Now comes the hard part ...

Alexandria, Virginia - 4:45am, one hour until sunrise.

I'm up, T/V are still sleeping.
Apparently, from what previous adopters have told us, the next week or so is going to be the toughest week:
- Getting him acclimated to a 12-hour shift in schedule (when toddlers are incredibly schedule/routine oriented)
- Adjusting to a new house with new toys and OMG CATS! - (that one is for you, witthaus)
- Plus our usual adult routines and going to Wal-Mart, Kroger, Starbucks, work, things like that.

So it's a lot but I think we're going to do okay. Hey, we survived 15 days in China.

First thing I need to do re-adjust the car seat so it fits him better - waiting until it's light out to do that. Plus trying to find a manual online for a car seat, somehow, is the most ridiculous thing in the world - or my two weeks behind the Chinese firewall has really messed up my search-fu. Then we'll have breakfast here and get on the road. (P.S. gas prices - WTF?)

But, really, it's so nice to be back in America, and familiar America at that.
I'm saving up all my opines about China for a later post - suffice it to say that, while a tremendously friendly place, with great people and great food, it has a long way to go in my book before I can take it seriously ...

Anyway, blah blah blah we're home blah blah blah love you all very much blah blah blah PICS:

Mr. Michael Li, our AMAZING facilitator in China. Van in a usual graceful pose.

Stylin' in some jammies on the plane!

We figured out how to open and close the window shade!

ooo, Look at all that shiny freedom, democracy, and capitalism!

Van is one sleepy new citizen!

Grandpa!

Homey

WE MADE IT! Van is now officially a U.S. Citizen!

We're at the grandparent's house in Alexandria now decompressing with some American Pizza and Real Beer ...

The camera cable is packed so no pics yet but we'll put em up once we get back to Richmond.

So far the biggest meltdown has been trying to keep him in the car seat ...

Say Goodbye, Guangzhou...

Change is in the air, and we will be too in a few hours ...
... and he's already being Mr. Grumpy so we'll have to see how he does on the plane.

Thank you, everyone, for all your well wishes and support while we've been over here.
We're probably going to need it when we get back as well!

One Last Thing about ATTACHMENT:
He will most likely one of the first time he meets you (or anyone else) do a reflexive "Please give me attention" maneuver he learned in the orphanage. It's pictured below and he's very good at it. The arms up and the pouty face are perfect. What he wants to be is picked up:

At least for the first few weeks, please DO NOT pick him up, but redirect him to us.
We are still trying to firm up the parental attachment ... we're only at about 10 days in with in his 26 month life ...

Here's the 'send me back to Momma' maneuver:

Ok, that's all for now. Will post again Saturday or Sunday when we're back in the US!!

And We're Off!

So this is it...we are really going home now. The consulate appointment was kinda cool. There were only ten kids there...3 boys including Van. They said that we were a very small group. One of the only twenty Americans who actually works there gave us a brief overview of the process and then we all stood up and swore that all the information we have provided (for the billionth time!) is actually correct...and that's it. We got Van's VISA for one way ticket to paradise and left the building. Of course I got all teary again...must be part of the mom package that I now embrace which seems to include sticky, sticky and more sticky, antibacterial gel and wipes in every pocket and repeating every word I say in a sing-song melody that Van seems to already be picking up. BTW, no more signs of allergic today at all what a relief! Today's afternoon thunderstorm waited until we needed to walk across the island for the infamous "Red Couch" photos. For those of you in the China adoption wait mode, you are all too familiar with these adorable photos but for all the rest of you, it's a tradition to dress your kids in their Chinese outfit and take a photo on the red couch at the White Swan hotel. As you can see, Mr. Cooperative, wasn't in the mood for dress up and decided to make the moment a Kodak special one!! I don't think I've ever seen a group shot without a screamer...and you've already guessed who it was in our group!
USA here we come!!!!

Last Day : Consulate Appointment

I'm going to propose the NFL change their uniforms to more of a 'onesie' approach.
I mean, c'mon, they have snaps between your legs!

Thank all of you so much for the comments and emails!
The tyke is doing fine. Much love for the Benadryl / Tylenol combo maneuver.

We're almost done shopping - (and yes, P.C., we got you a nice fake Rolex.)
Momma is packing now and Van is testing how long he can go without a nap.

We go to the Consulate at 3pm to take an oath or something. Details are kinda fuzzy but I know it's the last thing we gotta do before we can split...

It's been an amazing time and only the beginning of an amazing adventure.

blah blah blah omgz0r pics!

Grab the bottle...

Run with the bottle....

Spike it!

First Scary Moment ...

We gave him some cow's milk - apparently he's having some sort of allergic reaction - been on the phone (yay for Skype!) with the Pediatrician back home twice already ... gave him some Benadryl for the small hives and some Tylenol for a very mild fever ... first time parents, half a world away, KINDA FREAKING OUT a bit. I think we're allowed to.

The nurse at our Pediatrician's office has been very helpful but if anyone has any stories of toddler allergic reactions please post them or email us, we'd love some reassurance that we're not overreacting ...

-S

Edit: I'm on IM as 'hdvideoengineer' and Skype as 's.malkie' if you want to talk real-time!

Edit 2: the benadryl seems to have worked a bit, the welts have disappeared - and he's sleeping like a rock - the tylenol seems to have help with the temp, it's down as well. We're gonna take shifts sleeping and keep a close eye on him until the morning ...

Edit 3: holy crap, I now feel the same way about Benadryl as I did about Boone's Farm when I was in college - "I don't know who the heck invented this stuff but it is the magic liquid I've been looking for to get what I want" - Van is up and fine and running and cheery and his usual good-natured self. Momma and he just went down to breakfast and I'm following them down momentarily. Crisis averted, for now. New post later today, after shopping and packing!

48 hours! (Best movie ever!)

So it's Wednesday night and we've been busy - sleeping.
Well, Van's been sleeping and we've been watching him ...

Want to know the weather in Guangzhou?
Pick one and it's probably pretty close:
1. hot and sunny and humid and stifling
2. raining like crazy and humid and stifling
3. kinda nice when there's a breeze but still humid and stifling

So we have two more nights and two more mornings here - we did a bunch of shopping today and are gonna do some more tomorrow. Going to actually start packing a bit tonight as well.

Not sure how the wee one is going to react on the big Travel Day - not sure how Mommy and Daddy are going to be once we actually get there...

Off to dinner now - long post tonight I think; it's hard to write when keeping one and a half eyes on a very curious and very mobile two year old.

Quick Pics!

Mom gets mushy

So today it's been one whole week since we won the lottery and met Van. And I am just the happiest, weepy mess of a mom Van could ever ask for. Our wonderful guide, Mr. Li came by this afternoon to deliver Van's passport. It actually states that he can "freely leave the country". So now it's real...WE GET TO KEEP HIM AND TAKE HIM HOME! I know other adopting moms had warned me about this moment...but man it's still took me by surprise. That little passport and now we are really a family going home!!!
And while I am in weepy mode, I also want to get mushy about my amazing, funny, patient and tireless husband...he is super dad already. Van just adores him, of course. Many of the families here are joking about their cuteness together since some of the other dads aren't getting near as much attention from their new little ones.
So it's been quite a day...happy happy tears of love and another day closer to that long ride home with two of the cutest boys a girl could ever dream of.

Tuesday Afternoon (Van loves the Moody Blues)

So it's a late naptime here in Guangzhou on Tuesday afternoon ... two more days left here.
They are going to be the two longest days of my life, I think. Wednesday we are going to wrap up shopping and then we're putting off packing until Thursday - we figure it's going to be a whole-day affair with 'little mister helpful' around now =).

Our consulate appointment is Thursday as well so hopefully we'll have enough stuff to keep us busy until Friday when we travel - first Guangzhou to Beijing and then Beijing to Dulles.

Edit: We just met with Michael Li and - barring anything catastrophic - we've finished up all our paperwork! We'll post more pics after dinner - but we're starving so we're going to go eat.

Here's some to keep y'all satiated:

Bubbles Redux!

Ptooey Bubble!

Running Running Running

Oopsie! (he was okay)

And most importantly:

Three lives in a large pile of 8.5" x 11" - and yes, that's a Chinese passport and some Benjamins...

And we're officially rated PG-13 !

the pics, they have returned, and are stronger.

Whew, what a day!

We went to the White Swan this afternoon after naptime and looked around for a long time.
We saw fishes, we saw boats, we had a very good (and somewhat expensive, according to Guangzhou standards) dinner at the 'Barbeque' restaurant. The White Swan is pretty exquisite. It easily gets 5 stars, even by US standards. I know all of you are probably just skimming this and saying "blah blah blah but where are the PICS?" - and, of course, I will oblige....

Don't worry I have everything...

Dad's first of many funny dad moments...it's pouring rain...really pouring rain and here we are at the zoo and it's hot and humid and smells like zoo and feels like zoo and now we are soaking wet...but don't worry...dad has everything...or so he says as he's racing away with Van in the stroller and mom is left behind holding the umbrella, the backpack, the sippy cup and every other item any new mom would bring for a zoo outing (no 3 hole punch in my purse tho Cheryl!) but close enough. Anyway it was a laugh out loud moment for me as I realized that Dad did have everything cause he had Van so not much else mattered. Mom has gotten a bit giddy today...lots of laugh out loud moments for all-it could be the reality of 5 more days here or the fact that the 7-11 had real honest to goodness ice cream and gatorade or just a plain ole great weekend family day. Van went down to sleep with no fuss tonight for the first time, we had a big time splashing in the tub and we had a peaceful full meal at a restaurant. Can't ask for much more than that. We've seen lots more adoptive families today too so that's always encouraging. I'll try to get some pix up now...although everyone here is struggling with a wonky internet connection...

Pic Workaround + More

Hopefully this will work - click on this link to see a list of pics...
http://www.iggyandabby.com/images/van/

So, today we went to the ZOO. It was very fun. We saw lots of animals, a big elephant, some rhinos, some funny monkeys - and then it rained. =( But it was okay because it was naptime anyway.

Momma will write up a bigger post but, suffice it to say, we're both ready to be home. The island is nice and we still have enough stuff to do - but we're ready.

For those of you who are getting ready to travel here: pack like you're going camping. There is a small 7-11 on the island and Michael Li did take us to a Carrefour (Euro version of Wal-Mart - there isn't a Wal-Mart in Guangzhou, we asked!) to get some supplies. But we still have 4 days and we're almost out of "in-the-room" food except for cheerios. Also keep in mind that when you decide to stay in the room for his meal, you have to feed yourself too! The few Powerbars we brought didn't last long. Going out to eat sounds nice but it definitely a bit ... exhausting ... trying to keep up with the 2 year old. Plus it seems like rain comes and goes quite a bit in the subtropical climate here - so going out often means umbrellas!

Everything is going alright, though, we're slogging along. Starting to plan for the long plane ride back (which should be 'interesting') and going shopping whenever we can.

Hope everyone back home is enjoying their long weekend. Please keep the comments and emails coming, even if it's to share news about you ... we miss you all very much and will see you soon.

-S

Test Picture Post (ignore the white guy)

Pictures Returning Soon...

omg teh chinese intarwebs it is borken!!

It's apparently not letting me upload pics at the moment.

I've made all the requisite calls - we'll try and get the visual goodness back to you as soon as possible.

First time parents

I just realized that it's Memorial Day weekend...wow...hope you all have a nice long weekend and ours flies by.
So I think we are the only first time parents here on adoption island....so far all the families we've met have other children, many previously adopted from China and others with their own. Most of those families have their other children with them so it's been really fun to watch how the kids help each other adapt. We've met so many nice families and everyone is just so supportive...especially during breakfast meltdowns and walk abouts.
I still feel pretty unsure about some of the basic parenting rules but luckily we have a kid smart enough to help us. Here's the rundown of the basics:
On diapers-This morning he directed me to the package of Pampers (sorry Beth, the Huggies we brought with us are way too big so we had to buy the Chinese version of Pampers) when he was in need of a change. I don't want to be one of those moms discussing the poop but let's just say he's the first of our group to go and he's on a pretty good schedule. One of the moms told us that she put the diapers on backward for the first two days until another family corrected her...we haven't made that mistake yet...
On dressing-He is pretty good at the dressing thing...definitely knows the routine, tried to get his arms in the sleeves, big head in the shirts...thank goodness for those extra snaps and once he's dressed, he is ready to head out the door. He loves shoes...just like mom!
On sleep...we've been averaging about 9 hours sleep at night...he fights the good fight when it comes to going to bed...some crying and wiggles but once he's down, he is eyes half closed out like a light...he's a squirmy lil guy but he stays asleep...yippee! Naps are running about 2 hours.
On play...that's what he wants to do...play at 6am and play at 6pm...explore and stack and drop and pick up. Today we are trying climbing and lots more walking and steps. I don't think running is too far away.
On eating...we eat (sorta) with our own spoon, and now we are getting picky about foods we like one day and not the next. The only consistent food so far is something called a soft roll which we believe is the Chinese version of a Krispy Kreme...oh yeah, Scott's son all the way! So far, we've had the plain ones and the filled version and we like to carry one in each hand at all times.

Scott gave you the low down on the "medical" so that was today's requirement...the nap is over now so we are gonna head out for an adventure. So far it's the adventure of a lifetime....it's finally sinking in that we actually get to keep him and that every day is going to be an amazing day. I feel like an official mom now that I've randomly burst into tears at the sight of his smiling face and I can kiss little toes and little fingers (even when they are covered in nasty tasting baby food pears...and I mean nasty tasting)...
We miss everyone but every day we are getting closer to home...this is our last weekend in China. Tomorrow we are all heading to the zoo to see pandas!

We know you're all waiting for pics so they'll be coming up next!

Today's Fun

We figured out how to take off and put back on Daddy's watch. Ah, the simple things.

Cry. Cry. Cry. Naptime. Wake up. Poop.
(Yes, he sleeps with his eyes half open or so. No, I don't know if that's normal. As long as he's sleeping, which he is, we'll let the doctors give him the once-over back in the US ...)

Hey look at me, I'm in a stroller!

Bubbles??

Bubbles !!

So, speaking of Doctors - today we did our 'Medical Examination'. Which I can basically summarize like this:
Doctor 1: "Boy?"
Us: "Yes."
Doctor 2: (with a tongue depressor) "Cleft Palate?"
Us: "Yes."
Doctor 3: "Ok, he's all good. 500 RMB please."

Seriously, I've seen more detailed physical exams in PG-13 movies. But anyway, it's done. One more thing off the list. The big thing now is just TIME... 6 more nights... Ugh.

Momma and the V are napping now - I'll let her post about everything else that's been going on when she gets up.