Consulate Appointment

Today was the day that our whole trip was planned around. Of course, getting Jack was the highlight of the trip, but this was an important step to bringing Jack home to the USA!  We bussed from the hotel to the US Consulate, showed passports, went through security, took an oath, and waited for our turn to be called to the window to go over our paperwork and sign the final form for our Jack's visa.  They will put his US visa into his Chinese passport, which we will pick up tomorrow (Friday) afternoon, just before catching the train to Hong Kong.  We will stay overnight in Hong Kong with friends--who are gracious enough to come to Guangzhou to ride the train with us and help us handle all our luggage--then on Saturday morning, we will catch Delta flight 186 from Hong Kong to Detroit.  You should be able to track that flight on www.flightview.com. (Reminder: our departure time for you is actually Friday evening at 9:25 pm CST, so you can see us take off before you go to bed!) Please remember to pray about our tight connection in Detroit. We REALLY want to make our connection straight into Birmingham -- otherwise, we will get re-routed through Atlanta and get home much later Saturday evening.

Update on the health status: First off we are so grateful to our doctor and pharmacist friends back home for equipping us with "just in case" meds! And then to have made friends with our travel partners both in province and here in Guangzhou, the father being a family doctor! What a blessing! So we have changed Julianna's antibiotic and she is indeed feeling better by this evening. She felt well enough to do the family dinner hunt with Peter.  The lasagna and fettuccine were a welcome change! Unfortunately, Jack's fever hit 103.7 this afternoon, so after another consult, we are starting him on antibiotics, too. Please keep praying! Jack is feeling better, the Motrin having kicked in. He is sitting in my lap chanting "OK Momma, I luba loo ( I love you), and Ahchoo, Momma" So cute! 

Peter is now running a 99.5 fever.  Celinda and J-N are still in the clear!  We've heard something about body temperature readings being done at the border -- if that's the case, please pray that Motrin will do it's trick to get us across without incident! J-N is enjoying watching hi-speed race boats in New Zealand on TV. The course looks like a waterized Talladega--strange!

 After last night's bath

 More playtime

 Just 4 of us headed to the Consulate appointment. Julianna is still sick (Jack, too, but he had to be present, of course!)

For Anna Mae: Jack's first look at Veggie Tales

Note: If you are up to it, we have posted 2 more posts from the past days so read on!

Shamian Island

Today (Wednesday), we went back to where we had stayed 4 years ago when in Guangzhou.  The architecture is interesting as it reflects the 19th century British colonial influence.  There were fewer shops than before, as neither the consulate nor the medical clinic is located on the island any more, and at least one major hotel is closed for renovations and conversion into apartments and business suites. Truly the end of an era for the adoption process in Guangzhou.

                               

Our family of five

Fun to see J-N posing with the many statues on the island. Almost 4 years ago, he would point to them and just cry!

Strolling down the lanes both physically and in our memories from John-Nathan's adoption.

The only shop we really wanted to go to. We had found it on the last day of our previous trip. Its mission is to give back to Chinese orphans. Happy to support that!

Inside the store, they have a little play area for children. Some of you may recall a video of John-Nathan hammering away on the pegs. Well, here are both boys doing just that. Sweet memories!

For lunch we ate at a Thai-ish restaurant on the island called Cow & Bridge, where we had eaten several times during our last visit.  The tale to tell from there involves changing Jack's diaper.  Their menu said that they had a special place for changing babies' diapers (we were thinking, "how nice of them") , so we asked for that. They showed us to a kind of table box, in the breezeway/ alley to the toilets.  It was not quite what we were hoping for, but the deed was accomplished!

Also today, we went and bought a new SD card for Julianna's camera, thinking that her old one was defective -- but it turns out that it was the card reader instead.  So that was an adventure trying to return it (which isn't done here).  We ended up having to select additional merchandise in order to add up to the total amount of the SD card we had purchased, since the reader was less expensive...guess you had to be there for that!

Peter and John-Nathan went to the pool again later this afternoon.  J-N really enjoys that outing and asks for it every day.  The families share stories and long for home together!

As of 10 p.m. this night we officially have two with fevers: Julianna and Jack :(. Appreciate continued prayers for health for all. Still have quite a journey ahead of us...

Off day pictures

With a new card reader we are back in business with pictures for your enjoyment.

 Boys playing with their Trustmart purchases.

 Chef Jack

 Sick Julianna :(

 Napping everywhere BUT the room...sigh

 After sitting and excusing ourselves from the Italian restaurant, the dads take a look at the menu and prices at the Mexican restaurant before all 11 of us take a seat.

 With the Hasting family. 

Ice cream cone...yum!

An off day

Up-front disclaimer: this is a post for only the most faithful of our followers, since there are no pictures. So sorry. We did take some, but we have a technical difficulty between the photo card and computer, and our tech princess is not feeling well at all! We hope you will still read our brief update...  :)

Today we didn't have any appointments or planned outings.  Yippee!  So Peter, the boys, and I made the trek to Trust-Mart (like Wal-mart) where we hunted for more diapers and wipes. We also picked out a few very inexpensive toys (made in China) for the hotel room.  Jack and John-Nathan played well with their new things side by side. It was sweet to see! 

We headed out for lunch with our new friends the Hastings (from Nashville area). They adopted a little fellow who also spent some time at MBHOH. We have really enjoyed their company. John-Nathan loves playing with their kids.  We went across the street to an Italian restaurant, but after our eyes popped out at the menu prices, our group of 11 actually excused ourselves from the table and sheepishly, but giddily, hastened out of the restaurant.  We ended up at a Mexican restaurant instead, which worked for us, but of course came with its own set of stories to tell... After that, we slipped into a McDonalds for a 50 cent ice cream cone for the kiddos--no doubt the highlight of the afternoon together!  Since Jack had slept through most of the Mexican meal, we did the unthinkable: we bought him a Happy Meal (a first for our family -- really!)

Julianna still has a fever, so she feels pretty yucky. We are thankful for a family physician that is in our travel group. He made a "house call" :). So we have started the antibiotic that we brought along, and we're keeping the ibuprofen going. Please pray for our girl!  We recall that she took ill the second week of our trip to adopt John-Nathan as well.  I could use prayer as well for my stomach that is feeling a little "iffy."

Peter took the boys for a long walk and outing to the playroom this evening while Julianna and I watched some Pride and Prejudice. :)

Overall, it has been a more restful day, but we do miss home more and more.  Thankfully, we are just a few days away from making that trek. Please keep praying us through...for health, bonding, safety, and SMOOTH travel both through the skies and in our hearts and minds!

Guangzhou Zoo

Today we were off in the bus with our travel group for a quick trip back to the medical clinic to have all the little folks' TB tests read. Of course, that put us out and about at Jack's preferred nap time--again!  This time, he spread across our laps.

                                 

When we arrived at the clinic, I just scooped him up and he continued his nap. He never even knew that someone had looked at his arm. We're grateful to announce Jack's test was negative! Thanks for praying.  From there, our bus took us all to the Guangzhou Zoo.

                                 

At first, we rode around the zoo for a quick tour in the motorized carts. That was probably the highlight of the trip since it was shaded, there was a breeze, and we were sitting on padded seats!

                                

Jack perked up with excitement and exclamatory utterances at various times, spotting different animals here and there.

                                

The ride did stop for us at the panda exhibit. Fun to finally see a real live one!  He was chomping away on bamboo that he would select (inspect) from a pile before crunching on it.

                                            

                                

They are even trained to pose for pictures with visitors to the zoo!  After the luxury ride, we began to mosey around with some others in a rather miserable 90 degrees and about that much humidity! We were soaked with sweat. We only made it to a few exhibits...I think even the animals felt like us, as they were not very active.  The chimpanzees, however, were more lively, and we'll have to tell you about the lady who talked to them...

Can you spot the tiger? 

Just before the melt-down, literally and figuratively!  To his credit, Jack was the only one who honestly expressed his feelings at this point (though Julianna was a close second -- but we didn't have to scoop her up off the ground)... He was hot and tired and he let us know it.  See the little sweaty head?

So we were all in need of a cool treat. Great diversionary tactic.  Jack enjoyed his strawberry something ... seriously have no clue what it was ... maybe a frozen yogurt type thing?  But it was tasty, and Peter was thrilled to get three treats and two bottled waters for less than $5 -- at a zoo of all places!! 

Back at the hotel, we made some PBJs for the PCJs :). Jack enjoyed his, along with leftover noodles (he really likes noodles!). We enjoyed some downtime; Jack comes alive when we are all together in the room -- he does so much better here than being out on the go.  

Peter and J-N headed to the pool for awhile, along with a dozen other adoptive families. I kept the little fellow in to play and take a bath. He liked playing in the tub. 

Julianna does have a touch of something. She thinks that it's a rare Chinese disease, but we think otherwise. Please pray for her and ALL of us!  Six more days, but who's counting?!?!?