It is officially midnight and we are packed up and ready to roll out of here at 7 am tomm morning! It has been interesting trying to cram 2 weeks worth of things into duffles-you never know what they may or may not have in the areas we are traveling too. We are packing light but must bring all that our new baby Belle will need for 2 weeks. From what we understand-when they hand her over to us on Sunday, July 3-our Gotcha Day (very ironic with our independence Day!)-all she comes with is what she has on. We are bringing clothes, small toys, pediasure, baby food, cheerios in hopes that she will take to something! We know this will all be foreign to her. We do not have any recent measurements on her so we do not know if she is in 6 month clothes are 12 month clothes. We think she is still rather small-maybe 16 pounds at 16 months. We are anxious to see if she can sit up or crawl and if she has any teeth or hair. We have no recent photos so we are so excited to hold her and get to know her little features. We will meet our friend Belle at the airport tomm am and travel together from Nashville to Chicago to Beijing. The flight is about 14 hours! We hope the Ambien will kick in! We arrive in Beijing Friday at 3:15 pm and head to the hotel for one night. I am hoping if we are not too exhausted from the trip over that we can take a short visit to the Great Wall. We depart out Sat. morning for her province in Gansu. We take China Air and then a 3-4 hour van ride. We sure hope our guides will find us! It is fascinating to google Gansu. It is close to Mongolia. From what we understand-she is in a rural area. We get the rare opportunity to see her orphanage on Saturday-that was a huge answer to prayer for me. Then-on Sunday is our official day that we actually get to take her with us. We are hopeful that we can ask the nanny some questions about her through a translator. We are working on a list of questions because we know we will forget in the middle of all the emotions. We have NO IDEA what this holds as it is unique for each family. There are 4 other families traveling from America World but none are going to this area of China. My sweet friend Belle will hopefully catch some of those moments on film and we hope we can download and share. Many places you are not allowed to photo within the country but we hope we are allowed to take some photos at the orphanage that day. Two things about the day were highlights for me..One-I got a letter in the mail today from each of our sons at camp and they seem great! Two-both sets of our parents prayed with us tonight and we feel so thankful that we have 4 grandparents on board and praying-such a gift! We are grateful also that Tim's company has been very understanding and allowing him to go for the full time. If only one parent travels-it makes it much more difficult to get all the documentation legal when you return home. Tim is such a great traveling companion and helpful.
Our main prayer request for tomm. are safe travels for us and that God will be preparing our child's heart to embrace us and attach to us. We are really hoping for a smooth transition but need to be prepared for either way. She will be leaving the Qingyang Social Institute and that is the only she has ever known since her abandonement at 2 months old. We want you to know we feel your support! Night! Hoping for a few hours of shut eye tonight! Carissa
It's Official!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Arrival into Beijing!
We had an uneventful flight over here which we were thankful for. We each were able to sleep a few hours (thanks to ambient!) It was a double decker plane and we sat up where the pilots were and it was quieter upstairs.
When we landed-we met the other 4 families who had already arrived and all our luggage had made it! We found our guide Maggie who was very helpful and we all took one bus to our hotel-it was about an hour in traffic.
It is definitely a hustling and bustling city. We had the evening with no plans so we all put on our tennis shoes and and walked about a mile down to Tian'anmen Square. It was a crowded area with lots of police officers and military men on duty. We then decided to "go easy" on dinner and play it safe and found a KFC. We then came back to the hotel and took another ambient to try and get a full night of rest. For tomorrow is a big day! Our wake up call is for 5 and the van is picking up at 6 am for 7:30 flight. We are the only family moving on the orphanage. We go back to the Beijing airport and fly on Hunan Air for a 2 hour flight to Xian. Then-she said it s 4 hour van ride "into the mountains." I looked at Belle and said, "Do you get car sick?" We are all looking forward to what the day holds and if we will get to meet the director, nannies, and baby today at the orphanage, We are making our list of questions that we want to try and find out while we are there about her-her routine, crib-mates, health, etc.
Pray that we can find out some info. in this rare time we will have at the orphanage. Pray for our safety today as we take a lot of back roads. Thankful all 3 of us are healthy!
Carissa
When we landed-we met the other 4 families who had already arrived and all our luggage had made it! We found our guide Maggie who was very helpful and we all took one bus to our hotel-it was about an hour in traffic.
It is definitely a hustling and bustling city. We had the evening with no plans so we all put on our tennis shoes and and walked about a mile down to Tian'anmen Square. It was a crowded area with lots of police officers and military men on duty. We then decided to "go easy" on dinner and play it safe and found a KFC. We then came back to the hotel and took another ambient to try and get a full night of rest. For tomorrow is a big day! Our wake up call is for 5 and the van is picking up at 6 am for 7:30 flight. We are the only family moving on the orphanage. We go back to the Beijing airport and fly on Hunan Air for a 2 hour flight to Xian. Then-she said it s 4 hour van ride "into the mountains." I looked at Belle and said, "Do you get car sick?" We are all looking forward to what the day holds and if we will get to meet the director, nannies, and baby today at the orphanage, We are making our list of questions that we want to try and find out while we are there about her-her routine, crib-mates, health, etc.
Pray that we can find out some info. in this rare time we will have at the orphanage. Pray for our safety today as we take a lot of back roads. Thankful all 3 of us are healthy!
Carissa
Our Itinerary! Here we come for you baby belle!
Beijing----------
THURSDAY, JUNE 30
Depart for Beijing 6/30/2011 9:22 AM on UA 5931
FRIDAY, JULY 1
Arrive in Beijing 7/1/2011 3:15 PM on UA 0851
Gansu (Qingyang & Lanzhou)----------
SATURDAY, JULY 2
AM: Flight from Beijing to Xi’an and van ride to Qingyang PM: Visit the Orphanage & Meet Belle Qing Pereira!
SUNDAY, JULY 3
AM: Van ride to Xi’an airport & Flight to Lanzhou GOTCHA DAY! PM: Pick up Belle Pereira in Lanzhou
MONDAY, JULY 4
Civil Affairs Appointment
TUESDAY, JULY 5
Adoption Appointments / Sightseeing
WEDNESDAY, JULY 6
Adoption Appointments / Sightseeing
THURSDAY, JULY 7
Adoption Appointments / Sightseeing
FRIDAY, JULY 8
AM: Belle’s flight to Beijing to return to US PM: Flight to Guangzhou for medical exam & visa appointment
Guangzhou----------
SATURDAY, JULY 9
Child’s Medical Exam Consulate Paperwork – “Paperwork Party!”
SUNDAY, JULY 10
Sightseeing & Shopping
MONDAY, JULY 11
Consulate Appointment at 7/11/2011 8:30 AM Consulate Oath Taking Ceremony
TUESDAY, JULY 12
Pick up Child’s US Visa
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13
Depart from Guangzhou 7/13/2011 11:00 AM on CA 1330 (arrive back in Nashville at 8:38 pm on United from Chicago)
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
From Sparkles to Belle!
When we began this journey with a girl in mind-all of the kids had fun dreaming up names for her. We were all over the place on names and knew we had time to really think it. The nickname that really stuck for all of us is what Anna Caroline came up with-"Sparkles." So-Sparkles it was for about 6 months. For those of you who don't know AC well-she is 4 and all girl. She dresses in glittery things and wears sparkly shoes. It was very appropriate for her baby sister. Then-the "official" paperwork at the end started to roll in and it was time for us to make a decision on a name so that we could fill all of the documentation out correctly. Tim and I had a small list of half family and half non-family names that we had come up with over the year. We did not have an easy Chinese name to work wtih either-Xiaofang Qing. We began to write and say various combinations of names with Pereira (not an easy one either-my good friends still ask me how to spell it!) I spend loads of time repeating P-E-R-E-I-R-A to people who need it on the other end of the phone! So-you can imagine our dilemma on the name! Not easy! Then-one night it all became very clear to both of us. We began scratching names from the list. Belle continued to be at the top. Belle was a beautiful Southern name and it sounded good with Pereira...but it was much much more than that!!! It was family too!
For those of you who don't know her-Belle Johnson is family to us and you need to know her. She was one of my first friends when I moved to Nashville 14 years ago. She is not only one of my closest friends but also one of Tim's favorite poeple too. She is a mentor, teacher, cheerleader, confidante, and encouragement to us. She embodies the qualities we long for our daughter to have...kindness, humility, peacefulness, laughter, joy, confidence in the Lord. We are thankful for our daughter to have Belle as her namesake. The coolest part is that our Belle will get to go with us the first week in China and meet our baby Belle for the first time with us! It was quite easy to fill in Belle Qing(Ching) Pereira on the paperwork after all!
For those of you who don't know her-Belle Johnson is family to us and you need to know her. She was one of my first friends when I moved to Nashville 14 years ago. She is not only one of my closest friends but also one of Tim's favorite poeple too. She is a mentor, teacher, cheerleader, confidante, and encouragement to us. She embodies the qualities we long for our daughter to have...kindness, humility, peacefulness, laughter, joy, confidence in the Lord. We are thankful for our daughter to have Belle as her namesake. The coolest part is that our Belle will get to go with us the first week in China and meet our baby Belle for the first time with us! It was quite easy to fill in Belle Qing(Ching) Pereira on the paperwork after all!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
WE GOT THE CALL!
Last Friday, I was hiking Radnor with Melanie and just happened to take my phone with me that morning which was unusual. We were about halfway up Ganier Ridge when she was asking me about our adoption and if we had heard anything. I told her that I expected to hear something in another week or two. Well-It was not 5 seconds later that a 703 area code popped up on my phone! I immediately answered and there was a precious coordinator on the end of the line that said "Congratulations-we have your travel date-it will be June 30th!" I must say-I was shocked, excited, and scared all rolled into one! We had been waiting for this day for soooo long. It almost felt like my "water had broken." I walked around in a stupor and Mel and I jumped around and celebrated and then both prayed and thanked God. June was never on our radar-we totally expected a trip more like mid-July. Wow-our travel approval came quicker than the average wait times. It was a lot to process...We had planned our last trip as a family of 6 to big cedar lodge in Branson for July 4 and to pick our boys up from Kanakuk with my side of the family. We had to do a total mind shift and wrap our heads around that we were not going to see our boys now for a month with the timing of camp and then our China travel dates. Thankfully-my sister and brother-in-law and parents are going to be able to pick our kids up for us.
America World said they would then be calling again Monday once our consulate appt was set and that they would be able to give us our return travel date home. On Monday morning, June 13, we received another great call! Our consulate appt. is set for July 11 at 8:30 am and we will be able to travel home on July 13. We also found out that we were going to get to travel to our daughter's orphanage during our time there-which was a huge answer to prayer for me! I had specifically been praying for this throughout the year and had journaled about this longing of mine. I had hoped so much that we would get this opportunity BUT it is very rare to get to do this because of regulations. We have chosen to forego the sightseeing portion on the front end of the trip in Beijing in order to make the long trip to our child's orphanage in the province of Gansu. We are so excited to get to see this piece of her story/roots-the Qingyang city Welfare Institute- where our daughter has been for the last 16 months of her life.
We had about 24 hours to book flights and I was on the phone for hours yesterday hammering out the details of booking it all only 18 days out. Thankfully-we got a great itinerary on United and are set to depart June 30-July 13. One of the biggest highlights for us too...our dear family friend that is family to us-Belle Johnson-gets to join us for the first week of this wild adventure! More on Belle to follow...that will be my next blog!
America World said they would then be calling again Monday once our consulate appt was set and that they would be able to give us our return travel date home. On Monday morning, June 13, we received another great call! Our consulate appt. is set for July 11 at 8:30 am and we will be able to travel home on July 13. We also found out that we were going to get to travel to our daughter's orphanage during our time there-which was a huge answer to prayer for me! I had specifically been praying for this throughout the year and had journaled about this longing of mine. I had hoped so much that we would get this opportunity BUT it is very rare to get to do this because of regulations. We have chosen to forego the sightseeing portion on the front end of the trip in Beijing in order to make the long trip to our child's orphanage in the province of Gansu. We are so excited to get to see this piece of her story/roots-the Qingyang city Welfare Institute- where our daughter has been for the last 16 months of her life.
We had about 24 hours to book flights and I was on the phone for hours yesterday hammering out the details of booking it all only 18 days out. Thankfully-we got a great itinerary on United and are set to depart June 30-July 13. One of the biggest highlights for us too...our dear family friend that is family to us-Belle Johnson-gets to join us for the first week of this wild adventure! More on Belle to follow...that will be my next blog!
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