Friday September 23, 2011
Today we were able to sleep in and eat a late breakfast. McKenzee is a great sleeper, she sleeps thru the night and wakes up at about 4:30am for a bottle, and goes back down till about 7:00am. Today she allowed us all to sleep in till 8:15am. We are traveling tonight to Guangzhou China to finish up the last part of the adoption process. The US Consulate is located in Guangzhou, so no matter where your baby is from in China you must come here to finalize all of your paperwork. Our guide Amy has arranged for a gentlemen to come to our hotel this morning and make a scroll with calligraphy for McKenzee. It will have her Chinese name, Zodiac sign, Birth date, and adoption date on it. Just one more memento for her and her Chinese heritage. Well, I am off to go pack up our room again. Living in a hotel room out of suit cases with a baby really sucks!! Our plane leaves for Guangzhou at 8:00pm and we will be leaving for the airport at 5:00pm.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Day of Touring in Changsha
Thursday September 22, 2011
Today we went to Martyr's Park a place dedicated to the revolutionists. We saw demonstrations of
Tai-Chi, women singing, koi fish and beautiful bridges. Afterwards, we went to the Hunan Embroidery Research Institute & China Hunan Embroidery Museum. Embroidery goes back 2000 years in China. They do amazing work at the museum. They can embroider two different images (front and back) on one piece of silk. We bought a couple of small embroidery pieces there for McKenzee and Coleby. Her province is famous for its embroidery work and I wanted to make sure we took something home for her.
In the afternoon, we received Mckenzee's birth certificate and an official sheet with her finding spot information.
Today we went to Martyr's Park a place dedicated to the revolutionists. We saw demonstrations of
Tai-Chi, women singing, koi fish and beautiful bridges. Afterwards, we went to the Hunan Embroidery Research Institute & China Hunan Embroidery Museum. Embroidery goes back 2000 years in China. They do amazing work at the museum. They can embroider two different images (front and back) on one piece of silk. We bought a couple of small embroidery pieces there for McKenzee and Coleby. Her province is famous for its embroidery work and I wanted to make sure we took something home for her.
In the afternoon, we received Mckenzee's birth certificate and an official sheet with her finding spot information.
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| Entrance to Martyr Park |
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| Group 1761 |
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| McKenzee has her daddy wrapped around her little finger alreaady! |
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| Bazillions of Koi in pond at Martyr Park |
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| Bridge across Lake in Martyr Park |
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| It always looks foggy out, but it is just the pollution |
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| Entrance to Embroidery Museum |
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| This picture is embroidered of Franklin Roosevelt |
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| Front of embroidered picture on silk |
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| Back of picture from above |
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| This embroidery factory worker has been working on this picture for 8 months. It will take her approximatly one year. |
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Walmart
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
I guess you're asking, why are they showing Walmart? Well, we all had to go shopping for baby supplies. You know diapers, baby powder, formula and other items. I asked the guide why Walmart? She told me it was different than the walmart in the U.S.A. Wow was she right. First of all it was two stories high. It had so many different things in it I don't know where to begin. I guess I'll describe the things I found interesting. When the guide was telling us how there were two floors, one of the other families asked if they had elevators. The guide told us "No, walmart has escalators but don't worry they are very safe". Of course she forgot to mention they were ramps and the wheels on the shopping cart were steel and they would magnetize to the escalator. I thought that was pretty neat. The most amazing thing about this walmart was the fish department. Here they had live fish like carp, grass fish and big headed fish. they also had live shrimp and American frogs by the hundreds. There were other things like eels, squids and a bunch of dried out fish.You would see other things like whole ducks, pigeons and chickens. Oh, believe me. Nothing went to waste. If it wasn't whole the parts that were taken off were hanging around somewhere close by.
McKenzee had an experience of her own with her eyes wide open. She had never stepped out of the orphanage let alone seen so many people. She rode her first shopping cart. Oh, and talking about people. They were all staring at us and more of McKenzee. Some people would come to her and touch her while saying something. Once Coleby asked, "What are they saying?" I told him they were saying what a beautiful baby she was. Ha ha ha. Like I know Chinese. Also people would follow us for really long times until we would turn around and tell them hi. They would then smile and give a thumbs ups sign.
After we finished at walmart we then returned to the hotel. As Shelley and McKenzee went down for a nap, Coleby and I decided to go for a venture. I'm so glad we did because about a mile down and around the street was McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut. Wow! After reporting this back to Shelley and the other families we now had a new mission. American food! All the families strollered up and we all headed back. Of course we split up when we got there. We decided to eat at Pizza Hut. One large super supreme and one pitcher of Pepsi. Needless to say everyone went back to the hotel with a big smile on their face. Although McKenzee didn't eat pizza she too had an experience of her life.
I guess you're asking, why are they showing Walmart? Well, we all had to go shopping for baby supplies. You know diapers, baby powder, formula and other items. I asked the guide why Walmart? She told me it was different than the walmart in the U.S.A. Wow was she right. First of all it was two stories high. It had so many different things in it I don't know where to begin. I guess I'll describe the things I found interesting. When the guide was telling us how there were two floors, one of the other families asked if they had elevators. The guide told us "No, walmart has escalators but don't worry they are very safe". Of course she forgot to mention they were ramps and the wheels on the shopping cart were steel and they would magnetize to the escalator. I thought that was pretty neat. The most amazing thing about this walmart was the fish department. Here they had live fish like carp, grass fish and big headed fish. they also had live shrimp and American frogs by the hundreds. There were other things like eels, squids and a bunch of dried out fish.You would see other things like whole ducks, pigeons and chickens. Oh, believe me. Nothing went to waste. If it wasn't whole the parts that were taken off were hanging around somewhere close by.
McKenzee had an experience of her own with her eyes wide open. She had never stepped out of the orphanage let alone seen so many people. She rode her first shopping cart. Oh, and talking about people. They were all staring at us and more of McKenzee. Some people would come to her and touch her while saying something. Once Coleby asked, "What are they saying?" I told him they were saying what a beautiful baby she was. Ha ha ha. Like I know Chinese. Also people would follow us for really long times until we would turn around and tell them hi. They would then smile and give a thumbs ups sign.
After we finished at walmart we then returned to the hotel. As Shelley and McKenzee went down for a nap, Coleby and I decided to go for a venture. I'm so glad we did because about a mile down and around the street was McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut. Wow! After reporting this back to Shelley and the other families we now had a new mission. American food! All the families strollered up and we all headed back. Of course we split up when we got there. We decided to eat at Pizza Hut. One large super supreme and one pitcher of Pepsi. Needless to say everyone went back to the hotel with a big smile on their face. Although McKenzee didn't eat pizza she too had an experience of her life.
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| Walmart |
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| McKenzee's first shopping cart ride |
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| Escalator in Walmart |
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| Dried Fish |
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| This is one of your choices in the Deli (Duck) |
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| Smoked Fish |
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| EEL |
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| GROSS!!! |
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| American Frogs |
Adoption Day
Tuesday September 20, 2011
It's Official!! McKenzee Marie Zao Arellano is all ours. Today we had to go back to the Children's Adoption Bureau to file all the paperwork, have it notorized and pay all our fees. We had to promise to the Chinese Government to never abuse or abandon her. They then asked if we were happy with our referral and if we intend on keeping her? Yes, of course! They then thumb printed Paul and I and foot printed McKenzee for our final adoption decree.
The rest of the day we spent in the hotel. McKenzee slept alot of the day, I think she wore herself out the day before by not sleeping at all.
The rest of the day we spent in the hotel. McKenzee slept alot of the day, I think she wore herself out the day before by not sleeping at all.
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The Director of McKenzee's Orphanage |
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| Filling out paperwork and answering questions in front of Notory |
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| Mommy being thumb printed |
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| Daddy being thumb printed |
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| McKenzee bieng foot printed |
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| McKenzee being foot printed |
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| Look at her tiny foot |
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| Daddy and McKenzee |
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| McKenzee & Coleby |
Monday, September 19, 2011
GOTCHA DAY!!!!
Monday September 19, 2011
WOW!! What an amazing experience, much different than being in labor but the happiness, joy and love you feel when it is all over is much the same. She is a beautiful, petite and very curious of all her new surroundings. We received her at about 11:00am at Children's Adoption Bureau Building. There was approximately 6 other families there in a room and they brought our babies in one at a time. They were all from different orphanages in Hunan province. McKenzee is from Chenzhou about a 4 hour drive from Changsha the capital city of Hunan. We were told the she came to Changsha by the bullet train this morning which took about 70 minutes. Their was another little girl about 16 months old from McKenzees orphanage that was referred to a momma from Denver. It was very loud at the time of referral from the babies crying, and there was a 4 year old little girl being adopted and she was very upset and very loud crying. It just broke your heart to think what that little girl was thinking and feeling. McKenzee came to us with no problem, she didn't cry, but took a little while for her to warm up and look at us instead of thru us. We left the C.A.B. building and went to grocery store to get formula and baby supplies we needed and then we went back to the hotel for the rest of the day to play and bond with our little girls.
She still has not cried at all, I guess after 14 months she has learned it doesn't do her any good to cry so why bother. When she gets upset she kind of gets a pouty lip but that is it. It is so sad because you can tell she has learned to comfort herself, she has alot of self soothing habits. She fought her sleep hard today. I don't think she wanted to miss out on anything going on around her. Well thank the lord she slept thru the night. She went down at 9:30pm and it is about 5:00am and she is starting to stir. So I will try to attach some pictures of the day and if they won't attach I will try again later.
WOW!! What an amazing experience, much different than being in labor but the happiness, joy and love you feel when it is all over is much the same. She is a beautiful, petite and very curious of all her new surroundings. We received her at about 11:00am at Children's Adoption Bureau Building. There was approximately 6 other families there in a room and they brought our babies in one at a time. They were all from different orphanages in Hunan province. McKenzee is from Chenzhou about a 4 hour drive from Changsha the capital city of Hunan. We were told the she came to Changsha by the bullet train this morning which took about 70 minutes. Their was another little girl about 16 months old from McKenzees orphanage that was referred to a momma from Denver. It was very loud at the time of referral from the babies crying, and there was a 4 year old little girl being adopted and she was very upset and very loud crying. It just broke your heart to think what that little girl was thinking and feeling. McKenzee came to us with no problem, she didn't cry, but took a little while for her to warm up and look at us instead of thru us. We left the C.A.B. building and went to grocery store to get formula and baby supplies we needed and then we went back to the hotel for the rest of the day to play and bond with our little girls.
She still has not cried at all, I guess after 14 months she has learned it doesn't do her any good to cry so why bother. When she gets upset she kind of gets a pouty lip but that is it. It is so sad because you can tell she has learned to comfort herself, she has alot of self soothing habits. She fought her sleep hard today. I don't think she wanted to miss out on anything going on around her. Well thank the lord she slept thru the night. She went down at 9:30pm and it is about 5:00am and she is starting to stir. So I will try to attach some pictures of the day and if they won't attach I will try again later.
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| Forever In Our Arms! |
Daddy's Little Girl
Mommy's Sweet Angel
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| Brotherly Love |
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| Us with orphanage staff |
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| Yes, I bathed her when we got home. She Loved it |
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| Her First BOW!!!! |
Group Tour
Saturday September 17, 2011
Today we took a group tour to Victoria's Peak, which is a the highest peak in Hong Kong that overlooks the city. We also toured a Jade Jewelery Factory, where we were able to see the jewelery being made. Then we went on a Sampan Tour Boat in Hong Kong Harbour. We seen the largest floating restaurant in the world, it can seat 3000 people at a time. Our guide told us we wouldn't be dinning there for lunch and we would understand why later. After the tour was completed we had the rest of the afternoon for free time. We went shopping in downtown Hong Kong. There malls are amazing they are 8 stories high and go on for miles and miles. Tomorrow (Sunday September 18, 2011) we leave for Changsha , the capital of Hunan Province. It is about a hour and forty-five minute flight from Hong Kong.
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| Victoria's Peak Overlooking Hong Kong |
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| Jade Factory |
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| Largest Floating Resturant |
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| Back Side of Floating Resturant (Kitchen) This is why we will not be dinning here for lunch! |
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| You want me to pee where? |
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Disneyland Hong Kong
Friday September 16, 2011
This morning we could of slept in, but no we were all awake by 4:00am with no alarm clock. UGH!! So we got up and got ready for the day, and went down stairs and ate a very expensive buffett breakfast (599.00HKD) about $84.36 US dollars. We won't be doing that again! I guess you live and learn when you go to a foreign country. We then learned how to ride their Metro train at morning rush hour, you realize very fast how spoiled we are to have the luxury of our own cars. The first thing we noticed was all the young children that ride the train by themselves to school. It really is very sad because you know their day starts out so early and they don't get home till very late. The other thing we noticed was the mass population. Hong Kong isn't a very large city, but has a population of around 8 MILLION people. WOW!!
We then arrived at Disneyland Hong Kong at around 9:30am. The park didn't open til 10:30am. Needless to say we rode the metro with all the workers. We stuck out like a sore thumb in Disneyland. This time we were the foreigners. I'm so glad the Chinese were so nice and helpful and especially that they could speak English pretty well. Disneyland Hong Kong has been open for five years. It is pretty much the same as Disneyland California, just on a smaller scale. It was already decorated for Halloween. It was a very nice day but it was extremely hot and humid. Oh! We did get on Space Mountain. WEEEEEEEEEE! Coleby has really been a trooper, but by the end of the day he is wiped out! It does really feel weird traveling with only 3 of us. Oh how I miss my other 2 boys and wish they could of came with us. We love you Cody & Collin!!
This morning we could of slept in, but no we were all awake by 4:00am with no alarm clock. UGH!! So we got up and got ready for the day, and went down stairs and ate a very expensive buffett breakfast (599.00HKD) about $84.36 US dollars. We won't be doing that again! I guess you live and learn when you go to a foreign country. We then learned how to ride their Metro train at morning rush hour, you realize very fast how spoiled we are to have the luxury of our own cars. The first thing we noticed was all the young children that ride the train by themselves to school. It really is very sad because you know their day starts out so early and they don't get home till very late. The other thing we noticed was the mass population. Hong Kong isn't a very large city, but has a population of around 8 MILLION people. WOW!!
We then arrived at Disneyland Hong Kong at around 9:30am. The park didn't open til 10:30am. Needless to say we rode the metro with all the workers. We stuck out like a sore thumb in Disneyland. This time we were the foreigners. I'm so glad the Chinese were so nice and helpful and especially that they could speak English pretty well. Disneyland Hong Kong has been open for five years. It is pretty much the same as Disneyland California, just on a smaller scale. It was already decorated for Halloween. It was a very nice day but it was extremely hot and humid. Oh! We did get on Space Mountain. WEEEEEEEEEE! Coleby has really been a trooper, but by the end of the day he is wiped out! It does really feel weird traveling with only 3 of us. Oh how I miss my other 2 boys and wish they could of came with us. We love you Cody & Collin!!
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| Front Gate of Disneyland Hong Kong |
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| The Mickiey is designed with pumpkins instead of flowers |
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| M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E |
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