Wednesday, September 5, 2012
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Thursday, February 16, 2012
She's going to be all right!!!
We went to see the cardiologist today and Emma had an echocardiogram done. It lasted over an hour due to her complex cardiac anatomy but the doctors all agreed that they had good news! Emma does have dextrocardia (her heart is on the right side of her chest, not the left) and she only has 1 ventricle. But her single ventricle is the Left Ventricle, not the Right Ventricle as previously thought. This is a huge advantage and improves her long-term outcome! Her ventricle is functioning perfectly and her Pulmonary valve stenosis has protected her lungs from overcirculation so she has no evidence of pulmonary hypertension! God is so amazing! Her oxygen saturations are still low (72%) but she is doing so well otherwise that the doctors sent us home (yippee!) and we will schedule a cardiac cath and surgery in the next month or so. Until then, she gets to be a regular kid! We are so thankful to the One we trust and we are so in awe of His ways...
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Day 13 - Late entry - February 8, 2012 - published on 2/14/2012 Sorry!
Today we went to the US Consulate to formalize our adoption. The whole family stood for the oath (which I thought would entail us promising to love and cherish Emma but instead it was more of a promise that the paperwork we submitted was true and accurate). Oh well, our family ended up doing our own oath later promising to love and cherish Emma anyway. We're a family legally now. When Emma touches US soil in less than 48 hours, she will automatically become a US citizen. Amazing. Our journey in China is about to end but our journey as The Kim Family Five is just beginning. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness and Your amazing plans!
Olivia
Olivia
Home sweet home
We made it home in one glorious piece. Emma did so well on the flight home. Thank God! Madelyn and Luke were great too and enjoyed their unlimited access to movies and songs. Alex watched more Korean movies than he'd like to admit! Now we're trying to get adjusted to another (and thankfully last) time change and Emma is getting used to (hopefully) her new bed (crib). She loves everything else about the house - including the dogs - but has yet to develop love for her bed, especially at night. Oh well, it could be worse!!
We are so thankful that we were able to get her when we did. Her activity level seemed fine when we met her but now that she's home and trying to climb up the stairs or run around with M and L, she gets short of breath and I have to pick her up and hold her so she can recover. Oh Lord, please let her be okay. We go on Thursday to be seen by the cardiologists. I'll be package a suitcase in case they need to admit us right away. Lord, please help me not worry about tomorrow and help me to cherish today. We love her so much already. And please be near us because I see a storm brewing...
We are so thankful that we were able to get her when we did. Her activity level seemed fine when we met her but now that she's home and trying to climb up the stairs or run around with M and L, she gets short of breath and I have to pick her up and hold her so she can recover. Oh Lord, please let her be okay. We go on Thursday to be seen by the cardiologists. I'll be package a suitcase in case they need to admit us right away. Lord, please help me not worry about tomorrow and help me to cherish today. We love her so much already. And please be near us because I see a storm brewing...
Olivia
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Going home!!
We are at the Hong Kong Airport and about to board our flight home! In 15 looooong hours we will be in Chicago and Emma will officially be a US citizen! Please Lord, help us endure the flight and may everyone around us have plenty if earplugs and patience!!!
Olivia
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Days 11 and 12
A relaxing few days. So relaxing that I completely forgot to blog!! Emma's TB skin test was just fine and we were in and out of the clinic in 5 minutes! We spent the rest of the day exploring the island. We went through the marketplace and saw things we weren't expecting - dried snakes, live scorpions and turtles for soups, as well as puppies and kittens and koi fish (for pets, I'm told - I sure do hope so!) We spent the next day resting and relaxing - except for when Emma cries as she tries to go to sleep. She has learned the art of crying/screeching at the top of her lungs and I've relearned how much the cries of my children break my heart - and how I have to show tough love sometimes...
Tomorrow is our US Consulate Appointment and we will be one step closer to home!
Olivia
Tomorrow is our US Consulate Appointment and we will be one step closer to home!
Olivia
RE: Day 10 - Safari Park
OK, so this is what happens when I type at 5 in the morning. The Safari Park was Day 10! Sorry! We'd better be home by Day 19!
Olivia
From: mommykimmd@hotmail.com
To: mommykimmd.kimfamilyfive@blogger.com
Subject: Day 19 - Safari Park
Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2012 23:33:23 +0000
Olivia
From: mommykimmd@hotmail.com
To: mommykimmd.kimfamilyfive@blogger.com
Subject: Day 19 - Safari Park
Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2012 23:33:23 +0000
We saw animals like you wouldn't believe!! Sorry Walt but there were so many more animals than at the Animal Kingdom!! We hopped on the safari train that took us through the safari and habitats and there were animals EVERYWHERE and they were sooo close! Emma was amazed and kept squealing and pointing at all the new creatures. I love watching her discover the world around her. We saw a tiger show (much like a circus act but with 12 tigers) and the Animal Kindergarten (where all the baby animals were). Emma loved the baby animals the most and called everything, whether it was a tiger, a rabbit or a deer, "baby". (Yes she is learning English quickly!!) We also got to pet a koala bear. She was thrilled to see it so close but had no desire to touch it! Madelyn and Luke were thrilled to do both!! Emma also rode her first Carousel and smiled so big! Ahh, the joys of life! And then it was time to eat. I am forever amazed at how much this girl can eat! Chow down, baby girl! At the end of the day - we were all exhausted but sooo happy - we went home, had the other family's children come play at our room (to give their parents a break) and eat McDonalds. We almost forgot we were in China! Tomorrow we're gonna get up early (who am I kidding, Em and I will already be up anyway!) and watch the SuperBowl. Hope we can see the commercials too! Then we go to get Emma's TB skin test checked and then we'll explore Shamain Island. In just a few more days, we'll be heading home. I can't wait and I can't believe it. We are overly blessed...
Olivia
Olivia
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Day 19 - Safari Park
We saw animals like you wouldn't believe!! Sorry Walt but there were so many more animals than at the Animal Kingdom!! We hopped on the safari train that took us through the safari and habitats and there were animals EVERYWHERE and they were sooo close! Emma was amazed and kept squealing and pointing at all the new creatures. I love watching her discover the world around her. We saw a tiger show (much like a circus act but with 12 tigers) and the Animal Kindergarten (where all the baby animals were). Emma loved the baby animals the most and called everything, whether it was a tiger, a rabbit or a deer, "baby". (Yes she is learning English quickly!!) We also got to pet a koala bear. She was thrilled to see it so close but had no desire to touch it! Madelyn and Luke were thrilled to do both!! Emma also rode her first Carousel and smiled so big! Ahh, the joys of life! And then it was time to eat. I am forever amazed at how much this girl can eat! Chow down, baby girl! At the end of the day - we were all exhausted but sooo happy - we went home, had the other family's children come play at our room (to give their parents a break) and eat McDonalds. We almost forgot we were in China! Tomorrow we're gonna get up early (who am I kidding, Em and I will already be up anyway!) and watch the SuperBowl. Hope we can see the commercials too! Then we go to get Emma's TB skin test checked and then we'll explore Shamain Island. In just a few more days, we'll be heading home. I can't wait and I can't believe it. We are overly blessed...
Olivia
Olivia
Day 9 - Hello Guangzhou!!
Let me just start by saying we love the Garden Hotel!! Even though it's in the middle of the city, it's actually very quite and serene in the hotel and on the hotel grounds. Definitely the place to stay!! Today was our day to go get Emma's medical check up. She had to be examined and have a TB skin test placed. The clinic was crammed with people doing the same thing but the staff was efficient and we moved through the line pretty quickly. There was a humorous part that I will always remember. When it was Emma's turn, the doctor was listening to her chest and suddenly his eyes grew big and he was clearly startled. He quickly motioned to us to another room and had another doctor listen to her. He also got a surprised look on his face and in came another doctor. They all spoke quickly and in hushed voices. Then they started pointing to the right side of one doctor's chest. Then I understood and I said, "It's OK! Yes, her heart is on the wrong side of her chest!" The look of relief washed over their faces and then they started laughing and laughing. They quickly signed her papers and ushered us out of the room. :)
She got her TB skin test and we were done. We all went to have lunch at Lucy's Restaurant (we befriended 2 other families who were also using our same agency. One family has 2 older children who get along wonderfully with Madelyn and Luke) and then we called it a day. We'll all be going to the Safari Park tomorrow. It's basically like Disney's Animal Kingdom. We're looking forward to it! It was a good day!
Olivia
She got her TB skin test and we were done. We all went to have lunch at Lucy's Restaurant (we befriended 2 other families who were also using our same agency. One family has 2 older children who get along wonderfully with Madelyn and Luke) and then we called it a day. We'll all be going to the Safari Park tomorrow. It's basically like Disney's Animal Kingdom. We're looking forward to it! It was a good day!
Olivia
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Day 8 - Leaving Nanchang
Looking back, five days in Nanchang did fly by quickly. We befriended another family who was adopting a little girl during our stay and that helped pass the time. Truth be told, though, we were ready to go. It was sad knowing that we were taking Emma from her hometown but we were so ready to pass the halfway mark of our trip and ready to get one step closer to her new home - our home. We were a little apprehensive though. Emma had never flown before and we were worried how her heart and oxygen saturations would be affected. We were going to be in a smaller plane and oxygen tank was not available so we prayed that she would tolerate the flight without too much difficult. Thankfully, she did great! At least from a medical standpoint. From a 2 year old behavior/manners standpoint...well let's just say there is a lot of work to be done in that area. She started out the flight happy and contently eating her snacks. That lasted for 5 minutes. The remainder of the 90 minute flight was filled with crying, pouting, throwing (kleenexs - so at least know one was injured) and being transferred from Alex's lap to mine in hopes to pacify her. Lollipops worked for moments (she likes to bite them instead of savor them) and she was in no mood for toys or reading. Finally I found the solution - stickers!! I quickly handed them to Alex (who was trying to bounce Emma on his knee) and he and she spent the next glorious moments of silence peeling and sticking stickers everywhere. Emma's favorite place to put a sticker is on her nose, so in no time, her face was decorated with stickers and so was Alex's. When we finally landed, all the stickers were gone, Emma grew ansy, and so we bolted off the plane. The moment we got out, she was her happy self, smiling and babbling. Our 15 hour flight home from Hong Kong will require many, many, many stickers I'm afraid and even more patience. We are NOT looking forward to it... Our little angel sure can throw a tantrum!
Once we arrived at our hotel in Guangzhou (it's called the Garden Hotel), we were awestruck by how fancy and luxurious it was. The only draw back was the sleeping arrangements. Four of us could either sleep in a room with 2 twin sized beds or 1 king sized bed. A crib would be provided for Emma. We chose the king-sized bed and spent the rest of the night a little too close for comfort - but in a good way. Tomorrow we go for Emma's medical check up and her TB skin test. We'll be meeting up with another family and though we look forward to seeing the rest of the city, we know that there's no place like home.
Once we arrived at our hotel in Guangzhou (it's called the Garden Hotel), we were awestruck by how fancy and luxurious it was. The only draw back was the sleeping arrangements. Four of us could either sleep in a room with 2 twin sized beds or 1 king sized bed. A crib would be provided for Emma. We chose the king-sized bed and spent the rest of the night a little too close for comfort - but in a good way. Tomorrow we go for Emma's medical check up and her TB skin test. We'll be meeting up with another family and though we look forward to seeing the rest of the city, we know that there's no place like home.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
day 7
Let me just start by saying how gracious our God is. Emma woke up this morning with a cautious smile on her face. I was ready to start a new day. As we were getting ready to go for breakfast, Emma motioned to her sippy cup. When we asked if that was what she wanted, she put her hands together saying "please"! She remembered from the night before! We all squealed with delight and she beamed with pride! I hadn't scarred her for life after all!
Today we would trace the steps of what is known about Emma's past. She was found on March 13, 2010 in a small alleyway at 256 XiLong You Street in the HuFang Village of Nanchang City. It's one of the poorer areas of the the city. She was found by a villager who was passing by and was reportedly laying in a cardboard box with a little fabric to cover her. The villager notified the police who came and took her to the orphanage who estimated that she was 4 months old and gave her a birthdate of November 13, 2009. They put an add in the local paper (which is customarily done - and we actually got a copy of that newspaper from the orphanage!) to try to locate her family. The family has 2 months to come and claim her. No one did so she grew up at the orphanage. In September 2011, she joined a "Love Family" at the orphanage. It's like a foster family but the mom is a full-time "nanny" and lives in a 3-room apartment within the orphanage compound. 5 other kids lived with Emma and her foster mom. During the day, all the kids went to the orphanage and returned to their "home" at night. We were able to see it all - the spot where she was found, the orphanage that she grew up in and her foster mom and home. It was emotional for everyone. We saw so many kids, 95% of them abandoned by their families due to special needs and little resources to care for them. Everyone remembered Emma, even her friends in her class. They came up to her and almost tried to pull her out of my arms. I hugged her even closer. Her nannies all came to say hi too. They tried to hold her but she refused to go to them. They commented that she must already know that we are her family now. :) That made me feel better. Then we went into the baby room. All newly abandoned and lying still in their beds. No one was crying. Two nannies were trying to love too many babies. Again. Lastly we went to Emma's foster mom and home. This was the hardest. I wanted to thank her foster mom for caring for Emma. Apparently she had our family photo album and showed our pictures to Emma regularly to prepare her for our arrival. No wonder she didn't cry when we met her! According to the orphanage director, Emma was expecting us. They have Sunday volunteers that come to play with the kids but Emma refused to go to her Sunday Mom and her foster mom said it was because Emma recognized that the Sunday mom didn't look like the mom (me) in the pictures we sent. I'm not sure if that was true but it made us feel better. When we met Emma's foster mom, Emma was apprehensive and didn't initially go to her so the foster mom took her from my arms to hold and say goodbye. She showed us Emma's old bed and her old room. It was then that Emma's silent tears started again. I'm not sure if it's because she was afraid we were going to leave her or because she was missing her old home - it was probably everything combined because the foster mom also started to cry and she put Emma down. I quickly picked Em up, whispered in her ear and kissed her cheeks. She was saying goodbye it seemed, and after that , did not look at her foster mom. I gave her foster mom a hug and we left, remembering and thankful for Emma's past but looking towards her future. In the car, Emma was still thoughtful but then started to relax and smile and giggle again. I was so proud of her. After a few minutes, our baby girl was fast asleep in my arms and all was right in the world again.
Our guide ended up getting us a heart shaped porcelain (sorry for misspelling it before!) so that Emma can remember that her hometown is famous for such items. Her jade necklace (a gift from her orphanage) fits in perfectly. Our time in Nanchang is coming to an end. We've enjoyed our time here but are ready to go to Guangzhou tomorrow and get one step closer to going home - as a whole family.
Olivia
Today we would trace the steps of what is known about Emma's past. She was found on March 13, 2010 in a small alleyway at 256 XiLong You Street in the HuFang Village of Nanchang City. It's one of the poorer areas of the the city. She was found by a villager who was passing by and was reportedly laying in a cardboard box with a little fabric to cover her. The villager notified the police who came and took her to the orphanage who estimated that she was 4 months old and gave her a birthdate of November 13, 2009. They put an add in the local paper (which is customarily done - and we actually got a copy of that newspaper from the orphanage!) to try to locate her family. The family has 2 months to come and claim her. No one did so she grew up at the orphanage. In September 2011, she joined a "Love Family" at the orphanage. It's like a foster family but the mom is a full-time "nanny" and lives in a 3-room apartment within the orphanage compound. 5 other kids lived with Emma and her foster mom. During the day, all the kids went to the orphanage and returned to their "home" at night. We were able to see it all - the spot where she was found, the orphanage that she grew up in and her foster mom and home. It was emotional for everyone. We saw so many kids, 95% of them abandoned by their families due to special needs and little resources to care for them. Everyone remembered Emma, even her friends in her class. They came up to her and almost tried to pull her out of my arms. I hugged her even closer. Her nannies all came to say hi too. They tried to hold her but she refused to go to them. They commented that she must already know that we are her family now. :) That made me feel better. Then we went into the baby room. All newly abandoned and lying still in their beds. No one was crying. Two nannies were trying to love too many babies. Again. Lastly we went to Emma's foster mom and home. This was the hardest. I wanted to thank her foster mom for caring for Emma. Apparently she had our family photo album and showed our pictures to Emma regularly to prepare her for our arrival. No wonder she didn't cry when we met her! According to the orphanage director, Emma was expecting us. They have Sunday volunteers that come to play with the kids but Emma refused to go to her Sunday Mom and her foster mom said it was because Emma recognized that the Sunday mom didn't look like the mom (me) in the pictures we sent. I'm not sure if that was true but it made us feel better. When we met Emma's foster mom, Emma was apprehensive and didn't initially go to her so the foster mom took her from my arms to hold and say goodbye. She showed us Emma's old bed and her old room. It was then that Emma's silent tears started again. I'm not sure if it's because she was afraid we were going to leave her or because she was missing her old home - it was probably everything combined because the foster mom also started to cry and she put Emma down. I quickly picked Em up, whispered in her ear and kissed her cheeks. She was saying goodbye it seemed, and after that , did not look at her foster mom. I gave her foster mom a hug and we left, remembering and thankful for Emma's past but looking towards her future. In the car, Emma was still thoughtful but then started to relax and smile and giggle again. I was so proud of her. After a few minutes, our baby girl was fast asleep in my arms and all was right in the world again.
Our guide ended up getting us a heart shaped porcelain (sorry for misspelling it before!) so that Emma can remember that her hometown is famous for such items. Her jade necklace (a gift from her orphanage) fits in perfectly. Our time in Nanchang is coming to an end. We've enjoyed our time here but are ready to go to Guangzhou tomorrow and get one step closer to going home - as a whole family.
Olivia
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Day 6 - I think
Today we toured other parts of Nanchang. We first went to a traditional Buddhist Temple. I was reluctant but to be respectful to the guide and the other families we went. This temple housed the largest man-made bronze statue of Buddha in China and there were people praying fervently to the statue. I couldn't help myself but to pray silently for all those people who seeking. It was eye-opening to say the least... Next we went to a place called "The People's Park" which was beautiful. It reminded me of Central Park in New York. Lots of green grassy spaces and ponds with huge koi popping up their heads in hopes for a treat. There were playgrounds and kids learning how to ride their bikes (one little boy ran over Alex's foot and then mine - and he was one of the better ones) and kids even driving kiddie golf carts - in the middle of the walkway causing all of us pedestrians to dodge out of their way! We concluded that this is where the future taxi drivers of China are made! ;) At the end of the park were amusement park rides!!! Tons of them! A carousel, tea cup rides, a kiddie roller coaster - you get the idea. It was just like Disneyworld, except for the reassurance of safety! The rides were old and rickety but too tempting for Madelyn and Luke. So Alex and I conceded (and whispered a prayer) and agreed to go on 1 ride for each child. Emma would stay in the safety of her stroller. First, Luke and I rode a little roller coaster ride - the kind that you saw at Dinorex (before it went out of business). We squeezed into one car and I struggled to get the seatbelt around us but it was broken. No worries, motioned the attendant. No seatbelts needed. Yikes!!! Before I could protest, the ride started and I grabbed on to Luke. The ride started out slowly - ah that's why no need for seatbelts. Then it went faster and faster and faster and it creaked louder and louder! Help! :) Thankfully we survived and now it was Alex and Madelyn's turn. Maddy chose an upside down ride and squealed the entire time. Alex looked green the entire time! :) But they survived as well. Our reward was a meal at McDonalds. Luke ate like there was no tomorrow. He has survived on goldfish and butter pancakes for 5 days. Now with a cheeseburger, chicken nuggets and 2 orders of fries, my boy was happy. Emma, bless her heart, is a fan of Big Macs. Ahh, she IS a Kim! :) To keep things real, I must say that there was one moment last night that was our first struggle with the will of a two year old. Emma has a definite mischevious side to her. When we correct her and tell her "no", she just grins this sly, sneeky grin and shows no remorse. Uh, oh. I don't know why but it troubled me so much that she reacted that way. So I thought I should teach her some boundaries (instead of showing her grace, I admit that the human part of me prevailed) and we started trying to make her say or sign "please" (by putting her hands together) when she wanted something. It didn't work. She grew more obstinate and (and distant) I grew more frustrated. So we called it a night and we put her to bed. That night I had to take a moment to think and remember that "rules without relationship lead to rebellion." I decided that I would make sure she trusted and loved us first before I started being too strict. I went to bed praying for wisdom and grace in how to best raise Emma. It was a restless night - even for Emma. She cried in her sleep several times but quieted quickly as soon as I spoke to her or held her. Oh Lord, please let her know we love her no matter what. And even now, when I have a better idea of what the "no matter what" would be, we still love her no matter what... May tomorrow be a new day and a fresh start.
Olivia
Olivia
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Day 4 - Pagodas, Porcelin and Pain
The day started as all our days in China have started - at 2 AM. Jet lag has not been as bad as I feared but it sure prevents us from sleeping past 2 AM! I said something to the kids I never thought I would ever say at the wee hours of the morning..."Shh, hey guys, do you want to play on my iPhone?" Anything to keep them quite while their little sister slept. So we all grabbed an electronic device, threw a blanket over our heads and idled the hours away until Emma woke up at 5:30 am. That sweet baby girl started to stir and when I went to check on her, she broke out into this glorious smile! It was the first time we had ever seen her smile - ever! So I scooped her up and gave her a good morning kiss and our day was officially on. Today we went to an ancient landmark of Nanchang. A 1300 year old Pagoda that was built by a wayward son of an emperor long ago. We took many pictures and Madelyn did her obligatory handstand in front of the pagoda. Emma was babbling, giggling and as happy as can be. I loved the way she would toddle over to Alex, giggle as he would tickle her, and then come running back to me so I could give her a quick hug. I dare say, she knows that we are her Mommy and Daddy and I also dare say that she likes us! :) After the pagoda, we went to a local porcelin market. Porcelin is another hallmark of this city and we oohed and ahhed at the beautiful pieces. But buying and bringing home china that is likely to break was not something we wanted to do so we politely declined and headed for the hotel. On the way back, Emma fell asleep in my arms in the car - yes she was sitting on my lap because their is no such things as car safety in China! She stayed asleep as we got out of the car and as we walked back to our room. She woke briefly as we took off her coat but I knew she was exhausted so I put her in her crib and told the kids to play quitely so Emma could go back to sleep. She was watching us but I thought she'd go back to sleep soon. It was then when I glanced at her that I saw quiet tears falling from her eyes. She didn't make a sound, she didn't move, she just laid still and she just cried these silent, heart-breaking tears. I rushed to her and picked her up and held her close. She looked at me with such sad eyes. She must have felt like we were "done with her" and "put her away". I showered her with kisses and the kids ran up to her to do the same. Madelyn asked why Emma didn't cry out loud or make a sound. I told her that no one probably came to her in the past when she cried out loud so she probably learned there was no use in crying. This made Maddy hug Em even more. It made me hug all my kids even more. I don't think we'll ever know what Emma went through during her first 2 years of living in an orphanage but I do know that she will never feel that sadness again. My heart litterally broke when I saw Emma's silent tears - but the pain I felt must pale in comparison to the pain she's lived with. Thank the Lord that that part of her life is over.
Later that day, we decided to use the indoor hotel pool. We all got dressed in our swimsuit. Emma fussed a bit at the strange feeling of the swim suit but was back to her happy self in minutes. We went to the pool surprised to see no one in it. Great! we thought, we'll have the whole pool to ourselves. Before we entered to pool area, the pool attendent came over and asked if we had swimming caps. That ended our trip to the pool. Oh well, lesson learned. We'll have to take Emma for her first swim when we return to the US.
Tomorrow we will be going to the People's Park and other landmarks and on Thursday we go to visit Emma's orphanage. Friday we leave for Guangzhou and will be at our half-way point for our time in China. God is so good. He amazes me.
Olivia
Later that day, we decided to use the indoor hotel pool. We all got dressed in our swimsuit. Emma fussed a bit at the strange feeling of the swim suit but was back to her happy self in minutes. We went to the pool surprised to see no one in it. Great! we thought, we'll have the whole pool to ourselves. Before we entered to pool area, the pool attendent came over and asked if we had swimming caps. That ended our trip to the pool. Oh well, lesson learned. We'll have to take Emma for her first swim when we return to the US.
Tomorrow we will be going to the People's Park and other landmarks and on Thursday we go to visit Emma's orphanage. Friday we leave for Guangzhou and will be at our half-way point for our time in China. God is so good. He amazes me.
Olivia
Monday, January 30, 2012
Meeting Emma
January 30, 2012. Today's the day! We got up early to eat breakfast at the hotel. It's an East meets West buffet breakfast and we saw 4-6 families with newly adopted little Chinese babies! The waitress sat us in the "adoptive parents" section but looked quizically at us since we looked Chinese (at least Asian) and already had 2 kids. Oh well - it's good to keep them guessing! They'll realize things tomorrow when we have Emma with us at breakfast.
The food was interesting. Thankfully they had pancake and bacon (kind of) and Luke downed 3 of each. Alex was the adventurous one and ate bits of everything. Madelyn and I sticked with dumplings and eggs. We went back to our room to wait for our guide, Maggie, to take us to the Adoption Office across the street to meet Emma. Apparently there were 6 families who arrived yesterday to be united with their children so the office was quite busy. So instead of waiting for them to bring Emma to us, we decided we would go and get her from the office since she had apparently been there since the early hours of the morning. Walking across the street should be no big deal - unless you are in China. Cars, mopeds, bikes and pedestrians follow only one rule - whoever honks the loudest, runs the fastest or gives the meanest looks gets the right of way. With Maggie leading the way, we scurried, dodged and ran for safety. When we made it to the Adoption Office, Maggie sat us down in a waiting room and moments lated, a nanny from Emma's orphanage carried her out to us. Emma was dressed in 5 layers of clothing and could barely move but at least she was warm! The kids were so excited and completely forgot about the talks we had about giving Emma space and time and not crowding her/touching her the moment they saw here because the next thing you know, they are reaching for her hand, touching her cheeks (which were so raw and chapped and excoriated) and trying to kiss her head! Emma didn't flinch, she just watched, not sure of what to do, but not scared. The nanny handed Emma to me and expected her to cry and wail, but she didn't. She let me hold her and put her arm around mine and just looked at us. In her other hand was the family photo book we had sent her for her 2nd birthday. We didn't think she ever got it but here she was holding it - and refusing to let it go! We sat down and flipped through the book and let Madelyn and Luke shower her with affection. The orphanage directors said that Emma was not in a foster home. She was in what was called a "love family" home. Apparently under the roof of the orphanage, there are several apartments where a nanny will be responsible for 4-6 kids. Emma was one of those kids. This meant she got extra attention which is great. The nanny also brought some of Emma's belongings... a blonde and blue eyed doll they had gotten for her (guess they thought we were going to be Caucasian!) and a newspaper clipping of when she was found by the police. Apparently, once abandoned children are found, their pictures run in the newspaper for up to 2 months in hopes of trying to find the parents. If the baby is unclaimed (which is the vast majority of the time because it's against the law to abandon a child), he/she is sent to the orphanage. We graciously received the items and tucked them away to show Emma when she was older. We then started to go back to the hotel. When I picked her up again, I noticed that my hand was on her bare little bottom! She had the traditional Chinese split pants on (which allowed her to squat and pee without adult assistance) and although she was super warm everywhere else, her bottom was fully exposed! We wrapped up her little tush in the blanket we had and risked our lives crossing the street again. When we got to the hotel room, Madelyn and Luke went quickly to work finding every toy possible and presenting them to the Princess. Emma's favorite was a little doll we brought and stickers! She loves stickers! When we noticed that Emma's cheeks were getting even more red, we realized that she was overheating in her layers of clothing and took them off - all 5 of them! She's actually a skinny mini under all those clothes! The biggest thing about her was her cheeks! Madelyn picked out an outfit and I put a pink bow in her hair. The funny thing is that I thought Emma wouldn't like wearing a bow but she must have liked her reflection in the mirror because every time that little bow started to slip from her hair, she would try to put it back until I would re-do if for her. Once her bow was back in place, she went back playing. A little diva already! Next we met up with Maggie again and went to sign papers needed to finalize the adoption in her province. We had no idea what we were signing but kept signing anyway. As is Chinese tradition, each signature was followed with a red stamped thumbprint of each of us. Emma had "signed" her name with a red ink hand-print to make it official. Then we returned home for dinner (one $30 papa johns pizza for the 4 of us and noodles for Em - that girl can eat a lot!) and settled in for the night as a family of 5. Madelyn and Emma took a bath - I think it was Emma's first real bath because she patted the water like an infant - and we got everyone ready for bed. We all passed out by 7pm. Now it's 5am and we're all awake and ready to go - everyone except Emma who is sleeping so sweetly. I love these moments of quiet. Time to realize how precious life is, how precious my family is and how amazing our God is. This is gonna be a great day!
Olivia
The food was interesting. Thankfully they had pancake and bacon (kind of) and Luke downed 3 of each. Alex was the adventurous one and ate bits of everything. Madelyn and I sticked with dumplings and eggs. We went back to our room to wait for our guide, Maggie, to take us to the Adoption Office across the street to meet Emma. Apparently there were 6 families who arrived yesterday to be united with their children so the office was quite busy. So instead of waiting for them to bring Emma to us, we decided we would go and get her from the office since she had apparently been there since the early hours of the morning. Walking across the street should be no big deal - unless you are in China. Cars, mopeds, bikes and pedestrians follow only one rule - whoever honks the loudest, runs the fastest or gives the meanest looks gets the right of way. With Maggie leading the way, we scurried, dodged and ran for safety. When we made it to the Adoption Office, Maggie sat us down in a waiting room and moments lated, a nanny from Emma's orphanage carried her out to us. Emma was dressed in 5 layers of clothing and could barely move but at least she was warm! The kids were so excited and completely forgot about the talks we had about giving Emma space and time and not crowding her/touching her the moment they saw here because the next thing you know, they are reaching for her hand, touching her cheeks (which were so raw and chapped and excoriated) and trying to kiss her head! Emma didn't flinch, she just watched, not sure of what to do, but not scared. The nanny handed Emma to me and expected her to cry and wail, but she didn't. She let me hold her and put her arm around mine and just looked at us. In her other hand was the family photo book we had sent her for her 2nd birthday. We didn't think she ever got it but here she was holding it - and refusing to let it go! We sat down and flipped through the book and let Madelyn and Luke shower her with affection. The orphanage directors said that Emma was not in a foster home. She was in what was called a "love family" home. Apparently under the roof of the orphanage, there are several apartments where a nanny will be responsible for 4-6 kids. Emma was one of those kids. This meant she got extra attention which is great. The nanny also brought some of Emma's belongings... a blonde and blue eyed doll they had gotten for her (guess they thought we were going to be Caucasian!) and a newspaper clipping of when she was found by the police. Apparently, once abandoned children are found, their pictures run in the newspaper for up to 2 months in hopes of trying to find the parents. If the baby is unclaimed (which is the vast majority of the time because it's against the law to abandon a child), he/she is sent to the orphanage. We graciously received the items and tucked them away to show Emma when she was older. We then started to go back to the hotel. When I picked her up again, I noticed that my hand was on her bare little bottom! She had the traditional Chinese split pants on (which allowed her to squat and pee without adult assistance) and although she was super warm everywhere else, her bottom was fully exposed! We wrapped up her little tush in the blanket we had and risked our lives crossing the street again. When we got to the hotel room, Madelyn and Luke went quickly to work finding every toy possible and presenting them to the Princess. Emma's favorite was a little doll we brought and stickers! She loves stickers! When we noticed that Emma's cheeks were getting even more red, we realized that she was overheating in her layers of clothing and took them off - all 5 of them! She's actually a skinny mini under all those clothes! The biggest thing about her was her cheeks! Madelyn picked out an outfit and I put a pink bow in her hair. The funny thing is that I thought Emma wouldn't like wearing a bow but she must have liked her reflection in the mirror because every time that little bow started to slip from her hair, she would try to put it back until I would re-do if for her. Once her bow was back in place, she went back playing. A little diva already! Next we met up with Maggie again and went to sign papers needed to finalize the adoption in her province. We had no idea what we were signing but kept signing anyway. As is Chinese tradition, each signature was followed with a red stamped thumbprint of each of us. Emma had "signed" her name with a red ink hand-print to make it official. Then we returned home for dinner (one $30 papa johns pizza for the 4 of us and noodles for Em - that girl can eat a lot!) and settled in for the night as a family of 5. Madelyn and Emma took a bath - I think it was Emma's first real bath because she patted the water like an infant - and we got everyone ready for bed. We all passed out by 7pm. Now it's 5am and we're all awake and ready to go - everyone except Emma who is sleeping so sweetly. I love these moments of quiet. Time to realize how precious life is, how precious my family is and how amazing our God is. This is gonna be a great day!
Olivia
FW: Days 1 - 3
The first 3 days of our journey consisted of travel. We packed furiously and purposely the night before, determined to go COO (carry on only). With the help of ziploc bags and squeezing all the air out of our belongings, we managed to pack 5 people's worth of clothing for 2 weeks into 4 carry-ons. Yes the carry-ons were bulging at the seams but we did it! It was going to be a great trip with zero risk of loosing our luggage. :) Well (you knew there was going to be a catch), when we checked in with Cathay Pacific for our non-stop flight to Hong Kong, we were told that all carryons had to weigh less than 14 lbs. Ours of course weighed twice that much. So, we had to check each and every one of them. Oh well. :) It could have been worse. The flight to HK was not as bad as we thought it would be. Thank God for the individual TV screens and video game consoles. 16 hours ended up being 14 hours due to a great tail wind (thanks God) and we arrived without much difficulty. It was warm and muggy in HK. Nice! We went through customs and stayed at the Regal Airport Hotel in HK. Accomodations were tight (all 4 of us slept in a king sized bed) and we had Burger King for dinner (which tasted waaaay better than USA BK!) and enjoyed the togetherness of it all. In the morning we ate at Popeye's for chicken! Who knew that fried chicken, scrambled eggs and hot dogs ( they called it sausage but we know our Oscar Meyer Weiners!) could taste so good? Then we hopped on a plane to Nanchang. When we arrived at the airport at Nanchang. The first thing we noticed was our breath. Not that it smelled bad but that we could see it everytime we exhaled. You see, in Nanchang, all the buildings have no heat in the main areas. Everyone was wearing thick winter coats because it was 40 degrees outside - and thus 40 degrees inside. Lesson learned, wear a winter coat at all times... The next thing we knew, armed Chinese policemen rushed towards us. Madelyn, in her eagerness to take pictures of everything and give a presentation of her trip to her class, had whipped out her camera to take a picture of the immigration sign. Clearly this was not appreciated by the police and we quickly apologized and tucked the camera away. We were definitely not in Kansas any more...
When we made it to our hotel, which was quite luxurious - except for the lack of heat- we spent the next 30 minutes (no joke) trying to find a room that was not overwhelmed with the smell of cigarette smoke. Even though there are designated floors of "non-smoking" rooms, these restrictions are not heeded and people smoke everywhere. We ended up in the newer wing of the hotel and got a room that had not been occupied yet and was smoke-free. Thank God! At least it was smoke-free until that night when a group of business men decided to congregate in the hallway outside our door and smoke the night away. Oh well, it could have been worse. :) Nothing could dampen our spirtis because tomorrow, we were going to meet Emma and hold her for the very first time. Finally! We were about to become the Kim Family Five!
Olivia
When we made it to our hotel, which was quite luxurious - except for the lack of heat- we spent the next 30 minutes (no joke) trying to find a room that was not overwhelmed with the smell of cigarette smoke. Even though there are designated floors of "non-smoking" rooms, these restrictions are not heeded and people smoke everywhere. We ended up in the newer wing of the hotel and got a room that had not been occupied yet and was smoke-free. Thank God! At least it was smoke-free until that night when a group of business men decided to congregate in the hallway outside our door and smoke the night away. Oh well, it could have been worse. :) Nothing could dampen our spirtis because tomorrow, we were going to meet Emma and hold her for the very first time. Finally! We were about to become the Kim Family Five!
Olivia
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Almost there!
We are now at Hong Kong waiting to board the plane to Nanchang. We are staying at the Galactic Peace Hotel and will meet Emma tomorrow, January 30,2012 at 11am. I just can't believe it. After all that rushing, waiting, praying, waiting, hoping, waiting, worrying, trusting and waiting it's finally here. We are finally here. We're so close we're overwhelmed with excitement and worry. Excited and relieved to finally be able to hold her and worried that she will be traumatized by leaving the only life she knows and worried that her little heart will be stressed even more by the flight and the emotional turmoil. Even Luke has felt a sudden sense of apprehension as the weight of "big brother-dom" sits on his shoulders. Thankfully Madelyn has been our ray of sunshine, giddy as can be and full of optimism that. She's right because in the end, I know that we are in His hands and that He will not let us go. This is all His doing anyway. May He be glorified. I know He has great plans for all 3 of our children and I am honored to be able to see His handiwork. Lord, you amaze me. Truly amazing. Glory be Thy Name.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
She's coming home!!
In the late hours of the day on Tuesday January 17, 2012 we got our Travel Approval! We have the official green light and we are going to meet EMMA!!! I can't believe it's really happening!! All the emotions of exhilaration, excitement, and utter gratitude to our One True God are filling our home and our hearts. Lord, You have been so evident to us during this entire process and You have been so faithful and You have provided every ounce of strength and patience we needed to get wait until the next approval, the next step, the next confirmation that you are in control. Thank you Lord!
Today was filled with the nitty gritty...planning, making travel arrangements, telling friends and family and school teachers, re-scheduling appointments and just grinning from ear to ear! We will leave Chicago on Friday January 27 (yes, just 8 days from now!!!) and arrive in Hong Kong on January 28. We'll stay overnight in the Regal Airport Hotel and then fly to Nanchang on January 29. We'll meet Emma at 11AM Monday January 30! Somebody pinch me 'cuz I must be dreaming! We'll do all the province-required paperwork, see her orphanage, meet her foster family and then fly to Guangzhou on Friday, February 3. That's where we'll take an oath (Madelyn and Luke will participate too!) to love her always and be her family forever. We'll also get her visa and she will have a medical exam. Our US Consulate Appointment is February 8 at 8:30 AM and we will pick up her visa at 3:30p on February 9. Then we high-tail it to Hong Kong and fly home on February 10. It'll be a whirlwind of a trip but I am soooo thankful that the whole family will be there to meet Emma. It took some convincing but Alex was able to change his schedule and join us for the entire trip. I can't tell you what a relief and a joy it is that he'll be there...Thank you Lord. I know it was Your doing!
Once we get back home, we will have a few days to adjust before Emma has her cardiology appointment on February 16. We're told to pack a bag - just in case she needs to be admitted to the hospital that day. I'm not looking forward to it and I'm sure Emma is not going to be a happy camper but we are ready to let the healing begin.
In just a few more days, we will be a whole family and we will officially become the Kim Family Five - amazing!! It doesn't get much better than this... Glory be to God! Only He could make this happen! Glory be to God!
Today was filled with the nitty gritty...planning, making travel arrangements, telling friends and family and school teachers, re-scheduling appointments and just grinning from ear to ear! We will leave Chicago on Friday January 27 (yes, just 8 days from now!!!) and arrive in Hong Kong on January 28. We'll stay overnight in the Regal Airport Hotel and then fly to Nanchang on January 29. We'll meet Emma at 11AM Monday January 30! Somebody pinch me 'cuz I must be dreaming! We'll do all the province-required paperwork, see her orphanage, meet her foster family and then fly to Guangzhou on Friday, February 3. That's where we'll take an oath (Madelyn and Luke will participate too!) to love her always and be her family forever. We'll also get her visa and she will have a medical exam. Our US Consulate Appointment is February 8 at 8:30 AM and we will pick up her visa at 3:30p on February 9. Then we high-tail it to Hong Kong and fly home on February 10. It'll be a whirlwind of a trip but I am soooo thankful that the whole family will be there to meet Emma. It took some convincing but Alex was able to change his schedule and join us for the entire trip. I can't tell you what a relief and a joy it is that he'll be there...Thank you Lord. I know it was Your doing!
Once we get back home, we will have a few days to adjust before Emma has her cardiology appointment on February 16. We're told to pack a bag - just in case she needs to be admitted to the hospital that day. I'm not looking forward to it and I'm sure Emma is not going to be a happy camper but we are ready to let the healing begin.
In just a few more days, we will be a whole family and we will officially become the Kim Family Five - amazing!! It doesn't get much better than this... Glory be to God! Only He could make this happen! Glory be to God!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
A Puppy for Emma - A Reminder to Us - Both Signs of God's Mysterious Ways
...
I hesitated to write this when it all first happened just because I was afraid of how things would turn out, but as time passes, I'm realizing that God was up to something!!
Our two dogs, Sydney and Toby had puppies on December 15, 2011. We had not planned on having a litter of pups during this time because we know (hope) we will be traveling to get little Emma soon. But, sure enough, while we were on vacation in October and our dogs were being "watched" by our wonderful neighbors, they evidently "got married". ;) Two months later, we had 5 new puppies! I must say, it was a wonderful experience! Madelyn wants to become an obstetrician - in fact she has wanted to be a "baby-taker-outer" (as she called it) since she was 5. She was right there with me helping to deliver the pups. She was actually the first one to recognize that Sydney was in labor! The first puppy was breech and stuck. We tried to be patient but when his foot started turning blue, we had to go rescue him so I had to help deliver him. Madelyn swept into action, she dried and stimulated him (she's actually helped me teach Neonatal Resuscitation to my fellows in the past so I'm not surprised she knew what to do!) and we got him vigorous! The next 3 puppies came out without incident and the last puppy (which was the largest - ouch!) had a retained placenta so Madelyn had to help me cut the umbilical cord and extract the placenta. In the end, we had 4 boys and 1 girl puppy - all scrumptiously adorable!! My cousin's family was planning on taking the girl puppy and we were planning on placing the 4 other puppies with other families since house-training a new puppy and bringing home Emma at the same time was not something I wanted to do. Much to Madelyn's utter disappointment and through many tears, she understood (or just accepted) that we couldn't keep a puppy. Well, to make a long story short, (I know, too late!) the girl puppy who Madelyn named Blossom, started to show signs of distress. At about 1 week of age, she wasn't nursing as well, she was breathing hard and all her brothers, even the runt a birth, out grew her. We took her to the vet and they were very concerned and took and X-ray of her and found that she has a congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Basically, her diaphragm did not develop appropriately and her intestines are in her chest and compressing her heart and lungs. :( They did not expect her to survive and offered to "put her down." Well, we decided that we would bring her home, love her and help feed her (yes, I was syringe feeding her every 3-4 hours) and just see what happened. Madelyn and Luke understood that she was very sick and may not make it. They spent extra time with her - just in case. It was then that I needed to tell my cousin that we couldn't give Blossom to anyone due to her frail health and that we would be keeping her to best care for her. Madelyn was overjoyed that we could keep a puppy and in her simple faith that God is in control she said, "See Mommy, this is perfect! I was the first child and Sydney was our first dog. I'm a girl and Sydney's a girl. Luke was the second child and Toby was our second dog - Luke's a boy and Toby's a boy. And now, Emma is our third child and Blossom is our third dog and their both girls AND they both have congenital defects!!! See Mom! Blossom is supposed to be part of this family!!" I didn't know whether to laugh or cry but so I just smiled and gave her a hug and told her how wonderful she was. :)
Wouldn't you know it, the puppies are now almost 5 weeks old and Blossom, although still half the size of her brothers, is the most spunky and the smartest one of them all! She was the first to walk, the first to climb out of the whelping box and the first to eat solid foods. Amazing! Our vet is shocked that Blossom even lived this long and is cautiously optimistic for the future. Blossom reminds me of Emma. Both not expected to live, both survivors, and both desperately loved by our family...The mysteries of our God...I hope I never understand His wonderful ways so I can always remain in complete and total awe of Him... Amazing...
I hesitated to write this when it all first happened just because I was afraid of how things would turn out, but as time passes, I'm realizing that God was up to something!!
Our two dogs, Sydney and Toby had puppies on December 15, 2011. We had not planned on having a litter of pups during this time because we know (hope) we will be traveling to get little Emma soon. But, sure enough, while we were on vacation in October and our dogs were being "watched" by our wonderful neighbors, they evidently "got married". ;) Two months later, we had 5 new puppies! I must say, it was a wonderful experience! Madelyn wants to become an obstetrician - in fact she has wanted to be a "baby-taker-outer" (as she called it) since she was 5. She was right there with me helping to deliver the pups. She was actually the first one to recognize that Sydney was in labor! The first puppy was breech and stuck. We tried to be patient but when his foot started turning blue, we had to go rescue him so I had to help deliver him. Madelyn swept into action, she dried and stimulated him (she's actually helped me teach Neonatal Resuscitation to my fellows in the past so I'm not surprised she knew what to do!) and we got him vigorous! The next 3 puppies came out without incident and the last puppy (which was the largest - ouch!) had a retained placenta so Madelyn had to help me cut the umbilical cord and extract the placenta. In the end, we had 4 boys and 1 girl puppy - all scrumptiously adorable!! My cousin's family was planning on taking the girl puppy and we were planning on placing the 4 other puppies with other families since house-training a new puppy and bringing home Emma at the same time was not something I wanted to do. Much to Madelyn's utter disappointment and through many tears, she understood (or just accepted) that we couldn't keep a puppy. Well, to make a long story short, (I know, too late!) the girl puppy who Madelyn named Blossom, started to show signs of distress. At about 1 week of age, she wasn't nursing as well, she was breathing hard and all her brothers, even the runt a birth, out grew her. We took her to the vet and they were very concerned and took and X-ray of her and found that she has a congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Basically, her diaphragm did not develop appropriately and her intestines are in her chest and compressing her heart and lungs. :( They did not expect her to survive and offered to "put her down." Well, we decided that we would bring her home, love her and help feed her (yes, I was syringe feeding her every 3-4 hours) and just see what happened. Madelyn and Luke understood that she was very sick and may not make it. They spent extra time with her - just in case. It was then that I needed to tell my cousin that we couldn't give Blossom to anyone due to her frail health and that we would be keeping her to best care for her. Madelyn was overjoyed that we could keep a puppy and in her simple faith that God is in control she said, "See Mommy, this is perfect! I was the first child and Sydney was our first dog. I'm a girl and Sydney's a girl. Luke was the second child and Toby was our second dog - Luke's a boy and Toby's a boy. And now, Emma is our third child and Blossom is our third dog and their both girls AND they both have congenital defects!!! See Mom! Blossom is supposed to be part of this family!!" I didn't know whether to laugh or cry but so I just smiled and gave her a hug and told her how wonderful she was. :)
Wouldn't you know it, the puppies are now almost 5 weeks old and Blossom, although still half the size of her brothers, is the most spunky and the smartest one of them all! She was the first to walk, the first to climb out of the whelping box and the first to eat solid foods. Amazing! Our vet is shocked that Blossom even lived this long and is cautiously optimistic for the future. Blossom reminds me of Emma. Both not expected to live, both survivors, and both desperately loved by our family...The mysteries of our God...I hope I never understand His wonderful ways so I can always remain in complete and total awe of Him... Amazing...
Monday, January 9, 2012
God is so Good
This whole adoption process continues to show me how awesome (and gracious) our God is. There have been ups and downs, tears of joy and worry and the never-ending uncertainty of tomorrow but He is Faithful. He always has been and always will be. I just wanted to pause today and enjoy what he has started and soak in our journey to Emma because it's actually our journey closer to Him. So as we wait for our TA - our final approval - we are so thankful for Him... not for what He'll do for us, but for who He is. Because, after all, He is all we need. Thank you, Abba Father. You are too good to me... Glory be to God.
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