A family of Lemurs 
Thursday, March 31, 2005
March 30th - We're one step closer!
March 30th – We’ve Arrived!
All I can say is that I am so glad that the worst leg of our journey is now over. We’ve arrived in Shanghai after about 25 hours of travelling. Naomi has been stellar right from the moment she woke up at 5am yesterday morning with a big smile on her face. I am so proud of her – she’s been a terrific traveller.
Our flight from Toronto did end up being delayed about 80 minutes. When we checked in at Toronto, we didn’t notice that Naomi had been checked in as an infant and as such was not assigned her seat. In fact, we didn’t really notice until a gentleman showed up with a boarding pass – he was very gracious and offered to sit anywhere else, and in fact ended up in first class. Air Canada then had to reprint Naomi’s boarding pass and check her in for both the flights – which of course took a long time.
We thought we were on our way, but as the plane was being backed out of the terminal we heard a bang and then a thump. The vehicle that had been pushing us back had run into the front wheel and caused some damage. SO . . . back to the terminal where they replaced the tire and reinspected the plane. We did not have to transfer to a different plane, but the episode reminded me of our 2003 flight from Changsha to Beijing – and admittedly I’d rather have it happen on the Air Canada side of things. Once in the air, our pilot did a great job of catching some time and we arrived in Vancouver around 11:15am. We got a ride in one of those important looking vehicles over to our departure gate and headed off for the Shanghai flight with only time for a potty break. Our flight to Shanghai was very empty (about ½). We had lots of room, apparently because this is not peak season.
Our flights were as good as can be expected, although I regretted teasing Bernie in my last post about her luggage. When we went to check-in, we ended up having to “redistribute” some stuff from one suitcase that was overweight. The other two were well within the limits, but apparently letting Joel take that extra pair of jeans and my bottle of Bailey’s caused us about 6lbs of momentary grief. At 3am this morning as the jetlag hit Naomi, I only regretted was that the bottle of Bailey’s was not bigger. Naomi slept about 90 minutes on the flight to Vancouver and about the same on the flight to Shanghai. Despite that she was exceptionally well behaved. Blues Clues, Dora (who by the way is now a Big Sister) and Tigger were a huge hit. Naomi also made friends with two little gals that were sitting next to us. Vanessa (5yrs old and brilliant) was a great “big sister” to Naomi and her own sweet sister Vivianne (who is 1 month older than Naomi but a full 10 lbs heavier and a head taller). I’ve attached a few photos.
Our guide is Lily – very nice and quite helpful. She is working on arranging some activities for us over the next few days before our remaining group members arrive. Our hotel is very nice, newer and the carpets have recently been replaced.
Since Naomi was up at 2am this morning, I decided to take her for a walk around 6am to stretch our legs, get some fresh air and explore a bit of our surroundings. It is a sunny warm day and the area around the hotel seems to have lots of eating places and shopping that we’ll have to investigate more in the coming days. As we walked, we were attacked by the clothing police twice. Naomi refused to wear her jacket this morning (and probably doesn’t really need it), but I was too tired to bother arguing with her. Ladies kept coming up, feeling her hands, indicating that they were cold and scolding me. I just let her charm them with a few Ni Hao’s, but not before she pulled a Frances and yelled in one woman’s face NO NO NO NO! Internally I was howling.
We are all pretty tired, but breakfast this morning was delicious. I had forgotten how much I love some of the chinese breakfast dishes. Joel, Naomi and my dad are headed for the gym while I go back to bed. This afternoon we are headed for the Shanghai Zoo (or White Zoo as Lily calls it).
Cheers,
Karen
Sunday, March 27, 2005
March 27th -- Last Post!!!
Well this is my last Sunday posting from Canada, and probably my last before I'll be posting from China! WOW!
Just a reminder, you can check up on us at http://lilahsjourney.blogspot.com where we hope to post a daily message and some pictures. No need for a password this time, just click and read. Messages won't normally go to your email either -- you'll have to check the website for updates.
So . . .the bags are pretty much packed, the paperwork has been checked and rechecked and tomorrow should be a day to do just a few little errands and then enjoy the warm spring weather with Naomi (at least for me, poor Joel still has to work). So far we're well rested this time around and (knock on wood) our colds seem to have subsided. I won't tell you what our suitcases weighed, but let me tell you that I'm glad they are on wheels. They still aren't as heavy as Bernadette's makeup bag on our 2003 trip though, so we'll not have to tie our running shoes to our carry-on bags (heeheehee - you know I had to give you a dig didn't you). Anyhow, I can't wait to start filling them with fun stuff.
Well I am headed out to the hot tub with Naomi to watch the sun set and think of little Lilah as the sun rises on her half of the world. We'll be there soon -- ahhh.
So long!
Karen
Saturday, March 26, 2005
March 26 -- Happy Easter!
We leave in a mere 3 sleeps and will meet Lilah in 9. Wow! It's all so very surreal, yet incredibly exciting that next week this time I'll be posting in anticipation of Lilah -- FROM CHINA! The packing is nearly done and we'll be weighing our bags tomorrow when it is complete. I hope we are within the Air Canada limits, although I'm quite certain we'll be over on the much lower in-China limits and will pay the fine.
Speaking of the dreaded Air Canada -- a new hitch has developed with the return flights of some of our travel companions. Air Canada has dug up some rule that there can be no more than 15 infants on any given flight. Since we are a group of 18, four families in our group had to volunteer to travel home either a day earlier or later. We were prepared to come home on the 13th if we had to, but four other families in our group have already offered so it won't be necessary. I'd love to say something about Air Canada here, but will refrain in the interest of this being a family oriented site.
On top of getting all our packing done, we've managed to clear out our basement this week. By the time we get home, we'll have a rec room and a bathroom that are ready for prime, paint and flooring. Sort of a spontaneous decision, but I think Joel is trying to prepare for living in a house with three hormonal women! Actually, it seemed like a smart idea to have all the contract work done while we're gone - and Les Jibb (Naomi's babysitter's husband) gave us a great quote. I've noticed that Joel is already scoping out big screen TV's for his future room -- what is it with men and big televisions???
I had a fun day on Wednesday of this week. Joel had given me a gift certificate for Serenity Day Spa for my birthday and Valentine's Day. I had a manicure, pedicure and a facial. Fell asleep through 1/2 of the facial part . . . waking up every once in a while wondering if I really had made that snoring noise! Was happy to hear that my friend Andrea (who joined me for the facial part), did the same thing. All very relaxing nontheless.
Naomi and I have been enjoying the sunny and warmer weather over the past few days. We have started up our walking ritual with Sara and Gavin from down the road. I can't wait to get the double stroller out when we get home - hope Lilah takes to it faster than Naomi did initially. We also have been doing some puddle jumping and mud playing lately. I had forgotten what fun it is to be two years old during spring! Thank goodness for splash pants and rubber boots.
I've posted a photo of Naomi that I took yesterday (not puddle jumping). I've been trying to catch a good shot of her before we travel and was so excited with this one. We are putting it on a flyer with her referral photo and some Mandarin text. We plan to put it up at her finding spot, and my hope is that her birthfamily will see it and know that she's healthy, living in Canada and loved VERY much! I'm excited about this project. Being able to publicly recognize the losses my daughters' birthfamilies have suffered is very cathartic for me.
It seems strange to not be celebrating Easter with our families this year, but the reward is that next year we'll be celebrating with Lilah. Happy Easter to all our friends and family!
Karen
Monday, March 21, 2005
Sunday March 20th - Single digits!
We are into the single digits now - 9 sleeps to departure -- hooray!
This week seems to have gone by very quickly. Thursday brought about my last day of work. It feels like just yesterday that I was planning my return and here I am on leave again. It still seems a bit surreal as I drive down the road no longer anticipating my cell phone ringing.
Packing for the trip has started and I've got one suitcase ready to go with orphanage gifts, donations, meds and food. We're packing a little heavier on the food side this time around only because I anticipate that it will be easier on Naomi if we have some of her comfort foods around. Up until two months ago, Naomi would eat almost anything you put infront of her. Recently however, she's decided that she prefers her food to not touch and not be mixed together. Ketchup is now a regular side dish to our meals as well. I've been hitting all the fast food joints lately and scamming packages of ketchup. I thought about bringing a small bottle of the stuff, but the smallest size I could find at this time of year was either packaged in glass, or not really very small. I'm sure that once we get there, we'll be able to track some down.
Everything seems to be coming together quite well. I'm less stressed about how Naomi is going to cope during the trip now that we have our itinerary and can anticipate the trouble spots. I'm certain that she will be an amazing big sister and I'm becoming more confident that she will fare well on this trip. I'm really looking forward to meeting Lilah and exploring who this little person is. I suspect that she will find it an easier transition into our family with her big sister to greet her too!
For those of you who are still trying to view the Go Magazine article -- I contacted the publisher this week to find out when they will be updating their webpage. They anticipate the date being April 1st, so those who don't live here will have to be patient just a few weeks longer.
I've also added a new "Links" section to the webblog. From it, you can directly access the three hotels we are planning to stay in, our adoption agency's website, Go Magazine and the weather in China.
Speaking of weather, seems that Ontario is not alone in unseasonably cold weather this year. Those following the weather in Changsha would note that while it should be warmer than Beijing, it's actually been colder as of late. It's making our packing a little challenging. Not so much for the girls, but more for the adults who would have more difficulty shopping for clothing in China. Joel's last foray into shopping at Silk Alley produced several XXXL shirts that were still small on me (much to his chagrin). Anyhow, I think the word in packing will be layers.
I have posted a few photos of the girls' rooms below this post. Naomi's fascinated with her stars and moons and reminds us that "Linda (painted) purple like Sydney". What would we do without our terrific friends!
Naomi and I visited a sugarbush yesterday morning with our friends Sara and Gavin. Naomi tried her first bite of maple snow taffy and liked it. She also had her first "horsie ride with a sleigh and jingle bells". She must have really loved it because she's still talking about the "sugarbush" today. Yesterday afternoon we travelled to Stratford and helped cousin Andrew celebrate his first birthday. It's fun to see Naomi and other kids together - I love to imagine the relationship that she and her sister will share.
Our Letter of No Objection from the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, along with our tickets and passports should arrive tomorrow. One more milestone surmounted!
Lilah's mama
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Sunday March 13th - 16 Sleeps to Departure!
Looking back on this wait to travel period, it's creeping up on me so quickly yet I am always reminded when I look at Lilah's photo that she's changing every day and I'm missing it. I find that hard at times, but take comfort in the fact that for the moment she's in a premium facility. I wonder if she has much hair. I wonder if she's crawling yet. I wonder what she'll think when she sees a big bald white guy, a white chick with blue eyes and a cute little girl with hair, eyes and skin like hers. Hmmmm. . .
If you are a weekly reader, I should let you know that I posted a couple of messages midweek regarding our itinerary. To read any historical messages, just click on the title of the message on the left side of this page. I've been getting lots of positive feedback regarding this website and how easy it is to navigate -- glad to hear that you all like it so much.
Our big news in the past few days is that our family has been featured in a local magazine. Several months ago, a reporter contacted me and about writing an article on international adoption. Given that I am always hesitant to allow someone I don't know write about such personal information, I am happy that she agreed to allow me to proof-read the article to check for appropriate adoption language before it was published. We try so hard to make our girls' lives easier, we didn't want the article generating comments from folks who are not educated about adoption. Needless to say, the reporter did a terrific job and we are thrilled with the article. My favorite picture is on the front page of it . . . in China . . . Naomi laying on Joel's chest with the biggest grin on his face. The article can be found in "Go Magazine" for those in Northumberland County. All others will have to wait until Northumberland Publishers update their website (http://www.gomagazine.ca) next week to see the article. Two other families in our playgroup who adopted from Korea are also highlighted. The editor of the magazine has asked us to solicit "Letters to the Editor" from friends and family, so if you are interested feel free to contact her at khawthorne@northumberlandtoday.com with your comments.
Just this afternoon we choked back our first doses of Dukoral (oral vaccine to protect against travellers diarrhea). The berry flavored fizzy stuff did not go over very well with Naomi and I had to syringe the entire 50 mls into her mouth. Not sure how much of the vaccine she got -- but she sure loved the smarties between each syringeful! One more dose next week . . . any volunteers to try to get her to drink it now?
I've posted some new photos below. Naomi is really enjoying the outdoors and we built a couple fo snowpeople on the weekend. The end result was a snowball fight with the snowpeople being the only one's left standing! There is also a photo of Naomi with Teresa Barbosa and Mya Meredith at our Travelgroup gathering last weekend. Teresa will make a fabulous mom, as you can tell from the grins on the faces of these two gals! Finally, there are two pictures posted of the new stroller. Naomi has really taken a liking to it and she has put her "baby Lilah" doll beside her in the stroller. Apparently she's already chosen a side. Then, just to prove that she's really an acrobat, she decided to crawl into the basket underneath the stroller. Naomi makes it look much bigger than it really is!
So the countdown continues!
Karen
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Thursday March 10 - Orphanage Visit Updates
Hi Folks,
The past 24 hours has brought about some updates to our in-China itinerary!
We've received news that while a visit to Chenzhou orphanage is not permitted, we are being offered a trip to the city of Chenzhou on Thursday April 7th. While I am still hopeful that with a little prodding once we get to Changsha the decision to not allow us to visit the orphanage might be reversed, I do recognize that even a visit to Lilah's hometown will give us the opportunity to document what her life could have been in this reportedly very poor farming community. The trip will be a long one (5 hours each way), but undoubtedly very rewarding. We may decide that only one of us will do this trip.
The news on the trip to Zhuzhou is slightly more positive in that we are being permitted to visit the orphanage, the city and Naomi's finding spot on Friday April 8th. It will be a special treat to visit with those who so obviously cared for her during her first 8 months of life. A chance to see more of the countryside will also help us gain more information for Naomi later in life as we see what her life may have been like.
For both our daughters, I am grateful for the opportunity to connect with their finding spots -- places that evoke so much emotion in me.
During our trip, we plan to make donations to each of our daughters' first homes. We have already collected 50 pairs of Robeez and a bag full of toothbrushes. As a group, our travel companions will determine how to best donate to Chenzhou SWI. Since we are travelling to Zhuzhou on our own, we have made some enquiries as to what is needed there. When asked what the most pressing need is, Director Zhang always answers, "Formula!" And no wonder; it takes about $1,400 USD permonth to provide formula for all who need it. If you are interested in contributing, feel free to contact us. Alternately, you can purchase a pack of Guo Kids notecards for $15 at http://www.zzfamilies.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=1&=SID. One set of cards provides one meal for almost all the bottle-fedbabies at the CSWI; for four sets, you can feed all the babies for an entire day.
I feel that we are so blessed to have been given the opportunity to explore these pages of our daughters' stories. While each of these journey's will be emotionally draining and I am sure that we'll be exhausted at the end of it all, I am also certain that the rewards of this kind of trip will be outstanding. I pray that we will have the health and the strength to carry through with our plans.
Karen
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Wednesday March 9th - Travel Itinerary
Hi Folks,
Well the long awaited travel itinerary arrived today! We now have a basic list of what we are doing, a Gotcha date and a list of hotels we are staying in.
On the 29th we depart Toronto, arriving in Shanghai on Wednesday March 30th at 4:35pm. We will be staying at the Baolong Hotel in Shanghai (http://www.sinohotel.com/hotel/hotel.html?hid=865). The bulk of our travelgroup will arrive on the 1st of April and we have a scheduled day of tours on the 2nd. The remaining sightseeing, we will do on our own.
On Monday April 4th, we depart our hotel at 6am (yikes) for a flight to Hunan arriving at 10:05am. We will check into the Grand Sun City hotel (http://www.sinohotel.com/hotel/hotel.html?hid=238) and briefly grab some lunch. At 1:30pm, we'll be meeting Lilah at the Civil Affairs office -- GOTCHA!
Tuesday April 5th, we'll be processing paperwork while Papa and Naomi check out the hotel amenities. We are hoping either Wednesday or Thursday will be our trip to Zhuzhou. Friday we pick up Lilah's Passport. We depart Hunan at 8:05pm.
At 10:05pm we arrive in Beijing and are staying at the Poly Plaza Hotel (http://www.sinohotel.com/hotel/hotel.html?hid=57), which is very close to Tiananmen Square in the Northeast part of downtown. Saturday Lilah will have her medical examination, Sunday April 10th is our trip to the Great Wall. Our group is planning a trip to Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City on the 11th, but we'll probably take a down day that day to allow the girls to get to know each other and catch up on some rest. We may visit the Beijing Zoo if all is going well. Tuesday the 12th is a shopping day and we may also visit the Summer Palace or the Temple of Heaven. Wednesday we pick up Lilah's visa and have the traditional Peking Duck dinner to celebrate. On Thursday we depart for Canada at 4:20pm and arrive in Toronto at 10:30pm (a mere 6 -- I mean 18 hours later).
In checking out our Hotels, it appears that we have great accomodations. You never know when things might change though, so we have to be flexible in that regard.
Cheers,
Karen
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Sunday March 6th - A busy week!
Wow, time sure is speeding by! Only 23 sleeps till we leave and things are coming together.
Naomi is starting to talk a bit about Lilah - HOORAY! On Monday, she gave Lilah's picture a kiss and hug before bed and has started to talk a bit about where Lilah will fit into our lives. It's probably a bit of hopeful thinking on our part, but this week she really seems to be coming to terms with the idea of a sister. Although that is probably not going to be as big of a reality in 4 weeks when Lilah arrives - it is comforting to know that she will adjust eventually.
So the hug and kiss are now a morning and evening routine. We also received the new stroller this week, and Naomi loves to ride around the house in it. She even tells us that Lilah will sit in the seat beside her! As I hear her talking, I fall deeper in love with this little person who has so much to offer a baby sister. She is such a character and has such a terrific sense of humour. I can hear the two of them concocting stuff already!
Yesterday we hosted a get together for our travel group and had the opportunity to meet some new faces. The party was a kick start to our trip, and has really gotten us excited about our journey. In less than a month we will be together in China, have new babies in our arms and be celebrating! Our group is a wonderful mixture of first and second timers, with a few bio kids in the mix. We met up with 3 of the 7 other families travelling to Hunan, as well as 5 of the 10 families travelling to Guangdong. Since we all have the same travel service, the two groups will be meeting up in Beijing.
Joel cooked up a nice suprise for me at the get together! He arranged to get a birthday cake for me with Happy Birthday written in Mandarin, then brought it out during the party. Naomi had fun blowing out mommy's candles. Lots of wishes coming true, and the biggest birthday present to arrive in less than a month! Poor Joel though was afraid if he put the cake (ice cream cake) in the freezer that I might see it before he was ready. Given that it was cold outside, he left it in his truck with the sunroof open to keep things chilly. He forgot to close the sunroof last night after bringing the cake it. We got snow last night, then rain the morning. Thank goodness for leather seats - easy to clean!
We heard from Children's Bridge this week that we should expect our in-China itinerary to arrive in the next few days. We are anxious to get this information, because it will tell us if our visit to Zhuzhou (Naomi's orphanage) will be permitted.
Our friend Jenny is working on translating several documents for us this week. When we travelled in 2002, we had a translation card indicating our baby's name, age and that we were adopting her and bringing her to Canada. It was very well received by the Chinese as they greeted us and gave us the thumbs up. Jenny is making one for Lilah, and also one for Naomi to explain that she was adopted in August 2003.
We are also having her make a translation card for Naomi in case she gets lost (which we hope won't get used), a letter thanking Lilah's caregivers and a sign for Naomi's finding spot. We would like to put the sign up at the place that Naomi's birthparents left her with a photo of her now, one of her at referral and a note indicating that she is safe, healthy, well loved and living with her new family in Canada. Often when I sit back and marvel at the gift we have in Naomi, I am moved by the fact that her birthfamily is missing out on such a wonderful little treasure. We will never know if any member of her birthfamily will see it, but since it has only been 2 years we are hopeful that they will at least hear of it. I can only imagine the pain that they must feel - perhaps it will give them some degree of peace.
It sounds like we will not be allowed to visit Lilah's orphanage in Chenzhou. For one, it would be a 5 hour drive one-way. While we would be eager to make this journey, it also sounds like the government offices in the area are discouraging visitors right now. Thankfully we do have some pictures from another family who made a return visit to their daughter's orphanage last year. Apparently, it is affiliated with a seniors residence and the "grandma's" routinely visit the babies to cuddle them. It is nice to think that Lilah will have experienced this in her life already.
The only other news to report is that we've made grand strides in Lilah's room. It now looks less like a spare room and more like a nursery! Since Naomi's room is now purple with silver stars and moons on the walls, we took the theme from her original room and modified it in Lilah's. The theme is gardens, with lots of butterflies, ladybugs and flowers. Lilah is beginning to have more and more presence in our home. It's starting to feel very real this week.
So, I'm now also counting down the days left of work. I finish on the 17th of March, just in time to celebrate with some green wine! It seems odd to be wrapping things up with my clients, as I feel like I just returned. Then again, I guess I did!
x0x0 Naomi and Lilah's mommy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)