More recent photos of Alexis

Many of you have inquired about seeing updated photos of Alexis.  We will try to periodically post them.  Here are a few.  Enjoy!

Back home again in Indiana

Friday, September 17th started early with a 6:15 clock alarm to wake us up for the big day of travel back to the U.S.  Alexis was still sleeping soundly and we arose to get dressed and gather all our belongings for our departure from Hong Kong.  We got Alexis out of bed at the last minute, checked out of the hotel and walked through the connecting hallway to the airport terminal.  We met up with some other families from our travel group who were on the same flight to Detroit.  We navigated our way through check-in and security, waited at the gate for a few minutes, and boarded the plane.  Unfortunately, the seating configuration was different from what we had seen online and we did not have an aisle seat as expected.

The 14 hour flight from Hong Kong to Detroit seemed like the longest flight of all time.  Alexis did pretty well considering that we woke her up early and that she only managed three short naps on the flight.  We found that the days of reading books, napping and watching movies on the airplane are temporarily over.  We were not able to do any of these things as we spent the whole trip caring for Alexis, with many hours standing up with other parents holding babies.  There were probably around ten adopting families on our flight.

We arrived exhausted to Detroit and went through immigration where Alexis became a U.S. citizen!  We got our bags, breezed through customs, re-checked our bags, went through security, and boarded our flight to Indy where we were happily surprised to see a familiar face - Mike O. from church, who happened to be on the same flight.


Upon arrival in Indianapolis we changed Alexis' diaper and put a cute outfit on her.  We walked down the hallway to be greeted by a large welcoming committee.  It was wonderful to see family and friends again after our long trip.  There were many tears and smiles.  It was a memorable moment and Alexis managed it well.


We drove home with Grandpa Matt in the car with us.  Alexis struggled with the drive home.  I'm sure it was all too much for her after the exhausting day and seeing so many new faces.  However, after arriving home and being joined by some family and friends, Alexis was herself again and she enjoyed all the attention and adoration, hamming it up a little and being the social person that she is.


We're thrilled to be home again!  Thanks to all for your prayers.  We needed them and felt them throughout the trip.  We can't wait for you to meet Alexis!

Anniversary in Hong Kong

On Friday, September 16 we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary with a visit to Hong Kong.  We woke up to a cool view of the airport runway and the ocean from our hotel window.  After yesterday's rough trip from Guangzhou to the Hong Kong airport hotel, we weren't sure how Alexis would do today.  She had a great day!  We took a late morning 24 minute train ride from the airport to central Hong Kong (on Hong Kong island).  Then we grabbed a subway sandwich, jumped on a double decker bus, and boarded a tram to the top of Victoria Peak, which overlooks the dense city areas of Hong Kong.  What stunning views!  We spent a few hours up there eating our picnic lunch and walking a two mile walking path with more great views of the city.

We took the tram back down to town and walked a few city blocks to get a quick feel for the city.  We stopped at a small city park to feed Alexis, and then got a meal for ourselves.

As darkness set in, we took a ferry across the water to Kowloon for a view of the Hong Kong skyline at night.  It was amazing.  We also saw a light show made up of lights and lasers from the buildings of the skyline.

Alexis was a real trooper.  She caught a few naps in the baby carrier while we toured the city.  We took the train back to the hotel, gave Alexis a bath and put her to bed, and then packed for our trip home, finally getting to bed at 12:30 am.  We joked about how next year's wedding anniversary will seem so anticlimactic after this one.

Trip to Hong Kong

Wednesday, September 15

 

Summary: Group pictures at 10:00, then packing luggage, then a van ride to the airport hotel at Hong Kong.

 

Details:  It's Wednesday night and we're exhausted.  We had a normal start to the day and then all the families in our travel group gathered in the hotel lobby at 10:00 am for group pictures.  We also said goodbye to families that we didn't expect to see again.  We then spent the last hours at the hotel packing while fitting in lunch at an Arabian restaurant next to the hotel.  At 4:00 we checked out, and then around 4:45 we boarded a van for the trip to Hong Kong.  We expected it to take a little over three hours.  It took about 90 minutes just to get out of Guangzhou, and then when we got to Hong Kong we had to go through the Chinese checkpoint after unloading our luggage from the van and transferring it to another van licensed for Hong Kong.  Then we got into the new van and went through the Hong Kong checkpoint.  Meanwhile, Alexis was restless much of the trip - especially toward the end.  There were a number of screaming fits and lots of crying throughout the day despite our best efforts to help her.  We think the long day without any good naps, along with the continual change in environment was difficult for her today.  It was certainly difficult for us.

 

Now we're checked in at the airport hotel and we hope to take the train Thursday into downtown Hong Kong to do some sightseeing.  Please pray for us because it's difficult to judge whether Alexis' behavior is due to the circumstances here or just her normal personality.  Either way, the last two days have been tough and we're not particularly looking forward to the long flight on Thursday.

Flight info

For those who are interested in our return flight information, we have two legs to our trip home Friday the 17th.   We fly from Hong Kong to Detroit on Delta flight 26, arriving in Detroit at 12:15 pm.  Then we take Delta flight 1593 from Detroit to Indy arriving at 3:09 pm.  We can't wait to get home!

Another day in Guangzhou

Tuesday,  September 14

 

Summary:  A late morning swim with Alexis, a trip to the U.S. Consulate for the oath taking ceremony, dinner at McDonald's and a walk in the park made up our day.

 

Details: Alexis was in a weird mood today.  She had her best sleep of the week last night after yesterday's tiring activities.  We thought she would be in high spirits today after all the rest  - she did not get up once during the night.  However, she woke up on the wrong side of the crib and started the day in a crabby mood.  We decided to take her for a swim at the outdoor pool here and she seemed to enjoy it.  One of her pals Eliana had her first swim and the two splashed around together.  After the swim we gave her a bath, had a short rest, and then boarded a bus to the U.S. Consulate.  There we waited with about 40 other families to have our names called to a window where we showed our passports, received a few papers and signed a document.  After all the families finished, a consulate manager came out and spoke to us.  Then we all raised our right hands and said an oath that all the information we provided to the consulate was true.  We were told that all of our visa paperwork was approved and that our visas would be ready Wednesday.

 

We then were bused back to the hotel.  It was raining at this time so we spent a little time in the hotel room and then joined some travel group friends for a quick meal at McDonald's.  After dinner, we went for a nice walk at a nearby park.  Alexis fell asleep in the baby carrier toward the end of the walk.  We've noticed that there are very few birds, bugs and dogs in the cities we've visited.  I always expect to see lots of pigeons in big cities.  Not in China.

 

It's a little weird that tomorrow we will leave Guangzhou.  All the families are ready to get back to the U.S., but it's sad to leave all our new friends behind after going through such an emotional experience together.  Wednesday at 5:00 we'll join another couple and their baby for a van ride to Hong Kong.  It will be like going to another country in some ways because we have to pass through customs at the border and Hong Kong has a different currency than mainland China.  Thursday we'll sightsee in Hong Kong.  Then we'll be up early Friday for our 9:15 am flight to the U.S.

Consulate day and pictures of the children

Monday, September 13

 

Summary: Our guides took our paperwork to the U.S. consulate this morning, and there were no problems.  This afternoon we were bused to a shopping district where we and the other families ate lunch, did some shopping, ate dinner and took a taxi back to the hotel.  Tomorrow we go to the consulate in the afternoon for an oath taking ceremony, and then Wednesday we get Alexis' visa for travel to the U.S. and leave Guangzhou for Hong Kong in the evening.

 

Details: Alexis slept late this morning, so we may need to get her to bed earlier.  We had breakfast and then had to be back in our rooms at 10:00 to be ready for a phone call from our guides if any clarifications were needed.  The guides went to the U.S. consulate on our behalf and processed all of our immigration paperwork.  Fortunately, the consulate appointment went fine so now we just wait for the consulate to prepare Alexis' visa for travel to the U.S.  It should be ready by Wednesday afternoon, at which time we'll take a van to a hotel by the Hong Kong airport for two nights stay.  Thursday we'll do some sightseeing in Hong Kong and then we'll fly home Friday.

 

While Malcolm manned the hotel room during Alexis' late morning nap, Marilyn took a walk to the park with Janet, one of the family members here.  Marilyn really enjoyed the walk and will take Malcolm and Alexis back there to see the park.

 

At 1:00 pm our guides had a bus waiting to take us to an island in the middle of Guangzhou (surrounded by rivers).  On the island is a famous hotel called the "White Swan Hotel" where, unbeknownst to us, many adoption groups take pictures of all their adopted children together on a red sofa in the hotel.  We spent about 30 chaotic minutes propping the children on the sofa for various pictures.  We got a pictures with all the children, with the five Jiangxi children, and with Alexis' foster home friend Mya, among many others.  It was fun to see all the children at one time, ranging from babies to a 13 year old.  Alexis held up quite well through all the commotion, only going into tears once.

 

After the group photos we grabbed a quick lunch at Subway and then did some shopping for small items.  Marilyn negotiated hard and well after putting up with lots of overly attentive shopkeepers.  We joined some other group members for a rest in the hotel lobby and Alexis got a short nap, and then we had dinner at a local restaurant and took a taxi back to the hotel.  We thought Alexis was ready for bed but, as usual she proved us wrong and is still fighting sleep as this is typed.

Getting to know Guangzhou

Sunday, September 12

 

Summary: Morning trip to a folk art museum, then shopping for supplies, then back to hotel.  Afternoon walk in the park, then nap time for Alexis.  Dinner at one of the many hotel restaurant options, then another walk, then Alexis' nighttime routine of bath, feeding, wind down and bed.

 

Details: Guangzhou is quite a city.  Our guide tells us that it is one of the more modern cities in China.  We were able to see some of it today.  There are some beautiful parks near the hotel and we explored a little of one of them.  It had streams and ponds and lots of beautiful trees and foliage.  Whenever one of us puts on the Baby Bjorn carrier, Alexis gets all excited.  She no longer fusses when we put her in it.  We think she knows it means it's time for some adventure, and Alexis loves adventure.  We get lots of stares walking around Guangzhou, and most of the time it's hard to know what they mean.  Today three young ladies wanted their picture taken with Alexis, which was fun.

 

This morning we went to a local folk art museum which is housed in a fancy building built around 60 years ago by a wealthy family.  It was quite an amazing place, and the artwork was very impressive.  Some of the more interesting artwork on display included carved bone, carved ivory, ceramics, paper cut designs, and embroidery.  The grounds of the museum were quite beautiful.  After one hour there we bused to a nearby mall that had a grocery store on one level.  The mall was extremely fancy.  Not needing much, we bought a supply of bottled water for the week and then found a place to change Alexis' diaper and feed her.  Then at 1:00 we headed back to the hotel.

 

We had a snack lunch in our hotel room while Alexis amused herself with toys on the bed.  We got some playtime in with Alexis and took our first walk to the park.  Most of the time was spent finding our way to the park and finding the entrance - we were helped by a Chinese teenager who studies English in school.  After returning from the walk, Alexis was ready for her nap and she slept for about two hours, which gave us some time to read and rest.  Around 6:00 pm we joined a family in our travel group for dinner at a nice, reasonably priced restaurant associated with the hotel complex.  Malcolm very much enjoyed his meal,  but Marilyn wasn't so happy with hers (it was a little bland).

 

Marilyn had laryngitis today from her cold, which was a bummer and made conversation and interaction with Alexis difficult.  Fortunately, Marilyn's energy is returning and the worst may be behind her.  Please pray that her voice will return quickly.

 

Alexis has a lot of Marilyn's traits including curiosity and what appears to be a strong will.  She's becoming better at picking up objects, and is rolling over more and more.   She had a much better day today because she slept while we carried her around during the shopping trip this morning, and had a very good nap this afternoon.  After Malcolm fed her tonight she demanded Mommy for the winding down period before going to sleep.

 

Monday is the U.S. consulate appointment at 10:00 am.  Our guides will take our paperwork on our behalf.  Please pray that there are no issues with our paperwork!

Physical exam in Guangzhou

Saturday, September 11

 

Short version: Up early to do Alexis'  required medical exam.  Back to hotel for lunch, then paperwork in afternoon at hotel in preparation for Monday U.S. consulate appointment.  Dinner with travel group at hotel restaurant.  Alexis was very fussy this evening.

 

Long version: Breakfast Saturday morning was fun because we got to see the four families that went to different provinces to pick up their children.  Everyone is doing pretty well, although there are some attachment issues and sadness for the children.  Saturday started early with a 9:00 am bus ride to a medical facility for the physical examinations of our children.  This was the usual controlled chaos, where we had to wait for some paperwork and then go to three different rooms to have Alexis weighed and measured, get an ear/nose/throat check, and get a (very) brief physical exam.  Each of these took about 2 minutes but we were at the facility for about 2 and one half hours because all the families had to go through the same process and some children needed vaccinations.  There were lots of other adopting families at the same facility going through the same process.  There's a big adoption group from Spain at our hotel.

 

After the physical examination we took the bus back to the hotel, had something to eat, and the Malcolm went to our guide's hotel room with a representative from each family to do paperwork in preparation for Monday's U.S. consulate appointments.  We filled out all the required forms for the consulate and gathered the required documentation into a packet that was left with our guides.  They will take the paperwork to the consulate Monday morning on our behalf.  During the paperwork time, Marilyn and Alexis went to the nearby 7 Eleven to get some bottled water and Coke since we won't get to the grocery store until Sunday.

 

Our travel group met at 5:30 for a group dinner at a Japanese restaurant at the hotel.  We didn't have a chance to enjoy the meal because Alexis was really worked up and required constant attention (a preview of future dining out experiences?), partly due to the one nap (instead of two) she got today due to the medical exam.  She did have a moment of cute interactions with Eliana, a 10 month old from our group.

 

Alexis seems to prefer to be out doing things rather than sitting around in the hotel room.   She had moments of joy and laughter today, and also moments of screaming and crying.  It's an emotional roller coaster.

 

We continue to be amazed at the joy that Alexis has brought to our lives.  Despite the challenges, she's lot's of fun to be with and warms our hearts with her personality and cuteness.  We can't wait to get back to the States so that everyone can meet her.

Alexis' first flight

This is our update for Friday, September 10.  It's a little late because of our travel and exhaustion.

Short version: Packing and preparing to depart Nanchang in the morning, a short walk around town, and then off to the airport at 3:30.  Our flight was delayed, so we didn't get to Guangzhou until around 10:30 pm.  We arrived at the hotel late, checked in and went to sleep.

 

Long version: Alexis had her first flight on Friday.  It was quite an exciting day.  We received Alexis' Chinese passport in the morning, and busily packed everything for our afternoon flight.  Fortunately, the big dirty diaper change of the day took place 30 minutes before we left the hotel (great timing Alexis!).  We took a bus to the airport, checked all our luggage, and went to the departure gate.  As usual, our flight was delayed a few hours, but this actually worked out well for us because Alexis napped for an hour and a half on our laps while we read books and then ate a meal served at the gate by the airline due to the delay (rice, tofu, cabbage, chicken - pretty good!).  This put Alexis in a good mood for the one hour flight.  We were all exhausted from lugging our suitcases and carry-ons around the airport, and we were all learning how to do quick diaper changes and mix baby formula in inconvenient places such as airport gates and baggage claim.  Alexis did really well on the flight, and it was good preparation for our flight home as we now know what it's like to go through the process.  It's just hard to imagine a trip 14 times as long as this one when we fly to the U.S.

 

After arriving in Guangzhou, we gathered all our checked luggage, boarded a bus, and drove to the hotel to check in.  This is a fancy hotel that seems a little like a cruise ship on the inside.  We were all exhausted from the flight so we went straight to the room, put Alexis in the crib and went to sleep.

 

Marilyn has come down with a cold the last few days and she has been a real trooper.  Her voice is slowly disappearing.  Please pray for her health.

Last full day in Nanchang

Short version: Our guides took us to a porcelain shop and then to a small community on the outskirts of town so we could see what kind of conditions our children might have lived in with their foster parents.  Alexis had a long nap in the afternoon, and we enjoyed a walk with her on the streets of Nanchang after dinner.  Friday we have no agenda until 3:00 pm when we leave for the airport to fly to Guangzhou.

Long version: Today was fairly relaxed.  We got an early start with a 9:30 departure to a porcelain store near the hotel, which had many beautiful items.  The province here (where Alexis is from) is famous for its porcelain.  When it was exported many years ago overseas it became known as "China" - thus the name we use back in the U.S. for our Chinaware.  We picked up a tea set that we will give to Alexis some day as a memento from her home province.

We then drove to a part of town on the border of the city and the countryside.  The bus parked at the entrance to a small neighborhood that bordered agricultural fields, where the homeowners did their farming.  Some of the older homes there might be representative of the homes where our children were in foster care.  Of course, the landscape is totally different, as our children came from a mountanous region and not the outskirts of Nanchang.  But the living conditions may have been similar.  There were chickens running around on the streets, and people sitting in the doorways to their homes looking at us walk by.  We had a number of interactions with the residents and it was a very good experience.  We saw the different generations of a family all living together as is the norm here.

Alexis did some new things today.  She is starting to support her weight on her legs when we hold her up, and she's taking hold of toys more confidently.  She continues to charm us with her laughter and confuse us with her bedtime routine, as she seems to fight going to sleep at all costs.  She's extremely curious (just like Mom), and likes to keep moving and see interesting sights and sounds.  Alexis started letting Mom hold her hands, which for some reason she had been resistant to before.  She continues to babble a lot in her happy moments.  She weighed in at just under 16 pounds on the hotel scale.

Alexis' passport will be ready for our guides to pick up tomorrow morning.  We will spend the day packing and preparing for our travel later in the afternoon.  We need to be ready to for our bags to be picked up at 3:00 pm, and then we'll be off to the airport at 3:30 for a one hour flight to Guangzhou.  This will be a good test run of flying with Alexis before the long trip home next week.

Please pray for safe travel Friday and that we will be able to help Alexis cope with the cabin air pressure changes during the flight, as she doesn't like to use a pacifier.  Please continue to pray for wisdom as we learn how to understand Alexis' needs.

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