Journey To Kate

Easter with Kate

2009-04-15T08:52:00.005-05:00

Writing Easter cards.

Dressing as the Easter Bunny.

Coloring Easter Eggs with Mommy.

At Cheekwood with Mommy, Lydia Byrne and Therese Byrne.

With Mommy.

BFF's Lydia and Kate.

Daddy with the girls.

At the Zoo with Nanna.

Picnic cupcakes.

General Update

2009-04-01T20:26:00.006-05:00

It's been awhile since we've updated. Eddie posted some of our Disney Trip photos. That was a big event in February. We've had a good winter...no major sickness and all in good spirits. Kate is doing great in school and is such a joy. She and Lydia get to see each other and play a lot. We're looking foward to spring when we can get back to the zoo more often and see more friends for playdates.
Here are some recent and good pictures of the princess. Enjoy!
Christi, Eddie and Kate

Kate and Cinderella

Kate's new bathing suit (yes bathing suit). She loves to dance around the house in her tutu.

Dressed for our one snow day. We built a tiny snowman and threw snowballs.

Mommy and Kate on the carousel at Opry Mills Mall.

Harper, Kate and Griffin all smooshed into the toy plane at a local pizza place. She had a blast.

Wearing Mommy's winter hat. Too cute and it matches her outfit!

Dancing with Daddy in her new Cinderella dress from Granny.

Playing at Lydias...the girls had a great time.

Disney World Trip

2009-03-23T09:46:00.008-05:00

Photos from our recent and second trip to Disney World with Kate.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-13T21:52:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Love,

The Bowens

A couple of videos ...

...and a few Holiday activity photos to enjoy!

Santas little helper ballerina decorates the tree.

Kate making a gingerbread house at Opryland. We went as part of a Families with Children from Asia event. It was so much fun. Luckily most of the candy went on the house instead of into Kate's mouth!

Kate putting her gingerbread house on the tree.

The happy Bowen family.

November 16, 2008 Kate is Three

2008-12-13T21:27:00.001-06:00

Here are a few photos from Kate's birthday party. She had one of the best days of her life. There were 16 kids at a place called Monkey's Treehouse. It's the greatest place on the planet for a childs party. We had it all to ourselves and the kids were super happy. The adults enjoyed having the Titans game on the big TV.

Kate danced and played and loved every minute. The puppet show was a huge hit and the pizza and cake were also popular. Kate still talks about the day.

Kate and Jacob

Cute story: Her current boyfriend from school is Jacob. His mom and I were talking as they played. She was explaining that they were teaching Jacob about Thanksgiving. When asked what he was thankful for his answer was "Kate B. and dinosaurs." Is that not the cutest thing ever?

It was a truly happy birthday!

Two Years as a Forever Family

2008-12-13T21:12:00.000-06:00

On November 6, 2008 we celebrated 2 years as a family. We had a special dinner with fellow travel mates David and Lydia Byrne. The date fell on a Thursday this year so after we finished Kindermusic class (which the girls take together), we headed to dinner. They played and had a great time.

We began a tradition that we hope to continue forever. We take a family photo in a similar position as our first official family photo taken moments after we got Kate. Here are the photos in order.

And yes...Eddie and Christi are wearing the same clothes in all the photos. This may be the last year for it but we thought it was fun. In fact, I wore my shirt one day and Kate looked at me and said, "Mommy, your shirt!" and started rubbing my shoulders. The look on her face was amazing. It was like she actually remembered it from the first day we met.

Some days it seems like it was yesterday we were in China and others feel like it was so long ago. Kate is a true joy and we love our life with her. We're looking forward to the years ahead.

Meet Kate Party

2008-08-20T11:02:00.000-05:00

My wonderful family threw Kate a party so that my mother's family could finally meet her. My cousin and aunt did a fantastic job putting the party together. Kate had a good time-even without a nap and feeling a bit under the weather.

She played with her cousin Kendall and they took turns on the toy cell phone.

Pictures of Kate

2008-08-20T10:53:00.000-05:00

Here are a few random photos of Kate. We've been very bad at keeping the blog updated. She's growing so fast. She's potty training and doing very well. She loves to sing, watch Sesame Street and play with her Daddy. We go swimming at the Y on Saturdays and she likes the water. We're trying to get her to go under but she's not there yet.

Kate is a big girl now and has moved up at school. She likes to play with her friends and is adjusting to the "big room." We feel very lucky to be the parents of such a wonderful and normal 33 month old.

Update 2008

2008-05-30T14:08:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since we posted. Kate is now 2 1/2 and wonderful. She is such a delight. She's talking a lot, loves to sing and of course, being outside is the number one thing to do.

We're going on vacation to Destin in June and meeting up with 3 other travel families. We can't wait to see everyone again. It will be Kate's first beach trip. She's looking forward to it.

Here are some recent photos. We had a photo session on Wednesday at our friends house. Her daughter is also from the same orphanage and we traveled together. The girls had lots of fun and we got some amazing pictures.

Christi, Eddie and Kate

Happy Holidays

2007-12-17T20:26:00.000-06:00

Sending everyone our wishes for a safe and happy holiday season.

The Bowens

Today is Forever Family Day!

2007-11-06T09:49:00.000-06:00

One year ago today we met Kate for the first time. That day was so special and we think about it all the time. I reread our post from that day and it feels like it just happened. It's hard to believe it has been a year.

And, wow, what a year. We've had so much fun with our little girl. Kate Liang is a true dream. Words cannot express the feelings we have today. It's so hard to believe it's already been a year. Where has the time gone? Our baby is turning into a little girl. She loves to color, sing, play outside, swing and eat!

We're quietly celebrating with dinner out at Pei Wei and then watching our Gotcha Day video. Our hearts are full of love for the wonderful human being that is our daughter, Kate.

Christi and Eddie

November 2006

November 2007

Celebrating Referral Day Anniversary

2007-08-31T17:27:00.000-05:00

We celebrated the one year anniversary of our referral with David and Therese and Lydia Byrne at P.F. Chang's.

1 year Referral Anniversary

2007-08-25T14:56:00.000-05:00

Today, August 25th is our one year referral anniversary. We're celebrating with fellow Nashville/travel group family the Byrnes. We're going to PF Changs for dinner.

Here's the latest group of photos of Kate. Enjoy.

The Bowens

Crazy Girl Kate

New photos

2007-08-02T19:48:00.000-05:00

Kate is growing very very quickly.

Update

2007-05-08T19:52:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been six months since we first met our Kate, and we thought we would take the opportunity to add a few more recent photos, and show how much she has grown.

If you are here to follow our journey to Kate, you can see the whole story by going to the archives section of this page and starting with July 2006.

And there are more photos of China at http://www.kateschina.blogspot.com/

More Photos

2006-12-03T16:56:00.000-06:00

We have a second blog up and running with more photos from our trip to China.

Please check out

http://www.kateschina.blogspot.com

Home

2006-11-18T22:00:00.000-06:00

This evening, Kate and Christi and Eddie arrived in Nashville, thus ending one journey and beginning another. We were met at the airport by Granny Faye (Eddie's Mom), Nanna Sue (Christi's Mom), Poppa Tim (Christi's Step Dad), Aunt Sandy, Uncle Harold and cousins Leah, Michael, Seth, and Sam.

Nanna Sue and Cousin Leah:

Nanna Sue and Poppa Tim:

Uncle Harold, Cousin Leah, Nanna Sue:

Granny Faye:

Cousin Leah and Nanna Sue:

Granny Faye, Cousins Sam and Seth:

Granny Faye and Cousin Michael:

We'll be going back through all the previous entries in this blog and adding more details from our trip, making this the definitive record of our Journey To Kate. Those updated entries will be designated as "revised." Again, we really appreciate all the friends and family and strangers who have followed this blog, and especially those who have taken the time to send us comments and keep in touch along the way.

Back in the USA

2006-11-17T22:14:00.000-06:00

This morning, we all arrived in the United States, and Kate became a United States citizen. Our first stop was San Francisco, where Christi's sister Erin lives, and where Christi's dad Rick and step-mother Ginger are visiting.

Christi and Kate as we de-planed, our last international airplane visible in the background:

Just outside of United States Customs, Kate takes her first step into the US:

Waiting for our bags:

Kate meets her Granddaddy Rick ...

... and her Gigi ...

... and her Aunt Erin ...

Resting in the hotel room after a long journey:

Breakfast in the hotel:

And a wonderful vegetarian dinner at Greens, celebrating both Kate and Eddie's birthdays:

Kate's First Birthday (Revised)

2006-11-16T21:45:00.000-06:00

Kate's Birthday lunch with Spencer, Tina and Maddy at Lucy's:

Eddie here - I had a wonderful encounter today during lunch. Lucy's is right along the waterfront, and when Kate gets fussy during one of our meals there, one of us takes her for a stroll along the river. Today, as I was heading back to join Christi and Kate and Spencer and Tina and Maddy, I heard scuffling footfalls approaching from behind. A Chinese gentleman of indeterminate age caught up with me. He looked somewhat poor, and was missing quite a few teeth. I'm ashamed to admit that my first thought was that he would be soliciting me for money. He asked, in very good English, if Kate was Chinese. I told him she was, which I think confused him a bit. He thought if she were my daughter she would look more western. I explained that we were adopting her, and we had a lengthily conversation about the adoption process. He was very curious about how long we were staying in China and where we had been. I told him about Beijing. He told me he would like to see the Great Wall but never had. He told Kate that she was a very lucky little girl. I told him that Christi and I are very lucky as well. He insisted that she was the luckiest, because she was going to get a much better life. He was a very sweet man. I complimented him on his English. He said I was just being kind, and that he had learned English from television and radio. He had never been taught. Honestly his English was as good as anyone's I have met while being in China, and I told him so. I think he was a bit enamored of Western culture, and enjoyed the chance to practice his English. He said it can sometimes be a frustrating language. "I have people ask me where is the bathroom, where is the toilet, where is the restroom, where is the lavatory. Too many words for toilet." I must admit he had a point. We parted with a friendly handshake and some sincere good wishes. I was very glad to have met him, although I never got his name.

In the afternoon, we went to the American consulate to get Kate's Chinese passport, and to take the oath of United States citizenship on her behalf. We were both a bit surprised at how moving this was, and we both teared up a bit. It's one of the last steps in a very long journey, and the last one we will take in Kate's homeland. No cameras were allowed in the consulate.

The building that houses the consulate:

During the trip back to the hotel, Eddie Graham lead everyone in a chorus of "Happy Birthday" for Kate.

Approaching the White Swan:

The family with our Children's Hope International coordinators, Elsie ...

... and Simon:

Our new friends the Grahams (Greg, Maryann, Eddie, and Margie) provided us with lots of photos they took on their trip to the Maonan Orphanage. We'll post some of them when we get back to the states.

This evening, the hotel delivered a beautiful birthday cake for Kate:

This is our last post from China. Our bags will be picked up by the hotel staff at 4:45 AM tomorrow morning and we leave for the airport at 5:30. This has been an amazing journey. We've actually grown very fond of China and Guangzhou, and will miss it here, as well as the new friends we have made.

Happy Healthy Girl

2006-11-15T21:00:00.000-06:00

We have had a wonderful day. Kate has been a very happy girl. She seems to be feeling much better.

Lunch in the room:

The simplest and cheapest toys are always the best:

Gathering for the Red Couch photo:

The Red Couch Photo:

Post Red Couch Photo:

The Hanson's came to visit to use our computer to verify their flight on Friday. Mei Ling was really delighted by the photos on the computer:

After the Red Couch photo, we had a photo taken of the entire group, then went out for a wonderful dinner together. Unfortunately, we don't have any photos of this. We brought three cameras with us on this trip: a 35mm Canon with a 28 to 300mm zoom, a Sony Cybershot digital still camera, and a new Sony camcorder. All of the pictures on this blog were taken with the Sony Cybershot. Eddie dropped the Cybershot while we were at the zoo. People at work will recognize this as a possibility whenever Eddie is handling a camera. However, in his defense, he is trying to juggle a lot of cameras, and, oh yes, there's a new baby involved as well. Anyway, the Cybershot is beginning to act up (we don't think that digital still cameras are supposed to make grinding noises), and some of the photos are not coming out. We may try to visit a electronics market or store tomorrow and see what kind of deal we can get on a new Cybershot.

Bottom line - There may not be as many photos up on a daily basis in the upcoming few days as there have been in the past. It all depends on what we can find tomorrow.

Tomorrow is Kate's birthday - one year old. Tomorrow is also our last day in Guangzhou, and the day we visit the American Consulate, take the oath on Kate's behalf, and get her Passport.

Baby Gator

2006-11-15T11:15:00.000-06:00

... or you're never too young to know that it's great to be a Florida Gator.

This morning - the illusive hunt for the perfect "Baby Gator" t-shirt shot!

Yuntai Gardens

2006-11-14T21:00:00.000-06:00

Since we were unable to travel and visit the orphanage, we decided to be adventurous and leave the safe confines of the island on our own for the first time.

On the recommendation of another couple in our group, we took a taxi to Yuntai Gardens at the base of Baiyun Mountain. There we found not only a beautiful garden, but a topiary exhibit as well.

The White Swan Hotel has an amazing playroom for adoptive families, sponsored by Mattel. We took Kate down to play after we returned from the garden.

Tomorrow, we wait in our room from 10:30 AM until 11:30 AM in case the American consulate has any questions about our application for Kate. Later in the day we take the famous "Red Couch" group picture, where all the adopted children in our group sit together on a red couch here in the hotel. Afterward we'll have dinner as a group for the last time.

A Trip to the Zoo

2006-11-14T12:00:00.000-06:00

We had a bit of a rough night with Kate. We were up for most of it, and Kate was still feeling pretty poorly, so we decided not to take the day trip to the orphanage. It's disappointing, but we felt it was the best thing for Kate.

Here are some pictures from yesterday -

Getting ready for the day:

Sleepy girl on a bus:

The Guangzhou Zoological Park:

Kate's first big cat:

A mini-snit:

More of the zoo:

Dumpling Lunch:

Heading Back:

Much of Guangzhou is very western and modern and upscale, and much is older and beautiful and traditional, but some shows the impact of a large population on an urban environment:

Back at the ranch:

Shopping at the Toy Market for the children of the orphanage:

Locals playing Chinese Checkers:

Another cat at E-Gallery:

All the merchants love the babies:

Yesterday's Slow Day

2006-11-13T22:45:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the abbreviated post yesterday. A sick child combined with tired first time parents made it a difficult day. I'm happy to report that today was much better for everyone concerned.

We went to the zoo, had a delicious lunch, shopped at the toy market, and took an evening walk. More details and pictures will follow.

Tomorrow we are traveling to Kate's orphanage, and hope to visit the spot where she was found. It will be a long day, at least 10 hours, so we may not get another post up tomorrow.

From yesterday:

Yet another breakfast at the White Swan:

Spencer Wood, Tina Collins and Madison:

Ken Brown and Chloe:

A morning walk. The island is VERY active on a Sunday morning.

Soldiers exercising:

Kate loves our glasses:

Some ladies rehearsing something (we don't know what, but it was beautiful and impressive)

Kate and the ladybug beads our friends at E-Gallery gave her:

Slow Day

2006-11-12T21:27:00.000-06:00

Today there is not much to report and no photos of note. We did get woken up at 4:30am by Miss Kate. This was the first time she's woken up at night. She took part of a bottle and went back to sleep and then got up again at 7am. Another first since we've been waking her up everyday. Her schedule's been a bit off since she's not feeling so well and on the medication. We had an okay day...at times good and times stressful. There were no planned events today so we stayed around the hotel.

Kate went to the Swan Room...the playroom at the hotel sponsored by Mattel. It's a lot of fun and she had a great time. She took 2 naps and was pretty good even though she's not feeling well.

We have a big day tomorrow. We are going to the Guangzhou zoo. We have an early morning so we're going to bed soon. We'll post more photos tomorrow.

Clinics, Paperwork, and Chinese Art, Part 2

2006-11-12T05:30:00.000-06:00

We're back.

Well, for the first time, Kate has woken up in the middle of the night, so we're taking this opportunity to update the blog.

We left off as we were returning from the clinic. After two hours of paperwork with the rest of the group, and a nap for Miss Kate, we decided to take an early evening stroll.

Christi and Kate outside our room:

We went shopping in what is now our favorite shop on the island, E-Gallery. It's as much an art gallery as a shop. The merchandise is absolutely gorgeous. And the staff are the most sincerely friendly we've encountered. Kate was a real hit with the ladies there, who played with her and watched her while we shopped.

Kate with Linda -

And with the other ladies -

Kate meets one of the store's kitties, that we had seen earlier when we first found the store:

A good scratch and a pat on the head is appreciated the world 'round.

Shamian Island at night:

Well, Kate is back asleep now, so we will sign off. Tomorrow is a completely open day for us, so we can all get some rest.

Clinics, Paperwork, and Chinese Art, Part 1

2006-11-11T23:45:00.000-06:00

We got a bit of a late start today, as our first organized event was not until 3:30.

Kate likes to keep abreast of current events.

An early morning call from Granddaddy Rick and Gigi:

Another breakfast at the White Swan:

John Sheahan and Fiona at the next table:

Bridget Sheahan and Fiona with Michael Flynn:

Back in the room with a sleepy girl:

Health Update: Kate has not responded to the decongestant and the antibiotic as well as we would have hoped. Her breathing is still often labored and rattles, and she's obviously still very congested. So we decided to take her to the Canadian-American clinic at the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou. We have nothing against Chinese doctors, but we wanted to see a doctor that we knew could understand us and that we knew we could understand. David and Therese Byrne also wanted to take Lydia in for a check-up, so we shared a taxi and went in the afternoon.

Kate is still a bit sick. She has bronchitis and an ear infection. The doctor gave us a stronger antibiotic and decongestant than we have been using, and we hope Kate will be well before we have to travel on the 17th.

Knowing how poorly she must have been feeling for a lot of the last week, it's amazing how often Kate has been happy and cheerful. She really is an impressive, brave little girl with a generally wonderful disposition.

Christi and Kate in the clinic waiting room:

Lydia Byrne thinks she's in a Chinese prison. Actually, it's just a very well protected taxi:

A beautiful building we have passed many times:

Eddie and Kate in the taxi going back to the hotel:

Back at the hotel room:

It's late. Kate is asleep. For the second night in a row she has gone to sleep at night with nary a complaint or whimper.

We're pretty tired, so we'll call it a night.

To Be Continued ...

A Quick Note

2006-11-11T07:41:00.000-06:00

We just want to thank all of our friends and family who have taken the time to leave us comments on this blog. It means so much to us to know that you are following along with us, and we so appreciate the thoughts and advice and wishes we have been getting daily. It makes us feel very connected, even though we are half a world away.

Christi and Eddie

Medical Exam and Phone Calls Home

2006-11-10T21:23:00.000-06:00

Eddie's Mom was curious how Kate was sleeping at night. We are happy to report that she has been sleeping through the entire night, ten hours plus, every night since she came to live with us. We usually have to wake her up in the morning. She's a perfect match for us. We like to sleep in too.

Getting ready for another exciting day:

Another breakfast at the White Swan:

Kate likes her Cheerios and Bananas:

Today's only scheduled event was the babies' official medical exam.

Gathering to leave for the clinic:

We arrive at the clinic:

Christi with Maryann Maas:

John and Bridget Sheahan with Fiona:

Kate's first exam:

Lydia Byrne:

Simon helping MeiLing Hanson with her numbers in English:

Kate's second exam:

- 19.5 pounds -

- 73 centimeters (28 inches) -

Proud daddy:

Kate's third and last exam:

Sleepy girl:

On the walk back from the clinic, the retirees were exercising in the park on Shaiman Island -

- and the school children were having activities outside:

Paul and Madeline Smith:

The park is a narrow strip several blocks long running through the center of the small island:

We returned to the hotel and made some phone calls. First to Granny Faye -

"I may need to take some notes"

Father and daughter:

The next call was to Nanna Sue -

At lunch time, Kate took her scheduled nap for the first time. With an almost overwhelming sense of normality, we cooked lunch in the room (Simon helped us find some vegetarian instant noodle soup when we were in Carrefour), and sat and watched Battlestar Galactica while we ate (with much appreciation to I-Tunes.)

Later, we strolled the island and did a little shopping, and in the process met a beautiful cat. (We always meet a memorable cat on all of our trips). This beauty was sleeping in the entryway to one of the more interesting shops on the island.

We had a lovely dinner with David and Therese and Lydia Byrne, Ken and April and Chloe Brown, and Michael Flynn, Linda Sattler and Rosie at the Cow Bridge Thai Restaurant.

For the record, the only place we had eaten outside of the hotel here in Guangzhou up to this point has been Lucy's, where you can get a mean Grilled Cheese with fries and a huge plate of stir fried broccoli.

Touring and Shopping in Guangzhou Part 2

2006-11-10T11:00:00.000-06:00

Next we traveled to the Chen Chen Temple which houses the Guangdong Folk Arts Museum.

The Entrance Gate:

In the courtyard, Simon gave us a history of the Temple and the museum.

Ken and April and Chloe Brown:

Inside the Courtyard:

Detail of the massive front doors:

The Sculpture Garden:

Jason and Peggy and Estelle Cooksey:

Reactions from the other tourists:

The Bowens:

Christi with the Buels:

Next stop, a massive shopping mall complex with hundred of dealers in, among other things, gems and stones and pearls and jade and embroidery:

How do you say "costs too much" in Chinese again?

The Pearl Market:

The Jade Market:

The Embroidery Shop:

Gathering to leave the shopping center

Back at the ranch

Things continue to get easier and better (Kate taking her bottle, letting us change her, and just being happier). The medicine seems to be making Kate feel better. However, we think she might be beginning to teethe. (Cue the scary music!)

Touring and Shopping in Guangzhou, Part 1

2006-11-09T22:00:00.000-06:00

The itinerary for today:

Sightseeing: Yeuxiu Park and Chen Chen Temple
Shopping: Pearl and Jade Market

Kate dressed for her big day out:

Breakfast at the White Swan:

There were tater tots on the breakfast buffet this morning. All the Americans were very excited.

The group gathers and leaves the hotel:

We arrive at Yeuxiu Park:

It's a pretty hot and humid day in Guangzhou:

Some are more awake -

- than others:

Poinsettias:

The goat or ram is the symbol of Guangzhou:

This was the first day we were really exposed to the general Chinese population. Many were curious about and delighted by our children and families. One woman in particular took Kate right out of Christi's arms, loved on her and displayed her proudly to her friends, even had them take her picture with Kate. We could not understand what she said to us, but we both felt that she was expressing gratitude and appreciation for what we were doing. Later, Christi was swarmed by adoring Chinese women who doted on Kate. They are also not shy about offering parenting advise, and very protective and loving of the children we are adopting.

Our new Chinese friend with Kate:

And with the Cooksey's:

Father and daughter:

The Byrnes:

The park is a place where retirees exercise daily. Some perform Tai Chi -

Some ballroom dancing -

And some play hacky sack. Eddie Graham joins in:

Mother and daughter:

TO BE CONTINUED (Kate's asleep and we're going to bed)

It's Even More Official

2006-11-08T20:00:00.000-06:00

We had a free morning today, and certainly needed it.

After breakfast, we took a leisurely walk around Shaiman Island, a small island within Guangzhou on which the White Swan Hotel rests. Kate seems to really like being pushed in a stroller. In fact, she seems to like it whenever she's in motion. We were able to borrow a stroller for free from one of the plentiful local merchants who cater to the adoptive families. It's the same shop that's doing our laundry.

Then we went once again to the Adoption Center and got our official adoption certificate.

After that, we went to the police to apply for Kate's passport. Evidently, the front of the police office is the ONLY place in Guangzhou where you cannot double park, and our bus had to move. At the time, our new friends Peggy and Jason Cooksey and their new daughter Estelle were off the bus dealing with a problem with their passport photo with the help of Elsie and Simon, our CHI coordinators. The only other people not on the bus when it pulled away were Kate and Eddie. Kate was being a little fussy (to put it mildly) and Eddie was walking her. It was a strange feeling to see the bus pull away. It was the first time our new family had been separated. But all ended well.

Simon arranged for a stop at a local coffee shop, and this photo goes out to our friend Rob -

Then we were taken shopping at Carrefour, the Chinese equivalent to Walmart, if Walmart were three stories high and louder than the dickens. Honestly, as loud as it was in there, it made a Walmart feel like a Buddhist monastery.

Other photos from the day -

Sue/Mom: Get a load of those shoes!

Christi and Kate in the White Swan's garden -

Feeding is becoming easier -

Kate is introduced to books and the cats -

Family and friends - Get used to this look -

And dressing is getting easier as well -

It Is Official

2006-11-07T22:00:00.000-06:00

Today we finished the paperwork required, and we are officially Kate's parents.

Kate does have a bit of a cold and some chest congestion, but she's doing fine. Doctor Joe Fowler from Oklahoma, who is here with another Childrens Hope International group, came by to look at her this afternoon. He said she was developmentally way ahead of the curve, and he recommended which of the many medications we brought with us she should be taking to get better. That's emblematic of the kindness and support we have had from all the adoptive families here.

We went back to the Adoption Center this morning to finish the paperwork. We also met with the director of Kate's orphanage, who answered several questions for us, and shared that Kate was probably the most spoiled child at the orphanage. We're beginning to see a little bit of that. Not feeling so well has led to a couple of meltdowns on her part, one of which was during the interview with the registrar this morning. Our new friends Ken and April Brown were smart enough to bring along some Childrens' Motrin and kind enough to share it with us, which helped Kate feel much better.

The strange thing right now is that changing her diaper or her clothes invariably leads to a crying (shrieking) spell. Anyone out there ever had that problem before?

(We just found out that several of the children from our orphanage are freaking out when their diapers and/or clothes are changed, so we're going to see if we can get some info from the orphanage that might explain this.)

Our friend Grace Gordon has asked us what Kate is like and what is her favorite thing to do. The short answer is that we are still learning that ourselves, but she has a pretty even dispositon (with the exceptions cited.) She likes to play with her teething key ring and her colorful stacking cups. She's done some things today that have really surprised us. She stood up on her own, with nothing to pull up on. She's been clapping her hands and sort-of maybe dancing to the Kate mix we brought on our laptop. (She does seem to like music a lot. We've got her on a steady dose of the Beatles and Mason Williams and Roger Miller and Jack Johnson and the Mills Brothers and Sweet Honey in the Rock and Perry Como, among others.) She's crawling all over the place and talking (babbling) all the time.

Mother and Child the first morning:

Simon, one of our CHI coordinators, with the director of Kate's orphanage:

Eddie and Kate at the Adoption Center, post meltdown:

Christi and Kate playing in the room:

More photos from Monday

2006-11-07T17:37:00.000-06:00

Some more photos from Monday with some of our many new friends:

We Are Family (Updated)

2006-11-06T22:00:00.000-06:00

This was the BIG Day.

We gathered in the lobby -

- went to the Adoption Center -

and met Kate -

Christi and Therese Bryne with Kate and Lydia:

Therese and David Byrne are our new friends from Nashville who are a part of our adoption group.

And a lot of new families waiting to board the bus:

On the bus to the hotel:

Kate is fantastic. She's been very good, not fussy at all. She took a nice nap when we got back to the hotel, she scarfed down her first bottle with us, and she's been playing and happy ever since, except when we changed her diaper, which made neither Kate nor Eddie very happy.

Kate's first bottle with us:

Eddie and David Byrne with Kate and Lydia:

Mother and Daughter:

Her first bath with us:

What an amazing day!

Guangzhou in the morning

2006-11-06T10:00:00.000-06:00

Shamian Island in Guangzhou-

The White Swan Hotel -

Travel To Guangzhou

2006-11-05T22:00:00.000-06:00

This morning, we had a wonderful visit with July Nie over breakfast. July is Robbins and Associates' representative in China. (Robbins and Associates is Christi's father's company. He designs golf courses and communities and is currently working on projects in China.) She brought us a gift from her and her husband, a stuffed mascot from her husband's company's website (www.sina.com).

Then we and the rest of our group left the hotel for the airport.

Some of us headed to Guangzhou; others to other provinces. Everyone and their children will eventually end up in Guangzhou, so we will see everyone again before we leave.

A nicer group of people you could not imagine than the other familes with which we are sharing our journey.

We checked in this afternoon to the White Swan Hotel, our home away from home for the next two weeks. We had a brief orientation in the hotel's playroom, and received our itinerary.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6 AT 1:15 PM (SUNDAY NOVEMBER 5 11:15 PM CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, MONDAY NOVEMBER 6 12:15 AM EASTERN STANDARD TIME) WE LEAVE THE HOTEL TO GO AND MEET KATE!

(Remember you can click on the photos to see them larger)

Christi and July:

Waiting to leave the Beijing Radisson:

At the Beijing Airport:

At the Guangzhou Airport:

Beijing

2006-11-04T22:00:00.000-06:00

Today was spent touring and meeting the other couples and famlies who are adopting along with us.

Our tour guide Mr. Lian and Childrens Hope International representatives Elsie and Suki:

We started the day at the Great Wall of China -

- had lunch near the offices of Childrens Hope International at King Duck (they were very accomodating to the vegetarians)-

- went to CHI Headquarters for an orientation -

-toured the Forbidden City -

-and Tianamen Square -

Tomorrow morning we fly to Guangzhou. We'll meet Kate on Monday afternoon.

WE MADE IT!

2006-11-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,

Just a quick post to let everyone know that we made it to the Beijing Radisson safe and sound, but a little tired and sore.

We got to the very nice, very Western hotel at around 11;30 PM local time, which, if I'm doing the math correctly, was about 9:30 AM Central Standard Time back home. Making our door to door travel time around 27 hours.

We got the treat of seeing it snow in Detroit just before we left. We were both amazed at how quiet and peaceful both the Toyko and Beijing airports were, even though they were both somewhat crowded.

In the Detroit airport, with our plane in the background:

On the plane and ready to leave:

Snowing in Detroit:

Arriving in Beijing - Christi with Melanie Hanson:

Christi, Rob, Melanie and McKenzie Hanson, April Brown, and Lina from Childrens Hope International, our adoption agency:

Our flight, NW 11, on the big board:

Short Timers

2006-10-31T10:36:00.000-06:00

Just a note to remind everyone that we leave for China this Thursday. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will be updating the blog while we are there, so check back regularly.

And a very special thanks to all of our friends and family, and even some strangers, for all the good wishes and thoughts and favors and help and support over this lengthy process. We could not have done this without you.

Don't go anywhere. We will still need the good wishes and thoughts and favors and help and support when we get back.

The Firmament

2006-10-22T18:53:00.000-05:00

Add something else to the list of incredible things that have been done for Kate.

My cousins in Virginia, Leah and Kathy, have had a star designated in Kate's name. The Star of Kate in the constellation Scorpius, which is Kate's sign as she was born on November 16, and can be found at Right Ascension 16:48:04.160 and Declination -41:08:47.38.

What an amazing thing to do.

We Have Travel Dates!!

2006-10-15T18:48:00.000-05:00

We're finally going to China! We found out Wednesday, October 11th that we were finally able to make travel plans. We're so excited that it's finally happening.

Schedule:
November 2nd travel to Beijing
November 3rd arrive in Beijing (22 hours of flying and crossing the date line)
November 4th tour Beijing (Great Wall, Forbidden City, etc.)
November 5th travel to Guangzhou
November 6th MEET KATE!
November 7th to 14th tour the area and fill out paperwork
November 15th American Consulate Appointment
November 16th get her visa that night
November 17th travel to San Francisco
November 18th home to Nashville

We are stopping in San Fran on the way home to see my sister Erin and my Dad and stepmother who are there visiting for Thanksgiving. We'll head back to Nashville the following day.

We plan to post to this site while we're there. It will be the best way to keep up with our journey. We can't promise a daily report but we hope to update as much as possible. Thanks for taking part in our journey to Kate. We can't wait to meet her and introduce her to all our wonderful family and friends.
Love,
Christi and Eddie

The Quilt Is Finished

2006-10-15T18:40:00.000-05:00

On Friday, October 6th we picked up the finished quilt. It is so beautiful and we are so grateful to everyone who contributed. There is one final touch that will be added. Eddie's mother is going to do some hand quilting on a section to add her special touch. But even so, here it is!

We'd like to thank Kathy Stuard, Linda the quilter, everyone at Quilter's Attic in Hendersonville and all the family and friends that made the quilt possible. It is truly a family treasure.

What A Surprise

2006-09-16T16:36:00.000-05:00

As some of you may have noticed, we have decorated Kate's nursery with designs by John Lennon.

We had an amazing surprise last night when Christi went to play Mah Jongg at our friend Duncan's house, as she does on a regular basis. This is Duncan with her husband and our friend Rob, and Annie and Dilsey.

A while back, Duncan had asked for a piece of the John Lennon border we had used for the nursery. I had totally forgotten that I had given this to her.

She hand-made the most amazing stuffed dolls based on the Lennon design.

They go so well in the nursery, and the fact that our friend made these by hand means so much to us, as we know it will to Kate.

Our Sponsor Child

2006-09-01T12:47:00.000-05:00

This week has been so exciting. Not only did we find out about our Kate and see photos for the first time, we also got a letter from our sponsor child Shuaili (sh-why lee). We are sponsoring him through our agency Children's Hope International. There is a link on the left side of our blog if you'd like to find out more.

Shuaili wants to be an artist. That is his goal in life. He has a happy positive attitude about being in the orphanage and having Polio. His health does not get him down because he has a dream. We are very proud to be his sponsors and to help make his dreams come true.

Here are some photos of Shuaili and some drawings he sent to us. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

More Information

2006-08-30T10:16:00.000-05:00

Here's what we know about baby Kate from our referral:

She's a deep sleeper.

She holds her head up while lying on her stomach, rolls from supline to prone position by herself, sits alone quite steadily, and tears paper.

She locates the direction of a sound or voice, visually follows moving toys, holds blocks in each hand at the same time, looks for a dropped toy, reaches and grasps for a toy, and bangs two blocks together.

She follows you by moving her head from one side to the other, laughs aloud, distinguishes between acquaintances and strangers, directs sounds at someone or something, eats biscuits without help, know her name, turns when she is called, and responds to the facial expressions of adults.

She's active, restless, fond of listening to music, fond of playng with toys, has a ready smile, is quick in reaction, and is closest to her caretaker.

Everything else we have is in Chinese, and will be translated for us in a couple of weeks.

We also have pictures of the stork arriving:

That's us with our stork, JD.

And here's Eddie scanning in the photos for the blog.

The Photos Are Here

2006-08-28T18:21:00.000-05:00

We Got The Call!

2006-08-25T21:02:00.000-05:00

Today was a very big day. At 2:31 PM we received the call at work from Amanda at Children's Hope and found out who our Kate actually is.

We went straight to the agency, since they had the only picture we could see before Monday. There we met with Amanda ...

... and she gave us all the info she had ...

... including this faxed picture of a beautiful little girl.

Nan Xian Liang. Xian means "virtuous." And Liang means "bright." Born November 16, 2005. Currently living at the Maonan Social Welfare Institute in Maoming City in the Guangdong Province of China. As of June 23rd, 15 pounds, 25 inches long, and beautifully bald and toothless.

We'll be getting more info and a better picture on Monday, but today we've finally seen our long awaited daughter.

Kate's Quilt - Production

2006-08-25T14:14:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday, my Mom Faye, Christi's Mom Sue, Christi and I travelled back to Quilter's Attic to see the work our friend Cathy had done on the quilt. All the pieces except for Sunbonnet Sue have been pieced together with the front borders, and it is looking incredible.

Kate's Quilt Pre-Production

2006-08-13T15:12:00.000-05:00

Christi and I had an incredible day yesterday. We traveled to Goodlettsville, Tennessee to Quilter's Attic, one of the coolest places on the planet, where our friend Kathy Stuard is helping us put Kate's quilt together.

There they have a "design wall" covered with batting. Cloth sticks to the batting like a post-it note, allowing you to arrange and rearrange the elements of your quilt.

We placed the pieces totally at random. I literally closed my eyes and picked up pieces blind for Christi to place. Then we went back and slightly revised based on color and pattern.

So we now have a pattern for the quilt. The blank spaces in the bottom right corner are for Jane Oakley's Sunbonnet Sue. Kathy will stitch the pieces together, get the borders and the backing Christi picked ready, and get it to the quilter.

It's been a long time since we sent out the first quilt letter ...

But by the end of this month we should know who our Kate is, and have the quilt finished for her.

Kate's Room Update

2006-07-18T16:05:00.000-05:00

Since I'm on a roll today, here are more photos of Kate's room...this time the finished product. As my Dad said, "The only thing it needs now is Kate." Believe me we've been anxiously waiting for 12 months to fill the room.

Currently, the chair in the corner has become our cat Newt's favorite place. I hope she and Kate will nap peacefully together.

100 Good Wishes Quilt

2006-07-18T15:39:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, we are doing a 100 Good Wishes Quilt for Kate. It's a Northern China tradition and becoming very popular in the adoption community. We have had so much fun getting the fabric from family and friends. I discovered scrapbooking in the process of making the book to go along with the quilt.

The book is made up of a photo, letter to Kate and piece of the fabric from each person who gave us something for the quilt. The fabric is so wildly different and so much fun. Putting the book together has been wonderful. Eddie has been taking pictures of me while I scrap. I can't wait to share the finished product with you all.

Long Time No Post

2006-07-18T15:17:00.000-05:00

We first began testing the idea of a blog back in December...when we thought we'd get our referral in January and travel in March. Well, the long wait has set in.
For those of you unfamiliar with China Adoption...here's a short primer and a bit of what we've gone through.
First...the slow down. At the time we began the process the wait time for a referral (when they match you with a child) was 6-8 months. That increased to a current wait of 12 months.

Second...the reason. This is due to 2 reasons: 1) the increased number of families wanted to adopt from China 2) the paperwork prepared by the orphanages and given to the government slowed down. They can't match a waiting family with a child if they don't have a file on the child.

The journey has been long and we're very close to an ending but we're still not there yet. We expect to get our referral in late August and travel in late October/early November. There have been good days and bad as the wait has progressed but we're sure the right little girl for us is just waiting for us.

As we get closer to the referral we will post more often. We'll have so much to share once we know who she is and where she's from. We look forward to sharing our happy news with you once we finally have some.

December 10, 2005

2005-12-10T09:41:00.001-06:00

Today, we're experimenting with setting up a blog page for our trip to China to get Kate. Most of you are aware of the journey thus far, our decision to adopt a little girl from China, the paperwork and the classes and the months of anticipation. The Chinese government accepted our application for adoption on July 21. We anticipate that we'll get the referral (in other words know who the little girl is) sometime in January, and then travel to China to get her sometime in March. But there are no guarantees; could be earlier, could be later.

The most progress here since the application was complete has been to the nursery. It took me several months to get my things organized and out of the room. Christi and her Mom and our friend Duncan recently painted. And Christi and her Mom then added a border. We've been moving furniture in and it's almost ready.

Eddie