It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

It's almost Christmas and I've managed to send out a lot of Christmas cards, go shopping and take Iris to several holiday gatherings. First, the beautiful tree in the picture is not our tree. The photo was at the lovely home of the McCall family who hosts a great open house. Our tree is artificial, propped on a microwave stand and secured with a baby gate, so that Iris doesn't get to the ornaments. This year it is draped with strings of popcorn that my friend, Lorri, helped me make. That is something fun I'd like to do in the future with Iris.
Another gathering was with the Redwood Empire Chinese Association's annual holiday potluck. The food was great and Iris met Santa (a.k.a. Joe Wang) there. It was fun to hear the preschoolers sing in Mandarin. Our friends, Lynette, Gary and Bobbie Wong, were singing familiar songs ("Ni hao?") that Iris listens to on tape almost every weekday morning.


In the photos, Iris is wearing her special red shoes that read, "Baby's First Christmas". Although she was in China last Christmas, this is our first Christmas as a forever family. Plus, I imagine that there isn't the big colorful celebrations with family in China as it is in the U.S. Not to mention the toys and massive shopping that happens here. Iris is still learning to appreciate her many toys. It's amazing how she can have a plethora of colorful toys around her, and she wants to crawl quickly to the other room to open drawers and pull out DVDs from a box. She likes empty plastic bottles, pulling things down from the coat hanger in our kitchen, and the "little tikes" slide that she climbs and slides down on with a lot of help from mom or dad. Because of that, our gift to her are books and time with family and relatives. This year, it's Christmas Eve and Christmas morn with mom (Cindy's) side in the East Bay, then flying to AZ to dad's family with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, whom she has yet to meet in person. They will need ear plugs for her high-pitched loud screams (of delight) and fussy cries because we think she may be teething again. What a world traveler at one year old!

So what is Christmas all about this year? I pray that it will be a renewing of hope and trusting in the promise of Christ's coming as we are reminded of God's sending the incarnate Jesus to us. Iris is here and is a wonderful reminder of God's answering prayer. We need His light on us daily, but especially in these uncertain economic times. I want Iris to know the whole of His story and why Christmas is a time for singing with joy of God's wonder, beauty and love. Our lives are truly in His hands. Next post: Iris walking??

Celebrations 'R Us

November went by quickly, in part due to our internet being down all during the Thanksgiving week. It seemed strange not to log on to check the latest e-mails or to search an address. The long week or so was fine because we celebrated Iris's birthday, baptism and Thanksgiving with family. All the grandparents came. Iris was very happy, as usual, and truly enjoyed playing with the greeting cards given to her. She loved holding them in her hands and spin around on her bottom as she likes to do. We were all waiting for her to stand up on her own and possibly walk, but that didn't happen. We're still waiting, but she does hold her stance, legs spread out, for several seconds.

The day of her birthday was low-key, as we (one grandma, Brian, Iris and I) participated in the food packing of a local missions organization in the morning. We had the real birthday celebration on her baptism day. Iris didn't cry because she had "practiced" with our pastor. She didn't do her loud squeal of delight either. All of the 5 minutes was capture on three video cameras. Later when presented with a home-baked cupcake with frosting, Iris was cautious. She did something she never has done with other foods. She grabbed cake in her hand and put her hand on the side of her pants without eating it. We can only guess that she wanted to save it for later. By day 4 of knowing the grandparents (from AZ), Brian and I enjoyed a couple of evening hours out by ourselves. It was quiet on the streets and we almost didn't know what to do with ourselves. We didn't worry about Iris too much, but realized that we must look for babysitters for our well-being as a couple. That's something to pray about for all parents with children!

Thanksgiving was at our home with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, pumpkin and apple pies and family (grandparents and aunt Ruth) around to entertain and lavish Iris with attention. She continues to be a good eater; refusing few foods! I just pray that we can afford to buy the food at these high prices as the economy continues to tank. We are nevertheless thankful that we are a family with Iris, have a home and the love of family and good friends. Let us remember Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever.

What is she thinking?

It's been two full moons since we were all in China for the mid-Autumn Moon Festival holiday. We are getting into a good routine, but still I wonder what her mind is taking in with seeing visitors, the outside environment, and her parents. There is a moms' club that has playgroups, and I think Iris will enjoy being with little ones closer to her age group. At a recent gathering, she enjoyed taking legos and books out of a box, climbing to a stand with a play table to help, and holding a Spiderman ball (see photo).

She's trying to stand on her legs, but they're very far apart. My questions have been: What is she going to say as her first words? What does it mean when she holds her arms up and forcefully puts them down at the same time? Will her persistence in crawling around us to get what she wants translate into a lot of "I want this..." or "no" later? Will she ever like to play with her stuffed and soft animal toys?

For now, she continues to have new experiences, such as going to the oceanside. We went on a surprising warm November day on the coast. She seemed happy going for the little pieces of grass in the sand. What a sandy mess! Click on the video to watch Daddy dipped her feet in the cold water.

Fun with Iris

Meet Iris's new toys-the spiky kushes! We bought three of them in different colors, but it was just last week that Iris stopped being scared of them. I'm sure it's because of her new play helper, Paige. It's wonderful how Iris learns more readily from other children, even teenagers, because she probably knows that they're closer to her age. She continues to crawl, play, pull herself up, laugh, sleep, and cry (around nap time) as many infants her age do. It's official-Iris has two more bottom teeth, making a total of eight! Take a look:

We continue to introduce her to different food, such as melon and yogurt, as she'll be almost one in a couple of weeks. Whole milk is a-coming! She has a spoon at meal times, but still prefers to eat with her fingers. I realized that many foods that we eat also are eaten with our hands, e.g. wraps, crackers, sandwiches, etc. So, why would she be motivated to eat with a spoon? Anyway, I know that will come.

Friends and family continue to shower her with smiles and love. She even went on a hike in Sonoma with about 20 other people. We thought that she'd nap, but she was way too interested in where everyone was and looking at the lovely scenery. Our Creator God is good!

A New Day

Election day has come and gone. Yeah! As political history was made, dear Iris was just going down for the night. She sleeps well, but a "regular" nap time is still a struggle to establish. This week, I'm trying the "crying it down" method. It will probably take all week, but I hear the key is consistency.

Iris continues to thoroughly entertain us. Some of the fun things she does are: 1) sitting and moving her legs around to turn in complete circles; 2) pulling herself up to a stand near the coffee table and then, plopping down backwards to a sitting position; 3) her smile with a dimple when she's pooping (That's a helpful signal!). So, what's next? God only knows and He's been very good to us as a family so far.

Iris's babbling with loud squeals of delight continue, despite her parents efforts to get to say, "Mama" and "Dada". She eats well, so it's hard to know when she's really full. It may be a growth spurt, but she's developing a little "buddha tummy"! She seems to be interested in the electrical plugs and cords; generally, how things work. She loves eating with her hands, specifically with her pointer finger only. Through it all, I marvel at how wonderful God's grace on us in bringing this adorable daughter into our home. As with many things, we're taking it one day at a time and loving it.

First Halloween

Our annual trip down to the Petaluma pumpkin patch was fun. Cousins Matthew and Noah with Aunt Ruth met us there to find our way out of the corn maze. They also helped pick out nice round pumpkins to carve. Back at home, we enjoyed pizza and carved pumpkins as Iris slept. Of course, when she woke up, she was hungry!

It seemed strange to me to dress up our 11-month old girl in a Halloween costume. But thanks to Beth G., Iris donned a bumblebee costume on Halloween. She visited the H&R dept. at the JC campus because they were having a Halloween Open House. It was fun for Iris to see other children in weird costumes. In the evening, she stayed in costume to greet her Daddy and a group of trick-or-treaters. We didn't get many people that evening, so we're going to have to find a way to give away the candy we bought before we eat it all. Iris is sure not going to have any. She already has a restless energy that keeps her going. So, here are a couple of pics of our little bumblebee:

First month home

As you can see from the photos, Iris has been doing a lot. She's drinking from a sippy cup pretty well (Mmmmm, formula!), more comfortable in her room and climbing on the futon, AND starting to pull herself up to a standing position. It's not long before she could be walking. Then, mom and dad will have to get their running shoes on!

A social worker came to meet us and write the first post-placement report. She asked how Iris has been developing. I don't see a lot of change from day to day, but every day, Iris seems to be taking it all in. She babbles high, often, and sometimes loud. This week, the big development is the desiring to stand up and pulling herself up to a standing position. Though, still on tip-toes, she is gaining strength in those legs of hers.

The social worker also asked about her personality and temperament. "Happy" and "fun" were immediate. There's also curious because she gets focused on what she wants and tries several times to get her way. For example, she wants to crawl/creep to the microwave cart, but I try to block the way. Well, she thinks about going over and around me to get there a few times before I can distract her to something just behind her. Distracting her is what I have to do a lot, but once she starts toddling (walking), what will I do?!

Parenting is a full-time job that must be learned. We're grateful to friends who don't mind us asking questions about napping, feeding and other babycare activities. God has blessed us with this precious child who has bonded well to us. She is a real bundle of joy, even though our dog might disagree. Today, she is the best birthday gift for me. We went out to celebrate the day at our friend's Chinese restaurant. Just look at her tummy!

One month anniversary

We've been home from China more than two weeks and have been Iris's parents for about one month. So, what have we learned? We've learned that the cloth diaper covers masks the smells of poopie diapers better than disposables, Iris can sleep a long time (12 hours!), and that she can learn to like new things if she tries it a few times. For example, she didn't take too much to the jogging stroller, but now she can fall asleep in it when the sun is out. Also, she enjoys her bath time in her rubber duck tub. Yeah! I think no baby really enjoys being in a car seat, but she doesn't fuss until we park the car.

By being a stay-at-home mom for now, I've learned that it's a good day when we can go on one errand outside the house. Visiting neighbors and meandering around in the stroller is good. It's just getting to chores that require driving that is hard to schedule. Nap time is still not regular, but she definitely needs one in the afternoon. Generally, Iris is doing great, especially as mom takes her to visit friends or friends come by. She's pretty calm in groups. She's even let near strangers hold her, depending on her mood at the time. Here are some photos of new friends.

Welcome home, Iris!

It's been almost one week since we landed in the U.S. Iris is starting to sleep longer hours during the night. Now, the job for us is set a regular schedule of waking, feeding, etc. that we can follow. It's nice that I'm not working outside the home until January 2009. I'm still having trouble focusing on priorities and deciding what to do first.

Iris and I have fun playing, visiting neighbors and friends, and checking out the neighborhood. One thing she enjoys is watching Ho Gao (our dog). Ho Gao has heard her cries and is no longer that curious to be with her, but they seem more comfortable with one another. Just take a look:


We're working on the stroller action that Iris is not liking too much. Time is what we need as we all continue into being a family. We are truly blessed!

Are we sleeping yet?

Here's Iris when she slept through the night, sometimes longer than 11 hours in Guangzhou. So far in CA, she has slept soundly straight through about 7 hours. Last night was the first time since we came home that we haven't had to stay up 2-3 hours in the wee early morn to play or soothe her to sleep. This has made it challenging for us to sleep through the night also. Books say it may take up to two weeks for babies to get over the time change; one day per hour difference in time zone. Yikes! China is 15 hours ahead of here. We are trying to expose her more to daylight and take her out of the house to see things. Keeping her active and feeding well during the day also helps.

Well, we are thankful everyday that we have this happy, curious and social baby girl in our lives. She was introduced to the sandbox in the backyard that Brian had built. Of course, she had to try eating the sand. In the mouth! In the last week, she's learned to enjoy making "raspberries" with her mouth, pull her socks off, and with determination, pull herself up to a standing position using a table or other helpful surface. She has allowed Ho Gao to lick her face, hands, toes and food off her high chair. She's fascinated with the dog because she tracks the dog when it fetches the rope toy. Ho Gao has reacted with gentility, especially after listening to this little girl bawling her head off for hours each night. I'm sure the noise gets to her, since dogs have sensitive hearing.

Iris is slowly meeting friends. We're enjoying some visits to the house. People have been generous to bring meals, which we will miss in a few months. In the meantime, we'll try to not be obsessed with loving Iris to the neglect of our house, family or friends. Bye for now!

Home, sweet, home!

As the five families left from Guangzhou, we were all wondering about how the little ones would do on the 13-hour flight back to the U.S. PTL that we all arrived in Los Angeles safely. It was a bit confusing going through immigration for Iris. The customs office took the near sacred "brown packet" (child's visa) and asked us to wait until he called us. So, we got our luggage and waited with the other families. Like other lines, it seemed that our wait was the longest because we were the last to be let through.

Then, off to the next airlines to fly to SF. We arrived at SFO and were met by my sister and mom. We then hurried to the grandparents' home (Cindy's parents). It was 12:20am, which means that we were traveling and en route for over 24 hours! Needless to say, it took awhile for Iris to fall asleep because everything was so unfamiliar. The next morning was better and we finally arrive home on Sept. 24th about 11:00am.

The day went well and we enjoyed a pasta dinner thanks to a friend from church. Evening came, but in the early morning, Iris awoke and didn't want to go back to sleep. After nearly two hours of crying, she went to sleep at 3:00am! Unfortunately, I couldn't fall back to sleep. So, here I am blogging. Now, a new day begins again. Thank you, Lord!

Heading home

The picture of the moms with their babies was taken just before the farewell dinner last week. We dressed Iris in her new Chinese chi-pao, then changed her for dinner because we didn't want to have to wash the beautiful dress right away.

Yesterday was another first: Iris's first time in a swimming pool! It helped that she trusts us enough to dip her in the pool to her waist. She was all smiles splashing and watching the pool ball spin.

Today we have a luncheon in the hotel with all the families that are leaving today. It's fun that we're all going on the same flight (5 families). In the afternoon, we go to the consulate to take our oath to say that all we stated on our documents is true. Then, Iris will have her visa to leave China. By 4pm, we'll be heading to the airport.

We're just about packed and getting ready for the long flight back to our home and Iris's new family and friends. Of course, we have a special third person riding with us and our luggage. We reserved a seat for her, but we believe that the flight will be nearly empty anyway. A little concern is that we'll be able to take off on time because there is typhoon Hagupit coming toward Hong Kong in the next 24 hours. May God protect us!

Still hot in Guangzhou

Humidity is hard on the hair! Take a look at Iris after a full 4 hours of visiting Shamian Island in Guangzhou. The heat has not slowed down her appetite, though. We took the subway which is cheap by US standards, and convenient to get to places of interest. Iris got her first stroller ride because there's a place that lets families borrow them for free. We kept returning to the White Swan Hotel because it's refreshing and cool in the lobby area. The parks on Shamian Island (which is more of an man-made inlet) are very green, clean and picturesque. There were close to a dozen couples having professional engagement/wedding photos taken outside.

We are in our last two days in China and starting to wonder what it will be like with Iris on the plane ride home and beyond. For all the time we've known her, we're planning at best a few hours at a time; not a full day or days ahead. So, is this what parents with young children go through? Iris continues to bring us joy daily. Her new thing yesterday was doing "raspberries" with her lips. My cup is overflowing!

Saturday in the Park

Today we went to Yue Xiu Park via subway. This park is huge and we missed seeing a famous statue of five rams. Maybe next time. It was a hot walk in the park, but the tree shade made it cooler. Of course, Iris fell asleep, but we enjoyed talking to a few other families.
In the afternoon, I went with two other moms to get a foot massage, which was wonderful because it included the neck, shoulder and legs, too. For 70 minutes of massage cost about $15 (U.S.)! I thank Brian for letting me indulge a bit.

It's been fun seeing how Iris is more comfortable and happier, even when changing diapers and clothes. We're trying to give her opportunities to crawl. She still favors sitting after a few crawls because she bends her right leg such that she has a hard time moving her butt over it. We're on our second videotape cartridge of Iris and have taken over 300 digital photos of her. That means some time spent compiling and organizing all this into seemingly endless slideshows of Iris to show family and friends. Get ready, friends!

Venturing in the heat of Guangzhou

So, we had a fun-filled evening of food and karaoke last night with all the families. The environment and rooms were very "Austin Power-like"; think 1970's! Once the English pop classics started playing, we noticed who the singers and dancers were. Another mom (Suzanne) and I really got into the ABBA song, "Dancing Queen." I think Iris enjoyed it, too.

Today was our first completely free day. We went to the nearby Park n' Shop that has practically anything you want, including different rice bins to buy by bulk, a half crocodile (Brian tried to videotape today, but he wasn't allowed) and dim sum to-go! In the afternoon, we went on our first ride on the Guangzhou metro to a pedestrian street called Beijing Lu. There are many stores and many knock-offs of name brands to buy. Of course, we didn't buy anything.

It's 9:30pm and Iris is soundly sleeping, thank heavens! Tonight was the easiest and fastest time we've had so far in putting her to sleep. Parenting is a process, eh? Well, in coming to the business center to use the internet, I set off the alarm. Oops! The center is supposed to be open until 10pm. I'll sign off for now. Tomorrow, we plan to go to Sha Mian island and I hope to get a foot massage that is supposed to be cheap and fabulous. What more can you ask for?

Happy Iris

It's Thursday in Guangzhou and we're still not used to the heat and humidity. Thank God for the air conditioned rooms and buses.

So, here's a quick photo of our dear little Iris who is extremely happy with the living space in the apartment. In Lanzhou, we didn't really have any "play space", but in Guangzhou, it's very nice, modern and well lit. As with many children, ordinary things become great play toys. For Iris, it's empty boxes and unopened tea bag packets.

After another parenting lesson, we learned that Iris's loud crying may be due to the fact that she needs a bedtime bottle feeding. As new parents, all I can say is, "Duh! We didn't know that!"
Well, tonight will be the real test as we will have fed her more formula and food more often than we have been doing. We're fast learners and so is Iris.

It has been joyful experience so far, despite the unknowns. The convenience of shopping places is great and the prices are low compared to U.S. standards. Tonight is our farewell party dinner even though most of the families are staying until next Tuesday. We'll be going to a "super" K (=Karaoke) place. It should be another fun time with delicious food. This weekend will be free and we are on our own to explore the city. We'll probably go to ShaMian island where the famous White Swan hotel is as well as many businesses that cater to adoptive families.

Thriving in China

We made it through to China and met our precious Iris on September 8 at 9:15pm in Lanzhou, China! It's been quite a whirlwind of parenting, smiles, crying (Iris, that is), eating, bathing (not one of Iris's favorite things) and sightseeing in China.

We are thrilled to see how healthy Iris is and she is quite a cutie! She is eating solid foods with us, but we are feeding her Nestle formula. The recent Chinese baby formula scare is not the brand we bought, so she's safe.

What can I say, but that we're extremely happy and enjoying this vacation of staying in five-star hotels (Ascott in Guangzhou and Sunshine Plaza in Lanzhou), eating delicious food and meandering the streets with Iris in her ergo carrier.

The China team of our agency is marvelous and all have been helpful. Almost all are bilingual and we were very happy to finally meet the great director, Norman. The bus takes us around town and we had a nice cruise on the Pearl River in Guangzhou. We didn't find any pearls, but enjoyed the full moon. The mid-autumn moon festival was fabulous because we ate moon cakes. Mmmmm!

So, I don't want to abandon Brian too long with Iris, I'll have to sign off for now. Thank you for all your wonderful prayers, wishes. God continues to truly bless us!

Leaving on a jet plane...Friday!

It's September and the countdown is down to two days; two days before we have the first leg of our journey to meet Iris. When people naturally say to us, "You must be so excited!" or "Are you all packed?," it's sometimes hard to reply. We are very excited and I think the adrenaline rushing through us as we go shopping for last minute things we need to pack, as we re-pack and re-think what is going to really fit in the suitcase, and the imaginings of being parents are truly keeping us energized. Sometimes so much so that we wake up in the middle of night and have trouble falling back to sleep. Both of us are still arranging to "let go" of work stuff, too. Because of that, we're a bit tired and I don't know how my joy can be expressed. Not to mention that the plane tickets and our passports just arrived by FedEx today. Good 'ol FedEx! Yet when I see Iris's face on our desktop screen, I smile :) I think of how precious and delicate she is to us already.

Lately, I continue to think, "There is a ton of things we really don't know!" We will be learning about her, learning about love, learning about being as flexible as "Plastic Girl" (remember the movie, "Incredibles"?), yet being the best parents we can be to Iris. We are grateful and overwhelmed by so many people who have showered us with blessings and loving support:
Lynette W. (adoptive mom mentor), Lorri B. (expert packer), Daniela K. (our diapering coach), two "Sheryl"s (who pray with me), the Schaefers (stand-by housesitters), our families for their wisdom, and countless friends with smiles and excitement that are contagious. We look forward to raising Iris with many families in the local community who have adopted children, such as our local FCA and RECA. I just marvel at how many special people that God has put in our lives in order for us to enjoy these next few weeks, months, and years to come.

Well, our final packing is tomorrow and then, there are no promises to postings while in China. I'll try because Iris already has so many fans in the U.S.!

The Countdown begins

Two weeks! It's amazing to think that two weeks from now, we'll be flying to Guangzhou, China to begin our travels to Lanzhou, where we'll meet Iris for the first time. Our lives will transform in numerous ways! We continue to make final arrangements and more decisions about what to bring (or not), prepare Iris's room and arrange for care of the household, especially our dog Ho Gao. We are trying to imagine our house overrun with children's toys, clothes and smells.

There are so many wonderful people giving Iris special gifts. If you are one of the many, xie xie! The clothes are adorable, but we can't take them all with us to China. We're overwhelmed! Yet the anticipation of nearly two years will culminate in September. September 15 is the mid-Autumn Moon Festival in China. By then, we will have been parents to Iris about a week and will have the chance to share that day and years of festivals to come with Iris. We just wonder how she's changed since her cute picture was taken in late April. We would love an update on her size and development, but our agency can only request it; no guarantees.

I think she'll enjoy next spring and summer in the sandbox that Brian built for her. Take a look:

The travel dates are set

It's time to celebrate! The 3rd call came yesterday afternoon and the itinerary for our China Trip was faxed to Brian. We went out to Gary Chu's for a quiet delicious meal, then came home to look over the papers, while enjoying glasses of champagne (Korbel, of course!).
So, the plan is to fly to LA and leave with the group from there to southern China on September 5th. The 2nd day in China, we'll fly to the province where Iris is and finally hold her in our arms. We'll spend several days in Lanzhou, then fly back to Guangzhou to await US Consulate visas. On September 23rd (Lord willing!), we fly home and begin parenthood, American style.
There are many details to be worked out until we leave, but we are really excited and as prepared as we can be. All this nesting is paying off. I (Cindy) will feel weird to start teaching my ESL classes for one week and then, leave for the semester. Well, my colleagues understand and have been very supportive and encouraging. At this point, I just thank and trust God with the travel details each day. Now, back to the phone calls and finalizing travel arrangements.

Showering of gifts

It's been a few weeks of well-wishes, baby clothes, quilts, a car seat and so many other special gifts from dear friends and family coming into the house. We chose to schedule some baby showers before we travel because who knows what frame of mind and physical shape we'll be in after we return. One thing is for sure, Iris will be well-loved! Friends are thrilled for us, but they keep saying, "Your lives are going change dramatically!" Then, some people laugh. Hmmmmm...are we ready to be mom and dad? I think it's full speed ahead. The rollercoaster ride has only begun, huh?

There are still a lot of unknowns that makes this journey the more special: How big is she now? Will she be crawling? How comfortable is she with crowds of people? (Even though she's in China, she's in foster care.) The list of questions can sometimes feel overwhelming.

FANTASTIC NEWS! This afternoon, we got our 3rd call (itinerary) that was faxed. Whoo hoo! Tentative dates are: Leave LAX on September 5th Return to CA on September 23rd. Now the final "push" begins. It's truly packing time! Check back here to see if we're still alive.

Here are some photos of friends and family who can't wait to meet Iris: