Adjustments and UAB IAC!!!!!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Well, I know it has been a month since we got home and boy how does time pass by so fast!!!!!

First things first...We want to thank the Lord above for watching over us in China and for providing us with a blessing beyond all blessings!!!!! Ella Grace!!!! We could not have done this adoption without Him. He provided for us and made every blessing at the right time for us during the whole process. Also thanks to all who prayed, blessed and listened to us during this process. BTW--if there is anyone who want to know more adout the adoption process please let me know--email or comment and I will get it!!!!

Since we got home we have unpacked, washed, dryed, ironed some of the clothes(my mom came over one day and ironed the rest of the clothes for me and listened for EG--so I could rest some also), and as of today I am now just putting up the last of the stuff we brought back and took with us. I now realize that with a child boy time passes by so fast!!!!!!

We are still working on adjusting with us and EG!!! She has had some sleep issues and we are still working on these. She has a habit of waking at 2:45 or 3:45AM....yes that is really early and she is up for the day!!!! So we are trying some things they told us to try at the IAC. As of the last 2 nights it has worked WONDERFULLY!!! We all have slept 8 hours the last 2 nights. That is a BLESSING!!!!

We have been to church our first time, we have seen Reese(my niece-Erin's dog), we have learned the meaning of no, she has watched TLC and HGTV , meet lots of family and friends who have been waiting on here also, and she has learned that walking in my shoes is more fun than walking in her shoes!!! (See picture in the brown polka dotted pants) Also as you see in the pictures she has taken over the house with her toys--an yes I let her for all those who know me---that is an adjustment! lol I figure I will pick them up at nap time and then when she goes to bed otherwise it doesn't really matter that they are all over the house. It is kind of nice that they are!!!

We did go to the UAB IAC this week and she is growing and they gave us a few pointers on things to work with. Over all it was a good visit, but we had to have blood work done and EG was not happy about that. But I got to be the one that after it was all over to rescue her from those mean people!!!LOL

Well, that is all for right now and thanks to all you kept up with us during our trip & even now!

Home At Last!!!

Waiting for Ella Grace
Here They Come!!!
Hugs and Tears!
Tired Daddy
Happy Mommy

Precious Baby!

Last Post from China!

HEY!!!!! Today is Saturday Feb 13 and it is cold, cold, cold here. Temp is 50's and the wind is blowing. But you know what we do not care because in approx 2 hrs we will be on a train to Hong Kong!!!!! We are kind of sad in a sense because we are leaving EG birthplace and her previous life. But she has so much in store for her when we get home-it will be more than she could ever have had. We had our last breakfast buffet and we went out and feed the fish this morning. I kind of think EG knows we are doing something but she is not sure about what is going on. So we are packed and ready for them to come pick up our luggage in 2 hours. So this is the last post from GZ!!! Thanks again for the prayers, reading our blog, help from our parents and all the well wishes we have received before and during this trip.

Love to everyone and we do MISS you all!!!!!

Burbank's

PS--EG when I was packing this morning went over and sat her sippy cup on the luggage--so I think she is ready to leave also!!!!!

Chen Family Temple and Packing Up!!

Today is Friday, FEB 12!!!!! That means tomorrow we start our journey HOME!!!! As much as we have enjoyed this trip we are ready to be home and see if we can get ourselves on some type of schedule. The weather today is drastically different than yesterday. Today is kind of overcast, but the temp is maybe 50-55 and the wind is blowing. This morning we had to be in the lobby at 10:00 to go to the chen family temple/school. So we had an extra 30 minutes this morning and we used it getting things ready to come home. EG was up at 4:30 this morning and she was awake for the day!!! Except for the power nap she took at the time we were going to leave for breakfast.lol So I stayed in the room with her and Chris went to eat. The temple was very interesting and large. Rebecca said that when you get a dinner table full of people to eat at least one of those people will have some sort of tie to the chen family name. The temple was built from 1890-1894 and due to financial reasons they had to sell the temple to the government in 1957. There were 72 families that were involved in the temple clan. It was really pretty and lots of color even on the outside. The area on the outside looked like small dragons on the corners of the temple on the outside, but Rebecca said it was the dragons son. Because the dragon holds a lot of power and the chen family held a lot of power, but they were not the ruling power in China. So they put the dragon's son to represent them not the dragon, which is the top of power. The front door and the large step over at the front of the temple was to ward off the evil spirits. They had several areas in the temple. There was an area showing how to make bamboo style type hand fans, an area for the heritage of the family, area for ivory carvings, area for other styles of carvings like jade or wood, embroidery(sp?) area and of course a small gift shop.

One of the things we saw in the wood carvings was a piece that stood taller than me and very large around. It was one piece of wood and they had carved lobsters and crab and 2 large fishing style baskets one on the top and one on the bottom of the piece. But what was amazing was it was carved on the inside as well as the outside and the piece of wood was still one piece. Then in the ivory area we saw 2 pieces that were smaller than a pinky fingernail that someone has etched on. The first held over a complete poem and the other held over 100 chinese characters engraved on it. Most of the temple area was open to the weather elements. So we had to have EG's jacket on her and her little hands were still cold!!! We were cold also(Yes I was cold too!). We left there and headed back to the hotel at 12:00pm. Oh by the way we bought the coolest cup that the symbols on the outside mean double happiness and when you pour hot water on it the whole glass changes to different images from the temple. I thought it was so cool!!

Once we got back to the hotel we headed to give Rebecca and Lily their gifts before we leave tomorrow. We hope that they like them!!!! Then we surprised ourselves and had Rebecca and Lily write down 2 places we wanted to go in Chinese. Then we got a taxi and gave them the piece of paper and they took us there. We went to LiWan Center and Shamien Island. We did make it there and back with no problems. But it was kind of odd, because we did not speak any Chinese and we are trusting them to take us where it was on the paper. At Shamien Island---it was kind of spooky because over half the shops are already closed for the Chinese New Year and the families are headed home. So an area that was hopping a week ago looked like a ghost town. We met with another couple from Idaho and we had lunch at Lucy's one more time before we leave. Then we went to LiWan center and it was the same. But the shops Chris and I wanted to see were still open(except for Michael's), so we were lucky.

Then we headed back to the hotel and we all laid down and rested. So now yes--we are getting a few things ready to come home and we will finish in the morning!!!! Please again keep us in your prayers on our travels home!!!!! We are a little concerned about getting from the train to the hotel in Hong Kong, but they say that it will be practically abandoned because Chinese New Years Eve and it is like Chistmas Eve. People are with family and friends.

Thanks again for reading and keeping us in your prayers!!!! Also thanks, thanks, thanks for all the encouraging comments and emails we have received over the last 2 weeks. They have really kept us going!!!!

Love to everyone!!!!!

Burbank's

Swearing in at the Consulate!

Today is Thursday and the weather again for today was beautiful and 70-72 degrees. The sun was shining brightly!!!! We got up and ate breakfast at the buffet again this morning. Then we had to be downstairs and in the lobby at 9:30am to go to the Botanical Gardens. The gardens were beautiful. They were decorated first for the Chinese New Year and then they were also having a Tulip Festival. EG fell asleep on the way there and we put her in the stroller and she slept most of the time we were there. In the gardens there are several areas. Such as the greenhouse-that had a ton of orchids and cactus in it, the rock garden-use guess it rocks, friendship garden-that had gifts that other people and countries had given Guangzhou, rose garden-with roses and then a couple of other areas that we did not get to visit. It did struck me kind of funny that there is a major highway and there are buildings right next to the gardens. So you have all this beauty and then all the city life also. I guess that is how it is supposed to be in the big cities.

Rebecca was telling us today that if you live here in China you can not own land per say. What you do is sort of like you buy it from the government for 70 years and if you live longer than that you can get an extension to continue to live there. So what she said is that she has paid for her apartment to the government and now she can live there for 70 years and after that then it goes back to China to own. If you live longer than that you like I said above can see if China will give you an extension to continue to live there. Which in turn kind of explains why you do not see a lot of houses, just a lot of apartment buildings. Because you can not truly own your spot.

Anyway------

After the gardens we came back to the room at around 11:30 am and those who had laundry done needed to be in Rebecca's room at 12:30pm. So I took care of picking up our laundry while Chris and EG played. Then we got ready and we had to be downstairs in the lobby at 2:30 to leave for the consulate swearing in ceremony. This time Lily took us and Rebecca rested!!! Rebecca has been here at the Garden hotel now for over 3 weeks and she is ready to go home for the Chinese New Year. Once we got to the consulate we went up to the 4th floor and went in a large room to wait while Lily talked with them about our paperwork. Eg wore her dress that my mom made for her and then she wore a hair bow that a lady at work gave us for her to wera during the oath ceremony. Everyone in our group loved the dress and the hairbow!!! They thought it was beautiful and very special. Then each family was called to a cubicle style window (ours was window #20) and they looked at our passports and then sign a piece of paper. After that we had to have a seat and wait to be sworn in. It was strange a little because we were on American soil in this area and we were still in China. We were not allowed to bring any cameras, backpacks, phones or anything like that in the area. The only thing we could bring was a sippy cup for the child if needed and it had to be in a ziplock bag and then our passports of course. A lady by the name Brook came out and explained a little about the consulate and then we took the oath. She then explained to us that we would not have to come back tomorrow because their gift to us for the Chinese New Year is that they are rushing our VISA's and we will get them in a matter of approx. 20-30 minutes after the oath. PRAISE THE LORD!!!! That was a HUGE nice suprise for all of us. So we waited and when Lily came out she had our "brown envelope", then EG's passport and the final paperwork for us to review. For those not familiar with the adoption terminology the "brown envelope" is all the documents and information re: our adoption and for EG to become a US citizen. We can look at it but it is stamped 3 times on the back of it and the seal can not be broken or tampered with till the Immigrations officer does it in Chicago. We are to keep it in our possession at all times till we get to Chicago and turn it over to them. We did that and per Brook we are done with the paperwork and that was the final step in the whole adoption process thus far(we will do a little once we get back but nothing compared to what has been done). Now with that said.......EG is now a US CITIZEN (technically she won't be official till she steps on American soil in Chicago on Sunday)!!!!!! I did hold back tears, but it was hard to do. Because that is so huge for us for her!!!!!

On the bus ride back to the hotel it almost seemed everyone was a little more light hearted or things did not seem to be stressful!!! That may just have been my observation, but oh well. We got back to the hotel and EG went to sleep. Tomorrow we will visit the Chen Family Temple and we do not have to be downstairs to leave till 10:00am.

We are off to bed and please keep praying that the weather is good for us on Sunday to come home.

Truly Blessed and 2 day away from coming home!!!!!!!

Burbank's

Winding Down.....

Today was pretty uneventful and eventful all in one. The weather was absolutely wonderful--it was milder humidity, the sun was shining, and temp was in the low 70's. We did not have to be anywhere this morning. So we slept in a little and went to the breakfast buffet a little later this morning. Look at the weird fruit--it was kind of like watermelon texture--but it did need something. EG slept all night till about 8:00 this morning. I think the orphanage trip was a little much for her little body. After eating we went back to the room and waited for Rebecca to call us...why you ask? Well today was the day that she submitted everything to the consulate and they would notify her if something was wrong, missing or invalid!!! So per her orders to stay in the room till she called. So that is what we did---because Rebecca is the law when you are here!!!LOL

We got our phone call from her at 10:31 am everything is good and we are ready to be sworn in as a US CITIZEN tomorrow at 2:30. We are all excited and can not wait!!! We then spent the rest of our day getting things kind of packed and ready to go on Saturday. EG I think sensed that something is up because she seemed a little more clingy with us. But she had a pajama day here--she played and played!!! I think that I have got everything ready for us to leave except for a couple of items that can not be packed till the last minute. We did take clothes to Rebecca today to have them taken to the laundry place. We just drop them off in her room and she takes care of it. Then we pick them up tomorrow. Once I pack them I believe we may be ready to go home.

Please pray for good weather for us on Sunday as we fly from Hong Kong to Chicago and then Chicago to Huntsville!!!

Tonight we went on the Pearl River Cruise. The weather was wonderful for the cruise. The food was not too bad and we had a lady magician for the entertainment.

Love to All,

Burbank's

Orphanage Visit....An Emotional Day

Well, we did it!!! Today was the orphanage visit and our day started out early only because we had to be downstairs in the lobby at 8:00 am. EG did good though last night she slept from 600pm till this morning at 6:30am. I think that maybe her being awake past her nap time and waking up at 3:30 am has caught up with her!!!! Our orphanage is 3 1/2 hrs south of Guangzhou. Today the weather was good very humid and around 65-68 degrees outside. We had one other couple that went with us because their orphanage was 2 hrs the same direction. So Rebecca went with us to do the translating....praise the Lord!!!!! EG did pretty good for a 15 1/2 mth old the whole trip. But it was very emotionally and physically tiring. When we got to the orphanage the male and female directors met us at the front lobby and showed us the conference room and then upstairs to where Eg lived the first 14 1/2 months of her life. The surrounding look very sterile and everything there is white and concrete looking. We got to see where she slept and her crib buddy. They did allow us to take some pictures. The one picture is of EG and her best friend or crib mate. The directors told Rebecca that they hope that we feed her enough and not just sweet treats and crackers. I guess I have already goofed on that....I have been giving her gerber puffs and some juice treats!!!! Oh well!!!! After we did the visit(approx maybe 15 minutes) the woman director took us to the finding spot. Wow it is a very populated area and I know now why she was left there. She could not be missed and we thank the Lord for that!!!! For such a long trip the whole visit maybe lasted 30 minutes at the most!!!! But worth every minute of the trip!!!!! We then went to eat and on the way back visited the other couples orphanage.

I know this post is relatively short but it was very emotional and a lot to write if I expressed everything we felt today!!!!

Love to everyone and be home soon!!!!

Truly Blessed!!!

More Shopping!

Today is Monday Feb. 8 and the weather is actually kind of nice. It is around 70 degrees and the sun is shining a little off and on. This morning we were to go to the botanical gardens and Rebecca had said yesterday that we would not do that because the weather for today was more clouds and rain. So oh well even in China people can not predict the weather!!!LOL But we got up ate breakfast at the breakfast buffet, We then had to be in the lobby at 9:30 to go to Shamien Island for some to shop and for some to have their TB test read. As far as I know all TB tests turned out great!!!! So that is good for all the families here. We did shop a little more and then we just walked around and ate lunch at Lucy's on the patio outside. On the patio area there were probably 6-8 groups of adults playing hacky sack. Let me tell you some of them were really good and very limber. I told Chris if we tried dome of those moves we might end up with something out of place!!LOL It was really nice outside. Then back to Liwan mall for some more shopping. EG missed her nap again today so she fell asleep on me on the way back to the hotel and we woke her up just enough to feed her a little something. She is now back alseep. I pray she sleeps most of the night!!!! PRAY!!!!! At this mall Rebecca helped us and we bought a gift for the orphanage. Because tomorrow we will take a 3 1/2 hr car ride one way to EG's orphanage to see it and her finding spot. We are going with another family that their daughter is from an orphanage that is not far from EG's so we are making the trip together. With that said please, please, please be in prayer for us!!!! One for the car ride that puts us in the car almost 8 hrs tomorrow, two for EG that she understands that we are keeping her and we are just there to visit, and then prayer for me and Chris!!!!! So with that said we are headed to bed early. We have to be up and in the lobby at 8:00 am. Here are a few pictures from today.

Love to everyone!!!
Truly Blessed and will be home in 6 days(miscalculated yesterday),
Burbank's

PS Erin--I have read your post it note to EG and she just nods her head!!!LOL

Paperwork, Shopping and Eating Out!

Well today is Sunday Feb 7 and we have been here 9 days already. Today's forecast was rain, rain, rain and very humid. Temp 60-65 degrees. That is hard for us to believe that 9 days have passed and we are on the downhill run toward getting ready to come home. Time passes by fast here when you have things to do with paperwork, photos for passports and visa's, paperwork, meet with Rebecca for consulate information, paperwork, go shopping, paperwork, eat, paperwork....you get the picture. We just thought we were done with the paperwork when we got the word we were traveling!!! LOL But it is all part of the process and it has to be done no matter what in order for us to leave with our precious new addition!!!!!

Little update-EG is feeling much better. She still has a little bit of a cold. So we are trying to keep her dry, entertained and treating her with Triaminic cold for children. Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts during the time she was not feeling well.

EG is showing us her personality more lately. She will talk to us with baby talk and she can say baba and mama and then look at us like we should know what she is saying. She has also laughed a little for us. So we are making little strides, but we think she is beginning to know we will be there for her. But we also understand we have a long road before we gain her full trust!!!!

As usual we were up at 3:30 this morning again--not by an unhappy child, but to one that was chatting up a storm....to herself no doubt. We did not get up, we just laid there an listened to her and laughed. This morning we ate breakfast downstairs at the buffet of course again. We have tried some different things in the last few days like BBQ puffs (this is bread with some type of bbq sauce and meat on the inside) a steamed rice and meat pouch wrapped in leaves and cooked, grouper that is breaded with some kind of breading, baked egg tart (egg cooked in a small tart), chicken sausage and some type of Middle eastern meat. For the most part most items have been pretty good and nice to try. We had our group picture done first thing this morning at 9:30am. Once that once done we changed EG clothes and headed back downstairs to meet in the lobby at 10:00 to leave to go shopping. We went to Liwan shopping area. The mall shops were either indoors or covered areas so we did not have to worry about EG. I did notice that the mall was huge I think 5 or 6 floors and the shops had more stuff in a small amount of space and down every little alley their were more shops. I think it would have taken months to see every shop and everything in that mall. But what we were shopping for was pearls, DVD's and jade. We also noticed in the mall that all the maniquins(sp?) were American looking and the area to walk from shop to shop was only about a yard wide. So there wass not much room to pass someone.

We did get some things that we were looking for and some things we did not!!LOL After that we came back we all took a nap!!! Then we had to be back downstairs in the lobby at 6:00 to go eat with the group. This time we went to Sabah's. It is a Thai, Malaysian and Chinese rest. You just order what you wanted. OH, by the way when they handed us the menu...it is a book!!! I truly mean that a legal size book of about 20-22 pages of stuff. It does have pictures and an English translation so that is great!!! It was good--I had the curry chicken and potatoes, Chris had the Beef lemongrass kabobs, and EG had noodles and chicken breast. Now we did not order dessert but they brought one to us free for such a large group I guess. Are you ready...it was Red Bean Custard. Yes, it was red beans and it was sweet. Not something I would want on a daily basis, but we tried it. We then left came back to the hotel and got EG ready for bed...that was a task tonight because she wanted nothing to do with me and she wanted Chris tonight. But she was so tired from the day and she was beside herself with being sleepy. That is another thing I noticed while we are here there is NO keeping a child on a routine. You just have to do what you can do to get through the 2 weeks and then worry about a schedule when you get home.

So attached are pictures of the mall, group picture and of course, EG!!!!

Lots of love to everyone and we will be home in 8 days!!!!!!!

Truly Blessed,
Burbank's