At Last....I'm posting

Yes, its been 1 month, and 20 days since we came home from China with our little blessing in tow. I'm told by other adoptive parents that the adjustment is hard when the holidays aren't following. When Thanksgiving and Christmas follow, the adjustment is hard. We took longer that the normal person to get over jet lag. That's how it felt anyway. Then I had to go and get sick along with it. Maylea was cutting teeth along with trying to adjust to our time, and then got an ear infection. She is doing well with sleeping throught the night now, but only if you put her to bed at 11 pm or later. Any earlier and she gets up through the night. Who knows....

Maylea is just a complete joy to our household. Our kids eyes light up when they are around her, and her Daddy is her biggest fan. God has blessed us so much, and it was definitely worth the wait.

Leslie and I really enjoyed the entire experience in China. Leslie didn't want to come home. Everyone in our travel group and our guides were so wonderful. There just seemed to be a bond there for all of us. My only regret is that my whole family wasn't there for the experience.

We all enjoyed Christmas, but I'm glad its over so we can just relax and spend quality time with Maylea and each other this winter. I will try to do better with blogging so everyone can see how Maylea grows and blossoms. She just has the sweetest grin, giggle and personality. Her Daddy says she is onery.

Quick update.

Hi. This is Kathleen posting. I heard from Brenda this morning and she will be able to come home on schedule. She thanks everyone for their prayers and said she could really feel them. She had a peace about the whole thing as soon as she asked us to pray. The next prayer request is getting, as Brenda put it, Miss Wiggle Pants home. The plane ride could be a trial, so please pray for them starting tomorrow night U.S. time. They will arrive in Charleston on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.!

Thanks!
KP

Trick-or-Treat

Saturday Night
We had Trick or Treat in our hotel tonight. The kids were so excited to get dressed up. We are scattered on 3 floors, so they started on the 34th and worked their way down. Their faces were glowing. Especially one little boy Scott that is 4. He has been adopted by Craig and Natalie, and he is the sweetest little boy. I would love to squeeze him, but he won't let me hug him. Maylea and the little ones looked so sweet in their costumes. We all had a good time.

Saturday Update

Saturday
Hello Everyone!!! We went to a meeting room here at the hotel to fill out paperwork at 3:30 today. This took over 2 hours, and I'm not finished yet. I had a meltdown because I didn't bring a form I need. Eddie had to print it off, sign it and fax it, and then he has to send it DHL or FedEx. It won't get her until Thursday, so pray that the US Consulate will accept the faxed signature and let us come home on Wednesday. Otherwise, we may have to stay longer. Soo, Please pray!!!!
We miss everybody so much, and we miss home. We're definitely ready to come home. Today has been a very hectic day. We were off this morning at 9am for the children's medical appointments and visa pictures. We should be used to the "It won't take very long" turning into it did take very long. The medical office was full of other adoption agencies, so we had to wait in line for awhile and listen to screaming babies and there was a sign that said "Quiet Please". Yeah right!! Then just when we thought we were finished, those that are adopting older children had to have more vaccinations and then a wait to see if they had a reaction which meant another 45 minute wait. After that we went to a Carefour (sp?) that is a Canadian version of Walmart Fontana told us. We were there around and hour and a half. We came back to the hotel and Leslie and I went to Kentucky Fried Chicken. Thank God for western food. Guangzhou is a lot more western that Beijing or Nanchang. There are a lot more automobiles here. In Beijing and Nanchang you see lots of bicycles. People carry everything on bikes. They will have them piled 7 ft high with bags, cardboard, or anything you can imagine. Even with 10 large fountain water bottles.
I'm pretty tired tonight. Leslie and Maylea are sleeping. We will be leaving the hotel in the morning at 9:30am to visit Shaiman Island. We are told this is shopping paradise.
BTW We had Trick-or-Treat tonight for the children, so I'll try to post pictures tomorrow. Leslie was Minnie Mouse. We had 10 kids that went around to all of our rooms. It was really nice. The newly adopted children had a really good time. It was so sweet. There are four older: a boy 13, boy 8, girl 11 and another boy 4. Another family adopted a 2year old boy.
Love You Guys!!!!

Brenda

Boo Baby

Maylea enjoying a drink in her cutie Halloween sleeper!


Sweet Maylea!

Catching Up.

Finally, I have a few minutes to play catch up. I can't really remember where I left off. I'll start with Sunday.
Sunday
We left our hotel at 8:50 and attended a church service in Beijing. It was a Beijing International Christian Fellowship church. The singing was in Chinese and American with a big screen, a band and four singers. The preacher was Chinese with an American translator. It was interesting. You could only enter if you had a foreign passport. There were a lot of people attending. The church has a full program with many activities for all ages. We left there and drove past the Olympic Bird Nest being built, and the swimming site, and Olympic village. There is construction everywhere as they get ready for the Olympics. Even at the Forbidden City. We went to eat lunch at a buffet and in the same building was the Pearl Market. It was so amazing to see soooo many pearls in one place. We had a quick education on pearls and how to tell they are real and how they are cultivated in the Summer Palace Lake. Then we stayed there to shop for a little while. We then moved on to the Summer Palace. This is a garden created by the Emperor during the Jin Dynasty , for his mother. It is so beautiful with lots of hand painting, carvings and architecture. On the lake is the marble boat. We left there and ate, and went to the airport. We had a 9:30 flight to Nanchang. We landed at 11:30pm. Then a 40 minute bus ride to the Jin Feng Hotel.

Monday
Gotcha Day!!!!
We got up and I talked with my family by web cam for a little while. Then the internet stopped working. We called for service and they couldn't get it to work either so we switched rooms 10 minutes before time to leave. We rushed around throwing things in suitcases and put them in our new room 2 doors down. Then we went downstairs to meet our group. We were all so nervous and excited. It took 10 minutes for us to get to the Civil Affairs office. We made our way upstairs to the 26th floor where the babies were waiting for us. We were 3rd in line to get Maylea. Finally, it was our turn. At first, she didn't cry. Then she started crying. She cried all day in between naps. Everytime she would look at us she cried. It only took about half an hour for everyone to get their babies (7 of us) and then we came back to the hotel. I called home so Eddie and the boys could see her. Of course she is crying the whole time. We then had to meet in a room here at the hotel for paperwork, and later we went back to the Civil Affairs office where we met the orphanage director, workers and nannies. We had an interview, and pictures. We had a few other things to do after that and then we came back to the hotel. Maylea went down to sleep about 7pm and was back up at 2am. Then she was in a really good mood with laughing and playing. Since then she has been wonderful and is bonding with Leslie and I. She is very active wiggling constantly and is full of personality. She is a little rough and is a head butter. She had a bruise on her forehead that I wondered where it came from, well now I know. This has been a wonderful experience.

Tuesday
Today We went back to the police station so they could take a picture of the babies, and then we went to Walmart to do some shopping. We mostly bought junk food, pop and water. Leslie is having a little harder time than I am with the food here. She was so excited that inside the Walmart past the checkout is a KFC. She had her first real meal in 5 days; Nuggets, Fries and Pepsi. We came back to the hotel and pretty much chilled the rest of the day, which was really nice because I needed the rest.

PICTURES!!!!

Mommy and Maylea

Sis and Maylea

These gals aren't too bad....

Cutie face!

Look out Nick, there's a new boss in town.


(No update for now. Brenda said she would send one soon. Thanks, K.P.)

Side Note...for those of you checking

Hey there. This is Kathleen, Brenda's friend. I am updating their blog for her as I hear from her. So, as you can see...I haven't heard from her. But, just wanted to post on here tonight a note to please pray for them! As we lay our heads on our pillows tonight, Brenda and Leslie will most likely be holding Maylea Xin Harris. I'm sure this little girl will be so overwhelmed and somewhat scared. I know that Brenda and Leslie will be overjoyed, but will also be concerned for the transition of Maylea. Please pray for good health for the three of them and others that are traveling with them. Please pray for Maylea, that whatever grief she will have to process will go quickly and that she will already know how much she is loved, by her family and by those friends waiting anxiously to hear from them.

Hang in there. It's not unusual for there to be Internet connection problems in China. Let's also pray that we'll be able to hear from them soon and of course...see pictures!! :)

Good night!
KP

Update #1 - We've arrived

Hi Everyone!!! We made it to Beijing at 11:00 pm last night which would have been 11:00 a.m your time. Its a pretty exhausting trip. Our flight from Charleston to Detroit went quick, and we didn't have a lay over. We made it to our gate and ate, and then our flight to Tokyo was boarding. I think the plane took off there at 3:30pm US time. It was a 13 hour flight, that seemed like 24 hours. We experienced pretty bad turbulence at times. So much that it nearly toppled over the flight attendance drink cart. For some reason several of us found it humorous. Maybe it was nervous laughter, but the flight attendant didn't think it was funny. She had left the cart for a few minutes to walk to the back for something when it happened and when I looked back at her she could barely stand up for a few minutes, but finally made her way over to get it. Some people sitting by it had to pick up the pitchers of OJ and water to help keep it from falling off. I'm just glad it wasn't beside me... it was one seat behind me. Other than that the flight was okay. We made it to Tokyo, changed planes but had a delay because of fog and low visibility here. I now know the meaning of flying by faith and not by sight.

It is 6:03 am right now, and we have to shower, eat breakfast and off to meet our group by 8:40 for a day of sight seeing. We see the Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, The Great Wall, and the Summer Palace today. I hope to get some good pictures. I am not a photographer but I'll do my best.

Beijing

Hey Everyone,

We made it, safe and sound!!!! I really need to get to bed because we have a full day tomorrow. I'll post more tomorrow. Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes. They mean so much!!!
Love Brenda

Adoption Itinerary

October 25th - November 7th

Thursday, Oct. 25th Depart for Beijing (Three hops from Charleston to Detroit to Tokyo to Beijing)

Friday, Oct. 26th Arrive in Beijing

Saturday, Oct. 27th Beijing Sight Seeing

Sunday, Oct. 28th Church Service & Summer Palace
Evening Flight to Nanchang

Monday, Oct. 29th Morning - Meet Maylea Xin Harris
Afternoon - Civil Affair Registration and Notarization

Oct. 30th - Nov. 1st Sight-seeing and Shopping

Friday, Nov. 2nd Pick up Passport and Flight to Guangzhou

Saturday, Nov. 3rd Medical Appointment & Filling out Consulate Forms

Sunday. Nov. 4th Church and Shopping

Monday, Nov. 5t Consulate Appointment 10:00 a.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 6th Pick up Child's Visa

Wednesday, Nov. 7th Depart from Guangzhou for HOME!!!!

A Time to Fly

We received our flight confirmation last week. Our flight to China doesn't sound too fun. We'll fly out on October 25th to Detroit then on to China for a 17 hour flight with one stop for fuel. I can't even imagine being on a plane for that long. On the way home we fly from Guangzhou to Japan and change planes and then to Detroit. Just pray for us. Leslie has never been on a plane, and I've only been to Florida and Chicago. This will be a test of faith for both of us. I am excited for only one reason, and you know what that reason is. I cannot even wait to see that little face in person and hold her in my arms. It will be so hard to believe I actually get to bring her home with me!!! We Love You Maylea!!!! Here we come!

Maylea Xin

THE Referral Call!!

Today, at 3:15 pm, my cell phone rang at our office and the voice on the phone said, Mrs. Harris you have a beautiful baby girl!!!!

Her Name is: Xin Yi Zhang and she was born on January 1, 2007.
She is in the Jiangxi Province at the Zhangshu Orphanage
On April 28th she weighed 12 lbs, and was just shy of 2 ft tall.

I am expecting a FedEx package before noon tomorrow. It will have all of her information and pictures. I can't wait.