We Made It to Shanghai!

We arrived safely in Shanghai and everything at the airport went very smoothly.  We had a nice layover in Japan.  It was raining hard and reminded us of Seattle.

We got to our hotel late but were a bit wired so it took us all a while to settle down and sleep.  Our room is very nice and Kevin realized that this is the same hotel he stayed with his brother when he came to get Luke.  He says that there has been some significant remodeling.

Our first day in Shanghai, we spent with our guide Summer.  We went to Old Shanghai which was so busy.  Lots and lots of people.  This week is a national holiday.  They are celebrating the beginning of the communist party in China.  So there are lots of people out and on holiday.  We were able to find a silk factory where we bought a silk comforter.  This is to replace the one Kevin bought 7 years ago.  We have loved it but it is falling apart.  We were thrilled to find a new one and at a reasonable price.  Summer took us across a street into a residential area.  There we found a small shop where I found a nice piece of luggage that will be more convenient than my brief case.  The area was a little sketchy and I was a bit nervous once I realized where we were going, but it all worked out in the end.  I think in the future we will stick to more mainstream areas.

We went on a river cruise and then stopped for lunch.  Everyone but Catherine loved the food.  Catherine wouldn't even try it even though it was just noodles and rice. She is going to be a hungry girl for the next two weeks!  We took a walk on The Bund which is a promenade along the river where the Brittish offices were.

By the time we got back to our room we were all exhausted.  Luke actually fell asleep at dinner.  Kids were asleep by 7:30 and we were lights out by 8.  Of course Luke was up at 4:30 a.m.!!  So now, at 8:15 a.m. I'm ready for a nap.

Today we are relaxing until about 1 p.m.  My camera broke so we are going to buy a camera and an electronic translator.  We are going to go to Nanjing Road where there is more shopping.  Not that we are buying but it is fun to look around.  Tonight we are heading to an acrobat show.

Tomorrow we will meet up with Chuan Sun, the law student that was going to work at my office and live with us this summer.  We are then going to the Shanghai Children's Welfare Institute.  This is where Luke lived for about a year before coming home.  Apparently several families have been denied the ability to go there even when adopting lately, so we feel fortunate to be able to go.  Stephanie will arrive tomorrow night and we can't wait to see her.  

That's all for now!  Will keep you updated!

Molly

10 Days to China!

I can't believe it's been nearly 20 days since I've last posted.  That just tells you how much is going on!

We leave for China on October 4, just 10 days from now.  We will fly into Shanghai where Stephanie will meet us.  We have applied for permission to travel to Luke's Orphanage in Shanghai.  We will arrive in Jinan, the provincial Capital of Shandong on the 9th.  Our Gotcha Day is the 10th although rumor has it that they might bring Claire a day early.  We will be in Jinan for several days and are hoping to travel to ZaoZhuang to Claire's Orphanage.  We will then go to Guangzhou and have our Consulate Appointment on the 18th.  We head home on the 20th.

I've been waking up between 3 and 5 every morning and lay awake thinking about the things that need to be done or purchased for our trip.  My plan is to be packed tomorrow so that I have a week to think about the things I am forgetting.

I can't believe that in just a couple of weeks we will have Claire with us!  We are all so excited!

Travel Update

Well, no one ever said any of this was going to work smoothly.  October is apparently a really bad month to try to travel.

The first week of October is a National Holiday so all government offices will be closed for the week!!!  Wondering why we don't have holidays like that in the US??

Gotcha Day can only be on a Monday and US Consulate appointments must fall on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday the following week.  There are no consulate appointments available for the rest of September. We were able to confirm an appointment for October 11 but since the week before is a holiday, no one can complete their adoptions the second week.

There is a Trade Fair that starts in Guangzhou on the 14th of October through the 4th of November.  This means two things, first:  It will be crazy busy in Guangzhou; and second: hotels, if available, will be double or triple the price.

So our options are pay extra or wait until November.  We don't want to wait.

We have asked that our Consulate appointment be on October 18 or 19.  That means that Gotcha Day will be 10/10.  Hoping for confirmation of that tomorrow.

In the meantime, we have faith that Claire will be with us exactly when she is supposed to.

Travel Approval!

We received travel approval today.  This means we can start setting dates to go get Claire!!  If Kevin were healthy we could leave next week, but that just isn't realistic.  Travel like that just less than 30 days after surgery doesn't make sense.  We have requested consulate appointments during the week of the 10th and the 16th(we have to give them 5 proposed dates) so we are waiting on those dates then we can figure out our actual travel dates.

WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!!

Just think!  Within 30 days we will have her in our arms!!  I am mentally ready to start  packing!!

Claire, sweet girl, our home, heads and hearts are ready for you to join us.  It won't be long now!

We love and can't wait to see you!!

Awaiting TA

We have been cabled.  Article 5 was issued on 8/23/11 and as of 8/24 the documents were on their way to Beijing to the CCAA.  We are officially awaiting our Travel Approval.  We have heard of people getting TA within 3 days.  Most seem to be taking about 2 weeks.  So it should come very soon and we will be planning our trip to get Claire!

In the meantime we have received more pictures, an update and a letter from Mr. Lu, the director of the orphanage.  We found out quite a bit of information and even a little note for us and for her friend Tai from Claire.  We are so thrilled to finally be this close.  It won't be much longer now!  Here are some of our new pictures.

I-800 Approval

I'm a little behind in posting.  Some things have happened recently and I've not been on to update.  About 2 weeks ago we received an email from Kerry at our agency that Donna(Madison's contact in China) had word that surgery was going to be scheduled for Claire this summer but with our impending arrival had been not been scheduled.

This put me in a bit of a panic because I wasn't sure what surgery needed to happen right away.  I was also concerned that Claire's health was being impacted and that is why they were going to do surgery.  I immediately asked Kerry to get more information.  In the meantime I emailed my contact in China, Angela.  Within about 12 hours Angela had been able to talk to the orphanage director and gotten back to me.  He said that her back was pretty straight, but her shoulders were different height because of her funnel chest.  That she was fine in school and play and they thought that it would be better for her to have surgery in the US.  While I was relieved to have such immediate information, I am concerned that the explanation doesn't make much sense.  I am not a doctor, but it seems to me that the shoulder issue would be because of her spine, not the funnel chest.  I have gotten a letter from my doctor and we will be forwarding that to China and asking that the paperwork be expedited.

In the meantime, on Saturday 7/30/11 we received Provisional I-800 approval!  This is big.  We are hoping to be cabled any day, or maybe already.  I will be sending an email to the National Visa Center tonight to see if that has happened.

Suddenly, it seems that travel is not too far away!!  Lots to do before we leave.  Hold on Claire!  Just a little bit longer!!!!

Update!

We received an update from China.  Among other measurements, we learned that Claire is 43 inches tall and 35 pounds.  This means she is tiny for 8!  Luke grew quite a bit when he first came home so we hope Claire will as well.  A couple of days after we got the update, we got pictures.  She is soooo beautiful!  Big doe eyes(daddy is in trouble), porcelain skin and look at those dimples!!

Our Chinese friend Leigh told us that the characters on the whiteboard say "I love Daddy Mommy"  How sweet is that???  We recently sent a care package to her with a letter and some books.  We were able to ask some questions and are hoping we get a response back soon.  It means so much to get something . . . .pictures, information, anything.  We are so anxious to go get her!

We sent our I800(more immigration paperwork) off last week and just a few minutes ago we received a notice that it was received.  More waiting . . . .