She's amazing!

We had a great day today! We went touring in Nanchang, had an amazing lunch with the group, and then took Penelope swimming for the first time. She just loves the water. Then she took a bath and we had an amazing play session: she was giggling and engaging us...unbelievable...what a difference a few days make...she's imitating us like crazy! She's clapping, waving bye-bye, making rasberry kisses (and she loves getting them). She's such a sweet child. We're totally in love. We picked up her (first) made to order dress--see the pictures of Tiffany and her daughter in the store. Gotta go now, Penelope's getting antsy in the stroller next to me.

We have our Penelope!

OK I am FINALLY blogging again...coming out of our blissful cocoon. We obviously have our Penelope...Gotcha day was Sept. 2 at 4:30 pm. She came in snoozing, she was handed to us, still snoozing, started to wake, whined a bit, and slowly opened her eyes to feel herself being cuddled in her mother's arms...she had her head on my shoulder and so the first thing she saw when she awoke in her new life was her daddy's face. She cried a little but was consolable. Back at the hotel room she was initially quite wary but tracked our every move and every sound with an intense stare. She slept alot the first day, seemed pretty limp, and sad...but boy has she changed so fast...she now extend her hands to take toys we offer (did not do that for first 24 or so hours)and well, now Tuesday evening she is reaching to explore the world around her and most importantly reaching for mama...she cries and looks for me when I'm out of sight...and it feels so good to be able to comfort her, she's a cuddly little thing, she loves to snuggle. However, Daddy has gotten quite a few smiles and chatting too! She is generally a calm and intense little girl, she is just beautiful, those eyes are so intense so it's so wonderful to see her relaxing and being playful. She's smiling at us, giggling, talking (well, babbles at us and responds with babbling) and imitating our kisses and even imitated a wave! She's a great eater, great sleeper, and so far great pooper! She loves most of the standard baby food--formula & cereal, is not too crazy about canned foods, but loves to eat our table food...she went just crazy for the pancakes at breakfast! It's amazing to watch her soak up her new world and all the action. All the babies of our group are doing well, they're great kids! Our group consists of only two couples for whom this is a first child, ourselves included. So we are in good, experienced company and there is a very wonderful and supportive group dynamic. We got a wonderful warm reception from the locals in Nanchang when Eric and I went out for our first walk alone with Penelope yesterday. People were smiling, waving, giving us the thumbs up, and we were so moved to be approached by a young woman on the street named Tiffany who tries to find the original (yes, original newsprint) finding ad for children...she came to us with a form stating how happy the Jiangxi people are about us loving and taking care of our girls...when I read that I just melted in the middle of the street...it was too much...my heart was overwhelmed...too incredible to have this connection with a people and a land so far away from my own. I have been much weepier since I got her than ever before in the process. Anyway, Tiffany also has a shop where we've ordered a handmade silk dress, hat and shoes for Penelope with the fabric containing the lotus flower that represents the province of Jiangxi. I will try to post more regularly, promise. I can't wait to see all our family and friends and for Penelope to meet everyone. It's so incredible...I could have never imagined, but she is the centre of my new universe. I'm high maintenance...and let me tell you...I am impressed with myself...my hair looks like shit in this humidity and I don't care...I'm sleeping with low AC and I don't fuss, I'm sweating like a pig and I don't even notice (well, I do, but I forget about it)...as long as she's comfortable and happy, I'm happy. There's so much to say...can't wait to tell all when we're back home... For now, we feel very blessed.

We're coming to getcha...

So folks, we're all packed...bags are by the door...the feelings are beyond words...it seems we have waited forever but tonight we cannot believe the time has come. Eric & I had a moment in our back yard tonight when everything was finally packed...we lived the moment of the last night in this home that it will be just the two of us. Sixteen years, it has been just the two of us. Sixteen years. This isn't a new chapter in our lives...it's Mary & Eric: The Sequel...but unlike movies, I am confident that this sequel will match the magic of part I. Our flight is at 8 am, so we'll be up before the crack of dawn...it's past midnight here, and I just did a final OCD check on the paperwork...it's time for me to do my last dodo here...well actually, it'll be more like a nap! We're almost there baby girl...we're coming to getcha.

Quick Update

Boy have I been a bad blogger! Too busy...but just in case you care...all is pretty much in motion for our trip to China...Looks like we will get the babies on Sunday, September 2...WOOHOO!!! I will post our itinerary--for a preview you can always go to Susan's blog...journeytomeimei(in links above)...she's one step ahead of me...thank goodness she's leading the way! Just 6 more dodos to go!!!

What would I do without...

Our agency is holding the group "travel meeting" on Saturday morning. Can't believe we're at this stage. It's been a hectic week, the phone has been going like crazy (i've got phone burns on my ear--and I hate telephones), & I've been running around making travel arrangements, money arrangements, getting prescription meds, I even did the immigration quebec visit and still trying to clear work stuff off my plate! My brain is in the meantime on overdrive and feels like it keeps doing system checks for all lost files (i.e. my fear that I will forget something important) and all possible viruses & system glitches(i.e., anything that may go wrong--predicting problem situations and preparing solutions). Sometimes it freezes once it detects a problem. SO thank goodness for people like Susan who has BTDT, Wanda, Sylvia, Dawn, Francine, Nicki, Donna who have offered tremendous support and advice (absolutely love you all) and Karen and her yahoo list of adoptive moms who have a wealth of experience that they are always willing to share. So grateful for good friends like Barb & Jorg who have been looking out for us newbie parents and have supplied us with so much stuff (and who have promised to inspect our installation of the car seat---because the manual is just beyond me---yes they really did give me a doctorate but NOT in CAR SEATS!!!). So grateful also for our families that have been super supportive. We have been so touched by the thoughtfullness expressed in every gesture of support, in every gift, in every piece of advice. How lucky we are for this support network who is so enthusiastically rooting for us to get Penelope home. It is so moving at these times in one's life to feel so much love. Yes, indeed, I have woken up this morning very early and overflowing with gratitude and reverence for life. The miracle of life is...not conception and birth, but growth...the life instinct to get from a place of grief and pain-- to this joy...this path is the miracle of our life... two grown people who merged paths and who kept walking together over the rough & rocky patches to come to discover up ahead that a little path from far far away, of a little Yunping born just last year, flows into their own...this crossing was always there...they never knew it and may have never known it had they not kept walking...this is the miracle of life.

I'm spider(wo)man!

This was a fun break from the china chaos chez moi...and actually, I am feeling a little tangled up in my own webs right now...100 things going on at once. Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 70% Iron Man 70% Hulk 65% Green Lantern 65% The Flash 60% Wonder Woman 52% Robin 50% Superman 45% Supergirl 37% Batman 35% Catwoman 35%

You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Double Good News!!!

Okay, here's the latest: We have two wonderfull things to look forward to. First, we're off to China! So much has gotten done today!!! We got the news about our travel approval from China last Friday night. So today we've booked our flights, gotten travel insurance, made appt with immigration office! We're leaving a couple of days before our group, on Wed. Aug. 29 at 8 am. We'll spend a couple of days in Shanghai. We hook up with the group on Saturday, Sept. 1, and head to Nanchang where we will meet our daughter. I guess the Sunday, Sept. 2 or Mon. the 3rd!!! WOW the closest we've ever been to pinpointing a "Gotcha Day". The last week we'll be in Beijing and we'll return home with baby in arms Friday, Sept. 14 9:15 pm. Unbelieveable. I booked the flights and called Eric at work and just said "You're going to CHINA--you have a flight to CHINA, you're really going to China" --like it was the first time it dawned on me. It has been a weepy day...so many emotions...the thought of touching her little hands, this little stranger that we have fallen in love with. Ok'nugh mushy stuff!!! The second piece of good news: we're going to the wedding!!! Well, I hope it's not too late to squeeze us into a table Jimmy!