Fuzhou Free Day 1

After a busy day of paperwork yesterday, we've entered into a period of 3 straight "free days". This morning, our guide Isabel treated us with a visit to a beautiful park located across the lake from our hotel. We had a wonderful walk along the boardwalk with Raina in her stroller. She quickly fell asleep and we enjoyed a great stroll through the park. It was a very nice time outside in absolutely gorgeous weather. All in all, we had a "lazy" day without much going on. Raina has taken to looking out the window of our hotel room. And a new hilarious development... Raina must have her shoes on at all times. Even with her pajamas on, she puts them on. She's not happy when they're off. We also discovered that, although we were told that Raina weighs 27 pounds - well... um... we put her on the scale - she's a whopping 18 pounds. She is the littlest peanut, just wait till you see her. She may just be a Curatolo after all...

She's Officially Ours!

Today was a full day for us. Today was the day that we had to complete the official process of adopting Raina in her province. The Chinese officials granted us legal guardianship for 24 hours (from the time we met her) to make a final decision. This is designed to give the adoptive family and the authorities an opportunity to confirm the match through mutual agreement. We knew that the first stop of our trip today would be the one we were dreading the most, since we would have to again see Raina's caretakers from her orphanage, as they would be required to be at the meeting. So first, we went to the Fuzhou Civil Affairs office (kind of like a little courthouse... emphasis on the "little"... yet very official). There, we signed many documents, placed our thumbprints (Raina's footprint) on their seals, and were interviewed by the higher ranking officer about our reasons for adopting Raina and our intentions of providing for her life from this point on. This was surprisingly a very nerve-racking experience and we felt a lot of cultural pressure entering the interview. We did see her orphanage workers again, and our fears were realized when Raina wanted to go with her Nanny. This was shorter-lived than the day before though. Signed, sealed, delivered... RAINA IS OFFICIALLY OUR DAUGHTER! We took a final picture with the officials, and we headed off to apply for Raina's passport and US Visa. This was a quick visit without much fanfare, and then we were on our way to the Fuzhou Notary Public Office to notarize and get verification that we are who we say we are. Another official interview where we were asked about our intentions in adopting one of China's children. With this, we were off to a good old-fashioned American visit to McDonald's and Wal-Mart. One final cab ride back to the hotel, and then we were in for the surprise of the day... with a little patience, Raina came out of her shell big time. She was drinking from a bottled water, and coughed a little. We laughed and she thought our laughing was funny. This started about a 20 minute episode of "fake" coughing and total giggling. To watch her interact with us this way was simply priceless. We finally got to see her real smiles and hear her glorious little laugh. It was heaven.

We...Have...Raina.

Well, this is the blog posting we've been waiting to share for almost 3 years.  We are in a hotel room in Fuzhou, Fujian province, China.  And sitting in the bed with us is our precious Raina.  She is the most beautiful thing we've ever seen.  This day has been incredible... impossible to put into words that will ever do it justice.  We met her in a hotel meeting room, and it was one of the most memorable moments of our lives.  After taking care of some paperwork, we were back in our hotel room with her, and 3 representatives from her orphanage - the director, her main nanny, and the orphanage doctor.  They were wonderful people.  We spoke to them through our guide, who interpreted for us all.  They presented us with gifts, clothes, shoes, and a photo album they made of her life there.  This orphanage REALLY cared for her, we can tell.  After they left, Raina went through a very difficult - heartbreaking time.  She cried a life-shattering wail that rocked us all.  She is grieving yet another abandonment from the orphanage that is the only life she remembers.  Laura just held her tight for at least an hour as Raina clinged to her.  Her sorrow slowly turned to anger, yet when she wanted "down", and Laura put her down, she reached out her arms for Laura even through her tears.  After awhile, I began to distract her with some toys, and she warmed to the idea of playing.  We ordered room service, and we have now sat in the bed for almost 2 hours.  Raina has eaten crackers, Gerber puffs, dried fruit, fried rice, french fries, and she's drank Apple juice from a sippy cup, and milk from a straw.  She has already exhibited amazing skill at stacking cups, fine detail, - we are simply amazed at her in every way possible.  She is a glorious gift from God, and we are busting at the seams just looking at her.  Glory to God, blessed be His name... Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow.  We're looking at one right here.

Hutong, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square

Today we had another long day of touring.  What we saw were some of the most amazing things we've ever seen.  The simplicity of the Hutongs, an area of Beijing that represents the "old" China... the forgotten past.  Where the streets are narrow, and life is quiet - almost peaceful.  Then the stark contrast of the Forbidden City... where extravagance reigns.  The home built for the Emporer, on display - opulent, overkill, almost ridiculous in size and design.  Complete the tour with Tiananmen Square... vast, open, empty space stretching in all directions.  Mao's vision in the tangible world.  The power of the state ruling over the insignificance of the people - Pure China.  All unforgettable... but what lies ahead for us tomorrow will be the most unforgettable moment of our entire trip - our meeting with Raina.  This is a moment we've dreamed of for so long... just in time to shatter Mao's dream.  Raina is not insignificant... we came here from the other side of the world for this one very important girl.  An orphan no longer...

1st Day - The Great Wall

After a fairly decent night's sleep, this morning we toured what is called a "Cloissone" factory, where they manufacture works of art from copper and colored enamel. Witnessing the process was amazing, from the beginnings of the basic materials to the final steps of polishing - a truly beautiful art. We then went to the Great Wall of China. The weather was absolutely beautiful, we couldn't have asked for anything better. We took a cable car up the side of the mountain to an entrance spot where they funnel the tourists. We then climbed some incredibly steep angles and stairs to the highest point. The view was one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen. It was amazing to see the majesty of the mountains peeking through the haze, and to look at the dragon-like wall snaking in both directions as far as the eye can see. Standing there upon this wondrous man-made structure gave me the sense of just how small we are. It's easy to feel insignificant on that wall... the history, the shear magnitude of it... it's quite humbling. We then went to lunch, where we were treated to some... eh, let's just say very interesting "meats". Laura and I weren't feeling that adventurous (shocker), so the rice and chicken did the job just fine. Back to the hotel for a quiet evening, one of the last ones we'll probably have for awhile.

Here We GO!

Tomorrow we will be boarding a plane bound for Beijing. A flight that we sometimes thought would never take place is finally going to happen. A whirlwind of emotions is swirling through our heads. We are exhausted already... all the planning, packing, last minute details... it's all done, and we are ready to go. Saying goodbye to our boys has proved difficult. 17 days is an AWFUL long time to be away from them. We will miss them desperately. But this new chapter of our lives is about to begin, and we want to savor every moment of it. I hope you enjoy the ride with us... now let's get going!

Travel Itinerary

Today we received our official itinerary for our in-China travel. It basically gives a detailed schedule of where we will be, and the things we will be doing on a daily basis. It looks like there's some exciting things for us to see and do, as well as a good amount of down time... just waiting for appointments. In a nutshell, it breaks down like this: We fly out of Chicago on Wednesday, October 21st - landing in Beijing on Thursday, October 22nd. We spend Friday and Saturday touring Beijing (I can't wait for that!). Sunday morning, we fly from Beijing to Fuzhou, the capital of the Fujian province. THAT SAME AFTERNOON, WE WILL BE RECEIVING RAINA! So, October 25th is what is affectionately referred to as "Gotcha Day". Monday the 26th, we have some official adoption appointments. Tuesday is a "free" day for us. Wednesday and Thursday we will be doing some more touring of the Fujian province. Friday the 30th, we will receive our final adoption documents from Raina's province and late that same evening we will take a flight from Fuzhou to Guangzhou. This is where the famous White Swan hotel is, and this is where we will spend the remainder of our time in China, doing all sorts of official adoption things. The schedule takes on a busier form here in Guangzhou. We will have medical appointments, visa appointments, and US consolate appointments every day beginning Saturday, 10/31 thru Thursday, 11/5. We then take our final in-country flight from Guangzhou to Hong Kong sometime after 11pm Thursday night (undoubtedly the toughest flight due to how late it is). We will spend our final night/early Friday morning (11/6) in a beautiful Hong Kong hotel before we prepare for our final 13+hour flight home to Chicago, a mere 11 hours later.
Without question, this will be the MOST demanding travel of our entire lives, with a 2 year old in tow. Pray for Raina, and pray for our endurance. We need to stay healthy... this is very important.