Life is beyond good, life is great!

Another busy week in the life and times of Hannah MeiLi. We met just over 50 of our CB community this past Sunday at a wonderful "Meet & Greet Hannah" Party thrown by Aunt Annie (we love cake especially with pink frosting - thanks Aunt Jen-our-friend), we went sledding, had playdates and dinner dates, and today we met Dr. Jay and received our first round of shots (ugh! - it is debatable who this was harder on Hannah or Mom). All is well health wise and we are catching up on all the markers. While today's numbers did not show that we have put on weight or grown, we are convinced that we are and are now saving our 9-12 month clothes for our next cousin. The biggest bummer is that since we weigh just under 19 lbs., we need to turn the car seat around to face backwards. Stay tuned for more next week...

Admiring her jewelry, greeting neighbors, fixing tea; Hannah is settling in!

Settling In

While I am not the writer that ABG is, I will do my best to keep you up-dated on the life and times of Hannah MeiLi. We've been home now almost two weeks. We have had many visitors including but not limited to: Grammy and Grampa, Aunt Jen, Uncle Sim, Soli, Gabe, Heather, Rob, Karen and Angelena. Not to mention the coutless friends who have come by to welcome Hannah. One might think that given her entire world has been rocked that this might overwhelm her, but Hannah is a social butterfly and seems to thrive on it all. She has fully adjusted to the time change and is loving her American diet. She is definitely growing as are my arm muscles. Short of the runny nose and congestion, we are doing great!

Home Sweet Home

A true trip highlight came as we transfered from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal at SFO. And not just because we knew we were on American soil (although that was pretty dang exciting), or because we were no longer on a plane (also exciting), or because we were finished with the ridiculous wait in the line for foreigners and Hannah was now really and truly an American citizen (seriously exciting) or even because we had managed to shlep our 4 checked and 4 carryon bags without losing or dropping a single one and I knew I personally did not have to hoist the checked ones again (beyond exciting). I think we were just kinda lost in a fog of exhaustion and could not even register a real hint of excitement until we saw the MOST exciting of all - a cluster of cousins with signs and gifts and most importantly Cheerios! We were so awed and impressed that Mitz and Beth made the trek to SFO with Kate, Sam, Lindsay, Noah & Aaron for those brief moments and we were on a high from that the rest of the trip. Thanks guys. We were sprawled out all over the airport floor when two other families from our group landed from Beijing and stumbled upon us and so they even got to meet our San Fran family. The entire experience was just surreal.

It hit us then that this little girl is already so loved by so many and I think I can speak for Sue when I say that moment in SFO we felt the hearts of our entire family with us (huge, both literally and figuratively). I flashed back to the family trip four years ago when Sue first announced she was adopting and I felt we had truly come full circle.

Denver racheted up the excitement even further as we met our friends Karen and Angelina and were able to fly with them for the last leg of the trip and share in all our joy. I'm sorry to say that I have zero pictures from the teary-eyed moments at the Gunny Airport, where we were met by more signs from Mom (aka Grandma), Jen, Sim, Soli, Gabe and our friend Heather. In some way it's fitting that I slacked off entirely at the end as I now rightfully turn the blog back over to Sue. Thank you all for the many comments and emails and for sharing my insane posts and litany of observations throughout this journey. I can't wait for you all to get to meet this amazing little girl and share in Sue's joy firsthand. And if any of you are adopting from China, we also have a few suggestions we could share :)

xoxo
ABG

Goodbye China!

Next up: a trip home that spans two days, a fifteen-hour time change, and 22 hours of straight travel with a very alert yet incredibly tired baby (who also had hysterically fun hair). We started the journey with the nicest late-night with our friends Sandy and Ali in Shanghai; I must say that the bread and champagne at their home might be the first good food we tasted in China (unless you count beer, oreos or Pizza Hutte. which personally I do). During this leg of our journey I also acquired a new nickname: Aunt Annie Sherpa.

xoxo
ABG

It's all in the details

Our stay in the province wrapped up the details of the Chinese adoption; our stay in Guangzhou was focused on finalizing the American end.

The medical check up is a crucial step in the process - a chaotic scene in a tiny waiting room with dozens of terrified infants playing musical chairs as we hustle them between three different doctor cubicles for the requisite checks on their forms. Since being undressed is entirely foreign to these kids, reactions ranged from mild worry to all-out-panic. It's absolutely heart-wrenching to hear tears from small children that come from that extreme level of true fear. Little Hannah was soothed by both her Mommie and her blankie, as she weighed in at 18.9 lbs and measured 76 cm long with a 46 cm head. This was actually less than what Sue was told she weighed over two months ago, but hey, we figure maybe they weighed her with all those layers on. Oh, and by the way, smoking is indeed allowed in the doctor's office.

The White Swan is a landmark for international adoptions (there is even a special custom Barbie given to the kids -- a blonde Barbie with a Chinese papoose snapped to her). While still staying close with our little group, we met countless other families going through various stages of the process. I was particularly surprised at the number of older children being adopted (which can perhaps be attributed to the long delays in the process for adopting babies). I found myself tearing up at the sight of the many brave parents with enough love in their hearts to truly rescue a child of 3, 4, 5, 6...we even saw one 12 year old being adopted and heard tales of other older children telling a group on an orphanage tour that they were 'waiting for their American family'. You could literally see these children taking huge strides and emerging from their shell day by day. I personally have never witnessed such immense good in the world up close & personal in that way and was profoundly affected.

The final step was our swearing in at the American Consulate. With bags already packed and loaded on the bus (a process that involved sore shoulders and serious overuse and abuse of my luggage scale - not to mention the most intense game of luggage tetris ever played), we were combined with several other groups in the immense waiting area of the Consulate. Knowing we had a long journey ahead, I tried to occupy Hannah (who was strapped to her Mom) by teaching her how to give a 'high five'. She caught on just us Sue was raising her right hand to be sworn in; everyone around us was absolutely breaking down in giggles as Hannah is happily slapping away at Sue's hand and Sue is valiently trying to repeat her oath without cracking.

xoxo
ABG

The best souvenir

Today was our group photo and you can't begin to imagine the unbelievable cuteness of all those babies on a couch. I attached a few photos; trust me when I say they can't begin to do the moment justice. Now we're busy packing as we leave for our friend Sandy's in Shanghai tomorrow after the all-important passport acquisition...and HOME the day after that! HOME HOME HOME! (trying to teach Hannah new words)

Speaking of teaching - the giraffe and I taught Hannah to blow kisses and I then managed to catch her first kiss with Mom on camera. I figure my job as Aunt is done; this has got to make up for a host of many other things I might teach her later on in life.

Before I sign off I would also like to note that I am currently the reining diaper champ (best diaper job besides Mommy) and hereby officially challenge all others to try and measure up!
Sim and Jen, I believe you may be first at bat...
unless Mitz beats you to it, since we're so excited to see her at SFO...
either way, I am happy to share and forsee some good times ahead for all!

xoxo
ABG

Group Pics

Guangzhou

Shamian Island

Guangzhou Girl

For those of you who note that it's been a few days between posts, I might point out that I am operating on half a lung here (and I might also add that I am using yet a third and entirely different adapter with what may quite possibly be the slowest internet connection EVER). While appreciative of what we saw in Nanchang, we are happy to be in Guangzhou at last. We are enjoying our stay at the famed White Swam Hotel, along with a number of firsts for little Hannah - including her first time standing!

I should also say that this entire experience has given us an attitude of gratitude for the clean air we breath in Crested Butte each and every day.

xoxo
ABG

First Riding Lesson

First Dinner Date

First Flight

Our little rock star caused quite a stir at the airport

Gbye Nanchang!

Hannah's Habits

ways hannah seems to currently resemble her mom:
-her favorite toy is a napkin. she has been carrying the same special one for two days (yellow, and in many of our photos).
-she has the smallest wrists of anyone i've ever seen.
-she looks great in the color pink.
-she enjoys picking all the crumbs off her hands (unfortunately she enjoys doing this while sitting on aunt annie's bed).
-her idea of a good time is to go to bed early. very early.
-she's a morning person, waking up easily and happily.
-she laughs before the punchline. each and every time.

ways hannah seems to currently resemble her aunt annie:
-have you seen those cheeks??
-she is very, very good at the crocodile tears.
-she loooves her baby blankie.
-if there is any food in arm's reach, her instinct is to eat it.
-she coughs when someone blows cigarette smoke in her face.
-she cries when she gets a whiff of a poopie diaper.
-she's very funny.
-she also speaks chinese.

Special Thanks to Sim

Top Twenty

Today's pictures were selected to show Hannah's size relative to a jellycat stuffed animal, give a view of her first bath and her tiny little limbs as well as to showcase her fabulous custom-knit bootie collection.

As a special treat, we have also prepared a top-20 list of some of the many China lessons learned on this trip:
1. It is not rude to push and shove. While it's easy to grasp this cultural difference intellectually, it's another thing altogether to experience it firsthand.
2. The concept of forming a line, or waiting in said line, does not exist. See #1.
3. It is not rude to 'hock a loogie'. Not even if it lands on someone else.
4. Also not rude to get into an elevator full of babies while smoking a cigarette.
5. Indeed, not rude/illegal to smoke a cigarette virtually anywhere. This includes airplanes.
6. As much as I used to consider myself an adventurous eater, I have no wish to sample any dish that translates to the following words: paw, tail, head, feet, saliva, brain, hoof, eye, dog, villus, intestine, tongue.
7. NYC is not really all that polluted.
8. LA does not really have true smog.
9. Crested Butte actually does have really good Chinese food.
10. It is possible for one to need to travel with different adapters for different parts of the same country.
11. Your brand new adopted Chinese baby undresses like an onion: there are many layers, and there are bound to be some tears.
12. There are a whole lot of palms wishing to be greased during an adoption.
13. Size is not indicator of age when talking Chinese babies.
14. Neither is ability to walk, roll over, or simply sit up.
15. Is possible to wait 40 minutes to pay for a meal one does not even eat simply because that is how long it takes for the check to arrive.
16. It is also possible to starve and yet not lose weight due to the high caloric content of oreos.
17. One should travel with a fan. Unless one wishes to be amused by variety of items brought to substitute, including ironing board and/or humidifier.
18. Brushing teeth with bottled water gets old. Quickly.
19. Is possible to dream of fresh fruits and vegetables. Sue even dreams organic.
20. High speed internet connection may be oxymoron.

xoxo
ABG

PS. Sim, you so owe us some pics of the boys!!!

Drumroll, please!

We are thrilled to meet Hannah MeiLi Hua Gellert!