Meeting Maire

The Fanatic

2012-02-04T19:49:00.000-06:00

Recently, my mother sent mea box of random things from my childhood that I had left in the attic. Amongstthe many memories was a story I had written about my father my junior year inhigh school. From the corrections written in red, I’m not she my teacherunderstood it. He wanted me to write it in the past tense for some reason. Ithink it works better in the present, even though it’s set in 1988.

It’s important to note thatI had yet to be fully converted as a die-hard Giants fan, by that time. I thinkI really just didn’t feel I had the time to watch football. I had better thingsto do with three hours, like read comic books. Oh, how naïve I was. I do notagree with some of my sentiments in this piece any more. Some have becomesacrilege for me, as I’m sure they were to my father at the time. But, mostimportant is the portrait I provide of my father as a Giants fan. Enjoy.

Andy Wells

Writing Two

November 7, 1988

The Fanatic

Ilumber down the stairs late in the morning, wondering why my father woke meearlier and asked if I wanted a big breakfast. I hear a fire roaring in thewoodstove and cheers blasting from the TV. I turn the corner to see my fatherstanding no more than a foot away from the television set with the remote inone hand and a soda in a Giants glass in the other. I slap my hand against myforehead thinking to myself, “Oh no, not another Giants game!”

Myfather is an incurable New York Football Giants fan. Seeing him watch thefootball game explains many things. Whenever my father watches a Giants game healways has a big breakfast in the morning and a fire going full force for thegame. It’s part of the total atmosphere he creates to remind himself of a crispfall day.

Itry to escape the room as quickly and as quietly as possible, but before I getthe chance my father turns to me. The look on his face is like that of a smallchild who sees Disney World for the first time. He quickly grabs me and placesme on the couch where the cat is trying to get some sleep. She isn’t faring toowell because of all the shouting my father is doing about the Giants. He offersme ice cream, Bryers’, with peanuts; but I refuse.

Evenas the game starts he is pacing back and forth and rubbing his hands together.Soon, a trench is worn into our floor from the TV to the couch, and the roomfills with smoke from the constant rubbing of his hands. He tries to draw meinto the game by asking stupid questions and making comments. Throughout thegame he continues to pace and rub his hands, keeping that smoky tavernatmosphere and destroying the carpet at the same time.

Hebegins to add other movements, like rocking, patting his head, and getting upand down from his seat every three seconds or so. At one point in the game, theGiants fall behind, and my father starts swearing; he starts cursing ateveryone, the players, the coaches, the refs, even the announcers. After awhile, he calms down and starts making excuses as to why the Giants aren’tplaying well, listing everybody on the team who is on injured reserve or outfor drug rehab. He even damns those players who held out for more pay duringtraining camp.

TheGiants take the lead again, and the game nears an end. Even though the Giantsare in the lead, this is my father’s tensest moment. He grips the chairtightly, and I shake my head, knowing what my mom will think of new upholsteryfor the chair just for a stupid football game. Now, my father starts talking tothe players. “OK, L.T. Come on, Carl. You can hold them! Let’s go, Phil, justhang onto the ball!”

Ibreathe a sigh of relief as the game ends. “Phew! It’s over.” My father jumpsfor joy and hugs and shakes me. His team has won another major victory, sortof. I walk away with my head hung in shame for having been suckered intowatching the Giants win Super Bowl XXI for the seventh time. My father stillstands in front of the TV, proud of his Giants team from two years ago. Too badthey’ll never be able to do that again, huh Dad?

“Never be able to do that again.” How little faith I had. We’re going todo it again in Super Bowl XLVI, right Dad? Thank you, for passing on your insaneobsession, Dad. I’m going to miss seeing your ecstasy and agony tomorrow, but I’msure your spirit will be there. Go Giants!!!

We are still alive!

2011-10-31T20:49:00.002-05:00

Hi anyone who hasn't giving up on us. Life is so hectic, and I have been terrible about keeping our friends up to date! Maire is growing like a weed. Can't believe our first Halloween as a family has come and gone! Enjoy the pictures!

Whoa!

2011-08-21T00:54:00.005-05:00

It bears repeating..."Whoa!" I cannot begin to tell you how hectic this summer was; road trips, beach trips, dr trips, birthday parties, Y camp, a new classroom for mommy, weddings, recitals, college classes, crazy crazy busy. I'll spare you the details and just say I hope to be back more regularly now that we have a schedule again. I am full time in the classroom now, and Maire starts her first day of pre k on Monday (they have no idea what they're in for!). Jack and Jude started 4th & 1st on Wednesday. Of course, Jack developed a fever and missed the next two days! Maire has ups and downs but has made herself home with us. She follows those 2 boys anywhere! She adores Jack (the feeling is mutual) and tolerates Jude. Jude has no idea he is not her favorite and treats her like a princess most all of the time. His favorite thing to do: "beep her nose". Which consists of his pointer finger poking her button nose while saying "beep, beep". She thinks it strange and rarely laughs, but always lets him do it.

She still refrains from using any language, but we have heard a few words over the last week. We are hoping that some immersion in a classroom of peers will help her find her voice! She struggles at night to sleep soundly, waking about 5-6 times, but sails through the day like a bird on the wind. She is not the little girl we met 7 months ago--she is finally finding her personality and boy is it spicy!

Help Bring The Woods' Girls HOME

2011-07-12T08:51:00.003-05:00

Hi friends & family, you know I have a heart in love with Haitian children. My friend Holly Wood just passed one of the final hurdles to bring home their daughters from Haiti! Please find it in your hearts and checkbook to help out if possible. Adoption (as most of us know) is so very expensive, but I have been to Haiti and I see that these children have no future. Money should not be a factor in providing a life for these children---but it is. Please give and please pray!!

My Haitian Girls

nothing to say...?

2011-07-05T18:11:00.003-05:00

Hi all, it is not that I don't have anything to say...I have TOO much to say! We are approaching 6 months of celebrating Maire coming home. But our year has had some high highs and low lows--not ready to put them in words right now. In a nutshell, Maire's motor skills continue to improve in leaps and bounds, but her speech is lagging. She had an MRI and all looks great. Jude turns a year older on Thursday and is all boy! Jack took tennis and golf and loved them both.

Maire celebrated her first 4th of July yesterday, and pretty much loved every minute of it--swimming, playing outside, fireworks, food--all the good stuff! Enjoy some pics.

2011-07-02T19:25:00.002-05:00

Torture by sprinkler...

Smiley!

We call this the "shrek hair"

Jude break dancing at the Saline County Bar B Que!

Remembering...

2011-05-02T10:47:00.003-05:00

The children and I will head to Maine tomorrow to be with Andy and his family to celebrate his father's life! Many are asking what they can do to help out, so we have set up a chip in for those wishing to give a donation. We have a few organizations that we will be be making donations to: Love Without Boundaries and North Harbor Church. We may also use the funds to help offset the daily living expenses incurred by the family during the next few weeks. Mostly, we ask that you remember Rich's family in your prayers. The future will be full of many difficult days, but with your prayers and our faith, we know we will find peace. Thank you.

2011-04-30T10:19:00.002-05:00

Giving advice, comfort and protection...

*footnote* I wrote this Father's Day 2009 and reposted last year, too. But it can't wait till this Father's Day this year. In the year's since becoming a mother, I can honestly say my love for these men has grown-my respect for them, immeasurable. It is with broken hearts that we tell you Andy's Dad lost his battle with cancer yesterday. We have been blessed by knowing him, and we will always have a rip in our hearts. But we also know that Pop never doubted his worth to us. And we never doubt how much we meant to him. Thank you Pop. Thank you.*

"Today we celebrate our fathers. If you know my father, you know what an amazing man he is. I can always depend on him for anything. He is the hardest worker I know and instilled in me the drive to succeed, but always do the right thing. He loves my children without limits. He is the one that I base most of my decisions on! Would Dad think this a good idea? Would Dad be proud or disappointed? What will Dad say? Does that mean I always do the right thing...I think not! But, none the less, my Father is a great example to live life by. And for him, I will be eternally grateful. I love you Dad.

Andy's Father--I absolutely enjoy Andy's father to no end. He is the funniest, most down to earth man I know. I am so lucky to have fabulous in laws! I mean that with my whole heart. Pop (the boys call him Pop, so know we all call him Pop!) can truly take lemons and make them lemonade. My boys are constantly entertained when Pop is around..wrestling matches, tickle torture, combat hide-n-seek (this is my favorite!). Pop is honest and good. I am always smiling when he is around! I tease Andy sometimes by calling him "Rich"-- I see so many of Pop's mannerism in Andy and they only increase as time goes on. For the most part though--don't tell Rich I said this--I love seeing the "Pop" side of my husband! I love you Pop!

For my husband, my children's father. I am a better person because of you. Not just a lame lyric from a sappy love song...but the absolute truth. When I place the weight of the world on my shoulders, you remind me to lightened up. When I let the children walk all over me, you remind me to toughen up! To think 13 years ago, when I fell completely head over heels in love with you, that I would still feel that way today. I do.

True, you hate bathing the children and will do most anything to get out it! But I can always count on the dishes being done and the lawn mowed. The trash miraculously appears on the curb every Wednesday morning. The dogs are always fed and walked, without a discouraging word from you. (except maybe that "My" dog is stubborn).

But the most wonderful thing about you is your ability to walk through this world and never conform to someone you're not. I wish I was that strong. I have spent 10 years trying to find who I really am. And you have always known me better than I know myself. You bring humor into my life everyday. I still get butterflies when I see you in a pair of jeans and a faded foo fighters t shirt (mine, by the way!). Your slightly crooked smile, your amazing brown eyes. I would be so bored with out you, my dear.

Taking the Bad

2011-04-25T21:53:00.001-05:00

Many of you are probably wondering what happened to the ongoing series detailing our journey in China to adopt Maire. The time has come for an explanation.

Our year started off with the grandest of blessings when we were finally united with our daughter, Maire. Needless to say, going from a four person (and two dog) family to a five person family added a lot of stress and grabbed a lot of attention away from writing projects, but I was earnestly attempting to chug through it all. Then, we received some bad news that took my attention away from telling our story all together.

At the end of February, my father visited the doctor for a CAT scan. He’d been feeling unwell since last summer and had been visiting doctors since July trying to figure out what the problem was. They thought it was related to his asthma, since it pretty much seemed to be just his breathing that was affected. They took an x-ray that revealed nothing out of the ordinary. They tried switching his asthma medicine, nothing doing.

Then in December he caught a cold that he couldn’t shake. The doctors stepped up their investigation with a video probe of his throat that again revealed no irregularities. So, finally the CT scan. That revealed tumors that looked cancerous on his kidney, lung, and liver. He was eventually diagnosed with kidney cancer.

At that point in time, he was still feeling rather well, except for his breathing problems. He was skiing on the weekends, working daily, and doing everything he had always done. He was as bright and vibrant as ever on the outside. He was most likely feeling a little worse inside than he was letting on, but with all his activity, he still appeared near the pinnacle of health.

He moved quickly into the process of managing his illness and working toward a treatment that would be effective in fighting off the cancer. Had it only been on his kidney, the solution would’ve been simple and easily treatable, but that was not the case. The doctors were still very optimistic, however.

Unfortunately, just as he started his cancer treatments, he had a surprising setback in his health. Near the end of March, the pain caused by the damage the cancer cells had done landed a debilitating blow. He proceeded with the cancer treatment, but his turn was so dramatic that he went from skiing one weekend to barely functioning just two weeks later. That was when I first visited Maine this year.

I went out on March 26^th. My mother was worried the end had come. I needed to see my father before the worst happened. I hadn’t mentioned what was going on to many of my friends and acquaintances because it was all so sudden. I didn’t know what to say through our shock.

When I was home during that last week in March. It appeared our worries might have been premature. After my arrival, my dad bounced back from his low point. It appeared as if the cancer treatment might already be having an effect. My mom didn’t know what to think. She had been very scared and prepared herself for the worst. Now, he was beginning to act and even look a little like his old self again.

I had seen him on his best days since the setback. I wasn’t willing to proclaim my mother’s worries as premature, but I was willing to hope that maybe he’d turned a corner that could lead to recovery.

I returned to my family in Missouri. We were still in the midst of a major transition with the addition of our Chinese surprise. I guess she wasn’t really much of a surprise, but everything we were going through with her was. Maire's own medical history is such a mystery that we’re having to learn much about her by trial and error.

One error we made was taking her off her anti-seizure medicine. We woke up one Friday morning in April to find her having a seizure; just days after we’d stopped her meds. We spent a harried day in hospitals and ambulances to learn not much of anything. One questionable neurologist chalked it up to febrile seizure with not much use in terms of treatment and a request that we get an MRI. Our pediatrician was a little more concerned to hear exactly what had happened and felt that, although the seizure was accompanied by a fever and she herself was not a neurologist, it did not sound like a febrile seizure to her. We were happy to put her back on the anti-seizure medicine.

Many of her physical behaviors have improved since we put her back on her meds. We may be looking at some form of epilepsy, but at least we’re treating it and working toward finding out more. She has an MRI scheduled within the next few weeks and we have physical, occupational, and speech tests in store for her this week so we can get her going on any therapy she may need to get up to speed with where she should be at this point.

Meanwhile, my mother and father were visited by a parade of family members and friends. This may have been a little overwhelming for my mother, but it helped with dad’s spirits.

Not long after I left, however, dad’s progress slowed and soon he was having trouble managing his pain. The pain medication and the tumors were causing a bowl obstruction that had to be cleared before any progress could occur with his cancer treatment. They took him off his cancer pills and he was admitted to the hospital. The obstruction was cleared and once again he began to bounce back.

He stayed in the hospital until they could work out a better pain management program. He was released back to home care and they made an appointment with the oncologist to work out a new cancer treatment that would work with his pain management.

The day of the appointment Dad had another very bad day after a few days of getting progressively worse again. It was agreed between my father, mother and the doctor at that time that dad would enter Hospice service. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of going through this with a family member, Hospice care is begun when a patient has six months or less to live. In dad’s case, they could not find an effective pain management course in time to begin an effective cancer treatment before the cancer had done too much damage to his system. The goal of Hospice is to make the patient as comfortable as possible until death. Treatment of any disease is abandoned at this point and all ongoing treatments are designed purely for comforting the patient. This would be done at home for environmental comfort.

At first my dad was still outwardly optimistic when agreeing to Hospice. He told me, if he should turn around, he could try the cancer treatment again. But, Hospice is not designed to turn the patient around. This was a bad sign.

My dad was still able to move around with a walker at this point and he enjoyed his granddaughter Clare’s third birthday party on Saturday, April 16. By Friday he needed assistance to get up and down and he lost much of his ability to communicate. He can still comprehend everything but has trouble getting any words out to express what he’s thinking.

It seemed the end was nearing rapidly. I decided to leave my family in Missouri so I could be by my mother’s side during this trying time. She was doing most of the care work herself, and despite my brother’s commendable efforts in assistance, she needed someone else in the house with her. Staying in 24/7 is easier for someone who lives a long way away than for someone who just lives across town.

My mom tried to tell me not to come because my family needed me. They do. But, right now we felt my mother needed me more. I didn’t want him to go while mom was alone, and I didn’t want him to go without being there.

The flight from Kansas City to Boston on Sunday was quick and eventless. My good friend since grade school, David Russell, came down to get me from Logan Airport. I arrived home to for the second time this year to a broken father and a mother whose relief that she wasn’t going to be alone this week was visible.

This is hard to write, but writing is often cleansing to me and this is easier than having to explain it to everyone individually. The speed of his decline has been a shock to anyone who knew him. It’s difficult to comprehend. I can’t help anyone do that any better than I can myself.

My father is dying. I’m sorry I haven’t opened up about that earlier. I know you all feel so sorry for my family and me. But, that’s not why I’ve written this. I wrote this because my father has affected anyone who ever knew him. He’s the most likable man I know, and I know many of you will want to know what happened.

He doesn’t have much time left. I wanted to get this out before it was over to perhaps lessen the blow for people who may not have heard anything about this until now.

This is my family blog, and it’s supposed to be about everything, not just the good. When we’ve gotten through this, I intend to continue to chronicle our journey to Maire. Like so many choices we make during times like these, I wonder if posting this is the right thing. Since you’ve got to take the good with the bad, I think it is.

What a week...

2011-04-02T17:59:00.002-05:00

Ok folks, this is just a quick update. Maire did indeed have a seizure on Friday morning (if you have not heard). We took her to the ER, then they transported her to Children's Mercy in the city. After numerous poking, prodding, testing, EEG, blood work, etc....they decided it was a fever induced seizure. She recovered by late Friday night and we were able to return home, which was best for everyone---certainly Maire. Sleeping in her own bed was the only way we were going to get Maire to settle down and sleep after a very long and exhausting day.

She has struggled with her balance most of today, but has finally been able to walk without falling down. She is battling a nasty cold, and is very irritated by it, but overall she is doing great. We have an MRI scheduled for next week, so we are hoping that everything turns out fine.

In another update, Andy's father has rallied and is feeling much better. The beginning of this week, we prayed that God would let Rich stay with us, and He has done just that. We are so thankful for Rich's doctors, and for God's protection.

Lastly, we pray for my (Angie's) family as they struggle with the loss of a very wonderful family member. My cousin passed away suddenly on Tuesday, and our hearts break for her family left to deal with this tragedy. It had been too long since I had visited with her, and for that I'm very upset with myself. She will be missed...

Needless to say this week has been full of very low lows and very high highs. A roller coaster to say the least. I have asked Satan to leave our lives. I have officially "kicked him out"! Let's hope he stays out!

Lotion

2011-03-23T23:17:00.000-05:00

Maire and Ang had some fun while dad was away.

2011-03-18T23:30:00.001-05:00

Firsts....

2011-03-10T23:09:00.002-06:00

Too tired to write! Maire reached many milestones today alone. She jumped on the trampoline for the first time and LOVED it! She swung on the swing for the first time and LOVED it! She climbed up the slide and LOVED it! She slid down the slide...not so much love! But the biggest--she can stand up from sitting down...by herself! Love this girl!

Marching right along

2011-03-10T11:13:00.004-06:00

It seems like only a few days ago, Maire was put in our arm. Yet, here it is March already and time keeps on ticking! My nephew fell last week and broke his leg, my mother had knee surgery, and I was offered a job---all in the last 7 days! Needless to say it has been busy. I applied for this job prior to our trip to China, but it wasn't until last week that I learned the position was open again. It is a great job (30 hrs with benefits) the best of both worlds. My job is not in the education field, but it is a great job and I know I'll like it! Receptionist at a wellness and weight clinic. I start Monday. I will be continuing my education to get my teaching certificate, but can't afford college full time, so I'll keep plugging away, one class at a time!

Maire will be going to daycare. Three months ago, this thought would have sent me into a tizzy-but the truth is, this is going to be good for her. She gets so bored at home, and interacting with other children her age is something that will do her good. My neighbor has a daycare, so she won't be going far! We are excited to see how being with other kids her age will stimulate her speech and "playing" skills.

We've had several "Welcome Home" showers! Maire received lots of goodies, confirming the fact that she is spoiled! Here are a few pictures!

Maire is NOT happy that I made her sit down!

Partners in Crime

2011-02-27T19:20:00.005-06:00

Jude and Maire might be the two that fight the most, but they are also the two I best keep an eye on... proof in pictures!

The paprika was later found in the laundry basket! (See picture below)

Don't worry, Hoagie's got it under control.

Maire's favorite mode of transportation, scootching on her bottom with Jude pulling her along!
Jude loves to help with laundry.

Maire isn't a big fan of bath time, but she tolerates it. However, she insisted on getting in the tub with Jude tonight. She was getting in with her clothes & shoes on! They had a ball.

Can't you control those 2 mom! Just let me out of here and I can do it!

a lot of white!

2011-02-25T19:31:00.005-06:00

5 inches of snow on the ground this morning! The good news is we still had school! We have missed so many days for snow, so I'm glad we didn't add another one! We did have to reschedule Maire's blood work today-not worth risking the drive.

Maire in her new coat from Grandma, snow boots & her footed pj's! Going with Mommy to take the boys to school!

I snapped some pictures of the winter white landscaped, and after school, we treated the kids to Dairy Queen!

The princess meets the Queen for the first time---she is in love!

Ok, I need to explain this one below. Well, I actually don't have an explanation. Maire was so tired when I snapped this picture. She was wandering around aimlessly. I had just changed her diaper (so I'm guessing there was some adjustment needed) and she has recently discovered her tongue, so she is often playing with it. Pretty funny!!

We are sooooo much better!

2011-02-21T12:51:00.005-06:00

Today is President's Day and we are enjoying our day off in high style, cleaning house and watching Dairy of a Wimpy Kid (which is pretty gross and not sure I made the right choice to let them watch it after all!) Maire laid down for nap with no protesting! Yea!

To earn TV time, Jude folded socks for me.

I cleared my schedule and was able to cut Andy's hair yesterday. He no longer resembles Grizzly Adams.

Andy and Maire headed out to get groceries and little Miss Rainbow Bright could hardly wait!

Jack is spending lots of time catching up on his homework missed from last week. He isn't putting up too much of a fight, which is nice! Hope your household is able to fight off the flu, as it is NO fun at all!

How do you say vomit in Chinese?

2011-02-19T22:05:00.007-06:00

In ANY language, it is gross! The flu stinks! Jack was home sick Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with a fever, but no puke! Jude joined him on Wednesday, with a fever of his own. Diagnosis--EAR INFECTIONS. Antibiotics and back to school the next day. But then it happened, Maire woke from her nap on Thursday with a very grouchy look. My sister stopped by to drop my boys off from school just in time to hold my sweetie while she projectile vomited all over the office floor. My sister bailed faster than fast! (But she took my 2 healthy kids with her--she rocks!) The following several hours were plagued with puke, crying and whining (from mom, dad and Maire), hugs, rocking, Tylenol, pedialyte, pop sickles (yummo), 2 calls to the pediatrician, and lots and lots of wash clothes! Poor baby. When she wasn't too upset about her condition, she would fall asleep, only to wake up angry that she had fallen asleep. The up-heaving stopped about 4 hours later, and she was finally able to keep some liquids down. Wet diapers continued (thank God--remember how dehydrated she was only a month ago). She slept like a rock Thursday night. All looked good, as the puking had stopped and no fever ever emerged.
Maire after a purple and green "Hulk" pop sickle. Looking a little "goth".

Friday saw the boys off to school, and Maire and I in the car for the hour trip to the pediatrician's office, just to double check. She whimpered most of the morning till the sun in her eyes and the motion of the car knocked her out! She woke up when we arrived---you guessed it---angry! The visit was fast, but our girl went from angry to angrier. Dr confirmed she was plenty hydrated, but suffering from the flu. We also noted that she finally had developed a fever.

An hour home and back to bed for Maire A Bella. She slept soundly for about 2 hours, in my arms. The boys came home excited about the 3 day weekend. However, the minute I saw my Jude Bug, I knew, his fever was back. Sure enough, 102--this time with nausea. Soon, Daddy was home and relieved Mommy's arms from two sick kiddos who needed some loving.

Jack wandered into "The Hot Zone" to join us for a bit of TV while Jude slept on the couch and Maire in Daddy's arms. We watched "The Gold Rush" with Charlie Chaplin. Jack read the subtitles. Despite the sick kiddos, it was a wonderful Friday night!

Today arrived with a sign or two of the emergence of the Maire we know--smiling and happy. Jude's vomiting seemed to be very limited this morning, and he has managed to hold down lunch and dinner and popcorn (Star Wars movie night with Daddy & Jack---AWESOME). Maire woke from her afternoon nap with a smile...the first we had seen in 2 days. She even decided she could walk by herself. (She had not been sat down for 48 hours--pampered princess!) She toddled around and showed off when her aunt Dawn and uncle Gary visited later in the evening. While the boys enjoyed their movie, Maire and I joined my sister and her family for some Mexican cuisine at a local restaurant. (Maire had the french fries--the first food she had eaten since Thursday!)

She was ready for bed tonight, yet fought it tooth and nail for a good 30 minutes. She is just sure she is missing out on something! But soon, her eyes turned against her, and poof, out like a light.

So, I'm chalking this week up to a "win". Yes, it was a loooooong week, with 2 trips to the pharmacy and 3 to the dr, but once again, it is saturday night, and I find all the loves of my life, happy and healthy and under one roof. And that is why I call it a "win".

Always believing,
Angie

Our funny valentine

2011-02-16T08:09:00.005-06:00

Enjoy our sweet girl :) She is just sunshine everyday!

Squeaky shoes!!

Posing with the poster her brothers made for her!!

This is Maire's tell-tell sign that she is ready for bed! Wrist to the mouth!

A video of our girl!!

Just pics :)

2011-02-14T21:27:00.005-06:00

Aunt Tiffanie meets Maire for the first time. Grandma Sandie is all smiles.

Grandma Sandie, Maire and my niece Gabriella!

Maire got a care package from Nana & Pop! She loves this one!

Jackson and Maire enjoying a game of pillow toss. Hoagie wishes they would include him!

A Month with Maire

2011-02-13T22:36:00.010-06:00

I cannot believe it. One month with our sweet girl. She has impressed us with her ability to adjust to this huge life change! She has amazed us with her ability to learn. But mostly, she has wrapped us all around her little finger. Her laugh and smile might just change the world one day. It has changed ours for sure!

We worked on our valentine cards and cookies this weekend. The boys worked diligently at the kitchen table, while Maire experimented with crayons in her high chair. I started the cookies in the kitchen and returned to find Jude sans shirt. (Note that the shirt is a Christmas shirt he dug out of the tupperware I had packed up for storage. That was a battle in itself. You can see who won.) WTH?!?

"Jude, where is your shirt?"

His response "I took it off, duh."

Pretty sure my right eye twitched, and I might have growled under my breath. Do I address his "stripping at the kitchen table" or do I address the "duh"? Pick your battles, right. "Jude honey, don't say "duh" to people. It's rude." And because I just can't leave well enough alone, I throw in, "And try to remain dressed when at all possible." Big smile from Jude..."Ok". I love that kid.

Jackson continues to show us his age. He is nine and an amazing big brother, so responsible-so trust worthy. He is quite impressive...I am in awe of him. He has stepped up these last 2 weeks in ways I would have never imagined. He has said at least 100 times "can I do anything to help you?". He has entertained Maire on numerous occasions. He hugs her spontaneously (which she is still not too sure about). He hands her toys and things he thinks she would like. I think my favorite thing though, he loves to lean over her crib and talk to her in the mornings. And she babbles back at him. Did I mention how amazing he is?!?

Journey to Maire, part IV

2011-02-11T09:57:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the delay in the episodic recounting of our adoption adventure in China, but a blizzard and a dastardly China-born virus (that’s my story anyway) kinda kept me out of commission for the week. But now, I’m back, so our story continues. Now, where was I? Oh, yes…

Monday, Jan. 17, 2011. About 1300 hrs. Changsha time.

Richard calls to tell us the Huffman baby is here. So we gather Maire up, placing her in what appears to be her favorite place for the time being—daddy’s arms. Ang grabs the camera, and the tables are switched. This time we can relax. Well… we do have a child that is essentially a stranger with us, who tends to get upset at any sort of change. And, I believe the Huffman’s lives are about to change in ways they cannot possibly conceive.

So, we get our selves settled in Richard’s room. Chloe is the name given by the Huffman’s to their baby. I’ll be perfectly honest right here, I don’t know her Chinese name. Her surname was Chen. That I know because that’s Maire’s given Chinese name. I got that much, but I’ve got no idea what Chloe’s given Chinese name was. Zhang or Xian or Jintao. I don’t know. I have a hard enough time focusing on the things in my own life. Heck, I just got handed a three-year-old to have that I’d never met before. Sorry, Jim and Cora. I could’ve asked Ang, but I thought I’d be honest here.

So anyway, Chloe is adorable. Now, she’s a proper baby, 16 months, although she operates a little closer to the 9-12 month range. She was on the special needs list as well for a cauliflower ear. Her right ear didn’t fully develop, but you can barely tell because her hair hangs over it. She has huge eyes and looks very different than Maire, different bone structure, different facial shape, darker skin tone. They look like they must be from completely different areas of the country. You can see more Mongolian influence in Chloe. But they’re both spicy Hunan girls. And they’ll both show it. Maire will take a little longer than Chloe. Chloe wears her spiciness on her sleeve from day one.

To watch new parents delivered to their first child is something few people ever experience. To see that look of wonder and awe and joy and fear expressed on their faces all at once, is to see the scope of human emotion in one moment. I can’t imagine it’s anything like the expressions on birth parents’ faces. That involves exhaustion, which takes away from the fear and the joy. Jim and Cora’s eyes are wide; disbelieving that the daughter/child they’ve waited so long for is finally here. Their joy is palpable. Their fear runs a current under everything, like a static electricity storm that brews but never ignites.

They walk slowly into the room, cautious, as if they might scare her away, and she’ll retreat forever back into the jungle. They approach Chloe, obviously filled with love in their hearts, but also like they’re zoologists approaching a species they know nothing about. Like any discovery, they don’t know the half of it.

Chloe lets out a squeal and slaps her hands down in that way that babies do, when there’s really no full control over their body but a huge gesture of movement is all they know they can control. Cora scoops her up. Like my own meeting with Maire just hours before, I have little awareness of the other people in the room. As Cora makes Chloe her own, the fear disappears from her body. She is a mother with her child now.

Jim is a photographer. He took over 500 pictures of our meeting of Maire earlier that morning. Almost as soon as he’s in the room he’s taking pictures, but Angie pushes toward him and asks him to hand over the camera so he can enjoy this moment that marks the biggest change his life will ever take. She takes the camera and hands it to me. She is documenting with our camera. For a moment, I think about how Maire is going to handle both her parents putting all this attention toward the new parents, but she seems as caught up in the awe of the moment as everyone else is. Angie also replaces me at her side and gives me an unspoken go ahead to take command of the documentation with Jim’s camera.

I used to be a photographer a very long time ago, another lifetime, when I was a kid, when I was a different person. I’ve lost my touch. I try to do Jim’s camera justice by getting off as many shots as he does. I don’t think I even get to 100, although I feel like I’m constantly shooting. Close up of mom’s face. Medium of mom and Chloe. Close up of the proud father’s expression. Wide of all three. Close up as dad takes the reigns, a little more timidly than mom. The fear melts away within seconds, taken over by joy. I don’t have the presence of mind that Jim had to get small details like a close up of Chloe’s feet, shots of the orphanage directors, Richard and Cindy. Like I said, I’ve lost my touch, but I do my best.

The entire capture event is rather brief, only 15 or 20 minutes. Remember, all the paperwork will be taken care of tomorrow, this is just the gotcha day. Jim and Cora depart for their hotel room with the joy of finally achieving their dream of becoming parents. This will soon turn into questioning of just what being parents really means. Ang, Maire and I head back to our room.

We get her into our room, and… Frankly, we’re not quite sure what to do with her. We decide to feed her some ramen noodles. The hotel rooms have these great water boiling kettles in their rooms. You turn them on and they shut themselves off automatically once the water has boiled. Ang throws some noodles in a cup, lids it, and snaps a few shots of Maire and me. I look happier in them than Maire does. She’s getting cranky.

We dig out some toys we brought. We were instructed to only bring one toy. We pull out our stash, which includes stacking cups, plastic chain links letters, balls, dolls, lovies, books. Maire pretty much just throws everything, except the books. We’re surprised by her fine motor skills as she fingers through the pages. While seeming to have little control about holding the book, she is quite capable of turning the pages in chunks at a time. This only occupies her for a short period of time, and her very timid whining never really stops.

The noodles are ready and we’re wondering how well the eating will go since she hasn’t really closed her mouth since we got her. Her face seems to always be occupied by that slightly dissatisfied grimace. Feeding her is difficult, as it quickly becomes apparent that she doesn’t know how to eat from a spoon. Again, she won’t close her mouth. We have to kind of drop the noodles in there. She seems to like them and slowly she decides it’s ok to close her mouth to swallow the noodles. We can tell when she swallows because her lips move in and out as if she’s chewing.

She has stopped whining, and we decide to try and get her meds in her. I crush up the pills into small pieces. The ones that we’re not quite sure what they are, the “herbal” medicine, look kind of like M&Ms. The inside looks like a hard chocolate covered in a hard yellow shell. We we’re told she doesn’t like them. We will learn that she most certainly does not, but not at this feeding. All her meds go down fairly effortlessly the first time. She doesn’t seem to notice them in her noodles. Perhaps that’s because she doesn’t chew. We we’re told her jaw was not very strong and she couldn’t chew anything. Everything will have to be mashed up.

After our first meal, she’s rubbing her eyes and from experience we know this will be a good time for a nap anyway. We put her in the hotel crib and she’s not happy. Of course, that’s been the norm so far. Ang and I are both quite tired too so we lay down as well. I lay next to Maire’s crib and assure her that we are still there by touching her hand through the slats. She falls asleep fairly quickly with one arm crossed over her face, suckling her wrist.

I get back up and eat my own ramen noodles before lying back down with Ang and taking a rather lengthy afternoon nap. I wake before Ang and Maire and try to jump on line. The hotel’s service only allows us to visit a few sites. We can’t get onto our blog. That’s an area of stress because we really wanted to keep everyone up to date that way. I’m also stressed because I know we have to try and sleep tonight as well. Maire’s sleeping so long that I fear we’re in for a battle throughout the night.

After we’re all awake, we still seem to be in the same daze as before the nap. This is just about the strangest day of all of our lives. We decide to pay Jim and Cora a visit and see how well they’re faring. They’re room is darkened more than ours. It seems calmer in there, but we can sense a façade. We can tell they’re about as curious what to do with themselves as we are. Chloe won’t have anything to do with Jim. She just wants Cora. I’m sure Jim feels a little shafted, but he doesn’t show it. He continues with his signature quips and digs at Ang.

We wander back to our room. I’m carrying Maire. My hip seems to be her favorite spot. She doesn’t whine while she’s being held, unless she wants to be held by someone else. Dad is always safe so far. I don’t mind. I like having her as a new appendage. I wonder if Ang feels shafted too, although Maire likes Angie too. Chloe is quite anti-Jim at this point. I’m sure that will change. I’m not so sure Jim and Cora are sure that will change.

So, we’re back in our room again wondering just what we should do again. Eat? What the hell! We cook up another batch of noodles for Maire. I’m wondering if she’ll eat. She was asleep for so long, she probably will. There’s no way she’s going back to sleep though, and I’m already exhausted again. So’s Ang, not that she says so. We’re not sure what we’re doing about food this time though. Maybe room service. We’ll decide after we figure out what we’re doing with Maire.

Maire eats again, easily. She takes her pills again without any protest. This is really much easier than we keep worrying it will be, although both of us wonder if she’ll ever be happy. She hasn’t had anything to drink. We tried a sippy cup earlier and nothing was happening with that. She wouldn’t latch on. We borrowed a bottle from Jim and Cora. They’re having their own problems getting Chloe to eat. That doesn’t concern us as much as them. Chloe’s young, she’ll eat once she got used to them and once they figure out how to feed her.

Maire is another thing, though. She’s so dehydrated and doesn’t seem to have the slightest notion how to eat and drink. At three, she must’ve done these things before, yet it isn’t like she’s refusing to. She wants the food and wants the water from us. We can see that. We just can’t figure out how she takes it. She doesn’t seem to care what we feed her; she just doesn’t seem to know how to eat other than us just shoving it down her gullet. As for the drink, we are reduced to trapping water in a straw and releasing it into her mouth, which she just doesn’t close. No wonder she’s so dehydrated.

While I finish hand feeding Maire, Ang decides to run some bath water so we can wash away some of the layers of dirt on her. Maire let us know earlier that she isn’t fond of changing her clothes. Any change seems to be extremely stressful for her. So getting her naked for a bath is not a popular idea with her. Her protests of de-robing, however, are nothing compared to her dissatisfaction with being wet.

She screams as loud as she can the entire time she’s in the bath water. The good news is that she goes stiff when she’s upset, so there isn’t a whole lot of thrashing about. She does hit herself when she’s upset, though; and Ang must stop washing to hold her hands back from hitting herself on the head or in the chin.

I recall that one of the reports we got about Maire’s daily routine had mentioned bathing and suggested that it was one of the many delightful parts of her day. Not this girl. To her, the water is like acid. Getting out isn’t much better. Mom wraps her in a towel and hands her to me. I’m holding a shivering and very upset child. What am I supposed to do with this?

Ang has some PJs laid out for her and I lay Maire down to get a new diaper on her. “Eeeeeaaaaaaygggh!” Maire says adamantly. I work as quickly as I can to get the thing on her. Then we still have to get the PJs on. “EEEEEEEeeeeeaaaaaayrrrgh!” she says and starts hitting herself on the chin. I grab her arm to stop her. “Eeeeeeeeeaaaaaaarygh!” She’s not saying nice things to me. So much for being the favorite. At least I’m not the one who got her wet to begin with.

We wrestle her PJs on together. Maire wipes and presses her eyes frequently during the ordeal. That’s a pretty good sign she’s tired, so we decide to put her in her crib. It’s early, but we’re all tired, so it seems like the best course of action. She protests some more, but the bath has taken it out of her and after I lie down next to her, she starts suckling her wrist again and is out again in no time.

Ang and I order some food through room service. We’re not burned out on the Chinese just yet. I get dumplings. She gets fried rice. We don’t last much longer. I expect to hear from Maire in a couple hours, but it never happens. So far, so good.

Next we’ll learn more about Maire’s eating habits, return to the adoption authority to finalize the adoption on the Chinese side, have more Chinese food adventures, and add to our worry.

Stay tuned for Part V.

Photo Op!

2011-02-10T19:36:00.005-06:00

Today was "red white & blue" day at school. I thought "what a perfect opportunity to get a picture of all 3 kiddos together". Sadly, I have yet to take one. We had to buy a replacement battery charger, so are thankfully able to take pictures of our sweeties again! Have no clue where the other charger is...I'm sure it will show up next week.

Maire continues to amaze us--I know I use that word "amaze" alot, but there is no other word to describe it. She is amazing! Of course, I do worry sometimes. I said "Let's comb the baby's hair."

To which Maire replies "grrrr" (we call it the TREX growl) and tosses the baby across the room, then laughs. (note to self, don't let Maire near the neighbor's newborn).

The dogs have figured out the best spot in the house is under her high chair.

Another quick update...

2011-02-09T22:53:00.004-06:00

Hi all,

I know I keep putting up these quick snippets and promising more later--but boy, 3 kids takes a lot of time! Not to mention sorting through 7 bins of size 2T clothes for my girl! (my wonderful cousin has amazing hand me downs! I am so lucky!! Thank you Rach!) The only problem with a 22 lb child who is 36 inches tall...her pants won't stay up!

Ok, quick update: Maire's pediatrician appt could not have gone better. Dr. is very happy with her health, so prayers are answered there. We do have to visit a neurologist in the future. Maire's report shows a few "seizure like" episodes, so we need to get that checked out. Keep that in your prayers, please.

She has made amazing progress already. We could not be more in love! Lucy (the dog) feels differently, but is tolerating yet another addition to the family! Jude and Jack got to introduce their sister to many school friends today at the book fair. It went very well. Maire was little miss sunshine, and quite the entertainer!

Jude had a hip hop performance last night during the high school basketball game. He knocked it out of the park! That kid can dance!! Love it!

Jack continues to exhibit signs that he is closer to a "tween" then I care to admit. He is wicked smart, but doesn't always "apply" himself! Sounds like a typical kid to me! Both the boys are so good with their sister. They entertain her, spoon feed her when mom is multi tasking, and even change her diaper. Of course, with mom or dad's supervision.

I can honestly say this transition is so much easier than I thought it would be. We prayed for Maire's transition, praying that God would prepare her heart for this huge life changing experience, and He answered our prayers. Do we have our moments---YIP! Will there be hurdles--count on it! But it is truly like she has always been here! She fits right in. We just adore her. We are so blessed and so lucky that God has allowed us to parent this amazing child. Three amazing children--as a matter of fact. Each of my children are loved so very much. They radiate such joy, and truly make me a better person.

Still alive...

2011-02-04T08:54:00.005-06:00

Hi all! Well, we are buried in 15 inches of snow, but what better way to bond as a family! Snowed in! Andy is fighting a terrible cold, and Jude has a bit of a cough, too. But the rest of us are happy and healthy! Maire is adjusting to life in a family. She continues to make amazing progress, but struggles with the time change. Promise to write more later (& post some pictures). We seem to have misplaced our camera battery charger.... hmmmm, I can't imagine how. The house is spotless....hahahaha!

Welcome Home Maire! 20 hours of flying and 24 hours without sleep---we look pretty darn good! (Maire had several naps though)

Journey to Maire, Part III: Meeting Maire

2011-01-31T05:17:00.002-06:00

OK, This one’s probably going to be the toughest. In this episode we finally meet our daughter who we’ve waited some four years for. There are some details about her that we haven’t made public, which certainly played into our first few days with her, but have since become fairly inconsequential. You’ll see what I mean.

We wake up Monday morning in Changsha. It’s still Sunday evening in Missouri. We’re up early, but not so early as we fear with the time change would have us. So it’s 5:30 a.m. and we flip the tube on to catch the last quarter of the Seattle v. Chicago game. Then, we watch the Jets’ surprising defeat of New England. All this is doing a fairly good job of distracting us from the monumental life change we are about to undertake.

At halftime, we bundle up in our sweaters and fleece to go down to the lobby to get to our breakfast buffet. We’re unsure of what to expect. There’s supposedly western breakfast available. In fact, there seem to be several styles. Their idea of which constitute western and which are Asian is questionable. Along the western side there are sausages and bacon, French toast and cereal, fried eggs and dumplings? Meat buns? Steamed buns? Polenta cake? Where does that come from? I suppose it isn’t China. Anyway, all this non-western western food is bringing the reality of what we’re doing a little too close to the surface, so we head back to the room to warm up and watch the final death throes of the Patriots.

At 10 a.m. we bundle up to meet our guide, Richard, in the lobby. Jim and Cora are there as well. Jim and Cora got news that their daughter and her caretakers weren’t able to get an early train to Changsha, therefore she will be delivered to them at the hotel. This frees them up to take pictures for us and act as support that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Jim’s idea of support seems to be to make fun of Angie. He takes a few cracks, but we’re all pretty stiff. The anxiety is a little high.

It has started snowing; something we’re told doesn’t really happen all that often in Changsha. The locals are bundled up like they’re in the Alaskan tundra. I would guess it’s about 27 degrees Fahrenheit, maybe even slightly warmer.

The five of us pile into a taxi van to brave the Changsha traffic. Richard explains to us that there are two types of drivers in China, crazy and crazier. The Changsha traffic is kind of like the pictures I’ve seen of the trading floors of Wall Street just before the final bell. Nobody uses lanes, traffic signs seem to be merely suggestions that no one follows, and the drivers can’t stand to be stopped for more than a second. If you’re stopped, you change lanes. It doesn’t matter that no one is moving in the next lane over, you just push your way through there anyway. If there’s no other place to go, just drive in the oncoming traffic. If you can’t get to the opposing lanes, just pull up on the sidewalk and drive to your destination from there. If you’re a pedestrian, be ready to jump. The drivers don’t care if you’re softer than their car. In fact, they see that as their advantage.

We somehow survive the Changsha traffic to find ourselves delivered at the Hunan Adoption Services building. It’s this fairly insignificant looking office structure tucked in behind apparently more important institutions. We walk into this cave-like industrial structure directly to the elevators, no inside lobby. Our hearts are really beating now.

All we’re doing today is picking up the children. There is no paper work being done, this is all about the families meeting the children. There will be several other families in the same room receiving their children.

It’s important to note here just what Angie and I know about Maire before meeting her. We had gotten sick of waiting for the traditional process, so we had gone to the waiting child list to find a child we felt we’d like to adopt. The waiting child list is made up of children older than two and those born with birth defects or deficiencies. Cora sent us Maire’s profile from a group called Love Without Boundaries, an advocacy group for special needs children who find children and try to get them adopted faster. Sometimes, as with Maire, they place them into foster homes until they are adopted.

Angie and I had discussed it at the time and felt that we were really the perfect candidate family for a special needs child. We once adopted a blind and deaf dog that had many other problems. That dog was the best dog we ever owned. We’re both extremely patient people. Angie chooses to work with three-year-olds. Plus our shared laid-back personalities just told us it made sense.

Maire’s special needs did not seem that severe initially. We were told she was developmentally delayed, which was no surprise for a special needs child. That’s no surprise for any orphan. We then got word that she had been diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy. Even before we met her seemed as if any CP was very mild indeed, if not entirely inaccurate. In the pictures we received she did seem to hold some tension in her arms and hands, but she seemed to improve as she got older. She only started walking in August or September. She turned three in December, so that tells you quite a bit about how delayed she was. Then in December we got news that she had been diagnosed with pediatric epilepsy, not CP. This came as a bit of a shock to us, but did not rock us in our resolve that she was the right child for us. We realized that this meant it was going to be a more difficult transition for her and us than we had initially thought, but we figured we could work through it.

So now, we’re about to meet our little girl. We know she hasn’t had an incredibly happy life thus far, but in the past couple of months she’s really progressed and we’ve even seen a picture of her smiling. Before the elevator even opens we hear her crying. We’ve no reason to believe it’s her. She’s not even supposed to be in the room before we get there, but we know. The doors open and we see the words “Hunan Adoption Admin…” on the wall, we don’t look long enough to read the rest. We look over to our right and see a very unhappy stiff little girl in a white winter parka with multi-colored polka dots on it. She’s crying with tears running down her cheeks. There’s no doubt it’s our Maire. She looks just like her pictures. She’s tiny. Her mouth is locked open in a strain. Her face is still beautiful, her eyes sparkling from the tears.

They shuffle us into the room quickly. There’s a sense of embarrassment from the slight breach in protocol of not having us settled and ready to meet our daughter before we see her. Richard had suggested earlier we chose one of us to receive the child, so she can imprint on whomever might be the primary caregiver. There was no question that it would be Angie. She’s home much more than I. Plus, I didn’t want her the put on her angry eyes. Angie sits as they bring her over to us. We’re amazed to see her. The joy is palpable. Our smiles are too large. I shuffle out of the way, but not so far that I might be excluded.

Maire has never heard anyone refer to her by that name before. We’ve been calling her that for nine months. It’s the name given to her by Love Without Boundaries. We liked it so much we kept it. Her Chinese name is Chen Lou. Her foster family called her Chen Chen. We’ve decided to go with Maire Chen until she’s used to her new given name.

Maire shambles over to Angie. ‘Shambles’ is the right word, because she walks with such stiffness in her limbs. I suppose this is where someone felt CP might be an issue, but it doesn’t look like that to anyone who meets her that day and anyone she will meet during the rest of her time in China. She doesn’t seem to have any real issues with her motor skills, fine or otherwise. She just carries herself with such fear and an awkwardness that suggests she just hasn’t used her muscles enough.

Her face is in a perpetual grimace of concern. She whines pretty much constantly, but the tears and outright cries have subsided. The whines appear to be her only form of communication. We say “Ni hao, Chen,” a Chinese greeting, “Ni hao, Maire Chen. Ni hao.” She doesn’t appear to respond, but she goes to Angie as if she may know her.

She doesn’t close her mouth, and continues to whine despite the fact that she seems to be comforted by Angie. Because her mouth is perpetually open, she drools. There is a good deal of saliva coming out of her mouth. Her collar is soaked. She’s beautiful anyway, but Angie and I will confess to each other later that the amount of drool coming out of her mouth at that point initially concerned us. That combined with the extreme stiffness she displayed had us thinking that her problems were even worse than had been indicated to us. I was concerned, but never disappointed. My thoughts were that it would just be more difficult caring for her. My timetable for how quickly we could adjust shifted in my head. It would be a longer road, with more therapy than we might have anticipated. She was still our beautiful daughter.

Of course, another problem I had with the drooling that I never confessed to Angie, but she was likely to surmise from her own knowledge of me, was that I have a very sensitive gag reflex. We’ve never been able to adopt a dog breed that has been known to drool, because the drool just sends my gag reflex off. Again, that’s something I’ve never articulated to Ang, but I’m sure it was something we both considered each time we’ve adopted a pet. That day, however, my constitution was strong, and the drool didn’t bother me a bit. I didn’t even think about after a while, but I want it on record that the problem had occurred to me. We would later learn that our concerns about the drool were slightly misdirected.

As I’m watching Angie’s joy and Maire’s confusion, Richard taps me on the shoulder. I have to talk with him and the orphanage director about Maire’s medication. They hand me a bag full of stuff. Wow! There are a lot of drugs here. As you can imagine this adds to my concerns. They speak with each other in Chinese. There is a photocopy of what looks like a grocery list. Apparently this is the doctor’s prescription orders. They can’t read it. Doctors’ penmanship is even illegible in Chinese characters. Their chatter is getting more frenzied. You see, no one at the orphanage actually knows much about Maire because she’s been in foster care. I listen intently, as if I’ll catch a word or two. Unless they’re saying “I love you” to each other in Chinese, that’s not gonna happen.

After a failed attempt to call the doctor’s office and get the orders straight from the source, they call the foster mom. We’ll learn later why they were reluctant to call her. Most of the bag is filled with these purple boxes, but the director seems more concerned with the two bottles of pills. One is B6, obviously a vitamin supplement. The other is sodium valproate, which we’re told (and later confirm) is for her seizures. They’re not sure what the purple boxes are. Richard tells me, “It’s a Chinese herbal medicine.” When we start giving them to her later in the day they seem more likely to be M&Ms.

So the orders are 1 B6 a day, seizure medicine 3 times a day, Chinese herbal M&Ms 3 “pills” 3 times a day. That last one seems excessive.

Then, Richard interprets a list of questions that we have about Maire’s everyday life. What does she like to eat and drink? When does she nap? Where does she sleep? And a bunch of other things that we were pretty much asking just because he said we should ask them questions. It really doesn’t matter in this situation because the orphanage director doesn’t really know any of the answers to these questions, since Maire didn’t live at the orphanage, but rather with a foster family. She pretends to know the answers, or Richard makes it seem as if she does through his interpretation. Also, we may have obtained a lot more information about Maire than most families would normally have in that situation. I’m not saying where we got it, but I was just going through the motions so Richard and the orphanage people didn’t think we didn’t care. It’s also good to see if the answers match up with our information. But, really, I want to see my baby.

I miss her first five minutes with Ang while I’m dealing with the orphanage director, so I’m not really sure how all that went down. When I turn to them, Angie hands me Maire and it’s clear almost from the start that Maire chose her own parental bond. She studies me intently. While I was talking with the orphanage director, Angie had given her a picture of me. She holds it in her hand. Looks at it. Looks at me. Looks at the picture. Looks at me. She does this for a substantial amount of time. It feels like ten minutes. She can’t believe the man in the picture is actually holding her. I can’t believe I’m holding this little girl whose pictures I’ve been looking at for the past nine months.

She does this thing where she looks from side to side very quickly. Like she’s watching a tennis match with a jet-propelled ball. She does it when she’s tense, but she also does it as play. After a while, I feel like her looking between my picture and me becomes a game to her, although her amazement remains.

She continues to whine and drool. We find a washcloth and mop her mouth as quickly as it comes out. We hand her books and papers. Richard’s daughter Cindy draws amazing pictures for her. Cindy and Jim had held a drawing duel at dinner the previous evening, and she proved herself to be quite the artist. It’s through Cindy’s drawing that we discover the most effective soothing device for Maire—crinkly paper. The physical texture of things works too, but not like the texture of sound. She crumples a paper right up next to her ear, and her whines almost turn to cooing for a moment.

There are a few other formalities that need to be taken care of. We’re rushed into a room at one point to take her picture for her passport. But, the majority of the fine print will have its ‘i’s dotted and its ‘t’s crossed tomorrow. Well, I guess it will be more like its little houses will be roofed and its exit symbols will be double forked. That’s a little Chinese writing humor for you.

Sooner than seems appropriate, we are bundling Maire up to brave the unusually wintery Changsha weather. We emerge from the elevator cave, and it seems almost like stealing now that we’re shoving this kid into our van, piling in and driving away. We didn’t even give them anything. ‘Course, like I said, we’ll be back tomorrow for that part. That will be our last chance to back out, Richard says. We’ll have to take an oath not to abandon her at that point.

The ride back to the hotel is quiet. Maire seems quite put out by being in the car. She also seems very comforted to be in my lap. Yes, I said lap. These people don’t drive in lanes, heck they’re not even on the street half the time; you expect them to have car seats? She sucks on her hand most of the way home. She also seems quite enamored of Cindy, who unfortunately suffers from car sickness by the time we get back to the hotel. By then, Maire is mostly calm.

It’s at some point between meeting Maire and getting her into the car that Angie discovers the main source of Maire’s drool. She likes to store things in her mouth. I initially thought it was another comforting mechanism, but I think it’s because she doesn’t know she can spit stuff out. If she gets something in there she doesn’t like, she just holds it in there. By the time we get back to the hotel room and Angie fishes out the cracker she’d been given just before she met us, it had been in there for almost two hours. Angie’s gag reflex doesn’t fare as well as mine.

We decide to strip her clothes off her. The Chinese believe that they have very poor circulation, I guess, especially as children. They layer like their trapped in the arctic. Although it’s winter, it ain’t as cold as they’ve got this child wrapped. We remove her coat. She’s wearing a red sweater. Angie snaps a picture of her sitting in my lap. I look happier than Maire does. She doesn’t like getting undressed. Too much change. She doesn’t do well with change. Well, I’ve got news for you darling.

We take off her red sweater. She has a striped wool sweater under that, and there’s some sort of wool garment coming up over that sweater from her legs. We take off her jeans. They’re thick jeans, with some sort of inner quilt lining. Once we have the jeans off we can see the wool leggings. They are a pair of wool knit long underwear with a split in the crotch for easy… Let’s just say easy access. It isn’t custom in China to wear diapers, at least not for orphans. The jeans were probably put on special for us, since they had no split in the crotch. Or maybe they did. I can’t remember.

So we get the wool sweater and leggings off and she has one more layer under that. We get a diaper on her, put a onesie on her, a pink turtle neck and a pair of new regular American jeans. We think that should suffice for the hotel room. If she gets cold, we’ll turn up the heat. We’re Americans!

Just as we realize we have no idea what to do with her now, Richard calls. The Jim’s and Cora’s baby is here. We race to his room with Maire and the camera to capture their reactions. Now, this will be fun.

Stay tuned for Part IV.

We did what?!?

2011-01-30T02:15:00.003-06:00

So I sit here in my comfy midwest home, suffering from a bit of jet lag, and it occurs to me: We actually did it. We actually adopted a child! Something Andy and I talked about for years...13 to be exact. So many ups and downs during the process--I'm not sure I truly ever believed it would happen. Like one of those "winning the lottery" moments you fantasize about. Or the dream of being offered the exact job you want. One of those things you play out in your mind, but don't really expect to ever happen. But it did happen. I have proof sleeping in a crib at the foot of my bed. A beautiful sassy little 3 year old with amazing eyes and even a more amazing smile! Life as we know it might never be the same! At least hers won't be. Thank the lord for this small miracle!

A brief recap of the last 28 hours: Hong Kong to Detroit (14 hours in economy seating!), clearing customs, becoming US citizen, flight from Detroit to KC, Hicks family welcome party at airport complete with balloons and signs, Wendy's french fries, 2 hour drive home in a car seat, new house, fuzzy furry thing licking her face constantly, 2 big brothers desperate to help change diapers, put on pjs, sing night night songs--begging for her to sleep in their room--only to change their minds after 2 minutes of screaming--2 beyond lethargic parents who have not slept in 28 hours. Life seems good to me!

Details to come later--but can I say---this child has yet to complain about anything mentioned above! All smiles and laughs from our sweet girl! Welcome home Maire.

Hong Kong Bound

2011-01-27T17:34:00.001-06:00

It is friday morning here in Guangzhou and we are packing up our room and headed south! We will take the train to HK, then overnight at the airport Marriott. Our flight to the states leaves Saturday morning! We have loved Shamain Island. It is beautiful here.

It makes me sad to think this is the last day we will spend with Jim, Cora and Chloe. Maire has become very fond of them-well, so have Andy and I, too. I hope we have the chance to spend time with them again. Our girls share a bond, and we cannot let them forgot that!

Winding down....

2011-01-25T16:58:00.004-06:00

Now that's quite a broom!

Maire is dressed and ready to go! She loves "going bye bye".

Simply beautiful

"Mom, you are too close to me. I'm trying to walk here!"

Smiling girl!

Today is our Consulate Appointment!! Our 14 days in China is coming to an end in 3 days... Can I tell you how excited I am about that!! I know I should be enjoying my daughter's home country, and I am. But I miss my boys! I am ready to get back to real life. For months (ok, years) this adoption has been weighing on our shoulders--obviously we are thrilled to have Maire in our arms, but so much of the process is frustrating. We are just ready to live our lives as a family of 5!

Maire continues to amaze us with her personality and abilities. She is so smart and already her motor skills have improved 100%. She eats like a champ (not too picky) and sleeps solid for 10 + hours. She laughs and giggles and plays. We love seeing her so happy. She still HATES baths--and I mean HATE. We've tried cool water, hot water, with mom in the tub, with mom OUT of the tub. We've tried toys and bubbles and splashing--nope. She hates baths! But she always smells so wonderful after her bath, and she forgives us pretty quickly! I know one day she will scream when we take her OUT. Until then, we will just suffer through blood curdling screams in another language!

Just pics!

2011-01-23T03:12:00.002-06:00

Journey to Maire, part II

2011-01-22T17:54:00.002-06:00

26 hours after we landed in Seattle, the sun finally rises in Beijing. But, I’ve gotten ahead of myself.

You’d think after the small amount of sleep we’ve gotten over the past 48—or has it been 60?—sleeping through the night should be no problem. So my body thought as soon as it slapped onto that concrete block China’s luxury hotels are calling a mattress; but at 2:30 a.m. Beijing time, I could no longer ignore the calls from my subconscious telling me that we would surely sleep in too late. We would miss our flight from Beijing to Changsha. We’d be stuck in Beijing. We would miss our appointment to pick up our daughter on Monday. We’d be unacceptable parents in the eyes of China, and we’d have to say goodbye to another child.

Since I’m now waking up every hour on the hour, there isn’t much chance that we we’re going to miss anything. Also, the concrete mattress is doing great things to those muscles that got so suddenly woken in Minneapolis earlier in the trip. I haven’t been so stiff since the last time I went skiing more than ten years ago. Angie sleeps like a rock.

So we’re up and at’em at 5:30 a.m. Beijing time, even though we don’t need to be in the lobby for another half-hour. In the lobby, paranoia continues to drive me to bug a man I think to be the bellman for our shuttle bus. For all I know, this guy’s just another traveler, but I fall behind the language barrier excuse. The bus shows up at 6:15 on the money, just like we were told. We make a five-minute trek to the airport, through streets I’d never guess were Beijing. I don’t know what I expected. I guess it looks kind of European to me.

As we approach the airport terminal, our jaws go slack. It’s huge. It’s like some futuristic city we’re approaching. I half expect to see flying cars buzzing around the arrival and departure zones. Our bus driver lets us out, grabs a cart for us and unloads our bags onto it. We’re still in a daze. We push the cart into the terminal, and I suppose this is what an ant colony is to a mere worker.

Inside it’s even larger than it seems outside. You could fit five of my home towns inside this place, but you’d have to multiply those five populations by twenty. Where the f---, er, um, hell? Do we go? Luckily Angie’s eye is more on the ball than mine. She points us in the direction of China Air. How the hell did she see that? Should I stop saying hell? I can’t; this place is too huge!

We find a ticket counter, but you see, unlike American airports, you can just walk in and buy a plane ticket on your way to 2000 miles away, like it’s some sort of bus terminal. The biggest damn bus terminal you ever saw, that is. We’ve found a ticket-purchasing counter, but we already have tickets, and we need to check bags. After some low level, pre-language grunting is exchanged, the cashier sends us to the next aisle to check in. We turn the corner and it’s like market day in downtown Bangladesh. There’s a frenzy of people pressed up against the counters in what seems like hundreds of lines. What th--?

The next thing we know this woman approaches us wearing all black. No badge of any kind. No sigil of China Air. “This way. This way. You come this way. I’ll check you in,” she says, quite authoritatively, and in the best English we’ve heard in Beijing. We’re aware of the danger here, but with no bearings whatsoever, it’s all we’ve got to go on. She motors us right to the front of a line and starts demanding our luggage. “One at a time!” she barks. “Passports!” There’s no way I’m saying ‘no’ to this woman.

So she appears to have us checked in properly, with our bags sent off to their proper flight; though, really we have know way of knowing that particular detail. The tickets she hands us are to the right flight, so that’s encouraging. Now, she tells us that the extra bags were on her “card”, so we owe her 200 yuan. Now, this isn’t really a whole lot of money, but it’s about twice what we had already looked up that it would be. Angie goes into Super Travel Agent mode. “No. No,” she snarls, “I am a travel agent! I know what this is! We’ll give you 100 yuan. It was only $20!”

The airport monster grabs me, “No. You owe me 200!”

“Andy! Don’t give her that! Let’s go!” Angie snaps.

“But we do owe her something, right?” I whimper.

“Fine!” Ang huffs.

I give the beast 150 yuan. “It was a tip,” I justify, “I mean she really did help us out back there and 100 isn’t quite $20, I think. The extra bag was supposed to be twenty, right?”

Security is chaotic, but something simpler than American airport security. You still have to remove your laptop, but nothing else. No fighting with taking shoes on and off, which is something of a load off.

Now, about two years ago we met another set of unfortunate victims of our adoption agency through the Internet. They live near Seattle. They haven’t been able to have children of their own, so they’re adopting. Their names are Jim and Cora. They’re a little goofy, like Ang and I. They like the same types of movies. They have similar senses of humor. And, miraculously it worked out that we got to adopt our daughters at the exact same time. They arrived in Beijing a few days early to do some sight seeing. This morning will be the first time we’ve ever met in person.

So we walk a couple miles to our gate, and in the distance I recognize a face as belonging to that snarky guy who so frequently leaves humorous comments on my facebook statuses. Then, Cora gets up with her fiery red hair, and we’re sure it’s our good friends we’ve never met in our lives. Isn’t the Internet strange? ‘Course, since they’re the only other white people amongst the gazillion other people traveling that morning, we probably wouldn’t have missed each other if we tried.

We talk to each other like old friends. There’s no sense we’ve never really met before. Jim comments on the coffee he’s forcing down his throat, likening it to some sort of contaminated soil. Jim also points out the interesting foot fashion choices to be found in China. It will become something I cannot help but notice either. Women must spend most of their money on knee-high, high-heeled boots and calf-length coats. And, there’s certainly some sort of national contest going on for the most flair-filled combinations.

Finally, after what seems like weeks, the sun rises. We watch our luggage being handled like bags of trash onto the plane. We board our China Air flight to Changsha. The four of us are the only white people on board. Many people stare at us. The flight attendants are very good with us, however. The speak English well, and it seems China’s attitude toward air service is something closer to what it was in the U.S. thirty years ago. The customers are valuable additions to the flight, rather than burdens.

They offer us breakfast. Eastern or Western. The Eastern breakfast consists of rice and a couple of bugs or something. The Western is an omelet, yogurt, some fruit and bread. It’s rather good, for airline food. Most everybody get the Western. The gentleman we’re sitting with gets the Eastern, but doesn’t eat much of it.

After a seemingly short 2-hour flight, we’re landing in Changsha. This is where we will meet our Maire, who we’ve waited so long for.

The Changsha airport is a little more normal in scale. We find that the Chinese approach luggage carousels the same way Americans do—everyone shove their way to the front of the conveyor despite the fact that there’s plenty of room for everyone to line up along the whole thing. This makes it fairly easy for me to grab all our bags later on down the line.

The women decide to go for a bathroom break. We’ve heard all about the public bathrooms in China. They’re quite primitive. I haven’t seen one yet, so I won’t describe it. My plan is not to see one. The women come back a few minutes later. Ang says, “We need supplies.” Laughs, and is gone again to another bathroom. No TP I’m guessing. From what I’ve heard, I’m shocked they haven’t just given up on the idea.

We grab our bags and are fairly quickly out the exit. Our guide is unable to meet us at the airport; so another guide meets us and puts us on a taxi bus to our Changsha hotel.

The ride into Changsha is long. As we get closer to the city, we begin to see signs of a city in the making. The suburbs look like they’re trying to be bigger than they are. A lot of little hovels and then we’ll see this giant condo skyscraper. Soon it becomes apparent that there is a much larger city beyond the smog. The smog in Changsha makes L.A.’s look like air that you could bottle and sell.

It isn’t long before we realize that Changsha is a city unlike any we’ve ever seen. We never really got to see Beijing because of the eternal night. This small for China city of only 3 million people stretches on like some sort of third world Matrix city world. It makes New York City look tiny in scale.

We arrive at our hotel, the Dolton, and the guide checks us in. The lobby of this hotel is a giant luxurious room that is not heated. The doors are wide open and everyone wandering around the lobby is as bundled up as they are in the winter weather outside.

The check in goes smoothly, thanks to the guide’s interpreting, and we head to our rooms. Remembering to put the key card into the light slot we push into the room, do some basic bag arrangement and lay down. I don’t think I’m going to nap, because our real guide is supposed to meet us at 5:30 Changsha time, just a couple hours. I’m going to unpack. I’ll just check out the bed. Yep, concrete block.

The next thing I know, there’s a strange ringing coming from somewhere. I’m able to discern that it is our doorbell. It’s our guide, Richard. He’s a little younger than we imagined, and he’s brought his daughter, Cindy, along with him. We knew he was bringing her, that’s why he couldn’t meet us at the airport. She’s 7, but looks a little older to me. She has bright energy.

We agree to meet in the lobby so Richard can take us out to dinner. Since Jim and Cora have already spent some time in country, they warn us about the drivers. Cora relates a story about how she was almost killed by a bus. Jim says if your spouse is going to walk out into traffic, don’t hold her hand. Save yourself. Their stories aren’t exaggerated. We cross one intersection wondering if we’ll be short a couple members by the time we reach the other side.

Richard jokes with us quite a bit about the food. He keeps asking us if we want dog or cat. I tell him live squid would be nice. The restaurant has private rooms for small parties like ours. We sit down in a small room that resembles a hotel room with a round table instead of a bed, and Richard orders for us. It sounds like they’re making the food in the bathroom of the hotel room we’re in. Every couple of minutes a new dish comes out. After the first couple of dishes, I’m a little worried that I’m going to go home hungry. The pork still has the bones in it and the tofu soup just ain’t gonna cut it. But the dishes keep coming, the fried rice is great, and soon we’re all full.

We head back to the hotel, and I wonder whether we’ll be able to sleep. The next morning will bring us a little girl. She’ll be scared. We’ll be scared. My goodness, what are we going to do with her. We don’t know much about each other. She won’t understand us. There’s no way I’m going to be able to sleep. Yet, as soon as my back hits that concrete slab, I’m out. Sleep, no problem.

Stay tuned for Part III.

Starting of a brand new day!

2011-01-21T23:22:00.000-06:00

So after a 2 hour meltdown last night, Maire finally fell asleep. She slept for 12 hours! Today she woke up with nothing but smiles and laughs for Mommy & Daddy. Even after the medical exam torture session, she still seems to be happy with our company. I even have proof! Check out these wonderful shots---Melissa, if you are reading this, get a tissue!!

Holy fit batman!

2011-01-21T07:17:00.002-06:00

Today was my "what was I thinking" day!! All was good till about 6:30pm. We moved today from Changsha to Guangzhou. We took the train which was GREAT, but it was all too much for Maire. She got worked up about 6:30pm (I had to fish a french fry out of her mouth) and that ticked her off! It took us 2 hours to get her settled down. She is finally calm enough I think she'll fall asleep.

To explain myself, I shall tell you why I fished the french fry out. Maire has a habit of storing food in her mouth for hours...yes hours. The first day, she had a veggie cracker in her mouth for 2 hours. TWO HOURS she sucked on it. We finally got it out of her mouth, but then later that night we notice she still had watercress from dinner in her mouth, along with one of her vitamins! It had been over an hour since we gave her the vitamin! So now we make sure when we are done eating that she doesn't have any food in her mouth. We not only worry about her choking, but it is terrible for her teeth and gums (and breath-yikes!). So after 30 minutes of letting her suck and a very soggy fry, I make her spit it out--and then everything went wrong!

I am so blessed that my hubby has the patience of Job. He took over tonight (at about the midway screaming tantrum yelling in chinese fit that Maire was having-she even stomped her foot). They say girls from Hunan province are spicy---I think they mean stubborn!!

Half way!

2011-01-21T04:44:00.002-06:00

Well, today marks the 1/2 way mark for our China visit. We left Changsha around noon and are now in Guangzhou. And Guangzhou is GREAT! The weather is so nice and we have a subway (the sandwich shop) right next door! I've already sent Andy after a Turkey Club, chips and a diet coke!

We took the bullet train and it was one of the greatest experiences! We saw such great landscape and rural areas of China, and it was really comfy, too.

Maire still struggles with sadness, but she continues to impress us with her abilities. We introduced her to McDonalds fries today---they were a big hit! Andy is currently holding her hand as she fights to fall asleep. That is really the only time she is truly unhappy---when she is tired and scared to fall asleep. We know that time will help her adjust. Enjoy the pics.

ang

Journey to Maire, part I

2011-01-20T03:10:00.000-06:00

First of all, we need to apologize to everyone who’ve been trying to follow our journey to unite with our daughter. Many of you have been waiting for an invitation, and many who are already members have been waiting to read some new posts. Unfortunately, the Internet connection we have in our Changsha hotel room doesn’t allow us to gain access to many sites, including facebook and any site with “blogspot” in the address. We’ve finally gained touchy connection to everything using a tunneling device, something I knew nothing about until a day ago.

Beyond our Internet problems, everything has gone swimmingly with our adoption so far. As some of you may be aware, we prefaced our trip to China with our annual Hicks family vacation. I was wary about attending the family vaca this year because of it’s close time proximity to our trip to China. However, nothing could have been better for Angie and I than to go to a tropical paradise just before embarking on one of the greatest life changes we’ll experience. We were packed and ready for China a week ahead of time, and instead of spending the week before China stressing about every little detail, we actually were able to relax a little. With a lot of help from a resort kids program and free mixed drinks.

So we return home from our Dominican vacation ten hours before we must again depart for our transit to China. Ang repacks what we already packed and I run around gathering last minute changes. We spend the time with our dog Hoagie. Lucy doesn’t deal well with change, so she was booked into the doggie hotel for the duration. Hoagie spends most of our time together asleep on the second step of our staircase. We drop our boys off at school that Friday and we’re off to the airport yet again.

I don’t know who our travel agent is, but she booked us on some pretty tight transfers. Something about us being her cheapest clients or some such thing. At Minneapolis we learn just how out of shape we are as we have to sprint through half of the airport to make our plane to Seattle. Just as we finally reach our concourse, they make a last call for all people boarding that flight. Suddenly, the concourse grows by about a mile and a half, because, of course, our gate is the furthest one out. I hear the flight attendant saying something about the Wells party just as I reach the gates. “That’s us” *pant, pant* “We’re the Wells’!” *gasp!* We sit down on the plane and we hear, “We’re going to be holding for about eight minutes to allow some passengers to make their transfer!” Damn you!!! But hey, at least they had time to get our luggage on.

So then we have to make our international flight in Seattle. We’ve got Internet capability on the Minneapolis to Seattle flight, but I want to save my computer’s battery, a decision I will later regret since the 11-hour flight to Beijing does not have Internet capability. The flight attendants assure us that our Seattle connection will be nothing like the Minneapolis one, since the gates will be in the same terminal. They tell us the gates will likely be only a few gates apart. They are correct, but it doesn’t matter anyway since the flight to Beijing is delayed because some of the flight crew is coming in from a delayed flight from Detroit.

That’s good. We have time to sit and relax for the first time in two days. We eat our last hot dogs and cheese fries for the next two weeks and wander around the terminal. We find a neck pillow to replace the one we lost at some point during the frantic dash in Minneapolis. We change some money to Chinese Yuan. Believe it or not, it’s raining in Seattle.

After a short wait, shorter than we were initially told, our plane is ready to board and we’re off to China. Our plane follows the Alaskan coastline. We’re able to see it out our window the whole time even though we’re chasing the night. The moon keeps the snow lit up. We see vast mountains and snow. Every once and a while there are a collection of lights, and we wonder, why would they live there? Somewhere halfway between Alaska and Russia we wonder if Sarah Palin can see our plane from her back yard.

We don’t want to sleep. We think it will help us adjust to the time change in Beijing. We’ve got to shift half a day. Course no sleep on an 11-hour overnight flight is a tall order, especially since we only got about four hours the night before. The choice of in-flight movies doesn’t help. Sure, it starts good with “The Social Network”, but then the offerings go downhill with “Going the Distance” and “Charlie St. Cloud”. I can’t make it through the Drew Barrymore debacle without a couple Zs, but I don’t miss enough of it. After the Zach Efron ghost thing we each catch maybe an hour’s worth of sleep, bringing our total for the past 48 hours to about five.

So, twelve hours after the sun set in Seattle we’re in Beijing at 9 p.m. We’re so tired at this point we don’t care if we ever see the sun again. A Chinese man holding a sign that says “Mr. Wells” meets us coming out of the airport to take us to our hotel. He doesn’t speak English very well, but after a little checking we confirm that he is indeed from the hotel we’re booked in and we wait for the shuttle to take us to our night’s lodging.

He leads us across a busy street to the parking garage, where our shuttle awaits. We think for a moment we might get hit as the cabs seem too willing to get close to the pedestrians, but it’s a busy airport. I mean Beijing is a big city, right? We don’t really take note of much, as we are so tired. The hotel lobby has little registration islands rather than a traditional counter, and we experience our first money miscue when the very understanding lady checking us in asks us for “200”. When we hand her 200 in U.S. she says, “Oh no. 100 is enough.” She only wanted 200 Yuan, which is less than $40.

Our next little foreign confusion comes when we open our room door. All the lights are on. Everything looks great until the door shuts and all the lights go out. We flip the switches and nothing. We open the door back up and the lights come on again. We flip the switches again and close the door and the lights go out. When we open the door a third time, I notice a little slot just inside the door about the same size as the door key card. I slide the key card in and when the door shuts, the lights miraculously stay on. In seconds, we hit our concrete-like mattress and are out. The next day will bring us another domestic flight to our first week’s destination of Changsha, Hunan, a meeting with adoption friends we’ve known for two years but never met, and hopefully the end of this eternal night.

Stay tuned for Part II.

We are connected!

2011-01-19T17:33:00.003-06:00

We were finally able to get into blogger and facebook, but don't know how long the connection will last! So here is a brief update.

We have our beautiful in our arms!! Day one was ok, but she is very scared and confused. She doesn't leave our side (She loves her Daddy as much as her Mommy), but there are tears and whimpers as she tries to understand what is happening. She sleeps and eats very well for us, so that is good. We are in Changsha now, but head to Guangzhou by train tomorrow. It has snowed here for 3 days straight and it is very cold! Guangzhou will be a welcome with its mild temps. We are getting cabin fever!!

All in all, she is doing great considering the turmoil she must feel. Please pray that she continues to adjust well. Pray that Mommy and Daddy continue to practice patience during this journey!

Nervous tummy...!

2011-01-13T06:25:00.003-06:00

So we are headed to the airport to fly home from Punta Cana shortly. Then the countdown begins. I have my list of "last minute" things to do prior to our departure tomorrow at noon! Our friends, the Huffmans are in Beijing! We can't wait to join them. We hope to have email access in China. If not, someone will blog for us! !!

ang

Sunblock and sand

2011-01-10T08:57:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone!! Believe it or not, we are on vacation in the Dominican Republic! We planned this family vacation this summer, assuming we'd be back from China by now, but you know what they say about best laid plans!!!

We felt that a vacation with my entire family was exactly what we needed after months of adoption stress! This place is amazing and so beautiful! We are having a blast. The boys love the kids club and often choose it over hanging with mom and dad! The pina colada's are easy to come by and I don't even have to leave my lounge chair! My grandma (83 years young) is having a great time, too!!! She isn't taking advantage of the free booze though!!

We watched the chiefs get spanked while enjoying room service and the ocean breeze blow through our room. Which made the beating seem less awful. But we have stopped telling people where we are from. Jude enjoyed a photo shoot with a yellow boa constrictor yesterday, which freaked mommy out, but he loved that snake! GROSS! Jack had nothing to do with the creature.

We flew out on January 6 and will be back in the states on Thursday. We have about 12 hours to get the boys situated at Grandma's and Grandpa's, run a quick load of laundry, load up the van with the China bags (already packed and at the kitchen door) and head back to the airport for our flight to CHANGSHA!!! We will be meeting our friends the Huffman's on Sunday morning. We established a friendship about 2 years ago (long distance) and cannot believe that it worked out that our girls are from the same area AND that it worked out for us to travel together! We are so thankful for them and are really looking forward to 2 weeks of watching our girls together!

Pray for safe travels for us over the next few weeks. Also pray for our boys who are spending 2 weeks without mommy and daddy. And don't forget to pray for our sweet girl whose life is about to change. Pray for peace and understanding for her, and for guidance and patience for us!

We also would like everyone to pray for the country as we struggle to understand the recent tragedy in Arizona. As we enjoy our freedom in this country, we see others who abuse it or jeopardize it. Keep all lawmakers and their families in your prayers, and those who lost love ones. Pray for the family of the shooter as they, too, will struggle to find understanding.

Love,

ang

I'm booking airfare!!

2010-12-28T23:10:00.004-06:00

Woo hoo! We are going to China! We really really are! I cannot believe it! We have gotcha day AND consulate appointment set! If you want dates or details send me a private message. The boys are so excited about their baby sister and are looking forward to showing her around the house when she gets home. Little man is getting clingy-doesn't let me get too far away. Oh wait, he has always been clingy! I know he will have some adjusting to do with the "new baby", so I'm trying to give them both some extra love.

We are sooooo close to our final goal, so any amount you can give would be so helpful!

Here are the fees we are looking at during our journey to bring Maire home. I have listed the detailed cost for several items and would love you to "select an item to sponsor". For example; we will have 20 meals to pay for during our trip (breakfast is included at the hotel). Each meal will cost about $10.00 USD-you can sponsor one meal for $10.00 or a day of meals for $20.00 or an entire week...whatever you find comfortable for your budget! Select the "chip in" button on the right and type in your amount! Be sure to write what you'd like to sponsor in the memo field! That way we can thank you appropriately! We cannot believe that Maire is finally coming home!! Praise God!! The sooner we get the final funds raised, the sooner we can get to Maire! All contributions are greatly appreciated! We already have $190 raised toward meals and airfare! You are all so awesome!

28 Meals: $10.00 per meal
14 Nights lodging: $75 per night
3 train tickets from Changsha to Guangzhou: $100 per airline ticket
4 Government Official "fees": $25 each
2 Airline tickets from KC to China: $1250 each
1 Airline ticket from China to KC: $890

We cannot wait to share our final journey to bring Maire home with all of you! Thank you so much for all of your love and support!

"Mairey" Christmas!

2010-12-22T21:58:00.002-06:00

We have our travel approval...it is a beautiful thing! Handel said it best... "Hallelujah"!

Details to come soon!

Promises...

2010-12-20T20:19:00.005-06:00

For those who know the pain of waiting to hold someone...something. For those who long to kiss someone they've lost...or someone they've yet to meet. Hold on...

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Maire, we won't hold you in 2010. But my dear child, we will be there for you so very soon.

We will wait, another week or two...

How can I help...?

2010-12-17T17:34:00.004-06:00

Since announcing that our travel approval is on its way, I've had lots of you step forward to ask how you can help! Since you asked...! Here are the fees we are looking at during our journey to bring Maire home. I have listed the approximate cost for several items and would love you to "select an item to sponsor". For example; we will have 20 meals to pay for during our trip (breakfast is included at the hotel). Each meal will cost about $10.00 USD-you can sponsor one meal for $10.00 or a day of meals for $20.00 or an entire week...whatever you find comfortable for your budget! Select the "chip in" button on the right and type in your amount! Be sure to write what you'd like to sponsor in the memo field! That way we can thank you appropriately! We cannot believe that Maire is finally coming home!! Praise God!! The sooner we get the final funds raised, the sooner we can get to Maire! All contributions are greatly appreciated!

20 Meals: $10.00 per meal
10 Nights lodging: $75 per night
3 Airline tickets from Loudi to Guangzhou: $100 per airline ticket
4 Government Official "fees": $25 each
2 Airline tickets from KC to China: $1500 each
1 Airline ticket from China to KC: $700

We cannot wait to share our final journey to bring Maire home with all of you! Thank you so much for all of your love and support!

Angie & family

Real Quick post

2010-12-15T20:53:00.003-06:00

Can't blog...have to pack. Yes PACK!!!! TA is on it way!! I don't believe it--we have waited so long for TA and now it is actually almost here! I have about 100 gifts to wrap, bags to pack, house to clean, (forget any more Christmas decorating!) Money to exchange...yikes! I don't have to blog! Love you all and cannot tell you how amazing you have been! Enjoy this picture of our big girl!!!

For those who have been there/done that, you know that fund raising never ends. You can donate 2 ways: There is a chip in button or the 100 Good Wishes Quilt. Thank you!

Believe....

2010-12-01T21:53:00.003-06:00

**disclaimer** a very long sappy emotional outpouring of my soul

Some of you may know that for my 34th birthday, I got a tattoo (this was 1.5 years ago). Simply the word "Believe" above my ankle. I had never had the urge to get "inked" prior to that, so this caught most everyone I know off guard. I know that "tattoos" can be seen as "trashy" or "inappropriate" by some. (And if you are in that category, I think you're wrong BUT that is for a different post-haha) But to me, it was a devotion of love for God, the blessings He has given me, the positive mental outlook He bestowed on me, and the general belief in all things good. There are days that I stray from my faith, moments in time where I forget that I am His--doing His work, not mine, my love for Him fading. But this permanent blue ink is always there-never faint. Constant...like my faith should be.

The adoption process has been the most challenging time of my life. We learned today, 5 weeks into our "2 week wait" for our travel dates, that we need to resend one more document that seems to have gotten misplaced. They should have it on Monday, then we should have our travel dates 2-3 weeks after that. I stared at the email in disbelief. The reality of this "minor paperwork hiccup" hit me like a lead weight. I would not get to hold my girl this year after all. No Christmas with Maire. I felt my heart break--it literally hurt.

Seven months ago, I saw my sweet girl. I never dreamed she would not be in my arms by Christmas. It was inconceivable to imagine. Never entered my mind. But here we are, 22 days away from her 3rd birthday and 24 from Christmas. Her Christmas dress hanging in her closet, new with tags. Her gifts, along with her brothers' gifts, tucked safely in a box in the bottom of the closet. Tomorrow, I will pull them out, wrap them, and ship them to her---thousands of miles away. I won't have her picture in our holiday family portrait this year. I won't see her face smiling at twinkling lights of the Christmas tree. I won't see her tear into a wrapped box, eyes wide as she prepares for what might be inside. No, not this year.

Believe... staring at me right now below the cuff of my stupid snowman pajamas! Believe--what does it mean right now to me? What is God telling me? Shall I believe in Christmas miracles? Or perhaps believe in "His timing"? Maybe "believe" is reminding me that God does not punish, even though there are days that feel like it? Shall I believe in the power of prayer? Or believe in His word? Tonight, Believe will simply mean this: I Believe that God is in control...because He is.

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

2010-11-27T20:58:00.001-06:00

This is amazing! I have always wanted to do a flash mob! I sang the Hallelujah Chorus in high school state choir and it was truly an honor to be part of it. Despite the food court setting, this still brought tears to my eyes! God is so good. HE shall reign forever and ever! Praise him!

Surprise!

2010-11-20T20:27:00.002-06:00

I have no news! yet again...another week with no update! Holy Guacamole (this is the new one from my 5 year old!) The good news is, I am so very lucky to have amazing kiddos to keep my mind off of this adoption anguish! We decorated gingerbread houses today! It was a blast. Tomorrow is church, then my nephew's birthday party and Sunday Football (Go GIANTS!) An awesome day for all! Both the boys are battling some sort of "bug". Jack was home sick 2 days with terrible cough, and Jude has started running a slight fever in the last few hours. Praying we all wake up fully rested and healthy!

If travel approval comes on Monday, there is a slight chance of December travel. I could give you 100 reasons why I want to travel in December--the most being...my arms ache to hold my girl! I believe in miracles, and I believe that if God wants Maire home in December, then Maire will be home in December.

We continue to pray for her safety and well being. We long to meet her and enjoy her company. We can't wait to see her play with the toys we've gotten her or see her in the cute newsboy hat I picked up yesterday. Her Christmas Dress hangs next to her brothers Christmas sweaters---matching of course! I can only pray I get to see her in it! It is a hard time to celebrate knowing she is so far away, but my boys excitement for the holidays brings me so much joy! I am blessed, I know I am. Now I just need to remain patient!

Thank you for your prayers! I know they work wonders!

ABC of Thanksgiving

2010-11-07T16:09:00.002-06:00

So in my social media outlet, I am writing the ABC's of Thanksgiving, which I will share with you at the end of the month. In the meantime, I challenge you to do the same. Each day, select a letter and write something you are thankful for that starts with that letter. For example, I am on "F" today. Perfect for "forever forgiven". They don't all have to be religious--my "d" was dogs. But it is nice to force myself to be thankful each and every day despite what trials I might have had!

On a high note, rumors are that TA's are on their way....I hope to have good news to share very very soon. Maybe my "T" will be TRAVEL APPROVAL!

It takes a village...

2010-11-03T09:27:00.002-05:00

...to feed a child! Don't know about you guys, but trying to feed my kids is a challenge. One hates chicken, the other hates hamburger. Tomato sauce on pasta---GROSS! Now I'm going to be throwing a child who is used to rice and pork dumplings into the mix! I have my work cut out for me! While I was thinking about this dilemma (one I am more than happy to take on, by the way) I had a great fundraising idea--one my friend has also suggested some time ago.

A cookbook! Been done before, I know, but it might just work. So, I need your recipes! Yes, yours....! Send me one or ten--how ever many you want! If you have pictures, that would be so great! I am going to have it together in time to sell for the holidays, so if you have a holiday themed recipes, that is great. If not, send it anyway. I'll find a place for it! Apps, desserts, drinks, main, side...whatever you've got that you are willing to share! Email me at travelquest1ATyahoo.com, or respond here. Thank you so much! I will begin assembling the recipes as soon as they start coming in, so if you can get them to me by week's end, that would be great!

Now go get cookin'

ang

An update on this journey

2010-10-31T08:18:00.003-05:00

So we have reached the end of this journey, I think! A few weeks ago I posted about receiving our Article 5, but it actually wasn't. Then our agency contacted us the next day and said "YES, that IS your article 5." But then a week later we discovered it really wasn't the Article 5---again. Needless to say, I am a daily user of Pepcid! Then we learned the agency misplaced a very important piece of paperwork, so we had to wait for a duplicate to be printed and mailed to our agency (that took 2 weeks). Then our agency had to overnight it to our facilitator in China. He then had to hand deliver it to the US Consulate, but you can ONLY do that on Mondays or Thursdays. So finally on the 7th, it made it to the consulate. I contacted my agency week before last and they had not update for us. So...I contacted the consulate myself! And they returned my email! They were so very gracious and let us know our Article 5 (yes, the REAL one) would be ready for pick up on the 28th! This is the "one" we've been waiting for! Now it gets picked up by our facilitator on Monday, overnight to Beijing to the China Center of Adoption Affairs, and on tuesday, we should be "officially" waiting for Travel Approval. Yes, we have heard that before ("TA" is next), but unfortunately our agency is learning right along with us--nothing is as easy as it seems! However, we are both 100% that TA is next! Now some folks saw the TA's come in less than a week. Others have been waiting almost 4 weeks. The average is 2-5 weeks. There seems to be no real format for processing the TA's (that we can see) so we are praying that our early LID (10/18/07) and they consider the very long wait since we've received our Letter of Approval for Maire (May 28, 2010) and have mercy on us! We would love to be on a plane to get her in late November.

We received her September update from Love Without Boundaries. She is making leaps and bounds---LITERALLY! She has learned to not only walk, but run and jump! She has our photo album book now and it is her prized possession. She keeps it on her pillow, which is where I keep HER picture, too! I can't wait to just touch her sweet face.

On the homefront! Halloween is upon us and the boys are truly enjoying the season. Jude and I hung giant spiders and cobwebs out front, along with a few gravestones! Jack's standard achievement test came back on Thursday---we have our work cut out for us. Apparently, his overall testing scores are at a 7th grade level, and his reading comprehension at a 10th grade level (Jack is our 3rd grader)! Maybe we have a "Harvard Grad" on our hands! Jude's very first PAT conference was GREAT! He is doing amazing at letters, numbers, handwriting, and overall behavior. His only drawback--he is a bit too social! He loves to talk :) But, that is my Judebug! He is life of the party, even in Kindergarten!

My midterms grades were very good, which I am so thankful for! It has been 13 years since I graduated from college! I have about 2-3 semesters left before I am officially certified to teach in the state of Missouri!

Andy is working his tail end off as the soul "bread winner" for this growing family. He has truly been amazing. A great example to his boys, an amazing husband to me, and an example for others to look up to. Off to work at 7:30, eating lunch at home to save money, home at 4:30 or later, walks the dogs, carves the pumpkins, takes Jude to dance, takes out the trash, picks up Jude from dance, feeds the dogs, walks the dogs (again), then off to bed--just to get up and do it all again the next day.

The house is still on the market, so if you are interested in living on the most beautiful street in Missouri, let me know! :) We are praying it sells soon. We love our home, but have decided we need a basement AND a wee bit smaller house payment!

Things are hectic around here, needless to say. Sorry I've not posted in so long, but when there is very little to report on the adoption front, it makes blogging seem so dull! Pray for a quick TA and quick resources to finalize our journey to sweet Maire! We miss her so much and cannot wait to get her home!

Always believing!
Angie

Isn't she lovely....

2010-10-08T22:02:00.002-05:00

That song has been stuck in my head all day! "Isn't she lovely...? Isn't she wonderful...?" This week was China's national holiday so I have nothing exciting to report. However, we have been told our documents will be delivered to the US embassy on Monday and we should have a date in 2 weeks...hmmmm, we've heard that before! I'm not getting exciting until I have an airline ticket in my hand! Hope to have good news to post on this site soon!

What did I say about quitting...

2010-09-19T05:59:00.002-05:00

This is NOT the article 5 we've been hoping for, simply a letter that indicates they are going to process the article 5 letter soon...I'm going back to bed...for a week.

Eventually....

2010-09-18T15:36:00.003-05:00

So, when you turn to God during troubled times, you often find that Satan roars his horrible roar and gnashes his terrible teeth (Wild Things....) just to fight you! Trying to get you to turn from God. When we find our faith challenged, questionable and wavering, that is when it is the easiest to fall from His grace. But that is the most important time to hang on...

Grace supplies, Love Gives, Faith receives...and we have indeed received. Our article letter issued by the Bureau of Consular Affairs come in the mail today. "This letter is to inform you that your petition has been forwarded to the appropriate visa-issuing post where the adoption interview will take place."

One sentence stating giving Maire's case #, chinese name, and the address of the US consulate. Not fancy, not even on real letterhead--THIS is our "article 5". This is the letter that tells the CCAA that it is time for the Wells' family to travel to China to get their daughter. It is time...(past time if you ask me!). In 2 - 3 weeks we should know the exact dates of travel. October dates are NOT full as rumored earlier in the week. We *might* actually go next month after all. We jumped through the hoops and over the hurdles. We danced through their red tape and sang to their drum--it wasn't pretty or graceful, but through God's grace we did it!

So now comes the final push for fundraising (like the 8th time I've said that right...!) But I'm really going to do it now....I have to!

Keep us in your prayers as we get everything in order to Maire home. Get the travel agency squared away, get the boys packed and ready for 2 weeks at Grandma's, repack Maire's bag for the hundredth time, get the orphanage donation raised and transferred to China...Holy cow! I don't have time to blog! Gotta run :)

Thanks all!

Do over!

2010-09-16T21:06:00.002-05:00

I quit...here is my resignation. From here on out you will find me on my couch, watching Opera and eating bon bons. I give up. I quit.

Ok, maybe not really, but that is how I feel right now! This week was, quite possibly, one of the most difficult weeks of my life. My poor family has suffered through my tantrums and fits, tears and laughter (or hysteria), my need to paint something (I find painting a room always eases tension), and my lackadaisical outlook on pretty much everything.

Bad news all around-I have tried to kick the devil out, but he just rears his ugly head over and over. Travel approvals came for some folks today, but not us. Turns out, we don't even have an article 5 yet (we need this before we get our TA). Another 2 weeks or so until we get that. And I just learned there are NO embassy appointments for October. Right now they are booking November dates. So if our TA doesn't come soon, the November dates will be filled and that means December travel. Maire will be 3 by the time we get her. I am furious. Just furious.

Not to mention I'm having issues with a travel client trying to stick me with a big ole bill (long story short, I trusted them to pay me and they haven't yet) grrrrr, which means when they don't pay me, I can't pay the people I owe and on and on down the line. Good times.

So, come on over to my pity party. You are all invited! I plan on going to bed (after a glass of wine, of course---NO wait, Oreo's and milk) and sleeping off this bad attitude of mine!

I will think of my brilliant boys and how very blessed that God has allowed me to raise them-allowed me to be their mom. I will be grateful that I am healthy and so is my family. I will be grateful that my husband has a job and our needs are met. I will be thankful...

Always believing in Him,

Exhausted...in a good way though!

2010-09-08T19:53:00.003-05:00

Quick update as time is very limited these days! The boys are back in school, and so is Mommy! Yes, my BA in history is not serving its purpose, so I've returned to get my teaching certificate. I only have 3 semesters left, as I had already spent several years studying early childhood education in my 20s. Maire's visa is being processed, the travel agency is .... hmmmm, well, stressful and exhausting, Bear is in 3rd so he has homework, Bug has spent over a week fighting off a cold (which he has now lost the battle to!) and he graciously passed onto me (I think my face may be be melting considering all of the liquid gushing out---TMI?) I'm sure Andy still lives here, but is very busy with work.

The house is on the market, but the economy is really not helping us out on that end. Love our little house, but it just doesn't work for us. Better get now. We'll keep you posted on Maire's adoption. Praying for travel in late September or October. I have about 10 unopened emails starring at me right now, so I'd better get busy!

thanks for keeping us in your prayers!

Update....kinda sorta....

2010-08-25T08:32:00.002-05:00

Hi all 5 of my fans ;) We are getting closer! USCIS received our final batch of paperwork on August 10. They said it would take 10-14 days to approve it. My understanding is that our article 5 letter will then be submitted to the CCAA, and the CCAA will send us travel permission! We are praying for September travel, but I have no idea what to expect! Heck, right now, I just pray I have her home in time for Christmas!

Things are so busy around here, which is very good. I don't have time to set around and fret! The boys started school on August 18. Since I don't have a travel date for China, I had to give up my classroom (which was very hard to do), but it freed up some time for me to go back to school myself. I have a BA in History and 2 years towards my teaching certificate. So, I signed up for 4 classes this semester and am hoping to have my certificate in 3 semesters! That will really open some doors for me.

The weather has been hot hot hot, but finally we've got a break. This mornings low was 56...PERFECT! The high is 81 which is a little warmer than I prefer, but so much better than 102!!

Sorry this one is short, but I have to print out 20 boarding passes for some travel clients, class in 20 minutes, and I have NOT walked or fed the dogs yet! Yikes, I'd better get off the internet!!!

Keep us in your prayers. We are still a few thousand short of our goal--God will provide.

USCIS

2010-08-05T19:05:00.003-05:00

For those in the 'non adoption' world...that stands for United States Citizen and Immigration Services. I will NEVER complain about USCIS again! True, the long wait is due to the ridiculous amount of paperwork they keep shoving in our direction, but they have been so great to work with! I have my Officer on speed dial and he is always very very patient with me and my hundred questions! And today, we were able to walk in to the KC office and be fingerprinted immediately---NO appointment. (This is a big deal!)

Usually, you get an appointment date to be fingerprinted assigned to you. The wait is usually 3-4 weeks from the time your request the appointment. We were hoping to still get printed in August. Our current fingerprints expire on September 12. So Andy took the day off and we drove 2 hours to our local CIS office and prayed that they would just say, "Oh we have time to fingerprint you right now." And they did just that! Super friendly, super fast, super accommodating!! They shaved 3-4 weeks off of our wait time for Maire!! Praise God for small (and large) miracles!

Now if only may agency would take a cue from CIS and step up their game! 10-12 days for our file to make it to desk of our CIS Officer in Texas, then he gives us "provisional approval" and sends that to Visa Center, (then some other crap happens that I don't understand), but everyone promises me that Maire is at the end of the very long and windy road!

Would love to travel in September, but not expecting to. I know that the Hague Treaty is a good thing, but boy did it create a long wait in this already stressful world of adoption!

Hmmm...what to say...

2010-08-02T20:50:00.002-05:00

So, here we are weeks AFTER we expected to be home from China and we are not even waiting for TA yet. After some immigration glitches, and since we are I-800 (which means we have 2x the amount of paperwork than those who are I-600) we are still hanging in there, praying Maire is home soon.

Had to file a change of country, which took 3 weeks. Then we had to file the I-800, but then found out we had to file the I-864W along with the I-800. That is going to take 10-12 days to get back from immigration. After that, we send a ridiculous amount of paperwork to the National Visa Center, who then issues Maire's PRELIMINARY visa. Then they send their paperwork to us. When we get THAT paperwork, we send it to the chinese consulate who then issues an "article 5". An article 5 is the holy grail of all paperwork. This is "THE LETTER" that says, "We the Chinese government is requesting the Wells' family to travel to China to bring home their daughter." (In a nutshell). After we get "Article 5" we then FAX it to the US Embassy in China. The US Embassy says "Ok, we can process your daughter's final visa on x date." (We prayed for a July date, then we prayed for an August date...I've stopped putting a date on that now!) The we count BACKWARDS 10 days from that date and book travel...so if the Embassy says come on October 15....we count back 10 days and book our ticket to China for that day (October 5).

Confused yet...yea, well, so are we! Oh, and throw in there our paperwork and fingerprints expire on September 12. Since travel looks like it is NOT going to happen prior to that date, we get to take a day off of work and travel to KC, Kansas to get reprinted. (oh and pay another $80 pp for biometrics).

Anyone else wonder why there are so many orphans....?

No I haven't been in China!

2010-07-22T07:44:00.004-05:00

Found myself down and out for a few days with a herniated disk. But after one visit to the physical therapist and about 100 prayers, I am at 100%! I knew God would heal me, and he did!

I had hoped Maire would be in our arms by now, but we are still waiting for our USCIS paperwork update. I will wait 10 more minutes then make my daily call to my officer for a status update! We have already sent in Maire's I-800 request and Visa paperwork, so we are moving in the right direction! I got a new picture of my sweet girl, but it came in a pdf and cannot for the life of me figure out how to get it to a jpg-but I can tell you, this child has the cutest dimple right in the middle of her chin! I just love it! And she looks like she's put on a pound or two in foster care, which is FANTASTIC!
Please pray for God to prepare her heart for this difficult journey in her future. As the end of July approaches, I must switch my thinking cap to "First day of school". Jude turned 5 this summer (see pics) and starts Kindergarten on August 18. I am praying to be here for the first day of school for the boys! I really don't want to miss it. For Jude's birthday he got a brand new Star Wars backpack and lunchbox. He put it on eagerly and has not taken it off since (I had to peel it off of him while he slept one night!) At his party, I watched him put it on the first time...and I cried. He isn't a baby anymore--a big boy. My mom and sisters saw me, understood, and teared up, too. My husband, brother in law, and Dad looked at me like I was crazy!

So, I start collecting the school supply list, getting out the uniforms and figure out what fits who and what doesn't fit and what pants need to be hemmed for Jude or patched for Jack. What shirts are salvageable and what shirts should now be used for cleaning cloths! School shoes, school shots (yikes), school haircuts, school school school!

Gotta get it all worked out, so I'm not leaving my parents in a lurch when TA comes. I am trying to plan ahead, but I know me, and I will still be running around like a crazy women when the time comes!

Maire's Quilt

2010-07-12T21:08:00.004-05:00

We anxiously wait for our CIS paperwork update--hopefully only another week! Then we will finally get our TRAVEL APPROVAL. Please sign Maire's Quilt! It is a great way to send her a message she will keep forever! Thank you friends and keep us in your prayers! I am battling a herniated disk, but know that by travel time, God will have healed me 100%.

Mercy of the morning

2010-07-03T21:20:00.007-05:00

Every morning His mercies endure. I awoke this morning at 6:15 and headed down for my cup o' joe. Now those who know me must have thought something terrible was wrong considering I DON'T do mornings! But today was my volunteer day at the Farmer's Market on our town square. I took 15 minutes to spend with God, asking for patience, guidance, and forgiveness (I was still very angry with my agency). And once again, He provided! The morning was absolutely beautiful, the company at the market was superior, I met a family with 2 girls from China who shared so many wonderful stories and advice, sold some Maire Z Doats bags, participated in an impromptu street band (just played the wind chimes!), captured some "Norman Rockwell" images on my Nikon 5000, shared a plate of homemade snickerdoodles with my boys (for breakfast!) and came home and decorated the front porch for the 4th! All before noon!! (then I took a nap) Unfortunately, after my nap, I wasn't feeling so great and am still fighting something...not sure what though. This first indication that I will be getting sick is the fever blister slowly appearing on my lower lip. Seriously, is there anything more awful than a fever blister right smack dab on your face?!? Plus, it kills when I eat potato chips...and I LOVE potato chips. The horror of it all! But I will not let that get me down!

I feel so much better today than yesterday, and I believe this delay has happened for a very good reason. I have no doubt. In time, we will know why, but for now, I will take this additional time to better prepare to meet my girl! And nurse my lip back to its normal size and color! In the meantime, we would love for you to visit Maire's online quilt (link below). You can write a message on the quilt that will serve as a keepsake for Maire, plus help us raise the remaining funds for travel. Check it out! And don't forget, Maire Z Doats (debating a name change to Maire Z Totes--hubby's idea) are still available, special order! Thanks, and keep sweet Maire in your prayers!

Maire's 100 Wishes Quilt

The unknown

2010-07-02T21:26:00.002-05:00

"Houston, we have a problem." Well a hiccup, really. We just learned of a paperwork adjustment that needs to be made before we can get our travel approval. Unfortunately, this information only came to us today (despite the fact that our agency has known for a few weeks--but that is for another day). So the "any day now" has morphed into another 4-6 weeks. So the last 4 weeks of "waiting" for our Travel Approval...well, we weren't really waiting for anything.

Not only am I upset that this is going to interfere with school (I have to be back in the classroom on August 15 and Jude's first day of Kindergarten is August 18), but I am heartbroken--My Maire is stuck for another month--I am missing ONE MORE MONTH of her life. I'm trying to look at the bright side, but am having trouble visioning it right now! Perhaps it will look better in the morning? Doubt it...

The reality of adoption...

2010-06-29T18:53:00.000-05:00

This video was forwarded to me by a good friend and I just watched it...I can't breathe. My heart literally hurts for Maire and all of these "lost girls". I just want her home so badly. I am so blessed that God chose US to be Maire's parents. Adoption is a wonderful thing, created by God. But my joy of bringing Maire home comes at unbearable cost to another mom. My heart breaks for Maire's biological mother. What her mother must have gone through making this decision. I pray God watches over her and provides her with comfort in her decision. I will take care of her daughter. I promise with all of my heart and soul. And my sweet girl who is soon to be uprooted from the only life she's known, given to strangers who look different, talk differently, dragged to a country where everything is foreign. I can only pray that God prepares her heart for this transition. I pray that she knows my soul and finds comfort in us as her parents. Our children are our world and I cannot wait to share that unconditional love with her.

We are still taking donations for Maire's orphanage--if you can spare anything, please let us know. There are still girls left there--without parents. No future...please help them if you can. Thank you...

Parents Journey to China, Meet Adopted Children

Another Monday...

2010-06-28T06:58:00.003-05:00

Today I miss my Maire. Actually, I always "miss" her, but today hurts more than usual. I guess the reality of July 1 coming and going without travel approval is creeping up on me. Plus it is Monday and I have to work today...I love my job, but I have to be there so early!! I am not a early bird :) Oh well, considering it is the ONLY day I work this week, I think I can manage it. Plus, spending the day with 17 kiddos (ages 3 to 10) won't allow me anytime to miss my girl!

Went to Gymboree's semi annual sale and stocked up on hats for her! Yes, hats (see picture labeled "bald"). Bugs birthday is July 7 and he will be 5! I cannot believe he is going to kindergarten soon. Crazy stuff for a mom! Got a few goodies for him, but not sure what his "big" gift will be. Someone suggested a trampoline (with the safety net)...I'd like to know other's thoughts on this. I know they are fun and encourage exercise, but are they dangerous?! Is that a myth? Leave a comment if you have advice!

Off to school!! (the characters say "Child of God"...my entire family are His!)

More fundraising!

2010-06-23T20:57:00.018-05:00

As we get closer and closer to our travel date (at least we think we are getting closer!), we continue to focus our efforts on fundraising! We have received tremendous financial support from friends and family over the last months. In particular, an amazing donation that really helped ease the stress of Maire's orphanage donation! Thank you my "anonymous" friend!!

I am working on another garage sell with lots of goodies being donated by friends & family. But I am also trying my hand at sewing! I have always loved the idea of sewing and even received a sewing machine for Christmas! I had lots of GRAND ideas...new outfits for Maire. Shorts for the boys--maybe even some Halloween costumes. but I'll have to work up to those things!

I came up with this fundraiser idea one night while putting Bear's tooth in a Ziploc baggie. "I need a bag that is just for his teeth. Put it under his pillow & the tooth fairy exchanges it for a bit o' money!" (yes, I'm one of the parents that perpetuates the lies...) It turned out so cute, that I made lots of more, and passed them out to friends. Then someone says "You should sell these as a fundraiser for Maire on your website!" So here they are!!

Maire Z Doats Bags can fit coins, teeth, lock of hair, 8 crayons, lip gloss & lots of other small items for your little one. Use it as their own "handbag" or for precious keepsakes. With your choice of materials...either Girls Rock (black/pink), Sassafras (brown/aqua), Chickadee (yellow/blue), Cowboy Up (red/black cow spots) there should be one your little one will love! *I am currently looking for more boy material and will post options soon.

The small bag is $5.00 and shipping adds $2.00, but I will gladly combine shipping if you order more than one bag. I make the bags when your order them, so give me a couple of days notice. If you have a need for one right away, just let me know and I will do my best to get it to you when you need it! All of the proceeds from the bags go to my sweet Maire Bear's journey home. I hope to continue to sell them after her arrival and donate the proceeds to other adoptive families. Please spread the word!! Help me bring Maire home!

Choose from the following styles:

Giving advice, comfort and protection...

2010-06-20T08:47:00.006-05:00

*footnote* I wrote this Father's Day 2009. I went back to re read it yesterday and can honestly say nothing has changed except my love for these men--it has only grown. I hate to "cheat" and repost an old tribute, but it sums up perfectly how I feel about the men in my life...my children's life. I cannot wait for Maire to meet these men! I cannot wait for her to experience the love and joy my boys have because of our dads! Thank you Dad, Pop, Andy. Thank you.*

Today we celebrate our fathers. If you know my father, you know what an amazing man he is. I can always depend on him for anything. He is the hardest worker I know and instilled in me the drive to succeed, but always do the right thing. He loves my children without limits. He is the one that I base most of my decisions on! Would Dad think this a good idea? Would Dad be proud or disappointed? What will Dad say? Does that mean I always do the right thing...I think not! But, none the less, my Father is a great example to live life by. And for him, I will be eternally grateful. I love you Dad.

Too funny!

2010-06-18T21:40:00.005-05:00

Hi all,
I am sooo very tired tonight, so I'm cheating! I'm sending you to someone else's blog! This is the funniest thing I've read in weeks!! Hilarious!

Top 10 Reasons why having a toddler is like being at a frat party!

We are so close to bringing Maire home. Only a few more donations needed! Can you help?!? Chip In on the right! Thanks!

Angie

Home

2010-06-15T18:30:00.003-05:00

What is Home--the place where a person, family, or household lives. Is home the same as house? Are they interchangeable? I spent the last 10 days in the same house I've lived for 2 years. I slept in the same bed I have for 2 years. I parked in the same garage, cooked in the same kitchen, vacuumed the same floor (ok, maybe I didn't vacuum) that I always have. But I was not home, because they were not home. My sweet boys were hundreds of miles away, and my girl...across the sea. I drove 2 hours to our airport today to pick up the boys and bring them home. And I will sleep soundly for the first time in 10 days. But I am still not content...having the boys under this roof has settled my soul for today. Yet, one bed sits empty, undisturbed, just waiting for her to be home. Then, maybe then, our sweet yellow house on Arrow Street will be home, finally. Or perhaps home is simply where all 5 of us are together, finally.

Family Fun Day Success!

2010-06-13T21:46:00.004-05:00

Hi all! Just a quick update for those reading. The family fun day yesterday was a great success. We made about 1/2 of our goal of $1000. Considering the weather was NOT cooperative, I am thrilled that we had such a great turnout!! We had so much fun, despite the rain!

We also received a HUGE contribution towards Maire's orphanage donation earlier in the week. An amazing gift that we could have never dreamed possible! My final projections have us only a few donations away from our final goal!

I cannot wait to tell Maire the story of how God loved her from the minute she was conceived. God knew her exact path. He knew the people who would be most instrumental in getting her home. He knew from the beginning...

We will forever be grateful for their contribution---for everyone's contributions-- to help bring Maire home! As my friend said to me..."This experience only strengthens my faith in God!"

I miss all of my kids!!

2010-06-09T21:56:00.003-05:00

Tonight I am sad...I miss all of my kids! My 2 boys are having a blast in Maine, and my sweet Maire waits for me across the sea. Remind me of this post in 2 months time when I am pulling out my hair because I have 2 wild and crazy boys barreling through my house and my terrified baby girl (who speaks no English) watches the chaos with hesitation and fear as the barking corgis race frantically trying to catch the 2 running boys...could be interesting! As for right now...I cannot wait for the circus to begin!

More Pictures!

2010-06-08T20:52:00.003-05:00

We received an update on our Sweet Maire! She is 22 lbs, 33 inches tall and her foot is five inches! How cute?!? We cannot wait to kiss this baby girl!! She is waiting for us in Loudi Hunan Province-foster care. Her date of birth is 12/23/07. She was found abandoned at a hotel on June 22, 2008. We knew from the minute we saw her sweet face, she was meant to be ours. It was like we had met before! We have had so many "signs" from God over the last month, I have no doubt this is the right path!

We cannot wait to bring Maire home to meet her big brothers! They already adore her! Jude Bug fell asleep with her picture under his pillow a few nights ago...how sweet! Pray for a quick Travel Approval!

We will be having a big fundraiser for Maire on Saturday in Mom & Dad's back yard! Backyard Beach Party 11:00-1:00--slip n slide, face painting, treasure hunting, hot dogs, chips and cookies! Donations at the door. Please come out and help us raise the orphanage donation to bring Maire home!

Something NOT adoption related!

2010-06-06T13:09:00.007-05:00

Imagine that! I was just reading through a friends latest blog entry (Bushel and a Peck) and I was truly laughing out loud. She has been smacked in the face with the reality of 2 children and their MESSES!

I rejoiced at the thought of having an entire week sans kiddos to clean and organize my home. Bear and Bug are vacationing in Maine with Nana & Pop. What better time to "donate" some unused toys. Sort through clothes that don't fit. Really clean--maybe even the windows **gasp**. Yet on day 2 of their absence, I sit on my comfy black rocker surfing the net...with 2 loads of clean laundry staring at me. And an unimaginable stack looming behind the laundry room door--I try to avoid that room at all costs.
While growing up, my mother kept our house immaculate. She was a stay at home mom, and I remember she was always vacuuming or unloading the dishwasher--hand mopping the floors (Thank GOD for Swiffer, right?!?) Poor woman...never had time to blog! I have yet to look as cool as she did in her kerchief tied around her hair...believe me, I've tried.

So yes, our houses may be messy (I bet your neighbors' is too) and our laundry might stage a revolution at any minute--but this blogging community keeps me sane. You guys are the ones who jump online, write your heart onto a computer screen, then publish it for the world to see. And every time we hit "publish now" remember this. Blogging may take away from precious cleaning time--but we are creating a lifetime of memories for our children to read over and over again. Our blogs will be cherished by our children far after we leave this place. Our entries will one day make our children laugh and cry, but hopefully, they will also let our children see a side to "Mom" they didn't know existed. So blog away girlfriends...the dishes will get done when they are accompanied by an odor!

SWAGGER WAGON

2010-06-04T14:21:00.000-05:00

It's not about my needs...duh!?!

2010-06-03T21:09:00.007-05:00

Hi all,

So I had a few events happen this evening that reminded me of how selfish I have been over the last few days. "My needs" have consumed me. "I need" orphanage donation money, "I need" to travel before school starts in the fall, "I need" answers to the hundreds of questions I have a day about Maire, "I need" to buy clothes for her..."I need". "I need" ice cream.

What I really need is to lighten up and let go!

I was reminded tonight that not every child who needs love is an orphan. Lots of kids have a parent (s), but they still need someone in their life who cares...being a parent doesn't always mean you're good at it. How sobering a thought?

I have been spending some time (sporadic and unannounced time) with a young lady entering her teens--she shows up on my door step needing something..one night it was a ride home, one night is was a drink, tonight, I offered her dinner with us when came knocking-she quickly accepted. 2 hours later, she was back needing a ride home. The strange thing is, I don't know this child. The first time she showed up at my door, it was late and she needed a ride home. She was walking when she got scared (it was after 9:00pm) and our house was the only one on the street with a light on. She lives about 2 miles from us. Don't misunderstand, I have no idea what this child's home life is like...she may have amazing parents. But driving home tonight, I was thinking "I hope I'm not being taken advantage of." Then I thought..."Why?" So what, maybe she is taking advantage of me. She is not harming my family in anyway. As a matter of fact, she is helping me remind my children that God wants us to be a blessing to others. This child was brought into my life for a reason. I thought she needed something from me. But maybe I needed something from her.

It isn't about me...this adoption was NEVER supposed to be about me. It is about a child who needs a home...a child who needs to be loved her entire life...a child who is free from the cold floors of a concrete orphanage. That child is Maire. And God has given me the job of meeting HER needs. God is allowing me to love her.

So...now to the 'raffle'. It is no longer a raffle. If you want a chance to win one of the "coast to coast" items, simply let me know by commenting on this post. In your comment--here comes the kicker--you have to tell me what you have done to be a blessing to someone else OR how someone else has blessed you. If you do that, then you are entered! If you want to "chip in" and donate to our cause, even better! If you don't, you are still in the running!

God knows what I need to bring Maire home. God is truly the one who provides the funds. He has advocates and angels walking this earth. A God who can breathe stars can find the funds to bring home this child.

Written from my heart and with very little forethought!
Angie

Oops!

2010-06-03T17:53:00.003-05:00

Did you know that is against Paypal regulations to use their services for a raffle! I obviously didn't and they let me know. Wasn't that nice of them to let me know I was breaking the rules!? I am embarrassed...of course, but I'm a little bummed. Not sure how this "coast to coast" thing is going to work now! Any suggestions out there? The devil may very well have thrown us this roadblock, but he doesn't have any idea what a mother will do for her children. Step back non believers...and watch how God and I work!

Humbly yours,
Angie

Coast to Coast Raffle

2010-06-01T20:33:00.014-05:00

Hi folks! If you stopped by to enter our Coast to Coast Raffle, welcome! We are in the process of bringing our daughter Maire home from China. We have about one month to raise $5000 (Yikes, I know!) But I know we can do it. With the help of friends, family & God, Maire will soon be home.

About the raffle, we have 10 items to give away (see items here). On June 20, we will raffle off the items using www.random.org. Here is how it works. Donate $25 and you will get one raffle ticket. Donate $50 (or more) and you will get 3 raffle tickets. Within 24 hours, I will send you your raffle ticket numbers via email. What if I don't have a paypal account, you ask? No problem, send me an email at angelawells1@live.com and let me know how many tickets you want, then mail me a check!

On June 20, we will raffle off item number 10 first, then work our way down to item number 1. If your ticket number is selected, you will be contacted about the item you won and we will send it to you...our cost. Then that ticket will be left out of the following drawings. However, if you contributed $50 or more, you will still have 2 more chances to win something else!

Wish everyone could win, but we only have 10 items! But this isn't just about winning, every dime in that is donated account goes to bringing Maire home. We cannot thank you enough for participating in our raffle. Email us with any questions and good luck!

Sincerely,

Angie & Andy

Preparing for Maire

2010-05-30T07:03:00.005-05:00

So, I hit up 3 garage sales this weekend and got Maire some wonderful PINK stuff! (Remember, I have 2 boys!!) Lots of play clothes, some great never worn dresses & shoes, a new umbrella stroller, and Jude selected some fuzzy pink slippers for her. Possible they are way too small, but it was too sweet of Jude to choose them. He had one dollar. He spent .50 cents on a stuffed bear he named punky, and the other .50 cents on these slippers for Maire. I love that boy!

In my haste to materially prepared for Maire, I need to remember-I know I will never abandon this child. I know she can trust me to the ends of the earth and back. I know she will be ok. But she doesn't...and she won't for a long time. I need to prepare MYSELF for this long journey. I have no doubt God is preparing Maire for this huge transition. Now I need to ask Him to prepare me! Prepare OUR family. So I am doing that now. Please join in this prayer for Maire and our family as this amazing journey unfolds before our eyes. I cannot thank you enough!

Love the Wells'

"Dear Lord, on the day of Maire's conception, you knew she was created for us. Lord, we pray that your spirit return to that blessed day and heal all of her wounds--mental, physical, emotional. We pray that the beautiful heart created by you for Maire will be prepared for this amazing and emotional journey. Hold her safely during this transition. I know that her soul and mine (ours) are intertwined-may she feel our love and know we are Hers. God bless Maire.

Please prepare the hearts of our boys for this new blessing, as well. They may not always feel it IS a blessing, so give them patience and understanding as they learn to share Mommy & Daddy with this stranger from overseas.

Lastly, give Andrew and I the courage and the strength to truly understand what God has planned for us and our family. Grant us the ability to "let go" and let God continue to hold the reigns. Give us patience to parent 3 children, the wisdom to prepare them for the world, and guidance in Your word, so they may grow to be Children of God. Remove Satan and the financials fears of this journey from our thoughts so that we may see the goodness of God and the true miracle of Adoption."

We, the sons and daughters of Christ were once orphans. Through love and unimaginable sacrifice, God came to us. As promised in His word, He did not leave us as orphans. Lord, the Creator of adoption, has chosen us to be his Hands. Has he chosen you, too? We cannot change this world by adopting one child, but for one child, we can change the world. Get involved--volunteer, donate, adopt, pray--listen to God. He will tell you where He needs YOU.

God's Plan

2010-05-26T22:29:00.001-05:00

I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.
-John 14:18

I’ve sat down to write this letter too many times, but this time I will finish it! Andy and I have a daughter. Yes, a daughter! For those who have followed our 3 year battle to adopt a little girl might be slightly surprised to learn she is from China!

A brief synopsis for those who care! After our 2nd son was born in summer of 2005, Andrew and I decided we wanted to adopt our next child. Blessed with two strapping young lads, we both were drawn to China and thought a little girl would be perfect. We spent 2 years researching adoption, and then began the paper chase! In October of 2007, we were officially in line as a family waiting for a little girl under the age of 2 in China. We were told the wait would be 8-12 months. By the summer of 2008, the wait had grown to almost 3 years. It would 2010 before we would be matched with a child. So we decided to look at other programs.

We stumbled across a new program offered by our agency in Burundi, Africa. We thought about it and decide to go for it! We were now “concurrently adopting,” still waiting in for a daughter from China, but also adopting from Burundi, Africa—a program slated to move much faster. On September 30 we received a match for a sweet 2 year old from Burundi, Africa who was in need of a home. We named her Zoe, and began preparing for her arrival! We were assured Zoe would be home with us by Christmas of 2009. However, in this ever changing world of adoption, things progressed much slower and came to a grinding halt in January of 2010.

With broken hearts, we decided to withdraw our application for our sweet Zoe in Burundi, Africa. The wait for a baby girl from China had grown to 4.5 years from our log in date of October 2007. We were not expected to get matched to our daughter in China until late 2012 or even Spring 2013. We had some decisions to make—not only had we invested 3 years in this process (and thousands of dollars), but our hearts had been broken, and we felt so lost.

We talked about Ethiopia, and felt it was a reliable program, but decided that raising $15K to start all over was not an option for us. So, we would wait for the Chinese government to match us with a little girl from China even though it probably wouldn’t happen until 2012.

Remember, the name of this letter is “God’s Plan”—not “Our Plan”! On April 21 of this year, Love Without Boundaries (a non profit organization working to find homes for Chinese orphans) posted a short story on a child named “Maire.” Maire turned 2 in December and was currently in need of a family. Because so many families waiting for children from China request a child under 2, Maire was going to be hard to place. She was put on a list of “Waiting Children”. We were not familiar with this list, nor ever considered reviewing those children. So God took control. Through a friend of a friend of a friend (yes 3x removed) this short story about Maire found its way into my “in box”. We immediately fell in love and within 24 hours had contacted our agency asking “How can WE adopt Maire?”

A few phone calls and emails later, and we formally requested this sweet child. It was April 28, 2010. The process follows: Our paperwork in China dated October 2007 was pulled out of the long line of families waiting. It was then put in another pile of families willing to consider a “waiting child”-a much shorter line! Our paperwork was reviewed, translated, and then paired with Maire’s paperwork. Then, someone in the government gives their official “ok” if we are a good match. This process takes 4-6 weeks. However, for us it took 10 days. 10 days after requesting Maire, we had the Chinese government’s approval to adopt her! We were shocked, but mostly thankful. We told our families and showed them the newest member! It was the Sunday after Mother’s day. It was perfect.

So here we are on May 26, making this announcement! We have a daughter, and God made her for us. What’s next? We impatiently wait for the formal letter of approval to arrive (Our agency has received it from the Chinese government and is Fedexing it to us today). We’ll sign it and return it to our agency, who then sends it overseas. After the letter is received in China, the government grants us permission to travel to China to bring her home. We’ll set up an embassy appointment in Guangzhou, confirm the dates with our overseas adoption guide, Richard, and then hop on a plane for a very long journey to Loudi, Hunan Province in China. We anticipate travel in late July, but once again, this is God’s plan…not ours!

To tell you how amazed we are at the happenings of the last month would be redundant. I can tell you that, despite my amazement, I am not surprised. We have faith that moves mountains, and that is exactly what God is doing for us…moving mountains. He brought us so far, through ups and downs we never expected or imagined, and through it all, we continued to praise and trust in Him. And this is why. He knew when He placed the desire to adopt on our hearts all those years ago, that on December 23, 2007, a little girl would be born in Loudi, China…and she would be ours.

We write you for two reasons. Of course, we are thrilled at this announcement and want to shout to the world, but we are also asking for your help. We are short of our final financial goal. You may not realize how expensive adoption can be, but the paperwork and people involved are endless and that translates to money. Since applying in 2007, we have been paying toward our China adoption. We’ve had a few fundraisers that have been tremendous in this effort. We’ve also exhausted much of our savings.

It is difficult to think about “The price of a child.” We, of course, feel she is priceless. However, we also have to stop and think, what is the cost NOT to adopt? I can’t imagine God intended for children to be parentless. James 1:27 states “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” When children are raised without parents, without families, without self worth, they become polluted. We cannot bring every orphaned child into our home, but we can bring home Maire. Please help us do that.

Please know that any amount you donate will be tax deductable when made out to Americans Adopting Orphans. You may send your contributions to us and we will forward them, or you may send them directly to the agency. Their address is listed in the margin. Please make sure you put our name (Maire Wells OR Angie/Andy Wells) in the memo.

We cannot thank you enough for your donation, prayers, and well wishes. We know that God’s plan is better than any plan we could ever imagine!
We are proud to introduce you to Maire Wells.

Surprise!

2010-05-24T23:19:00.001-05:00

So if you have been following any of our blogs, you are probably going to be slightly surprised by our most recent news! We have a daughter...from CHINA!!! We have been working on our paperwork over the last month, but since our latest adoption hurdles, we were very reluctant to make any formal announcements, but we are very confident we will be traveling overseas very soon to bring Maire home! The boys are thrilled, our parents are ecstatic, and Andy and I are just besides ourselves. We have dreamed about our daughter for over 5 years!

This has been a very long wait to bring home our girl. I will post the entire details shortly, but wanted everyone to meet our sweet girl NOW! Watch for details in the future. We are still short on our fundraising, and have a very short time to draw in the final few thousand, but we are confidant God will provide!
Ladies and gentlemen, friends, family & adoption supporters worldwide, with great joy, we are thrilled to introduce you to...

Our daughter Maire

My favorite song....!

2010-05-23T09:30:00.001-05:00

PA!

2010-05-14T20:37:00.000-05:00

PA! PA! PA! I know that looks strange to those who have no idea what adoption lingo means...Heck, I didn't know what PA meant 2 weeks ago! I had to email another adoptive mommy! But now WE have a PA! Can't wait to tell you what that is. Only a few more days blogger buddies! Then we have totally awesome news!!! Please come back on Sunday!

Rumors...rumors

2010-05-07T19:21:00.000-05:00

So, anyone familiar with "that rumor website" (in the world of Chinese adoption, rumor queen is well....the queen!) Referrals coming for log in dates through April 21, 06 (possibly through the 24th) BUT THIS IS JUST RUMOR! Now, what does this means for someone like us who's log in date is October 18, 2007? A very very very long time until OUR referral comes! I just had 3 more gray hairs sprout with that sentence! However, it is Mother's Day weekend and what more perfect gift than to receive you referral! Congrats to all you Mom's out there!

Updates soon...

2010-05-06T20:20:00.000-05:00

Ok, so it's been like...3 years since our last entry. When we originally started this blog is summer of 2007, it never occurred to us the wait would become so stinkin' long! Oh my! We are still about 2 years away from our original referral, BUT we do have some exciting news we hope to share very very soon. So, add us to your prayer list please! And check back often for good news!!

Family, Friends, Food, and Funds

2007-12-11T13:23:00.000-06:00

It is official! We are in line for adoption with China. Yesterday we received, via e-mail, notice of our Log In Date. The LID is a little earlier than we anticipated. We were logged in to China on October 18th, 2007. It may not seem like much, but we are so excited about this development! We are still looking at probably 2009 before we get our referral for adoption. With a little luck it could be our Christmas present next year. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for that, but won’t place our expectations there.

***

Of course, a referral will mean it is time for our biggest expense of the entire adoption process. We will not be sitting on our laurels until then. Not only are we saving our pennies, but we are now entering fund raising time. An adoption is an amazing expense. There is a reason some countries have been accused of profiteering off their orphan problems. If we had enough rights as adoptive parents here in the U.S., we would have kept it here and kept our expenses down. But in a way we are doing something for a child who might not even have the opportunities of an American orphan. We would like to take as much of the financial burden as we can ourselves, but this is also an opportunity for others who are not interested in adopting themselves to help bring a family and a better life to an orphan.

On Sunday, Dec. 2 The Potter’s Hand church in Camdenton, MO (at the Lake of the Ozarks) held a special benefit dinner for families adopting orphans. The dinner was hosted by Tupelo Honey’s, my in-laws Tiffanie’s and James’s restaurant. Half of The Potter’s Hand’s proceeds were donated to our adoption.

Tiff’s buffet consisted of Roast Pork Tenderloin with Cornbread Stuffing, Shepherd’s Pie, Fried Catfish, Salad, Potatoes, Green Beans, Cherry Cobbler and Bread Pudding. Several members of The Potter’s Hand acted as drink servers and bus boys. Angie and I joined them. Angie took drink orders (and panicked when her sister told her she wouldn’t need a note pad to remember them) and I bussed tables. We talked to several couples who had either adopted themselves or had sons or daughters who had adopted some of their grandchildren.

Angie’s entire family showed up in support and James gave me score-by-score updates of the Giants game from his cell phone. I was shocked at the end of the evening to learn the Giants had beaten the Bears. Not one of the reports James had given me throughout the evening was good. I’m glad I was doing something other than watching the game. It was much more bearable that way (no pun intended).

At the end of the evening the church had raised over $800 (our portion will cover one tenth of our plane ticket costs), and Angie and I had gained a whole new set of friends and support group for our adoption. Being adoptive parents is like being part of some giant fraternity, and everyone I’ve met from it has been so kind and helpful. I hope after we have our daughter Angie and I will have the same opportunity to reach out to other adopting families in the same way so many have reached out to us to lend a hand.

A big thank you to Craig and Cindy and everyone at The Potter’s Hand and even bigger hugs and praise to Tiffanie and James for their delicious food and a wonderful place to eat, be with and make new friends.

Family Album 07

2007-11-29T15:06:00.000-06:00

We are still waiting on word from China of our Log In Date, which should have been during the final week of October. It could be January before we find out what our exact LID was, but as we move through the holidays I thought it would be a good time to compile a family album of sorts that can act as an overview of what we will be introducing our little girl to and a catch up on our year for some of the family and friends that will be reading this blog.

I believe we had our busiest year to date in the Wells Household, Missouri Division. In fact the biggest project of the year involved our house itself. We tore it apart in June... ...and are just now finishing the last details of our renovations.
Everyone lent a helping hand.
Some more than others.
Jude took it upon himself to catch up on some reading while the rest of us worked.
The boys even tried to invent a new sport that they hope to take to the Beijing Olympics in honor of their sister-to-be.
Since the reconstruction took so long, we had to break for things like birthdays and such.
This is Jack’s.
It was during the dog days of summer.
This is Jude’s.
A big thank you to whoever got this one for Jude. The Backyardigans guitar has become cherished by all with ears.
Things got a little out of hand.
I’m not sure handing a deadly weapon to a six year old is one of the smartest things I ever did.
As you can see, fun with the Hicks clan is a community experience.
Jack learned a new skill set.
It took the entire clan to catch this one fish. Get that away from us Gandpa!

Jude tried to make more room in our car for his new sister by eating himself. Hold on there buddy! She’s not here just yet. That may not be necessary.
The boys and their cousins, Alexander and Gabriella, took in some culture attending fine theater.
The boys eagerly followed the Giants for the first half of the season.
Now, that the Giants’ fate of throwing in the second half of the season seems to be unfolding as usual, Jude finds other comforts. There will always be cake.
And with fall there are always leaves, as well. The quality of help in cleaning up the leaves is just as good as it was for the kitchen project.
The boys made full use of The Monolith (their gigantic playset) this fall. So there is no doubt our daughter will have a good exercise regiment when she arrives.
And the Corgi looks on with her frog legs. We hosted our first Thanksgiving Dinner this year in our newly refurbished home.
Uncle James was ready for the task at hand.
And we’ve already embarked on creating a genuine environment for our children for the Christmas season. Yes, this is the first picture of myself I've chosen to include.
We’re watching all the holiday classics.
As you can see, there is only room on Lucy’s head for the antlers or those satellites of hers, not both.
I hope this one can stay off Santa’s naughty list.
And if we do end up naming our daughter-to-be Zu Zu, here’s a hint as to why.
Happy Holidays!

A Story of Hope

2007-11-09T14:13:00.000-06:00

Last week Americans Adopting Orphans posted this story from the New York Times.

http://relativechoices.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/test/

It goes a long way to explain just what we are trying to accomplish with this adoption. It is a wonderful story, and we could only hope to orchestrate a story just as wonderful for our own adoption one day. This isn’t just about us, or even our daughter. There is more involved in all of this than simply having a daughter of our own. We could just keep trying for that. My brother has proven that there are more than just boys in our genes. But we want someone else to have an impact on a child’s life, just like the social worker in this article did.

In bio-children news, we received an interesting e-mail from Jack’s kindergarten teacher this morning. Here it is:

“I have to tell you about Jack. His morning started off great and he
got a positive action. He turned it in for a piece of sugarfree gum. So
he was chewing (chomping) away. Father Kevin comes in for his visit
and after 15 min. he sees Jack with gum and immediately questions him
why he has gum. I explained why, but while I was explaining Jack looked
so scared. He thought he was in big trouble. Jack was really good at
answering Father’s questions through-out his visit, and he said he should
get more gum. It was so funny. The look on his face. He wouldn't
even look at Father the rest of his visit, but he was sure answering the
questions. Thought you would like to hear about this funny moment.
Dodi”

Filed and Filmed

2007-10-24T10:07:00.000-05:00

On Monday October 22, 2007 we received a notice from Americans Adopting Orphans that our dossier had arrived at China Center for Adoption Affairs. The documents arrived in Beijing on October 15 at 3:36 p.m. This is our “Date to Country”. Our waiting process does not officially begin until our Log-in Date (LID). That date should be sometime this week, but we will not find out what our official LID is until CCAA contacts AAO with it in a month or two. Apparently there is a good deal of sitting in a pile this paperwork will go through. Either way, we have officially entered the hardest part of the entire adoption process, the waiting.

To pass the time, Ang and I are beginning to look into familiarizing ourselves with Chinese culture and with adoption culture. As a film critic, I have found that many films deal with adoption. In fact, this week marks the release of a recent film featuring adoption issues on DVD. If you missed the Disney CGI animated film “Meet the Robinsons” in theaters, DVD (or of course for you hi-def freaks out there Disney Blu-Ray) is a wonderful place to check out this odd little film.

As animated features go, this one kind of flew in under the radar. That may be because it is a fairly unconventional film. It has that retro-future look of cartoons which imagined what the future might be like in the ‘60’s and seems to have been approached by its writers and animators like many of Disney’s early animated feature films, with a tilt toward the absurd and down right lunatic. It was blasted by some critics for its fragmented and simplistic storyline, but I found that it embraced a freedom of imagination that is rarely seen in film today and the animated CGI format is well equipped for. Read my review of it using this link: Meet the Robinsons / *** (G).

Pride and Joy

2007-10-19T16:26:00.000-05:00

We have received congratulations from far and wide since our article ran in the local newspaper two Fridays ago. We’ve heard from clients, family, local politicians, even a couple state representatives. The response to our news has been somewhat overwhelming. We hadn’t been keeping our plans to adopt a secret since we started the paperwork back in February, so it was surprising to realize that it was news to so many people. It is also amazing to discover just how many people know or are related to someone who has not only adopted, but adopted a child from a foreign country.

Angie and I and the boys very much wish to thank everyone who has responded to the article for their well wishes and support. It is thrilling to be involved in something with this much love behind it.

On another note, it is important to remember that we are already the biological parents of two amazing little boys. Better make that “proud parents.” Angie and I attended our very first parent-teacher conference last night with Jack’s kindergarten teacher Mrs. Dierking. We’re still having trouble bringing our selves to refer to teachers by their first names. It doesn’t help that Angie’s old high school principal is now Jack’s grade school principal. Those old school habits come flooding back every time you enter a school, if you don’t do it on a regular basis. Her name is Dodi, she keeps reminding us.

So Angie and I arrive in the school parking lot a few minutes early, having just dropped the boys off at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. I suddenly panic. Did we have some homework to do? Am I supposed to be bringing something? Is there some sort of bribe we can give her? Angie assures me there was nothing we were supposed to prepare ahead of time.

We walk into the school and see some parents and kids milling in and out of the classrooms. It has that unnaturally quite feel schools always do after regular hours. We peek our heads into Jack’s classroom, with its miniature seats and tables and colored paper plates hanging from the ceiling. The parents in front of us aren’t finished yet. We wander back into the hall. And notice that Angie’s sister had met with our nephew’s preschool teacher earlier in the day.

Mrs. Dierk… um, Dodi comes out of her room with the other parents. I don’t know their names or their boy’s. I’m the dad. I think that’s normal. Angie could probably tell me the kid’s name at least. Wait! Kid? Were we supposed to bring Jack? Surely, Angie would know if we were supposed to bring the kid. Naw! Jack wouldn’t have let us come without him if he was supposed to be here. He would have kicked and screamed. He never would have let us out the door. Unless of course, he just wanted to watch Boomerang!

“You didn’t bring your kids either?!” Dodi Dierking exclaimed at us. “I think they were the only ones who brought theirs. Everyone else just dumped ‘em off at the grandparents. Anything as an excuse for a night free from ‘em! That’s great! I know that’s what I’d do!”

“So it's OK we didn’t bring him along?”

“Of course. You need these breaks,” she said. Her daughter is actually in Jack’s class as well.

So we sat down, and she asked us if we had any questions, and suddenly I’m hearing my Theater Styles professor from Hofstra explaining to me that I did not get an “A” because I didn’t participate enough in class. “Um, I d—uh, no? I don’t have any—um anything. Do you, hon?”

Of course Angie is handling all of this like an old pro. “Nope. Why don’t you start things off and if there’s anything you don’t answer, I’ll ask you after.”

So, Do… Mrs… The teacher pulls out this report card and unfolds five pages. What?! This kid can’t even put his own pants on without getting distracted, there’s no way he can score well on something so involved as to require five pages of columns and scores. But score well he did. There were three different letter grades, an S (Satisfactory?) for things had a good handle on, a P (Progress?) for things that needed work but in which he was making progress, and an X for areas of concern.

Well, it was a card full of S’s. I mean there were a few P’s here and there, but as she explained it most of the P’s were for subjects they had just begun to work on. Now, these weren’t subject like Physics of Light or anything. They encompassed things like tying shoes. But still, hey, hey, hey!!! There was one area of concern. He had an X under telephone number. Sadly, I have to say I don’t think I’ve ever tried to tell him his telephone number. But we quizzed him as soon as we got back to Grandma’s house and he knew it without any prompting, so that X was bogus.

I know, I know. I’m doing that whole parent gloating over their amazing children thing, but darn it! if that isn’t my job now! And I take that task on with pride! The bible says pride can be a bad thing, but it is your job as a parent. Am I wrong? Of course not! I don’t think I’ll get any nay-sayers out there on that one.

But here comes the best part. He also had to grade his own progress in class. What a great idea! I love this school thing. So there’s this chart with columns with boxes for “yes”, “no”, and “sometimes”, and there are categories like “Do I pay attention in class?” My kid, the honest little jerk (that is meant affectionately) checks “yes” to the question “Do I listen when others speak?” But then he had crossed that out and changed it to “sometimes”. He’s one of those kids who will never tear that tag off a mattress for fear that the mattress police will discover what he has done and lock him away from 20 years.

A couple of quotations from his fill in the blank section of his self evaluation:

“My favorite subject is recess because I get to pla.”
“My least favorite subject is lunch because I have to eat a lot.”
“I do my best work in patterns” and “I need to try harder in math.”

Incidentally, his two best subjects were patterns and math.

The school is having an auction next Saturday, a big annual fundraiser. And one of the things they are auctioning is a cookbook of recipes made up by the kids. Does my kid make up a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, or cake, or even mud pies. No, Jack wrote a recipe for exactly what Angie would have predicted: corn cakes. They are pancakes made of corn bread. Jack’s favorite dish in the world.

Jack's version of corncakes require “50 pounds of corn, 1 eg, a sprinkle of flor, 1 tabl spoon of baking pwr, bake for 10 min.”

I love that kid!

We’re Famous!

2007-10-05T14:23:00.000-05:00

Well, it’s been a bit of a wait, but we have finally made the local paper. We were interviewed last spring for a feature article in our local paper. We had a wonderful evening with staff writer Rachel Harper of the Marshall Democrat-News, talking about family and children and our experiences at the beginning of our adoption process. We had begun to wonder what had happened to the article, but certainly weren’t concerned with it tardiness since we have quite a wait ahead of us. But today was the day that our news story finally saw the light of day here in Marshall, and if you can’t tell, we are very excited about it.

Rachel plans to do a follow-up article when we get our referral and perhaps another when we have completed the adoption to see how our little girl is adapting to life in the Mid-West in general and in Marshall in particular. That will, of course, be after we complete our world tour with the girl to meet everyone who has followed her progress. You can read the article at this link. And keep up with news here in Marshall at the Democrat-News link I have provided in our “Related Sites” section.

I took the picture from the article. It was taken by Rachel.

Done and Gone

2007-09-28T13:58:00.000-05:00

It is official. Our Chinese adoption dossier is complete and on its way to China… via Seattle. We have paid our dossier fee and sent the thing which has consumed our lives for the past 9 months or so to the Americans Adopting Orphans headquarters in Seattle. They will start the translation process and should be sending it to the China Center for Adoption Affairs in China on or around October 1. After that we have to wait for our login date. This is the date on which CCAA accepts our application for adoption and puts us on the official waiting list for adoption candidates to receive referral of a little girl for adoption. We should receive a login date by the end of November. In fact, our login date will most likely fall sometime in October, but we won’t find out what it is until November.

From the point of our login date, we begin our wait for an actual referral of a specific orphan for us to accept or deny as the little girl we wish to adopt. When we began this process more than a year ago, the wait for a referral from the login date was running about 8 months. We are hearing news from other adopting parents that the wait time has gone up to 19 months with some fearing 20 months or longer.

Whatever our wait, it seems most referrals are being born about 12 months before travel dates, the time at which you actually travel to pick up your child. That 20 month waiting period doesn’t seem so bad to me at the moment considering we are currently dealing with the Terrible Twos from our youngest boy, Jude, with those Trying Threes to look forward to. But it might become unbearable if the wait were to increase any more. We have our fingers crossed that those wait times will actually start to decrease next year. My theory is that they will reverse once all the hoopla of the Beijing Olympics is over.

However long the wait, I have no doubt that Jack will be taking it in stride.

The Long Road

2007-09-14T14:54:00.000-05:00

I know it has been a very long time since I made an entry in this blog. I had lofty goals at first of making weekly entries even when no progress was being made toward the adoption, but life gets busy and every time it stopped long enough for me to consider composing an entry, there seemed too much to catch up on. Now, so much time has passed, I feel I can just overview most of those details of life that don’t really pertain to the adoption of our little girl.

We’ve gone through house training for our Corgi. She is now in a training program so we can control her barking and chewing on Angie. She doesn’t chew on me, just Angie.

Jude’s terrible twos have firmly set in since his 2nd birthday in July. He’s gotten so terrible lately. But he's also so awesome. He’s still so cute and full of guile. I’ve started referring to him as “Busey,” after the actor Gary Busey, because he acts so crazy. He likes to rub various substances into his hair, giving him the appearance of a celebrity mug shot.

Jack has grown so much. He participated in his first sport team season this summer. He was in the town t-ball league. He took the term “magnet ball” to a new level, running anywhere on the field the ball would go. By the end of the four game season he actually was beginning to learn to stay in his position. And then our little boy started school this year. I suddenly know why my parents would go all nuts about how they were losing me to each stage in my life. The time goes by too fast.

We placed Jack in a parochial Catholic school. We are not Catholic, but we felt he would stand a better chance of getting the proper attention in a private setting as opposed to a public school. He’ll go to the public school eventually. The parochial is only for the lowers grades. But he loves school. And he finally gets enough activity that he doesn’t wake us up at 6 a.m. every day.

We entered the hellish world of home improvement this summer. We remodeled our kitchen, dining room and living room. We started with a bogus contractor, ended up firing him and going with a much more expensive one and did some of the work our selves. That would be why it still isn’t finished. But we are much happier with it.

But the really big news is that while all of this other stuff was going on, we have finished our adoption dossier. We got the doctors to admit there really is nothing wrong with my liver, so we could finish our home study. We’ve been finger printed by CIS. I don't know what happened to the newspaper article the local paper was supposed to run on us. I guess they decided the town gets to see my ugly mug on the front page often enough.

We’ve had all of our paperwork authenticated and re-authenticated. And just last week the Chinese Embassy in Chicago confirmed that we had everything we needed and it is ready to send off to the Chinese adoption authorities in China. Now, if we just hadn’t blown through our fee to them fixing up our kitchen.

That whole process would have taken much less time if we had let our adoption agency do it all, but by doing it ourselves we saved a great deal of money. Now, once we send our fee and dossier off to China, our real wait begins. I think it is still about an 18 month wait. Hopefully, that will change... for the shorter. We think it would be just great if it would time out so our little girl would be born at about the same time as our new nephew/niece. Congratulations on pregnancy number two Dan and Lisa!!!

Now, in order for that to happen our wait would have to shrink by a couple of months before April. We would still have a considerable time to wait even if they are born about the same time, but if we can get a log in date by the end of the year it would be possible. They wouldn’t get to meet each other until they were each about a year old, but that would be cool.

Anyway, we are very happy to finally be approaching our log in date, the date which our wait begins for the Chinese government to send us through the system and assign us a daughter. I’ll be sure to make a big deal out of the log in date for everyone, so you’ll all know when it happens. It been a long road, and there’s still such a long way to go, but it will be well worth the wait.

Dogs, Diets and Digests

2007-05-03T16:35:00.000-05:00

Where to start? It’s been several weeks since we began this blog and much has happened. Hence, no entries in weeks. We’ve been too busy. It will probably be best to go through it chronologically. I’ll leave out the stuff that really has nothing to do with our growing family.

First off, we decided to start practicing our adoption skills early and have already added a new member to our family. She is short and furry and likes to go to the bathroom on our rug.

She is a Pembroke Welch Corgi and her name is Lucy. We agreed upon the name readily after acquiring her from a breeder not far from where we live. Her coloring makes it appear sometimes as if she is wearing a pair of glasses, so her full name is Lucy In Disguise. As you can see from her very large ears, she doesn’t share our former dog’s reception problems. I’ve already got a music mix in the works for her, including of course, The Beatles “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, David Bowie “Diamond Dogs”, and Dave Matthews Band “Satellite”.

We wanted to wait a while after our last dog, Helen, passed away before committing to another one. I know some people might think we really didn’t wait all that long (about 6 weeks), but for us it was quite some time. One of the key motivating factors was our oldest son, Jackson. Angie has always wanted to see one of her boys with his own puppy. Personally, I think I could have done without the whole puppy experience again. I say this after having spent half the night outside in the rain with Lucy because she just seems to refuse to move her bowels tonight. But if I left her out in the house, she would loose them the second we looked away from her.

When we explained to Jack what had happened to Helen, his immediate reaction was remorse, then within seconds his mood changed and he asked, “So when can we get another dog?” We asked him what kind of dog he wanted, big or small. Those are really the only kind to a boy who can rule one and be ruled by the other. No surprise for Jack, he wanted a small dog.

I don’t have much affection for most small breeds, but I always liked the Corgi’s. As adults they have short stubby legs but the body of a medium-sized dog. Sounds strange, but they’re cute. And as puppies, well, they just look like little bears at first. Then those ears pop up. It was difficult, even for me, to take home only one. Lucy was one of two Jack hand picked himself, Angie and I made the final decision. Angie liked Lucy because she was “spunky”. We maybe should have gone with one of the calmer ones.

As for our China adoption, well, our paperwork has been going very smoothly, except for one, my doctor’s physical. During my first set of tests, I got two negative marks. My cholesterol was slightly elevated, due to four months of inactivity from my back problems. That problem corrected itself after my return to full time work (and when I stopped eating all that Ben & Jerry’s).

The second negative was with my liver, which was reporting elevated enzyme levels. Upon a second set of tests, those levels had dropped significantly, however were still abnormal. Now, I think my liver enzymes have been out of whack for quite some time. I had mono at 24 and my liver shut down. When I tested for a new life insurance policy in 2001, the levels were elevated. The nurse said it could be a virus, or it could just be that my enzymes are naturally higher; but the doctor won’t sign off on me without a consultation with a specialist.

This stinks in terms of getting our paperwork all wrapped up for the adoption, but I am glad I’ll get the chance to figure out just what is going on with my liver once and for all. My appointment is on May 21.

Other than my doctor’s report, we are all ready to move on to the second step in the adoption process which is the FBI fingerprinting and review of our paperwork by the state and federal agencies. I certainly hope there aren’t any surprises popping up from the FBI.
And finally, this is not the only place where our adoption process will be chronicled. An ambitious young reporter named Rachel at our local paper decided it would make a good on-going feature. She came by this evening to interview Angie and I (Jack put in his two cents worth as well), and we welcomed her with a home cooked meal of ziti. We had a wonderful time, often straying off the subject. Once the article is published you can read it at http://www.marshallnews.com/.

Home Study Today and We're Away

2007-03-10T16:21:00.000-06:00

Well, our next child is under way. It may seem to be kind of a misnomer to refer to an adoption as a surprise, especially considering the years we've spent researching this decision that we've made. But we couldn't be happier to learn that we're having a baby, even if this one will require considerably more contemplation and deliberate action. Not that our two boys, Jack and Jude, didn't require a good deal of that as well.

Perhaps a little more introduction is necessary for those who are unfamiliar with our family. I'm Andrew Wells, my wife is Angela Wells. We are more commonly referred to as Andy and Angie. We live in the mid-western state of Missouri. We've been married for more than seven years and have two biological children, Jack (5) and Jude (20 mos.).

That's us. I don't usually look quite so psychotic.

We are in the process of adopting a little girl from China. Don't worry! You haven't missed anything. We are still in the early stages of the adoption process. We have finished most of our preliminary paperwork and, just this weekend, we had our home study.

A very nice lady from St. Louis named Susan came to interview us last night and see our home. Of course, Angie and I were overly nervous about this whole visit, thinking we were to be judged on every detail of our home. We spent the week cleaning areas that probably weren't even noticed and fixing things we never use. We had been assured by friends that the home study was mostly to make sure we weren't operating a Meth house or something, but we wanted to make our best impression.

Our son Jack was very helpful during the tour of our home. He showed Susan his bedroom first, the Jude's, then Mommy and Daddy's. He wanted to skip unnecessary rooms, such as the office, the living room and the kitchen, so he could show her the downstairs with all of his video games and toys. Naturally, Angie and I wanted to down play things like video games, and we were pleased that he could remember where his toothbrush was for her.

Then I corralled the kids in the basement, while Susan interviewed Angie solo. Solo interviews? Did we know about this before hand? We hadn't rehearsed our answers! You had to get stories like this straight for the police, right?!

Luckily for us, Susan chose to interview me the next day. She found her way back to our home this morning with more ease than her original journey here last night. I told her my life story, which I will now spare the rest of you. Then she interviewed us together. The second part of the interview consisted mostly of questions about our outlooks as parents, as a couple, and as potential parents to a child of a differing ethnicity.

It was really all very laid back, and both we and Susan had a very fun time of it. I think she really enjoyed hearing my stories of my family and growing up in Maine. Considering Angie and I have very similar personalities, I'm also sure Susan enjoyed Angie's stories of her family and Missouri as well. We each had different funny stories to tell about our meeting and engagement, and Susan said she had rarely been so sure of a couple that should adopt from China.

We are very excited about our future addition, and now that we've actually met someone in an official capacity for this little endeavor of ours, it finally seems like something that will actually happen one day. We have a long road ahead of us, of fingerprinting, authentication of documents, and a whole lot of waiting. They are saying the wait time for a child referral from China at the moment is about 18 months from the time that the documents are submitted to the Chinese government. And we a re still a few months away from that.

I hope to update this blog on a regular basis to keep people informed of our progress, and to show off my wonderful family. I hope you'll join us here often.