A Free Day and Video!

I'm trying to upload a video. I hope you all can see it.

Today was a free day. Nothing official to do. So, we went down to breakfast. Much better than yesterday. I'm not sure if I have mentioned this, but the food here in the hotel is NOT very good compaired to Beijing. The food there was sooooo good. Anyway, I ate toast and jelly with some noodles and a piece of banana bread. Dave had the cook make him an egg and made an egg and bacon sandwich. The bacon tastes a little different, so I just don't go there. After breakfast we went back to the room and talked to the kids. This Skype thing is just so great. It makes us feel so much closer to all of you and makes us being so far away a little easier. If any of you want to see Ava and haven't, just download Skype to your computer (it's free) then under contacts look for us Dave & Stephanie Crivelli or Crivellifam1. You have to have a camera on your computer for it to work.

Around 10:30 we went down to the lobby to wait for some other families because our guide was taking us to the Walking Street (outside mall) She was at the hospital with another family who's baby is sick and needing outpatient antibiotics. They were running late so we didn't leave until almost noon. By that time Jinjue (Chin Chwe) was ready for her nap, but we decided to go anyways. The walk was over a couple of miles, and did I mention I am the only one that can hold her. Needless, to say I thought my arms were going to fall off by the time we got there.

The walking street was like a cleaned up version of Downtown LA (minus the dirt, and homeless) and add high end shops. There were a lot of people with a lot of stares. Not too much at me. I think because I'm brown with brown hair and short with almond eyes, people just overlook me. But boy to they look at the others. They look at Dave because he is tall and big. They were looking at the other family because they are all blonde's with two Chinese children. They would talk to their five year old, I think expecting her to talk back, but she only speaks English. The older people would get right up to your face and stare and say something. All in all they are just really curious and kind. We had a few ask for pictures with us which we happily accepted.

At the end of the mall is a Mc Donald's. We had to try it of course. We had heard all these stories. From putting an egg on the hamburger, to using cheese whiz instead of sliced cheese. All false! Everything tasted exactly like home. The fries were a little better!! Ava acted like she knew the place and went right for the fries. Ok she ate a lg. fry by herself. Our guide said it was impossible for her to know Mc Donald, but let me tell you that girl knew exactly what to do. Our guide, tried to hold Ava and spoke to her in Chinese telling her to give me a rest. But she wouldn't have it and cries if anyone but me or Dave even touch her. Mary, our guide said it was very good for her age and looks like she is really attaching to us. It feels great to hear someone else say it. Once Ava fell asleep on the walk back, Dave was able to hold her and gave my arms a rest. My legs are still sore from the Great Wall, my back and neck are sore from the bed, and my arms are sore from the baby.... I'm a mess too!

Dave and I left the other family at that point and headed back to the hotel. We stopped at the grocery store for more Doritos (Did I tell you they are the best, better than ours) and Pepsi of course. (no diet here, and tastes slightly different)

When we got back to the room, our guide took three of the men for a massage. Ava and I stayed in the room. We put on a Friends DVD and played on the floor. Dave said the massage was awesome and he's going back today. The girls are going to try and go too, but I don't know if I'll be able to since Ava will still only stay with me and cries if I'm not in her sight. I don't want to leave and scare her.

Then we all met and went for dinner. We tried a new place. It was good but yesterdays was better. All the kids love this egg dish. I'm going to have to learn how to make it. It looks and has the same texture as flan (yuck) Ava ate 3 bowls with rice and egg and about 6 or 7 pieces of watermelon. This girl can eat. When she's had enough she just spits it out. She cracks me up. Most of the Chinese children are very disciplined and very particular about being clean. Not Ava... she's a mess! She spits on herself, pees on herself, smashes cookies all over the place. The only thing she wants clean are her hands. She will wipe and wipe them until there is nothing left to clean. That is funny, because when we got her those were the dirtiest hands we had ever seen. It has taken 3 full days to get those hands and nails looking pretty.

All in all she is doing very well. She is still having many many moments of sadness. It's very healthy for her to grieve and we just hold her through it. She is having many more moments of happiness where we get to see a little of her personality. She is just a clown!!

That's Friends playing in the background!

It's Official

She's ours! Today we received Ava Jinjue's Official Adoption Certificate!

Today we left our hotel around 8am to fill out some paperwork and complete the adoption. Our first stop was the Jiangxi Province Center of Adoption Services. There we took a family photo, Ava's visa photo. We were also interviewed and asked why we wanted to adopt from China, how we plan on raising her and promised to never abuse or abandon her. There we met the orphanage director. We were a little nervous for Ava to see him again, considering the way she reacted on the first day. Well, she never even wanted to leave my arms. She didn't really acknowledge him at all.

We also stopped by the notary office, and police station. Dave of course made a friend with a female police officer and they stayed talking via our guide for a while. She spoke a little English and has a friend in San Francisco. They exchanged emails.

Then, it was back to the hotel. Ava has a hard time going to sleep. She sobbed for about an hour and a half before falling asleep for her nap. Dave and I also knocked out. That was our first nap here and it was wonderful.

We woke up from our nap and went back to the police station. The Internet was down earlier so we had to complete the process.

When we got back to the hotel, Dave and I walked around for a little bit looking for shoes. I didn't bring Ava a jacket or shoes. We walked over to Tiffanie's (most of the adoptive moms from this province know about her shop) We tried on shoes, but they didn't have any that fit. This girl has a big foot. She was so excited trying them on and shopping, however when we left without anything, she cried! Dave is in trouble!!!!

We let her walk back (I have carried her up until now) She is a clown. She threw her chest and arms back and strutted down the street. She looked like George Jefferson. When we walk into the lobby and she the Christmas tree, she gets so excited and starts talking and talking. It's the only time we get to see a glance of her personality. The ladies from the orphanage said she is very friendly and social, but I think it will still be a while before we see it.

As far as bonding and attaching she seems to be on target. She makes wonderful eye contact and keeps her eye on her when I'm not holding her. Oh, she is not having anything to do with her crib! I just can't see her cry so she is sleeping with me. I think she must have slept in bed with her foster family, although when we asked they didn't know. She rubs my face at night and is stuck to me like glue. She is fine as long as she is in my lap. She is doing better with Dave. He can play with her and touch her and he is the only one getting kisses, but he can't hold her yet.

It's really amazing to see the babies transformation. The two oldest babies are Ava 22mo. and Hope 26mo. They have had the hardest time. Ava is the vocal one, she cries every time I do something new. Even changing her position on my lap. Hope is very independent and was having trouble making eye contact, yet would stay very close to Dwight and Marie. Tonight at dinner Hope was the funniest thing. She is just too cute. She loved her food and was eating with chop sticks. She showed her sweet personality and was interacting, making eye contact and talking with her mommy. The young babies are doing great. They all seem to be adjusting well. My friend Missy's baby is Sophia. Sophia has pneumonia, although by looking at her you would never know. She is just the happiest baby. She does sound terrible. They take her to the hospital two times daily for IV antibiotic treatments. She is doing much better. I went up to the room last night to suction her nose and pound (CPT) her chest to help open up the lungs. She cried with the nose suction, but loved the CPT. It's hilarious how we parents get so excited over pee, poop, and buggers! We pulled the biggest snot out of Sophie's nose and were all so excited and displayed it like real gold!!!! I absolutely love this family. Missy also brought her parents with her and they are just the best people.

Although we are having a wonderful trip and enjoying every minute of it. It does get harder and harder everyday. We are trying to savor our time hear, but in our hearts we just want to go home.

Below are a few pictures from the day. Nine more days until we come home!

Happy Ava!

We hold on tight to eachother!

Jiangxi Center for Adoption Services

Me, Ava, Sophia, and Missy

It's OfficialThe notary office

A quick nap on the bus

The Police Station

Gotcha!!!

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away...

Gotcha!

Okay go ahead and look at the pictures, then come back to hear about our day! We left Beijing around 10:30am and arrived in Nanchang about 2:15pm. We were originally told that we would meet the babies at 5pm, however when we landed our guide told us that we would meet them at 4pm. So we checked-in our room, unpacked, got the diaper bag ready and headed to the 2nd floor to wait for the babies. There were a total of 5 other families with us. They brought Jinjue right by me and I did not recognize her. I looked and thought for a minute, no too young. But it was her.

The ladies from the orphanage recognized me from the pictures I sent. When I approached Jinjue she melted. She cried at the sight of me. When I held her she pushed me away. Once I let her down, she walked over to the ladies from the orphanage and calmed down. She was fine as long as she didn't have to look at us! She interacted with the other kids and took some cheerios from Dave. It was heartbreaking to leave the room. She screamed and cried. Once we got her in the room she stood facing away from us trying to open the door to leave. About 10min. later I wiped her nose and that was it! She let me! So I took the opportunity and undressed her. She had on about 3-4 layers of clothes on. I will count them later. Dave ran a bath and I bathed her. Once I had her in a towel close to me she held on!!! She hasn't let go since. She is fine as long as she is on me. Which by the way is just fine with me. If I try to walk away she cries. She wouldn't sleep in the crib last night, so we cuddled! She is just waking up now, so I have to go. There is so much more I need to say about our day. I am hoping to have some down time today to catch up on our posts!

Kids- We love you and miss you very much. You sister is beautiful and I can't wait for you to see her. We will talk on Skpe tonight! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox

Our first look at her
Gotcha

The Orphanage Ladies

As close as I can get

As close as Dave could get

The clothes she was wearing

After a bath

Much happier after a bottle, bath, and some toys!

Here We Go!!

We just arrived to The Gloria Hotel. Origanally we were told that the babies would arrive at 5pm, however when we arrived our guide told us the babies would be here at 4pm. I will be posting after we get back to the room!!!!!!

Saturday

Its Dave here. Today started off a little earlier. We met our guide at 0730 and drove to The Marriott Hotel to pick up another family. We are now touring with five families. The day started by going to a Jade factory. Our guide, Stephen, told us that we were going to have "a look" at how Jade was manufactured into pottery, jewelry and other figurines. I have figured out by now that "have a look" means get your money ready because its an opportunity to shop! We spent about an hour and a half at the factory. It was amazing to see how they carve and polish the jade, which starts as an ordinary looking piece of rock into the final product. We also were taught the different colors and quality. We bought all the kids a present and Monique got two! Don't worry were keeping score and it will even out in the end. From the factory we drove about another 45 minutes to the Great Wall. Just for info the Chinese call it the "Long Wall." On the way there we drove past the Olympic Village and were able to get a look at the Olympic Stadium "The Bird's Nest" and the aquatic center "The Cube." We were not able to see inside as that tour was the day before we arrived. It was amazing to see the outside and how detailed the architecture is. The building next to the Cube is the Olympic offices. It is a high rise building that is shaped like the Olympic torch. (pictures are forthcoming) We have been on a crazy schedule and have had no time in the hotel room to keep up with the blog. We made it to the Great Wall. What an incredible sight. Seeing is believing. The terrain where it is built is steep and the views from the top are incredible. They were very ingenious people. How they built it is "ANCIENT CHINESE SECRET." I will write more later. Stephanie is cracking the whip because we are a little behind schedule. Bye for now.

Friday

Yesterday was a busy day of touring. We had breakfast at the hotel and then met our guide in the lobby at 9am. We met up with three other families. One couple is from Trukee, CA, one from Houston, and one from Arkansas. We all loaded up on the bus and headed to the Forbidden City. When we arrived we were amazed at the castle like appearance. It had a huge mote (?sp) that surrounded the entire city. The city has two elaborate main gates, one is located at the north and the other at the south, which borders Tienanmen Square. We went through so many courtyards we lost count. These courtyards are huge. Way bigger than football fields. This city is filled with so much history. The Forbidden City was built in 1406, it took 14 years to build and over a million laborers. On the ground there are over 15layers of bricks to prevent people from killing the Emperor. There are 9999 rooms which we only saw a fraction of them. The number 9 has a significant meaning. The Emperor believed he was 2nd in line to God, and the number 9 was the highest single digit number. It represented strength and power. You would see it represented throughout the city. No other person was allowed to use that number. Below are some pictures.

Blogger is not letting me upload anymore pics. Come back later to hear about the rest of our day!

Ni hao

We're in Beijing! Wow, I just can't believe I'm writing this. It still feels so surreal. I just wonder when it's going to feel real? Maybe today when we begin our touring.

So here is a recap of yesterday. We woke up around 2:30am, got ready and left for the airport around 3:45am. We left LAX at 7:30am and arrived in San Francisco around 8:30am. We had a layover, so we had breakfast, bought a couple of books and magazines and boarded our plane around 10:30am.

The flight was really easy. We upgraded to economy plus (Thank you Uncle Adolfo and Cathy) and there were only 16 of us in that whole section! We put our stuff in the row in front and back to us. We sat near a couple who was celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary and decided to vacation for 4 days in China. They were funny and they both talked to us, but we never saw them talk to each other. He even made the comment that that's how they stay together. :(

As many of you know my biggest concern on the plane was how many times I would be fed! Well, United Airlines did a wonderful job and fed me 3 times! Ooh and the food was good. Many of you may not know this, but I love airplane and hospital food! Below are the pictures of my meals.

The flight attendant were very nice and accommodating. They gave us a bottle of champagne when we told them why we were on our trip. They of course, gushed over Dave and gave him free beer and extra food. They gave us tips on where to shop and card of people to visit to get the best deals.

Dave and I played cards (Rummy) (I won by alot) (that's important), watched movies, listened to music, watched the map, and slept for maybe 3 non-consecutive hours.

Going through customs was easy and getting to our hotel was a breeze. The hotel is beautiful and our hotel room is really comfortable. I've heard the beds are so hard they are difficult to sleep in. Well, not for the Crivelli's. I think they are soooo comfortable, and the sheets feel good. We fell asleep around 6:30pm and woke up at 5am. I made us each a cup of our instant coffee, put a Friends DVD on and got on the computer.

We will get ready for our day around 7am. Today we will be really busy and I'll post again tonight.

Kids- We miss you soooo much! I talked to Nani last night and she said you are all being so good and you liked you gifts we left you. Have fun playing with them. Remember to finish your homework first. Have fun with Nani! I'll talk to you guys on Skype soon. We love you very much!!!