We are home!!

Yesterday at 8am San Francisco time, Madelyn became a US Citizen. Part of the process includes receiving a brown envelope from the US Consulate in Guangzhou which you are instructed fourteen times not to open as it is to be delivered unopen to the Immigration Officials at your first point of entry, San Francisco. Which is exactly what we did yesterday at 8AM. After Madelyn was allowed immigration into the US she became a US Citizen with all of the rights and responsibilities. It took two years but we made it.

As to be expected Carleen and I were awake at 4AM. Both of us are finding it difficult to find the words to say how happy we are today. Obviously, having Madelyn home is a relief. Having her home, healthy, safe and sound is huge. At 7:15 she is still asleep.

Madelyn was a doll on the plane and only protested a couple of times. We had an "infant lap" seat for her, so she spent twenty four hours in my arms. While that may seem like a burden to many, it was pure heaven for me. Suffice it to say Madelyn and I bonded over the two weeks. I still cherish the two weeks I spent with Alaine in China. Wow!

I did want to add a couple of comments as I close out the China part of this adventure:

This time I actually net Madelyn's foster mom and grandmother. I think Madelyn will appreciate that some day. During my discussions with them we found out that Madelyn had a "foster sister" for the past year, one day older than her. She was adopted last week as well. As irony would have it we met the new parents and Maya (?), who live in upstate New York. We actually saw them twice. Neither time did Madelyn acknowledge Maya's existence which may be explained by the profiles both parents were given which stated that Maya liked to pull Madelyn's hair, see my first blog.

Second, this is my fifth trip to China, eighth to Asia. Every time I get home I have the same impression which is that the Chinese are smart, hard working people who love their children and want the same things just like us. Growing up in the US you believe that this is the center of the World and perhaps the Universe. That may be true now, but wait twenty years.

Please forgive the typos, which I will attribute to jet lag and Chinese computers. I plan to update from time to time as we see the next chapters in this wonderful book of life.

Pictures

The above is Travel Group 1108 which spent two weeks together traveling throughout China, bonding with their babies and making life time friends.

The picture on the left is at the Nanning Airport showing our family group along with our wonderful guides, Michael and Belinda. Michael was our guide when picked up Alaine as well.

More pictures to follow.

The Physical

A quick update. The US Consulate requires all of the adoptees to have a physical, so it was Madelyn's turn at 4 yesterday. Seven girls were to get their exams at the same time. There are three stations, one for weight, height and temperature, ENT and then a full body exam. We weren't even inside the room for station number one (ENT for us) and she was screaming. This time she was mad and wasn't going to put up with it. But once again I have thirty years of training. By the time we were through station three Jason, our CCAI rep, didn't say we were finished but "you can go now". The room let out a collective sigh when we left.

But we heard today that all of our paper work is in order and we will get her visa at after her "oath" tomorrow at 4. Yippee!

We are having a quiet day today waiting for the Consulate to finish our paper work. Grandma, grandpa, mom, Alaine and baby are all doing great after a somewhat exhausting day yesterday.

We are told that Denver weather will be much improved on Thursday, so it would appear we are headed home.

The White Swan is great but, just like last week, it gets old. We are lucky that we have an adjoining room with Grandma and Grandpa so Madelyn can go to sleep while we unwind and, last night, after Alaine does a spectacular show. We are also then able to watch the incredible light show up and down the Pearl River each night. I haven't seen anything quite like it outside of Disneyland.

Fairwell for now.

Pictures on Thursday.

Yankee Go Home!

Translated by Michael for Xia Lele:

What makes you Americans think you can come over to our countries and make life better for us? I was just fine with my foster mama, popo, baba and juju. You keep asking why I am crying and mad, well I have heard stories about you guys.

Signed:

Xia Lele proud to be Chinese

From her baba, Patrick:

I was going to write this on Thursday when Madelyn was particularly mad, but I am pleased to note that she is beginning to adjust quite well. I used to say to others that Alaine didn't go through the terrible twos but her mother points out that she did and I wasn't home in time to see it.

Well just like a twelve year old practicing to be a teenager, Madelyn is a twentyone month old practicing to be a two year old. When we got on the plane for Guangzhou yesterday, after a lengthy bus ride and being held by me for over two hours, she protested l0udly. We are now the proud parent of the loudest child on the plane. She wasn't really crying just protesting, as loud as she could. But the minute we taxied she slept. We are hoping for similar results on Thursday, when we fly home.

I have been training for thirty years, so I know I will just do fine on the plane going home, no matter what. I am a little concerned about the other 347 passengers.

Nanning was wet and cold most of the week and by Thursday you want to go to the White Swan Hotel one of the nicest hotels in China. But it is kind of funny, you form such a bond with all of the other parents over the week, by Friday you are kind of sad, you know you will miss Nanning because, once again, you have seen the miracle of families being made. Absolutely everyone convinced that they were perfectly matched. It is impossible to explain to those who have experienced it. Those who have will nod in agreement as they read this.

Madelyn, except for a tantrum or two, is doing great. Being a parent of a little one takes you to the lowest level of the heirarchy of needs. Madelyn was constipated for four days and so our thoughts were consumed by her, shall I say, BM. Which we are proud to announce happened at 8 this morning. TMI!!

Alaine is doing well. We were all exhausted last night and she let us know that she needed just a little more attention. You know Alaine, she didn't act it out. She simply told us. What a sweet heart. It won't always be that way, nor should it be.

We have a lot to do today but I felt like updating, but I am not going to go through the brain damage of downloading photos. Thursday for sure.

Thanks for all of the caring notes, they help. I cannot tell you how adorable this little one is. She has an infectious smile, sometimes a little bit coy.

We love all of you.

Pat, Carleen, Alaine and Madelyn

Reality Sets In

I will not try to send pictures until Guanzhou as the connection speed is really slow.

The first twenty four hours with Madelyn were ideal. She was happy, laughing all of the time and playing with her older sister. We suspect a lot more activity than she was getting in her foster home.

Last night, just about bath time, she was exhausted and realized that we might just be here to stay. People who adopt Chinese children, especially older ones, are prepared for grieving which can be manifested in many different ways. Today Madelyn is tired and angry. Which to us is great. We believe that the more she reacts here the better she will be able to bond later.

The update we received on Madelyn said that her sister in foster care would pull her hair but Madelyn knew how to fight back. So when Alaine was introduced as Lele's older sister, Lele did not seem excited by the prospect of having an older sister in her new home. Nevertheless, Alaine remains the older sister Madelyn really wants. As we played with Madelyn yesterday, running up and down the hallway what seemed hundreds of times, Alaine told me that she wanted to show Madelyn that she was a good older sister and not the kind to pull hair. Man, were we proud of her. I suspect that having her grand parents here helps a lot, as well.

The adoption process involves a lot of waiting. We were formally granted custody yesterday from the Government of China. We are waiting until Friday to receive her Chinese passport which she will use to travel to Guangzhou and then on to the U.S. So we tour Nanning which doesn't have a lot of tourist spots.

In Guangzhou we will receive formal permission to bring Madelyn into the US which will take three days. As we leave Chinese airspace, next Thursday, she will automatically become a US citizen.

This time more than last I have questioned my judgement. Heck the Government has formally "aged us out". But I look in this little girl's eyes and I see a lovely young lady who needs love and a lot of attention. It all becomes worthwhile.

This will be a quick post, but we have added a new daughter to our family. Gotcha day was at 4pm Nanning Time, 1AM mountain.

So far she is precious and seems to have a very happy disposition. She ate congee for dinner and a lot of watermelon just like her sister. She is as beautiful as her match picture and as stocky.

She was just about asleep when I decided to post this so keep your fingers crossed.

Alaine, for today has been the consumate older sister, getting snacks, fixing the bed for her sister. She is quite sensitive as we expected.

I won't even try to do a picture tonight as that may be a all day ordeal for me.

We just wanted everyone to know that we have Madelyn and she is doing great.

Love to all.

The excitement begins!

Communicating while you are in a foreign country is sometimes difficult. We are desperately hoping that this will be in english since the instructions are in spanish.

In any case, Carleen and I wanted to share some of our feelings today. It is Sunday the 14th. We are two hours from leaving for Nanning where Madelyn will meet us.

We believe that there have been several good luck signs as we have traveled including sighting a magnificant bald eagle near Barr Lake as we went to the airport.

Alaine remains a wonderful child. Carleen wanted me to share a couple of stories. First, yesterday morning as we toured our hotel area in Hong Kong Alaine explained that she would show us a short cut back to the hotel as she was born in China. We had wondered around for a long time so we were surprised when she was right on. The second story explains what a great sister she will be. We were getting on a very old boat at Aberdeen Harbor (where the Sampan's are) when Alaine asked very seriously "are you sure this is safe." We hurriedly assured her that she was.

All of us are consumed by excitement about the prospect of meeting our little girl tomorrow.

The adventure begins

We have arrived in Hong Kong after a fifteen hour flight. Alaine is a remarkable child, she could not have been a better trooper.

We are going to sight see for two days and then Monday afternoon we meet Madelyn. Think about us at midnight Denver time.

We will post as soon as we can.

Keep your thoughts and prayers with us, I am headed to bed.

Pictures

Lets try to add Madelyn's match picture and stats.

Let the adventure begin!

It has been two years since Carleen and I decided to adopt a sister for Alaine, but here we are on the eve of our second adoption trip to China.

We have been matched to our adorable Madelyn Marie Lele. We have her picture. We have sent her a "build a bear" with our recorded voices.

The travel arrangements have been completed:

United Airlines on Thursday, January 11th, first to San Francisco to "pick up" Carleen's parents and then on to Hong Kong for two days.

And on January 15th we will be in Nanning China. After two long years we will be holding little Madelyn in our arms.

In the meantime, we sit here in complete anticipation. How big is she? Will her clothes fit? Will she cry for days, will she withdraw? How will Alaine react? Do we have the right clothes for us? Will another snow storm, as predicted, delay us?

I guess it is presumptious to assume that anyone will read this blog. One of my buddies made it quite clear that if he did read it, it would be the first blog he had read. Well this is the first blog I have written. But writing will help me gather my thoughts over the next month or so.

So it is our plan to post to this blog over the next several weeks. If you are so inclined, please stay tuned.