It's Official

We have a few hours in the hotel now before we leave for the train station, so we thought we would update you.
Last night went as well as could be expected.  It didn't take Lydia or Brian long to fall asleep, but of course, I didn't fall asleep for a long time.  Lydia woke up around 1am and started tossing and turning and flipping around.  This, of course, woke all of us up. : )  I finally decided to put her in some cooler pajamas.  They keep the kids in China dressed very warm all the time.  When she got here yesterday, she was wearing two pairs of pants and had been wearing two shirts too.  I didn't want her to be cold, so I put her in footy pajamas, but she was drenched in sweat.  We got out some cooler pajamas and I rubbed her feet with some calming lotion (Thanks Auntie, Kaarin).  She went back to sleep pretty quickly after that.
We got up around 6am this morning to get ready to go and went to breakfast.  She was quite the attention getter.  We got a lot of stares when we first arrived.  She ate breakfast really well.  She doesn't feed herself, which is actually kind of a good way for us to bond.  She ate fruit and congee for breakfast and ate it all up.  Sometime during breakfast, she peed in her diaper, which went all the way through her pants and tights I had put on her.  (She is potty trained, but the toilets at the orphanage are either potty chairs or squatty potties, so she doesn't really "get" the regular toilet yet.) So before we could leave for the official offices, we had to go change clothes. : )
We took a taxi to the offices and then filled out a bunch of paperwork.  We had to give them copies of our passports and other paperwork and then we had to tell them why we wanted to adopt Lydia.  They asked us what kind of education we would give her.  We signed our name a bunch of times and then they had us put our red fingerprint on everything to make it official.  Lydia had to put her handprint on the paper and she loved that. : )  I guess she'll like fingerpainting when we get home!!!
Miss Wong was there, so we let Lydia sit with her.  We can tell that they both really love each other.  We got a lot of good pictures and video, so we can show her that in the future.
This orphanage really seems to have the kids best interest in mind.  They gave us a book that they made of her from her early days in the orphanage up until the present.  That is an invaluable piece of information and memories for her and for us.  They said that we can come to the orphanage on Thursday.  They greatly discourage it because of the way it will impact her right now.  They are worried that she will cry when we leave.  Her tears are heartbreaking, but in the future, I want to be able to tell her all that we can about the first 2 1/2 years of her life.   
When we left Miss Wong and the others, Lydia's heart broke.  She cried for a few minutes.  I am actually really glad about that because it shows me that she has bonded with someone before and gives us the hope that she will eventually bond with Brian and I.
After the official office, we went to the Notary Public Office.  It was more of the same there.  Signing our names, answering questions, etc.  We had to wait for them to finish a preliminary copy of the paperwork, so that we could check all the information.  It looked right, so now this afternoon, our guide will go get the final copies for us to take home with us.  We are officially Lydia's parents!!!  It's so weird to call myself "mommy" and Brian "daddy" to her.  I had to catch myself more than once, to not say "Auntie E" or "Uncle Brian" or even "Mr. and Mrs. Peterson".  It's a new name I'm sure I will get used to. : )
We came back to the hotel and tried to get Lydia to sleep, but she doesn't seem too interested.  Brian fed her a granola bar and raisins to see if eating something might help her to settle down.  She is laying down with Brian now, but I don't think she's sleeping. 
She has responded very well to both of us.  She likes me to hold her - so pray my arms don't give out - but she lets Brian feed her and has been sitting in his lap too.  We'll see how the next few days goes. : )
At 2pm we have to check out of the hotel and sit in the lobby for a few hours until the paperwork is all finished.  We can then leave for the train station.  Our train is supposed to leave at 7pm to go to Beijing, but Bill, our guide, said we can hopefully get an earlier train.  I guess we'll see about that when we get there, otherwise we'll sit in the train station for a while too.
Just a little bit about her name...We chose Lydia for her first name because it is a name I have always liked.  We wanted to choose a Bible name and one that is not used too often.  I nixed "Oholibama", Brian's choice : )  and we went with Lydia instead.  After teaching 10 classes, it is difficult to come up with a name that in my mind does not belong to someone else.  I have two friends named Lydia and they are both good role models for her, so we decided to go with Lydia. 
For her middle name, we wanted to use her Chinese name, so Shen Yao was definitely in.  My Grandma Hansen-Moell had two middle names and I always liked that, so I decided to add another middle name as well.  Kendelle is a made up spelling that I thought looked more feminine than the usual spelling.  Kendelle is after my dad, Ken. 
Of course, since we are both Petersons, we thought that was the best last name for her. : )  28 letters in all - hopefully she's good at writing someday. : )
More blogging tomorrow about Beijing...

Breakfast - Congee and fruit...It looks gross to me, but Lydia was quite excited when she saw it.

Workers from the orphanage - Mr. Wong, Sister Wong (Lydia's nanny) and Lu Wei.

Making everything official with our red fingerprint.

At the Notary Office signing more paperwork.

Waiting - We gave her these toys last night and they haven't left her hands since!  Even for sleeping, eating or going to the bathroom. : )

Introducing...

Lydia Kendelle ShenYao Peterson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brian, Erica and Lydia Kendelle ShenYao Peterson

Her first "toy" that she discovered was a piece of paper.  She wouldn't let it go, even for a nap!

Reading with Daddy

Eating supper (noodles) with Mama

Ready for bed!

Here we are...a three member family.  We got a phone call at about 1:30pm today telling us that Shen Yao was waiting for us in the hotel lobby.  We headed down and she was there with her special nanny, Sister Wong and Miss Wei and another man form the orphanage.  Sister Wong handed her to me and told her we were "Mama" and "Baba".  She wasn't so sure about us a first.  I gave her a fruit snack and that made her happier for a little bit.  We had to fill out some paperwork and after that we left to go back to our hotel room.  She started crying very loudly when we left her nanny.  We came up to the room and she quieted down after that.  We knew she was tired, but she didn't want to go to sleep.  We gave her a banana and cheerios and read some books.  Her first English word after reading a book was, "cow".  I guess she'll fit right in in Wisconsin!!!  She fell asleep on me for too short of a time and woke up.  After that Brian read to her, we watched Nei-Hao, Kai-Lan, and ordered supper.  We ate noodles and pizza for supper.  We gave her a bath, put jammies on her and now we're ready for bed.  We thought she would fall asleep right away, since she was almost fell asleep while she was eating, but she's still awake right now.  I think I better put all of us to bed for now!
Tomorrow, we will be going to the civil affairs office, packing up and leaving for Beijing.  We will not be there until 9:30pm tomorrow, so I'm not so sure if we'll get to blog, but don't worry, we catch you up as soon as we can. : )

Shijiazhuang...a Small Village in China

This morning we took the metro (subway) from our hotel to the other airport in Shanghai.  Fortunately the subway line that our hotel was on, is the same one for both airports.  We got our hotel because it was close to the airport...little did we know that we would arrive through one and depart from another!!!  It took about 1 1/2 hours to take the train to the airport.  When we got on, it was a little busy and by the time we got to the middle of the city, there was barely breathing room.  If we would have had to get on in the middle, I don't think we could have done it.  We have WAAAAAYYYYY too much luggage.  Since we've been married, I don't think we have ever checked bags when we fly somewhere.  This time, we each have our backpack and carry-on suitcase, plus we have two suitcases with things for Shen Yao.  Brian hopes that she's really hungry when we get her, so that we can use up all the food we brought.  I just hope that she likes the toys and books and stuff that we brought. 
Anyway...we got to the airport and checked in, got a Pepsi and boarded the plane.  The flight was just short of 2 hours.  They served us lunch on the plane - some kind of rice casserole (or hot dish, if you're from Minnesota).  It was pretty good and it gave us something to do on the flight.
We arrived in Shijiazhuang (pronounced something like Sher Tia Zuang) at about 2:30pm.  Apparently the name of the city means something like "Small Village".  It is a medium sized city, but don't let that fool you.  According to our guide, there are about 3-4 million people here!!!  It's amazing how different your perspective on city sizes can be based on where you're from. 
Our guide is Bill and he's from Beijing.  He is a tour guide all over China.  We took a bus into the town and then a taxi to our hotel.  I guess I should say 2 taxis, since there wasn't enough room in one for all our luggage. : )  We checked into our hotel, a 5 star!!!  Nicer than anything I've stayed in at home.  They have attendants for just about everything.  We don't even have to press the button for the elevator by ourselves. 
After check-in, Bill took us to the grocery/super store down the street.  We got a few treats for people at home and some stuff to drink, since we can't drink the water.  We ate supper at a very authentic restaurant.  Everything was really good, especially the noodles.  After supper we headed back to the hotel and I took a bubble bath in our really cool bathtub.  I'm feeling very sleepy, but I know I need to stay awake for another few hours or I will be awake at 3 or 4 tomorrow morning.  Brian got me a new computer game, so I think I'll see if that will do the trick.
Tomorrow is the day we've been waiting for.  They are bringing Shen Yao to our hotel, so I'll post more tomorrow including pictures.

One Night in Shanghai!



The view from our hotel

Well, we got to downtown Shanghai yesterday at about 5pm.  Since it was Saturday, it was quite busy.  We were planning to got to the Yuyuan Gardens, but by the time we got there, it was closed.  Instead we just walked around the area and looked in shops.  Brian is in front of a tea house here, just outside of the gardens.  We were really hungry by the time we got downtown.  There were Pizza Huts, McDonald's, Dairy Queen and even Starbucks, but we decided to go with the crowd and have steamed dumplings.  The line for the steamed dumplings at one shop was about 30 minutes long, so we decided they must be the best.  They were really good.  Tasted like they had some kind of sausage in the center. 
We got back to our hotel at about 8pm and took a shower and crashed into bed.  I really didn't sleep at all the two days before we left and neither of us got much sleep on the 14 hour plane ride, so we fell asleep right away.  We woke up around 5am here and laid in bed for a while.  We got up around 7am and ate breakfast in the hotel - Western style. : )  But we did both try some "Chinese" breakfast food from the buffet.  Brian's ribs were tastier than my pumpkin porridge!
We are on our way to the other airport in Shanghai now.  At least we just have to get on one train and take it all the way to the end.  We took way too much luggage.  Hopefully we actually use all the stuff we brought!!!
I let you know when we get to Shijiazhung, Hebei this afternoon.

We're Here!!!

We arrived in Shanghai at 1:15pm Saturday afternoon.  After getting someone who spoke English to write down what type of ticket we wanted to buy, we got Metro cards.  Took the Metro (subway/train) from the airport to our hotel and now here we are.  We just have today to explore Shanghai, so we're heading downtown on the Metro.  If I'm not exhausted when we get back, I'll post pictures.

Travel Itinerary

4/6/2012  Well, we're in Chicago.  We got up at 2:30am and our plane left Milwaukee at 5am.  We had a pretzel for breakfast and we're just waiting for our flight to Shanghai.  It leaves at 10:29am.  In China it is 11:29pm.  The time difference is 13 hours.  If you're in the central time zone, just look at the clock, count one hour ahead and make the am - pm or vise versa.

4/7/2012 At about 1:30pm (China time) we will arrive in Shanghai and check into our hotel.  Our hotel is right along the #2 Metro line, so we're planning to go downtown to see some of the sights. 

4/8/2012 Flight to Shijiazhuang 12:25pm-2:20pm. Billy, our facilitator, will meet us at the airport and take us to check in the Zhong Mao Hai Yue Hotel.  I'm sure we'll be ready for a rest, but we'll try to stay up until it's time for bed.  Staying awake will help acclimate us to the time change.

4/9/2012 3:30pm Shen Yao will be brought to the hotel!!!!!!!!!  Her "hometown" is a five hour train ride away, so I'm sure she'll be tired. 

4/10/2012  In the morning we will complete the paperwork at the local civil affairs office and notary office. We will take the bullet train to Beijing. Lisa, our facilitator/guide in Beijing, will meet us at the train station and take us to check in the King Wing Hot Spring Hotel.  I don't know what time we'll get there.

4/11/2012 We will have a tour of Beijing today.  Our itinerary includes a visit the Forbidden City, Hutong tour and an acrobat show.  I'm especially looking forward to the acrobat show as the last time I was in China, I didn't get to experience this!

4/12/2012 More touring of Beijing.  Today we will visit the Great Wall and the Summer Palace.

4/13/2012 Flight to Guangzhou. Helen, our facilitator, will meet us at the airport and take us to check in the China Hotel (Marriott). 

4/14/2012  Shen Yao will receive a medical check, TB test, get a visa photo and visa paperwork will be finished.

4/15/2012  Happy Birthday to my Grandma Bunny!!!  We will tour Guangzhou.  They have a zoo with Panda bears, so I hope that is included in our tour. : )

4/16/2012 We have a review of the results of Shen Yao's TB test.  Hopefully that won't take all day!  I don't know what we'll do, but I have a long list of things to buy, so maybe we can find what we are looking for, if we haven't already.

4/17/2012 8:30am is our appointment at the US Consulate in Guangzhou.

4/18/2012 At 3:30pm Shen Yao's visa will be ready for pick up.

4/19/2012 Flight from Guangzhou to Beijing, and then Beijing to Chicago.  We should arrive home in Milwaukee about 6:45pm - A family of three.

I'll post when we get to China.  : )

Prayer Requests

Well, we're just a few days away from leaving on a trip of a lifetime, one that will change three lives forever!  As we go and as we are in China, we would ask for prayer.  The following is a list of some specific things we will be praying for and would ask you to pray for, as well.

• For Safe Travel - We will be on at least 7 airplanes and 1 bullet train while we are there, plus taxis, buses, and various other transportation.  While Brian and I are experienced in traveling, Shen Yao has probably been in a car just a few times in her life.  On the day we get her, she will have traveled many hours on a train. 
• For Lack of Jet Lag - We will be on a plane for many hours and the time difference is 13 hours.  We will arrive in Shanghai in the early afternoon, so we'll try to stay awake there as long as possible. 
• For Health - The last time I was in China, I got food poisoning and felt like I was going to die.  I won't be venturing out and eating any street food, but still, the food preparation is different than our stomachs are used to eating.  I have a tickle in my throat right now, too, so I'm hoping that doesn't turn into a cold.  I've been hand sanitizing a lot at school, as many of my students are sniffling, sneezing and coughing! 
  It is somewhat common for children to get sick after they are adopted because of the many changes they go through - different food, schedule, etc.  In China, they also dress their children in many layers, so Shen Yao may be used to being warmer than what we may think she needs to be.  This change in temperature may also weaken her immune system.
• For Bonding - Shen Yao has probably had many caregivers in her young life.  We want her to know that we are here for her forever.  Please pray that her bond to us will be strong.  Also, there are few men who work in the orphanages, so sometimes children have a difficult time bonding with their fathers right away.  Pray that she will bond and trust both Brian and I.  We will have many hours together to get to know each other, but the communication will probably be difficult because of the language difference.  Pray that we will be able to figure out her needs quickly. 
• For Adjusting - Pray for the adjustments that all of us will be making.  Sleeping, eating, free time, etc. will be changing for all of us.  Pray that we will be able to function and have patience with the amount of sleep that the Lord gives us each night. 
• For Our Orphanage Visit - We have been denied our request to visit Shen Yao's orphanage.  We would really like to go, so that when she asks about it someday, we will have had an experience there.  They can still change their mind, so please pray that they do. 
• For Work and School - Please pray for us as we prepare to leave work and school.  We are preparing as best as we can for our absence, and we are very thankful for those who are assisting us during our time in China. 

For those of you who have been through this before, please feel free to leave comments with other things you know we will need prayer for.

We enjoyed a special treat and time of questions and prayer in Sunday School today.  Thanks to our youth group and fellow leaders for the send off today!  We really appreciate your love and support.