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| From 7 Day Five |
Daddy making Addie Grace laugh!
Well we survived the night last night...I am so thankful for everyone's comments. They are my life line. If I had time to comment on all of your comments I would.
Today is Wednesday in Nanchang (Tuesday night for yall). I have felt all of your prayers. Addie Grace slept great last night. Everyone in our travel group is opening up about their experiences so far. I realized that I have been going by her Foster's feeding schedule...yeah. Just threw that out that window. I have decided to feed her every 3 hours or so. I bought her some baby food at Wal-mart....She LOVED it! I can't wait to get home and feed her good food...and not using the same 2 bottles that I have to keep sterilizing in an ice bucket with water I boil from a hot pot!
Tuesday we went to Wal-Mart... what an experience! Alec was loving every minute of it! He was so glad to get out of the room!
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| From 7 Day Five |
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| From 7 Day Five |
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| From 7 Day Five |
Here we are on the bus heading to our next destination. Addie Grace is chewing on a rice biscuit....:)
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| From 7 Day Five |
This is the TengWang Pavilion. The Emperor at the time sent one of son's away because he was too "artistic"... so he was sent to Nanchang where he built this beautiful palace with a Feng Shui Garden. The wooden carvings were beautiful. Alec was really digging this! Also, because there aren't many tourist that come to Nanchang everyone was taking our pictures!!! We must've been a site with our Chinese baby!
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| From 7 Day Five |
Here is a picture of Ken getting "hosed" at the Pavilion! A lady said, "You come ring bell and light incense for good luck"... He was like "sure, ok!"... "Ok...that'll be 100 yuan!" funny.
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| From 7 Day Five |
Here is me and Alec with the peanut! Still at the pavilion. Look at how Alec's hand is behind her head! He loves her...and she loves him too! Look at the beautiful wood carvings - Gorgeous!
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| From 7 Day Five |
This is a view of some Apartment Buildings in Nanchang from the Pavilion.
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| From 7 Day Five |
Alec asked to hold his little sister. He is so good with her! He even grabbed my Vera Bradley girly backpack from me and wore it around after seeing me lugging everything! She loves him too! She is still coming out of her shell...or just now developing her personality... and she LOVES to be held. When we pass her off to each other she gets the biggest grin on her face and kicks her legs. She loves to be held and kissed!
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| From 7 Day Five |
Another picture of Alec walking around the Pavilion with Addie Grace.
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| From 7 Day Five |
With her big brother again! Oh yeah...she ROCKS the headbands!!!
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| From 7 Day Five |
We had to get Addie Grace's picture with the big bronze Mouse! She was born inthe "Year of the Rat". Check out her left foot... She has pretty good "point" going on there!!!
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| From 7 Day Five |
I love this picture of Kenny kissing on Addie Grace's Neck... She lets out a good belly laugh when he does this! Check out the background as we are exiting the Pavilion!
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| From 4 Day Two |
I just saw that Ken took this picture. Kenny & Alec found a great place to get a foot massage in Beijing after we walked the Great Wall... so here I am. Got my feet in some kind of black sludge. Don't know, don't care... couldn't ask!!! It felt great and it was worth every bit of the $11.00 we paid!
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| From 6 Adoption Day |
Our guide, Allison was telling us that Nanchang is not only known for their porcelain, but for their SPICY FOOD! Yeah...our girl is a spicy girl!
So on Monday Ken asked Allison where to go to get Spicy Food... She said, "Oh, you need to try the 'Hot Pot.'" So Ken took our guides Allison and Evelyn to a restaurant they chose and they challenged him to a traditional southern Spicy Jiangxi Meal! No one else in our travel group was interested. Imagine That!
Needless to say... He PASSED the test!
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| From 6 Adoption Day |
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| From 6 Adoption Day |
Weird Mushrooms...
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| From 6 Adoption Day |
Yep... that's octopus.
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| From 6 Adoption Day |
Yep...he ate it!
It has been an adventure to say the least. New baby. New Emotion. New Food. New faces. New Places.
If you are adopting and are reading my blog to see what's to come, let me know if there's anything you want me to post. I was so real in my last post because in my 3 years of research and reading... everyone only posts the "good stuff." It's all good, but there are definitely some difficulties.
I am so thankful for the friends and family God has so graciously placed in our lives to help us through this Amazing, and Emotional, sometimes difficult, life-changing time. I know I keep saying it, but your prayers and comments are helping me get through the day to day where nothing is familiar.
Addie Grace Update: She is really an easy baby except the "sleep" thing. She fell asleep at 9 last night (so did mommy!) and only wimpered 2 times in the middle of the night until she woke up at 4:30. I fed her a bottle then she fell asleep at 6 for another 45 minutes.
She is such a happy baby! She loves people and laughs at them! I think we will see more personality today! She loves to be held and passed to each of us. She's "talking" more and she bounces and kicks her legs. She loves to stare at our faces and put her fingers in our mouths. She scratches her head in frustration as a means of soothing - makes me sad...so I just grab them and kiss them. Based on my friends analysis of lice...don't think she has it. Our guide said Chinese children don't get ear infections easily because of the way their tubes are. However she is still sticking her fingers in her ear and digging. I don't see anything. She's precious in every way. I can't wait for you to meet her. She will love you too!
If anyone has any good resources for advice on bedtime schedules...letting them "cry it out" putting them in their crib awake, etc...Please let me know. We won't be working on this for a while after we get home because we are still in the bonding stage and getting her to trust us. But down the line...in a few weeks we will.
Also...if anyone knows of a good nanny...I want to go ahead and schedule nannies for Alec's Friday Night Football Games. These I can't miss. I always pictured her out there with us...we'll see but she is just so tiny. her pictures don't really show how small she is...but she is tiny. her nose is the size of a newborn's! these are the things that wake me up at 3 in the morning and keep me awake...
ok..It's 7:00 in the morning, and Kenny just took Addie downstairs to go get coffee (for Ken!)...shower time, right???
Again I love your comments. If I could respond to each of them I would.
Love you all!
14 of Your AMAZING Comments Here!:
I am so glad all of you finally got some sleep!Addie looked adorable in her little headband!She was so cute in the picture where she was laughing.Alec looks wonderful holding his little sister.I think she loves her new family and adores her big brother!..Ken, I can't believe you ate that octopus!!! It looked disgusting!And you better watch eating wierd mushrooms.HaHa!We miss all of you so much and anxious for you to get home with the peanut!We will be so glad to see y'all.Love Mimi
Love her in her headband!!! Too sweet and love the pics of her and Alec, glad you got out some! Glad you are being real and honest too, other people adopting need to know it has it's challenges too and they aren't alone in their feelings! Both the kindermusik mom's I have had with daughters adopted from China both struggled with ear infections, could be coincidental,but just thought I'd let you know that! Can't wait to meet her!! Marie
It is so good to hear that you finally got some sleep. Addie looks so sweet. We can't wait to meet her. She's stolen our hearts already!
I love to see Alec holding Addie. You can really see the love he has for her. He's going to be a terrific big brother and role model for his little sister.
When is Addie scheduled to get a doctor's check-up. I know you said it was in the schedule, but I couldn't remember when. Maybe the doc could give you something for her ears.
Ken, all I can say is...you da man! You are living the adventure by trying all the new foods and experiences you can. That's great! Now it's time for Alec to get some of that spirit of adventure...:)
Your posts and pictures are like a life-line to Mimi and me. We miss you all so much and we read every word over and over again just trying to feel like we are there with you.
Have fun and come home quick! We love you!
Mimi and Papa
Oh that is the cutest pic of her looking over Ken's shoulder. It reminds us of that first pic of Shane carrying N and him doing the same thing. Well, hang in there. You all saw first hand some of our real moments in the beginning with Nathan. You haven't had a hanger thrown at your head yet.....yeah, yall are good. I love the headbands. I want that thing you had your feet in. Keep the pics coming...I'm lovin em.
Oh...and that thing Ken ate was disgusting. I think I threw up in my mouth just looking at it.
Ken...Stick to Milky Bananas
Funny that you said everyone's comments are keeping you going... well I just can't wait to read yours too!! It's crazy!!
I just love reading about her and all of your emotions through each day. What a blessing that you all get to be alone to bond with her for a bit before coming back to TN and ALL OF US wanting to come over and hold her! After all... you said she loves to be held!!!
The pic of Alec putting his hand behind her head during the pic {when you're holding her}, made me ball. How precious! And the smile on his face when he's holding her is amazing {not to mention the fab Vera Wang on his back!}. :-)
Still prayin' and can't wait to til the next blog! Send our love to Ken, Alec and Addie! Love you sweet Mama!! ~Liz
Ok...wish you could have heard my squeal as I saw that pic of her and Ken!! Good grief that is cute. PLEASE tell Alec how handsome he looks holding her. He looks like the protective brother we knew he would be. I agree with Kelly P - that food was just gross. Good grief....I mean it was aweful...what in the world did it feel like when it was in your mouth Ken Johnson??? Agghhhhh Love ya'll...
What a gorgeous smile on Addie's face in that first picture! Love it!
I had a thought as I was praying for you today...you may have come up with this already, but if you don't have two rooms or at least a suite at the White Swan Hotel, you may want to ask your guide to arrange that for you so you can take turns with night baby duty while the other gets some uninterrupted sleep. Sleep depravation comes with being a mommy, but while you have so many other adjustments and being in a strange place, you just need to do whatever you can to get some solid sleep. I know I can be a mess after too many consecutive nights without good sleep. While my girls were very good sleepers, it tooks several weeks to adjust to everything new and that huge time difference just messed everything up. This too shall pass:).
You all look like you're doing great though. I miss China and wish I were there with you!!
Can't wait for the next update.
Dear Family Prayers are being answered quickly! Praise the Lord!
Love the headband, each picture so special. Alec what a great big brother you are! Glad you got to visit Wal-Mart I'm sure that was an experience, Grandpa and I just wondered what you are eating since you didn't go with you dad? Got to keep up your strength!!
So glad that Addie is trying some foods she has a lot of catching up to do. We can see changes already in her in just a few days. This is truly a rescue mission. And you have the prize!! We love you all so much and we continue to hold you all in our prayers.
Your journaling is our life line to you all. Praying for more sweet sleep and good days. Love and Hugs Mom and Dad
Okay- so crying again. Getting on here is my favorite part of the day! Love the headband! And love Alec and the pink backpack! He is such a secure man. Can't wait to see how this changes his life as well.
And so love that in the middle of all of it Ken can enjoy him a "good" meal. Yuck!
And you Kelly, sleep or no sleep are still as beautiful as always...Love to our little July 16th girl...and love to you.
D
So glad you all had a great day! She is changing so quickly. I can't wait to see how her personality develops with each passing day.
I look forward to reading more tomorrow.
Love Ya'll,
Shelley
PS..Ken, there are no words. Well, yes there are..gross. JT would have been right there with you :)
Don't let anyone tell you that Chinese children/babies don't get ear infections. My baby- while adopting- was examined by two doctors- one was a private doctor that was hired by agency and brought to the hotel (I paid for) and they all said she did not have ear infections. Well, she had double infecttions in both ears...poor baby of course we did not know this until we got home. Trust your mommy instincts.
She is very adorable. If you have not tried allowing her sleep on your chest at night....so that she can her your heartbeat....I had to do that with mine. It really helped with bonding/attachment. And, she slept so soundly. Take baths with her skin-to-skin helps with attachment. Also, playing music (some times Chinese works) at bedtime can really work. I know several adoptive families who play music for their children. Also, I have heard several families who let their babies sleept with a piece of clothing from Gotcha day. They found that the "scent" was soothing to the baby. Of course don't do this if you think she has lice. (Don't wash the clothes when you get home so that you can preserve the scent just in case she grieves. You might try this at home.)
Hope some of these ides are helpful.
Sweet little girl.
Diane in Franklin TN
Mommy to two adopted children
China and Vietnam
she is so stinkin cute, that sweet face! and it seems your headband fears can be put to rest! It is staying just fine! oh sweet girl!
I am so loving your posts! We are at the beginning of the adoption process so it is exciting to read about your travel. I would love to be able to email and ask you more questions when time is available for you. You are going to be a busy busy mamma!!:)
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