peter and cali

The polls are open...

Cali has voted and the ballots have been counted...
Peter is the President
Greg is the Vice President
Madison, Greyson, Lily and I are the cabinet members.
Peter is the number person in her life, she has good taste :-)

Opinions matter...

One thing I did forget before we came is that an (almost) two year old does have opinions.I brought these really cute shoes for Cali but she insisted wearing Lily's princess light up sneakers. This would have been OK except that they are three sizes too big. It looked like she was wearing ski boots!

September 1,2008

We met with the civil affairs officer today and the orphanage personnel to complete Cali's paper work. It was so interesting in that it was so different then we adopted Lily. Perhaps because we were the only family adopting or perhaps it is just differently because we are in a different province. We spent over an hour with them. First they were asking us the basic information to include in their reports. They were questions that we did have to answer during the process on paper. But when we adopted Lily we never had to answer them orally one on one in China. It was a bit intimidating at first but I appreciated that fact that they did seem to genuinely interested in Cali and her well being for her future. Afterwards they asked if we had any questions about Cali. I did prepare some questions that our guide interpreted for us. I did tell her to tell me if any of my questions were not proper before she asked them. I wanted to build a relationship with them in the hopes that one day we can come back and help in Cali's orphanage for a few weeks at a time in the future and also continue to send packages back to the children after we come back to the states. They gave me emails to the civil affairs officer and to the orphanage. This was such a blessing for us. She actually said this may be a possibility!! Lily's orphanage is more remote therefore more difficult to continue a relationship. We are traveling to the town where Lily's orphanage is located, Xiamen. We will spend the night in a hotel and visit the orphanage during the day. Again, what a blessing. They did say Cali's "finding place" was in a remote town and perhaps too far even from the orphanage to visit at this time. I do believe we will be back here so we may have to leave her finding place for another trip. I did ask if we can visit the hospital that Cali had her surgery and they did say that it was close enough to the orphanage to visit. How great if we were to meet her doctor and we can thank him for the care of Cali.
Cali is tiny little thing. I don't know if I have ever seen such tiny wrists before. By the time we come home I think she will have gained some weight. They told me to feed her soft foods, sounding like a very young baby but...today at breakfast she ate yogurt, watermelon, congee, and noodles. But the girl knows what she does not want as well-no eggs, she was very clear on that one. I was not sure if she would have the abilty to talk since she has a cleft palate. She has been babbling but honestly I was not sure if it was baby talk or babble but this afternoon she was clearly singing chinese songs quietly to herself when I was rocking her to sleep for her nap. Ah yes, her nap...so sweet she fell asleep on me. Is there a better feeling than a baby sleeping on you...no I don't think so.
Lily seems to be doing GREAT with Cali. She has also been a trooper with all this traveling. We did bring a portable DVD-the best thing ever invented for a three year visiting in a foreign country!

this what i call paparazzi ;-)

Photos and More....

Lisa and Everybody else-look at all the pictures, aren't you proud of me?
This blog thing is a great way to communicate but the funny thing is you really have no idea just who reading it. I know when we were waiting I read every blog I can get my hands on just to share their story while waiting for ours to come about. So yesterday while we were waiting and we were in the final stretch to meet Cali, I thought I would hear some heavenly music or the theme from Rocky beginning to play. Well instead the stress level got a bit higher then I would have imagined. The kids energy level had them bouncing off the walls-literally. And I know my patience was running on low with Greg and the kids. So I made everyone lay on their beds at 3:15 and we waited for the phone to ring announcing Cali's arrival into the building. I tried praying and since Lily is three and my mind was spinning I could only sing (in my head) the songs from Boz. Not the music I had envisioned but we all know that God does have a sense of humor.
But I have got to say that the moment I saw her it really was magical. It was love at first sight, again. I just was so relieved to hold her. I prayed for so long that this was the right thing for Cali and for all of us. It is easy to say that God knows all and is He is perfect but for me meeting Cali was like having God walking right next to me holding my hand and bringing me to her.