More new photo's / Halloween

We didn't take the girls trick or treating, but Madison helped me hand out candy in her ballerina pajamas complete with pink tutu. ( No I don't have a photo of her doing that sorry) These photo's are from earlier in the day in their Halloween play clothes and Katie in her Zebra costume. Madison did not know what to think about all of this but enjoyed the kids alot.

I haven't posted lately but to update on Katie all her medical test are in, she is in great health. Her lead was a little high but not bad at all and one of the lowest of our travel group. Since my last post another baby had to be hospitalized for lead. All the others seem to have high lead like we do but not high enough for hospitalization. Better go for now, just time for some quick photo's and a short update.

new pictures

I will try to fix these later, the lap top is slow today and took forever to load these few. I am going to post a few additional photo's momentarily if I can.

I had to include Katie in her diaper so you can see how she is filling out! She is in size 6 months now and can no longer wear the three months stuff.

Sweetest girls in the world!!

Just had to post this one photo I thought turned out so cute!! More to come later. As you can imagine we are sooo busy around here these days. Good news, so far the lab work we are getting back on Katie is great, she is in good health!! We are still waiting on the results for the lead test but hope it will be OK. So far two babies from the travel group have had high lead levels, one had to be hospitalized. Keep your finger crossed for us that Katie's levels will be OK. Better go for now.

Thanks Mom and Dad

While we where gone to China one worry we didn't have was who was taking care of Madison! Mom and Dad came and stayed for the duration keeping her busy and happy and in her routine.

They even introduced her to finger painting and helped Madison make us a poster to come home to. From what I understand Madison really enjoyed it!!

We have had alot of help in the last 18 months since Madison came to us weighing 4 lbs, Darci, Erica and Sue have all helped us on numerous occasions. Mom and Dad though, they have come to Texas so many times I have lost count. Sometimes just to visit but several times at our request and even on short notice. Thanks Mom and Dad!!! We love you guys and will never be able to thank you enough!!!!!

Home Sweet Home

In about 20 minutes it will be exactly a week since we landed at the airport. We are sooo glad to be home. These pictures posted in the reverse order of how they happened but you get the idea. These are from the first moments Madison and Katie met. Madison was not at all sure what to make of this baby sitting in the floor with her toys. She spent the next few days politely taking toys away from Katie who for the most part didn't mind. Occasionally she would hold on tight to something and Madison would let her keep it.

Madison immediately wanted to give her hugs and kisses and generally likes her. She was not crasy about mom holding her in the beginning but doesn't mind so much now. Just tonight at dinner Madison tried her best to give her sippy cup to Katie who reached for it. They where sitting side by side in the high chairs, so sweet. I would have posted sooner but Katie go up Sunday morning with a high fever and we couldn't get it down. We spent 8 hours at Texas Childrens on Monday while they ran a number of test. Because we had just arrived in county and we have so little medical history for her they where pretty concerned. Her fever finally gave in yesterday and she is feeling so much better. We are hoping she will sleep better now also, we have had a few long nights. As for the medical test, everything pointed to a virus as all the test came back good.

Let me just say again we are soooo glad to be home. We had a special welcome when we arrived at the airport as some very good friends met us complete with signs and balloons! And Fred, if you reading this, thanks so much for bring our car and getting us home! We where exhausted!!
Thats all for tonight, its past my bedtime already!!

Last post from China

Roger and Regina are without internet access, so I am posting for them.

They are in Hong Kong and are doing fine. Just settling in for their last night in China. They will be boarding the plane for their return trip home at 9:30 CST tonight!

Best wishes to the Hawkins family for a safe trip home.

Last post from Guangzhou

We went to the US Consulate this afternoon, it was short and sweet. We took the oath on Katie's behalf and recieved her Chinese passport complete with her visa along with the infamous sealed brown envelope with her paperwork for immigration. We are not to open the brown envelope but are to hand deliver it to the officials in Newark when we get there. We will go through customs in the foreigner line because Katie is still a Chinese citizen however, as soon as the official stamps her passport she will automatically that instant become a US citizen. Pretty cool right. I am including some photo's of her in her little red, white and blue dress she wore for the occassion today. The dress is a US 3 month but fits her fine. I am also including a picture of toddlers we saw today out walking with what we believe was their daycare workers. Do you see how they have them organized? We also saw elementary children doing their morning exercises. They marched outside and went through a whole routine. We couldn't help but notice each group had two lines of boys and one line of girls. Well, its getting late here and we still have packing to do. See everyone soon we are sooo ready!!!

Red Couch Photo's

Today we took the famous red couch photos and tried to get 7 babies and one three year old to look at the camera or camera's as it was.  The babies kept trying to touch each other or pull the other ones clothes it was pretty funny. Grace, our 3 year old would not sit on the couch so her mom is holding her in the floor in front of the couch. All the babies did great though, no one was crying so that was success. We think Katie looks adorable in her dark blue dress!! Our guide took our paperwork to the consulate today and we waited in our room as instructed in case a question came up. Luckily, no questions so all our paperwork and fees was in order.  Tomorrow we all go to the consulate at 2:45 for the citizenship ceremony. We will receive her Chinese passport back with her US visa inside. After that we are good to go!! The weather here was actually quite nice today, a breeze and lower humidity. We walked and shopped a little more. Everyone who has already been here before has told us buy what you think you want now  because you will regret it when you get home if you don't. So I have done my best to take them at their word and get what I think we need. Mostly some silk dresses for both girls in different sizes and bigger sizes for the future. The group is going to the pearl market tomorrow and to the budist temple. About half the group is going and about half is staying here to finish shopping and to start packing. We started packing tonight so we will see how it goes.

todays photo's

we took some cute photo's today of all the babies in their new outfits

Today we took all the babies for their medical check up. We walked from the hotel to the clinic, about 8 blocks. The stroller really came in handy. The clinic was full of people, practically standing room only. They took us down a hallway to the adoption area. I took a photo ofcourse as I have looked at this sign in this hallway a thousand times over the years. Its so funny to see  so many familiar things in a place I have never been before. Katie did not like the checkup. It was real fast, three stations and she cried at each one of them. They checked her ears first and she really didn't like it so it was down hill after that. She even cried hard when they weighed her. Her weight was 15lbs, with clothes and diaper on. Tomorrow is our consulate appt, we have given our guide all our paperwork and the rest of the fees.  We have to wait in the room while she goes to the consulate in case their is a question. In the afternoon we are getting all the girls together for the famous red couch photo in their silk dresses. We bought some of those today for both girls along with several pairs of squeaky shoes. We also bought a suit case today, just  a carry on. They are cheap and we need some space for the stuff we have bought. We will start to think about packing tomorrow.I forgot to mention it yesterday but we got the adoption barbie.  She is kinda funny, she has a long blonde braid and ofcourse if holding a chinese baby. The White Swan hotel is full of adoption families. We have met people from all over the US. A couple walked through breakfast wearing Auburn T-shirts yesterday. We have also met a couple from Mississippi that I got to know online while we waited. She and I had spoken on the phone several times but she is not with our agency. Anyway, they  where in the same province as us and are now here at the hotel. Super nice people. Well I know I am forgetting something. We have walked all day long today and Katie continues to be a real sweetie. Better go for now, only a few days left.

Lots of shopping today!

Roger thought Katie should have her own seat on the bus, I thought you guys would enjoy the picture. She was quite pleased with herself to be sitting there.  Today we visited the Chen Family Museum. It was full of really pretty stuff, alot of carved ivory, beautiful embroidery,and home furnishing from the time period. Everywhere we go someone stops some of us to ask about the babies. This was a real big deal back in the province, we received stares everywhere we went.  Even here, with as many adoption families as they see we still get questions and comments, Everyone is nice, the lady talking to me was trying to ask how old Katie is. Its really hard when you have no idea what they are saying yet she kept on talking to me until another lady in our group figured out what she was trying to ask. The island is GREAT! We have eaten more today than we have in the last week! The breakfast buffet here at the hotel has everything you could want for a western breakfast plus chicken nuggets, baked beans and tater tots. We bought a stroller today, Katie is a real trooper but this heat is to much to wear her all the time in the carrier. The strollers are cheap, like 25 US new. We also visited the Jade store today! Roger was very good to us, Madison, Katie and myself now all have some nice Jade. Since they are so little I will enjoy theirs as well as mine until they are older. Rhonda and I walked the island during Katie's nap today to check prices on silk dresses and sqeeky shoes. I plan to buy some tomorrow. We took a picture of a bride and groom, we have been here two days and have seen 6-8 brides getting their photo's done. It is really pretty here and alot more comfortabe. We still can't drink the water, and no ice in our glasses but we are in great shape now.

We are at the White Swan in Guangzhou

We are now in Guangzhou! We left our hotel this morning at 6:30 AM and arrived here around noon. Katie is a super traveler, she didn't fuss one time even on the plane. I was worried with her congestion that she wouldn't do well but she actually slept all during take off and most of the flight.  I am better also, I remembered pretty quickly after starting to get my cold that I had pretty much packed a pharmacy to bring with me. Katie continues to show us her personality, she is so funny and sweet. In a shop tonight (yes we are already shopping as that is what you do here, but more about that later) Roger walked in and from several feet away she spotted him and let out the cutest scream while a big smile spread across her face. It was so sweet! We are at the White Swan Hotel, I have seen the photo's of this hotel hundreds of times on the many blogs I followed for four years during this wait. It is odd to actually be here. We already know we will be happier here, the hotel is huge, so far everyone speaks English, western food is readily available inside and out, and did I mention the shopping. Our guide is taking us to the Jade store tomorrow!! Todays pictures are just some cute shots we got of Katie, she is soooo sweet. Sorry this is short again, we are busy and tired as you can imagine. Thanks Darci for sending us the comments, we really appreciate it. We are still unable to access the blog here. Hopefully we will have more time tomorrow to post, there is so much to tell that we could never place it all here anyway. I have lost track of the pictures we have taken between us but its over 500 photograghs. So when we get home we will share all those if anyone wants to see them. Better go for now.