The best place to see lots of pictures of our surroundings is to visit Sarah at Coming Around Again blog. A few more pictures are on Journey to Sophie (Foy's) and 6000 Miles to Abigail (Webb's); see 09/20/08 post with us in the front row.
Welcome to Shamian Island!
Everyone in the group has been looking forward to getting to Guangzhou and not just because it means we're close to flying home. This is where everyone plans to do some major shopping! The Island is set up for us and our Travel Group had no plans on letting them down :) However, we hadn't planned on battling the effects of a TYPHOON! Unreal. We travel half a world away and still we can't get out of the path of a Hurricane!
We can't even begin to tell you what it was like sloshing through the flooded streets getting to the Medical Appointments. Yes, scuzzy water up to our knees for 30 minutes. We hope not to catch pneumonia! Or lose any time getting our shopping in!!! :)
Some firsts and random thoughts!
AA drinks from a straw now.
She can unscrew a water bottle and play with the cap by screwing it back on, then off, then on, then....
She has "blown her kisses" to us! We practiced lots of kissing so now she will pucker up and blow kisses on command!
She looks at me and calls me "mama" (when she is screaming, mad or in anyway upset, she calls out for her "first" mama; we know the difference),
She still requires about three foot safety space around her when out in public, no one can get close to her! She immediately begins crying again, pinching or scratching me and withdraws into her shell.
She is daddy's new best play friend. They play together for hours with AA crawling all over him and sitting in his lap.
And here is the big one, it may be a repeat but it's worth repeating. She is falling asleep in her CRIB provided I hum like crazy and shake the crib like we're in a earthquake!
All of our paperwork goes to the Consulate today and should all go well we will get AA's visa approval and then do the oath tomorrow. Fly out Saturday morning early!
I'm giving the computer back to Ford so he can put on a video of all of us making our way through the water yesterday to get AA's medical exam and visa photo. I don't know if Ford will post the video of the picture session and the exam. Let's just say that in his words, it's brutal! Poor Alyzabeth, she does not like strangers to touch her or get too close...
Bye for now.
Alyson, Alyzabeth & Ford
posted Thursday morning @10:15:AM
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Shamian Island - Day 2 (Or Day 13 of China Journey)
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31 comments:
The flooding photos are unbelievable!!! Tell the truth -- did you bring that weather with you?
OMG!!!! This is crazy, the weather out there is as bad as it is here... Well hope all turn out okay with the baby medical exam and pictures.
Have a Bless day!
Oh my word. I cannot even imagine walking through the Pearl River. My DH said, "tell them not to walk through it" but a) you already did, and b) you had no other choice, did you?
All in all though, it makes for great stories and great video!
YUCK on the worms -- I'm with Ruth on that one!
WOW.. I can not imagine all that water...AMAZING...
So glad the you are all having a Great Time.. and that Alyzabeth is doing well..
Hugs...
I'm so glad that Alyzabeth is doing well!
Don't even get me started on those worms...ugh.
Wow, look at all of that water! I'm glad all is well and Alyzabeth is blowing kisses...priceless.
Wow that water is crazy. What is it about your video's and floods. it looks like you made the best of it though. What an awesome adventure!
Incredible! I don't think I could have handled one more piece of stress...like swimming through the streets with worms while holding the baby. I get teary eyed looking at your family. I'm so happy for you and hope her trust factor grows at light speed. Safe travels.
Wow! That is just amazing. Stay safe and hurry home to dry land.
I love hearing how AA and her mama and baba are coming along each day.
Oh my! What an adventure you are having! I'm going to schedule the last of our travel immunizations first thing in the morning!!! Looks like you have a great travel group-all taking it in stride and laughing along the way.
OMG...I can't believe all the water!!
Sounds like AA is making some real progress....I had to rock the crib with Nick when he was little too....he loved the motion!!
Cannot believe you will be flying home on Saturday....it seems like it went so fast! I can't thank you enough for the wonderful footage you have shared with us....it has been so exciting to watch your incredible journey!!
Be safe!
Lisa
As with everyone else, I can't believe the water! YUCK! You and your whole travel group were such troopers! I'm so glad to see the pics from yesterday with Alyzabeth An's smiles and laughter. I know that makes your heart sing! I hope the water starts subsiding so you can get some good shopping in before you leave!
Dana
I met you both when I spoke at the Waiting Families meeting several months ago...Alyzabeth is lovely and reacting in a very normal way to the changes she's going through. I'm so happy to see her with a relaxed and happy face and it's wonderful to see how thrilled you all are. Your blog is excellent; love the videos. I'll have to show all this to my Maggie, adopted at three and a half and now is almost 7. Wow, the flooding there!
Enjoy your last days in China, it's a unique time for a new family. Best wishes, Jeannie Greenwald
What an adventure... I'm so glad that AA is starting to trust you and to bond. Loved the smiley pictures from yesterday :)
And, eeeeeeewwww, earthworms. Yuck.
Hope the weather cooperates during the rest of the trip.
xx
Nina
Oh my goodness! Look at all that water! It appears those storms are following you?!!
Great news about AA sleeping! Yay! Hope Mummy and Daddy are getting some restful sleep too!
OMG..you guys are troopers! I gotta say you all held up way better than I probably would have. Glad to see Alyzabeth is making such wonderful progress, your blog has really been a fantastic journey for all of us.
OK...wading through the Pearl River is just tooo gross! I can't believe all the people we saw swimming in it!
Looks like things are winding down and you will be headed home soon. AA is coming along nicely. Dori did not like ANYONE coming near her for a very long time. She still doesn't go to others, but will flash a small wave now. AA will come around!
That flooding was incredible. You two really ARE troopers! Alyzabeth is so lucky to have a day by day video log of the lengths to which you traveled the Earth and battled Mother Nature to bring her home.
Only a few more days and you will be flying home!
So happy for you!
I don't suppose the WS had waders available for the convenience of it's guests ..... Yikes, guys. You really braved the elements for that cheesy 'kick the tires, check out the interior' medical exam! When we were in Guangzhou, did we ever think to check the Weather Channel for China weather? .... no. And we had the outer band of a typhoon surprise us one evening while we were out walking. Don got hit in the head with a falling branch (he's been quite weird ever since .... no wait ..... he was weird long before any typhoon) but we were near Jason's and we ducked in there until it was safe. Only about a half hour. We're happy y'all survived some remarkable circumstances and we're jazzed that AA is doing so well. But what's with this pinching and scratching thing? JM does the same thing! Do you think that's how the kids got their caregiver's attention? It doesn't really hurt us, but it's annoying and could be a lot worse on a child her age. She's had a few 'time outs' because if it.
Ford, I'm quite jealous with this quick bonding process. It was a good 3 weeks till JM gave me the honor of attending to her. Now, she hangs onto my leg and I drag her across the floor to get to the other side of the house. She giggles with delight. I'm jazzed for you, man.
Won't be long now, friends. Keep the faith!
Love,
D, B & JM
Oh My Gosh... I guess September and October travel needs to add rubber wading boots to the packing lists! :-)
joan.
Glad to hear that things are getting better with Alyzabeth. I can't believe all the water. I hope everyone stays healthy. I can't believe the size of those worms.
Kathy
AA blew me away when she responded and blew a kiss back to me on SKYPE. What more could a grandmother ask! Can't wait for Saturday night. Love Mom/Nana
We just checked 6000 miles to Abigale and lo and behold who is on the front page of the news in full color???? Ford/Aly/AA, you are famous! Not long now till you will be winging your way back home. We'll keep on prayin...
Love, Be
insane! thanks for sharing your sense of humor about these conditions. Love the earthworms! WOW!
I am finally grossed out from something in China!!!! I hope you scrubbed well and BTW, did you pack antibiotics????
Doreen in Montreal
The water is enough but the worms...ewwwwwwwwww!!
Sorry to hear your little sweetie had such a tough time at the medical exam. Poor little lamb.
Happy to hear how much better she is doing with mommy and baba! Praise God!!!
What a blessing it is to all of us to be able to share in your journey in such a real way as you share your videos with us. Thank you!!
I would be way more afraid of anything other than pneumonia in that water!! We didn't have near the rain in July 2005 but I still think I got a foot fungus from walking in the rain! yuck and yuck!!
Those photos are amazing. And the worms, eeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!Please don't bring that weather home to Florida!
So glad to hear and see that AA is warming up to dad and settling in to her new family. Am so enjoying following your journey!
Blessings,
Donna and Catherine Anne XiuJin
Jax FCC
so neat that A is loving her Daddy!
Lea
xo
Love hearing AA updates!
I watched that video and started humming the Jimmy Buffett song, 'Take the Weather With You"....that's a whole lot of water!
Wow! Can't imagine making my way through that. It was nice to see the place again though. And it was lovely to see video of Kathy - she was our guide as well and we just adored her. What a special lady!
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