Welcome Home, KaiLi!

I will regret writing this tomorrow, since I am starting this at 3:27am CST, but the kids just went down and I am wide awake...   Our journey home.

First, I need to thank the Lord for delivering on my prayers for a short, no drama, much less ear pressure trip home!  God is good!

MeiLin was first up at 7:45am in Beijing.  I couldn't believe we slept that long!  I still had my cough that I was pretty sure would get me quarantined by immigration and still had pressure in my ears, but I did genuinely feel much better than the day before.  I was determined to tough out the day without Benadryl because I had to help Brandon get all of us and our belongings home.

We got dressed and headed to the breakfast buffet downstairs.  Not as much selection as the larger hotels, but enough American-ish food for us to get in a good meal!  I rested when we got back to the room while the girls played together (that is greatness!) and Brandon started packing up.  The record temperatures in Bejing (the low reached 1 degrees, nice!) and the blizzard hitting the East Coast dominated all of the English news stations.  We decided to do showers for the girls, since there wasn't a bathtub, and we knew it was going to be a long day.

This was the best picture I could get at breakfast!

In the elevator back to the room. Look, the ceiling is mirrored!

Playing in the room together.  MeiLin wanted to read The Three Little Pigs to KaiLi!

MeiLin wanted to hold KaiLi's water!

It was so nice to not have to rush. Before we knew it, it was time to head downstairs for lunch.  Because of the cold weather, we didn't want to bother leaving the hotel.  Their menu items were lacking but we found enough variety from dinner to make due.   Back up to the room, finished packing, and then we headed down for check-out.  We must have looked like my co-worker, Viki Tracey, on her Arctic expedition heading out of that hotel.  I only wanted eyeballs to be visible!  KaiLi didn't even get that as I was clutching her to my shoulder.  It had warmed up to a balmy 6 degrees at 2:00pm when we boarded the shuttle bus!  Luckily the van had been running, so it was warm inside.  It was a quick 10 minute drive.

Waiting for the shuttle bus, before getting bundled up!

We got dropped off in a parking garage; that was interesting.  He pointed to an elevator and it said Terminal D.  Well, neither the wait room for the elevator, the elevator, nor the entrance to the airport where heated.  That was unexpected, so I was glad we bundled up!  We took a series of escalators and went through a series of two doors to the check in area where it was finally heated, whew!   We walked around trying to find the American Airlines check-in, but there must have been 200 gates here with 45 different airlines.  Finally we found a board that alternated between Chinese and English where we found our ticket counter.  There must have been a hundred people waiting in that line, it was insane!  But thanks to my Aunt Wanna, we got to use the Priority check-in, which had no one in line!  They let us know that we could use a partner airline executive lounge as we waited, double awesome!  We wanted to reduce how much we brought on the plane with us, so we went ahead and put our hats, gloves and scarves into our checked luggage.

Next up, we took the monorail (is that what they are called?) over to Terminal D to wait for 2 hours before our flight.  Much to our surprise, when we stepped off of the monorail, a frigid, cold wind hit us in the face.  Yeah, this section of the airport isn't heated.  We were shocked!  Each time they were loading or unloading a plane in one of the 40 gates in this terminal, the 6 degree winds, blowing strong outside, would whip through the terminal.  (As I noted earlier, we had checked our cold weather gear...)  There were all kinds of people fully decked with hats, gloves and scarves while the rest of us just wished we were!  Finally Brandon had to get on to me for mentioning how cold it was too many times because it wasn't helping.  And he was right...

When we arrived at the lounge, we got some food to feed the kiddos.  KaiLi hadn't gotten her nap today, which I new was likely to be an issue, but she was too stimulated.  Sure enough she had a tantrum.  I couldn't calm her, so Brandon walked around and rocked her for about 20 minutes.  When she feel asleep, he was able to transition her into the stroller.  Brandon is my hero!  I was thankful she slept until 4:30 when we boarded the plane.  At about 4:15, Brandon took MeiLin to the restroom.  That was when we realized the bathrooms were heated.  If I had know that, I would have camped out in there the whole time!

We left to board the plane.  The terminal had nothing on the tarmac, it was literally 6 degrees in there, but the windchill had to be below zero, because it created a wind tunnel. Literally my hair was blowing backwards.  Awesome!  And much to our surprise, there IN THE TARMAC, they had a carry-on bag search station. Excuse me, what?  So we all had to stand in line, while 5 officers searched through each persons bag and opened all of the zippers.  We were frozen. Poor KaiLi was woken up by this onslaught and just wailed her head off.  Can you blame her?  Also, no liquids were allowed, so we had to pour out all of their sippy cups we had just filled...  Finally Brandon took the rest of the bags and told me to just go with the girls. We ran!  It broke out into two sections: Priority and general so I followed a few people ahead of me and went down the Priority tunnel.  I am sure you see this coming, but it was closed off. We all had to turn around, run back up, and go to the other tunnel. That was where we met back up with Brandon.  I told him to not ask, and we went down the other tunnel to then wait in line.

Finally, we were able to board the HEATED airplane!  The only downside to flying Business Class on the way back, though, is that we literally had the seats right by the boarding door...  So we got to enjoy the cold air until the doors were closed. But there was a wall that blocked the wind and it was much warmer than those tunnels!  Even the flight attendants at the doors had on hats, gloves, and scarves.  I didn't even realize one was a flight attendant for about 20 minutes she was so bundled up!

MeiLin all snuggled in her seat for warmth!

There is not much to write about the flight itself.  KaiLi quietly sat on my lap during take-off while we played games together.  They feed us dinner, we got the girls ready for bed, and a bottle for KaiLi.  KaiLi drifted right off to sleep.  MeiLin started a movie but then feel asleep.  I watched a movie and then fell asleep for 6 hours myself!  Brandon kept watching the girls and ended up getting no sleep during the flight...  They woke everyone up 1 1/2 hours before landing and we had breakfast.   We started the decent with me holding KaiLi.  I still had my horrendous cough, but felt much better.  When the pressure started to kick-in, Brandon had to take her.   I felt bad because she fussed (she wanted Mommy!).  Then the pressure ended up not being as bad as last time, but it still had me holding my breath...

This was the best picture of KaiLi I could get before takeoff; she was a wiggle worm!

Watching a movie with BaBa!

We landed around 5:30pm.  Dallas!  First we went through Immigration.  Since we had a Chinese citizen traveling in our party, we had to use the non-US line.  I swore to myself that under no circumstances would I cough while in Immigration, and luckily, I stuck to it!  We handed the officer our packet of all the vital information.  She walked us down to another officer station. They processed the documents and congratulated the newest United States Citizen, KaiLi!  Her certificate should arrive in the mail within 6 weeks!

Next, we were off to baggage claim. It took about 10 minutes for the belt to move, but our 2 bags were one of the first ones off!  We had to wait in the customs line and then we were through!  Much to our surprise my Dad and Aunt Linda were waiting for us in the airport.  They had made a poster board sign that said, Welcome Home, Waldeck's!  It was so cute and thoughtful. MeiLin loved it!  (So much so that it is now hanging in the girls room!).  They had brought gifts for the girls and some medicine for me!  KaiLi was being shy, but pretty sure she flashed some smiles!

Aunt Linda and Dad at the airport with their sign!

Here we came!  MeiLin was like, "Look, it's PaPa!"

The whole family!  (Not sure why the girls aren't smiling!)

We were exhausted, they walked us outside where Rogge was waiting to pick us up.  KaiLi was NOT a fan of the car seat, as we expected.  She didn't want to play with the new toys from my Dad and Aunt Linda but that Benadryl box was pretty fascinating. Hey, whatever it takes!  So we made the 20 minute drive home.  

Welcome home, KaiLi!

We pulled into the drive way and got the girls out of the car.  KaiLi was basically terrified of the dogs, as we expected, so we locked them in the mud room.  The bags were hauled in, and then I glanced at the clock - 6:45pm CST.  Only 18 hours and 45 minutes from hotel to home, that was amazing!  Totally worth the overnight stay in Bejing!  Our family and our journey were now complete.

That evening - The girls playing with toys in the play area!

KaiLi was so excited she was a blur...

The next morning - The girls coloring!

We went on a walk and MeiLin wanted to ride her bike. KaiLi sure wants one to ride!

And this one pretty much sums it up...  (with a Fantastic photo bomb, Ha!)  I pray that these two sisters have fun growing up together and become lifelong friends. 

The end.

First Leg Home! (Fri 1/22)

I'm not gonna lie; today was ROUGH!  I was feeling a lot better yesterday.  But it hit again at about 7:00pm last night.  My nose was draining like a faucet and I have incredible pressure behind my cheeks wrapping back to my ears.  At 8:00, I had to take 2 Benadryl and then it was lights out for me at 9:00.  Thankfully I slept through the night until 5am, when I bolted out of bed for a Kleenex.  It was a tough go for the next hour but then at 6, I needed to shower and get dressed anyways.  Even though I knew I would be groggy, I was miserable and had to take another Benadryl at 7.  I have never had a sinus infection before but am worried that I am working on my first one...

We all got dressed, finished packing, and then headed down to breakfast.  After brushing teeth and a final check of the room, we were out the door with Jack at 9:00am to start the 1st leg of our journey home.  Rocky had called Jack this morning to let him know that he was sick.  So he was sending another guide to pick us up at the airport.  MeiLin was really bummed!

I had KaiLi on my lap at first, she was such a wiggly worm, I couldn't take it.  So she transitioned to BaBa's lap.  Then of course MeiLin climbed in my lap...  But it actually made the ride warmer.  On the way to pick us up, the front passenger window broke and was stuck on the down position, so it was a chilly drive!

Once we got to the airport, Jack helped us to check our luggage and then we bid him adieu.  This airport security was just as thorough as the last where they wand everyone and do a full pat down even after going through the scanners.  It takes a really long time. There must have been 40 lines in use, it was a sea of people, but this one seemed surprisingly organized!  We then walked to the very last terminal in the back of the airport.  We weren't in a rush, and I was letting KaiLi walk to wear her out!  We found a place to settle in.  I was just trying to avoid falling asleep while sitting there.  Brandon was a champ, he basically had to take care of the girls by himself.  I wasn't much use.

Patiently waiting to check our bags!

MeiLin found a s'mores snack in the store  (how cool is that!) and I feed KaiLi some of the snacks we had brought. When they were done, Brandon took the girls walking around.  KaiLi loved that!  Then MeiLin had to go potty so Brandon took her.  Well, KaiLi didn't want to sit there while they went to the restroom, so she literally darted off.  I just had to leave our stuff and run after her.  Well, as you can imagine, she did not like this one bit.  So then she erupted into a major fit.  I tried everything I could think of, but nothing was working.  After 15 minutes, I was waiting for the cops to ask me if I was kidnapping her!  (15 minutes is a long time when people are staring!)  I tried to give them the 'I am sorry but I am trying here' look as best I could.   Finally an Asian woman came out of nowhere. She asked, "Is she Asian?"  I said yes then she asked, "May I?"  And I am like yes, please!  So she scooped her up.  KaiLi was still thrashing like she does with me, but the lady kept talking in her ear.  Then after like only a minute, she calmed down.  Man, there are so many baby whisperers over here!  We had one come to our rescue with MeiLin three years ago, as well!  She gave us a whole box of what is labeled "egg rolls" to feed her.  And man, that is all KaiLi asks for. They are great except for the fact that they produce crumbs that defy logic.  KaiLi liked this lady so much that she wouldn't leave her side.  She actually boarded the plane with this lady (she was on the same flight).  Man, I wish I could speak Chinese to soothe her in her native tongue. Sigh.

MeiLin eating her s'mores snack!

KaiLi being cute before throwing a fit...

It took us about an hour to takeoff once we boarded the flight.  They announced that three people had checked into the flight and had checked luggage but hadn't showed up for the flight.  As a safety precaution, they had to unload all of the checked bags, find the ones for those 3 people, and then put all of the bags back on.  Awesome.  Well, at least we weren't waiting on a connecting flight.  That could have been disastrous!

Brandon was basically a single father during the flight.  This was a large plane with 2 seats on each of the sides and then 4 seats in the middle.  We had the 4 middle seats.  And this was a HUGE plane. We're were in row 67 and there were plenty of rows still to the back of the plane.  So large that there were two walkways to board on the front and back of the plane!  We sat as follows: me, MeiLin, Brandon, then KaiLi.  Brandon said he lucked out.  Two ladies and a man across the isle ended up playing with KaiLi almost the whole flight!  (I think it is those big eyes, she looks like an adorable baby doll!)  I had to pop another Benadryl around 11, so I was still quite useless.  After lunch, Brandon could tell that KaiLi was trying to lay down (nap time!), so he inched over to give her room and she fell fast asleep.  She slept for a full 11/2 hours until we parked at the airport!

I was really worried about pressure in my ears because of all the sinus pressure.  I was golden during takeoff, yeah!  (Though I was still a walking zombie because of the medicine.)  Well, about 45 minutes until the flight landed, it hit me.  The decent.  I was expecting my ears to explode out of my head.  That is excruciating pain!  I tried sucking down a drink, chewing gum, I finally just held my fingers to my ear and pushed my little ear flaps into my ear to try and hold my head together.  (That was a terrible description; I am body part challenged.)  I just kept praying for God to take away the pain, but then also thanked him that it is me and not one of the girls this time!  (MeiLin had this when we picked her up and I felt totally helpless.)  Thankfully it subsided but that was a really long 25-30 minutes. OMG!

When we were to get off of the plane, we couldn't find MeiLin's phone anywhere (my old phone).  Brandon just wanted to leave, but he was sure he saw it on the flight and I wasn't willing to leave until we found it.  It turns out Brandon had put it in a weird pocket of his backpack and we had it after all.  So there weren't many people left on the plane when we got off.  This was not what I was expecting in the capital city of China at an Internarional airport.  We got dumped on the tarmac again!  We were not expecting this; all of our hats, scarves, and gloves were packed on top of one of our checked bags for after baggage claim.  So not only is it 10 degrees but the bus had left!  Unlike last time when they made us cram into one bus, this plane was too big for everyone to pack into just one.  The girls had their heavy coats on, but only one layer of pants.  Parents of the year!  It was only a few minutes until the next bus arrived, but that was some cold wind!

We drove for like 20 minutes to get to the baggage claim.  On the bus, we talked to a couple from Portland, Oregan.  They were in China for vacation (yeah, I am not vacationing in the dead of winter to this place, but that is me!)  Apparently the husband loves cold weather.  His wife was heading back home in a few days and he was going on to Norway!

When we arrived, we walked into baggage claim.  On the way in, I noticed that all of the water on the ground was frozen solid; even in places where it looked like just a little something had spilled.  It was crazy!  Baggage claim took forever but everyone else on the flight was in the same boat.  Finally at 4:30 we had our bags and were headed to the terminal.  Our new guide had a sign with our names on it.  He informed us that we were walking 50 meters to the bus.  I wasn't sure how far that was, but didn't want to take any chances.  The girls looked like Ralphy's little brother on A Christmas Story, they were all bundled up.  Good thing because 50 meters was a bit of a haul.  When we got there, we had to wait for the driver to pull the van around. So cold!  Brandon got some eye candy though, as a white Aston Martin drove by in front of the bus.  His license plate said VIP.

We loaded up on the van and headed to the hotel.  They advertised that they were right by the airport, and that is very accurate.  It is right across the street from the entrance; it is very nice and new!  We got room 1001 and Brandon was excited to see the view from the 10th floor.  Nope, we are literally the first room on the first floor, Ha!  Oh well, it is convenient!  

The view from the hotel.  The wall at the bottom is the airport and you can see the plane taking off!

The girls were starving so we literally dropped off our bags and headed to the restaurant.  Brandon and I got our food pretty quickly, but the girls' fried rice took like 25 minutes.  I am worried I might have something they can catch, so I didn't want them eating after me.  And Brandon ordered spicy food.  So we both just let our food sit there until it arrived.  There was a lot of whining, mainly from MeiLin...

The girls jumped in the chair together and played peek a boo with the blanket.  Look at that static hair!

Brandon found a Chinese newspaper in English at the front desk.  As I was waiting for VPN to connect, I took a quick look at it.  They are expecting the lowest tempatures in 30 years here in Beiling tomorrow morning.  Pretty sure we are just hanging out in the hotel until our flight tomorrow.  I don't want to brave that with the girls!

Brrr...cold!

MeiLin wanted to give KaiLi her bottle.  She soon lost interest and made KaiLi hold it herself. Ha!

The girls found a super secret hideout!

On our last day in Guangzhou, one of the Albright girls, Leila, had started writing a book.  It was about Ponies who go on an adventure.  She had drawn a map that went with it showing where you could and couldn't go, the various regions, dangerous areas, etc.  Well, after we put KaiLi down for bed, MeiLin wanted to show me her drawing.  She had made a map, too.  There where elevators, places with falling spiders, so cute!  I didn't even realize MeiLin was paying attention when Leila showed it to me!

Well, I am about to pop 2 more Benadryl and call it a night.  Prayers that these sinuses clear up before the flight tomorrow so I can help with the girls on a 14 1/2 hour flight!

Random facts that I learned about China:

Buying real estate.  You can own property but you also have to sign a lease for 70 years.  In China, you pay 3% property taxes when buying a property.  But then they don't pay property taxes again for 70 years until the lease needs to be renewed.

Buying cars.  There is a 150% - 200% luxury tax on imported luxury cars.  Wowzers!  So say an Audi for $50k in the US would cost around $75k-$100k in China.  Talk about a wide chasm between the classes here in China!  When I asked how that works for pre-owned vehicles, he said there really isn't a market for pre-owned cars. Interesting!

Education.  Jacks daughter is 15 and she is in the 9th grade.  Starting last year, he sent her to a boarding school in Canada.  (I can't imagine!). He said that it is healthier there (no smog), she will get a better education, and it is less stressful.  Here in China there is a test that everyone takes in Jr High.  This determines whether your schooling stops or if you are accepted into High School.  Then in High School, there is another test that determines whether your schooling stops or if you go to college.  No exceptions and no do overs. He said the stress and pressure to do well is overwhelming and becoming a major issue in China.

My next blog will be from the comfort of our home after our marathon trip.  It will likely take me a few days to write it out.  I am praying that it is short and uneventful with no mention of pressure in my ears!

MeiLin's Gotcha Day! (Thurs 1/21)

Today is MeiLin's special day; her 3rd Gotcha Day!  I tried making a big deal about it all day so MeiLin would feel very special.  She has been struggling being a big sister the last few days.  It is tough to always have to share toys, especially when anything that MeiLin touches turns to gold.  And MeiLin tries to be a little too helpful.  Instead of just bringing over the wipes and trash bags during diaper changing time, she has started trying to get them out.  Then she ends up pulling them all out and/or unraveling the full package.  Also, she isn't quite big enough to push KaiLi's stroller on her own.  Especially not on these busy sidewalks near busy roads.  It has been tough on her.  So today I am on a campaign to make the day all about her!  She is so sweet. When went to the store so she could pick out some thing to buy for herself, she kept trying to get stuff for Sissy, too!  I am like, "No honey, this is YOUR special day!"  

Today was our only day to truly sleep in.  Brandon got up first at 7:30.  I couldn't believe that the kids stayed asleep too!   We headed up to breakfast at 8:30.  Ugh - I have been eating way too much for breakfast.  Since it is included, we have been loading up and having smaller lunches and dinners.  It will be a shock to my system to go back to only eating two eggs when I get home!

KaiLi's favorite breakfast food is the yogurt!

When we got back to our room, Courtney came down.  They have been receiving emails all morning on their flight.  They have a connecting flight home to Houston, Texas tomorrow through Newark, New Jersey.  Well, bad weather is expected to come through tomorrow.  Their flight has already been delayed twice.  They used airline miles from a friend to book their flights.  She tried to see if she could change their flight online, but couldn't get the website to work.  So she has been using WeChat with her friends in the US while they have been on the phone with the airline.  Hopefully they can connect through a different location to at least get back to the US tomorrow.  I am saying a little prayer for them!  Us?  Well, we have an extra day in China to make our miles work with Business Class.  So we are headed up to Beijing tomorrow and then our flight back to the US leaves at like 5:00pm the following evening.  So we get another full day in Beijing.  With a Noon checkout, though, I am predicting a LOT of waiting around.  Let's see if we can find ways to entertain these kiddos in a city with a high of only 12!

To kill time this morning, we walked with the Albright's over to the Aeon shopping center.  Courtney stayed in the room to work on the flight arrangements and Nora didn't want to leave Mommy, so she stayed as well.  We needed to get a few supplies before the long road home and their little girls had some extra spending money that they wanted to use.  Brandon finally located the trash bags.  (We have only had KaiLin 11 days and have already gone through 2 rolls of scented trash bags!  They were only used on poopy diapers.  We couldn't find scented ones here, but beggars can't be choosers.)  We picked up some more snacks and Pepsi's for me, as well. 

Walking to Aeon.  It's hard to see, but I found a sign for Amber Education (for my sister, Amber!)

Then we headed up to the 3rd floor to see if we could find something for the girls.  Macy found some Frozen masks, Leila purchased a journal, and MeiLin got a sticker book.  We headed back to the hotel at Noon.  I took all of the girls up to the rooms while the guys went to McDonalds to pick up a light lunch.  KaiLi fell asleep in the elevator - sigh.  I let her sleep until Brandon returned with the food.  

The girls found the Lego section!

This was the nicest baby changing room EVER!  They had healthy height/weight charts on the walls.  Scales to weigh your baby and a place to lie your baby down to measure their height, 3 places to change babies, a nursing room, a sink with soap and paper towels, and a place to sit.  There were even Western toilets.  I was super impressed.  (Lots of places don't have soap.  Beth said it has to do with some people being scared of it?  And lots of places don't have paper towels or hand dryers, so I had gotten used to drying my hands on my jeans...)

We found the 'Healthy Study' area to buy desks and chairs with tips and guidelines on the walls.

I let KaiLi loose and she found a Chinese New Year decoration that she carried around.

This shopping center is 5 stories, wow!

I broke my cardinal rule and we paid for it dearly.  I should have stopped to let KaiLi have a snack, but we had had a late breakfast and there wasn't really a convenient time/place to stop.  I woke her up to eat, and she went into a full blown tantrum and wouldn't even calm down to eat.  UGH - I know better; totally my fault. Boo!  She rolled around on the floor and finally ended up at her toys.  That distracted her and she finally stopped screaming and crying.  After a few minutes she came to the table, and then we were able to feed her.  

We thought MeiLin held the Guiness World Record for the slowest eating, but it appears KaiLi is now the reigning champ.  She takes the most impossibly small bites and then plays with it in her mouth before chewing and swallowing.  OMG - this makes meal times take forever.  And for lunch, we were already finished since she was having her tantrum so it was an hour plus event.

After lunch, we put KaiLi down for a nap while Brandon took MeiLin to 7-Eleven for ice cream on her Special Day.  Poor KaiLi is all out of whack.  She was still whining when they got back.  It is 2:00 and she still isn't asleep yet.  If we can't get her to go down, then one of us will need to stay with her tonight while the rest go out for our last dinner in Guangzhou with Jack.  I won't want to wish that tantrum on anyone...

Luckily, KaiLi finally fell asleep and we let her sleep until 3:30.  While she was sleeping, we went ahead and gave MeiLin a bath.  Abbe Maron private messaged me yesterday that their kiddo (from the same orphanage as KaiLi) that they adopted two weeks ago tested positive for an intestinal parasite even though he didn't have any symptoms.  The parasite can be passed by bathing together.  Awesome, that is what we have been doing this whole trip!  So I asked Brandon to take the precaution and not bathe them together again until we have confirmed.  (He is annoyed, but I feel it is prudent!)   Randomly, Abbe Maron was one week ahead of us when we adopted MeiLin three years ago from Shanghai and they adopted Jack.  For this trip, they were two weeks ahead of us adopting Connor from yet again the same orphanage.  Isn't that uncanny?!?!

When KaiLi woke up, it was her turn for a bath.  I took MeiLin down to the Albright room since she was getting bored.  Luckily they were able to switch their flight to a connection out of San Fransico to avoid the potential weather delays.  The downside is that only 2 of the 5 seats they need are together, the others are singles.  Pretty sure that when they offer people to either switch seats or baby sit a 6 or 7 year old on a 12 hour flight that they will get some takers.  Though this flight leaves a bit later, the layover is shorter so they get home sooner. Score!

At 4:30, we all headed downstairs to meet up with Jack.  He had what we had been waiting for...passports with US Visas for the girls!  Too bad we have to stay an extra day in China!  The guys ran the documents up to the safes in our rooms and then we headed out to dinner.  It was the same Cantonese restaurant that Jack took us to three years ago, and it was still just as yummy.  Especially KaiLi, she ate and ate and ate!  After the rough afternoon, we thought KaiLi might be down and out.  She surprised us by being in the best mood yet!  She laughed and laughed, it was great!  Courtney joked that as KaiLi has less and less tantrums that Nora was having more and more.  Hopefully that passes quickly!

Jack took a picture of the girls while the guys ran documents upstairs!

A super small elevator!

Our reflection in the elevator; not sure why there are hieroglyphics etched in them! 

We headed back to the hotel to pack. The Albright's did a last hurrah at the castle, but they had been packing all afternoon. The Waldecks had yet to pack a thing.  The girls played together (so adorable) while we packed around them. I am trying to do two different piles. The 'I don't need to see this until Dallas' pile and the 'I need this in Beijing' pile.  After Brandon gave KaiLi her bottle, she went down super easy.  He said she pointed to her crib, he put her in, walked out, and not a peep!  Much different from nap time today!

MeiLin would race to push all of the buttons during the trip and she could JUST reach them!

One last picture of the girls after dinner before heading into the room.  See how happy KaiLi is?!?!

Brandon finished packing what we could tonight while I worked on the blog.  I still need to shower in the morning and we all need to get ready before heading out.  Praying for safe travels for the first leg our our long journey home into the Arctic tundra!

US Consulate (Wed 1/20)

Some how, MeiLin made it into our bed last night.  I was surprised she was there when I woke up to take a shower.  Then when Brandon got up, he asked when she came to bed!  Good thing KaiLi Has been sleeping through the night again.  She still stirs and whines but I wait for just a bit and she is back out.  We headed down to breakfast around 8:15 and the Albrights were already down there.  KaiLi had a rough breakfast. She barely ate, dumped her cereal on the ground, and managed to get scrambled eggs smeared everywhere. But nothing that a wet wipe wouldn't fix!  

BaBa feeding KaiLi her bottle

I woke up not feeling very well. My throat was sore yesterday and now today due to drainage but this morning I woke with added sinus pressure around my ears.  One of the Albright girls, Macy, seemed to have the same issue as me.  Jack had suggested that only one parent and the child go to the US Consulate appointment today.  That it was really crowded and a lot of boring waiting around.  Brandon REALLY wanted to go to the consulate, so he decided to go with KaiLi on his own. (When we went three years ago, it was in a temporary office building.). James wasn't brave enough to go it alone with Nora yet, so Courtney went.  No large bags allowed, so Brandon had to pack a gallon size clear zip lock with a diaper, wet wipes, his passport, snacks, and her water bottle.

They headed to the US Consulate at 9:00 with Jack.  I laid down for a bit and then met up with the Albright's and headed to the castle playroom.  Right when we got there, MeiLin got hurt.  Pretty sure MeiLin pushed a girl and then got shoved back, but you never really know.). She kept crying and crying, though.  Finally she let me lift her shirt.  There wasn't deep bruising as I expected, just some skin taken off the top.  I think she was embarrassed and her feelings were hurt more than anything.  And Macy wasn't feeling her best either, so we headed back to the rooms around 11:15.  I lied down, again, and didn't even wake up when Brandon got back!  Oops!

Brandon said the new consulate was really nice.  He described it to be more like what I was expecting last time.  A stand alone building with four inch thick glass there was a wall all around it and a moat.  But like last time, it was manned by Chinese guards and not Americans.  That is still surprising to me!  He said it wasn't too crowded but that there was a lot of waiting around.  Some older girls apparently took a liking to KaiLi and played big sisters while he was there.  Brandon said He and KaiLi had a great time!

Then our families decided to brave the rain to get out of the hotel and head back to The Italian Restaurant.  Brandon and I both decided to try the fajitas (in China at an Italian restaurant - Ha!) and we got quesadillas for the girls to share.  We were pleasantly surprised, the fajitas were great!  They were marinated in a different type of sauce but they were really tasty.  The cheese and chicken quesadillas weren't what we were expecting.  James described it as 70% onion, 10% chicken, 10% cheese, and 10% bean, corn, and something green.  But still they tasted good!  MeiLin and KaiLi ate it but the Albright girls didn't want to try them.  It had stopped raining by the time we headed back to the hotel.  

Lunch at The Italian Restaurant 

We put KaiLi down for a nap while Brandon and I tried to join in.  But true to form, MeiLin was so noisy that we didn't really get much sleep. I just wanted to stay in for the rest of the day. So we had the Austrailian  Open up on the tv and played games and toys with the girls.  MeiLins favorite games today were Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot (not sure why she added shoot to the name...), patty cake, tic tac toe, and Pick the Number (a riveting game MeiLin made up on her own.)   Brandon met up with James and they walked over to Subway to grab us dinner for the evening.  KaiLi seems to really like that place!

Eating snacks

KaiLi putting her baby dolls to sleep (I think!)

KaiLi and MeiLin being silly

More silliness

KaiLi loves wearing the toy rings as bracelets!

Tomorrow is our last full day in Guangzhou!  At lunch we were all talking about how we are ready to get back home and into our routines!  Since we laid pretty low today, I don't have as many photos.  So instead, I will share some of the pics that I couldn't get to pull through from yesterday!  (Though they still haven't all pulled through, frustrating!)

Shaun, Jonas, MeiLin, KaiLi, Brandon, Silas, Beth, and Zachary at Pizza Hut

In our room prepping for the blessing: Beth, KaiLi, Silas, Zachary, and Shaun

And a preview of the forecast while we are in Beijing on Saturday, BURR!

A high of only 12; yikes!  At least it is sunny...

A Special Blessing (Tues 1/19)

I slept in a bit today, until 7:00am!  Brandon got the girls ready while I was getting my face washed and make-up on.  KaiLi even laid in Brandon's lap for her bottle without me in the room and without crying!

It was such a blessing that the Daughtery family stayed at our same hotel last night!  Shaun is one of the former Pastors from our church, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, who baptized MeiLin.  She was one of his last baptisms at the church as he had accepted the calling to becoming the first Lutheran Pastor within China.  His church is located in Shenzhen, China near Hong Kong (just a one hour trip from Guangzhou).  He and his family have been in China for the last 2 1/2 years.  Beth couldn't figure out why she was so tired during the move and when first adjusting to life in China. Well, it was because she was pregnant!  They have three precious boys: Jonas, Silas, and Zachary. 

Within our schedule, we had a free day today and luckily the Daughtery's were available to come visit with us!  Conveniently, Shaun needed to renew his passport, so he scheduled an appointment at the US Consulate this morning.  We meet up at 8:00am for breakfast at the hotel. Shaun had to hurry and leave for his appointment.  The rest of us joined with the Albright family and headed to the 13th floor castle playroom to let the kids burn off some energy.  It was so wonderful to catch up with Beth on their life here in China.  It warmed my heart to hear her say that China feels like home!  The boys really seemed to be doing well and are loving school; Jonas is fully fluent in Mandarin!  Their new apartment is farther away from the metro, so they use bicycles as their main mode of transportation, such a different way of life!  While we were sitting there, Beth got a text announcing that her sister was having a baby boy; her first child.  Such an exciting time, and I Loved being there to share in the excitement. Apparently the family really likes boys!  Poor Zachary wasn't feeling well this day. The poor little guy had a rough morning, too. He fell and hit his head, had his fingers slammed in a door, and then the stroller fell back with him in it.  I hope he gets to feeling better soon!

View from our room

Heading downstairs to meet the Daughtery's for breakfast!

Waiting for everyone to arrive!

Playing at the castle!  Jonas (bottom left), Silas (in the tower), MeiLin, and other kiddos who came to play!

Once Shaun was back, we all walked over to Aeon to the indoor playscape. (Which was convenient since the rain started again!)  This was a huge shopping center.  It felt like Walmart on the bottom floor and then like a Macy's on the top 3 floors. The play area was tucked into the back of the kids clothing area on the 3rd floor.  This place was amazing!  Tons of activities for kids of all ages - ball pit, swings, carousel, slides, bounce pits, building blocks, walking cars, you name it!  Even an indoor sandpit, which we were steering the kids from for fear of sand in all of the suitcases!  We stayed there until Noon when the kiddos were starting to get hungry.  As I expected, KaiLi had a tantrum and did NOT want to leave.  Being hungry mixed with over stimulation and being tired all rolled into one.  I tried to offer a snack, but at this point it was too late.

At the Aeon playscape!  Lots of people in this one. Back row is Courtney and Nora.  Going down (and up) the slide from left to right are Leila, Jonas, and Macy.  Then KaiLi and MeiLin are in the foreground!

KaiLi playing with building blocks

MeiLin joined in the fun, showing KaiLi how to put them together!

KaiLi on the mini carousel

MeiLin on the swinging balls!

All of us walked through the rain (it was a light rain) to Pizza Hut.  That helped to calm down KaiLi as she liked watching the rain drops fall on her legs and shoes. She dozed off to sleep by the time we arrived.  We got the tables setup and I had her snack ready to go before I woke her up, sweet girl!  She was in a much better mood after that.  Shaun helped us to order our pizzas by speaking Chinese, which was super helpful!  We should have had the girls share the pizza slices.  MeiLin ate just the toppings and KaiLi ate just the bread - ha!  The pizza was really yummy!  Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel.  Thankfully it had stopped raining!  

We were so fortunate that Pastor Shaun was able to give KaiLi a special blessing in our hotel room.  "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."  Matthew 8:20.  They said to tell everyone, "Hello!"  I hate that we didn't get to spend more time together, but they needed to get back home.

We put down KaiLi for her nap.  Though MeiLin announced that she was going to nap and even changed into her pj's, she didn't sleep a wink.  Mommy and BaBa tried to get in as much rest as we could.  KaiLi did NOT want to wake up today!  She just kept grunting at me with her eyes closed, so we let her sleep another 30 minutes.  Once we finally got her up, we let the girls take a nice long bath together. They had a great time!  Mommy's throat has started hurting so I took the opportunity to get in some R&R.  My book from the 13th floor library is getting really good!

We laid low for the rest of the afternoon  and just had the girls stay in their pj's. Unlike MeiLin, KaiLi is really grumpy and whiny when she gets tired.  Going out to dinner is difficult since she tends to meltdown when she gets tired...

The Austrailian Open started today, which we had on in the background.  On Facebook, a 'memory' just popped up that 3 years ago today we arrived in Shanghai, China to adopt MeiLin!  I remember watching the Australian Open three years ago when Li Na (from China) was in the finals.  Apparently tennis is popular here.  In on of the high rise penthouse suites that we can see from our room, we could see the Australian Open on their HUGE tv screen.  It must have been from floor to ceiling!  It was so large that blocks away we could see what they were watching!

Tomorrow we get to visit where Shaun was this morning, the US Consulate, to apply for KaiLi's Visa!

(A lot of our pictures are not getting shared from our phones to the iPad the last few days.  We have lots more pictures with the Daughtery's. Boo!)