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.
Welcome Mary Kate
Friday, August 22, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
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.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
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!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
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!
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!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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!
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!
Monday, July 28, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
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!
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!
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