Medical Appointment

We made it to Guangzhou yesterday and today was Mairéad's medical appointment. We were so relieved to find out that she has a pretty significant throat infection, which explains why she has been so miserable and won't eat anything. The doctor gave us an antibiotic and we are hoping that she will feel much better by tomorrow! We're anxious to see her personality once she's herself again.

She is 20 lbs and 28 inches... kind of long and skinny! We've also noticed that she is not nearly as sensitive to light as Maeve is. She doesn't squint outside at all, which is so different than Maeve.

Tomorrow we will do a little sightseeing at the Folk Art Museum if Mairéad is feeling better. We would also like to visit the Canton Tower, which will give us an amazing view of the city. We saw this in the Amazing Race and we knew that we wanted to see it when we came to China!

 Mairéad was fascinated with the sparkly Santa decorations at the medical facility!

 A little bit of walking as we wait for our turn.

This plastic lid from a McDonald's cup has been the toy of choice this entire trip. 

She clutches it at all times!

A quick bath has left her very tired!

Last Day in Nanjing

We're in Guangzhou today- we left really early this morning to catch an 8:40 flight! There are moments when Mairéad seems to be coming out of her shell a little bit and flashes a quick, very small, smile. She's still having a had time, though, so we are laying low as much as possible. We're trying to figure out how to interest her in eating (bottles only at the moment). All prayers appreciated!

Before we left Nanjing, we saw the Confucian temple area and Xuanwu Lake. The lake area was beautiful and we enjoyed our walk around it. The weather has been pretty mild (70s in Nanjing) so it was nice to be outside. Tomorrow is the medical appointment and then the rest of the day is free. 

 Confucian Temple in the evening- SO many people out and about

Ella and I tried this street food, which we thought was potato on a stick- definitely NOT potato.

Xuanwu Lake

 Xuanwu Lake Lotus pond

Nanjing City Wall

 This is supposed to be like reflexology- it hurt like heck after a few steps

Back at our room....

On the way to Guangzhou.

It's Official!

Yesterday we returned to the Civil Affairs Office and completed the adoption paperwork. We are officially Mairéad's Mom and Dad!
Yesterday was a bit rough for all of us as we are trying to figure out how to meet her needs and she is figuring out who we are. There were lots of tears, but things got WAY better once we figured out she loves to ride in a stroller. We took a trip to Walmart and bought a cheap little stroller that we hope makes it until we head home!
We appreciate all your prayers- please keep praying!

Meeting Mairéad

This morning we met our guide in the lobby at 9:00 and left for the Civil Affairs Building. The plan was to arrive at 9:30 and be there in plenty of time before Mairéad was to arrive at 10:00; however, we were completely surprised when we pulled in to the parking lot and she was being carried out of her van as we were stepping out of ours! Within seconds she was in our arms- what a surprise for us! She was very quiet and not afraid to come to us. We spent several hours at the office while the other family waited for their little guy to arrive. Mairéad was happy to chew on toys and shake the Puffs container. We tried to feed her some Puffs and other baby snacks, but she had no interest. We don't think she eats much solid food yet. She still takes bottles and eats baby food, according to her nanny.

Later in the afternoon we were able to visit her orphanage and meet her nanny, a wonderful woman who was Mairéad's primary caregiver. She spent well over an hour with us, answering questions and playing with Mairéad. We were given a tour of the orphanage and saw all of the rooms where she lived and played. This was a very unreal experience. We weren't invited to see much of Maeve's orphanage, so it was a big surprise to us to be shown around. The kids' faces would completely light us when we stopped and spoke to them and touched them. It was a deeply moving and emotional experience for both of us. Ella played with the children too and one little girl took a special liking to her. Mairéad was content to play with her nanny and showed us how she can ride on the pony toy. 

We also were able to see Mairéad's finding place, which was the gate of the orphanage. Since it was raining today, we weren't able to spend much time outside, only for a quick picture.

It's been an amazing day and we are so glad to have Mairéad with us. 

God is good and we are so thankful.

 Getting ready to leave for the Civil Affairs Building

 Sisters!

 Mairéad has golden hair (which sticks straight up!) and dark brown eyes. 

 Back at the hotel before we left for the orphanage visit

 Mairéad's primary nanny

 I was able to sit with her nanny, our guide, and the woman who brought Mairéad to us earlier in the morning and ask as many questions as I wanted. They were happy to give me answers to anything I asked.  I was so impressed with her nanny- it was apparent that she really loved our daughter.

Beijing

Yesterday was awesome! We spent the morning visiting the Great Wall, which was just as amazing the second time! We visited a different section of the Wall and were able to experience it in a totally new way! We started with a chairlift up and then were able to explore the Wall. We climbed for about an hour and were treated to beautiful views. Our guide, Angela, told us that this section of the Wall is known for it's lush green landscape. One of the highlights for us was taking a toboggan ride back down! Each person drives their own sled down a metal track. We could control the speed too, but unfortunately we had a slow rider in front of us, so we took a leisurely trip down. 

After the Great Wall we stopped for lunch and were treated to many tasty dished including Peking duck. There was enough food ordered to feed a party of 10! One of Ella's favorites was the mountain of french fried potatoes. Oh, and we're having fun eating with chopsticks! I'm sure we look ridiculous, with all the food that's not making it to our mouths on the first try!

Our final stop for the day was the Summer Palace. When we arrived, there was a steady downpour of rain and it was quite chilly outside. This is so different from the last time we were in Beijing and experienced sweltering heat. Luckily, Angela had umbrellas for each of us and we were able to explore despite the rain. The Summer Palace was beautiful and we enjoyed learning all the history that our guide shared. 

Today we will take a bullet train to Nanjing where we will meet Mairéad tomorrow! We are very excited and a bit nervous too.  We are so thankful to be at this place in our adoption and see how God is answering prayers and growing our family again.

We made it!

After a 13 hour flight, we are happy to say that we made it!  We had an uneventful trip over and, as you can see, we were able to get seats together!  Phew.  We are so thankful to be back here and excited for the road that lies ahead.  

A special thank you to those of you who played a role in getting us here. 

Our guide, Angela, met us in the airport and got us situated at our hotel.  Now to sleep!  Tomorrow we get to explore the Great Wall and The Summer Palace.