What we've been up to

Wednesday 4-28 through Friday 4-30

These last few days have been spent in ZZ waiting for paperwork to be processed. Wednesday was a down day. We went to a park not far from the hotel and walked around a bit. It was very pretty. I loved watching the people. People just hang around playing instruments, fishing, or chatting with one another.






Thursday consisted of a trip to the Shaolin Temple. This was a highlight of our trip so far. I finally got to see some of the countryside and it is beautiful. We almost didn’t go and I am so glad that we decided to make the journey. It was a 2 hour bus ride and worth every minute. I believe that the temple is over 1000 years old. Being somewhere with that kind of history is amazing. There is also a Kung Fu school there and many of the boys were out practicing. The boys were loving every minute. After lunch we even saw a martial arts show. It was awesome.





Friday was another down day. We are exhausted and so ready to be home. This area is not very westernized and I am missing our simple conveniences. We haven’t had air conditioning in the hotel until tonight and it has been very hot. Many times the families resort to keeping their room door open and hanging out in the halls to stay cool. It hasn’t been the best hotel experience. We are all looking forward to moving on to the next city.

Lily is amazing. She is such a joy to have in our family. Her smiles are infectious and her laughter is precious. She is becoming quite attached to her mama. I have to admit that I don’t mind at all. Eating is a whole knew experience with a little one. No more relaxed meals in the Grabowski household! She is changing every day and it is fun to see her personality.

Sorry for the lack of detail. I am starting to get weary and don’t have the energy to put all of my thoughts down. Hopefully we will all perk up once we are in a new location.

A less busy day

Tuesday 4/27

This was our first full day with Lily. She slept great Monday night. When she started to get fussy she preferred Jon. It was so sweet to see her fall asleep with him. We laid her down in bed and I slept with her. The report states that she slept with her foster mom, so we are not willing to mess with that right now. Maybe in a few days we will be able to transition her into the crib. These hotel rooms aren’t huge and I really don’t want to hear her cry it out.

The morning was filled with paperwork. We went to the registration office again and Lily is now officially ours. We can not give her back. Who would want to? She is a joy. After that was completed, we came back to the hotel.

For lunch, we headed out to a noodle house. These were the best noodles I have ever eaten. They make them fresh right in front of you. I think I could eat there every day. Lily loved them as well and it was hysterical to watch her shove these long noodles into her mouth.

Our field trip for the day was to a department store to buy some supplies. Lily was in desperate need of diapers, shoes, and a few more toys. I will probably need to get a few outfits for her as well. Her belly hangs out of everything that I brought. I have to keep reminding myself that her big belly is a sign of how well she was taken care of. In my opinion she was just way over fed and that bothers me.

Every moment I am thanking my mom for the Ergo she gave me before we left. I cannot imagine this trip with out it. Lily does really well staying in and her weight is evenly distributed on my hips. I carried her for almost 2 hours and my back did not get hurt. Praise the Lord for that! I was tired, but loved carrying her. When she gets tired she will just fall asleep in the Ergo. It has a hood to pull up and support her head. She was covered the entire time we were shopping.

Having her covered proved to be a good thing. One women stopped to talk with me. Since I could not understand I showed her my name tag that explains what we are doing. She was all smiles until I let her peak at Lily. When she saw the white hair she scowled and patted my arm as if saying “I am amazed that you are taking her.” It made me angry and I am glad to be taking Lily away from here. Once she woke up I put a hat on her to avoid any more ugly stares. That was one thing I was not prepared for.

As I write this, I am sitting next to my sweet girl. It is early Wednesday morning and she is still asleep. She is so beautiful and it is hard to think that she would be shunned in this culture. I look forward to watching her grow and change. I can’t wait to get her hair soft and long. It will be fun to put it in pigtails and braids.

Today, Wednesday, we have a completely free day. Our first day that is not filled from sun up to sun down. We are going to enjoy just hanging around the hotel and walking a little bit outside. We have an awesome group and tonight most of the families are going to get together and have a pizza party. It should be a lot of fun.

Thank you all for following along and keeping us in your prayers. Please pray for Alex as it seems that he is coming down with something. This is our 10th day of the trip and we are all getting a little tired. Pray that we can all hold it together for 10 more days.

Meeting Lily

Monday 4-26

Today was the big day. The whole group, which consisted of 12 families, was to travel to the registration office to meet their babies. All except us. It seems that God has not finished teaching me about patience. Our Lily lives very far from ZZ and would not be able to get there as early as the rest. We would meet her at the hotel.
Jon, the boys, and I decided to tag along with the rest of the group to watch everyone meet their little ones. I am so glad we did. It was fun to see all the happenings. There were no major melt downs and they were all doing great. Finally our guide received a text that Lily was waiting for us at the hotel.
Lily was there in the hall when we got off the elevator. She was dressed in her best. I know that the orphanage people were trying to make her look nice, but she really looked ridiculous. The poor thing also had a huge scrape on her face.
The whole experience is a bit of a blur. All twelve families where there staring at us. It was very intimidating. The whole meeting was over in just moments. I don’t even recall the people who brought her.
I wish I could go back and talk to the people who brought her and have

a picture taken with them. Oh well.

I can’t wait to come home and have everyone meet our sweet girl. She is such a sweetie. I am pleased about her development. She is cheery, smiley, and very active. I was also very pleased to see how well she manages with her vision. I am sure it is pretty low, but it does not affect her ability to navigate the world. I was taken back at her nystagmus. I did not think it would be as bad as it is. Her eyes constantly move around. I have not seen them stay still yet. Hopefully we will be able to get that a little better when we get home. However, I am quickly getting used to it.

Lily is a very big girl. Her stomach is HUGE!!!!! A healthier diet she will probably even her out. The report says that she drinks sweetened water and has cookies and crackers between meals. Her size does indicate that she has been well taken care of. Even the formula that she drinks suggests that she was loved. It is VERY expensive formula.

Right now I am very tired and ready for bed. I need to get the pictures off my camera and will add them to this post later. This whole trip has been pretty intense. We have been going all day every day for over a week. Tomorrow we have nothing to attend. I am looking forward to relaxing here at the hotel.

Jon and Liz have Lily

Jon and Liz have Lily and report that things are going well. A post will be coming soon.

24 hours and counting

Sunday 4/25

Last night I did not sleep as well. I woke up around 5 and decided to just get on the computer for a bit. It is fun to be able to skype friends and family. The group was scheduled to leave for the airport at 8 this morning. Our flight left around 10:30. It was a smaller plane than before. Three seats on each side. For the first 45 minutes everything was going great. It was fun to be on a flight with the whole group. After the first 45 minutes I started to go down hill. I am a bit claustrophobic and the plane started closing in on me. It was really warm and the man in front of me leaned his chair all the way back. It felt as if his head was in my lap. I was keeping it together until the last 15 minutes. As the plane began to land I ended up vomiting into the wonderful little bag they provide for you. That was a first for me. I’m very thankful that I had not eaten breakfast that morning. Needless to say, I am done for the day. The kids and I are watching TV while Jon runs to Walmart for some snacks to have in the room.
Lily will be arriving at the hotel by noon tomorrow. Less than 24 hours to go!

Jade Factory, Great Wall and Acrobat show

Saturday 4/24

We all slept so much better last night. It is encouraging to finally have a normal night. Yesterday’s sightseeing trip was fairly brutal. Being out for the entire day and walking everywhere on little sleep can be exhausting! Today we were off to a Jade factory, the Great Wall, and an acrobat show. Another all day adventure.
Once again we find ourselves piled on a bus headed out to brave the city traffic. Our driver is amazing and has managed to get us safely to every destination. Our first stop was to a government jade factory. Most of us would have preferred to see the Ming tombs, but our guide was not easily convinced. The jade factory was a very unique experience. The first part is a quick tour of how they make the jade pieces. They show the people working on the pieces and explained that it is a trade passed down to each generation. A cynic in our group mutters under his breath that it is just for show and everything is made by machine. I’m not sure, but it was fun to watch them work.
We then entered the shopping area. Some lady put a bracelet on my wrist trying to convince me how beautiful it would be on me. I started to break out in a sweat when she almost couldn’t get it off! That’s the last time I try something on! It is impossible to window shop. There is constantly someone one foot behind you trying to make a sale. I felt stalked. It was the worst feeling. I couldn’t take it any longer and went back on the bus. I love being in a group and having a guide, but this is where it isn’t the best. I don’t have control over what we do. We just have to be flexible and try to enjoy the ride.
Next stop was the Great Wall. It is quite impressive to see this stone wall snaking through the hills. I wish I could have seen it centuries before when the air was clean and there weren’t thousands of people crawling around like ants.
The climb up the wall was extremely steep. Poor Micah is afraid of heights and stairs are his worst enemy. He reluctantly took step after step. Finally, after a few towers, I took pity on him and let Jon and Alex continue without us. I can see in my mind Alex hopping up the steps as other people are struggling to put one foot in front of the other. Jon told me later that he wanted to keep going after they made it to the top. He is always game for an adventure.


Looking out, I miss the clean air of the mountains at home. This air hurts the eyes and throat. For me, the grayness takes away from the experience. I can’t wait to breath freely again. I will never complain about the valley air again.

After lunch we headed over to the theatre for an acrobat show. It was all that you would expect. Girls would contort into impossible positions and men would show their strength and balance. Alex was on the edge of his seat taking in each move. Some of the performers were quite young and you wonder what their life is like. Their pay is probably minimal at best.
Tomorrow we fly out to our daughter’s province. It is a fairly quick flight and should not be a very hard day. The hours are ticking by before we meet our daughter for the first time. I am excited and nervous at the same time.
One last thought. The other day we were walking past a beggar. He was severely crippled and my heart broke. Seeing him, I could imagine my friend’s sweet boy with a crippled leg in that position. There would have been no education given to my friend’s son. He would have been a beggar on the streets. Our daughter would be shunned by her community. These children with disabilities have no future in this country. Pr*y for the children who still need families.

Tiananmen Square,Forbidden City and Hutong tour

Friday 4/23

Today started bright and early. I woke up at 4 in the morning again. Hopefully I will adjust soon. Everyone else seemed to sleep better. We were to meet our guide by 8:30. Today’s day consisted of Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, the silk factory, and the Hutong tour.
Our group seems pretty friendly. There is another boy who is close to Micah’s age. It is helpful to have another kid around. We all piled into a bus and headed out.

The sky has cleared and the city looks much more appealing. Not nearly as gloomy as the last two days. Tiananmen Square was our first stop. People are everywhere in this city. I’m the type of person who goes the other direction when there is a crowd, so these areas aren’t my favorite. It was here that I had my picture taken for the first time.

We continued on to the Forbidden City. My biggest impression is the simplicity and the complexity of the buildings. The layout seems so simple and uncluttered, yet the designs are rather complex. I’m not sure if that makes sense.

While we were there, more pictures were taken of Alex and I. A little girl in our group is also rather popular. People will actually grab her hand and pull her to take a picture. They even pick her up. That would really bother me. I’m glad that my kids are too big for anyone to pick up.
The crowds are so intense. People shove, push, and walk right in front of you. It’s hard not to think of them as being rude. I know that it is just a cultural thing, but it is irritating. Unfortunately, a man in our group had his wallet stolen while in a tight crowd. It’s amazing how easily it was done. I’m glad that I don’t carry anything around with me.
These tours took up our whole morning. It was fairly exhausting walking for so long. It was nice to get back on the bus and head out to lunch. It is also wonderful to have a guide. George, our guide, is really sweet and full of information. He and Alex have already become friends. Alex is his shadow up at the front of the line most of the time.
My favorite part of the day was the Hutong Tours. Riding in a rickshaw was a great experience. I’m not sure if I would have been brave enough to have done this without a guide. I feel very exposed in this country and this makes me uncomfortable.
The Hutong area is extremely interesting. George informed us that if you own property in this area you are very rich. I guess Jett Li and Jackie Chan both have houses in the Hutong. I would never think that the people who live here are rich. The buildings seem rundown and dirty from the outside. Laundry is hung in the streets exposed to all who pass by

.
Turning a corner, we came to the shops and restaurants. Bright couches lined the sidewalk where people could enjoy their meals and conversation. I was surprised when we came to a beautiful river with a view of the city in the background. Here I could see the wealth of the area.

Part of the tour included a visit to a local house. This house was built around 1830. The great grandfather was a general in the red army and if I heard correctly, the house was given to him by the government for his service. I especially liked the courtyard. The kids were enthralled with the fish in the barrel.

By this time, everyone in the group had eyes that were glazed over. I’m thankful we have been here for a few days before we were out touring from 8:30-5:30.
Next stop is the Great Wall. Lily is not far away!

Taking in some sights!

Thursday 4/22

Today was our first day truly on our own. Unfortunately, we woke up at 4 in the morning again. It was rainy and cold this morning so we spent the majority of it in the hotel. Lunch consisted of Pizza Hut pizza. Nothing like a little comfort food. I love to see the new sights, but I absolutely hate being adventurous with food. I much prefer eating the familiar.
After lunch the skies cleared and we decided to go see The Temple of He*ven. Jon studied the map and felt confident in using the subway. We found it no problem and even managed to buy our tickets on our own. Micah and Alex had their pictures taken for the first time. I have noticed that peoples eyes linger of them, especially Alex.
We walked from the subway to the Temple of Heaven. It was a fairly long walk to the entrance. Micah was pretty much shot by the time we got there. Being up at 4 in the morning really takes it toll on the body. The buildings were beautiful. The walk back was even longer and through some interesting sections. We all agreed that it will be nice to be with our group and a guide.

Orphanage Visit

Wednesday 4/21

Today was an amazing day. We visited an orphanage about 50 minutes from Beijing. We had contacted them before and had it set to meet someone at our hotel by 8:30 in the morning. We had no idea who was going to be meeting us, but knew that we would be easy for them to find. After waiting for 30 minutes we received a call that our driver was stuck in traffic and would be another 30 min. What should have taken the driver 50 min. had taken him 2 hours. He had no problem in locating us and we set off with him to the orphanage.
The drive there was an education in itself. Traffic laws, signs, and lanes are merely suggestions here. How they can make three lanes out of one astounds me. I could easily reach out and touch the next vehicle without even stretching my arm all the way out. Traffic was intense. It took us almost 2 hours to reach the orphanage.
Driving out of Beijing, I found myself in awe of the landscape passing by. It was not beautiful. All the buildings looked old, worn out, and forgotten. It seemed as if poverty was all there was. Poverty by my standards. The homes were drab with piles of trash, bricks, and broken cement. Yet, there were pockets of beauty. Groves of trees were planted regularly along the freeway. Some of the trees were in bloom with beautiful pink flowers. That was the only color I saw the entire day. There are no manicured lawns. No flower beds bright with color. Except for the occasional red building or colorful signs, this is a grey city. The sky has been overcast and hazy adding to the gloom.
After a very long drive, we pulled up to a gated community. Many of the houses are vacant and in disrepair. There does seem to be some work going on to improve the area. Harmony House is a two story home within the community. the building is covered in white tile with pieces missing here and there. the bright blue trim adds some life to the building.

Contrasted to the dreary landscape, this house is full of life and beauty. The nannies’ eyes sparkle and their smiles are infectious. Lily, the director, greeted us with warmth and welcomed us into the home. This place was full of action. Paint had recently been donated and some ladies were painting the walls inside the home. The children were in the living room playing together or sitting on a lap. It was not what I had expected.
This home, for it truly is a home, is full of love. Emma, a young women in her twenties, commented that it was God’s love. Many of the nannies at Harmony House are Christians and Christ permeates the rooms. It is such a blessing to see these children learning about the love of Jesus. Emma’s mother leads the women in a bible study and they pray that all of the nannies would accept the love of Jesus's.
The children captured my heart immediately. Many of them already have forever families working to bring them home. Harmony House has seen around 40 children adopted over the years. The sweet faces and eyes work into your very soul.

One 3 year old boy is an example of how God’s love is making a difference in this orphanage. He has no use of his arms and his feet turn in making them unfit to walk. Yet, the boy is full of joy. His smile lights up the room and he captivated my son, Alex.
Micah’s heart was captured by a little girl around 8 months old. Even with cleft lip/ cleft palette, her face was full of beauty. I would take her home in a second. During nap time we shared a meal with the nannies. What gracious hosts they were. After nap time we took a walk around the block. As we walked along, the nannies would sing Jesus Loves Me in their language while I sang along in mine. We were united with a common bond; the love of Christ.
While we brought some needed supplies, we did not make much of a difference. We were the ones blessed. We were the ones who walk away changed. There are ways to support this orphanage from home. It is a worthy investment. If you are interested in helping these children please let me know when we get back to the states. I promise to point you in the right direction.

Wednesday

Wednesday

It’s 4 am right now China time and 1 Tuesday afternoon U.S. time. I can’t sleep any longer so I thought I would type out our experiences so far.
Sunday we had an uneventful drive to the Bay Area. It was nice to hang out with Jon’s family for a night before we took off. Monday morning we packed the car up to head over to the San Francisco airport. We got there no problems and found the airline counter. Unfortunately our flight had been delayed 2 hours. BUMMER! We should have called and checked before we left. Instead of leaving at 3, we were now leaving at 5. Spending 5 hours at an airport is never fun. Especially with kids! I can’t tell you how many times Alex went up and down the escalator and stairs.
The plane ride was typical. The food was terrible, the flight was long, and the chairs were uncomfortable. Fortunately, we had some extra seats and were able to spread out a bit. We met a gentleman who was taking some congress people (or something like that) on a trip to visit China. Other than that, we were the minority already.
Jon handled the flight pretty well and Micah even looked out the window! (Micah has a fear of heights.) I managed to doze for about an hour. Alex conked out the last hour and Micah fell asleep right as we were landing. I don’t think Jon slept at all. We were beat!
I, personally, had no fear about the flight. My fears were for when we landed. I was a bit concerned about getting from the airport to the hotel. We managed just fine off the plane, getting our luggage, and going through customs. Someone suggested going to the information counter and asking how much a taxi should cost getting to our hotel. The guy there said around 100 RMB. O.k. Sounds good. We followed the orange arrows to the taxi area, no problem. Stood in the line waiting for the next available taxi. Oh my, how those taxi’s fly by! My stress is starting to increase just a bit.
When it came to our turn, this guy directing the taxi’s showed us to this van. We loaded in and the driver then informs us that it will be 450RMB. Uh, no! We tried haggling with him a bit and he would not come down lower than 300. So, out we go and try to tell the men directing the traffic that we want one taxi. They just gathered around us pointing at all of our baggage and laughing at us. I tried to tell them that we would put stuff on our laps and they would just laugh more. My worst nightmare was happening! A taxi pulled up and he refused to even try to fit us in. He just joined in the laughter. By now, I am practically stomping my foot insisting that they put us in one taxi. A new taxi pulls up and he agrees to take us to the hotel for 150 RMB. Finally. We pilled in just fine and were off. I’m sure those men were still laughing as we pulled away.
The taxi drive was interesting. I think the last time I was in a taxi was in the third grade in New York. The guys foot was never steady on the peddle. It was very annoying to be lurching down the freeway. He would also randomly honk his horn at people and flash his lights. I’m sure there were some choice words as well! I pra*ed the entire time that we would actually make it to our hotel and not some random place. I was amazed when we finally pulled up. It was a beautiful sight.
Our hotel room is decent. we opted for 1 king bed instead of 2 twins. It’s quite humorous to see us all piled in that big bed. It really wasn’t too bad. Alex did fall out twice, so he had to be moved to the middle. I dozed on and off for a few hours. Now I am ready to get moving. Too bad it is dark outside.
If you have read this far I am impressed! I’m a bit bored and typing everything out is entertaining me. So my first impressions are: it’s dark, the taxi drivers like to laugh and the hotel staff is nice. I can’t wait to see what everything looks like in daylight.
Today, hopefully, we are off to Harmony House. I am so excited to see our friends little one. I’m also taking pictures for a few others who are adopting from there as well. It should be an experience.

A Brief Look at our Trip

4/18- Drive to Bay Area
4/19- Leave San Francisco
4/20- Arrive in Beijing
4/21- volunteer at Harmony House
4/22- Sightseeing on our own
4/23- Tiananmen Square, Forbidden city, Hutong Tour
4/24- Great Wall and Ming Tombs
4/25- Fly to Zhengzhou
4/26- Meet Lily (she's ours from then on)
4/27- Paperwork/ shop at Walmart!
4/28- Free time- tour
4/29- Free time- tour
4/30- Paperwork
5/1- Fly to Guangzhou
5/2- Appointments
5/3- Free time
5/4- Paperwork/ free
5/5- Consulate Appointment
5/6- Take the oath
5/7- Receive Lily's visa
5/8- Fly home!

I have a feeling that this trip is going to fly by. I'm really looking forward to experiencing a different culture. Hopefully we will be able to just relax and enjoy the ride.

A few prayer requests:
- There are two family members who are nervous about the flight
- Food issues
- Lily will most likely grieve pretty hard
- patience
- safety
- health

Travel Dates!

When our agency called on Monday they said that we should know within 1-3 days about our travel dates. Of course we waited the full three days. I don't know why we always seem to wait the longest possible for this adoption. I am thankful and praise God for His timing.

We are arriving in Beijing on Tuesday, April 20th. We plan on volunteering at an orphanage near Beijing on the 21st. We are taking supplies to donate, so if you are interested in donating any items please let me know. We then tour Beijing for the next few days. On the 25th we will fly to the capitol of Lily's province which is Zhengzhou, Henan. We will meet Lily on the 26th!

After we meet Lily we stay in Zhengzhou for a few days. We will then fly to Guangzhou for the rest of our trip and fly out on May 8th. A total of 19-20 days. A much longer trip than we expected.

Keep us in your prayers as we prepare to travel!

Packing

Right now I am sitting on the floor of my daughter's room. (My daughter. A phrase that will take some getting used to.) I am starting to pack her things that we are taking to China. I'm surrounded by her clothes, some diapers and other items that haven't been in my house for years. It's so much fun to pick up each item and dream about putting them to use. Well... maybe not all items. I could do without sucking nose boogies and changing diapers! That baby powder smell brings back so many memories.

When I had Micah, I was just 23. Jon and I had been married for three years. I was inexperienced in life and new to the whole mother thing. I thought that I was going to be the greatest mom. I had dreamed of this moment forever! Heck. I was a child development major. I should know what I am doing, right? Wrong! Those first few months were horrible. Micah and I got off to a bad start. NICU, reflux, and postpartum depression plagued us from the beginning. I prayed that I could survive each stage. I longed for the next milestone. I missed so much!

Two years later, we had Alex. I was determined to have a better experience. From the beginning it was better. He was an easier baby and I worked really hard at enjoying each stage of his little life. I didn't want to make the same mistakes that I had made with Micah. It wasn't always easier, but I had learned to savor the moment.

It's shocking to look back and see how time has flown by. Micah is 11. Alex will be 9 on Sunday. My babies have grown up so fast. How I wish I could go back and rock them just a few moments more. I'm not ready for my boys to be men. I know that if I even blink for a moment they will be out of the house.

I have had quite some time to ponder how life will be with a little one again (over 4 years in fact!). I know that I am going to be a completely different parent. If you knew me when I was parenting my babies, don't be surprised to see a different mom. I plan to carry my baby girl as much as I can. I plan to rock her at night and she may even fall asleep in my arms! I will love on her like there is no tomorrow. I have learned that these moments don't last long. I have already lost the 1st 15 months of her life. I'm not going to waste a precious moment once I have her.

We have travel approval!!!!!!!

I am so excited. Just after lunch we received a call from our agency saying that we will be heading to China in about 2 weeks. We are still waiting for a consulate appointment. Once they have that appointment we can book our airfare.

I can't wait to go!!!!!!!!!

No Travel Approval, but we got an update!

This picture cracks me up. Half her weight is probably in clothing. Check out those cheeks!

Her current weight is 29lbs! Yikes. We may be changing her diet a bit. Part of that weight could be the amount of clothes she is wearing. Is that a twinkie she is stuffing in her face?
It also says she is 30 in. tall. That equates to short and CHUBBY!