Streaming Ellie Videos

As foreshadowed, here are a few selections of Ellie video.

Neither of us is (yet) a talented cinematographer. But the Star surmounts the ineptness of the crew and all technical difficulties to turn in diva performance. It's all in the character method, we suppose....

Gotcha Day" is what CCAI, and perhaps other adoption agencies, calls the day the babies are turned over by the orphanages. The "Gotcha Moment" was delayed for everybody by about a half hour as Ellie's arrival was awaited; when the other babies were given to their adoptive parents, Ellie was still ten minutes or so off. Having come a long distance from Nankang, caught in traffic, tired, carsick, hungry, and "afraid of strangers," Ellie stood things well -- stood her ground, too -- until actually taken in hand by the "strangers."

Sustained crying settled into sniffles and hiccups as Ellie was settled into pajamas. Ellie certainly had some sense of what was happening to her: from time to time her face would gather into a frown and she would burst into fresh crying. On this video, we have only the sniffles. She seemed once to be saying goodbye (with mourning) to her orphanage life. The next day, when the adoptions were registered, she met her orphanage director, her nannies, and one of her playmates, and didn't respond to any of them ... almost as if she didn't recognize them.

Ellie's first full day with us (followed by a second night, rather like Genesis 1: evening came and morning followed) was a please-the-civil-servants day, with a trip to adoption registration, visa application, notarization, and a trip to Walmart for baby supplies. Ellie's personality awoke gradually during the day. By evening, playful impishness appeared.

This video belies our claim that Ellie was "clingy" as regards Karen. That behavior came later, towards the end of our stay in Nanchang, and got much stronger in Guangzhou. In People's Park, Ellie wandered about freely for a few minutes -- only a few minutes. We tried her in the stroller, but she stayed in the stroller only if Karen walked alongside, holding her hand. Tom was struck by the playground equipment, which in China doubles as exercise equipment.

This last is a long video: a collection of Ellie in several different moods. She was by this time very much in "stay near Mommie" mode, unless she felt she was in a secure place. Shopping fascinated her. Going about looking at artistic artifacts didn't. Attempts at speech (demands, mostly, but questions from time to time) show up a couple of times, and at the end of this video, we see the new challenger for Family Pouting Champion. (The title of the video is Tori's contribution.)

Ellie's Orphanage

Before going to China for their babies, adopting families commonly send a care package ahead: clothes, toys, and so forth. The baby is handed over in the clothes provided by the adopting families.... Some families send a disposal camera, and with luck, get the camera and/or the pictures back. We were blessed with luck, and Karen fetched the pictures home from Walgreen's today. So here are shots of Ellie in her orphanage (Nankang Social Welfare Institute.)

It appears as if this particular SWI is being renovated or maybe expanded. A Social Welfare Institute, by the way, is not for abandoned girls only: it is also for the seriously handicapped, elderly folk with no families to keep them, waiting children (boys and girls) and other such cases. We see only baby girls in these photos, however. Karen and I suppose that Nankang SWI is being expanded to serve the other needs.

One of the little girls in these photos we recognize: Ellie's playmate (Kathy, I think, is her new name) that we met twice after Ellie was delivered to us. We also see the two nannies who brought Ellie and Kathy to our Nanchang hotel. What you will see of the facility in these pictures looks very spartan indeed, but the children seem strong and in good health -- as indeed Ellie is.

Today she was taken by Karen for her second ride in a car seat, and did pretty well: a de rigeur protest that didn't last too long. She has also had her first visit to McDonald's, for breakfast (pancakes and sausage.) I believe we will upgrade that to Bob Evan's by the end of the week ... this is called "Americanization," I suppose. She was actually put to bed by Ba-ba last night, slept soundly through the night, and woke up without fussing about the same time the other kids woke up for school.

We are spending a good deal of time teaching her words, because she is obviously eager to talk.

Home in Twinsburg

We are Home!

How ironic (or maybe it's not ironic; maybe it's inevitable) that our first day in Twinsburg was a cold, grey day with a touch of snow, after two weeks of excellent weather in three different parts of China. Just perhaps, if you'll permit me the heresy, a Communist system is more capable at arranging The People's Weather than a constitutional republic?

Of course it's always possible that we were merely made to think that the weather in China was excellent....

As a matter of fact, it was excellent only by the standards of Cleveland; our fellow travellers from Denver and San Diego were less impressed.

Followers will notice greater length to this post, because I am no longer paying so much per minute for Internet use, and I am using my own computer!!! to write it. I have just added two more sets of pictures to the April 10 post, along with a bit of editing, and a third set below -- in all, slightly more than sixty new pictures. I do hope that Tori is not going to be jealous, later, that Ellie's site has many times more pictures than Tori's site. There are three reasons, Torianna: better digital cameras, better website services, and faster computers in Ellie's day than in Tori's.

Ellie has now completed four airplane flights, two taxi rides, an uncounted number of bus rides, and one trip home in the car -- all of which she enjoyed; she's a good traveller. She enjoyed the taxi rides because in China car seats for children are not required, and we avoided calamity during the trip home from the airport by -- but perhaps I'd better not make that public.

During the short flight from Guangzhou to Hongkong she fiddled with this and that but mostly played quietly. During the short flight from Chicago to Cleveland she slept. During the long flight -- fourteen hours from Hongkong to Chicago -- she was what Karen calls "a whirling dervish" or, if you prefer, what Tom calls "a little Ellion." She flipped and flopped, twisted and tangled, pulled things, poked things, threw things, butted things (like Karen's face, a couple of times) and laughed, because she thought Karen was playing, whenever Karen tried imposing a little force to make her sit still. She fussed when Tom tried to take over management. Karen had to pick Ellie up and walk around the plane a few times just to get her to stop thrashing around in the seat. It was, in short, a long trip. On top of that, due to electrical problems in our section of the airliner, the seat controls didn't work, which meant that seat lights could not be turned off, the sound system channels could not be used, and the cabin attendants could not be summoned. To be fair to the cabin attendants, they were more attentive with to because of this: we received excellent service, although the food was very poor. ...And to be fair to the little Ellion, she did fall asleep for about an hour in the middle of the trip, and for two or three hours towards the end.

Things were mildly interesting between flights, too. For no reason clear to us, Karen, Ellie and I were in the second group to leave the hotel for the Guangzhou airport (the other families boarding the plane with us left the hotel an hour earlier) and although we arrived in what was theoretically plenty of time, we ended up in a slow line with a slow service rep. Check-in took so long that our CCAI rep had to leave us. We got to our designated gate about twenty minutes before boarding began, and then, about three minutes after boarding began, someone came from another gate to tell us that the gate for our flight had changed and if we wanted to get to Hongkong we had better hustle four gates down that-a-way. (This information had been on display on the marquee at our gate, but none of us waiting had seen it; and probably there had been an announcement, too, that none of us were able to understand.)

Upon landing in Hongkong and collecting our bags we had to get in a l-o-o-n-g line to check in for Chicago and Cleveland; this took about an hour and a half, and after security, transit, elevators and this-and-that we again made it to our gate for Chicago with only a little time to spare.

In Chicago we went through baggage claim, Immigrations, and Customs, after which we had to recheck already-checked baggage and pass again through security, transit, elevators and this-and-that to find our gate for Cleveland. Going through Customs made Ellie an American citizen. When I congratulated her on that while awaiting the transit train, a gentleman on the platform overhead and he congratulated her, too.

Fairly typical airport experience, all of it. In fact I have to say that except for a couple of check-in clerks who were very slow, the service at the airports and on the planes was first quality. Security is security, but the guards and immigration officers were polite, efficient, diligent and reasonable, in the U.S. and in China. I did get held up by customs officers when entering Guangzhou, over something someone didn't like on my passport -- I never did find out what it was -- but even that small delay was handled with courtesy. Karen had to open her backpack to be searched at one point. It was full of Ellie's toys, which probably weren't recognizable on the scanner.

Carol, Mark and Tori came to meet us at Hopkins. They weren't permitted a gate pass; they had to wait for us at baggage claim. Ellie took to the kids almost immediately. We had an uneventful if slightly daring ride home, and after helping us get into the house, Mark and Tori went back to Nana and Doh's place so that Ellie could sleep her first night home with just Ma-ma and Ba-ba. Ellie and Ma-ma went to bed almost as soon as we got home. Ba-ba went to the grocery store to pick up some basics for next morning, our fridge being empty; but couldn't buy wine for Karen (yes, that is one of the basics) because it was Sunday morning, just after midnight, when he got to Giant Eagle.

We began the day, Saturday the 12th, at 5:00 AM in China, and ended it around 12:00 AM on Sunday the 13th--which sounds like 19 hours except for China being twelve hours ahead, so it was actually 31.

By mid-morning next day Ellie and Tori were playing as if they had been friends together all their lives. Probably in a day or so they'll be playing as if they've been sisters all their lives (any experienced parent will understand the difference immediately.)

Mark didn't get that much chance to play with Ellie because he was scheduled to take a certification test for his hunting license, which turned out to be a three-hour course as well as a test. He passed, with a 99%, being the second person to finish the test; and was immediately equipped by Doh with his own hunting license. Tom, having gone along, decided to take the certification test, too, and also passed (with only a 96%, but there it is.) After getting home from that, Mark did play with Ellie for a short while, and also tried a couple of games of chess, Chinese version, with Tom; and then Tom decided that Ellie had better have a nap. Ellie was lulled to sleep with more recorder music.

The little whirling dervish Ellion is already very comfortable in her new "orphanage." She stayed home all day and went outdoors for a few moments only, to admire the deck. She is getting along just fine with the kids, Nana and Doh -- but she can't stand poor Arpeggio, so the cat is banished for the time being to the basement. She needs the barest minimum of help to get up and down the stairs. She loves the windows. She loved trying to fiddle with the presents her older siblings were brought from China (the older siblings put most of them away with commendable and prudent expedition.) She seems comfortable in her new bedroom, although of course she is not sleeping alone in it, yet--both Tori and Karen are with her at the moment. All in all, the whole family is adjusting very well.

Thanks once more to everybody for following this blog, for helping Carol and Roger look out for Mark and Tori, for covering for Karen and myself in our absence, for prayers, hopeful thoughts, good wishes, and all other kindnesses. Tomorrow I will work a bit on getting some video posted here, so stay tuned....

Still here ... still waiting ...

[Original entry edited and expanded on April 13] I hope I haven't unduly worried anyone by not posting lately.... Things are still going very well. We have been marking time here, waiting for the mills of the gods, which as the saying goes, grind slowly, but grind exceedingly fine. (I have never found that very reassuring: to be ground "exceedingly fine" by the mills of the gods sounds bad by itself, and to have them do it slowly....)

As you might all expect, scrapbookers especially, there are a couple hundred more photos than those posted on this blog in our possession: of Ellie, the parts of China we have seen, local flora, local art and architecture, and other persons (with adoptees) travelling with us; but because it is actually sort of expensive to create and post the slideshows, I've decided not to add any more until after we are back in the States ... day after tomorrow, I think it is, or probably it's two days after tomorrow due to a whole day being lost in travel, except we get it back because we cross over the international date line ... all very confusing, like Daylight Savings Time. I'll know what day it is when we get back by checking a calendar. I could work out the math, of course, but it's too tiring, right now....

Anyway, there will be more pictures of Ellie coming, and if I can manage it, some video, soon after we land in the States.

Some of you will be seeing Ellie in person before then!

[Note, added 04/13: The SD card on Karen's camera is presently holding 781 pictures, and Tom's PDA is holding about another 30 -- of far inferior quality. As of Monday morning the 14th, this blog displays just over 210, which I think does little Ellie rather proud. Just added to this entry are a few shots of Ellie and her new ma-ma and ba-ba hanging around in Guangzhou. --End note.]

Yesterday our CCAI guide, Jocelyn, cleared our I-600 and I-784 and DS-3whatnot, and two or three other papers I seem to remember signing, at the U. S. Consulate; and we need only take the oath, whatever that is, [as it turned out: the oath was merely a declaration that all information provided to the U. S. Government was true to the best of our knowledge, an affirmation that had probably already been attested by signature on at least one of the documents -- end note] to clear our Ellie for entry into the U.S. Once she's in the country, she becomes a citizen, thank Congress, and we need only obtain her social security card, already applied for, and a registered county record of her birth certificate, and certification from our Ohio agency that she's doing well in her new home, and probably, by that time, there will be some law somewhere that she has to be fingerprinted.... (sigh)

She is doing fine, hernia and all. She had a bit of a cold but got over it (save for the occasional cough) yesterday. She still wakes up hard every morning: fussy, and a little uncertain of where she is. She continues to be nervous around everyone except Karen and myself, and still will not tolerate me holding her for more than a few minutes, unless we are in our hotel room -- and not even there, if she's already upset. Some pictures show Ellie holding her forearm in front of her mouth: we call this "smelling her arm" and it's a sign of anxiety. She does this often. She will not consider going in her stroller; she's taken to refusing to walk, even with Karen holding her hand; and she's learned to run ahead of Karen and block Karen's passage by grabbing her legs, so that Karen has had to carry her everywhere we go. Most of this, we think, is from overstimulation and general insecurity, although certainly some of it comes from never having been spoiled before.

There is no doubt she's bonded to Karen. Despite refusing to let me comfort her or carry her she's becoming attached to me, also. She's even becoming more comfortable with other people, although not to be handled, or approached. She seems interested in other children when she sees them, but remains wary of them.

[Some of the above began to change during the last couple of days in Guangzhou: Ellie played with Tom in a park, while Karen was drinking coffee; let Tom carry her outside the hotel room a couple of times, although not out of the hotel; and allowed Tom to lull her to sleep with recorder music. But she still had to be carried by Karen anywhere we went, and when she met another little girl at the consulate who had been her playmate in the orphanage, she seemed as if she didn't want to recognize her. This slideshow is a "day with Ellie" series from the next-to-last day in Guangzhou -- end note]

We leave for home early tomorrow morning. A short flight from here to Hong Kong, then the long one from Hong Kong to Chicago, then Chicago to Cleveland. Perhaps I will be able to check in from Chicago. Thanks again to everyone who followed along via the blog. I appreciate all the comments, and the emails, too. I will of course be preserving this site for Ellie to see when she is older (Tori has looked at her site a few times) and I hope to preserve the comments, too.

Signing off for now....

Crib and the Red Couch

Poor Ellie had to have another doctor's visit today. We took her to the Western Clinic in Guangzhou because Karen found a suspicious-looking lump in her lower abdomen, one that kept going away and coming back. Karen and Jocelyn guessed "hernia" and the American-trained doctor at the clinic agreed. We're told it's not a serious condition. Ellie will have to have outpatient surgery to correct it, which we'll arrange after we get back Stateside. It doesn't give her any trouble. She is still running a low fever from her infection, but it doesn't damp her spirits at all. In fact she was especially playful today just before bedtime.

Karen suggests that Ellie is just trying to one-up Tori (who had to have surgery soon after coming home to remove her epidemial inclusion cyst ... "hernia" is easier to say.)

One of Shamian Island's traditions among adoptive families is Lucy's, an American-menu restaurant with outdoor seating about a block from the White Swan. We have now been to Lucy's twice, not so much for the American menu but because it is convenient; and we have met fellow-travellers each time. Another White Swan tradition is the "Red Couch Photo," taken on one of a set of red couches near the bird cages on the hotel's second floor. Ellie does not approve of the Red Couch Photo. (She is not alone in that.)

The White Swan hotel is heavily occupied by Chinese babies with American parents. In fact there are a few parents of other nationalities, but Americans form a large and conspicous majority -- or seem to do so, anyway. We wander all over Shamian Island, carrying babies or pushing strollers -- the former, in Ellie's case. The island happens to be a "tourist" spot even for the local Chinese, who are also seen carrying cameras and shooting photos of everything. It is a favorite site for wedding pictures, due to the elegant European architecture, the very many beautiful old trees, the life-size and very life-like bronze statues that show Eastern and Western inhabitants through the centuries, the park along the Pearl River and the park in the island's central boulevard. We have run into a few families that we met in Hong Kong, who went to Nanning for their adoptions, and we have made friends with a few other families that we bump into at the hotel, then meet again elsewhere on the island.

One of the pictures in this set shows Tom holding another Eleanor. This older Ellie (four) was adopted from Jiangxi two years ago, and came back with her family for their second adoption, of a three-year-old little sister, Mae, also from Jiangxi. "Big" Ellie shows up in many of the other picture sets, if you care to go through them and hunt for her...

Doctors, Papers, Shopping, and Ma-Ma

Today we had our little one's medical exam. She LOVED it (not!) We had a minor fuss over her infection but got through it with Jocelyn's help, interpreting.

Tom spent most of the afternoon completing final paperwork, while Mommie and Ellie went shopping. They did more browsing than actual shopping, but the week is still young...

We had dinner at Lucy's, including the first glass of white wine we've seen this trip. But the real highlight of dinner was Ellie looking at Karen and saying: "Ma-Ma!"

We don't know whether she was speaking English or Chinese. Doesn't matter! She meant it, either way!

Toddler Convalescense

Ellie was much better today. Her fever is down and she is as active as she was before getting sick. To the matter of antibiotics, vitamins, and suchlike, she decided to put her foot down -- but she discovered that when Ellie puts her foot down, Mommie does, too. Once she got past the shock of that she did pretty well.

This was a "non-business" day. We slept in pretty late and were barely in time for breakfast, but we made it OK. Ellie had a little more appetite. After breakfast we visited one of the most popular Buddhist temples in South China, and because today was the first day of the lunar month, it was crowded and very noisy -- quite a contrast to the other temple we visited. People were lighting incense and praying in all directions, unbothered by everyone else moving back and forth. I tossed a coin at an incenses burner for luck (successfully) and Karen took Jocelyn's invitation to light some incense. All the babies were blessed by a Buddhist monk at a short but fairly elaborate ceremony, which we got on video. After the temple, we visited an ancestral art preserve of the Chen family. Ellie blew up a bit there, mostly from fatigue, and Karen had to carry her out; but she calmed down before we got quite outside. We waited in the courtyard for everyone else, playing with leaves and blossoms under a tree, and taking a few more minutes of video. Because our guide, Jocelyn, thought we had gone back to the bus, the whole group walked right past us while we were watching the wrong gate! But we were easy to find when Jocelyn came back for us.

Guangzhou is about six times the population of Nanchang -- fifth largest city in the world, so Jocelyn says; thirteen million people -- but it does not feel nearly as crowded, and is not as bustling, as Nanchang. People saunter here, not rush. Our hotel is in a particularly quiet and pleasant quarter, on a man-made island, Shamian Island, in the Pearl River. The weather is mild and warm, and it's a fine thing to wander the streets by day or night. At a park by the river Karen and I were approached by some schoolchidren, out with their teachers, assigned to find Americans (I suppose) and practice their English. They collected signatures to show how many people they had greeted.

We had a nice dinner at a Thai restaurant followed by ice cream at a little deli, then sat outside talking until the babies' bedtime. Ellie didn't think much of the ice cream.

Tomorrow (ironically) is Ellie's official medical exam. Karen does not expect any problems. Apart from her usual depression upon awakening from sleep or a nap (Ellie, not Karen) and occasional wariness, our little girl is in good spirit.

In Guangzhou

Nanchang is left behind and we've landed safely in Guangzhou, at the White Swan hotel ... Technical trouble with the computer here is preventing upload of any pictures, but we haven't many pictures anyway following a day of travel.

Ellie, I'm sorry to have to report, is not feeling well. She has been struggling with teething all week -- molars -- and now she's developed an infection in her throat. She was running a pretty high fever, and having shivering fits. So we've seen a doctor here, and she is on antibiotics, Tylenol and vitamins. She's still in pretty good spirits, although I think a bit confused at having moved to yet another different place, and of course very tired. Apart from refusing to wear a seatbelt she did well on the flight from Nanchang. She seems to like the new hotel room but doesn't like her "new" crib.

Tomorrow is another "rest" day. There is a tour of Guangzhou scheduled, but depending on how Ellie feels we may simply hang around near the hotel.

Ni Hao!

Toddlers and Teng Wang

Today the two-year-old emerged. Full force, full-fledged, tearing loose from her depression coccoon and tearing loose everything else in reach, too. It started with breakfast, where she made a lavish mess of her meal and Karen's, capped with a broken plate. In our room she tossed her toys in all directions except the ones where Karen or I happened to be sitting. She threw an imperial fit when Karen grew tired of carrying her and I had to take over ... Karen reached her famous "I'm done" point when Cheerios were spilled all over the restaurant floor. That was only at lunch. Of course she hasn't done any of this stuff for the camera, so not much of it shows in the pictures. We get the toddler; all of you get "cute."

If you recall from other parts of this site or the introductory e-mail the description of Ellie provided by her orphanage, you may remember "obstinate." We have seen "obstinate." We've also seen "active," "playful," -- I believe I can add "cunning" -- and we've seen the famous smile. She is talking more -- only babbling, but doubtless it is "talking" to her. She is breaking away from Karen from time to time to look about herself. She is still screaming when I pick her up in public, and fussing when I pick her up in private, but she mugs with me freely the rest of the time, playing and giggling and sharing food. Thanks for your concern, everybody, but it's not a problem -- Tori was the same way at first.

A double shot of pictures this time, to satiate the complainers. In fact I have gone back and added more 'tourist' pictures to three other posts -- I won't tell you which ones; you have to hunt for them. Today we played 'tourist' again, visiting the famous Teng Wang Pavilion: a palace, I suppose is the closest equivalent, built by a semi-exiled emperor's offspring who was unsatisfactory as a warlord but a great patron of the arts. The building is a symbol of Nanchang City and an architectural treasure (although it has been rebuilt several times, our guide tells us.) Carol will remember much about it, I'm sure. The "laughing Buddha" laughs no more, Carol; the statue remains but there is no more tossing coins to it. Ellie was fascinated by the gift shop. We saw performances of Chinese song and dance, including a stirring rendition of "Oh Susannah" produced for our benefit on ancient instruments. On the way out, we encountered a rarity, for Nanchang: an elderly Chinese gentleman and his lady, who spoke very good English. They congratulated us on Ellie and thanked us for adopting her.

Good news: Ellie's passport arrived, a whole day early! So that minor worry is set aside. Tomorrow is our last day in Nanchang; we will shop for porcelain, and probably go out to the countryside. Then we will need to pack and prepare for early departure, for Guangzhou, on Saturday. So there may be no post tomorrow!

My cold is fine, thanks to those who asked. A couple days of treatment took care of it.

People's Park

Nanchang is not a tourist city, so we're told. (No more is Cleveland.) But we pretended to be tourists today. We visited People's Park: a collection of gardens, pathways, play and exercise areas, etc. decorated with pagodas and some fascinating rock formations. Ellie didn't show any interest in the play equipment. As a matter of fact most of it was being used by elderly people to exercise. Kind of an odd thing - in a park like People's Park back home there would be ducks.

This afternoon while taking a walk we visited a grocery. We bought a bottle of wine, cookies, some hard candy, lemon Tang, a couple of oranges, and one or two other things that we thought we needed. We didn't buy a corkscrew. Tom went back for one. Then he spent a goodly time wrestling with the cork, but got it out finally, and we toasted Ellie in Chinese wolfbery wine. The wine was vile.

Ellie continues to fuss volubly if I try to hold her, and she's still clinging to Karen. Karen and I are beginning to wonder whether some of this behavior is manipulative. But if it is, we figure it's better to err on the side of spoiling her for now.

She is becoming more playful. Today she played throw-the-ball with Karen in the hotel room, and played another game with both of us
that involved picking up random items and handing them around. She's also "talking" a bit more.

Third Day

Click on the image to the left to view the (rather lengthy) slideshow...

Apart from a brief medical exam in the afternoon, today was a "rest" day, while we wait for passports to be processed. We and another family went after breakfast to visit a Buddhist temple, Shengjin, just behind the hotel. On a little market alley between the hotel and the temple we found ourselves surrounded by a few dozen curious and very happy Chinese, who would not let us pass because they wanted to see the children and talk about them. After a while Karen asked for directions to the temple gate; then they let us go through. Everywhere, people smile when they see us; we get quite a few "thumbs up" signals.

Today was a cling-to-Mommy day for Ellie. She barely tolerated me. At the end of the day she relented a bit and we had a tickle fest just before her bedtime. At breakfast, we tried to make her sit in a high chair -- and found out that she can really scream. To visit the temple, we did make her sit in a stroller. Karen had to walk beside the stroller, holding Ellie's hand. When we went shopping in the afternoon we left the stroller home and Ellie walked along very well with Karen and (sometimes) with me. When the families had dinner together, she did sit in a high chair without fuss, but it was a non-seat-belted high chair. You may notice in a couple of pictures that she's starting to smile here and there.

Thanks for the comments some of you have left -- it's great to have some idea who has been visiting! -- and for your good wishes and prayers. We are all doing very well. Mark and Tori, if you are reading this, Mom misses you and sends her love! And that goes for me, too. We are telling Ellie all about both of you. Tori, you should know that your little sister does not like to be held upside down!

Second Day

Ellie slept through her first night beautifully. she is sleeping beautifully now (as is Karen.) We did not take very many pictures yesterday; it was a runaround day. We started at the registration office, completing Ellie's adoption paperwork, making her officially ours in the records of the PRC. Then we went to the provincial capitol to have some documents notarized; then, to what I suppose was a federal building to have Ellie's passport photo taken. Our CCAI rep, Evelyn, got us through all this with amazing efficiency. It didn't hurt to have such a small adoption group - five families - and the Chinese civil servants were efficient, too.

After a brief rest at the hotel we went to Walmart, for "baby supplies." In our case these included juice, crackers, water, medicine (for me - I have a cold,) diapers, various toys, and a stroller.

Ellie was a trouper all day. I would not say she has bonded to us yet, but she has certainly become attached. Once or twice over the course of the day either Karen or I drifted out of sight for a moment and she became upset. So far she is a very shy and quiet child. She doesn't cry, but we can't get her to smile. She notices everything but doesn't try to be noticed. She likes to eat: rice, fruit, eggs, Cheerios, goldfish, cookies. At first she only took food when we fed her but by the end of the day we had her feeding herself. She became pretty active during the bus ride to Walmart, singing and talking to herself, and she walked along with us in the store. So we are coming along.

Ellie Arrives!

Click on the image to the left to view the brief slideshow... Later I hope to have a better slideshow control. Too tired to mess with it now.

We left for Nanchang this morning at about 8:00AM. Four families went together from Hong Kong; the others in our band went to Nanning. We arrived, rode bus to our hotel, settled in; were briefed at a meeting with Evelyn, our CCAI guide in Nanchang; met at 5:00pm to welcome the babies. Three babies arrived on time, but Ellie was late (traffic.) When she arrived the room was already chaotic. She looked in and tried to back out of the room! She cried hard at first and struggled, but she settled down pretty quickly when we got to ourselves in our room. She has decided that she likes Cheerios.

We have completed all our paperwork applications and expect to register the adoption tomorrow. But Ellie is "ours" as of now!

I will post more about our companion families later. They all have beautiful babies. (Ellie is best!) Stay tuned....

First Day: Hong Kong

Yesterday doesn't count as the first day because we spent all of it on airplanes. The flight was uneventful, which is a good thing. We met some other adoptive parents using CCAI on the plane.

Today we had a mini-tour of Hong Kong that included a sampan ride in the harbor, a jewelry factory visit, an open-market visit, a bus ride up to Victoria Peak and a dim sum lunch with our group (parents going to Jiangxi) and another group (going to Nanning.) We are the only parents in this group with a prior adoption. Karen answered quite a few questions over lunch.

We have some shots of Hong Kong that I will have to post later (posted on April 3; see left;) the computer here won't allow Karen's camera or my PDA to share files with it, and doesn't have a card reader. The hotel staff is trying but can't remove the administrative block. But none of you want pictures of Karen or I in Hong Kong anyway; you want pictures of Ellie! That's tomorrow.

Here we go....

By this time I suppose some of you are wondering whether Tom is excited yet.... Mostly, Tom is exhausted. I think Karen is exhausted too. But she, at least, has gone to bed.

We have a nice, early am flight to Chicago, for which we are all checked in, boarding passes in hand; a four-hour layover at fun and exciting ORD; then the long jump across the rest of the U. S. and over the Pacific to Hong Kong. According to the tickets, we get "lunch." Nothing of much importance regarding Ellie, or China, or the process of adoption, will arise until then, so you may have to be satisfied with descriptions of "lunch."

The picture accompanying this first blog post is from The People's Government of Nankang. They seem to be pictures of a big city, so I suspect the site is really for Nankang, Taiwan. But I wanted to limber up my slideshow-posting skills, so there we are. Practice hopefully will lead to speed. Click on the picture to view the show.