Green Mountain Afternoon

This morning after breakfast, which we've had in the hotel every morning. We took a van with the Mansens and our guide Mandy up to the Green Mountain scenic area. Jack did great in the van for the 30 minute ride. We found the beginning a bit touristy, but the last two spots we made were quite nice. It was the first time I felt like I was in China. We went to a temple to a goddess that looked like Budha. We weren't allowed to take pictures because many people were praying by bowing repeatedly holding large clusters of insense called Joli sticks.

Jack took turns being held by Craig and I as we went to the different destinations. One spot was in a hillside field filled with trees that reminded me of Crate Myrtles at home. These trees apparently bloom during Chinese New Year and are a good luck blessing for those in love. You can see them behind Craig and Jack as they play Jack's favorite game. When Craig first held him he lifted Jack up in the air like that. Now its pretty much required everytime he is handed to Craig. (We have been very aware of making sure that no one else holds Jack . We've seen many other adopting families have lots of other people hold there child. I think to bond with an older guy like Jack he needs the consistency of just us.)

Another spot was the most peaceful place we have been the whole trip. There was a huge set of stairs that seemed to go forever. Once you reached the top there was a very tall pagoda, which you could climb. Neither Craig nor I went to the top (our backs are strained already). Jack showed that he is feeling like part of the family as he sat down at the foot of the stairs. Craig called that picture, "the Kempf attitude is strong in this one." On the opposite side of the walkway from the pagoda was a large lake where you could feed massive coi-type fish. Jack got fired up about feeding them.

[SPECIAL NOTE TO HAWK: If Jack got so excited about seeing those fish, I wish he had been part of our family when you had Buck. He would have love to sit in your room and watch him swim around. I love that you made a blog. I have been showing Jack pictures of you on the computer teaching him about you. Now, he can get updated pictures. I read to him about how you like showers and he smiled sooooo big! We miss you and love you so much.]

"It's a Tubby or Else!"

I think reality may have set in for Jack yesterday. He wasn't quite the same during the day after the shoe incident. He cried repeatedly during the day all surrounding the same issue. After he goes to the bathroom he wants to take a bath. Yesterday the first time he pointed to the tub after he went to the bathroom Craig put him in the tub. He played happily for about 30 minutes. Ever since then its been his expectation to go back in. He has a little fit when we don't put him in. The crying only lasts about five minutes but its hard to console him.

Its very clear he was being taught to complete take care of himself. In the tub he was washing his body including his tiny feet. When he finished he rung out the wash cloth and hung it up. He also eats with a fork better than any American ten year old.

We have high hopes for today. We are taking a short trip by van to an area called the Green Mountains. He's enjoyed the van rides we've had so far so I hope this goes well.

A Brief Moment of Craig's Humor

During Jack's nap this afternoon, Craig took some time to put together some photos as only he can.The caption says, "This is our room in Nanning. They called it the President's Suite".


This was the sunny day in Nanning.

Nothing says refreshment like the crisp clean taste of Pabst Blue Ribbon

I talked to my big brother!

This morning we used the Panda Phone (we love it and recommend it to anyone traveling) to call Jack's big brother. We put the phone up to Jack's ear and Hunter talked to him. When Jack heard Hunter's voice he said "Haa" which is his version of hello. He had just woken up and was still sleepy, but when he heard Hunter he perked right up.

Here are the picture we took for that monumentous first phone call.

Night Owl

We learned yesterday from Mandy that Jack eats four times a day. Apparently the Taco Bell marketing ploy "Fourth Meal" reached his foster mother. She fed him a meal - meat, congee, biscuit at 11:30 pm. He went to sleep at midnight, at least according to his paperwork.

Last night I thought it might help to give him a bath to soothe him before bed. He had no interest in a bubble bath. I ended up giving him a "kitty" in the bathroom sink. He was fine to splash in the tiny sink. I put his bath toys in there and just let the water pour over him from a wash cloth I brought from home. He let me wash his hair too. He didn't mind the water in his eyes.

The bath didn't settle him very much. So we got him into his pajamas and ready for bed. We read to him from the books Hunter and I bought at Walmart at home. Craig even got him to say "apple", which is about the only word he has said other than when he is talking to Olivia. She was in the same social welfare institute as him. He calls for her - Tan Tan. Her name was Fu Tan. She calls him something that sounds like "long go". Mandy has told us that means brother Nong.

He did eventually fall asleep around 11 pm. I think his late nap didn't help. I hope tonight he can fall asleep sooner.

[SPECIAL MESSAGE TO THE HAWK: Do you see those pjs? He loves them. I can't wait to see both of you in your matching Js. He loves to play on the bed. He stands up with his arms over his head and flops down saying "wee". Maybe you can both do that together. Daddy and I miss you very much. We are so proud of you working hard in school and being a good boy for Nana and Grampie. I love you!]

Yesterday Afternoon Stroll

Yesterday after we got Jack we had to hang around the hotel for a little while waiting for a photographer. We had a family photo taken that will be used to get our approval to travel to Guangzhou. I would post the picture, but we elected not to get an additional copy. We also declined having it etched into an acrylic wall hanging. :( It was a terrible picture. None of us were even looking at the camera. We have learned that Jack is all about smiling for the second shot. He just loves the flash, so the first picture he won't smile. The flash goes off and it you are quick you capture his happy smile.

After the photo was taken we filled out some more paperwork with the travel escort Mandy. She gave us some formula provided by the social welfare institute. We were surprised he was still having formula. We didn't bring a bottle since his last update said nothing about bottles anymore. I remembered walking by a baby store where I saw bottles in the window. We walked there and bought a bottle. Jack fell asleep in my arms. Even though he is super skinny he gets heavy, so I handed off to Craig.

More Pictures ...

We are hustling out the door this morning for Jack's formal adoption ceremony. Here are pictures from yesterday.

We are the Luckiest Family

We are so blessed. Jack is incredible. He has a natural warmth and inner happiness that comes across so easily. From the first moment we saw him at the Civil Affairs office he was smiling.

We walked into the lobby and he was with Olivia waiting for us. Craig started taking pictures and Jack got all excited very time the flash went off. He was laughing out loud at Craig. Then, we were ushered upstairs for a "formal" (aka very awkward) ceremony. He was presented to us. He hesitated for a minute, but went right to Craig's camera. He has taken to Craig very quickly. I think Craig is the tallest person he has every encountered. Craig lifts him up to the ceiling and he loves it. He has tons of energy. We are still only about 3 hours into it but we are so happy and relieved.

Right now he is completely asleep. We've been having trouble getting the computer's battery charged so I don't have time to upload all the awesome photos from Craig's camera.

I will post more again later, but to everyone who has been so anxious about this, please know that so far this could not have been imagined more perfectly.

[SPECIAL NOTE TO HUNTER: He absolutely loves the Thomas Train you picked out. We can already tell he is going to be smart just like you. He was so curious to learn how Thomas was making sound. He did a short series of tests to see what would happen when he moved the train forward, then backward, then he finally held very still and Thomas was silent. Finding out that if you move Thomas he makes sound caused Jack to belly laugh so loudly. Hunter, I can't wait for you to meet your baby brother.]

Travel across the Ocean

We left Los Angeles on a non-stop China Southern Airlines flight to Guangzhou. The plane was an hour delayed into its departure, but we weren't bothered because we knew we had about 6 hours in the Guangzhou airport for our layover. Besides that the business class cabin was one of the nicest I've ever seen. Our chairs reclined with the help of three different automatic adjusters to completely flat beds. We were given thick, soft blankets and comfortable pillows. The in-flight entertainment left something to be desired - all Chinese. We slept much of the way. The meal service as unusual. We found the Chinese passengers seemed to be eating the entire flight, while we only got juice when we asked for food. Finally at the very end we were served "American Style" breakfast of eggs, sausage, biscuit and fruit.
On the plane we filled out our customs paperwork. For some reason I was very nervous about going through customs, however, it turned out to be very easy. We handed three different forms to three different uniformed officers and that was it. We weren't even asked a single question. I thought we would get asked something because we chose the "other" option as our reason for visiting.






Craig and I had plenty of time to explore the massive Guangzhou airport. Craig's first stop was a Chinese version of Starbucks for an Iced Mocha (otherwise known as half a bottle of Nestle's syrup with ice and a little espresso). After roaming for awhile we found that we could "pay to rest" in the First Class Lounge in the airport. It was a nice break where we read and relaxed.

[SPECIAL NOTE FOR HUNTER: You would have loved the first class lounge because it reminded me of your favorite part of EPCOT - the drink station. There was a whole cooler full of different Chinese soda. I liked a lemon-lime one that had a funny picture of a cartoon man on it. It made me miss you even more. Although, I don't know how much you would have liked what happened next.]

After we settled into the First Class lounge we got a jolt of bad news. Our flight which was scheduled to depart at 1:45 pm had been delayed until 5:15 pm. At this point we had been traveling for about 38 hours and any more waiting seemed unbearable. So, I set out to find another flight. Finding the flight was easy. Navigating back out of the security check point, find a supervisor, explaining our desire to change flights, getting our luggage back out, changing airlines, paying an excess weight fee at a different counter, going through a second security screening, finally making it to our new gate, noticing after 30 minutes that the gate now had a different flight boarding, finding the new unannounced gate for the flight, flying in a 30 year old plane with an aggressive pilot, realizing there was no van waiting to take us to our hotel, not finding a soul who understood English, getting a taxi with a poor attempt at pronoucing our hotel name and surviving the wide taxi ride to the hotel - that was the hard part.

A Very Long Trip

We arrived safely. This is the important thing. Our trip was incredibly long and draining. Between two 6 hour layovers (LAX and Guangzhou) and one plane delay. We are exhausted. We wanted to post so everyone knows we are okay. We will update more in the morning.

Extra special love to Hunter!

Landed in Los Angeles

We had a good flight into Los Angeles. The weather made for a bumpy flight. It was a bit like being on a roller coaster, but we did well. There was a precious little girl sitting behind us who did so well. It left me hoping that Jack will muster all of his bravery for the flights home.

On the flight we saw evidence of Delta's "bankruptcy" in the in-flight movie selection. Craig and I ended up watching the recorded television selections from 2004. It was a CSI we hadn't seen before, so no complaints.

After leaving the plane, we wandered a bit around the terminal. We asked many people before we learned that we had to head outside into the lovely smog filled air to walk to the International Terminal. It was an enjoyable walk in surprisingly brisk air. We found ourselves in a preview to China. The International Terminal is truly a diverse place where English speaking people are few and far between. We found a first class lounge, which upon entering we were asked for our "invitation". I showed them our ticket vouchers (China Southern Airlines isn't open yet because we don't flight for another 4.5 hours). They were confused, but they let us in. We're here now and being patient. Next post will be from Guangzhou!

(SPECIAL PRIVATE MESSAGE FOR THE HAWK: Mommy and Daddy miss you so much. We hope you are having fun with Grandma and Grandpa. Be a good spotter tomorrow - watch for the Caracaras and the Eagles. Hopefully you don't see anymore alligator death rolls. Do your best to ride safely so Grandma doesn't worry. We love you so very, very, very much!)

He Put on a Happy Face

After a short strategy session with a friendly gentleman in the Orlando Crown Room, I successfully acquired two first class seats for the trip from Atlanta to Los Angeles (Thanks again Mummy and Daddy for that Crown Room membership). By explaining that we had cashed in more than 360,000 miles to ride first class, we were so disappointed to learn that those miles were wasted flying coach. The very, very nice gate agent saw our point of view!

To this point I have not allowed myself to actually calculate the number of hours we will be in the plane from LA to Guangzhou. I just know it will be long. We hope to sleep for much of it. Also, considering its 3 am in China I might nap on the next flight.

At the Airport

This morning Craig's brother Jason picked us up for the ride to the Orlando Airport. I have been working hard not to think about the extremely long trip ahead of us. Its hard to think about saying good-bye to Hunter for two weeks. He is so strong and brave to stay here and get ready for Jack. He will make an amazing big brother.

Craig was hit with disappointing news...He's flying coach from Atlanta to LA. :( We cashed in 360,000 frequent flyer miles to fly roundtrip first class. There wasn't a reward ticket available for the Atl to LAX leg. We were waitlisted. You can see his face in the Crown Room when he hears the news. We take off from here in a few minutes. I am starting to get excited!

Packing Up!

My mother helped me pack the suitcase to the overweight total of 65lbs. One suitcase for Jack and I. I hope my willingness to pay the overage charge will be fine for China Southern Airlines. We are fine with our travel from Orlando to Guangzhou because we are flying over business/first class which gives a greater weight allowance. Craig's suitcase came in at 54lbs. Sounds great until you remember that he packed for just himself in that suitcase...and one pack of Jack's pull-ups (just in case).

Leaving on a Jet Plane!

Today I booked our flights to China! I am so excited. Having the flights makes everything seem so real - finally.

We take a bouncey ride from Orlando to Atlanta to Los Angeles to Guangzhou to Nanning. But, its all covered by Delta Reward tickets. I have no complaints.

Feb 24 Depart Orlando
Feb 26 Arrive Guangzhou
Feb 27 Get Jack?
Mar 8 Consulate Appt.
March 10 Depart Guangzhou
March 11 Arrive Orlando

Update on Jack

We received some updated information on Jack this afternoon. We've learned he's gained about three pounds in the last three months. We are glad to hear that because we were certain all his pants would drop to the floor. He is tall enough for 2T clothes, but his weight put him in 12 months size. I bought plenty of adjustable waist pants, but the extra pounds will definitely help.

It sounds like his personality is blossoming in foster care. I hope he can pick up the pieces with us.

Here's the run down:

Height: 88 cm

Weight: 26.4 pounds

Head circumstance: 46.3 cm

Chest circumstance: 50.2 cm

Foot length: 14.4 cm

Number of teeth: 18

Favorite toys: Toy guns, Balls & Toy cars

Favorite food: Steamed egg, Meat soup, Cake & Biscuit

Personality: Extroverted, active and outgoing; love laughing, a little bit assertive and stubborn

Blue Bedroom

We have officially switched genders in the bedroom. Nearly a year ago during the Winter Olympics I painted the bedroom pink. Now, with a little boy on the way, pink had to go. We picked a blue-green color to compliement the Jack & Jill bathroom the boy's will share. The bathroom and HAWK's room have a surfer/sailing theme. We haven't fully determined a theme for the room, but Craig is lobbying for a sea turtle in the room somewhere.

Overall, I am disappointed at how hard it is to find good quality children's furniture or decorative items. This furniture we finally found at Bombay Company Kids in Orlando. The bed works out well as a dresser too. Jack's room has drawers in the closets, so I am sure he will have plenty of storage. I wanted to keep the room minimal in feeling so we don't overwhelm him too much. I think if we get a few pictures on the walls we will be in good shape.

Here are some photos of Rongxian county in Guangxi Province where Jack lives. Last night I was looking through a book of 1,000 Places to Visit Before You Die. It included Guangxi Province's Li River. It said the region is often depicted in paintings and writeen about in literature. Here are a few images I found of the area.

The painting is of "Tian Nan Ji Gou"--Jinglue Tai Zhenwu Pavilion(the fourth famous attic in southern china). The beautiful photograph shows Guifei Garden with Duqiao Mountain in the background.