which should take between 2-3 months to process. This must be done in order to adopt internationally. Once our application is accepted, we will be able to send our dossier to China. Then, the Chinese Government for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) will hopefully accept our petition to adopt Mary Kate. And, we will finally travel to China!