More Photos of Us in China

Hi Everyone. Yes, we are still here in Guangzhou and Ava is fitting in just fine in the Thatcher Family. She is showing us new sides to her personality every day and it is fun to watch. I wonder what she really thinks of us! Here are some more photos for you all to check out. Thanks again for all your support and comments.

Daddy Taught Bei Bei "Knuckles" and More

Scott taught Ava Bei Bei to do "Knuckles" yesterday and now she will do them with anyone. She's a smarty that one!

Emma and the Chinese Paparazzi

Emma is quite the celebrity here in China. People want their photo made with her every where we go and always comment on how beautiful she is. Emma is very embarassed every time this happens, but she is always polite and says thank you. We were even approached by a man and woman carrying a catalog with American kids posing for clothing ads and they wanted me to contact them so Emma could be a model. Of course, I politely took their card and said, we will contact you--yeah right. Anyway, it has been a hoot to watch Emma with her fans. Here are a few photos.

More Photos from China

The Past Few Days

Well, we've been in China for 10 days and we only have 10 more to go. Our guide set up a trip to a traditional Cantonese market today, but we decided to just stay around the hotel and island and get to know Ava a little more. Ava is coming out of her shell more and more and seems to be very comfortable around us. She eats everything in sight and seems very friendly around everyone. Her naughty streak is coming out more and more each day as well. She loves to explore and find out how and why things work. She is very strong for a little thing and refuses to take no for an anwer on a lot of things. She got very mad yesterday when I had to take Emma's new fan from her--we saw a pretty spicy temper! Ava wakes up pretty happy and smiling in the mornings and is ready to go, go ,go. She took her first stroller ride around the island yesterday also and really loved it. She doesn't care for being strapped in the baby carrier on mommy or daddy, so we borrowed a stroller to see how it would go. She liked it so much that we bought one from one of the local shops last night--they are so cheap over here.

Emma is trying so hard to be patient with Ava. She got to go for a sleepover in her Mimi's room last night, so I am sure she had a great time and didn't miss the bedtime crying from little sister! We can tell Emma is a little jealous, but handling it well. We are surprised to see that she is actually a little rough with Ava. She loves it when Ava comes alive and runs around the rooms chasing us all. I can't wait to get home to see how their relationship will grow once they trust each other.

We found out yesterday that we might get to visit Ava's orphanage on Wednesday. At first, we were told that it was closed to visitors, but we asked again once we got here and our guide is trying to work it out through our agency and the government here. Apparently it has to go through officials channels here or the orphanage director will get in trouble. If we get to go, we will split the costs of a van, driver, and guide with Rachel and her family. The orphanage is about 3 hours north of here, so it would be an interesting trip I am sure. The traffic in China is crazy, that is a whole other post in itself!

Here are some photos of our recent fun.

More About Ava "Bei Bei"

Ava woke up about 4 times last night, but went back to sleep in her crib with a little patting on the belly. She comes alive when it is just the few of us in our room or in the hotel play room, but she shuts down while we are in public places. We went to visit some beautiful gardens with our travel group this morning and she got a little too hot in the baby carrier--so I got puked on for the first time in a while. She was feeling better at lunch and now she and Ba Ba (daddy) are taking a nap. We did notice that she seems to have a rattle in her chest after she eats or drinks, so we are watching that. Her leg is a little better today, but it is still very sensitive for her and she hates to have her diaper changed. You can tell she used her legs and arms to defend herself from the bigger kids at the orphanage. Every time Emma comes near or I am changing her diaper, those arms start to swing and legs start to kick! She is learning the meaning of no or boo in Chinese very quickly!

When we got Ava, we immediately noticed that one side of her head is very flat and the other is not. We didn't know if she had been in an accident or maybe this happened at birth. When we saw some photos taken at her orphanage just a few weeks ago, we found out why she has such a mis-shaped head. Her crib had a piece of plywood in it for a mattress. No pillow, no padding, no blanket, just a plain board. The pictures showed the toddlers sleeping on these sheets of wood. I cry even typing this email to think about that. We will take her to the doctor when we get home, but hopefully it is something that she will grow out of with proper care. You should see her beautiful eyes, mouth, and cheeks--she will melt your heart with her smile.

There are some guys washing the windows outside my room right now--they are crazy--we are on the 27th floor! I just got back from shopping for a few little outfits for Ava. I had to get some 12 month pants because the 18 month sizes just fall off of her tiny little bottom. We are going to a Thai restaurant for a group dinner tonight and then to a temple of some sort tomorrow. I will post more photos later after we've downloaded the one's from the garden today. Hope everyone is well today and thanks again for following our trip!

Last Night and Shopping Trip

We had a pretty good night #2. Ava Bei Bei woke up twice crying, but a held her for a few minutes and put her back in her crib and she went back to sleep right away--woo hoo! We have been enjoying the HUGE breakfast buffet here at the White Swan, but can't seem to be on time to meet our friends! I have forgotten how long it takes to get myself and a baby ready. Emma is a big help also and can do most things for herself, so that is nice. Emma is adjusting well to having a little one around. It is still frustrating for her to have to share our attention, but as usual, she is amazing and has more patience that Scott or I will ever have. I hope Ava can see how wonderful her big sister is and want to be just like her.

Okay, we went to the French version of a Wal-Mart in Guangzhou China, need I say more? The place is called Carre For. Anne have you heard of this? It was 2 story and packed with people. This was a light crowd too! Ava took her first ride in a shopping cart and seemed to like it. We got some baby supplies and a few impulse items. We have to go get Ava's photo taken this afternoon for her passport. Right now she is taking a little nap, which she did NOT want to do. She just doesn't want to miss anything--she is very social! She finally fell asleep after crying for about 10-15 minutes. This seemed like 8 hours to me, but I know she will be okay and appreciate her sleep!

Thanks again for all the comments. We love hearing from everyone and I appreciate you forwarding them to me Anne. We love you all and thanks for everything. I will post more later. Here are a few more photos. Sorry if I repeat them, I can't view the blog and I can't remember everything I posted!

A Little About Ava "Bei Bei"

Ava is TINY! She is 21 months old and the 18-month clothing I brought for her is falling off of her. She has a pretty bad raw place on her leg where they had her diaper sinched down so tight and you can tell it has been there for a while. She kicks and screams when I put medicine on it, but I think she knows I am only trying to make it better. After meeting with the orphanage directors, we found out that Ava, or Bei Bei, as they call her, has a very out going personality. They said she adapts well in most situations and is a dare devil! They told me to watch out for this one--she likes to explore every where around her. They said they loved her very much and would miss her.

Well, day one with Ava was pretty unreal. She only cried when she got hungry and when we put her down for bed, but other than that, I think she was pretty shut down and in a little shock. When the orphanage director and nanny director brought her out to us, she never cried or got upset, she just looked at us, like who are you crazy people. Scott actually got a smile on the way back to the hotel from the Civil Affairs Office. She slept pretty much all night long, with a few play sessions in the dark. We heard her playing, but she never cried for us to get her and went back to sleep--SWEET! I hope night #2 is just as good. She had a good dinner of rice and congee on night #1, so far, so good.

Well, we made it through day number #2 with Bei Bei and she is doing great. Our adoption was finalized this morning after signing more papers, giving more money, and swearing to take care of her always. We did this at the Civil Affairs Office, the same place we picked her up yesterday. The same folks from the orphanage were there, but she didn't seem to upset to see them. They played with her for a few minutes, but she came back to us with no tears. We went back to the hotel for lunch and a nap and that didn't go so well. We tried to lay her down for a nap and she wanted nothing to do with that. Scott finally got her to lay down on the bed for a little snooze while I went down stairs to do more paperwork and meet with the orphanage folks.

After the nap, we decided to go out and about the island and do some shopping around. Ava did fine riding in the carrier that my buddy Linda let us borrow for this trip--thanks Linda. After shopping we took Ava to the play room at our hotel and she came out of her shell--it was hilarious! They have the same type floor and fenced area that she had in her orphanage, so we think she felt at home there to play. She would run, and I mean run, from Scott, to me, to Emma and back. When she got to us, she would just jump on us and laugh. We wore her out and now she is in the bed--no tears, just an immediate snore! Oh yeah, her new toy and the one she is sleeping with right now--the remote...future TIVO owner I am sure of it!

Thank you so much for all your support, comments, and emails. Tim and Laura, thank you for inspiring us to take this journey. Here are a few more photos of Gotcha Day...

We Got an Angel on Gotcha Day

The Thatcher Family is now 4 strong! We got Ava, better known as Bei Bei, today at 3:30. So far things are going smoothly. I will post more about her tomorrow--my anxiety has now turned into exhaustion! Let the photos speak for themselves...

Guangzhou is Great!

Okay, the hotel we are staying in is AWESOME! We had reserved a regular room, but decided to upgrade to a suite when we checked in. We are so glad we did, because we have a separate bedroom, a living room, and 1 1/2 baths. Since we will be here for 2 1/2 more weeks, I think we will be more comfortable with more space. Emma is sleeping on a roll-away and Ava has a crib. The breakfast is included in our stay here and would put the Las Vegas buffets to shame! Scott found the gym this morning, so we hope to get our daily workouts in while we are here.

Ms. Robin, Emma has been taking a lot of photos for her China Book! She is really into it!

Our guide just took us around Shamian Island here in Guangzhou. Our hotel, The White Swan, is located on this island. Guangzhou is located in Southern China and it is warm and humid here. The area has a tropical island feeling and the streets are very pleasant for daily walks. There are a lot of local people out in the parks exercising, dancing, practicing "Hacky Sack", and shopping. There were several groups of retirees singing in an outdoor chior and even a ball room dancing group in the park. We also saw about 6 couples having their wedding photos made in the parks. This place has a very relaxing feel to it and I think it will be the perfect place to get to know Ava. Which, by the way, we are about to meet her in about 5 hours!!!!!!!!!!!

We can post to our blog, but we cannot see it after we post, so please forgive me if I make a mistake or two! I also can't read your comments, but I am trying to set it up to have them emailed to me. Thanks so much for all your thoughts and prayers. Today is the big day, so we hope to post soon to let you know how it goes with GOTCHA DAY!!!

A Few More Photos of Beijing

Photos from Beijing Touring

We Made it to Beijing!

Sorry its taken so long to post, but we have been going non-stop since we arrived late on the 20th. We have toured the Summer Palace, Beijing Zoo Panda's, The Temple of Heaven, Acrobatics Show, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, and The Great Wall of China. We even got to go by the Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Center. We finally had some time tonight to get the computer up and running, but we haven't downloaded any photos yet. We will try and do that tomorrow night. We have been trying the food and learning about the Chinese culture. Emma's favorite event was getting to go to a Tea Room--her new favorite thing is Rose Tea! We have been exhausted by the end of each day, I guess they are preparing us for the exhaustion to come with having new babies!

We will fly from Beijing to Guangzhou tomorrow afternoon and will be there until the 9th of April. We found out today that we will be getting our babies on Monday the 24th at 3:30 in the afternoon. Just hearing our guide tell the group about what to expect was overwhelming, I can imagine what the real deal is going to feel like!

Hope everyone is doing well. We will post pictures soon!

Updated Photo of Ava

Ava’s photo was included in the January 2008 Love Without Boundaries update.  Looks like she loves her formula.  A big thank you to this organization for providing wonderful nutritional support to Ava’s orphanage.

 

 

We Finally Have Travel Plans

We finally have travel plans for China!  We will be in China for 21 days, yes, that’s 3 weeks!  Here is a rough look at what our plans are:

 

March 19  Leave Albuquerque and fly to San Francisco and then Beijing

March 20 Arrive Beijing

March 21-22 Tour Beijing

March 23 Fly to Guangzhou

March 24 We get Ava, GOTCHA DAY!

March 25-April 8 Paperwork, Tours, Paperwork, Tours

April 9 Fly home from Hong Kong to San Francisco and finally Albuquerque

Ava in the LWB Update

This post is from the Love Without Boundaries November/December 2007 Update. Ava's orphanage receives nutritional support from this wonderful organization. This is what the nannies had to say about Ava. Oh boy, it sounds like she will keep us busy...

It’s hard to believe with this sweet face, but
they say “B” is a very naughty baby. “She is
restless. When she starts to walk, she also
becomes a little trouble maker. When the
nanny put the clean diaper on the table, she
walks over and pulls all the diaper to the floor
and laugh at it. When the nanny prepares the
bath water for the babies, she likes to play
with the water and make the floor wet. But
she is so sweet. So the nanny would just
smile and tell her not to do it again.”
“

Ava at 6 Months Old

Here are some photos from a family who also adopted from Qujiang in January of 2007. They took some photos of some of the babies and look who they took a photo of! This is Ava at around 6 months old. What a sweet little face! You can see the whole slide show of the orphanage visit from this family in our favorite sites section on the right.