Home for Five Days!!!

It's funny how time can fly! Our sweet Teddy is doing so well. Of course, this is a huge adjustment for him. But he is so brave and full of joy. He can also be quite stubborn. He has been crying more, but absolutely no tantrums. Anna's tantrums have continued as normal! She got very possessive when we got home. The two weeks of bonding in China helped so much. It feels like they are real siblings now. Anna fights as much with her older siblings as she does with Teddy, so not much has changed! Anna is almost the complete opposite of Teddy in disposition. I am so thankful that I was able to bond with Anna early and that Teddy is so easygoing.

Teddy is speaking more English every day. We also bought Mandarin/English DVDs that have really helped. We have no problem communicating needs to each other for now. I know more understanding will come in time.

Many people have concerns about adopting an older child. We knew this adoption was God's will for us, so we stepped out in faith. God is always faithful to us when we trust in Him. I went into this adoption with no expectations, knowing that God would take care of everything, however things turned out! Many of you who know me, know that I am usually on the weak side emotionally. I have learned that I REALLY CAN "do all things through Christ, who gives me strength". I look back at our blog and can't believe that was ME in China! I really didn't want to live out of a hotel room and fly all over a foreign country again. I am living proof that "God's power is made perfect in weakness". My thanks is to God for bringing us through all of the paperwork, waiting, traveling, and for helping us through struggles to come in the future.

Kristina



Today was pajama day! He liked the sidewalk chalk.

And he likes corn dogs, too!

He likes when I cradle him and call him "baby".

We're Home!

YES! We made it! That was one long and difficult trip. Toddlers sure can wear a person out! We stayed the night at a hotel across from LAX. Three of us were awake and could not go back to sleep, so I woke up Chris and we left at 4:30 AM. (He told me to. I'm not that cruel.) It was great to be home by 9:00 AM. With a big smile, Teddy followed everybody through the house as we showed him around. Soon after, there were toys scattered all over the living room. That boy really knows how to play! We love to just sit and watch him play with the toys and talk to himself (in Chinese, of course). It is so funny because we have Anna insisting on using Chinese words for water and potty, and Teddy copies Anna's phrases like "Mommy, I want some 'shwei' (water)."

We were amazed that Teddy didn't mind his car seat and sat contentenly the whole trip home! He didn't even sleep. In China, he always wanted to sit by the window so he could see the cars. We made sure his car seat was by the window, too. When he met the dogs and cats he peeked around us, but didn't get too close. At least he's not afraid. I think he really likes the house. He cried his little whimpering cry before nap. He also did that when we arrived at LAX and made it through customs. We all wanted to cry with joy, but Teddy looked so scared and sad.

When we were leaving China, we had our guide ask Teddy if he liked us. He said, "yes", and all on his own he said he was happy! I thought that was so sweet. He understands so much, even though he looks like a little baby! I just wish we could understand him!

Okay! The fighting has now started. Anna was so proud when she announced she was going to share her toys with her brother. That didn't last very long! I think once we're not so tired and she practices sharing more, she will do just fine. They really are great friends.

Look for another post in a few days. We need to get some sleep!

Kristina


Anna was tired of smiling pretty.






Here's the panda.




A red panda in training.




Two tired kids and one tired dad.




The kids looked forward to their daily apples from the front desk.




Teddy on the famous red couch. He didn't mind not having a group.




He had his Mei Mei!





Window washers at the White Swan.




This was a lot of fun for the whole family.

Going Home

By the time you read this, we should be on a plane to L.A. Everything went well. We got Teddy's passport just in time. We should be back home by Saturday. We all can't wait to sleep in our beds again. Chris and Samuel have been sharing a twin size bed for the last six nights！Emma and I got spoiled and had our own beds。We'll share more pictures and let you know how we are all adjusting soon。

Kristina

Video

He's so good at using chopsticks. We wanted to show him off. We think his foster family spent a lot of time teaching him things. He is a great communicator and even knows how to shake hands with Chinese boys!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW6UCJRojMs

Two More Days!

We are really homesick now. We all took our turns with a cold and now that Anna has it, she is making our lives even more miserable. Teddy is still his sweet little self, but is learning how to fight back when Anna is being bad. We get lots of looks and comments because they look like twins. We bought them the same size t-shirts and they both wear size 2T pants. We're a little concerned because Teddy's passport took longer than expected. Our guide in Guiyang is supposed to send it to us by airplane. He still doesn't have it. The consulate agreed to process the paperwork and we can fax copies of the passport as soon as we have it. We are praying we will get it tomorrow and we can leave on Friday as planned.

We went to the zoo yesterday. It was the prettiest zoo that I've been to. They had lots of animals, especially bears. The panda bear was the most pitiful bear. It was in a cage with concrete and a small pool. Its white fur was muddy and it just wanted to sleep. We did get it to wake up, so maybe we will share that picture later. It's expensive to use the computer at the White Swan, but we found a place in a store by the hotel. Please pray for the passport situation. We love you guys and miss you all.

Kristina

Pictures

At the zoo

Emma's admirer.

Guangzhou

We made it to Guangzhou! For his first plane ride, Teddy sat expressionless and then fell asleep. It is nice to see other Americans and the cute little children they've adopted! There seem to be less families this time. I forgot how small the rooms are at the White Swan. Teddy and Anna have cute little comfy beds, but the 4 of us have to share two twins! We had an excellent Italian dinner last night. Why do we always have to take our two little monkeys to luxurious restaurants?! The kids like playing at the park and the playroom in the White Swan. We will post pictures next time because we're using a laptop and we can't figure out the pics yet.

Kristina

Last Day in Guiyang

We will not be able to post tomorrow because we will be on our way to Guangzhou. We went to the provincial museum today. It was mostly artifacts and things from the minority groups here. Guizhou province has most of the minority ethnic groups in all of China. The Hmongs which have settled in the U.S. are from this area. The picture you see of Samuel and Emma with all of the girls was just after the girls giggled and followed Samuel all around Walmart. They even worked up the nerve to ask his name and take a picture with him. I think he actually enjoyed this! Hopefully, we'll figure out the computer at the White Swan and we can post on Sunday (China time).

Kristina

Teddy loves cold pizza more than we do (and that's a lot).

Did we ever tell you how crazy Anna is?

Samuel's admirers.

Bonding with Teddy

There has been a gradual change in Teddy daily. He mostly plays in the corner with his toys (cars, legos,and farm animals). He will make eye contact and laugh with us. He has started to climb on the bed to sit with us. And he will request to be held or sit on our laps. He gives kisses on our cheeks by himself. I went to kiss him on the cheek today and he puckered his lips for me! Today we were in the park and a Chinese lady was holding him and dancing with him. Anna said "That's my Teddy". So cute! He didn't smile much for them. When the lady put him down, I held out my arms and he ran to me with a big smile. That meant so much! He is very active, but such a calm and gentle boy. Although, he does like to hit when he is having fun. When he gets in trouble, he will pout and not look you in the eyes. He still lets Anna have her way. We always knew Anna was the one who needed to learn to share! She still gets to be the baby and cuddle with Mommy a lot. But, I think she is really enjoying having someone to play with!

Video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNI8ZYv0ErI

Walmart Pics

Today is one of those "nothing to do, let's go to Walmart" days. It's about a five minute walk from our hotel. Unlike the three story Walmart in Nanchang, this one is one level, but all underground. We also hung out at a local pavilion where people dance, exercise, play badmitton, and stare at Westerners. Here are some pics from today. Keep the comments coming.

Chris & Emma

Getting ready to go underground.

Obama fever...catch it!

I don't know how putting goldfish in a frying pan is supposed to help you sell the frying pan.

'Frozen Fish Attacks Walmart Shoppers'

In case you can't read it, these are "Mexican Tomato Chicken Flavored" Lay's Potato Chips.

Don't forget the blueberry flavored.

I was wondering why I never see birds flying around China.

Finger lickin' good.

Miniature body snatcher pods.

No clue what these are.

Sticky buns for Grammy.

KFC ice cream. His mama dropped him on his head for the first time.

Anna's new princess backpack. She thinks it has magical powers.

Chinese line dancing.

Happy for the moment.

The Delk children.

This woman is the happiest lady in China. She stayed with us about 10 minutes.

Video at the pavilion...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6NNSR8AN-8

We're Still Here

Well, I think Teddy is starting to feel like part of the family now. Anna is bossing him around, so I think he knows his place :)! She took her favorite book from him and cried when Dad said to give it back. He kept giving her books to make her stop crying! He is also starting to be a little naughty, so he is having to learn some discipline. It is hard when you can't speak each other's language, but he does understand a lot. No excuses :) OH! and he is hardly wetting his pants anymore!!! I guess it was just the adjustment. We are all very tired of getting up at 4:00 AM, thanks to Anna. So, we are all ready for bed by 8:00 PM. We watch the clock until breakfast at 6:30 in the morning! We have Wal-mart pics, but Chris is the funny one, so we'll save those for tomorrow. Thanks for all of the comments. Jadelin and Rebecca, Samuel loves you very much, too! We love hearing from all of you! Kristina


Wood carvers. The finished products will be shipped to other areas.



A local market by the monkey park.





Anna and Teddy being silly





She still loves her brother!

Another Day in Guiyang

Yeah! Samuel is feeling much better! And so far, none of us are sick. Today, we took the kids swimming. Teddy wasn't real sure about the water, but started to like it. Later in the day, our guide, Michael, took us to a local park. It has wild monkeys running all over the place and at the top of the mountain is a Buddhist temple. We finished the day with a pretty fair pizza from Pizza Hut. We are all wiped out from all the hustle and bustle, not to mention all of the smoke and smog is burning our throats, giving us headaches, and making us irritable. All we have on tap for tomorrow is going to WalMart and more swimming. Here are some pics of today.

Chris & Emma

The Buddhist MONKey Park

"I like monkeys!"

Samuel wishing he had his pellet gun.

Teddy having fun feeding the pigeons.

Anna' s not so sure about the monkeys and the birds, plus she and Daddy remember the Avian bird flu scare.

This is just seconds before Samuel lost his right thumb.

Lion King song plays in the background.

"Let's stare at the white people with the Asian kids...everyone else is."

The hotel.

From this vantage point it's hard to see the spit stains on the marble staircase.

"Daddy, if I pinch him will he wake up?"

"Get in the water Teddy...now!"

The video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5CMFYwm5NI