A bad hair day is a good hat day!

Barely enough hair for a bow!

Out for a walk

Dad and Emma...just another photo

Hi Mom...we are ready to come home now!!!!

I think all the families in the group are about ready to head home. It already been a long two weeks and people are anxious to get home to their other children and sleep in their own beds again. Looks like Pete, Matt, and Emma will be coming home in just three days! Hillary, Christopher, Hannah and I can't wait to see them and to hold Emma in our arms for the first time!

"Dad, my ear is killing me."

I think the girl sitting next to Emma on the red couch must have been screaming right into her ear ;^).

Anxiety on the Red Couch!

Here is the traditional adoption group photo taken on the red couch at the White Swan. I don't know how this tradition got started, but all groups look forward to these photo sessions. The girls, on the other hand, don't seem to be enjoying themselves at all (I cropped out the parents who are all standing around smiling). There seems to be a lot of unhappiness!

Pete and Emma at the Buddhist Temple

Emma playing at the Yangxi SWI

Here's one of the photographs taken by the orphanage staff prior to Emma's adoption.

Watch out world!

Here she comes! Emma is really crawling and trying to get into everything. The twinkle in her eye looks like trouble to me. We better do some major childproofing before she arrives home!

Emma goes to the doctor's

Emma had an appointment at the Guangdong Children's Hospital. Emma had displayed something that Pete wanted to get check out. The doctors were terrific. Emma actually went back for a complete developmental exam (they needed an appointment for a more complete exam) and they were impressed by how healthy, strong and developmentally on track she is...just right for an 8 month old. Pete said that they were so kind to her. They are having her come back on Monday for one more thing. We don't think that there is really an issue, but Pete figures he'll follow through and get the most complete information he can. She really is a healthy, happy baby!

Her first bow!

Emma has dimples??

I think I see one....in the bottom photo. It's not big, but it is there. Now all five of our kids have dimples. One friends say that it means they have been kissed by angels. Another says it means they've been bitten by devils ;^). I think it's different on different days!

Pete said that Emma really blossomed today. She's been pretty engaging and happy all along, but today there was even more giggling and laughing. She now wakes, sees her dad, and gets all excited and then a little bashful. She reaches for him and loves to look into his eyes and smile. She's having a lot of fun with her big brother, too.

She's cruising and crawling a bit. Pete thinks that she'll be running after her big sister by summer. She really appears to be very healthy and strong. She still has a nasty cough, which is keeping them all up at night, but hopefully that will resolve in a few days. They are hoping to get out more tomorrow if everyone is feeling better.

What a face!

I look at her face and can't help but smile. Her big dark eyes, her sweet mouth, her bushy eyebrows, and her sticking up hair are too cute. Her hair is so thick, Pete thinks it will be down to her shoulders before they get home.

Emma watching Matt work out at health club.

Here's another shot of Emma. Sorry that we are not getting lots of photos, but Pete has been sick for a couple of days and Emma really hates the flash on the camera...it hurts her eyes. Once Pete is feeling better and they are able to get outside more, they will be able to get more photos taken without the flash.

Her adoption paperwork will be finalized tomorrow at the civil affairs office in Guangzhou. Then, she is officially our daughter!

Happy Baby!

Emma Meets Dad

Some of the first pictures!

Emma and Dad

Emma with Daddy

Emma and Matt

They have Emma!

They have her. She came right to them and hasn't cried. She was chewing on her fingers when she was brought into the room but went right for the plastic keys and is now chewing on them. They said that she is "wicked cute" and tiny. She looks very healthy and can sit up well. They have to do some paperwork and will call me back later. Hopefully, there will be some photos posted in a couple of hours. I can't wait to see her.

It's happening!

They are in the room waiting for her and I'm listening by Panda phone. They are going over paperwork and the babies are in another room about to be brought in and introduced to their parents. Everyone is giddy and laughing....soon to be crying, I bet.

Only an hour and a half to go

Wow, after 22 months, the time is almost here. I'm sitting on the other side of the world, but can't sleep. I can't wait to hear that she is in their arms. I can't wait to see the first photos! Good luck guys!

Just arrived at the White Swan

I just heard from Pete and Matt. They are now at the White Swan. They sounded pretty tired and were headed to bed. They get Emma tomorrow....in 15 hours!

Emma's Referral

Emma's Referral Information:

Chinese Name: Yang Xi Zi Lian (All babies from this orphanage have the surname of Yang Xi. Zi Lian, her first name, means "Purple Lotus.")

American Name: Emma Grace ZiLian

DOB: 7/1/06

Orphanage: Yang Xi Social Welfare Institute

City: Yang Xi

Province: Guangdong

Height (Nov. 21st) 62 cm, Weight (Nov. 21) 5.6 kg (so about 24.4 inches & 12.3 lbs)

The update we got on February 5th, when she was 7 months said that she was about 14 lbs and 25.5 inches. She looks big in the photos, so either the measurements are incorrect or she's really quite petite.

They describe her as playful, fun loving and developmentally on target.

Scroll down to see her referral photos.

Thursday, In China

Today, Pete and Matt are headed to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Later in the day, they will fly South to Guangdong Province where Emma is from. They will be staying at the famous White Swan hotel in Guangzhou, Guangdong. They will meet Emma on Friday at 2:30 pm (2:30 am here)...only 29 hours from now!!!

Wendy

Trip photo albums

OK, so if you're the type who doesn't really care about the words and wants to scan lots of pictures... here you go....

Click on the picture below to view an album of pictures getting ready and going to Logan airport in Boston and then Detriot...

2007-03-12

Click the picture below to view an album of pictures from Detroit, and then flying to Tokyo and then on to Beijing...

2007-03-13

Click the picture below for an album of pictures in Beijing and touring the Jade Factory, Great Wall of China, and the Friendship Store, otherwise known as the tri-fecta of Tourist Traps in/around Beijing... :^)

2007-03-14

And now, some of the above, but viewed through Matt's camera lens... with a special thanks to Uncle Pete Noyes who gave Matthew this camera and he loves, loves, loves it! :^)

Matt-2007-03-14

many trips

Hi,

Well, thanks to Wendy's initiative, we have a real blog to capture and share our notes about our trip to China to meet our new daughter Emma and bring her home!

I must preface this, my first post, with the fact that I've always thought blogs were a little bit weird... Maybe it's left-over from being shy for much of my life. We've enjoyed reading other people's blogs though, and hopefully this blog won't be too boring or self-indulgent... (visions of trip slideshows given to captive audiences gritting their teeth...) but the cool thing about the web is you can choose to click away when you get bored, so read the words or look at the pics and enjoy what you can!

To rewind a bit, we flew from Boston to Detroit (quick, 2 hours, good window seats), Detroit to Tokyo (13 hours, great window seats, dinner, snack and breakfast, all edible, all-in-all very dealable), and then Tokyo to Beijing (getting tired and grumpy at this point, delayed sitting on the plane at the gate waiting for a connecting flight, then delayed sitting on the tarmack waiting to get a take-off slot). We arrived at the Beijing airport, collected our luggage without incident, and made it to the Changan Grand Hotel via a 30 minute bus ride. Smog, fog and sleep deprivation make Beijing look very weird in the middle of the night. Like a B-grade movie or something.

After arriving at the hotel, around midnight, I think, Beijing time, Matt and I shared some pretty unappetizing room service at about 1:00am, struggled with webcamming technology to connect with Wendy, Hillary and Christopher at home, and finally got to bed around 2:00am. I think. It's a bit fuzzy at this point.

OK, gotta run to dinner. Back in a while. With some pictures from our touristy trips today.

They have arrived in China!

I've just gotten word that Pete and Matt have arrived in China after 29 hours of traveling and are still at the airport. They will tour Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday. On Thursday evening, they will fly to Guangzhou and will receive Emma on Friday afternoon at 2:30.