Saturday, March 31

We've had baby Jade for 5 days now and things are going smoothly for the most part. She goes to sleep very easily but doesn't eat very much. We finally discovered that she likes mashed potatoes but not much else. She still copies everything she sees but still clings quite a bit. She has ridden in the stroller quite a bit but fusses after a little while. I'm still amazed at how small she is. 9 month clothes are probably the best size for her. We keep trying to find something she likes so we can fatten her up! Hopefully we'll find something soon! Right now she's napping and she looks so sweet! Keep us in your prayers!

Day 3 with Jade

Day three with the baby started out better. She still clings like crazy but she will laugh and babble and play as long as she can be very close to me. She won't leave me at all. She's so small! You cannot even imagine until you see her. I taught her to do patty cake yesterday and she's starting to wave when I say to wave. Jack and I were doing rasberries to her and she was trying to imitate that. She still smiles often too as long as I'm close. She didn't get much sleep last night so night time tonight was rough! It took about an hour for her to finally fall asleep. We tried everything but I think in the end she was just wore out and fell asleep despite all of our best efforts! We just have to keep trying though. She's just the sweetest little thing!

We have her!

Sorry I haven't posted sooner! We got her on Monday and everything went very well. She came to us right away and laughed and giggled immediately. When we left the building, reality set in for her. She began to whine a little and by the time we came to the hotel she was in full defense mode. She refused to let me put her down. She's been like that since. She hugs my neck as tightly as possible when she's scared, worried, etc. If she begins to feel comfortable, she'll start playing and babbling but she has to be very close to me in order to do anything. She lets Jack hold her briefly but will begin to cry for me. I feel so bad for her! Hopefully she'll begin to get more secure soon. Sh's beautiful though! Right now she feels comfortable enough to watch me type. She's right around my neck though! Keep praying for us!

We're in Guangzhou!

We just arrived in Guangzhou. We spent the day at the Forbidden City. Beijing is extremely beautiful. We flew out around 6:30. Our plane was late so we're just now in the hotel room. It has a little crib for Jade. I'm very nervous but Jack is extremely calm. Just a few more hours and we meet the baby. I still haven't learned how to post pictures yet. The screen is in Chinese so I just started clicking buttons until I got the post screen. Eventually we'll figure out how to post pictures. Keep us in your prayers! We need lots!

We're in China

Hello! We arrived in China Friday afternoon around 3:30 P.M. (3 am there). It was definitely an extremely long flight but we met a very nice stewardless named Elizabeth. She gave us a pair of wings for Jade! Another sign! We felt pretty good last night and woke up very early this morning. We walked the Great Wall today for around 1 mile. It was all uphill. Jack kept calling me Grandma b/c I kept stopping. It was straight uphill! Coming down was much better of course. We also saw the Olympic Stadium for 2008. By tonight jet lag has finally caught up with us. We're both pretty tired. I'll try to post some pictures later. We'll meet Jade in 38 hours. Unbelievable!

The Padua Family!

Today Padua threw a send-off party for Jack & I. We were so touched by the generosity of Padua! The 100 wishes quilt and the thoughts and prayers that were written for Jade on the quilt and the pink cards will be something that Jade will cherish! I can't wait to hang the plaques with her Chinese name. I know that someday she will read everything that was written, and will have no doubt that she was wanted from the moment she was created! I'm so thankful that I work at such a caring place! The clothes and the bath toys will be definitely used. (We're going to have a great time with the bubble bath!) I know that many have lived through this journey with us and that as we travel to bring Jade home, we will be in many prayers. What a wonderful gift that is, too! We are so blessed to have such a caring community (my very own little town!) support us during this journey! We cannot say thank you enough!

We are China bound!

We found out last night that we will be traveling to China on March 22 and will return home on April 6. We will meet Jade for the first time on March 26. Isn't that amazing! Jade will be home in time for Easter! We have anxiously awaited approval and now I can't believe we'll be leaving in less than 2 weeks! We're almost completely packed but we need to get quite a bit done. The 22nd will be here before you know it!

Updated measurements

We received updated measurements and a new picture of Jade on February 17. They were taken some time in February. At that time she was 26.6 inches tall & she weighed almost 19 pounds. She's really little but so cute!

About Jade

We don't know too much information about Jade but we have learned a little. On February 28, 2006, the Hedong police station in the Maonan district in Maoming received a report about a baby abandoned across the street from a government-owned hotel on Yingbinlu Road. She was wearing a light blue infant outfit & was wrapped in a red blanket when she was found. The police looked for her parents but couldn't find them. She was taken to the Maonan orphanage where she has been living since then. The medical staff gave her a physical examination and estimated that she was born on February 27. She was given the name Nan Cai Qin. (Qin is her first name, which means musical instrument) She has 5 teeth now and weighs approximately 18 pounds. She is murmuring and can walk if she's holding onto something. Her caregivers say that she is very lovable, easy-going and that she smiles and giggles often. She also loves music (Just like Jack!) We can't wait to meet her!

On Chinese New Year our friends Danielle, Debbie, Holly and Linda threw us a surprise baby shower. I was completely surprised! We always have "girl" time every month and I thought the shower was our monthly meeting. Jack knew the whole time but kept the secret! I cannot thank them enough for all that they did to make the shower so beautiful! The theme was perfect and the decorations were wonderful! She couldn't have asked for a better party! Jade received so many beautiful gifts from everyone. We were very touched by everyone's generosity. She is a very lucky little girl to have so many people who care about her already!

We're waiting on TA

Hello! Jack and I want to welcome you! We are very excited to begin our journey to China for our daughter Jade! We began the adoption process in April of 2005 so it has been a very long process and we are finally coming to the end of the road. Because so many of our family and friends have been a part of this process, we wanted everyone to be able to follow along as we travel to China to bring home Jade. We will be posting our photos and experiences during our stay. Thanks for sharing our journey!