Thank You!

Thank you all for your warm wishes while we were in China. It was an awesome journey..and perhaps someday, I will be able to write more about the trip..for now, though...we are going to switch back to our "regular" blog...here's the address:

www.journeytomaya.blogspot.com

Check in on us from time to time...we'll try to post frequently!

Michelle and Maya

HOME!

Yay! We are home. I will admit that there were times in the airplane(s) today that I highly doubted we would make it. This was, by far, the HARDEST day ever! But...Maya has taken it like a champ. She already seems comfortable in her new house...we took a brief tour and then she went down for bed around 8pm - just like in the hotel rooms that we have stayed in. We did have dinner...how could we not feast on Imo's pizza after 16 days away? I wanted to make Maya's first meal in the US a distinct one!

I'll keep this short...I'm so stinkin' tired right now that I'm seeing doubles!

The plan is to ease into a routine...after a few days!

More later!

November 3, 2006 - Guangzhou

The adoption is complete! We had our swearing in ceremony this afternoon at the U.S. Consulate. Two little stamps in Maya's passport once we get to Newark, NJ and she will be a US Citizen.

Nothing else to report today...we took it easy most of the day and then had dinner one last time in China. We have to be in the hotel lobby at 5:50am tomorrow morning, so I'm signing off, one last time, from China.

See you guys soon!

Michelle&Maya&Grandpa!

November 2, 2006 - Guangzhou

Our day in photos....

A little pre-breakfast paper reading...

Yum...I really like bananas!

All done! I help mama out by wiping my own mouth and hands!

We took a walk around the island after breakfast and did some shopping...she still does not like to shop...oh well...mama doesn't really like shopping either!

Back in the room before picture time...Grandpa introduced me
to Snickers! YUM - I guess we can be friends afterall!

One of my favorite things to do is throw everything from the table onto the floor...then mama picks it all up for me so that I can do it again!

Mom bought me this pretty lavendar dress - it's a traditional Chinese dress -
I didn't mind it so much!

But then...she wanted me to cooperate for some group photos...doesn't she know that I don't like big groups of strangers?? (I'm the cute one in the upper left corner - looking like I'm waving!)

Now I'm all sacked out...ready to bring on more cuteness
tonight for dinner with some friends!

And this is me NOT going to sleep eventhough mama put me
down 30 minutes ago!

November 1, 2006 - Guangzhou

There really is nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby! These pictures are imprinted in my mind..and I recall them as often as Maya's meltdowns...it's one of my coping mechanisms!! Notice that she has BOTH of her legs out of the crib slats...too cute!!



This was our first full day in Guangzhou. The best way to describe it is from another adoptive parent - it's the West Palm Beach of China. It's very accomodating to westerners....it's very touristy...and it's very "lit up" at night. One of the cool things about our rooms is the light show that goes on over the Pearl River every night at 8pm. It's very impressive!

Today..we got up pretty early and went downstairs to have our first "American" breakfast since last Wednesday. It was SO good! We then made our way to the "Swan Room" which is a great play room that Matel has built for all of the adoptive parents that come through Guangzhou with their babies. Maya has so much fun being with other kids...even if she's not yet able to fully interact...she enjoys people watching! She did play with some toys...my personal favorite was the Elmo/Cookie Monster shape sorter that talked to you in Spanish! All I could make out was "Hola" in this really creepy CookieMonster-ish voice.....the rest was pretty garbled! Here's a shot of the room...

Then...the unimaginable happened...a ton of paperwork had to be completed and I had to leave Maya for almost two hours...for the FIRST time! Man that was HARD! But...we are all still here to tell you that Grandpa FINALLY got to hold his newest granddaughter! She was sleeping....but that still counts! By Grandpa's account...everything went pretty well....they played just a bit...she cried just a bit...she slept a bit...and then she sat on his lap and waited for me to come back. They still have some work to do...but this was a BIG start! Yay for Maya and Grandpa - and Mama only cried a little bit, so Yay for Mama, too! (I cannot believe that I forgot to get a picture of this....I'm SO sorry!!)

We had some lunch at a local restaurant called Lucy's and then went out to do a tad bit of shopping. This girl loves to eat! She's a very good eater...will try almost anything that I present to her...and particularly enjoys feeding herself. Grandpa will give her some little bites on a plate..and this morning...she just kept sliding her plate over to Grandpa for a refill once it was empty. It was quite funny!

As for shopping...I'm not completely sure - it could have been because she was tired - but I'm beginning to think that my daughter does not like to shop! She wouldn't stand for it for very long before meltdown central came knocking at my door. So...we didn't do too much. Besides, we had MUCH better plans for the afternoon - photo and medical exam time! Oh MAN was she pissed! She did not enjoy the photo op, because other people were touching her and she REALLY didn't like the medical exam. That involved way too much time in the hands of strangers for her. The good news is that she checked out just fine and we should have all of the immigration stuff done by tomorrow afternoon so that I can take an oath on Friday and that will be that!! Maya officially becomes a citizen of the USA once her little feet touch US soil on Saturday evening. Yay for Maya!

Ok...I know...I stink at picture taking...I should have had a TON more photos from today...particularly since we didn't have much going on...I'll try harder tomorrow! Until then...have a GREAT whatever day today is!

October 31, 2006 - From Luoyang to Guangzhou

Happy Halloween!

Today is a day of transit. I am hoping that the change in environment won't be too hard on Maya...but I am SO excited about getting to Guangzhou! I can't wait to meet back up with some of the other CCAI families and meet their little ones.

Since there won't be much excitement today (I hope!)....I'll just share some thoughts about life with Maya.

- She has the greatest smile and giggle...and mama has found her tickle spots. We play a game in the mornings, just after waking up, where she hides her face from me and I ask "Where's Maya?" and she just giggles and smiles the biggest smile! Then, she has to hide my face and I ask "Where's Mama?" and she just giggles and smiles when I reveal myself. So much fun!

- She also exhibits some of the most spectacular meltdowns I've seen. Thrashing, screaming, flailing....oh..it's a site to see! But...she calms down relatlively quickly (once I cave in to her demands, that is!) Yup...we'll be working on that, too, once she's feeling a bit more secure.

- She has a great time imitating. She loves to feed me and yesterday, she even wiped my nose after I got done wiping hers. It was SO cute!

- Maya is really coming out of her shell. I know this because of the meltdowns...and her responding to the name Maya...and the ready smile upon waking...and the laughter and giggles when playing...and most of all...the way she holds on to me when she is unsure of something.

- She is getting better each day with the walking. She's not quite ready to let go of my hands, but she has quickly moved from walking with both hands holding onto mine..to just one hand...and her legs seem to be getting closer together as she walks (she was very bow-legged just 6 short days ago). She has taken a brief step on her own as she moves from one object to hold onto to another.

- She is HILARIOUS! She makes me laugh so hard and so loud with her craziness and her laughter. Tonight, she realized that she could stand up by herself in the crib..with the help of the bars. She was SO pleased with herself....


She has also figured out that the camera coming out means to smile and look my way!

Finally...we ended our day with a spaghetti mess on the floor of Grandpa's hotel room. We have made it to Guangzhou...and Maya was such a trooper on the long bus ride and the 2 hour flight...she didn't have any problems at all! Yay!

Just four more days in China! But I have to say....this is going to be the coolest leg of the trip...lots of shopping and general merriment headed our way! See you all soon!

October 30, 2006 - Luoyang, Henan

This is our last day in Luoyang. We did some more sightseeing...the Shaolin Temples was on tap for today! The bus ride was long, but Maya did manage to get a nice nap on the way there and mostly on the way back. Part of the tour today included this totally cool KongFu show. These guys were AMAZING! The discipline that these boys must posess is awe-inspiring. Very fun to watch!

I have mixed emotions about leaving Luoyang. Foremost, I'm ready for the next and final leg of this trip. It is difficult to live in a hotel with an (almost) 18 month old. Not much for us to do here and it's hard to get out because we don't really have places to go. However...I am about to take Maya away from the only home she has known...and the place of her birth. I cannot describe to you my feelings for Maya's birth-mother. How much sorrow she must feel for having to give up her daughter...and how heart-breaking that action must have been. It is an odd sensation to be walking the streets of Maya's city and wondering where her birth-mom is living. How is she doing? Does she think about Maya and pray for her to have found a family? Her greatest sorrow is indeed my greatest joy, and I will forever remember her and her sacrifice and be thankful for the gift that she has given me.

I've got some packing to do, so here are some photos from today with quick captions!

I love this photo....she did not realize I was taking it, and she looks so content to just be sitting on my lap on the bus!



and then...she DID realize I was taking her picture...but this one is just as cute!

yes...I know...the pictures of Dad behind Maya's stroller are getting a little redundant. All I can say is that Maya is getting closer and closer to letting Grandpa in...I'm praying it happens before the L-O-N-G flight home!!!

just for the record...I tried to get a picture of Dad on a camel....this was apparently a side show at the Shaolin temples...but he just wouldn't go for it!

Incredible! I wish I had brought a video-camera for this..but one of our travel-mates has a bunch of stuff on video that he is willing to share!!!

Ok..I know that's not alot of photos...and I actually had more, but then I realized that I should ask people if they mind me putting their pictures on the blog before I do so....common courtesy and all!