Briana's First Cheerios

Doug and I are doing well and Briana slept through the night 10p - 7a!

Here's a video of Briana eating her first Cheerio. Doug's probably already taken several hours of video but this was one of the shorter videos for a quick post.

Briana Day

Ladies and Gentleman...we have our daughter Briana...

She is beautiful, amazing and has the most gorgeous smile. Unfortunately, we didn't really see it until we got back to the hotel. In all honestly, Gotcha Day was pretty rough - not even close to the scenerio I had always dreamed of. Briana was sooooo upset and crying. The minute they handed her to me she was hysterical. Of course, all the other babies were fine - Briana was the screamer! She cried, and cried, and cried. The bottle they gave us had a broken top on it and the formula kept flying out of it. We were covered in formula in the family photo. Good gravy. And she was covered in mosquitos bites - on her forehead, arms, legs and she was sweating like crazy. She was so hot and upset. We managed to get one or two smiles out of her at the civil affairs office when we walked out of the main room - away from all the chaos. I was so worried that we would not be able to console her. Finally, when we got back on the bus, I sat her on my lap, she finally took her bottle and fell asleep. When we got to the room, she woke up and seemed like another child. Smiling and so happy. She did cry some when I changed her diaper and gave her a quick sponge bath, but after that, we were golden. We finally got her to sleep about 10PM. Doug is already asleep now too. I am so beat, but I wanted to let you know we are parents. She is the most amazing baby in the world.

We are in love...

Here some pics...

Gotcha photo - Doug is covered in formula and Briana is in tears!

The one smile we got at the civil affairs office.

The bus ride back. Look at how hot she was!

Briana happy and smiling in her new sleeper.

Our angel....

3 Hours To Briana

We are currently resting in our hotel room until 3:30PM. That is when we get on the bus to go to the Civil Affairs Office. 4PM - Gotcha! This morning we filled out all of the provincial paperwork and paid the fees. After filling out the paperwork, we all took a trip to the market to buy some snacks and a few baby items. As we were walking out of the market, there was a woman selling toy bubble makers on the sidewalk. Doug asked her how much in Mandarin and she told him "Ershiwu". Doug's Mandarin classes came in handy because he translated it with no problem. It means "25". So he handed her 25 RMB. I am so proud! :)

I am posting a few pictures of the day, as well as pictures from Forbidden City yesterday. The plane ride was rough for me yesterday. After walking in Forbidden City for three hours (and it was muggy), we had to go straight to the airport. The plane was warm and the flight was kind of bumpy. I was just so glad to get to the hotel. The hotel is so beautiful, and Chongqing is huge - bigger than New York City. And you won't believe this, but the temp today 82 degrees. The rain and overcast skies are keeping the city cooler! Yippee! We won't have to deal with the unbearable temps until Guangzhou. I heard it is pretty dang hot there right now.

I am so excited and nervous. My stomach is flipping! Oh goodness!

Here are some pics!

Doug and I filling out paperwork.

Our hotel - Harbour Plaza.

The toy bubble maker!

Our group at Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square - Chairman Mao

Me and Doug at Forbidden City

Made It To Chongqing

Just a quick post to let you all know we made it to Chongqing. Doug and I are so tired. We did Forbidden City this morning and flew to Chongqing this afternoon. We are about to go to bed now, but tomorrow is Briana Day!

We fill out adoption paperwork in the morning at the hotel and get Briana at 4PM Monday (China time) at the Civil Affairs office. I will post more about Forbidden City and the plane ride later. And of course, I will blog about gotcha day as soon as Miss Briana allows me too.

Wish us luck!

Jade Factory, Great Wall & Cloisonne Factory

Greetings again from China! This is just a quick post because we are on our way to see the Chinese Acrobat Show. I wanted to show a few pics from the day. We did the Jade Factory, Great Wall and the Cloisonne Factory. I had a great shopping day! Ha! At the Great Wall, there was a row of merchants waiting to sell all sorts of merchandise and we had a ball bartering with them. It actually rained overnight, so it cooled things down so much today. (But there was enough humidity in the air to still frizz my hair.)

Oh - and today is my father's birthday! Happy, happy birthday!!!!!!! Wish I could be with you!!!!

Here are pics from the day!

The Great Wall of China...


Our CHSFS group (the ladies on the left with the children are not adopting now - they are revisting China after adopting a few years ago). Everyone else is in my travel group - and Chandler (in the orange shirt) is our guide.

Doug and I eating lunch in the Cloisonne Factory - another delicious meal! My hair still frizzed in a ponytail - so sad...

Cloisonne Factory workers.

Tomorrow morning is the Forbidden City and then we fly to Chongqing. I can't believe we get Briana on Monday! Yippee!

Hutong Rickshaw Tour

I can't tell you how happy I am that Doug and I felt good enough to go on this tour. It was amazing! We did the rickshaw tour with two other families in our travel group, as well as a nice sized group of people who used our agency to adopt their daughters 10 years ago - they were making the trip back to China.

We traveled via rickshaw through the area of Hutong - old Beijing. We drove through the extremely narrow streets and alleyways of Hutong and made several stops along the tour. First, we stopped at the home of a family who has lived in their Hutong home for 54 years. We sat in their living room and had a nice question and answer session. Then we visited a kindergarten class. The kids performed two songs for us - so cute! Then we went to the Drum Tower which overlooks Hutong. We climbed up 69 very steep steps to get to the top - ugh! Last, we had lunch in another Hutong home. Before we ate, our tour guide showed us how to make dumplings. Then the lady of the household prepared us the most phenomenal food. It is the best Chinese food I have ever had - seriously.

I do actually feel bad about something. Doug and I are not the skinniest people in the world, and I felt a little sorry for our rickshaw driver - LOL! He did well though - he got us where we needed to go. Our agency guide told our group how much we needed to tip our drivers when we were finished. So, we tipped him what we were told. Then we spoke to someone in our travel group who told us that they tipped their driver double. We really didn't know that we could do that. Tipping is a touchy subject in China. We really wanted to tip more because our driver was so nice, but we didn't. Now I feel bad. He probably thought we were cheap Americans!

Ok - here are some pics!

Line of rickshaws waiting for customers.

Doug and I in our rickshaw.

The grandmother at the first Hutong home.

The cutest kindergarten class ever!

The Drum Tower performance.

Doug enjoying the delicious lunch at the second home. The girl sitting next to him just adopted her baby girl through our agency and she and her husband are doing Beijing on the back end of their trip (her hubby was on the other side of the room with her new little one).

What an amazing day! We have the rest of the evening to ourselves now. Tomorrow - Great Wall of China, Jade Factory and Beijing Acrobats!

Oh - and it may look like it is an overcast day in these pictures. Not the case. It is so smoggy here in Beijing that the sun cannot make it through the crud layering this place. I can't believe how bad the air quality is. It was very humid today, but not unbearable. Maybe it is because the sun can't beat down on us!

Rest, Rest, Rest

Ok - this is a quick post! Doug and I got lots of rest yesterday! We did manage to walk up and down the street the hotel is on around lunchtime and it was pretty neat! I felt like I was in a dream! I can't believe I am here!

We are about to head to breakfast and then go on the rickshaw tour. We are not 100%, but the rest was a HUGE help. Thank you to everyone who posted such sweet comments!

I want to say a special hi to my bloggy bash gals! You are all the best! (I posted Heather - you happy now? - Ha, Ha!!!!!)

Hello China!

We made it! It is 7:30 AM in China and I am hungry for some breakfast! The flights were so long, and after 24 hours of travel, we got to Beijing at 9:00PM last night. You all won't believe this, but Monday I started getting sick with a head cold. I had been popping Airborne for several days before I got sick...and I still got sick. I felt like it was a cruel joke. I got on the plane yesterday feeling pretty crappy. But luckily we were in business class, so that made the flight much better. We flew 14 hours and then had a 5 hour layover in Tokyo, then another 3 hour flight to Beijing. We met up in Tokyo with one of our group members Jennifer and her brother and we all flew to Beijing together. I did check a bag, and it arrived in Beijing with no problems. By the time we got to the hotel, I felt like the walking dead.

The hotel we are staying at is SO nice! The room is beautiful. The bed is a little hard, but I had been warned that the beds in China were hard, so I expected it. After a nice shower, I climbed into bed and went to sleep.

Unfortunately, Doug has a cold too, so we have decided to skip seeing Summer Palace today and get some rest. I am already feeling a lot better this morning, so I think by tomorrow I should be ready to roll. Tomorrow is the Rickshaw tour, Saturday is the Great Wall, Sunday morning is Forbidden City and then we fly to Chongqing that afternoon. Monday is Briana Day!

Here is a picture of us with our guides Chandler and Cathy in the hotel lobby (I am looking pretty rough!).

Our room!

My Last Post Before China

Well, this is it...the last post before China. Doug and I are staying in a hotel tonight by the airport and we are flying out in the morning.

I am going to try to update my blog as much as possible in China to keep you all posted on all the details. Doug bought me this really cool shirt! I am not bringing it to China, but I thought I would post a picture of me wearing it so you all will know that I do plan to blog from China!

I had a wonderful time at the bloggy bash on Saturday at Melissa's. I can't believe I was able to meet all the wonderful women that I have blogging with over the past year. It was an amazing day. And Melissa was the most awesome hostess - thank you so much girl! I will post all about it when I get back from my trip.

In closing, I am posting this YouTube video. Everytime I hear "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts, I think of the journey Doug and I have been on these past six years.

Briana...we're coming for you...

I Think I Am Ready

Well, here it is! The luggage...

There is no way I can go carry on only - no way! But, I am checking only one extra large rolling duffel bag, so I think I have done pretty well in the packing department. I seriously have packed and repacked these cases several times, just trying to get it right. Each time I took something out that I figured that I could probably just get in China.

Ok - I only have 4 days to go until I am China bound!

Last night, I met Kathy, Mick and Georgia for a "girls only" dinner at Los Reyes Mexican restaurant. After 4 and a half hours of laughs, gossip and cheese dip, we finally headed out! Thank you girls for meeting me for dinner - I really wanted to see all of you before I took off for China. And an extra thanks for Mick for driving so far in the rain to meet us and for the absolutely amazing music CD she made me for China (you had me cryin' girl)!

I am also gearing up for this Saturday...

Woohoo!!! I can't wait to meet my bloggy buds this weekend at Melissa's!

One Week To Go

We are flying to Beijing in one week! I can't believe it. I think I have everything I need just about packed. I just need to get the house as ready as possible now for when we get back. I have lots of canned and frozen dinners waiting for us!

My stomach is flipping - I am so excited, but I am really nervous too. I am going to be a mommy in two weeks!

What was I doing August 5, 2006?

What was I doing on August 5, 2006 (Briana's date of birth)? Kathy asked me that question a few weeks ago and then Cindy just wrote on her blog about what she was doing the day Claire was born.

I have been thinking about it myself a lot lately (in the midst of filling out paperwork, packing, making final travel arrangements and running around like a chicken), and I finally had a chance to look at the archives of my blog. I can tell you what I was doing right around that time. It is really amazing...

On July 27, 2006, I went to my very first consignment sale with Kathy. I had been very reluctant to do a lot of clothes and toy shopping for Briana up to that point, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and do some big time shopping. I felt it was the right time and had a blast! (A slight addiction started after that.)

On July 30, 2006, I started my blog. I cannot tell you how glad I am that I did. I have chronicled the entire year of my life before Briana physically enters it. July 30, 2007 is Gotcha Day - the day I will have Briana in my arms.

On August 3, 2006, I had been logged in China for nine months. Briana was born two days later - isn't that amazing?

On August 5, 2006, I went to my first "big toy" sale with Kathy. I bought my first "big toys" for Briana that day. That was the day Kathy and I had to creatively figure out how to put all the stuff in the back of her SUV. It was so funny! I am so happy that I was doing something special for Briana on the date she was born.

So, that is what I was doing around the time of Briana's birth. I started to lessen the shield that had protected my heart for so long due to my infertility struggle. I started to allow myself to feel the happiness. I started to really believe that Briana was going to come to my life and change it for the better. Maybe I sensed that she was entering the world. I guess I will never know for sure, but I do know I have said it several times - "Isn't it amazing?"

Heartfelt Gifts

Going through this adoption process, I have met some of the nicest and most thoughtful people in the world.

These gifts came to me from Becky, who I met through my adoption agency. Becky adopted her beautiful daughter Charis back in November. She sent me this precious Anne Geddes ladybug doll and made this adorable little bracelet for Briana. Thank you so, so much Becky! You are so thoughtful!

And this book came from Lee-Anne. It is a children's book that I can read to Briana. It is about a little boy who is friends with an old woman with memory loss. Lee-Anne's grandmother has Alzheimer's, and when she learned that my grandmother has the same disease, she bought this book for me. She warned me that she cries every time she reads it. Well, was she right! I started reading it and then came the waterworks! Lee-Anne, this gift is a true treasure. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Two Weeks To China

We are all booked! We are flying to China on July 24th! First stop Beijing, then on to Chongqing, then on Guangzhou! Woohoo! I feel like I have so much to do and so little time to do it!

And I want to give a BIG congratulations to Cindy and Brent on their referral for their daughter Yu Cai Ke soon to be Claire Cai! She is absolutely adorable!!!!

Hurray - We Got A CA!

Yep! Our consulate appointment is on August 7! Doug has been working so hard trying to find airline tickets. Did you know that July/August is just about the busiest and craziest time to travel? Lovely. Anywho...we are on our way to Briana!

We Got TA!!!

Woohoo!!!!!!!!!! My agency got TA's today! They are trying to set up a consulate appointment. I will keep you posted!

Briana Is 11 Months Today

Briana is 11 months old today. I hope that I am able to be with her on her 1st birthday! Happy 11 months baby girl!

Today is also my sister-in-law's birthday! Happy Birthday Ann!!! Enjoy your day!!!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July! Doug has the day off, and we have decided to stay home and chill out today. We don't have many days left with just the two of us (and kitty), so we are taking it easy. Hope all my American blog buddies have a great holiday!

Wii Workout & Hot Pot

Saturday was quite the busy day for Doug and me! First, we stopped by Georgia and Jeff's house to snack and play some Nintendo Wii. Doug has been looking all over for one of these systems and every store is always sold out. We had a blast with Georgia & Jeff, Mick & James and Matt & Kathy. Oh my gosh, that gaming system gives you quite a workout! I have GOT to get me one of those. I lost at the tennis game to both Mick and Georgia, but I came back and beat Mick at boxing - woohoo!! I was determined to win something! Doug decided to go up against Georgia in boxing. Doug started throwing these girly type punches (I couldn't stop laughing) and he somehow knocked Georgia out in the first round. Wow - it was funny! We had a wonderful time - thanks Georgia and Jeff!

After visiting at Georgia and Jeff's, Doug and I headed over to Lisa and Eammon's house. When Doug and I got our referral and Lisa heard we were getting Briana from Chongqing like Miss Maisie, she told me she had to prepare us some hot pot before our trip to China. When we arrived, we spent some time with Maisie and brought her a few gifts. Before Lisa put her to bed, Maisie kissed us both goodnight. What a cutie! After Maisie went to sleep, we all chowed down on hot pot. The broth that you cook in was filled with hot peppers and peppercorns, so Doug and I were a little nervous at first, but it was perfect. Just spicy enough. It was delish! Not just delish - it was beautiful! Dumplings, shrimp, potatoes and more as far as the eye could see! It was a feast! Then Lisa gave us apple cake with whipped cream. Delicious doesn't describe the dessert well enough. Lisa and Eammon shared lots of wonderful stories (and gave lots of great tips!) about their trip to China. Thanks so much for having us over Lisa and Eammon - we had a fantastic time!

We Got Visas!

This is them! We got our visas on Thursday! I have to admit that I was super nervous letting our passports go for several days, but it had to be done. We are allowed in China now! Come on TA's!!!!

Visit With Grandma

Friday, my mom brought my grandmother over to my house to see Briana's nursery. Grandma really thought the room was beautiful. After taking her out to lunch, my mom and I showed her the video of Doug and I seeing Briana's picture for the first time. She kept saying how nice the video was and how wonderful it was to have that moment on video, not only for me, but for Briana to see one day.

I know that she doesn't remember her visit now due to her Alzheimer's, but I enjoy seeing her reactions in the moment. Even if she can't remember, I can. And I will always remember and cherish the things she says to me. I cannot wait for her to meet Briana!