A family worth waiting for - Williston Herald: News

A family worth waiting for - Williston Herald: News: By Jenna Ebersole

Hope's First Christmas!

It has been a great first week at home.  Hope has been adjusting well, and is actually back on the same schedule that she was when in China.  It is amazing that she has made such an adjustment in a week.  We are also making the adjustments to our sleep and daily schedules.  Although it is different, it feels right - like it was always supposed to be this way.  It is hard to put into words, but basically we feel like a family that is meant to be together.

 

Hope did make a venture out and enjoyed the Christmas Eve service at church.  She played with her frilly dress and sat through the entire service.  She also met many people - we don't think she'll remember all the names the first time - but did very well with all of the attention.  Of course which little girl doesn't like the attention.

 

Hope also enjoyed opening presents at home and her new toys.  Of course the paper was even more fun in the beginning.

 

We will be trying to keep the blog up on a regular basis, hopefully at least weekly now that we are home.  Just wanted to let you know.

Home!

We made it home on Monday night around 7:30.  It has been a long trip, but well worth every minute.  We spent a couple of nights in Billings, MT to unwind and recuperate from the long travel.  We also got the opportunity to introduce Hope to many friends and relatives in Billings while we were there, and on the trip home as we passed through Glendive and Sidney.

 

Hope is doing really well and is actually adjusting to the time change better than mom and dad.  She is getting close to the same schedule that she had while in China.  It is amazing how easy she is adapting.  She has gotten the tour of her new home, and loves her room.

 

We are so blessed to have her in our lives and it is exciting to think of how much joy she has and will bring to our lives going forward. 

We are in America!

It was a long day of travel today, but we have made it back to Billings.  We left for the airport in Beijing at 8 in the morning and arrived in Billings at 1:40 in the afternoon on the same day, but really the next day with the international date line.  We had no issues with our flights or customs and immigration.  It is actually funny to see how a grumpy, straight-laced officer kinda melts when Hope would give them one of her smiles.  Once the paperwork was completed in Seattle she became a US citizen and now we just wait for the typical paperwork for SSN and a new US passport at some point in the near future.

 

Hope was a trooper and hardly a fuss from her on any of the flights.  On our international flight she was the star of the show as all of the flight attendants gave her, and us, extra attention.  Upon landing she earned her wings from the Delta crew.  She was even complimented by a number of the other passengers on how well she traveled, and that they didn't hear her during the flight.

 

We plan to spend a couple of days in Billings to get some rest, adjust to the time change again and enjoy some American cuisine.  We will be ready to come home and start finding out what the "new normal" is for us.  We are also excited to have Christmas as a family this year.

Beijing Again

We are back in Beijing again.  We have another night here and then we head home.  We are looking forward to coming home and settling into our new routine as a family.  Hope did really well on the flight from Guangzhou to Beijing.  The air pressure didn't seem to effect her ears and she slept well on the plane as well.  The hardest part was getting her to settle down and sleep because she loves to see what is going on around her.  And of course, with her being so cute the other passengers like to get her attention and get her to smile and be playful.  That isn't all bad since it helps pass the time.

 

We leave in the morning here and arrive in Billings Friday afternoon around 1:45 MST.  That will be the biggest adjustment right now for us as we have acclimated to the time change here and of course Hope has never known anything different.  She is sleeping well and hopefully we will be able to keep that up as we come home.

 

We miss everyone and can't wait for you to meet Hope in person and be part of her life!

It's Official!

It is finally official.  Yesterday we had our appointment with the US Consulate in Guangzhou where we completed the last of the paperwork for the adoption here.  We will receive Hope's visa this afternoon that will clear her for travel back home.  We are ready to be home and know that it is just a few days away.  Today is a lay low type of day, with some naps and a possible short outing to the Shamian Island to do some shopping.  The island is were all of the adoption processes were completed in the past and so it has many shops geared to adoptive families, is peaceful and many of the shop keepers speak English fairly well.  The island is not as big a part of the process now since the US Consulate office has moved, the motel on the island is closed, and the clinic will be relocating next year so it is probably the last time for the island to be a part of the adoption process.

 

Hope is doing really well and loves to be outside seeing the activity and sunshine.  She has learned so much since we have gotten her it is unbelievable.  Today she did her first stint in a highchair and while there she figured out how to grab her puffs and feed herself.  She loves to stand up, laughs when she plops down on the bed, is rolling over, and loves her bath time.  It is definitely a new experience that we wouldn't trade for anything.  It just feels right to have her in our lives.

 

Later today we meet with our guide to confirm our travel arrangements and get ready to leave for Beijing tomorrow.  We then have two nights in Beijing before we get on our flight home.

Guangzhou Update

It has been a couple of busy days for us in Gaungzhou.  We arrived late due to a delayed flight so we had a long day of travel coming in, and a shorter night than usual.  Again a guide, Kathy, met us at the airport and has been wonderful since that moment.

The first day was pictures for Hope's visa to travel home and a medical exam.  With the schedule a bit whacked, she was not a very happy girl in her picture.  And like most of us, she did not enjoy the doctor's visit much either.  Of course a doctor visit here is a bit different.  I am not sure that you could even call it controlled chaos.  The office was packed with probably 50 families there for their child's exam, plus 30 plus locals wanting in.  You don't have an appointment, you just work yourself into line and sit down in the doctor's room when the chair opens up before someone else does.  Hope checked out just fine, with a giggle from the doctor who had to squeeze her rolly legs and precious cheeks.

 We were then able relax for the rest of the day, with an opportunity to meet up with those from our group in Beijing for dinner that night.  It was wonderful to see them and their children.  What an amazing sight to see the group expand with the children and how well they all are doing.

 Yesterday we had a chance to do a little bit of sightseeing.  Guangzhou is the 5th largest city in China and a major trade hub for the country.  It is very much like Beijing in the development.  We also had to work on the paperwork for our appointment with the US Consulate.  This paperwork is the last step for us to complete.  After it has been turned in and reviewed we will go back the next day to have an interview and take the oath for Hope on citizenship.  It is then time for us to start getting ready to come home!

A relaxing day

We had a good day just hanging out and checking out some of the local stuff.  We went to the embroidery museum and factory.  It is quite amazing to see some of the works and how they do it in person.  Some of the works look more like paintings than embroidery.  Then the fact they will do to pictures on either side of the base fabric and you can't see the other side is even more amazing.

 

Hope really enjoys being out and about and seeing all of the activity.  She also is doing really well playing with us, and even rolled over yesterday on her own.  She gets frustrated, but has figured out how to use her arms more in the push to roll over.  She has plenty of strength in her legs that she can really kick and with a little help she can stand.

 

Today is our last day in Changsha and then we are off to Guangzhou tonight.  We are ready to move on and get the next step of paperwork completed so we will be one step closer to being home as a family. 

A Big Day Out

Yesterday was a big day out for the family.  We went to the Hunan Provincial Museum to see the history of the area.  There we saw some of the silk and embroidery work that is over 2,000 years old.  There is also a mummy from that time period that is on display.  It is a little weird to see, as she still has her hair, skin, and muscle mass so she looks like someone that has spent to much time in a bathtub.

 

Hope was so good yesterday.  She made it through the day with no fussing, and enjoyed being out and about.  She is eating really well, and better yet sleeping better than we are.  She enjoys spending time with us and likes to be in the action... as the one picture shows her helping me check e-mail.  She also has a unique way of asking for more food - sticking out her tongue and cooing until she gets it.

 

Today we are going to venture out again with Anna to the embroidery factory and museum.  Should be a good day out with some more interaction with others as well as experiencing the locals.  It has been amazing how polite and respectful the people are here.

It's Official

Today Hope became officially our child.  We know that she has been ours in our hearts since the moment we received the call on the 25th of October, but now the papers prove it!  It was another day of meeting with local officials to complete the paperwork, sign and seal the documents and take some official pictures.  Again our guide Anna was awesome in helping us through the day and Hope did really well through the process.

 

We have done even better today as a family.  Hope is eating well, she has a very good appetite and likes her bottle now along with her rice cereal.  As a treat we mix in some banana with it every once in awhile.  It really doesn't seem to matter what it is, just that we give it to her.  And she lets us know when she wants it :)

 

We had some good play time today in our hotel room and she is beginning to interact well with us.  She responds to her name and interacts with us when we are playing.  She is very inquisitive, watching what we are doing if one of us is waling around the room.  She is also very strong and likes to grab on to her books and toys and of course every once in awhile give them a good toss just to make sure we are paying attention.

 

Tomorrow we will venture out into the city as a family with Anna to see some sights and maybe a bit of shopping for Hope.

Gotcha!

We finally got Hope yesterday morning here.  It was about 10 a.m. in China when we saw her come off the elevator at the Civil Affairs Buareu (CAB) - like the courthouse.  She was screaming when they brought her in - proving a healthy set of lungs!  We were there for about 30 minutes and then we were off to WalMart to get a few things and then back to our room for the rest of the day.

 

We spent the rest of the day in our room, just the three of us.  Hope cried a bit, but we made it through the day without crying ourselves.  She has eaten pretty well, much more of the solids then formula so we will need to make some adjustments and pick up some of the local foods for her.  We were told that she was doing multiple bottles of formula a day, and in reality it seems that she doesn't do a bottle at all.  Fortunately Kris was prepared with an assortment of items and it should get us through today.  Tomorrow we will probably head out to the store and some other stops as a family with our guide, Anna.

 

The biggest praise is that she slept through the night.  She went down around 7:30 last night, woke up around 12 and then after 15 minutes went back to sleep and then got up around 6:30 this morning.  So she got some good rest and we did as well!

 

Today we go back to the CAB to complete the paperwork and then Hope will  be officially be ours!  After the appointment we will come back to our room for another day with the three of us.

Gotcha Day!

Today is Gotcha Day for us!  In about 3 hours we will hold Hope in our arms for the first time!  It was a night of little sleep in anticipation and we are now just waiting to have some breakfast before Anna comes to meet us and take us to the Civil Affairs Building where we will get Hope.

 

It is so hard to believe that the day is finally here, and with it will be one of the greatest moments of our lives.  We are so appreciative of all the prayers and support over the years and we look forward to having that continue as we begin the journey as parents for Hope.  We feel like everyone that has been on this journey with us will have a special place not only in our hearts, but in Hope's as well.  As she grows she will learn of all the love and support that was given for her, showing her even more how special and precious she is.