OUR TRIP IS ABOUT OVER, BUT THE REAL JOURNEY HAS JUST BEGUN.....

 It is 2:00 AM in Guangzhou.  We are leaving at 10:30 AM for the airport to start our LONG trip back home.  It's hard to believe that it has been TWO weeks since I was running around frantically, trying to get everything ready for not only Roger and me, but also for Molly Kate for a two week stay in China, and NOW that two weeks is almost over.....

We are getting ready to take our daughter away from the country of her birth to a new home almost 8,000 miles away.  But you know, she left the only life she had known from birth the day we took her in our arms.  That was truly the day her new life began.  It has been amazing to watch Molly Kate as she's observed her surroundings each day.  When we were in Nanchang, she was SO quiet, and even when we were in public, or with the other families in our group, the only sound she ever made, IF she made any sound at all, was to cry.  Tonight when we were eating our evening meal with Greg and Tami Staut and their precious baby Marissa, (one of the DEAR families in our travel group), Molly Kate was babbling and smiling, and leaning over to me to give me LOTS of loving.  She was reaching out to Marissa and truly acknowledging that there was another child in her presence.  When we left the restaurant, we did some last minute shopping, and she smiled at every person who talked to her.  Ten days ago before Molly Kate was delivered to our hotel, we were given updated information about her.  We were told that she was shy, bashful, introverted, and cried when she saw strangers.  That information was very true.  I said, WAS.....  Our little lady has certainly come out of her shell!!!!  She is still cautious around strangers, and her real security is with Roger, Shea, and me.  We can tell that our bond with her gets stronger every day, and that's exactly what she needs.  If you are one of the lucky people who is going to get to meet our Molly Kate in person, please don't be offended if she doesn't want to be held by you.  We want to be careful not to overwhelm her.  We want her, though, to love everyone and just be a sweet, happy little girl.  With time, we truly believe she is going to be a little social butterfly!!!  I can promise you that when you see her smile, it will truly melt your heart.....

SO, our trip is just about over, but the REAL journey has just begun.  Molly Kate will always be our little girl "made in China," but once we land in Atlanta at 9:05 on Thursday night, she will officially be an AMERICAN!!!!! 

Roger and I can't thank you enough for all the prayers that we know have been lifted for us and for our sweet baby.  PLEASE don't stop praying for us now!!!!  We know we still have lots of adjustments and routines to get in to in the coming days.  Our life has been changed forever.... but, OH HOW MUCH SWEETER it is now!!!!!



How sweet it is to be loved by you....



RED COUCH DAY!!!!!

Can our smiles get any bigger?

We have had the BEST DAY today that we've had since GOTCHA DAY!!!!!  I don't think Molly Kate has cried once today----not even on the shuttle ride to the Pearl Market this morning.  That was our first destination of the day.  I came away with a strand of pearls for Molly Kate on her wedding day!  I also bought a couple of other gifts.   We were in an area of shopping that stretched for TEN city blocks.  After the Pearl Factory shopping spree, we walked the streets with the Greg and Tami and their beautiful adopted daughter, Marissa, one of the other families in our group.  Our window shopping was interrupted by rain, though, and the fact that Tami and I REALLY needed to use the bathroom, and the squatty potties in the public restrooms just didn't appeal to us!!!!

We took a taxi back to our hotel and lounged around awhile, and then we headed back out on another short shopping adventure.  We had laundry to pick up, as well as a couple of more items we had specifically intended to buy.  We made our stops, and then headed back to the hotel to get Molly Kate ready for the RED COUCH picture.  I think I explained that this picture is one that is made of all the babies in our travel group, as well as individual family pictures.  I will be perfectly honest---I had prepared myself for Molly Kate to be the ONE baby out of the group who would cry when the picture was made.  WRONG!!!!  I think our sweetie was actually the only one who DIDN'T cry.  In fact, she seemed to enjoy all the cameras flashing!!  I wonder if that could possibly be because we have taken no less than 500 pictures of her in the nine days we've had her!!!!!



Girls, the camera is this way!



Hey, Mom!  How do I look?

Do you see that cute little boy?

Dad, he's got his arm around me.
 Mason was adopted from Korea last July. 
His family is adopting a new sister from China.

I can't explain how much Molly Kate has changed since that first moment I took her into my arms.  She really is no longer the quiet, shy baby in the group.  She babbles and laughs and smiles, just like the other girls do.  She's actually becoming quite a clown, too, and she LOVES to snuggle and be smooched on!!!  I know I've said this a MILLION times, but she is just SOOOOOOO precious!!!!

"Mona Lisa Smile"
Oh yeah.... I'm loved!

Tonight, four out of the five families in our travel group ate at Lucy's, an American food restaurant by our hotel.  One of our families, the Newbill's, will be leaving tomorrow for Hong Kong.  This is sad for all of us.  There is no way to explain the bond that has developed among five families who, thirteen days ago, had never met.  Even though the rest of us will be going our separate ways on Thursday, we will be connected in our hearts forever and will have friendships that last for a lifetime.  There will be that invisible thread that stretches from San Antonio, Texas to Denver, Colorado, to Benton, Kentucky, to Woodbridge, Virginia, to Raeford, North Carolina.  It is a connection that only those who have adopted internationally can understand.  My life has been changed PROFOUNDLY since we first decided to adopt.  God has blessed me with true friends all of the country who have already been where we are now.  God IS so good!!!!!!

Our travel group.

THE PAPERWORK IS DONE!!!!!

The Happy Pierce Family!

Today was a big day for us.  It was the day of our consulate appointment to turn in all of our paperwork for Molly Kate's visa, and also the day that our group took "THE OATH."  It was an emotional moment for me, because I knew it was the final step we had to finish to be able to bring Molly Kate home with us, although she was officially ours----no giving her back or anyone taking her back---LAST Monday.  I was a little disappointed in the oath we took.  I wanted to raise my hand and promise that I was going to love my daughter with all my heart and soul and try to be the best mother to her that I can possibly be until the day I die.  Instead the oath was simply swearing that everything we had stated in our paperwork was true.  Oh, well.....I made the other promise in my heart, anyway!!!

We sat and waited for our name to be called to turn in the paperwork for the visa.  Usually, this is a long, grueling wait, but today it wasn't bad at all.  There were no problems with our paperwork, we paid the money for the visa, and we were DONE!!!!!!!  THE PAPERWORK IS OVER!!!!!!!!  Tomorrow, Maggie, our guide, will have Molly Kate's visa for her passport, and we will also receive the mysterious "brown envelope" that MUST stay sealed until we go through customs when we land in Atlanta.  As soon as our plane lands in Atlanta, Molly Kate will be a U.S. citizen!!!!

After we left the Consulate's Office, we boarded the bus to come back to the hotel.  Molly Kate HATES riding on the bus, so that meant she had a nice LOUD meltdown.  The minute we stepped off the bus at the hotel, she fell asleep.  We brought her back to the room, and she didn't even wake up as I was undressing her.  I had gotten her up around 5:45 AM, and she was simply exhausted.  After a three hour nap, though, she was ready for the daily shopping!!!!

OKAY----I have to confess.....I have bought 14 pairs of shoes for her in the last two days.  They are just SOOOOO cheap, though.  Where in the United States can you buy CUTE LEATHER baby shoes for $5?  NOWHERE!!!!  I'm just trying to stock up for the next TEN YEARS!!!!  Actually, I just bought her size now, and the next size.  Her feet are TINY, and the shoes look precious on her.  I figure if I don't have anything to go with the shoes I bought, I will just have to BUY something to go with them!!!!

We went to a store today that is my FAVORITE of all.  It is Guangzhou's Charity Store for China's Children.  Many of the products are made at the orphanages, and at the homes for the elderly.  There were SO many nice things.  I found some really special gifts there for Molly Kate, and for family and friends. I bought the CUTEST diaper bag, and I'm thinking I really want to go back and buy the matching baby quilt.  I would like to save it for when Molly Kate has her first child. 

Tonight, we went on a cruise on the Pearl River.  Let me tell you, Guangzhou is beautiful in the daytime, but at night, it is unbelievable!!!!  The cruise was nice.  A buffet meal was included.  All I can say about the meal is that I'm glad the food items weren't labeled because I have a feeling I would die if I knew what some of the things I ate really were.  It wasn't my favorite meal, but the cruise, itself, was worth the sacrifice!!!  After our meal, we went up on the top deck of the boat and sat outside to soak in the view.  I am going to attach some pictures.  One of the most beautiful sights was the Guangzhou Tower.  It is the second tallest building in the world.  The entire tower is covered with lights that change colors.  One minute it is a solid color, then another, and another---and THEN, it is ALL of the colors.  It was very windy and cool tonight, but it was such a peaceful happy time for me to sit there and snuggle Molly Kate, all bundled up in her blanket, while enjoying the view!!!

The Guangzhou Tower

  

The  bridge from the mainland to Shamien Island where we are staying.

 The bus ride back to the hotel was similar to the one back from the Consulate's this morning.  Our girl was NOT a happy camper.  It had been a LONG time since her nap, and she was just ready to get back to the room and strip down to her diaper!!!  I was quite ready for my PJ's, too!!!

Tomorrow morning we are heading to the Pearl Factory (I think Roger is a little stressed about THIS shopping venture!!!!)  Tomorrow afternoon will be the famous red couch pictures for each family and for our girls.  I can't wait for you to see the five pretty little ladies we have been so blessed to be with this week!!!

Pretty in pink!

LITTLE GIRLS AND GIGGLES!

IS THIS THE SAME BABY?????

I'm going to make this entry short, but sweet.  It doesn't seem possible when I think about it, that a week ago, our sweet, beautiful Molly Kate was a little orphan, living in an orphanage about four hours away from where we were in Nanchang, waiting for us to adopt her.  Roger and I were talking tonight----we can't figure out what in the world we did without her.  She has already brought SO much joy to our lives, and we know it's only going to get better.  I may have mentioned this in a previous entry, but I will say it again---it is SO amazing that in God's plan for our lives that he included a trip half way around the world to adopt a beautiful daughter, to go with our three wonderful sons.  We are SOOOOO blessed!!!!!

I am posting two pictures.  The first one I received around the middle of January.  It was an updated picture from the orphanage taken when Molly Kate was about 16 months old.  The other is one (of the many) that we took today.  Can you believe that the pictures are both of the same baby???  When I saw the picture in January, I thought she looked VERY sad, and it made me SO want to see my baby SMILE!!!!  Now, we are blessed with MANY sweet dimpled smiles each and every day!!!!!  God is SOOOOOO good!!!!!

 

DAY 8----THE FIRST DAY IN GUANGZHOU

We arrived in Guangzhou last yesterday afternoon.  What a BEAUTIFUL city it is!!!  In fact, it's the most beautiful city I've ever been to!

This morning we took Molly Kate for her physical.  Other than still being a little congested from bronchitis, everything checked out fine.  At 18 months, she weighs 21.3 lbs. and is 30 inches tall----VERY small for her age.  She is HEALTHY, though, and is an excellent eater!!!

After we were finished with Molly Kate's physical, we had the rest of the day to do whatever we wanted.  Of course, for me, that meant SHOPPING!!!!  We are staying at the White Swan Hotel---the final destination for all adopting families.  It is quite a luxury hotel, and is located on Shamien Island, beside the Pearl River.  We have the most beautiful view from our 9th story room of the the river.  There are blocks and blocks of shops here on the island with lots of REALLY cute clothes and shoes for babies.  I am in HOG HEAVEN!!!!!!  We did a lot of walking today, checking out the shops to see which have the best deals.  I did buy an authentic silk Chinese outfit for Molly Kate to wear for the RED COUCH picture of all the adopted girls in our travel group.  There is a red couch in the lobby here at the hotel----actually, there are a BUNCH of red couches here and every travel group takes pictures on it before they leave.  I also bought her three pairs of shoes.  It's hard to believe that the stores have the CUTEST leather shoes for little girls for $5!  Since all the shoes I've already bought for her are all too big, I have an excuse to buy MORE!!!!  I'm also trying to buy something special to give her each year on her GOTCHA DAY until she is 18.

I have to tell you about our BIG ADVENTURE of the day.  I can't remember if I've mentioned it in any of my other entries, but Molly Kate is potty trained.  In China, potty training is started at about age four days old.  The information we received about Molly Kate said that she used a potty chair.  The hotel in Nanchang provided potty chairs for the rooms.  It was obvious when we first sat her on it, she knew exactly what she was supposed to do.  Well, the White Swan Hotel DOESN'T provide potty chairs, so we knew last night we had a problem.  Molly Kate woke up twice during the night because of a dirty diaper, and it was obvious she was really distressed about it.  It was the first night she hadn't slept all night.  We asked Maggie, our guide, where we might be able to buy a potty chair.  She told us we would have to hire a taxi and she gave us directions written in Chinese to give to the driver to take us to a variety store that would have them.  SO, we set off on our journey, in a taxi---a story in itself----to the variety store to buy a potty chair.  We arrived at our destination.  Maggie had told us to go DOWN the escalator when we got there.  She just didn't tell us how FAR to go down.  Let me tell you, it's NOT EASY to find a potty chair in a multi-level store full of people who don't speak English!!!  Luckily for us, Maggie had written "potty chair" in Chinese on a piece of paper.  Even with that, though, it took FOREVER to find one.  Once we did, there were two choices---a small blue one that Molly Kate's little bottom would have fallen right in, or a nice pink and white one that looked like a minature chair.  We decided the pink and white one would be the best.  We picked up a few more items, and headed for the check out.  Sounds simple, RIGHT?  WELL, we couldn't find the checkout!!!  We walked and walked, until we finally found someone who spoke enough English who told us we had to go down a level to check out, which was actually in the grocery store. (By the way, I'm leaving out the details of me trying to get on an off and escalator NUMEROUS times with a stroller and a baby!!!)  We had already been there looking for the potty chair, and I had gotten Molly Kate's stroller stuck trying to go out of the store in one of the exit aisles.  ANYWAY, Roger paid for the potty chair and the other items.  However, in China, they don't use bags or sacks, so his option was to put all the additional items he had bought in the hole in the potty seat, and head out.  Let me tell you, it takes a dedicated daddy to walk down the street carrying a pink and white potty chair!!!!  I've included a picture, in case you can't visualize it!!!!



We rode in a taxi back to the hotel and went walking and shopping some more.

 Then, tonight we ate dinnerwith three of the other families in our travel group, and Maggie, our guide, at a really nice Thai Restaurant.  When we are with the other families, Molly Kate is usually VERY quiet and shy.  Tonight, however, she came out of her shell.  She smiled and laughed and babbled and beat her bowl with her spoon, just like all the other little girls were doing!!!  THEN, she ate a FULL bowl of chicken and rice porridge!  We went for a nice long walk after dinner, in search of a particular store that I never found.  Molly Kate fell asleep in her stroller, so we took an extra long walk, and then came back to the room.  She slept in her stroller for quite a while.


Shop Til You Drop!

 When she woke up, I stripped her down and sat her on her potty chair, in front of the TV.  It was SO funny---she sat there for at least 30 minutes watching TV and never fussed. I told Roger today that I think we have about as many pictures of her sitting on her potty chair as we do off of it.  She LOVES sitting on it!!!   She really is such a good baby.  I can't remember whether or not I told you this in my entry about our orphanage visit, but her nanny there told me (translated to me) that Molly Kate is beautiful, smart, and a very good baby.  She was SOOOOO right!!!





 

MORE MOLLY KATE

Pure Joy!