The First Days

Hi Everyone,

Wim and I are both writing some tid bits down to share with you all. First let me say, before this trip several people warned me that the rooms etc. in China are kept very cold. I brought extra clothes because as many know-- especially my work friends-- I get cold easy.
I'm freak'n dying of heat exhaustion here! Our room in Beijing was like a Sauna and everywhere we go it is HOT! I'm about ready to rip the sleeves off of the sweatshirts I brought and start wearing them as skirts!



Josie's first bath with us. She fussed for the first few minutes, then liked it until she threw her cup and splashed herself.




I am going to randomly but somewhat chronologically post a few pictures with captions about what is happening. This may or may not coincide with whatever else we happen to write. I know this may be a little confusing, but that is what you get when you mix flying over the date line with a toddler and a little Tsing Tao beer.

I have to say, this trip is really exhausting-- in a good way; very good way. But still, exhausting.
Yesterday we returned to the CCAA (China Officials in Charge of adoption) for our interviews and to sign documents that we want to adopt Josie and promise that we will be good parents to her forever. We were also able to meet the Director of her Orphanage and ask her some questions.





Reena and Dong Dong Josie at the CCAA office talking with the Shaoguan SWI Orphanage Director.





As many of you know, her Orphanage is sponsored by Half The Sky (see link on the blog). We are very fortunate in that we were provided with a booklet they kept for Josie documenting her life and development while in their care. This booklet also includes many pictures of Josie at various ages. The book has several pages and many pictures-- we will need to get it translated to English to read it-- but we are extremely happy to have been provided with so much information.

Josie is also recovering from a cold and the director provided us with quite a bit of medication for her and instructions on how to give it. She also told us that they called Josie Dong Dong. Right now we are calling her Dong Dong Josie. We want her to know we are talking to her and we also want to transition her to her new name slowly.


We were interviewed by two different officials in separate rooms one was the notary and the other was the registration.

Reena and Dong Dong Josie with the CCAA government official at the end of the 2nd Interview.

It was a big morning for Josie and she was more than ready for her first nap with us when we returned to the hotel.

We went out to eat with several of the other families in the evening to a Thai place called Cow and Bridge. Wim and I shared red curry goose and green curry ostrich. Josie had dish of steamed eggs with chicken and most of Wim's papaya shake. She definitely has the eating food thing down pat and she likes to take her time about it. Really she eats a ton and likes to eat slow. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to feed her. She's not fussy about it-- she is really happy, she simply likes to take her time.

She is eating a ton-- I don't know where she puts it! To give you an idea, aAt breakfast today (it is a buffet) she had: about 2 scrambled eggs, 1 cup of yogurt, 1/2 banana, 3/4 of a stewed tomato, OJ and 8 oz of formula mixed with Rice Cereal.

Reena Feeding Josie in the Hotel Restaurant.

Josie in the shopping cart at Walmart.

She would not look up at people because she is shy.

We went shopping at the Walmart in Guangzhou today. It is a french walmart-- careform (yes, you read that right-- a french Walmart in China). That in itself was to eventful to write about. Suffice it to say-- Josie experienced a very large and I am quite sure satisfying dump. We had to borrow a diaper from another family (Wim left our diaper bag on the bus because our guide said we could leave our stuff on the bus if we wanted to-- I don't think I need to bother writing a comment about this). (I have no idea where this underline came from???)

Then we had to find a place to change her. They don't really use diapers here so Wim got very frustrated asking the sales people where we could go. I ended up changing her on the floor in a little hall wall. I don't think the workers in the adjacent room appreciated it. They went running out of their room yelling "OOOooooooo!"

In the afternoon we had to go to another China government appointment to have a picture done of Josie and received our official Adoption Certificate from China. This was an interesting trip and we were not able to take our own pictures. Wim and I were both on the other's nerves-- and letting each other know about it (yes, in the "holding area" for China's finalization of the adoption). Josie had been napping and was not happy to be woken up, we were irritated and we had a Male Chinese police looking guy trying to get Josie to smile for the picture.

She is shy, doesn't like strangers-- which is anyone other than me-- and she especially doesn't like men. She screamed and Screamed and SCREAMED at this guy. Finally he just took the picture and shook his head. He probably figures she is a good match for us since we were being fussing with each other while waiting.

Picture of me a Josie playing in the play room at the Hotel-- called the Swan room. She would not look at Wim for her picture.

Josie after her Oatmeal bath-- Reena took the picture.

So, without further Ado-- The China portion of the adoption is now complete. In China's eyes, we are legally and solely the parents of Josephine Orangelee-Fudong Chase. Next up is the American Embassy-- we'll see what our government manages to screw-up-- I'm taking bets that they manage to screw-up something.

Wim and I got some food from a nearby Chinese bakery and deli for dinner and ate in our room We felt that we should have a nice easy and quiet evening tonight. There has been soooo much running around the last few days-- I can hardly imagine how tired Josie is with everything! After dinner we went to the play room and played for about an hour and then we completed our day with a soothing oatmeal bath. Josie really seemed to enjoy it-- followed by a bottle of milk, she was out like a light.

Here are a few words from Wim (morning 3/24):

Today we officially became Josie’s parents after going through an interview and paying some fees, all very reasonable. We had a chance to speak with an employee of the orphanage, Xu Xiu Ying, not sure of her title. We asked her some questions though it was limited because the person interpreting was spread thin. We also think she didn’t know much specifically about Josie. Josie had her own nannie named Wang Qi Zhen.

We learned that they call her ‘dong dong’, likes fruit, doesn’t like water, likes to be held and be bounced on your knee. She likes to be spoken to. We have noticed that she really listens when you speak to her, and it seems to soothe her. She is very curious, but pretty much wants to cling to Reena all the time so far. She is very very very very very slowly allowing me to play with her a little tiny bit, and I even fed her some today while Reena held her.

She is so cute and I am so used to being so hands with babies on that I am just going nuts ‘respecting her space’. She calls Reena a word that sounds like ‘ eye - eee’, emphasis on ‘eeee’ which means auntie or something and is the word they call the nannies. It is really cute to hear her say it.

She sucks her thumb and is probably the chubbiest of the babies, looks more like Gabrielle and Xavier at that age than the other babies. She can’t walk on her own which I think would normally be the case at her age but she crawls REAL FAST when Reena takes 2 steps away from her so I think she is hiding some abilities.

It is really important for me to remind myself that Josie has been through major emotional trauma and just relax. There really are no males in the lives of these girls so we are new to them. It is hardest for the older girls, over a year, to adjust to males. The younger ones do ok. Other men have similar issues.

Reena does consult me about diapers and I just let her know that it will be very obvious when she poops, you don’t need to worry that you may have missed it. She did poop today, and my point was validated.

So this is blogging. I am telling you about our baby’s poops and I hope you find it interesting. The weather is cloudy and even a little drizzly though in the 60’- 70's.

Reena an Wim