How we chose the name "Ethan"

Psalm 89 (from The Message translation)

An Ethan Prayer

1-4 Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it! I'm forever telling everyone how faithful you are. I'll never quit telling the story of your love-how you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it. Your love has always been our lives' foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world.

3 month "Gotcha" Anniversary

I haven't really been keeping up the blog since we got home. I give credit to all of you bloggers who continue to keep us all in the loop months and years after you return home with your children. I got in the groove of "real life...new and improved" and haven't been posting as much.

Tomorrow is our 3 month "Gotcha Day" anniversary. I can't believe how quick it went and how far Ethan has come. He's talking (in English) more and more every day. He's picking up words and phrases that I haven't even made a point to teach him--he's such a sponge. I guess I better be careful what I say ;0 His motor skills continue to improve and he is catching up to his chronological age. He was slightly behind on motor skills due to lack of experience in the orphanage and foster environment.

He loves anything that's transportation related: airplanes, helicopters, trains, cars, boats, construction vehicles, etc. He's into a few tv shows: Backyardigans, Curious George, Clifford. He enjoys play dough and makes me laugh when he makes poop with the play dough--truly boy humor!! His adjustment into our family and American life has gone smoother that I could have imagined.

A few random thoughts on China:
We were already homesick by the time we got to Chongqing. Once we had Ethan, we were ready to come home. By the time we got home, I didn't want to see another airplane or suitcase for a very long time. Now I wish I could be back in China. I feel like while we were there, we were so focused on coming home with our son, I might not have appreciated it as much as I could have. Now I would give anything to go back and have hot pot again for dinner, drink Jasmine tea and just soak it all in. It still all seems a bit surreal. I think part of it always will.

OK fans, here are some "at home" pics!!!

Yes, We are Home

Sorry, we don't have any pictures to post yet. This little guy has been keeping us a bit too busy to hunt down the camera to take a cute picture before he moves on to something else! I should have grabbed it yesterday when he was eating spaghetti with his chopsticks--so cute!!! I realized he's better with the chopsticks than the fork. He uses a fork, but not to stab food and pick it up. He puts his mouth to the edge of the plate and sort of shovels it in.

We're settling in well at home. Our flights were rather uneventful. We left Beijing right about his bedtime, so he slept most of the way. As excited as we were to return to the states, that was actually the worst part. US customs/immigration was a NIGHTMARE!!!! After waiting in a long line to go through the section for non-residents (in order to have Kai's paperwork stamped), they sent us to the room where they detain people. The room was full of Chinese people visiting America for one reason or another. Behind the counter were 9 custom's officers...NOT processing anyone's paperwork. We sat for about a half hour before the lady at the door asked us if we were there because of an adoption. We said yes and she said they would expedite us! Finally! I was surprised that the Customs officials in China were nicer to us than our own country's! We are Americans and we got treated like criminals in our own country! I felt sorry for all of those other people sitting in that office. Those officers weren't interested in getting anyone out of there!

Anyway, once we got out of there and got home, we showed Kai all around the house. He loved his room and picked up the panda bears in his room and gave them a big hug! He's been busy, busy, busy ever since! We have to keep one eye on him at all times to make sure he's playing nicely and not getting into anything that doesn't belong to him--especially in big sister's room! A shout out to all you stay at home mom's--I don't know how you do it!!! He enjoys his toys, especially Gary's old cell phone that has no battery. He has conversations in Chinese and then hands us the phone like, "It's for you." - Very funny. He's not interested in anything on tv or movies. He would rather be doing. Yesterday, we picked up Reydon from our friend who was watching him. He immediately wanted to make friends and has been petting him very nicely. Kai gets a little nervous when he jumps around (which isn't that often). Reydon is very curious about Kai and just kind of watches everything.

All in all, things are going surprisingly well. I keep wondering how I got blessed with this child who loves brushing his teeth, taking a bath, drinking milk and eating broccali.....Life is good!

Our last post from China

Well, here we are, on the eve of coming home. I can't believe 14 days went by so fast (I can say that now--I don't know if I would have said it 7 days ago)!!! It's been an amazing journey; 3 cities, 15 days, 6,242 miles, and one little boy. The blessings that have been bestowed upon us will never cease to amaze me.

Our last couple days in Guangzhou, we kind of just hung out and relaxed--hence nothing exciting to post. We got kind of toured out. We enjoyed the hotel pool, playroom and walking around the city finishing up our souvenir shopping. I think I'm bringing back half of China in our biggest suitcase. We packed an extra canvas duffle bag which came in handy and we also ended up buying a small rolling suitcase to carry on the plane. It only cost $70 yuan which is about $10 US. It's even a Polo name brand!! (yea, right). I bought a beautiful hand painted tea set here in Guangzhou and wanted to safely transport it without checking it in the big suitcase.

We've missed you all dearly and have grown quite homesick. I'm ready to get back to real life. 15 days worth of restaurants and chauffers--I hope I didn't forget how to cook or drive. It will be another adjustment for Kai, who enjoyed the company of our agency guides who, at least, spoke his language. He is beginning to repeat English phrases and is understanding some receptive language like: Let's go, brush your teeth, get your shoes, sit down, etc. We're still using Chinese phrases for things like: potty.

OK-gotta go finish packing and get the little guy ready for his bath. Love and miss you all. Can't wait to re-connect when we get home!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answered Prayers

Today we went to the clinic for the mandatory check-up; just another formality in finalizing paperwork before returning to the US. They gave him a "once-over" and measured his head circumference (that was one of the qualifiers in his being labeled as "special needs-developmental delay"). Everything looked normal. They couldn't figure out why he was labeled as developmental delay. They escorted us into the actual office of the doctors where there were 3 doctors reviewing all of the paperwork we received on his initial referral. They were talking amongst themselves in Chinese and began to ask me questions in English: Where did you get this information? When did you receive this information? They were talking to our guide in Chinese and she was telling us that they couldn't figure it out. They looked us and said there was nothing wrong with him and signed off on the paperwork!!! This is what we suspected when we requested his referral. All along this is what we have been hoping and praying for! PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!

The infamous red couch!!!

It is a longstanding tradition that families take pictures on the red couch at the White Swan Hotel when they get to Guangzhou. We put on our Chinese clothes and took some pics. Then we did some paperwork for the American consulate for Kai's visa--Happy Mama, ready to be done with paperwork!!