Saturday, February 19, 2005
Tian's Visit to Writers Group
Tian crashed writer's group last Wednesday (Feb. 16)
She would only pose for photos with her Papa.
and Uncle (in some strange alternate universe) Brooks.
She would only pose for photos with her Papa.
and Uncle (in some strange alternate universe) Brooks.
A Visit to the Doctor
More Photos: Home at Last
More Trip Photos
This photo was taken just minutes after we met Tian on January 26th. The Chinese officals took the photo for the adoption paperwork. 
On the return trip Tian had a bassinet on the plane.
But she preferred to sleep on her Papa.
This is the moment she touched ground in the United Sates (LAX) and immediately became an American citizen.
On the return trip Tian had a bassinet on the plane.
But she preferred to sleep on her Papa.
This is the moment she touched ground in the United Sates (LAX) and immediately became an American citizen.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Since Being Home
A lot has happened since we came home five days ago. Tian is learning things so fast and furiously, we can hardly keep up. We went for a walk with the dogs today. They are fine with her and she with them. She enjoyed her new stroller, a real deluxe model compared to the "no-frills" in China. She continues to love her Pooh bear, burying her head in his chest first thing every morning.
We aren't celebrating her birthday until the 16th because Alexa can't come until then. Tian will think it is the 15th since we have a birthday cake and balloons, besides I don't think she knows her days of the month yet. Steve did have a dream that she was so smart that her first grade teacher didn't like her. The first grade teacher made some kind of stereotypical comment like "You're just smart because you're Chinese" and Tian said "No I'm smart because my daddy homeschooled me since I was one."
Yes, it is 1:31 in the morning and I'm awake. I laid in bed for an hour trying to get back to sleep and I couldn't. I know I shouldn't nap in the afternoons. But I took a really good long one in the afternoon for about 3 hours again. I'm a napaholic, even though I feel horrible the next day because I don't sleep at night. I need a sponsor to call when it is about 1:30 in the afternoon. Although I'm not sure that would help, because a friend called at 2:30 and I just went right back to sleep.
Tian was so sweet last night. She was so happy getting dressed for bed that when I finished she practically jumped into my arms from the changing pad. I went to put her down with her toys to play for awhile since she was so alert and awake. She cried so I picked her back up, she laid her head on my shoulder and went to sleep listening to selections from Godspell.
Tian loves music - Alison Brown's banjo seems to be her favorite but she also really likes the Muppets. We are a bit concerned about how she perks up hearing Miss Piggy. Steve has theorized that the likes of Britney Spears have made it to the big time because they are the generation that grew up listening to Miss Piggy and think she is the standard against which all music should be judged.
Yesterday was a big day for learning. Tian learned to roll over and move toward the toys Steve would put out on the blanket. In China, she could sit but couldn't get back up if she fell forward or back. While in China, she began pulling herself back up from the front but still cannot independently pull up from her back. You could put her on the bed with pillows behind her and she would just stay there. She is beginning to learn some creeping movements and a few moves toward crawling. She loves her squeaky shoes and walks with them while holding our fingers.
Tian also learned to pick up a Cheerio from her tray and put it into her mouth about 7 out of 10 times. (Sounds like an IEP for small motor skill development, all you teachers out there!) So now I have a few minutes of peace at the end of the meal while she enjoys picking up Cheerios and I can eat a now cooled meal quite quickly.
Since coming home, we haven't taken many pictures. We'll try to make our next entry full of pictures. We hardly want to even think about a camera, feels like we are traveling again. It is so great to be home.
We aren't celebrating her birthday until the 16th because Alexa can't come until then. Tian will think it is the 15th since we have a birthday cake and balloons, besides I don't think she knows her days of the month yet. Steve did have a dream that she was so smart that her first grade teacher didn't like her. The first grade teacher made some kind of stereotypical comment like "You're just smart because you're Chinese" and Tian said "No I'm smart because my daddy homeschooled me since I was one."
Yes, it is 1:31 in the morning and I'm awake. I laid in bed for an hour trying to get back to sleep and I couldn't. I know I shouldn't nap in the afternoons. But I took a really good long one in the afternoon for about 3 hours again. I'm a napaholic, even though I feel horrible the next day because I don't sleep at night. I need a sponsor to call when it is about 1:30 in the afternoon. Although I'm not sure that would help, because a friend called at 2:30 and I just went right back to sleep.
Tian was so sweet last night. She was so happy getting dressed for bed that when I finished she practically jumped into my arms from the changing pad. I went to put her down with her toys to play for awhile since she was so alert and awake. She cried so I picked her back up, she laid her head on my shoulder and went to sleep listening to selections from Godspell.
Tian loves music - Alison Brown's banjo seems to be her favorite but she also really likes the Muppets. We are a bit concerned about how she perks up hearing Miss Piggy. Steve has theorized that the likes of Britney Spears have made it to the big time because they are the generation that grew up listening to Miss Piggy and think she is the standard against which all music should be judged.
Yesterday was a big day for learning. Tian learned to roll over and move toward the toys Steve would put out on the blanket. In China, she could sit but couldn't get back up if she fell forward or back. While in China, she began pulling herself back up from the front but still cannot independently pull up from her back. You could put her on the bed with pillows behind her and she would just stay there. She is beginning to learn some creeping movements and a few moves toward crawling. She loves her squeaky shoes and walks with them while holding our fingers.
Tian also learned to pick up a Cheerio from her tray and put it into her mouth about 7 out of 10 times. (Sounds like an IEP for small motor skill development, all you teachers out there!) So now I have a few minutes of peace at the end of the meal while she enjoys picking up Cheerios and I can eat a now cooled meal quite quickly.
Since coming home, we haven't taken many pictures. We'll try to make our next entry full of pictures. We hardly want to even think about a camera, feels like we are traveling again. It is so great to be home.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Home, Jet-lagged, But HOME
I've often wondered why people keep such detailed adoption logs while in China and then they announce they are going home... Silence for days! I'm wondering - did they have travel problems? Are they sick? What is the matter with them? I'm waiting for news!
It's JET LAG and a baby on an exactly opposite schedule from Eastern Standard Time. We are trying to adjust and sleep when the baby does, but it is making us feeling very out of kilter. So be patient. We are home. We are fine, but adjusting to the time change.
She continues to be a real joy, even at 4:00 in the morning.
It's JET LAG and a baby on an exactly opposite schedule from Eastern Standard Time. We are trying to adjust and sleep when the baby does, but it is making us feeling very out of kilter. So be patient. We are home. We are fine, but adjusting to the time change.
She continues to be a real joy, even at 4:00 in the morning.
Saturday, February 05, 2005
The Last Entry in China
The White Swan Breakfast Buffet
At the White Swan
Daddy and Tian Eating Cheerios
Tian Wants the Camera
Daddy and Tian after a Long Walk
Tian is settling in for the night and I'm trying to finish this last post. Today, with nothing to do we took long walks through the streets of Guangzhou.
Tomorrow we have late check-out and will go from our room at 5PM to the Airport. The China Southern flight leaves and 9PM and takes 12 hours. We then take the Sunday nite red-eye from LAX to Atlanta. Unless we're dog tired we should be home around Noon on Monday.
For those who want more news of China I will close with these headlines from today's CHINA DAILY.
SPIDER GRANNY RESCUED SCALING BLOCK OF FLATS
A 78-year-old granny's spider woman stunt got her as far as the third floor of her apartment building. But when firemen arrived to rescue her, the indomitable old lady, who had locked herself out, refused to come down. She was adamant about getting to her fourth floor balcony.
TRAPPED BAT CAUSES MIDNIGHT SCARE
A Tianjin household trembled with fear when they heard strange sounds coming from their front door at midnight. The noises went on for about half-an-hour before finally the family called police, convinced a burglar was trying to break in.
HUDGE'S EMBARRASSMENT OVER ONLINE ENCOUNTER
A woman judge in Zhengzhou never expected that one of her close net friends would raise the money to visit her by stealing and selling a car.
ROVING CROCODILE CAUSES TRAFFIC MAYHEM
A crocodile which fell off the back of a lorry, brought traffic to a standstill wandering along a major road in Guangzhou.
RADIOACTIVE SHOCK FOR FACTORY BURGLAR
A thief had a nasty shock when he picked up his local newspaper. A crime report covering his theft from a cement factory carried an urgent police alert. The seven-kilogram haul of metal he had taken was in fact radioactive Caesium 137.
and finally
HAND CLAPPING PENSIONER SOARS ON DECIBEL SCALE
A 68-year-old man can clap his hands at an ear-splitting level of 106.9 decibels. Jiang Mingsheng has always loved clapping, whether he is sad or happy. For the last three years he has been practising raising the decibel level of his party-piece. And recently the local Environment Protection Burea--tasked among other things with investigating noise disturbance--measured his claps. No details of where he practices were included in the report.
At the White Swan
Daddy and Tian Eating Cheerios
Tian Wants the Camera
Daddy and Tian after a Long Walk
Tian is settling in for the night and I'm trying to finish this last post. Today, with nothing to do we took long walks through the streets of Guangzhou.
Tomorrow we have late check-out and will go from our room at 5PM to the Airport. The China Southern flight leaves and 9PM and takes 12 hours. We then take the Sunday nite red-eye from LAX to Atlanta. Unless we're dog tired we should be home around Noon on Monday.
For those who want more news of China I will close with these headlines from today's CHINA DAILY.
SPIDER GRANNY RESCUED SCALING BLOCK OF FLATS
A 78-year-old granny's spider woman stunt got her as far as the third floor of her apartment building. But when firemen arrived to rescue her, the indomitable old lady, who had locked herself out, refused to come down. She was adamant about getting to her fourth floor balcony.
TRAPPED BAT CAUSES MIDNIGHT SCARE
A Tianjin household trembled with fear when they heard strange sounds coming from their front door at midnight. The noises went on for about half-an-hour before finally the family called police, convinced a burglar was trying to break in.
HUDGE'S EMBARRASSMENT OVER ONLINE ENCOUNTER
A woman judge in Zhengzhou never expected that one of her close net friends would raise the money to visit her by stealing and selling a car.
ROVING CROCODILE CAUSES TRAFFIC MAYHEM
A crocodile which fell off the back of a lorry, brought traffic to a standstill wandering along a major road in Guangzhou.
RADIOACTIVE SHOCK FOR FACTORY BURGLAR
A thief had a nasty shock when he picked up his local newspaper. A crime report covering his theft from a cement factory carried an urgent police alert. The seven-kilogram haul of metal he had taken was in fact radioactive Caesium 137.
and finally
HAND CLAPPING PENSIONER SOARS ON DECIBEL SCALE
A 68-year-old man can clap his hands at an ear-splitting level of 106.9 decibels. Jiang Mingsheng has always loved clapping, whether he is sad or happy. For the last three years he has been practising raising the decibel level of his party-piece. And recently the local Environment Protection Burea--tasked among other things with investigating noise disturbance--measured his claps. No details of where he practices were included in the report.
Friday, February 04, 2005
Another Day in Guangzhou (Steve)
Tian and Daddy Playing with Bubbles
The Red Couch: A tradition at the White Swan Hotel is before you leave to dress the adopted children up in Chinese dress and take their picture on the red couch in the lobby. The three girls in our party were Melina, Tian, and Anna
Last night the vet in our group gave me two pills and told me to take them. I slept great and woke up without a bark, wagging my tail. I was a happy puppy. No cough, no pain in my leg and no pain in my neck. So, I spent the day pushing Tian around in the stroller following Mommy into all the shops. I may have a relapse tomorrow just to avoid the walking.
The great thing today was the swearing in ceremony at the US Consulate. Sorry, no pictures. Very tight secruity allowed no cameras whatsoever.
The Red Couch: A tradition at the White Swan Hotel is before you leave to dress the adopted children up in Chinese dress and take their picture on the red couch in the lobby. The three girls in our party were Melina, Tian, and Anna
Last night the vet in our group gave me two pills and told me to take them. I slept great and woke up without a bark, wagging my tail. I was a happy puppy. No cough, no pain in my leg and no pain in my neck. So, I spent the day pushing Tian around in the stroller following Mommy into all the shops. I may have a relapse tomorrow just to avoid the walking.
The great thing today was the swearing in ceremony at the US Consulate. Sorry, no pictures. Very tight secruity allowed no cameras whatsoever.
