Another shopping day (aka. Organized outing).  Trust us when we say we are mostly going to look and we have purchased very little.  All our money has vanished somewhere in Barrett's orphanage and government buildings across Beijing and Guangzhou. 

The tour bus took us to Shamian island that is very old and historically built with French architecture influence.  Very much like the look of Savannah, GA.  Apparently we hit the day where a major fashion and product photo shoot was taking place.  It was fun watching a male model in a suit pose himself a hundred different ways to sell the watch on his wrist.  

Erin and Denise shopped together (since they were mostly looking for the same items) while the daddies followed behind with the cranky hot kids:) erin purchased a chop stamp for Barrett and Bradford (a stamp with their name in English and Chinese), a small Christmas ornament and a map puzzle of china. We've been trying to buy little but meaningful items to give him on gotcha day each year until he is 18. After two shops, we had lunch with the Walkers at Lucy's Cafe and then picked up our chop stamps that were being carved. Its been great having the Walkers here the same time. Denise has helped Erin understand more about attachment and bonding because she has walked through this once already. The last thing Erin insisted we do before leaving the island was take Barrett's picture by the little statues. We had a feeling that was going to go over like a lead balloon. He cried for a second and then realized it wasn't so scary. He did study them for a while. I guess from his perspective it looks a bit odd to see children his size frozen solid.  

Since we elected to get his picture taken late in the trip, we purposely let the bus go without us and took our first Chinese cab back to the hotel.  To cap the night off... We had Mexican food at a local restaurant with two other families one of which was the Kendrick's.   Stephen Kendrick is the producer for all the Christian theatrical films Sherwood Baptist Church makes (Fireproof, Courageous, facing the Giants). It was great to get to know him more and talk shop about editing.  Barrett had been up from 7am to 8pm without sleep, something we will not purposefully do again, at least here in China.  

 

We had a free day (no paper work or appointments) and tried to stay within the hotel.  Our day started and ended well.  After breakfast we went to the outdoor pool where Erin and Barrett got into the kiddy pool.  That did not go over too well for Barrett.  He is still a bit timid around water and does not like having his shirt off.  You would think when the temperature here is in the high 90's the water would be warm... It was actually somewhat cool.  In an effort to get him back on a normal schedule we purposefully made our way back to the hotel room by noon to put him down for a nap.  This opened up a great opportunity for Erin to go shopping with a local hired guide named Ann.  She took both Erin and Denise Walker to the wholesale market where all the other stores get their merchandise.  It was amazing to see the bottom line pricing for things we have seen in the stores.  For instance, she got a nice chop stick set for $4 when in the US stores it would cost $30.  Barrett got a nice traditional Chinese outfit for $3.  It was a great experience and worth the $8/hour cost of Ann.  

I got a chance to take Barrett to the indoor playground and see what toys he likes.  The first thing he grabbed was a music toy that plays a short melody.  He would hit the music button and then play with some magnetic toys and hit the music button again when it stopped.  This scenario played out for 40 minutes.  He is great at sitting in one place and working on a toy if he finds it interesting.   

Barrett has had a hard time bonding with Erin and it has been hard to get him to warm up to her.  He laughs and plays with her but does not typically come to her first when I'm in the room.  This is slowing changing though and we have been told by many friends that this is a text book case for adoptive children. They usually gravitate to one parent over the other for various reasons, none of which has anything to do with the parent. The reasons all stem from the orphanage and how each child was cared for and interacted by the nurses.  This all vanishes once the child gets back to the states and starts his or hers new life.  

This night was special.  We all went on a boat cruise on the river overlooking the large skyline of Guangzhou.  We ate dinner with warm soda (cant wait to get back to a culture that uses ice) and then headed up to the top deck to see the neon  lights that outline the many buildings and bridges in the city.  On the way back to the dock, a juggler/clown came out to entertain the kids.  She was very good and creepy at the same time.  They played very loud Latino party music during her act and all the parents and adoptive kids looked a little confused.  

We did not get back to the hotel till 9pm... Well past Barrett's bed time and it showed.  

 

Monday was all about the zoo and going to lunch with all the other adoptive families.  We got to spend a lot of good quality time with our fellow church friends the Walker's.  Their two daughters are so cute.  When we arrived at the zoo, we experienced the first shuttle ride preview of a zoo.  Multiple shuttles pulled up at the front gates so they could drive us around the zoo.  Much confusion set in because we did not know if this was going to be the way we were to view the zoo or if we would ever be able to just walk around.  However, after 20 minutes or so we arrived back at the front gates and was told to return by noon.  We set out on foot and saw some interesting things.  The first thing we saw was a pit full of beaver rats.  Erin about vomited from the sight and smell.  The experience got a bit better after we saw large brown bears (Barrett covered his eyes when the bear jumped into the pool of water).  The highlight of the zoo was feeding the giraffes large leaves... For Brad but not for Barrett.  He once again covered his eyes as the large head and long tongue came out to meet our hands.  The lions got "frisky" as we past by the cage and everyone covered their child's eyes.  

After the zoo we headed off to the traditional Chinese lunch that the guides arranged.  This was a great lunch.  Everyone got to taste our guides favorite dishes family style.  A large lazy susan held all the food and we just turned the wheel and selected our food.  We had great fellowship with the Walkers and Kendricks.  Getting to meet all the other families has been awesome.  It has made the trip feel less isolating and more community oriented.  Hearing each families triumphs and struggles has helped us get a well defined perspective on Barrett.  

Barrett's progress:  

Learned sign language (down, more, up, all done).  

       English words spoken: Mama, Baba (aka. daddy), car, hey, shoe

He loves Imitating sounds,  including the ding from the elevator. 

He follows direction well (if he picks something up that he shouldn't, we tell him to put it back and he does.)

 

Erin and I had a free day in Guangzhou. A bus picked us up and took us to a wholesale shopping center to purchase just about anything for "cheap price". After that we stopped over at the Chen Clan Academy. Barrett was worn out to say the least.

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Wholesale shopping center
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Our adoption Group
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Barrett is making the most of the museum and the heat
 

This was not a day I was looking forward to... The medical checkup!  Taking Barrett to a crowded chinese medical office and watching him get poaked and prodded when we know he still is trying to figure all this change out.  The best part of being here in Guangzhou is not being alone in the process.  A large group of other families are here in the same phase as we are taking their newly adopted children to the same places, filling out the same paper work and asking the same questions as Erin and I are.  It makes you feel much more at ease knowing your not alone.  

After we ate breakfast, our group filled up a bus just outside the hotel and we all headed to the medical checkup.  This is required prior to getting the US consulate approval.  We got up to the fifth floor of a large business building and entered a large stark waiting room.  It was clean and somewhat modern.  Our guides helped us get from one checkup station to the other.  The first station was not that bad... A doctor (we assume) looked over Bear, checked his vitals, and revealed to us that his "special need" has just about disappeared! We knew that this could happen but did not expect it this soon.   It had been a consent prayer for us and we praise God for healing him!  The next section (ENT) was more of a joke.  It was comprised of an older man sitting in a swivel chair with an old school reflector on his forehead that took no more than seconds, literally, to look into each ear and nosteral and deem him good to go.  The last section was what I was fearing, the TB injection and blood test.  The procedure they worned us about was allowing the nurses to take him from us and going into a room with the door shut to administer each injection.  They know that this is traumatic for the child and they don't want the experience to be related to the presence of the parents.  So as we waited for our turn, we watched each child exit with tears streaming down faces and knowing Bear was next.  This is the part that shocked us... When Barrett was in the closed off room, we sat outside and never heard a sound.  After 2 minutes, the door opened and he exited like nothing happened!  He had a bandade on his hand and he was just looking and pointed at it.  We could not believe it but we would take it.  After our medical exam, we all headed over to the local grocery store to purchase snacks and drinks.  

The most exciting part of being here is knowing that we have fellow church friends, The Walkers, here in Guangzhou at the exact same stage as us.  That night we met them for dinner at an Irish resturant to have fish and chips.  This is their second adoption from china and we have gained so much direction and tips from them allong the way.

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Sitting in the exam waiting area
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Brave Barrett enjoying a sucker after his injections!
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After dinner with the Walkers.
 

Today were saying goodbye to Beijing
(Barrett's birth place) and heading down to to Guangzhou where our medical exam and consulate appt takes place. We have enjoyed learning about his province but have been looking forward to meeting up with other families in Guangzhou.
        We got up this morning and went to the park across the street once more in hopes to have him worn out for the plane ride to GZ:) We then came back and packed up to meet Helen in the lobby at 12:50. Helen was trying to say her goodbyes to Barrett on the way to the airport but all he wanted to do was glare at her. It made me feel good he wanted his mommy over one of his own:)
After our 45 min drive we arrived at the airport and said goodbye to Helen ( she was a great guide). We still about an hour before we could board so we ate lunch and then headed down to our gate. Ofcourse our plane was late boarding so some little boy got really tired( his nap time is 12 but I didn't let him sleep til 3:30). While waiting for our plane Barrett enjoyed walking away from me a little and then run full force into my legs and hugging me with a huge smile on his face. I will never forget that moment!! Tears running down my face. It was at that moment that my love for him reached that next level. At this time the plane pulls up and I strap him on and he immediately falls asleep. He slept about an hr of the way there. The rest if the time he played in his seat and ate dinner. He has been a trooper being dragged around everywhere.
    We finally arrived in Guangzhou at 7:30pm and miko and Rebecca, our guides, were there to greet us. Our driver and Rebecca took us to our hotel and we couldn't have been happier with our hotel and the city. It felt like we went from a dirty part of New York to somewhere in Florida. Our room is a suite with the bedroom as a separate room. When we entered, we noticed that Barrett had a care package from the hotel filled with goodies (two toys, sippy cup, bib, and a loaner stroller). We have lots of coffee shops ( not that we will be going to any), Irish paddy, Mexican, and Italian. Rebecca gave a full agenda typed out of what were doing and all appt times. It's going to be a busy week but we look forward to meeting all the other families here (including friends from our church that are here bringing there daughter home).

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Last trip to the Beijing park. No wind this time!
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Lunch at the Beijing Airport before flight
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Barrett's airplane seat on the way to Guangzhou.
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Arrival into Guangzhou Airport
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View from hotel room.
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Late night snack after arriving in Guangzhou. First time eating Cheerios!
 

Today started out as a little bit of a bummer. It was a free day so we were supposed to go to the Great Wall but with it being so hot and Barrett being a little sick, Wednesday we decided to stay around the hotel. We had to get out of the hotel for a bit so we called our guide, Helen, and she told us about Glory mall. We walked down after breakfast. The bottom floor had a huge kids play area (you pay for the area you want to play in). We went over to the sandbox (it was huge) and it had tons of balls and trucks and Barrett loves balls. At first he was hesitant to stand in it. I started to question if this would be a sensory overload. He did great though! He sat in one spot the ENTIRE time and put sand in and out of the truck. He would watch other kids but never wanted to move from his spot. It was a sweet moment to see him enjoy a whole new world! After 1 1/2 hrs we went up to the food court to eat at KFC. Barrett LOVED it!! In fact he loved it so much he volunteered to give me two kisses. That's a moment I will always remember. After lunch went back to our hotel to put Barrett down for nap. That afternoon we thought we would take a walk in the park across the street.  However, when we got half way there a wind storm came through. When you see locals running, you run as well.  So we ran back to the hotel quickly and little guy never batted an eye. After that crazy wind and dark clouds, we decided to order in for dinner and stick Barrett in the bath. He has now gotten used to the tub and loves splashing. Of course he tried digging in the water like he did the sand:) and once again he went down for bed great. We had some very special bonding moments so it turned out to be a great day.
     Talk to ya tomorrow from Guangzhou!

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Had to stop for a tea!
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Barrett loves the sand... and balls
 

The hardest part of this adoption phase has been the paper days. Having to bounce around from government building to government building all day with a two year old is exhausting. We started Wednesday in Beijing by climbing into the van with our guide Helen and going to the civil affairs office. This is the part where we recieved Barrett's "red book". The red book is the official paper that states Barrett is our child according to the Chinese government. It has a picture of all three of us and a certificate looking page within. After checking the spelling of everything written over and over, we jump back into the van and head over to the notery. The notery is the outfit that translates all the official paperwork to English for the consulate to be able to read. We waited a short time for them to bring the first draft out to proof read. We caught Erin's name miss spelled thankfully. Apparently if any name, DOB, or any other important bits of info are incorrect, it means bad news when it comes time to get Barrett's US Visa in Gaungzhou. We lost count how many times this was stressed to us. Erin and I have never focused so hard in our lives proof reading documents. Once that was finished we grabbed a quick Chinese meal and headed off to the police station to get Barrett's passport photo taken. The police station in Beijing is where many things occur. Drivers license, visas, passports, and other countless requirements. This place was not only huge but bustling with people. After his photo was taken, we headed back to the hotel. Not the most exciting day but it was certainly the most important day. From the time we recieved Barrett on Monday morning to Wednesday late afternoon, he had not gone "number 2". To end the day, we had to give Barrett an enima. Boy did it do the job! He was not too happy with us but after it was all over, he had a whole new energy we had not seen before.

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View from our hotel room in Beijing
 

Today is our first full day as a family to bond without any meetings /paperwork. I will admit it was a little scary. Brad and I with our 2 yr old son who has no clue what were saying and no guide to help transition. 

    Let me start by saying, this boy can sleep!! When he woke up this morning he looked a little confused (probably hoping this was all a dream). We started out with a bottle and then went down for breakfast. Their was nothing he didn't like to eat. His favorite seemed to be boiled eggs. After breakfast we came back up to our room and played with him on the bed with the toys we brought. He would play and then look at us and stare and then go back to playing. The stacking blocks were a huge hit!  We then decided to go to the park across the street since it was a clear and pretty day ( no smog). The park was very different than that found in the US.  We did not find many children but most of the people were adults over 50 working out, dancing and playing hacky sack. Barrett's favorite thing to do was pick leaves off the plant and ground and give them to us. He will fit right in with his brother:) . After the park we came back to the hotel for lunch and nap. Brad laid him down on the bed with his lovey (which he loves) and he went right to sleep. Later that afternoon we walked down to the toy store to get a couple of toys to have in the hotel. They sure have some high pressure sales people in there! Each brand of toys has its own section. The worker gives you a slip of paper for what you want, you take it to the counter to pay, and then go back to pick up your items.  After all that craziness, we went back to the hotel, played and had a bath ( it may have been his first real bath). He kept trying to grab the water and was hesitant to get in. He went down about 7:00 and was out for the night. 

  Some key highlights: he reached out for us several times, smiled some, said mama and car.

  Please pray for us a we continue to bond during our trip! 

 Thank you for your love and support

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Barrett loves nature... Just like his big brother
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Long day of bonding is exhausting!
 
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First time in Erin's arms!

Gotcha day could not have gone better.  We arrived 7am at the orphanage, thirty minutes too early to enter the building.  We sat in the van with the  anticipation killing us.  Of course Brad was in the process of teaching one of our assistants how to operate the camera after he realized he was entrusting all the video about to be captured to someone who did not even know an ounce of English.    It wasn't more than 10 minutes that had passed before the orphanage director came out to greet us.  We collected our papers, bags, cameras, and walked eagerly to the front entrance of the orphanage.  We could not believe how amazing this facility was.  It was immaculate, large, and as our guide expressed, not lacking money.  We walk into a large room where leather chairs line the walls and the center was empty.  Immediately the director starts the paper process where we sign a bunch of papers with our written signature and finger prints.  After we completed our paperwork, we waited.    Our guide Helen, asked the director a list of questions we had put together.  They talked in there native tongue with us both sitting right beside curiously wondering what the answers were going to be.  The hardest thing was not knowing when little Barrett was going to enter the room. We would hear sounds from outside the room but they were all office staff.  But there was one sound we could not mistake for staff... It was Barrett, who our guide later told us was talking up a storm and trying to make his way outside to play.  As he entered the room, it was a moment we had tried to imagine weeks prior but nothing compared to seeing him enter and walk over to us.  He was very quiet and shy.  You could see confusion written all over his face.  Of course moments prior he thought he was going outside to the play ground.  Brad and I got down on our knees to meet him eye to eye and the caregiver began to introduce us to him.  "Mama" she said pointing to Me.  "Baba" she said pointing to Brad.  Baba in Chinese is daddy.  The orphanage director always stayed in control of Barrett by holding his hand.  It was expressed to us that it is easier for the children not to be placed into the arms of the parents inside the orphanage in an effort to keep them from getting upset.  They placed us all at one end of the room and snapped some pictures.  We then all moved to the atrium of the facility and did another group photo.  We began to walk out the doors and head to the van.  Brad and I still had not had a chance to hold little Barrett.  It was all that we wanted at that point.  We climbed into the van and at that moment the director handed Barrett to me... He was now ours.  Moments later, as we pulled away from the orphanage, Barrett fell asleep in my arms.  


We had no dippers, no bottles and no formula.  We needed to go shopping.  It was expressed to us to wait until this moment before we purchased any items because we did not know what would work best.  Thankfully our guide, Helen, took the lead and made sure we got to the right store armed with the answers we needed.  The store was closed!  It was 20 til 10 and we had not had any breakfast so we went next door to eat at "Kung Fu"...  Chinese fast food. Barrett had his first bowl of congee outside the orphanage, Brad had a bowl of beef noodle soup, and I had a taro root leaf wrap with rice and chicken.  Not your typical breakfast but we did not care too much.  Barrett was still very wide eyed and quite.  You could tell he did not know what was happening.  The busy Beijing world he was thrusted into was much more than what he could process.  But as each spoonful of food was consumed, his personality began to come out.  We found one key to his heart... Food.  Apparently he eats 8 times a day.   Not small snacks but meals and full bottles of formula.  


Our stroll through the store was interesting.  It was a combination of K-Mart and a oriental store somewhere in New York's china town.  Live fish (not for pets but food), odd vegetables, and fruits, and anything else you would need to survive in china.   After getting the needed items, we headed back to the hotel for some rest because we still had to go to the civil affairs office to finalize the adoption papers.  


On our way to the office, we stopped at a very small photo studio (the size of a small studio apartment), and quickly sat down together as a family to get a photo for the official papers.  They printed the wallet sized photos and we jumped back into the van.  


Apparently, we were the first adoptive parents to be entered into the new adoption computer system.  July 1st was the roll out date for the new program.  This did not go as planned for the staff.  We waited and waited as our guide met with the staff.  Brad, Barrett and I were alone at in the waiting area, ill equipped to be with a two year old for what turned out to be a couple of hours.  However, Barrett made the most of it.  He was quickly bonding to us and starting to play.  He found a rack of government brochures and proceeded to re-organize/scramble the order of them on the display rack.  We explored every corner of the room again and again.  Brad was trying to keep his lunch down by lying on the metal waiting room bench.  We figure it was the combination of motion sickness from the stop and go traffic and complete exhaustion.   


Finally we got into the office to sign papers. Barrett even had to play a part... putting his hand onto an inkpad and stamp his hand print onto a paper.  Helen said it was now Chinese law that Barrett was ours!  

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First Bath!
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First daddy bottle feed!