Home Sweet Home!

Ahhh, I almost kissed the ground when we landed in Seattle! No, seriously. I'm not joking.  It almost happened.

Yay!  Welcome to the USA, bubby!

When we got off the elevator at Bluegrass Airport, I was completely moved to see all of the smiling faces, banners, balloons, signs, and tears.  We were home.  Everyone spoke fluent English and I didn't have to struggle for basic understanding.  I got to hug my friends and family tighter than ever.  I never knew how much I loved them until I missed them like I did those 2 weeks. 

Welcome to Kentucky!

Our welcoming committee!  I can't tell you how much I love these people!

He loved the balloons!

Then we came home. I forgot how much I loved how beautiful Kentucky is in the fall.  The scent of our home was refreshing!   The feel of my own bedsheets was comforting.  I was finally able to brush my teeth with clear, safe tap water instead of bottled water. I had way more than 300 sq. feet to run around.  I was back in my comfort zone.  With my perfect new little family.  

Then, it happened.

I realized I was home and it was very different.

And Liam realized he was somewhere else. Very, very different.

He screamed for days.  The shrill of his cry made me cringe and I wanted to just run away.  Far, far away.  He became the Houdini of escaping the playpen that he was so accustomed to sleeping in.  After 3 visits to Lowes,  Joe finally came up with some fabulous redneck contraption to raise the side rails while keeping him safe and in one place for the night.

He quit eating and drinking.  For 3 days. Yup.  I freaked out.   He wouldn't eat or drink the foods he ate in China nor would he drink from the sippy cup or bottles he easily used since we met him.  3 sippy cups later, we finally found one that he can use and drink out of easily due to his unrepaired cleft palate.  Poor kid.  I really think he was struggling all along to just get fluid out of what we were giving him.   Sheesh, who knew??! 

Then, something else happened.  He started to sleep.  All the way through the night, just like he did those last few days in China.   Then, he started to eat.   And that new "big boy" sippy cup allows him to chug his drinks faster than any fraternity boy I've ever met.    Sleep + Food = A Happier Boy.    Thank you, Jesus.

Just when I thought it was safe to exhale,  the girls started freaking out.  Poor Audrey especially has had a hard time adjusting to life, jet lag, going back to school etc.  She's hot mess and has literally worried herself sick to the point of vomiting almost every night this week. *sigh*  Poor Maddie, on the other hand, is just emotional, irrational and tearing up at the smallest thing.   My heart aches for them because  I want to help them or fix it and make it all better.  But I can't.   Shoot, I'm sick to my stomach and teary-eyed most of the time, too.   Let's face it, big change is hard and we're all just dealing with it as best as we can. At least we have each other, and that's what we are clinging to for dear life.  I'm trying to spend more time with them, to give them some much-needed 1:1 mommy-daughter time to reassure them that I'll always be crazy for them!  This WILL get better, I know.  It's just that when you're in the midst of it, it just feels like forever.

Then, I decided that this week was when I really needed to start and ease back into work. Oy!  Please bear with me, people.  I'm still trying to figure out when I can fit all that I did into a 24 hour day.  

Joe goes back to work tomorrow for a 24-hour shift at the fire department.  This is the beginning of my new regular role as "single mom of 3 kids".  Am I nervous?  Yes.  Will I make it?  Absolutely.  Do I have a choice? 

We've visited 2 doctors this week already:  the general pediatrician and the ENT.    The ENT confirmed that both of his eardrums are severely perforated probably due to chronic infections.  Then, we had a basic hearing test done by an audiologist which was sort of inconclusive due to the fact that Liam became distracted by a sudden desperate need for animal crackers.  However, they have confirmed that he does have hearing loss, which is to be expected.    They will have to do a sedated ABR when he has his cleft surgery to determine how severe the loss is, what kind of hearing loss it is, and the course of treament. 

So, there you have it.  Week #1.   But I will tell you this:  I love how cute he is when I wrap him up in his towel after bath.  I love the smell of baby lotion on his freshly bathed skin.  I love how he prefers to reach for me over most people and will hold on tightly around my neck. I love how he rubs my arm so gently when he's trying to get to sleep. I love how he's trying so hard to learn sign language to communicate with us.  I love his sweet little toothy smile when he's proudly put food on his spoon and managed to make it all into his mouth.   I love how he hysterically giggles outloud when I make up funny songs and bounce him on my hip. 

I'm still trying to wrap my heart and my head all around this mess.   For now, I'm just taking it day by day.   And praying lots.

For now, I'll leave ya with a few pictures of the kiddos playing in the backyard enjoying a beautiful fall day.  

Playing in the leaves

Checking out the playset in the backyard

Day 12-14 ~ The Adventure Home!

Last night we went to a fabulous restaurant right by the water. The view was gorgeous and so serene.  The weather was perfect, a clear nigh with a gentle breeze.  We all shared some steak and spaghetti (another discovery: Liam is a meat and potato kinda man!  He LOVED the steak!).  I finally sat down, took very deep breath, and watched the sunset with my new larger family sipping a long-overdue glass of red wine. (ahhh!)  We took quiet time as a family to praise God for all of His provisions on this crazy 10 month journey and for holding us up when we thought we couldn't stand for another minute. This has been a major leap of faith and the scariest thing I've ever done in my life.  I hope that you have been blessed and encouraged as you have walked by our side along the way.  To God be all of the glory!

The View from the Restaurant



Daddy and Maddie

Audrey and Mommy enjoying the sunset

His mischevious look while posing with his Mama

Liam stuffed full of white rice, all smiles with his Baba!

This will be my last blog update until we are home and settled.  In just a few hours we head out to pick up Liam's US Visa and then we're off to the airport.  We fly from here to Beijing, spend the night in Beijing, up early to catch a flight from Beijing to Seattle, transfer planes in Seattle and fly to Atlanta and then jump another plane from Atlanta to Lexingon.   I realize that may have been the longest run-on sentence ever but I had to say that all in one breath.    It's gonna be a LOONNG couple of days ahead.   Do you hear the "Mission Impossible" theme song playing again?  Because I sure do!

I can smell the crisp Autumn air of the Bluegrass already!  I can feel the warmth of the hugs from our friends and family as we come down that escalator at the airport and I tear up just thinking about it.    I can taste the clear, purified water from our fridge as I curl up on my couch in warm, comfy pajamas!  I can see the excitement on Liams face when he walks in the door of his new home for the first time, points to the dog, and shrills "YA YA!!!"

We're almost at the end. 

Or perhaps I should say, we're just getting started.

Day 11 ~ Consulate Appointment

Last night we took another taxi ride adventure over to the other side of town to try an Irish Pub that Emily recommended to us.   I still think the poor Joe has claw marks on his shoulder from me having multiple panic attacks from the back seat.   Blindfolds. Next taxi ride, I'm wearing a blindfold.  That's all.

By the way, through some sleepless nights, I've come to the conclusion that National Lampoons should have hired us to film our own version of "Asian Vacation".  Some of the stuff that we have experienced that can't be posted would seriously make Clark Griswold laugh out loud.   Life is never boring around here.  Ha!

So, back to business.  This morning we were up early to head over to the US Consulate for our important appointment. Thrilled to see the red, white and blue!

 The appointment went smoothly, all of our paperwork was perfect, and now we just wait to pick up his visa tomorrow afternoon on the way to the airport.   Once he lands in Seattle, WA, William Gentry Rice will officially be a U.S. Citizen!

 

Since tonight is our last night in Guangzhou, we ran over to the famous "pearl market" to check it out.  The one thing that we had budgeted for was to purchase some pearl necklaces and earrings for Madelyn and Audrey to wear on their wedding days.   Oh, and another set for Liam give to his wife to wear on their wedding day.  Anyone who knows me also knows that I'm a mushy sentimentalist!  So, here we are, picking out our super BARGAIN pearls and the girls modeling them for the camera.

I'll leave you tonight with a little more info that we're learning about our new boy.  Well, he absolutely loves Chris Tomlin music as it lulls him to bed every night (a little CD player for his bedroom is at the TOP of our list of stuff to buy when we get home!)  The kid can pack away a McDonald's cheeseburger like it's nobody's business.   He loves dogs (Zeus is in for a treat!), bathtime (especially his bath toys from The Curry family!), and to ride...in his stroller, the car, whatever moves!  Liam loves wide open spaces to RUN and squeal!  He enjoys cleaning up.  Yes, you read that right. Is it too early to show him how to use the vacuum at home?  He has to have everything organized perfectly and no food touching the other.  He has to have his routine.  Can you say "Type A" personality?   Oh, and he loves to rub my arm and gently stroke my face every night as I rock him and sing along with Mr. Tomlin. Melts a mama's heart!  

Days 9 & 10 - The Zoo & Shamian Island

Monday morning we headed back to the medical office to get Liam's TB skin test checked.  We were in and out in 2 minutes, as his test was just fine.  Then it was off to the zoo for a great morning!   How many folks can actually say they got kissed by giraffe this week? 

It's crazy to think that a 3-year old child has never seen animals like this before.  We take so much for granted in the USA.  He just couldn't stop pointing and saying "Ya Ya!" to everything he saw!

Maddie's favorite was the panda and we had to pry her away from the exhibit.  Audrey took to the chimps rather well and has come to the conclusion that she wants to live with them forever.  Go figure.

After naps for everyone in the family (ahh!), we all decided to take a jump in the pool.  Again, I had to realize that ALL of this is a 1st for Liam.   I bet he's never even seen a swimming pool.  It's really amazing to see the excitement and joy out from child as they experience such simple stuff.  At first, he enjoyed splish splashing with Dada in the kiddie pool.

Before long, he was ready for the big pool with his sissies!  

 

Today we had a free day and boy, did we need it!   After breakfast, I was still exhausted and could barely keep my eyes open.  The love of my life sent me back to the room to nap while he watched all 3 kiddos wear themselves out on the playground.  Have I mentioned how much I just adore that man?

 

In the afternoon, we took another ride over to Shamian Island to do some souvenier shopping and grab some dinner.  We found this little hole-in-the-wall tea shop and sat down to sample some green tea.  Liam's home town is known for a few things:  kung fu,  jade production, and making some of the world's most exclusive high-quality tea.  I'm not much of a tea-drinker, but MAN...that was some of the best stuff that I've ever had!  What a treat!   

 

It's a good thing that I have this blog because quite frankly, without it I wouldn't know what day it is anymore or what the heck we did last week.    What's my name again??

 

Well, tomorrow is the big one !  It's our appointment at the U.S. Consulate to get the very last thing we need: Liam's American visa.   It's the final hoop in China that we have to jump through!  

Thank you, Jesus.  

Day 8- More Guangzhou

Ok, so I'm gonna make this one quick because quite frankly, I'm exhausted and need a nap!

Yesterday we spent most of the afternoon playing in the park trying to wear everyone out.  It worked, because he slept from 8pm last night until 7am this morning!   WOOHOO!!!

We also tried an authentic Cantonese family-style restaurant for dinner last night.  You were right, Amy....the fried rice is to die for!  YUM!! 

This morning, we took a quick drive over to Shamian Island to enjoy Sunday morning bi-lingual Christian church service.   The sermon was on "Fruits of the Spirit: Patience".   They spoke about patience and perserverance through the hard times.  Really?!?   Love God's sense of humor.     I can't wait for next Sunday when he'll get to go to his first service at his home church.  Have I mentioned how much I miss everyone back in Kentucky??  *sigh*

My first church service!

Afterward, we did a little shopping around the island and met up with some other adoptive American families for lunch at the famous Lucy's restaurant (I finally got the spaghetti I was craving!!)   I'm telling you...just being able to sit down over a meal with the other folks who have jumped through all of the insane hurdles along with us is just this:   Best. Therapy. Ever.

Tomorrow morning we head back to the medical office to get his TB skin test read and then to the zoo for the day.  The boy absolutely LOVES animals, so that should be a hoot! 

 I'll leave you with a few pics of the island from today.  So peaceful!   

 

Day 7- Guangzhou, China

Whooooweee!  What a difference a day makes!  We got Liam's passport yesterday and headed straight over to the airport to hop a plane to Guangzhou.

Look at me! I have my own passport!

Then we met our new guide, Simon, who brought us over to the China Hotel by Marriott.  

 

The angels were singing the hallelujah chorus the moment we set foot in that hotel.

 

Adoptive American families everywhere.  People speaking ENGLISH!  Restaurants that actually serve food we like to eat. Parks!  Playgrounds! Stores!  Real coffee! Air conditioning!  I don't think I've ever breathed a sigh of relief like I did at that moment.

 

Then, another miracle....Liam fell asleep without screaming.  A quiet, restful night.  Ahhhhh....

 

This morning we all woke up, had a wonderful American breakfast with other families, and met our guide to take Liam to his medical appointment.   The ENT doctor said his ears are looking just fine, so I guess the meds are working which thrills me.  He's 28 pounds, and we've come to the conclusion that he's in about a size 12 month pants and 18 month shirt (keep in mind...he's 3 years old!) We were in and out in no time, and he did well with the exception of the TB skin test, which nobody really likes.

Then it was back to the hotel for the dreaded nap time.   I ran downstairs with the guide to complete some paperwork while Joe stayed upstairs to get a VERY cranky boy to lay down.  I was expecting to come back to the room with a little terror wailing his head off.  To my surprise, I returned to silence.  Joe and the girls had turned off all of the lights, sang "Amazing Grace" to him, and POOF!  He was out!   I have a feeling I'm gonna be doing a lot of singing from here on out.  Thing is, it actually relaxes ME, as well!  Funny how God works all that out.  

 

The girls just left to go for a swim in the pool with Daddy while I stay here and catch up on emails etc. while it's nice and quiet. Oh, and we taught him another new thing yesterday:  how to give kisses.

Day 5 & 6- Tough Stuff

Well, the honeymoon is over.

I must be honest, the past 2 days have been hard  torture.  Probably some of the hardest days in my entire life.   And Liam's life.

I know fellow adoptive parents will "get this", but many of you have asked so here goes.   Liam is grieving.  Hard.  Keep in mind, he's lived his entire life in an orphanage, then he's pushed into the arms of complete strangers who look weird, smell weird, and speak weird.  He's been dealing with it as best as he knows how.  Literally crying NONSTOP for 5 hours at a time. Throwing stuff.  Trying to bite us. Smacking us away. Yup.  Fun stuff.

If you are a parent and have ever experienced colic in a child (which I have personally), I feel like it's 1000 times worse. 

How are we handling it?  Well, not so good.  We're grieving in our own way, too.  I've boo-hoo'd my eyeballs out multiple times.  My head is throbbing, I'm starved for some good food, and beyond sleep deprived.  Stressed out, torn in multiple directions and emotions I've didn't know existed.   And I've never craved spaghetti and meatballs like I do now.    (random, but true...)

So what is a girl to do?  I cry.  Then I hug my girls tighter than ever.  And then I hug them again.  And cry some more.  Drink some caffeine to keep me awake, hug Joe, and repeat the process all over again.    It's working for now and all I know to do.  It doesn't help that we're living in a 300 sq. foot non-air conditioned prison cell hotel room where NOBODY understands English.   More fun stuff.

Yesterday, we went to the Henan Museum with our guide to check out the history of the province.  It was nice to be outside of the walls of the hotel.

  


With our guide, Cindy. 

On our way home, we requested to stop at Pizza Hut.  After bath and a (smaller) temper tantrum, Liam finally passed out and slept for over 8 hours straight.  Praise God!

So, you would think that after a nice long sleep and a good breakfast that we'd be a-ok, right?  Not so much.  He's literally screamed at the top of his lungs for 4 and 1/2 hours this morning.  My nerves are shot.   After we packed our bags, we shut the lights off in the room, and the 4 of us all laid down on the bed with Liam screaming bloody murder in his crib.   We started to pray and then busted out in song.   What a sight!   Joe, Maddie, Audrey and I laying on the same bedd loudly singing everything from praise and worship songs to Prince's "Raspberry Beret" (at Audrey's request, of course).

Then something strange happened.....   there was silence. 

He fell asleep!  Miracles never cease!  Rice Family karaoke to the rescue!  Who knew??!!

In less than an hour we check out of the hotel, run to pick up Liam's passport, and head to the airport for Liam's first plane ride to Guangzhou where the U.S. Consulate is. That's where we go to get his medical appoinment tomorrow and apply for his U.S. Visa.    The great thing is, the hotel where we are staying at has A LOT more American familes there (we are the ONLY ones at this one), a McDonald's and Starbucks very close by, and it's our last leg before we head home-sweet-home. 

I couldn't have made it thus far without 5 things:

1)  The girls being here with me.  Their hugs have been the air I breathe.
2)  A husband who has more patience than should be legally allowed.  I simply adore that man!
3)  My adoptive friends back home who have given me cyber hugs and mulitple Facebook instant messages at all hours of the day. Their love and reassurance has been priceless.
4)  The many, many prayers coming from across the ocean, kind emails, wall posts, etc.   We feel the warmth of that prayer blanket. Thank you doesn't seem like enough to all of you!
5)  Instant coffee.   Enough said.

Day 4 - He's officially OURS!

Yesterday was quite possibly was the longest day of my life .  Up 18 hours straight, with 2 vans trips, 2 train rides, 1 taxi adventure and a kid who absolutely refuses to sleep.    Wheeee!!

 

First thing after breakfast we headed to the Civil Affairs office to finalize the adoption.   So, here we are!  Standing with the officials holding the famous "Red Book" that makes him completely OURS!  

The Civil Affairs Office with our official Adoption Certificate



Liam came to us with a very, VERY bad ear infection and upper respiratory infection.  We started him on antibiotics given by our family physician right away.  However, our guide was instisting that he needed medical attention.  So, afterward, we went to some hole-in-the-wall "doctors office" to get Liam some ear drops.   I may have nightmares for the rest of my life.  The place looked like Hannibal Lecter's prison cell.   We got the ear drops, took off to the notary's office, got some stuff signed, finally got some American food for lunch (praise the Lord for McDonalds!) and headed off to the train station.    We took the slower train (about 2.5 hours) to Liam's birth city to apply for his passport.

 

On the train, he slept about 3 minutes.  Seriously.  Just 3 minutes.  But we discovered that he likes to sleep with 2 fingers in his mouth. 

 

About half of a box of goldfish crackers later, we finally made it to Xinyang City.

In his home city on Daddy's shoulders!



 

Then it we made a mad dash to one of the government offices to apply for his passport. While we were there, we were focus of entertainment.  Older women from all over the room came flocking to look at us, touch us, and ask us 100 questions.    I know that many of our friends have warned us about this, but nothing really could have prepared me for that volume of weirdness.  After a while, the slap-happy giggles returned and I just started taking pictures of them googling over Audrey. 

 

The paparrazi

It was just around the corner that we had no other choice but to experience our first "squatty potty".  I think poor Maddie will be scarred for life.    But that's another topic for another day.    Have  I mentioned how much I miss home?

 

After the passport ordeal, we went to see Liam's finding place.  Apparently, about 11 days after his estimated birth, his birth mom left him at the gates of the city hospital.   Holding my new son in my arms looking at the place,  I was a sobbing mess.   I can't imagine what his birth mom felt the day she chose to say good-bye to him.   I can only think how she left part of her heart there forever.

The Finding Place

Dinner time!   We had the choice of KFC or a local noodle joint.  Of course, it wouldn't be a true adventure unless we ate like the locals.     So, you know the movie Kung Foo Panda where Poe makes his own noodles?  Yup, that's the sort of place we went.    No forks, only chopsticks, and a big bowl of noodles.  The entire restaurant staff desperately tried to help the crazy Americans eat.  My side hurt from laughing as hard as I did!   I just know for a fact that the videos they were taking of  us are on You Tube somewhere. 

 

Finally we headed back to the super fast train station for the 1.5 hour ride back to where our hotel is.  We got to ride the brand new bullet train that just opened last week!  Super cool!  

The new Express Train!

 I'm amazed at how the kids (all 3 of them) are doing on this trip.   I'm even more shocked at how Liam literally slept less than 5 minutes the entire day, probably doesn't feel that great with his infections, yet he kept a ready smile on his face most of the entire day.  So far, he's bonding beautifully chosing Mama and Baba over anyone else.   I'm sort of waiting for the "honeymoon" to be over, but for now, I'm enjoying his giggles and magnetic personality as we treasure these first few days with memories that will last a lifetime!


My 3 beautiful kiddos!

Day 3 - Gotcha Day!

This morning I was just a ball of nerves. We went over to the Civil Affairs office, signed a few papers and headed straight back to the hotel to wait for Liam to arrive.   Within the hour, there was a knock on our hotel door that would change our lives forever!

For some reason, the video won't upload here, so you'll have to check my Facebook wall for that. 

They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words.  So rather than trying to be poetic tonight, I'll just give you a glimpse of one of the most incredible days of my entire life.

 

 

 I'm absolutely head-over-heels in love.   I've never seen someone smile so much.  He is so obviously smart and amazingly clever.   He is an organizer (lined all of his toy cars and crayons up in a perfect... totally OCD...yes, he'll fit right in with our family!)  Not a picky eater. Is easily entertained.  The girls can't stop loving on him and he enjoys every mintue of it!  I've never seen someone his size pack away food like he can. (He's way smaller than we anticipated as fits into 18  month clothes, as the 24 month ones are HUGE on him!!)  He loves to cuddle. He will melt your heart when he blows kisses to you or waves bye-bye.   He has the sweetest, easy-going disposition.  

 

And he's been calling me Mama.