Thankful!

We are so thankful to be home. We are still pretty tired and jet lagged. How long does it take to get over that! Claire can be found at various times sleeping around the house and Mike fell asleep at the dinner table the other night. I suppose it is everything and it is all a big adjustment! We aren't used to "playing" as much as we do these days!

I cannot express how thankful we are that we took the kids with us to China. They could never have established the bonds they have with their brother had they not gone with us. The 15 days of one on one in small spaces really did amazing things to connect them. James is so sad when they leave and overjoyed when they return home. He loves to play with them and they love it as well.

We had our doctors appointments this week. It was so sad not to be able to explain to James why he was poked over and over. They had a real hard time drawing blood also. Our incredible news came when we went to our cardiologist appointment. Our referral stated "complex cardiopathy" a term doctors don't even use here, James has three different defects and we were really not that certain what to expect. One of our doctors here said we really won't know until we get him here what is going on with his heart. We did not see any visible scars for the supposed heart surgery James had, and our medical appointment in China provided no further information for us. Well our cardiologist said James is doing very well and the extent of his defects is not what was originally stated. He will have follow up each year and hopefully nothing more, one of his defects the hole in his heart will probably close on its own, and the other defect is very mild. His EKG was perfectly normal. We are so thankful for this incredible news. Mike and I just looked at each other in amazement as the doctor gave us the news.

Things are going well here and we are working through things that will take time. Sleep and food are some of the issues and we are trying to figure our what works. It's hard to go back to the days of an infant getting up in the night, but if it helps James bond I am all for it! When James keeps pulling out a can of corn for breakfast, I hope he will eventually come to like our great breakfast foods!

We are going to post occasionally, keeping this as a baby book for James, so stop in if you wish and again thank you for following our journey!

James loves balloons especially the choo choo one...he is a big Thomas fan!

Yes he is a true White Sox fan!

Blessed beyond measure by our friends

We are HOME!!!

After 2 very long flights, we are home!!! James did pretty well on the planes, he only had one tantrum before the plane took off. We were VERY surprised to find our dear friends waiting at the airport for us with signs and balloons for James! He was very excited to see that all the people were wanting to meet him. Uncle Joe picked us up at the airport, and James got to meet a few of his sweet cousins and his aunt. He had such a fun time playing with them!

When we got home we were very surprised to find that our whole house had been decorated with signs saying "Welcome Home!" It was so nice to see. James, again, loved all the signs. He points to them excitedly and jumps up and down. He already feels all the love of our great friends and family. He also loved our house. I think that somewhere, in the back of his mind, he already knows that this is HOME and not just another hotel. He was the happiest we have ever seen him today. He loves his room and all his books and toys.

We want to thank you all for supporting us in the journey. We are so thankful for all of you and all you have done for James and our family. We are awed by the extravagant amount of love you pour upon us everyday.

We are so glad to be home, and we love you all! We thank God for this indescribable gift He has given us...

Love, Ali

1000th McDonalds Grand Opening and leaving China!

1000th restaurant grand opening in China

Aunt Lisa in the grand parade for the new restaurant drive through

James and Dad and Ronald McDonald! (Tong Tong only looks a bit freaked out...)

James and dad with the dragons!

Lisa up on stage for the ribbon cutting ceremony

Today we had the opportunity to go to the 1000th McDonald's restaurant grand opening in Guandong (or somewhere like that, about an hour away from Guangzhou). It was quite an event! James loved most of it and was quite taken with Ronald McDonald! It was such an incredible chance for Mike to meet his China colleagues. It was also so moving to see my sister Lisa on her home turf. I am so incredibly proud of her and was even emotional that I was able to have this chance to see her! I mean really what are the chances! The restaurant was very nice and there were many people there, as well as the media. Lisa was pretty busy with all of that so we didn't have much of a chance to talk, but again I was just so thrilled to be there!

Today was also our swearing in ceremony. It was at the US Consulate in China with about 40 other adoptive parents. The actual swearing in was about 3 minutes. I can't quite remember it as we are getting a little delirious. It is time to go home...We had some beautiful and tender moments today with James and also some very hard moments with the temper tantrums. He is definitely attaching though. When I think of the first nights when he laid in his crib and put himself to sleep without wanting any mom or dad interaction, to these nights when he needs me to help him fall asleep and talk to him. It is such a beautiful change. I remember how odd it was when I tried to get him to lay down with us in the beginning and he just wanted to be alone. Now he wakes up in the wee hours and calls out mama...which in some ways may not be such a good thing and make for a tired mom!

We are hoping for a nice travel time. I sure hope no one on the plane has to experience poor James temper tantrum-oh the looks we have gotten in China! Please pray for us- I don't want one of our fellow passengers parachuting out the emergency door!

Ali:
My mom and I are listening to Christmas carols right now, in Starbucks (while drinking Iced Hot Chocolate, which is an oxymoron, and I LOVE oxymorons). We are looking forward to seeing you all again. We miss you all so much. If you meet James in the next few weeks, just know that he is temper prone. I just wanted to give everyone a fair warning.

We now interrupt this blog entry with a brief message from the Beach Boys:

So hoist up the John B's sail

See how the mainsail sets

Call for the captain ashore

Let me go home, let me go home

I wanna go home, let me go home

Why don't you let me go home?

-"Sloop John B"

Much love, Ali and Jenn

PS Not all of us want to go home, to the daily grind of suburbia and school and being crushed by the system, et. cetera. But we must go, because it is our HOME, after all. This has truly been the trip of a lifetime and I am so glad we all had the chance to go together.

PPS Fun fact of the day: If you would like to speak to James, this is the current extent of his vocabulary. We've also included pronunciations, for your convenience.

Ay-ay-ay-lee-Ali

Carlien-Caroline

Clay-ay-ire-Claire

Mama-Mom

Baba-Dad

BOOO-NANA-Banana

Bu Yao!!- (This is a Chinese expression meaning, "I don't want/need it." It is the most common thing out of James' mouth. Usually precedes a temper tantrum.)

Engen Engen Numba NINE!-From the book "Engine Engine Number Nine, one of James' favorite phrases.)

MER!-More

Godda go PEE PEE! Godda go PEE, A-PEE!- Sometimes he just randomly says this. He has no idea what it means.

God is good!

Our family
The kids

Tong Tong karate man in his Chinese outfit

As we get ready to leave to go home, I reflect on all that has happened on our journey in China. I feel I have been stretched in my faith and we have all grown in our relationships with God in many ways. He has met us in every moment of this journey. I am so thankful we stepped out of the boat and walked His calling for our family. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but sometimes I felt weaker than I thought I would. But then in our weakness He is strong. As we know, without the difficulties in life, we don't always depend on Him. I am so thankful for God's closeness in a place that at times has seemed so far from home.

Caroline got a new ipod before we left and gave me her old one. I asked her to put some songs from my cds on it. I am always amazed by how these songs seem to "speak" to me, each at the perfect moment. I also asked my friend Peggy to xerox devotionals from a devotional I didn't own but had given to my friends last year for Christmas. I cannot tell you how perfect each days entry was to speak to me when I really needed it. Examples of God walking right along side of us.

Every good and perfect gift is from above. We are so thankful for the gift God has given us in our son James. As he sat today looking through one of my favorite books, The pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer, I felt so filled with joy reflecting on God having a special and unique plan for our son's life. One day James will learn of God's great love for him. I look at this little boy and continue to be amazed by the fact that God chose him for our family long ago. Ali and I were saying he also seems like he has been in our family forever. It doesn't feel like a different kind of love for him because he is adopted, because God has knit our hearts together. God has answered so many prayers to prepare James' heart for our family and we can see that as we look into his eyes.

From today's devotional: The Lord can be depended upon and He desires for us to be just as reliable, determined and stable. This is simply the meaning of faith. I am so thankful for the faith that has brought us here today.

Warning: Please do not read if you have a weak stomach

Goats, skinned and ready for purchase (notice the blood underneath...)
Exotic foods street

Dried snake

Our dead fish friend

Antlers, horns, dried caterpillar... (is it even legal to sell this sort of stuff?)

Today we went went to an exotic foods market with our friends in our adoption group. We saw live scorpions (fried for your convenience!), turtles, dried snakes, entire goats, dried fish, dried frogs, roasted pigs (the entire body, because who wants to miss out on the innards?), bags of small insects, dried seahorses, and some spices. It was quite the experience...and we didn't even see it in all its glory-apparently the government shut a large part of it down a few years ago because it was just too disgusting. It still is rather unsanitary. Imagine streets, stained not with tire marks, but with the blood of animals. Lovely. We were all very glad we got to see this, however. It was really something you have to see to believe...which is why we've included photos. Does it make you sick just to look at them? Yeah. Well, imagine how we felt.

After that, we went shopping in a bunch of little stores. They have some really cool stuff around here. We got Tong Tong some Aoteman squeaky shoes, which he absolutely loved. Everyone is getting better at bargaining, even Claire. As for me, I find it somewhat intimidating and unnecessary. A shopkeeper and I were haggling over the price of a [item will not be disclosed here, as it is a gift for someone reading this blog], I wanted 40 yuan and she wanted 45 yuan. We argued for like 10 minutes, when finally I realized that 5 yuan is less than a dollar, so I just gave up and paid the 45 yuan. Everything is so cheap here, I don't really see the purpose in bargaining, when you can have a peaceful transaction for just a few yuan (cents!) more.

Jenn:

Tong Tong is still having some major temper tantrums. I don't think I have seen a tantrum like this in my life. I think there is so much we have to remember about all our dear son has been through when all of these things are going on. We are in another hotel room with new routines and all the things James ever knew in his life are gone. His friends are gone, his nannies are gone, and all of his routines and comforts are gone. As we were arranging the luggage, he came over and started folding laundry. He does this so happily, like he enjoys anything that reminds him of his old life. There is so much of his old routine that we know nothing about. As much as we try to establish new routine it is hard, because of the things we need to do for the adoption and just all that is going on here. I wish I knew what his routine was, including what he likes to eat and all the other basic things. I think transitioning is very hard for him. This morning when he was changing from pajamas to clothes to go to breakfast he had a major meltdown. It takes him quite a while to calm down also. His tantrums ignite in a moment, and when he starts, there's no stopping him. He throws himself on the floor and begins screaming. Then when we try to pick him up he fights with everything he has. Tonight we went to dinner and he just screamed and I had to leave with him because I couldn't even get him to sit. I think getting home to some consistency and routine will be a great help. It will take a while we know, but there is sunshine ahead and we see beautiful glimmers of it already. We love this little boy. Later, after dinner (which Mike brought to the hotel room for me and Tong Tong) he was playing with all of us, laughing hysterically... He loves life so much. He brings such happiness to others (That's what they told us in his referral, and we know now that it's true!).

Much love to all you slackers who don't comment,

Ali and Jenn

Second day in the city of the angry taxi drivers

Tong Tong doing his thing where he touches our face.

Tong Tong pushing his wheelchair at the pool

Tong Tong and dad playing at the museum/shop

The kids in our awesome travel group

Here we are, in Starbucks, again-this time with mediocre tea. Whoopee. But, lest I forget, we do get FREE wifi with our tea. Pretty cool.

Today we started off by going to a museum with lots of Chinese art and carvings. They were very beautiful. After that, we went back to the hotel and went swimming-or at least, most of us did. Tong Tong didn't go in the water, instead he pushed his wheelchair like a madman around the pool. At least this time, he didn't freak out when we put it away.

After that, we went to an underground mall. It was rather overwhelming. The shops are all about the size of a closet, each stuffed with a disorganized array of clothing. The prices were good, though. Everything is so much cheaper here than it is in the US. I think that's because everything is made here, and they don't have to pay for shipping, and stuff.

We got to see Aunt Lisa again after that, which was really nice. For dinner, we decided to go to a pizza place recommended by one of her friends. This, however, was much more of an ordeal than we had originally thought it would be.

The poor bellboy outside of the hotel had to find two cabs for us, since we have too many people for just one. But NO ONE wanted to drive us. Apparently, this restaurant was very close to the hotel (low fare for the cabbies), and not very well known. Finally, the bellboy ran up to this cab driver and started yelling at him. We thought everything was okay, so we went into the cab. That was a slight mistake. The cabbie jumped out of the car in his rage, at which point he and the poor bellboy got into a shouting match! Well, I'm not sure exactly what the bellboy said (threatened) to the cabbie to get him to take us, but finally we were on the go.

And, believe it or not, things went downhill from there. In the first 30 seconds or so of our ride, one of the cabbies took a completely different direction than the other cabbie. Then, we started getting in this, like, ghetto area of the town, and we were afraid that the cabbie was going to dump us off in the middle of the ghetto, because he was so mad, and then he drove right past a pizza place, so I was like, Hello! Cabbie! Stop!, at which point we did, and went to the restaurant.

Me, Lisa, Caroline, and Claire arrived before (0r so we thought) my Mom, Dad, and James, so we decided to eat outside. We ordered our food, then waited for like 20 minutes for my parents to show up. After about 15 minutes, we all started to panic, like maybe their cabbie dropped THEM off in the ghetto, or he was taking a really long route to make them pay more...we were about to hail ANOTHER cab to get back to the hotel, when the waiter came up to us, saying, "There's 2.5 people inside who are waiting for 4 people, and you're waiting for two people and a toddler, so maybe you're looking for each other?"

We were. We had spent all that time freaking out, when we were really just a few yard away from one another.

I love it when things work out like that. And the food was delicious.

Love, Ali and Jenn