Thursday, April 28, 2005
Happy Birthday Hallie!
Today is Hallie's first birthday. And, even though she was far, far away, it was truly a great day!
First, we got word from our agency that Hallie's care package got to the orphanage! That is a relief because I didn't think it had made it.
Then, I was able to visit the Nike employee store here in Memphis and got three pairs of shoes for Hallie for only $35! They are too cute!
Two of the girls in my office brought a cake to work with a "1" candle on it and put it on my desk along with a balloon and a gift bag (inside was the cutest red, white and blue miniskirt and t-shirt).
Then, our airline tickets and trip itinerary arrived. The plans are made and we are all set.
A package from our new "cyberfriends," the Kohls, arrived. Our girls are three days apart in age and are at the same orphanage. They live in New York and are traveling with us to Nanning. They sent Hallie the cutest shorts outfit and got one for their daughter to match. We'll dress Hallie and Lucy in them and take pictures while we're in China.
Later, we met about 20 others who are in the Memphis FCC group for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. There were 3 families who recently returned from China there with their babies who are so cute. It's great to have such a support group. Hallie received two more gifts from friends in FCC(this girl is not going to need ANYTHING): a wonderful book and two beautiful blankets with her name (in English and Chinese) embroidered on them.
Finally, when we got home, I ate a piece of Hallie's cake. We'll get her another one when we bring her home! Yes, it was a perfect day--the only thing that could have made it better would be having her here with us! Soon, very soon!
First, we got word from our agency that Hallie's care package got to the orphanage! That is a relief because I didn't think it had made it.
Then, I was able to visit the Nike employee store here in Memphis and got three pairs of shoes for Hallie for only $35! They are too cute!
Two of the girls in my office brought a cake to work with a "1" candle on it and put it on my desk along with a balloon and a gift bag (inside was the cutest red, white and blue miniskirt and t-shirt).
Then, our airline tickets and trip itinerary arrived. The plans are made and we are all set.
A package from our new "cyberfriends," the Kohls, arrived. Our girls are three days apart in age and are at the same orphanage. They live in New York and are traveling with us to Nanning. They sent Hallie the cutest shorts outfit and got one for their daughter to match. We'll dress Hallie and Lucy in them and take pictures while we're in China.
Later, we met about 20 others who are in the Memphis FCC group for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. There were 3 families who recently returned from China there with their babies who are so cute. It's great to have such a support group. Hallie received two more gifts from friends in FCC(this girl is not going to need ANYTHING): a wonderful book and two beautiful blankets with her name (in English and Chinese) embroidered on them.
Finally, when we got home, I ate a piece of Hallie's cake. We'll get her another one when we bring her home! Yes, it was a perfect day--the only thing that could have made it better would be having her here with us! Soon, very soon!
# posted by JDonnals : 10:09 PM
Monday, April 25, 2005
"Diapers, check... Baby Tylenol, check... rice cereal, check..."
That was me, going over the list of items recommended from our adoption agency as I wandered through the isles of Wal-Mart on Saturday morning. I stopped at Starbucks first for a tall latte and headed in, paper and pen in one hand, coffee in the other, pushing a shopping cart with my forearms (of course I picked the one with the rickety wheel!).
Thank God Brett wasn't with me, he wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes. Never having shopped for these items before, first I had to locate them. The Baby Tylenol and Baby Motrin are mixed in with the adult medicine. Lotions and baby wash can be found in the isle with the adult lotion and some can be found in the section near the baby clothes. This is also where you'll find baby wipes, but, as I found out, you can also find them in the baby section and in the grocery section near the baby food (where I found the rice cereal, pedialyte and biter biscuits). Some diapers can be found in the baby section, but the best selection is also in the baby food isle. Why do they have all of these things so spread out? I made at least three trips from the east end to the west end of the store.
After locating the things I needed, I had to read the labels to figure out which items were the best. Should I get generic?? I decided not to skimp on Hallie's things, and opted for Wal-Mart's brand for our things, like pain reliever, cortisone cream and sleeping pills.
I did pretty well. After two hours there were only two things I couldn't find: Baby Benadryl and prune juice. But, I'm sure there will be a few more trips to the store before we leave!
Thank God Brett wasn't with me, he wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes. Never having shopped for these items before, first I had to locate them. The Baby Tylenol and Baby Motrin are mixed in with the adult medicine. Lotions and baby wash can be found in the isle with the adult lotion and some can be found in the section near the baby clothes. This is also where you'll find baby wipes, but, as I found out, you can also find them in the baby section and in the grocery section near the baby food (where I found the rice cereal, pedialyte and biter biscuits). Some diapers can be found in the baby section, but the best selection is also in the baby food isle. Why do they have all of these things so spread out? I made at least three trips from the east end to the west end of the store.
After locating the things I needed, I had to read the labels to figure out which items were the best. Should I get generic?? I decided not to skimp on Hallie's things, and opted for Wal-Mart's brand for our things, like pain reliever, cortisone cream and sleeping pills.
I did pretty well. After two hours there were only two things I couldn't find: Baby Benadryl and prune juice. But, I'm sure there will be a few more trips to the store before we leave!
# posted by JDonnals : 9:36 PM
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
China...here we come!
We have booked our flights to and from China. We leave May 11th and return May 28th. We're flying United Airlines through Chicago to Hong Kong and then we fly Dragon Air to Beijing. We'll get to Beijing on Thursday night, May 12th, then we'll have two days before the rest of our group arrives. Brett and I booked an extra day trip through our travel agency to see the Beijing Zoo and the Summer Palace. On Sunday, May 15th we have a group trip planned to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. On May 16th we fly to Nanning, GuangXi Province where we will meet Hallie for the first time! Then she is with us the rest of the trip--and the rest of our lives!
# posted by JDonnals : 10:00 PM
Thursday, April 14, 2005
We have Travel Approval
The CCAA has approved our travel to China to get Hallie! We won't have our exact travel dates until next week, after our US Consulate appointment is scheduled, but it looks like we will be leaving sometime the week of May 9th. That is less than 4 weeks away! We are now kicking it into high gear to get ready for this adventure of a lifetime. We are getting our visas for travel, getting our last vaccination shots, making arrangements for our pets, having our Home Study updated, and trying to get everything caught up at work before I take an extended leave of absence.
I have created a Yahoo Group to keep in contact with everyone while we are in China and to post pictures. I will continue to update our blog/website, but it will be easier to post pictures through the Yahoo Group. Plus, you can write to us and we can reply to you through the Yahoo Group. Here is the address to the site. Click on "Join This Group" to become a member. It's easy--trust me! I have already invited some of you to join, but, because we recently got a new computer, I have lost some of your email addresses, so I am posting the link to the Yahoo Group here. More info on our trip to come!
I have created a Yahoo Group to keep in contact with everyone while we are in China and to post pictures. I will continue to update our blog/website, but it will be easier to post pictures through the Yahoo Group. Plus, you can write to us and we can reply to you through the Yahoo Group. Here is the address to the site. Click on "Join This Group" to become a member. It's easy--trust me! I have already invited some of you to join, but, because we recently got a new computer, I have lost some of your email addresses, so I am posting the link to the Yahoo Group here. More info on our trip to come!
# posted by JDonnals : 7:15 AM
Monday, April 11, 2005
Waiting for travel approval
That is where we are right now. We sent back our referral acceptance to Great Wall at least two weeks ago and they sent it to the CCAA. Now, we are waiting for their approval to travel. Once we get that (which should be this week) then our agency will make an appointment with the US Consulate in Guangzhou. That is the last step of our trip, where Hallie will become a US citizen! The trip is then back timed (sorry, old TV producer term) about two weeks, and that is when we travel. We sent our passports to a courier in Washington, DC who will take them to the Chinese Embassy to get our visas. Great Wall says we should be there and back by the end of May, so I anticipate it will sometime the week of May 9th. But, as it has been throughout this entire process, we are still waiting!
Also, last week we sent the care package to Hallie. That was an experience. First, I went to FedEx because, well Memphis is the home to FedEx, and they have been extremely reliable for us. You know the commercial that says FedEx can deliver a package anywhere? Well, I've stumped them! Believe it or not, FedEx does not deliver to PingNan, GuangXi, China. That tells you how remote Hallie's hometown is. So, I went to the US Postal Service, which other mothers of babies from PingNan have used successfully. The only hangup? There is no way to track the package once it leaves the US. With all of the paperwork, certificates and forms we've sent off or have received this past year, I've become obsessed with tracking packages on the internet. The last piece of information we have on our care package is that it left the US from Miami on April 8th. I don't think we'll get anymore information on its whereabouts. I just have to have faith that it will get to her.
Also, last week we sent the care package to Hallie. That was an experience. First, I went to FedEx because, well Memphis is the home to FedEx, and they have been extremely reliable for us. You know the commercial that says FedEx can deliver a package anywhere? Well, I've stumped them! Believe it or not, FedEx does not deliver to PingNan, GuangXi, China. That tells you how remote Hallie's hometown is. So, I went to the US Postal Service, which other mothers of babies from PingNan have used successfully. The only hangup? There is no way to track the package once it leaves the US. With all of the paperwork, certificates and forms we've sent off or have received this past year, I've become obsessed with tracking packages on the internet. The last piece of information we have on our care package is that it left the US from Miami on April 8th. I don't think we'll get anymore information on its whereabouts. I just have to have faith that it will get to her.
# posted by JDonnals : 8:42 PM
Monday, April 04, 2005
Jennifer opening a Winnie the Pooh blanket for Hallie. It's SO soft, and it is personalized with her name: Hallie Lin Hua Donnals.
# posted by JDonnals : 10:47 PM
What a way to welcome Hallie! This was the cake from the baby shower last weekend in Vandalia, Illinois. Thanks to Brett's family for throwing it for us!
# posted by JDonnals : 10:42 PM
A few of Hallie's favorite things...
Today we learned that Hallie's favorite activity is "playing with her friends." Her favorite toy is "little toys that she can hold in her hands." Our agency did not translate the answers to these questions on Hallie's growth report, so we asked a friend who is native Chinese to translate for us. He is also translating a letter that we wrote to Hallie's caregivers that we will send along with a care package to her orphanage. Inside the package we are sending a disposable camera and asking the nannies at the orphanage to take photos of her there. We are asking them to bring it to us when we meet to finalize the adoption paperwork. We can show these pictures to Hallie when she is older, so she knows more about her early childhood. We're also sending a baby photo album filled with picture of us, our house, Hallie's bedroom and our dog, Orion. Hopefully, Hallie will see the pictures so when she sees us for the first time she may remember our faces. Then, hopefully, we will become some of her favorite things!
# posted by JDonnals : 10:06 PM
