Our last day in Changsha

Hi everyone,

Sorry I haven't posted but we were so tired yesterday. We went to 2 different parks and walked our butts off. The first park was the DuFu JiangGe. It was awesome. It is a memorial to all the poets of Changsha. The paintings were beautiful. WE got some great video and I hope I got some good pictures. While we were there, Jacky bought what looked like cheese doodles, but they were made out of corn. So corn doodles they are. Anyway, Lily Rose absolutely loved them. She was double fisting. This child loves to eat and will try anything you put in front of her. So she basically stayed with Jacky because he had the bag of corn. Anthony and I got to really see this beautiful building and all the carvings and pictures. I loved it. Then we get in the car and Lily Rose is going to town on this bag of corn doodles and we are all talking and all of a sudden I look down and her head is down. I thought she was looking at her new black shoes but when I looked she was really sleeping with her head on the corn bag. I couldn't get to my camera and she woke up from all of us laughing. But it is something I will remember for a very long time.

Next we went to another park and I think it was called Motar Park or Mother Park. I cannot for the life of me remember. Anyway, this park was great. It was packed with people and everytime we stopped to look at something a crowd of people would surround us. And there's Anthony waving to everyone and shaking hands and talking with them. They loved us. I tried to get some pictures of the kids but most of them were really shy. I think I got 1 or 2. There was a group of teenage girls that walked by us and I said hello to them and they went nuts. Jacky told me that they never saw Americans before and they felt honored that I said hello to them. That was a great feeling. All the while that this is happening, Lily Rose is still eating these corn doodles. All the older Chinese women would come up to us and Lily Rose and want to touch us and they kept telling us Thank You and baby is very Lucky. I really love this place and I can't wait to come back with my kids. WOW, I love saying that, KIDS. I have Kids. Whoo Hoo!!!!!! We spent a lot of time at this park and I am so glad we did. We actually saw a dating service right in the park and all these single men and women were there trying to make a match. An outdoor version of Match.com. Did I mention that the women of Changsha are gorgeous? I feel very plain next to these women. They dress really nice and are just so beautiful. Watch out boys, here comes Lily Rose. Joseph you will be one busy big brother.

After that, we came back to the hotel to give Lily Rose lunch. I really didn't think she would eat but she did. She is a very happy baby and she is a MAMA'S GIRL!!!!!!! If I walk out of the room she is right behind me. She still is a big daddy's girl, but I am holding my own. She talks up a storm and all the staff at the Dolton love her. The head doorman asked us to take pictures with him and then this morning he had them sent to our room and he also sent us a gift thanking us for being so kind to him and the entire staff here. We are always downstairs hanging out with them and talking and joking around. The staff at the Coffee Garden were super nice to us all week and last night after dinner we hung around with them talking and they were loving Lily Rose. I gave each girl a gift for being so nice to us all week. I gave them one of the canvas totes with the American Flag on it and they were all so very happy. I really love this hotel and anyone that will be coming to Changsha should definitely stay here and you have to go to the Photo place. They were wonderful there and the pictures came out great. I can't wait to download the CD they gave us so that you can see Lily Rose.

We were suppose to be on a plane to Guangzhou right now (11am) but our flight was changed to 7:45pm tonight. I don't know why and I really wish we were going now because I don't want to sit here anymore. It also means that we are coming to the end of our journey in China and I really, really need to get home to see my son. I didn't think it was possible to miss someone so much. I think of him morning, noon and night and while I sleep too. I can smell him at times and my heart hurts so bad that I want to curl up and die. My mother told me yesterday that after we hang up from calling him, he is really sad and that hurt me so much. Ok, I have to stop because I can't see the keyboard with the tears rolling out of my eyes like a waterfall. This feeling is bad.

Anthony and Lily Rose went for a walk. She loves to be outside. I needed to post so they left for a while. I wonder how she will do on the plane? Speaking of planes, I would like to say hello and thank you to Sandi. She was a flight attendant on Continental on our way to China and she posted a comment here. Thanks for checking in. Hope you keep checking even when we are home so you can see Lily Rose enjoy NY. Thanks.

Well, I wanted to tell everyone that we miss them and love them and can't wait to get home. I wanted to thank my friend Peggy. You really made a difference the other day. But I knew you would. Thank you very much my "forever friend".

Mom and Ralph we miss you and love you and we can't wait to see you again. Ralph, is there anyway you can postpone your trip for a while so that we can hang out with you before you go? Anthony and I really, really don't want you to go and I have thought about it a lot while we were here and it's not a good thing for you to leave us. So, change your mind, OK?!!!!!!

Joseph as always, we miss you and love you and it's 4 more days. 4 days will go fast. Love You

Today was a very good day

Hi again,

I have to say that today a very good day. Lily Rose was definitely a mama's girl today. It was awesome. At first when she got up this morning, I was up already and she wouldn't look at me or come to me, so I left her in her crib for a while. Anthony was out cold and she kept looking at him and when she realized that he was not getting up she wanted me to take her out. So that was the start of our day. We gave her some rice cereal and a few teaspoons of prunes. She loves prunes and she needed a little help also. So we waited for a while and nothing happened so we called Joseph and they had a "conversation over the phone. Joseph said things to her and she answered him back. We have been teaching her how to say big brother and grandma in Chinese and she called Joseph big brother. I don't know the spelling of it but it sounds like GuGe. Grandma sounds like WuPor. Joseph was very happy to hear that. Then we needed to change and bathe her. The prunes worked. We got dressed and went to breakfast. She was very happy at breakfast. I was in her good graces. We had to wait for our guide so we went for a walk. The people drive crazy here. They drive up the wrong side of the street and actually cut over from one side of the road to the other. We got to cross the street once here and me and Anthony we like jumping up and down because we crossed the street. We looked like 2 asses. Can you imagine getting so excited over something we do everyday. Like when Lily Rose first went number 2. We were running in the hallways looking for someone to tell. We were like crazy over it. Again, 2 asses.

Anyway, Jacky got here and we went to the Mummy Museum. It was fabulous. It was so worth going to see. We really enjoyed it. We were not allowed to take pictures inside. We were allowed to take video though, which we got some great video from there. Lily Rose finally found her voice. I mean her screaming voice. She did it when Jacky walked up to her and she didn't stop. She loved hearing herself scream. She liked it even better when we were in the museum. Well after a while she screamed herself to sleep. Ahhh, quite. Then we did a little shopping there and got some great things. Then after that we went to a market for diapers and wipes and I have to tell you it was a mad house. I absolutely loved it. I wanted to buy 1 packages of wipes and the girl that worked in that aisle said if we buy 2 she would give us a gift. It was this Chinese basket and it was really cute so I bought 2. You had to see how happy she was. We walked around the market for a while but then Jacky couldn't take it anymore. I would have stayed for a while because all the people were super friendly. I had a ball.

Now mind you everytime we got in the car Lily Rose sat with me. That hasn't happened for a long time. I was overjoyed. When we got back to the hotel we took some pictures with the doormen. One in particular who's name is Dean. He is the happiest man I have ever met. We talk with him everyday. He even invited us to go to his home for lunch. I don't think I will forget Dean. We went back to the room and Lily Rose walks around and talks and talks. She was laying all over me and calling me MaMa. Anthony was getting bored so he wanted to take another walk. I didn't want to go so he took Lily Rose and went for a walk. I stayed and tired to fix our bags up. We have way to much stuff and we keep buying stuff. I know our luggage will be over now. When they got back we went to eat. We have not gone to any other restaurant because we love the girls in the Coffee Garden. They love Lily Rose and they are really nice to us and we like the food. We were meeting the girl that owns the photo studio at 7pm. She met us in the Coffee Garden and bought our pictures that we had taken of Lily Rose. They came out fantastic. She looks beautiful. We are so happy with them. I wished Joseph was here for that. It would have been great. So all the girls had to look and they think Lily Rose is perfect. They know we are leaving on Monday and they are sad to see us go.

Everytime I got up to leave the table Lily Rose followed me with her eyes and kept looking for me. That is a first. She only did that with Anthony.

After dinner we came upstairs and got Lily ready for bed. She was buzzing all over the place. She wore herself out tonight. So it is 8pm and we are so tired. We might watch a movie now and just relax. I hope you are all enjoying our journey.

Joseph we love you and miss you so very much. We love and miss you too mom.

Hey Lisa call my mom for the number. Liz where have you been? Tricia can't wait for Lily Rose to meet Joey Jr. Lily Rose says hi to her new cousins, Courtney, Jordan & Tyler. What fun you 4 will have together. Hey Adrianna, we will bring your cousins Joseph and Lily Rose to see you this summer. Ralph, I called you from China and I got your answering machine. Hope all is well with you and we will see you soon. 6 days and counting.

Hi Again

Well, it is the end of our day here. It is 10:10pm and I am exhausted. After Lily Rose got up from her nap we went to this market with Lene, she is the Swedish couple we met. What a pisser that was. They have the cutest clothes and we got an outfit for Lily and one for Joseph. So there's Anthony bargaining with them and it was really funny because we don't understand them and they don't understand us. So here's Anthony being very animated and they are laughing and he's just trying to pay for these outfits and I had to walk away because I am peeing in my pants. Then when we are done and want to go back to the hotel we can't get a cab. Now mind you we are with no guides at all. Every cab that pulls up tells us no, no go to that hotel. So there's Anthony standing with his hand up calling for a cab and when they would pass us by he would be saying "thanks skippy, or thanks lapper or thanks flounder". Lene was cracking up.

We get back to the hotel and we are starving. We clean Lily up and run downstairs to eat. Lene & Johan and their kids met us down there and we had a great dinner together. They are leaving tomorrow morning. We will really miss them. We had fun with them and it was great meeting them. So, Lily is in a really good mood because she ate 3 bowls of Congee and we gave her meat and bread and anything and everything that we could get her to eat. She loves to eat. Anyway, Anthony is talking with the others and she is laughing and talking and all of a sudden she looks up at me and says "MaMa" and I pucker up my lips to give her a kiss and she leans in and puts her forehead to my lips for a kiss. Well, I almost died. That was a "Priceless" moment for me and one I will never forget. 2 seconds later, I was forgotten. Oh well, I had a moment. We had a great day and I am happy.

Joseph, we miss you and love you beyond words. I am counting the days. Can't wait to get home. Hi Mom, I am looking forward to macaroni and meatballs.

Some down time

Hey everyone,

Thanks for posting comments. Anthony and I love reading them. It is a big help knowing that you all are following and sending good thoughts our way. It would have been so very hard without that.

We took Lily Rose to the Guo Guo A Duo Children's Photo Studio. They were super nice and I am so glad that we knew about it. Thank you Alison H. Lots of the other families that were at our hotel didn't know about it until we started telling them. So a Swedish family went last night and one other family went today but they are leaving for Guangzhou tonight and it takes a day to get the pictures back, so I told them that I would bring it with us when we go to Guangzhou on Monday. So that made them very happy that they could have these pictures taken of their daughter. They have all these different Chinese outfits that you could put your baby in and they take these pictures and boy did Lily Rose come out great. We got some awesome shots. They also give you all the pictures on a CD so that you can print pictures out when you get home. So be prepared for some beautiful picture of Lily Rose.

We have a day off from sightseeing today so right now Lily Rose is sleeping. She is very attached to Anthony and will go to anyone that puts her arms out. She will go to me and hang out as long as she doesn't see Anthony. Then it's back to daddy. It is kinda hard to deal with this but it is what it is. Hopefully one day soon she will look for me the same way she looks for Anthony. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

We got back everything we sent to Lily in the care package. I was very surprised. The little doll that we sent her is her favorite thing. She hasn't let it go since we got her. I got the Chop and the finding ad and the Half the Sky report which our guide Jacky is translating for us. We also got the outfit she was found in. That was very emotional for me. I finally just opened the bag that it was in and took a look at it. God, I wonder what her mother was thinking. I know I am her mother now, but she has a Mother that must have loved her so very much. I mean come on, I love her more then life and I didn't give birth to her. Can you imagine what her mother felt? Well I can imagine what that woman felt and my heart breaks for her.

Lily Rose doesn't drink very much water and it is starting to make me a little nervous. She only drinks it if you feed it off a spoon. She will drink a bottle of formula at night, but only if she gets to hold it. She will not drink if Anthony and I try to hold her and feed the bottle to her. We have tried everything to get that to happen, but no go.

I have to say that I am very happy that my daughter is a lot like me. Whoo Hoo!!!!!! She has the same facial expression that I have and she is very stubborn. It is so very true what they say about Hunan girls. They are called Spicy Girls. So watch out because now there is 2 of us.

When she gets up in the morning she will just sit in her crib and talk. It is the cutest thing I have seen about her so far. When she finally gets you to get up and look at her she puts the biggest smile on her face. It is awesome. She is absolutely adorable and she belongs to us. It is amazing.

I love you Joseph. 7 more days and counting.

Having a Great Time

Hi everyone!!!!

We are doing great over here in Changsha, China. I absolutely love it here. We had a slow morning. First off Lily Rose slept from 8pm until 6am this morning. She cried a little in the middle of the night, but I got up and rubbed her head for like 2 seconds and she went right back to sleep. We got up and played for a while and she has a tooth coming in and she had a slight fever so we gave her some medicine and some teething gel and she was great.

We met a few families that are staying at the Dolton, but there is one family we are closer to. They come from Swenden and have 3 children now. They are Johan, Lene, David, Maria & little Ester. We went to the Hunan Embroidery Institute today with them and what a great place it is. I absolutely loved it. We really like this family and it made the trip a lot more fun. They gave us a name of a place to go to shop and things are cheap. We had a really fun time there. Anthony bargained his butt off. It was funny to watch. I watched from a distance though. That's not my cup of tea.

We went back to the Civil Affairs Office today. When we went back on Tuesday, we forgot our cameras and missed all the signing of the paperwork. So our guide Jacky, who is awesome by the way called them and asked if we could go back and get it on video. They were kind enough to let us do that. We were so very happy to have that very special moment on film. We watched it when we got back to the hotel and we got all emotional all over again when she said "You are official her parents". Isn't it great. Lily Rose is officially ours.

We came back to the hotel and she had something to eat and then we went up to the play room for a while. She was really tired so we went to dinner early and now she is sound asleep. Which is where I will be right after I call Joseph in a little while. I can't believe I am in bed and sleeping by 9pm everynight.

I want to thank everyone for your comments. It has made a world of difference for us. We are truly blessed to have friends and family like you all. Keep them coming.

I only took a handful of pictures today. More tomorrow. I have to say that Lily Rose is more attached to Anthony now. He's loving it. She was very playful tonight with both of us which is a first. She was having a ball. I hope it stays like that. She is absolutely beautiful and we are very grateful to be her parents.

Joseph as always we miss you very much and we love you even more. I am counting down the days until I can be home with you again. Hi mom, do you miss us? We sure miss you. We will be home very soon and we don't plan on going anyway for a long time. Aren't you the lucky one. Hey Ralph how's it goin'? Are you still picking us up from the airport? Hope so, because you really need to see your new niece.

ps I really wish I had Emily H. here with us. She is an awesome blogger. My post would have been much better. Hey Peggy the Ballerina outfit looks great on her and it fits too.

Hey Lisa, if you want the panda phone number call my mother. I told her you would be calling. Remember we are 13 hours ahead of you. Tell Derrick we said hi. Keep posting comments, we love it.

Hello Everyone

I am sorry that I didn't post in a while but I was very tired. We had a great day yesterday. We took Lily to a park and she got to play in a sand box with lots of other babies. We met 2 women with their little boys and god were they gorgeous. Lily loved playing with the other babies. She was so very cute. We got some great video. She is very shy around strangers but with us she is so happy and laughs and talks all the time. Right now she is a daddy's girl. But she points to me when daddy says MaMa. She loves to cuddle and she will put her head on your shoulder and try to hold your hand. She loves contact. I love contact with her.

Then we went to a Buddhist Temple. It was beautiful and I never saw anything like it. We got to see a Buddhist lesson and we felt honored. When we got back to the hotel we went to the play room and their were some other babies there. One little girl came over to me and sat on my lap. Her parents think I might remind her of her foster mother. Lily was looking at us like to say "hay that's my mom". It was very heartwarming for me. My daughter loves me and that is all I need. I can't see my life without her now. I am so thankful that I have her.

We went to eat and she loves food. Anthony and I laugh because my mother will love that. My mom likes to eat too. Lily is the perfect fit for our family. I have some great pictures and I will post them now.

Changsha is a wonderful place and I can't wait to bring Lily and Joseph here when they get a little older.

Hi Joseph, I really miss you and I love you and can't wait to be home with you. Have fun and we will be home soon. Your sister looks at your picture all the time.

Just a little info on Lily Rose

I have some time this morning to post about Lily Rose. She just went down for a nap because she got up a few times last night.

She has a great personality. She is very, very loving and will put her arms up to either one of us when she wants to be held, which is most of the time. :) I have no problem holding her all day and night. She is so petite. She has about 8 teeth and when she smiles her little face scrunchs up. So cute. She is a little unsteady on her feet yet, but she walks pretty good. After her bath yesterday I brushed her hair and then this morning she walked over to the brush and started to brush her own hair. She is super alert and loves to look at everything.

She loves warm water and very warm formula. The cheerio's are a huge hit and she eats anything we put on her plate. She has a great appetite. This morning she had French Toast and loved it. Everytime she put a piece in her mouth she would laugh and smile. She watched cartoons this morning and just sat here and laughed. She is starting to reach for my hand to hold now when she sits with me. She loves to look at us and gives us that cute little face when we smile at her. You know that shy look when they put their chins on the shoulder? Well that's what we have been getting all morning.

I will post more as it happens. I am so very happy that we finally have her and I can't imagine my life without her. I will take more pictures today when we go out sightseeing.

Changsha is beautiful and the people are super friendly and we are having a great time here.

Hi Joseph, I hope you are feeling better. I was very sad to hear that you are not feeling well and that I am not there to help you get better. But I know Grandma is doing a great job. Your sister has a little cold also. Not anything major, but I feel bad she is not feeling well either.

Talk more later.

Thank You

I would like to thank all my family and friends. Your comments mean the world to me. But you don't have to knock yourself out trying to reply to the negative comments. Why they continue to comment here is beyond me. As for the big groups talking about me I don't see why. I did not bash the country that my daughter comes from. I will only say this one time and I will never comment on this subject again. I LOVE my new daughter more then my own life just as I LOVE my son. They are the reason I was born and the reason I breath. So please don't feel sorry for my kids because they are very much loved.

I deleted the offensive post. I figured if it's not here no one will come here. The only ones that will come are the ones that are interested in the journey. So, please lets drop this. This is the most joyful time for us and nothing will change that.

More pictures of Lily Rose

Here are a few pictures of Lily Rose. I have more but it is 10pm here and I am so very tired. I am going to sleep now.

Hey Joseph, isn't your new baby sister beautiful? WE love you and miss you. Talk with you later. Hope you had fun at school today.

Can't we all just get along?

Ok, what happened here? I posted about a day that I had that was not one of my better ones and I come on here to post pictures of our most important day in China and THE BEST ONE OF ALL and I have women ripping me apart. I don't get it. I didn't say anything bad about China or the people. I was telling about a day that I had where I was not feeling well and missing my son beyond anything that I ever felt before and wanting to curl up in a ball because of it and I am being beaten up for no reason. I post here about my "off" day and the next thing I hear is that it is on the boards. WHO put it on the boards? This is my blog. I thought that you were allowed to post how you feel on your own blog. I don't know why you are offended by what I write. You actually read it out of context. If you knew me you would understand how I write and how I come across. That is the problem when you have strangers reading your stuff. If it wasn't that I have so many "strangers" that are interested in our journey I would have this blog private. So, I won't say not to come here and read because I know you will, but please do me a favor and not comment on here. I deleted your comments because I don't want my son and daughter to read this kind of stuff. I will leave the post here so that when I print this all out my daughter will see it and I will explain it to her the right way. The way it was intended to be read because she will "know me". I won't be made to feel afraid to post here what I am feeling. You are welcome to come here and read and look at my family but again I ask you not to post negative things. Trust me when I say that I would never post anything negative on anyone's site that is being done for their future children. It is so not nice and it is hurtful. I have read some really weird things on some sites but it's not for me to post bad things to someone. I hope this is the last I hear of this. Thanks for my friends that stuck up for me. I really appreciate it.

We Have Lily Rose

We have our beautiful daughter. This is a day I will never forget. Of course I got up early and posted (I will talk more about that later) and must have changed my outfit like 5 times. We went downstairs much to early and waited for our guide. When he got here my heart started to pound and didn't stop until a little while ago. We get to the Civil Affairs Building @ 11:15 am and we go up to the 3rd floor and there she is. The cutest little girl in her beautiful red outfit and as we walk in she starts to cry. Well, that was my cue because I started to cry also. So after the Coming to China Travel Letter was checked and our passports were checked they handed Lily Rose to me and she cried for a little and then she went to Anthony and cried a little more. After a few minutes she stopped completely. We took our picture and then we left.

When we got back to the hotel, we gave her a bath and she really didn't like that at all. We put on an outfit that the Cox family gave her and she looked really cute in it. Anthony went downstairs and I gave her Cheerio's and she just held them in her hand. So I took one and ate it and made all kinds of noise as I ate it and all of a sudden she let out the biggest belly laugh. That was it she laughed all day after that.

Our guide came and we went back to the civil affairs office and signed our paperwork and spoke to the nanny and we were told that Lily was a very popular baby in the SWI. She said that everyone was very sad to see her go. I asked her for her email address so that I could send pictures of Lily to her. She was very happy and gave it to me and took mine too.

Then we did a little shopping because Lily doesn't like our formula so I went and got the kind that she had in the SWI. I bought her some shoes and an outfit that was so cute. Then we came back to the hotel and we went to eat. Boy does she like to eat. Hey mom, she really likes food and when you put something in her mouth she has a huge smile on her face. When we got back to the room after dinner she was so tired. As soon as her pj's went on she fell asleep. What a beautiful baby she is. We are so happy.

Hey Joseph, she looked at your picture all day today. She is going to love her big brother. I miss you so much and I love you even more. It's hard for me to be away from you and sometimes I can't breath. Mommy can't wait to see you and hug you and just be with you. I love you and will see you soon.

Feb. 5th - Crazy Day

Ok so, this was a very crazy day for us. We were up and out by 7am to go to Tian An Man Sq. and the Forbidden City. The square was nice, but the forbidden city was awesome. Long, but worth it I. Our guide, Julie was very good and very knowledgeable. We walked and walked and walked.


Now, because we have so much time to get to the airport, they take us to see how silk is made. Very interesting, I told our guide to take us to the airport and that's that. We check in and it felt nice to just sit . The flight was 2 hours and we got to Changsha at like 7pm. I had to use a Squatty Potty. Can't wait to tell you all about that experience. We get to the Dolton hotel which is really nice and ran down to eat something and came up and went to bed.

I didn't get to call Joseph yesterday(sunday ny time) and I was so upset. But from now on I don't care where I am or who I am with I will call my son and talk with him. Joseph, we love you and miss you a lot.

Here are some pictures

We had a great day

Ok, where to begin. Our guide picked us up @ 8:30 am and we went to a Jade Factory. We saw how they made Jade Statues. I was looking at the bangle bracelets and I pick out a beautiful one for Lily Rose for when she gets older. So the girl says to me , "try it on", I pull up my sleeve and everyone starts to laugh. So you know me and my faces, I ask the guide what they were laughing at and she says, " your diamonds"!!!! They asked so many questions about why I have so many on and where did I get them all from. I only have my engagement ring and wedding band on and the ring my son gave me and the bracelet. So, of course there's Anthony with that grin that says, "I bought them for her". So anyway back to the bracelet. They were pushing this particular bracelet and I finally asked them how much it was. As I am asking she pulls out the receipt book. I'm like, "Hold on a minute, how much"? She tells me "$910.00 USD". Now it was our turn to laugh. Well needless to say, we didn't get that one. So, that was the 2nd laugh of the day for me.

The first one I got was when Anthony's cousin Maryann called us @ like 7am. I had no idea who it was calling us. I didn't recognize her voice. She's yelling at me that I am gone one day and forgot her freakin' voice. So of course I got all choked up and Joe, her husband had to get on the phone and be his crazy self. But I was glad because I needed that laugh.

Now, onto the Great Wall. WOW. It was awesome. I was speechless. Which if you know me, you know that never happens. So ok, we start walking up the wall and I'm like this is insane. How does anyone do this. People were crawling up on their hands and knees. Half way up to the 2nd tower, I just sat down and told Anthony to go on up ahead of me. I could not move another step. First off none of the steps are the same size. Next it's just crazy to want to walk all the way up. Remember you have to come down again and it was harded to come down those steps. We stayed on the wall for a while and did a little shopping and then we went to the Fu Long Restaurant. They took us through the Cloissnone (SP?) factory where they make these beautiful Copper Wire Vases. Absolutely beautiful. We did a little shopping in there and then went to eat. The food was really good and the BEER was better.

Then we went to this awesome hotel to meet Ming, our agencies coordinator. She was super nice and we went through all of our papers to make sure everything was in order. After we left Ming, we went to the Harley Davidson Store. So not what we were expecting. I was really disappointed. They didn't have very much of a choice and so we picked up some t-shirts and when I went to pay, I almost fell on the floor. I can't speak of what we spent let alone type it. It was STUPID!!!!!! But Anthony said we will be the only ones in New York wearing Beijing Harley Shirts. My thoughts, big deal. But he was happy. Then we left there and went to the Acrobatic Show. That is a show not to be missed by anyone who comes to Beijing. It was great. We actually video taped the whole show. The only thing that I couldn't deal with was the heat. Everywhere you go, it is like 250 decrees. Horrible. It was also packed to gills. But I am glad we got to see it. Then we got back to the hotel @ 7:30pm. We stopped at the local store and got some snacks and waters and then came up and packed out suitcases because we leave early again tomorrow Feb.5th. More sightseeing and then onto the airport to fly to Changsha.

After we packed we went up to the bar and hung out for a while, but I was so tired that I came back to the room and went to sleep @ like 9:30pm. Anthony went back upstairs and hung out for a while longer and got back to the room @ about 12:30am and woke me up. So here I am typing and wide awake and he is sleeping. I am going to try to put pictures up now. Hope it works.

Joseph, I can't put into words how much I miss you. I love you more then life itself and I hope this will be the last time we are apart like this. I am counting the days to get back home to you. Hi Mom, I miss and love you.

Feeling much better

Hi everyone,

It's 6:15am and we are waiting to go and eat. I have to say that I slept on and off most of the night. But everytime I got up I burst into tears. I called my son and cried like an ass. We are going to the Great Wall this morning and then onto the Harley Davidson store. After that to the Acobat show. So hopefully it will be a very busy day for me and I won't cry as much as I am right now.

The conversion plug doesn't work and I had to have the hotel bring one up for us so that I could post. I wish I could blink and be at Feb. 16th already. Anthony is doing great. He went to eat at the local resturant last night and even went and played pool. No cares in the world lol. We are so different. hehe

Thanks for all the comments. It made me really happy to know that we have so many people thinking of us. Now if I could just get rid of this headache things would be great.

Ok, I hope that my next post will sound much better. Love you all.

We are in Beijing

Hello everyone,

We are here!!!!!! The flight was fine but it was way to long for me. I am kinda out of it right now, but I just wanted to check in and say hello. It's like 6:30pm on Saturday Feb. 3rd. I am a little po'd right now because our guide picked us up and just dropped us off at the hotel. She just left. Hellooooo we just got off the plane in a country we know nothing about and she's gone. We wanted to go to the store and get some water and snacks and she tells us to go to the corner and make a right and told us to look for a supermarket. WHAT!!!!! I hope tomorrow is a better day. I wish I was coming home tomorrow.

I am going to end this now because I don't know what I am writing.

Joseph I miss you and I love you. Hi Mom, we got here alright. Talk with you all soon.

I had to post this

JOHN GLENN SAID:

Things that make you think a little:

There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq in January. In the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the Month of January. That's just one American city, about as deadly as the entire war-torn country of Iraq.

When some claim that President Bush shouldn't have started this war, state the following :

A. FDR led us into World War II.

B. Germany never attacked us ; Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost ... An average of 112,500 per year.

C. Truman finished that war and started one in Korea. North Korea never attacked . From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost ... An average of 18,334 per year.

D John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us.

E. Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost . An average of 5,800 per year.

F. Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.

G. In the years since terrorists attacked us , President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled Al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran, and, North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300, 000 of his own people.

The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking. But it took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51-day operation.. We've been looking for evidence for chemical weapons in Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm billing records. It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick. It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida!!!!

Our Commander-In-Chief is doing a GREAT JOB!! The Military morale is high! The biased media hopes we are too ignorant to realize the facts, but wait there's more!

JOHN GLENN (ON THE SENATE FLOOR): Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:13

Some people still don't understand why military personnel do what they do for a living. This exchange between Senators John Glenn and Senator Howard Metzenbaum is worth reading. Not only is it a pretty impressive, impromptu speech, but it's also a good example of one man's explanation of why men and women in the armed services do what they do for a living. This IS a typical, though sad, example of what some who have never served think of the military.

Senator Metzenbaum (speaking to Senator Glenn): "How can you run for Senate when you've never held a real job?" Senator Glenn (D-Ohio): "I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different occasions. I was in the space program. It wasn't my checkbook, Howard; it was my life on the line. It was not a nine-to-five job, where I took time off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank." "I ask you to go with me ... As I went the other day to a veteran's hospital and look at those men with their mangled bodies in the eye, and tell THEM they, didn't hold a job! You go with me to the Space Program at NASA and go, as I have gone, to the widows and orphans of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee... and you look those kids in the eye and tell them that their DADS didn't hold a job. You go with me on Memorial Day and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends buried than I'd like to remember, and you watch those waving flags. ! You stand there, and you think about this nation, and you tell ME that those people didn't have a job? What about you?" For those who don't remember .. During W.W.II, Howard Metzenbaum was an attorney representing the Communist Party in the USA. Now he's a Senator! If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English thank a Veteran. It might not be a bad idea to keep this circulating.

I know this will start a not so nice discussion, but if you read the words and really think about what your reading, HELLOOOO, this is all fact. Pretty sad don't you think??????

Doing much better today

I am doing much better today. Actually, I am getting very, very excited. Yesterday I had to run to the Dr.'s because I had an Ear Ache. Can you believe that one? I haven't had one of those since I was about 3 years old. So of course I had to have it now because I will be on a plane for 14 hours soon. Well, the Dr. said I don't have an infection that it is probably my sinus'. I have a headache from hell that I can't get rid of but, hey, that's life.

So, we are leaving and yes, I am happy about it. I can't believe that in less then a week I will have 2 children. It just blows me away. The excitement in and around my family and friends is mounting and I can't believe how many people are waiting for Lily Rose to come home. I was at the bank the other day and all the women kept telling me to bring her in when we get back. Then my mother tells me yesterday that the people from Stop & Shop (grocery store that she goes to everyday) can't wait to see her also. It is really funny. She will be a very busy little girl when we get her settled.

Ok, I have so many things to do. I will write again later. Bye for now....

The Count Down Begins

Well, the count down to Lily Rose has begun. We leave in 4 days. I can't believe it. I am in a state of shock. Everyone around me is pumped up. I am getting lots of emails and some phone calls from women I "met" on this crazy journey and they are all excited and I am just scared s---less. I am so upset about leaving my son for 2 weeks. He is the reason I breath every minute of my day. I don't think I will be breathing for the next 2 weeks. I remember when Anthony and I got married 2 years ago. I had never been away from Joseph in the 5 1/2 years that he was born. I remember leaving in the limo for the airport at 5 am and I cried from the minute we pulled away from the curb. At one point the driver asked Anthony if he should take me back. Anthony of course told him to keep going. :) When we got to the airport, I wasn't crying as much, but boy did I look bad. My mind was occupied for a few minutes by listening to the couple in front of us on the check in line. They didn't have return tickets and neither did we. So I butted into their conversation and that's how we met Tricia and Joey. They were going to the same place we were and got married the same day we did. Well, she asked me if I was ok and I told her "not really" Well, needless to say I was a wreck the rest of the day. While on our honeymoon, everyday at 4pm I would go upstairs to call Joseph. Everyone on the beach knew it was 4 pm when they would see me leave. As soon as I would hear Joseph's voice I would burst into tears. I would try to talk to him for as long as he could stand hearing me cry and then he would say "Grandma, mommy is crying again, come take the phone". My mother told me not to call everyday and to enjoy myself. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time and we met great people. Hi Derrick and Lisa!!!!! but I MISSED my SON and it felt like my heart was in a million little pieces. I couldn't breath normal at all. We were only gone for 7 days. This will be 14 days. I doubt I can handle this trip. Yes, I know I am going to bring my daughter home, but lets face it, I don't know my daughter at all, but I know my son and right now he is my whole heart and not being with him or near him for 2 weeks will break that heart in 2. But, the reality is, we are leaving in 4 days and yes we will be gone for 2 weeks and yes I will survive (I hope) and yes we will get our daughter and yes my heart will beat for 2 now.

Please pray for a safe trip there and back and pray that my heart can withstand the separation from my baby and pray that my daughter will eventually love us as we love her.

We have our Plane Tickets & Itinerary

We just received our tickets today from Sue Sorrels. Thank you so much Sue for all your help. It is so real to me know that I can't stop smiling. What a crazy journey this has been for me. Thank God it is almost over.

Here's what will be happening when we arrive in China. We leave on 2/2/07. We arrive in Beijing China on 2/3/07 @ 3pm. Our guide will meet us and take us right to our hotel. Then on 2/4/07 we will see the Great Wall of China. At first it said that we would be seeing it by cable car. NOT!!!!! I don't do heights. So that had to change. Then we are going to the brand new Harley Davidson store that just opened in Beijing. So looking forward to that. Then we will see the Acrobatic Show that night. On 2/5/07 I was hoping to get Lily Rose but noooo, they have us down for a full day of sightseeing. Tian An Men & the Forbidden City, Hu Tong Tour (?) and lunch at local resident's house. Well, I tried my hardest to change this whole day and I told them I just wanted to get up and fly out to Changsha to meet my daughter. They told me "we had to" do these tours. I am so not happy about it. A wasted day in my eyes. HELLOOOO PEOPLE, I JUST WANT MY DAUGHTER!!!!!

Anyway, we leave Beijing that day at 5pm and get to Changsha at 7:20pm we will go to the hotel and do who knows what. FEBRUARY 6th, 2007 is OUR GOTCHA DAY. We will go to the Civil Affairs (I don't know what time yet) to meet our Lily Rose. This day will be for me the same as the day Joseph was born. UNFORGETTABLE

We leave Changsha on 2/12/07 at 11:20am for Guangzhou. 2/13/07 is her Medical. 2/14/07 is CA date. 2/15/07 we get her Visa and 2/16/07 we FLY HOME.

So that is our trip in a nut shell. Write more soon.

We have confirmed travel dates

We are leaving on 2/2/07 and returning on 2/16/07. Our CA date is 2/14/07. What a great Valentine's Day this will be. The day of HEARTS!!!!! What a fitting day, for she already has our HEARTS. I am so nervous and so excited and so nervous!!! lol What if she doesn't like me, that is what is going through my mind all day long. I know that she probably won't in the beginning and things will get better with time, but I never had these thoughts when Joseph was born. I was his Mommy and he Loved Me. Boy, am I fried. I need to get this over with.

I really want to thank all of you for your very kind words and for being there for me. Please don't leave now. This is the time I will need you all the most. I hope my computer works in China. I will need all the encouragement I can get while I am there. So, please stay for a while more. Thanks you guys.

We have a Consulate Appointment

Well, my Birthday is starting out really good. We have a Consulate Appointment set for Feb. 14th. I am relieved and it is starting to sink in that in about a week and a half I will be leaving to bring my daughter home. WOW !!!!!!!!!

Her room is done and it looks beautiful. I will try to post pictures later today. So now I have to wait to see what day I am leaving and book my flights. Today will be a crazy day for me.

I have no idea what we are doing for my birthday tonight. I know I don't want to go out, so I am sure that some family members will show up. My family can not miss having cake and coffee for someone's birthday. We already celebrated 4 birthdays so far this month. Mine will make the 5th.

I want to thank everyone that has listen to me rant and rave about not having a CA and for sending me well wishes and words of encouragement. Thank you!!!

Still NOOOO CA

Well it is 11:43 am on Monday morning and we still have no CA. My agency told me this morning that we will have to wait until March. Can you believe it? They said that it would probably be a March 5th CA and that we would leave for China on the 21st or the 22nd of Feb. I flipped out. I mean, give me a break. The coordinator is trying to still get us in for Feb. but I have to tell you the JOY is gone. As of right now, I wish I never started this. My thoughts now are, if they get us in for a CA in Feb. something bad is going to happen, because it wasn't meant to be and I am playing with the fates. Can you see how nuts I am getting? lol I am thinking that I should call my agency and tell them to leave it alone. Maybe there is a reason other then the "mistake" that is taking place that we should wait until March. I for the life of me can't figure it out though. I called the travel agent to see what the airfares would be for us to leave the end of Feb. and come home the beginning of March and I have to say they are cheaper. But she also told me that to leave Feb. 1 and return sometime around the 14th got more expensive because it's shorter notice and the seats are filling up. So basically we are screwed. Either way you look at it I AM SO UNHAPPY.

I am questioning this whole thing now. Maybe we shouldn't have taken this on. Maybe it's not meant to be. Maybe I am suppose to suffer the rest of my life. Maybe it's a cruel joke and I am the only one who doesn't get the punch line. Maybe I am the joke and this was never going to happen from the start. Who knows. All I know is that I received the Coming to China Letter with my name on it and Lily's name on it. But I CAN'T go to her yet. That is the cruelest joke of them all. Now I know why me and LIMBO don't get along.

On a happier note, Joseph made his First Penance on Saturday. I was very happy to be home for that. He was so nervous, but he did great. Friday night we went to my cousins house for her Surprise 60th B'day. Hey Nancy, we got you good. I was very down in the dumps though. Then Saturday night, my cousin Joanie made me one of my favorite dinner for my B'day. Thanks Joan, it was worth waiting 3 years for. Then yesterday, my friend Lori came over with her little China Doll Paige to hang out and have dinner with us. That brighten up my weekend. Paige is absolutely beautiful. She loves Joseph and he was awesome with her. It really made him wish his sister was home already. Our friends Joey and Tricia and their son Joey came by also. It was great seeing the kids playing together and Joseph loving every minute of it.

I have to get moving because Lily's dresser is on it's way. The crib and mirror came last week. Now her room will be complete and I can post pictures. I can't wait. So some happiness I will have today.

Please keep your fingers crossed that we hear something tomorrow or better yet that we hear something before Lily Rose is of marrying age.

NO CA TODAY

Well, I just put my call into my agency and I was told that my girl is out sick. My head almost came off my shoulders. I told the women who answered the phone that I didn't care how she did it but I wanted to know today if my CA was in. I mean, give me a break, I have my TA a week and I am really pissed off right now. I just got a call back and she said that she checked the e-mails and nothing was there. So that means I have to wait until Monday now to hear when I can leave. I am sure that most of the CA dates are full so that means I have to wait until March. What a freakin' nightmare. I really am just going to freak out now. I have been up since 4:30 am and I am red hot right now. I could boil an egg in my hand, that's how on fire I am. But, what do they care. This does not affect their life in any way, shape or form. Don't get me wrong, I love my girl that I deal with at my agency, but if she would have listened to me on Wed. I would know right now when I was leaving. I was hoping for Jan. 25th but I can kiss that date goodbye. Let hope Feb. 1st is the charm.

I think I should stop now, because if I don't I know I will say something that is not proper. Until Monday (I hope)

No News "Is NOT Good News"

You know that saying" No News Is Good News" well, it doesn't fit here. I received the best news that all International Adopting families wait for last Friday. We got TA!! It is 1 week later and I still have no Consulate Appointment. What the heck is that all about? My agency told me that they sent our request for a CA on that Friday and you sometimes have to wait 48 hours for a reply. So we figured Monday or Tuesday the latest, right? WRONG!!! I understand that Monday was a holiday MLK. So I figured Tuesday would be the day. Ok, Tuesday comes and goes and nothing. On Wednesday when I called the agency and still nothing I told them to send the request again. Now mind you I started looking into air fares again, and got some great prices. Of course they go up at a moments notice so I was freaking out (once again). Yesterday I made Anthony call the agency and they told him that there was a problem and had to send the request again. Duh, I told them to do that on Wednesday and no one listened to me. I know that I am not the "only" client they have, but I am one of the few that have TA and waiting to travel so you would think that they would at least treat me like I was their only client. I am hoping that I get that news today. If I have to go the whole weekend I think I will explode. I really don't want to be told that I have to wait until March to go and bring our daughter home. That would NOT be good news for them to tell me. Can you tell I am really ANGRY?

I have been reading that other families that got TA the same day already have their CA and know when they are leaving. So if the CA's are filling up and the New Year is around the corner, that would leave us with waiting until March. What crap. Give me a break. I should have had my CA date and my tickets booked and done. We are already packed and although I still have some last minute things to get, I can leave tomorrow. So lets go people and get me to China and back THIS MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!

I really hope that I can come back here today and tell you that I have a Feb. Consulate Appointment. That would make my day.

We got TA

Today is the happiest day for me. We got the call this morning that our TA is here. I deleted the Limbo post because I didn't want to much negative feelings on my site. But this is how it happened.


Last night I wrote Stacey, so this morning when she called me at I believe 10:30 - 11:00 am I wasn't expecting her to say anything to me about TA's. So I answer the phone in a huff because I was cleaning my bathroom (lol). Stacey asked if I was ok and I told her what I was doing and she laughed. We said a few things (which I don't remember now for the life of me) and Stacey said "Happy Friday". I kinda made a sound like "what's so happy about it" and she it is happy Lisa your TA is here in front of me. So of course I screamed and my mother was downstairs and she was kinda screaming and Stacey was laughing the whole time. After that I really don't remember much of what I said to her or her to me. I will be calling her back very soon to go over some things.

Then of course I called Anthony and then from there I made my phone calls. We are waiting to hear when we leave. Since it's Friday, (of course everytime we need to do something or hear something it is Friday and we have to wait the whole weekend) we will have to wait until Monday or Tuesday to hear our CA date. I really hope we can get in before the Chinese New Year. It would be great if we can leave on Feb. 1 and return on Feb. 14th. The 15th of Feb. is my mothers 70 birthday and what a gift I can give her. Her new granddaughter Lily Rose who is being named after my mother (Lilly) and my mothers mother (Rose).

I am still shaking and I am still cleaning, so more to come later.....