China Day 2 - June 1st

As you will notice we missed May 31st! With traveling and jumping ahead 12 hrs we really did lose a whole day - it is June 1st here so we are going to go with that!

I got up this morning around 4:30am feeling mostly refreshed but soooo hungry - we headed down to the buffet for breakfast which was pretty good! They have a lot of options - a bunch of pastries, pancakes, breads, eggs, cereal etc... they also had a wide range of traditional Chinese food that to be honest I didn't know what it was and therefore didn't try it. Mike did try some of it and liked everything he tried.

We were able to face time and Skype with some people at it was about 7pm at home. After breakfast we headed down to the 7-11 and bought some water to bring back to our hotel. After that we headed to the Silk Market!!

The Silk Market is a 7 floor building that is vendor after vendor for shopping. Each floor sells different things - Mike bought a shirt which he bartered from 540rmb to 80rmb. It was a good first attempt but we/I did much better as we went along. Our guide said whatever they ask drop a zero and cut it in half LOL - I basically followed this but to be honest I couldn't in good conscience offer that low for some things. I basically decided what I was willing to pay and offered that! They will type a number in on the calculator and then you have to put what you are willing to pay - it is hilarious actually! You have to stick to your guns and believe me they will come down very quickly especially if you try to walk away. I wanted to get a pc of luggage or a large bag so that we would have extra room to put stuff coming home. I went to a luggage vendor upstairs and asked if she had any Burberry or Louis Vuitton and she said oh yes come with me - then took me into a back room with everything big brand name LOL. Found one I liked bartered down to practically nothing and left very happy LOL!!

Trying to get a cab is almost impossible in China, we eventually did but we had to pay 10cad and it only cost us 20rmb to get there....ugh

We stopped at McDonalds for lunch and it was crazy - but everything tastes pretty much exactly the same! It cost us 40rmb for 2 meals which is approx $6.50.

Later we headed out to the acrobat show, the cab there cost us 25rmb although the meter said 22rmb (they just say what they want). The show was very good - amazing what they do! Although I feel bad for these girls, away from their families for years to be part of the acrobat troop. Just like the girls at the Silk Market, they are all living in Beijing typically hours away from there home and they work 12hrs a day and sometimes only have 1 day a month.

After the show we tried to get a cab and it was impossible, we didn't know where the subway station was so we thought we would walk for a bit and try to find a hotel (they usually have cabs at them). A lady in a rickshaw came up to us and asked if we wanted /needed a ride. We showed her where we were going and she had to ask someone where it was (never a good sign). The kid told us 7rmb and we got in and off she went - she was taking us in the complete wrong direction and took us down some back allies - I was a little concerned. She ended up stopping at home to get a new battery for the rickshaw then off we went. Mike and I thought if she got us back to the hotel we would for sure give her more money. After about 10 min she stopped by what she thought was our hotel and we got out - we told her it wasn't our hotel but she clearly wasn't going to go any further. I tried to hand her some rmb and she laughed and said it was 100 rmb - I said what? The kid told us 7 and we are giving you more? Neither one of us could understand each other and after a bit of an argument I gave her 70rmb and told her it was all we had and walked away. So we really had no idea where we were but we figured it out and finally made it back to our hotel - Thank God!!

So today was very interesting and exhausting - We saw our first split pants, we saw a little girl peeing on the street by a tree (strange). Mike and I are still not totally switched over on the time - it is hard! Beijing is so polluted,we were saying that there is NO WHERE to get fresh air. It smells like a mixture of burnt cooking oil, diesel fumes and burnt rubber all the time and then of course there is always a haze over the city. I can honestly say we both can't wait to get home and breathe fresh air!!

China Day 1 - May 30th

Well today was.....LONG!!

We got up and finished up some things around the house, packed some last minute things etc...  Mike went to meet his Mom, Dad and Lisa for breakfast while I finished packing, tidying up and got a shower.  I noticed everything I did I would think to myself "this is the last night we will sleep in our bed without Mhyia here", "this is the last time I will shower in my house without Mhyia here", it is very surreal.

We had MANY phone calls of well wishes which was very nice, everyone kept saying to me "you must be soooo excited" and yes I am very excited but it is so hard to be so excited with so many unknowns ahead of you!  Of course we are so excited to get Mhyia but I must admit I was not looking forward to the 13hr flight, not looking forward to not knowing where we were in China and not being able to communicate with everyone, read signs etc...

Getting ready to leave!

 My Mom and Dad picked us up around 11am and we headed to the airport, at this time our 2:55pm flight was saying delayed by 20min, while we drove by my work I called Kimberly to say bye and she told me our flight was now saying delayed by 1hr 45min ugh.  We decided to stop by the airport and grab some lunch - I was savoring every second of that Wendy's hamburger!! 

My parents dropped us off at the airport and we headed in - it took us less than 5 min to check our bags and get through security etc... When we got to our gate we noticed that our flight was now saying delayed until 5:20....seriously?  We walked around a little and sat around for a while only to discover our flight was delayed AGAIN until 7pm and then later until 7:20pm.  We had a bite to eat and FINALLY got to board our plane.  We didn't actually back out until 8:13pm so 5hrs and 20min late.

The flight was okay, just very very very long!  We had dinner,drinks, soup and sandwich, and a breakfast.  We didn't want to sleep too much but you really have nothing better to do - I must admit by the end I was literally going crazy.  I an NOT looking forward to the flight home, other than I will be home!  I ended up talking to some of the flight attendants during our flight and discovered the one lady lived in Dundas where Mike grew up and lived on the same street as Mike did as a child - small world!!

We landed in Beijing around 9:00pm and by the time we got off, went through immigration, got our luggage and then found our guide it was just after 10pm.  Our guide Ray and our driver Duke (gotta love the names lol) took us to the hotel - because we were so late the traffic was totally normal and it only took about 30min!

We finally made it up to our room which is okay?  Nothing fancy, if I was home and staying here, well I would not stay here lol.  The lobby is beautiful, the beds are hard as everyone has said but we like them a lot!!  We boiled some water so we could use it in the morning to brush our teeth and went to bed.

All in all I am not loving the feeling of being somewhere so different from home and somewhere where I can't read the signs and can't understand anyone - it  is a weird feeling, kind of unsettling but I am sure today will be better now that we have gotten some sleep.

It is now 4:37am and I am up typing this post - sorry it is so long but I just really want to try to capture everything that happens because I know I will not remember all the details later!

That is it for now - I will post about Day 2 later tonight!

Tomorrow!

Well I can't believe it but TOMORROW we will board a plane and fly half way across the world to get our daughter!!  I can honestly say that as excited as I am I think I have been dreaming, wishing, wanting and saying these words for soooo long that it has almost lost its meaning.  I think when we get to China and especially Kunming it is going to hit me - I will probably be an emotional basket case lol.  It is sooo unreal to me that it is actually finally here and we are leaving tomorrow!!

Our little girl is probably up right now, a couple of hours away from lunch and she has no idea what is happening and what has been happening for the last 6+ years in preparation for her.  She has no idea how many people talk about her like she has been with us forever, yet they haven't even met her yet, she has no idea how much love is waiting here for her and for that I am soooo thankful and so happy for her - she is going to be surrounded by love and amazing people who will all help shape the little girl she is to become.  It is just amazing!

Everyday Mike and I say "I wonder what she looks like now" or "I wonder what she is doing right now"?  The poor little thing has been through so much in her short little life so far.  The loss of a birth mom and whatever family may have come along with that, she was in the orphanage and then we have been told she was probably moved into foster care and then probably brought back to the orphanage in the last couple of weeks.  So many changes, no one to be her forever family etc...  Well that is all about to change!!!  We are coming to get you my sweet girl and there is more love waiting for you than words can ever express.  We are so excited Mhyia and can't wait to get you and bring you home to start our new lives, the three of us, together FOREVER.

xoxo little peanut - we will see you soon!

Getting ready!

Well for weeks now we have been preparing for this trip, at times it has seemed like sooooo far away and at other times it is flying by!

Let me tell you I had no idea how we were going to take everything we needed to in 2 suitcases but I did it - yes I say "I" because lets be honest "I" did do it LOL

It has been crazy - lists upon lists and constantly something to pick up etc..  We are only allowed to bring on 2 suitcases unless we want to pay a $70 charge so we had to be frugal!!  Mhyia's stuff takes up one whole suitcase on its own and then Mike and I are sharing one suitcase between us - don't ask me how because when we go on a cruise for 1 week we take 3 suitcases total for just the 2 of us LOL.  I hope we aren't forgetting anything but I am sure if we are we can get it there - we have all the important stuff! 
We just have a few small things to pack in the morning and then we will be off!!

This is the beginning stages

A special gift from Mhyia....well actually Daddy!

I came home today and Mike was in the garage, when I got out of the car he said " a package came for you from FedEx" I said "oh it must be Mhyia's finding ad" I asked him if he opened it and he said "no, it was addressed to you"

I proceeded into the house and went into the kitchen to see a gift bag on the counter - right away I knew it was actually from him (although he still acted like it was from Fedex, lol) I looked inside to find a little card which he had even sealed with my wax seal kit.  When I opened it it was a note written to me from Mhyia (aka Mike) it said that she sent me this gift for herself and that she would see us soon.  When I opened the bag here was a onsie and a little pair of shoes - soooooo cute, it is hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing - so sweet of her LOL.  The shoes have little cherries on them but almost with a little skull face - soooo rcker like!

Also the strange thing is is just that morning on my way to work I was thinking how Mike was going to the mall to get his haircut and I thought to myself how cool would it be if Mike actually bought Mhyia something all on his own??  Of course then I thought he probably wouldn't even know the size and I then just put it out of my mind!

Of course he says she can wear it on Father's Day LOL

Shower #3 - Work "surprise"

So today my work through a surprise shower for me - it was AMAZING!!  I knew they would have a shower for me because we do this for everyone who i having their first baby but it is usually the last day or two that you are working so when it happened today it was a total SURPRISE!!!  It was sooooo sweet and NO one has ever surprised me with anything and it was so great!!

I was in a meeting and thought after the meeting I was meeting the girls in the kitchen to head out for lunch but when I waled in voila - everyone was in there and it was decorated with Chinese Lanterns etc,,  it was just overwhelming.

I have commented on here many times before how much I LOVE my job and the people I work with - they are truly like an extension of my own family and Mhyia is one lucky little girl to have so many people in her life who love her sooo much already!  They will all bring something special to Mhyia's life and I can't wait for them to meet her!

I have commented on here many times before how much I LOVE my job and the people I work with - they are truly like an extension of my own family and Mhyia is one lucky little girl to have so many people in her life who love her sooo much already!  They will all bring something special to Mhyia's life and I can't wait for them to meet her!

Soooo many more amazing gifts for Mhyia

My girlfrien "Auntie Kimberly" made this quilt for Mhyia
it is soooo beautiful and such a keepsake for her <3

Beautiful card from Auntie Lyndsay - had to frame it!!

Family Shower #2

The day after my first shower was my second (very busy weekend)!!  Deb and Darlene - technically my twin cousins but for as long as I can remember I consider them to be my sisters - held a shower for my Dad's side of the family.

It was again such a beautiful day - They had everything decorated so beautifully and all the little touches were so sweet!  They had made up little thank you's in pink baby bottles with a little write up about Mhyia, they had beautiful banners at the front door and lots of those puff paper flowers (I love these).

Again we were absolutely SPOILED!!!  Mhyia got so many beautiful things.  She got clothes, toys, books, drapers, shoes etc...  My Aunt also knitted her a beautiful blanket which I just love - not many people knit things any more so it is a very special gift!

Me and my sisters!! (cousins)

 

Cute Thank-you's

I just love this - I have ALWAYS wanted one!!

Sooooooo many beautiful things!!

 

  

Amazing - just an amazing weekend!!!!

Family Shower #1

My mom and my sister-in-law Tiffany hosted a baby shower for my moms side of the family as well as some of my close friends!  It was sooooo amazing, so much fun - I just couldn't believe that I was going to a baby shower and it was for our baby!!! 

It has been so many years of trying and waiting I think it is close to 14years since we first decided we wanted to start our family.  I can't beleive it has been that long and now it seems like everything is happening soooo fast.  I still can't believe that we will be going to get Mhyia in a month!!

The shower was great, it was all decorated in pink and white and they had favours made up to give out to people and they were chopsticks and Mike and Ike candies (my favourite!) everything was just perfect and of course Mhyia was SPOILED!!!  Sooo many nice things!

The handout's!!  So cute!

 

Our 6 year journey to Mhyia

Love love love this little sea horse!

 

Soooooo many beautiful things!

She is one luck and loved little girl!

Happy 8 months - sweet baby girl!

Well today Mhyia is 8 months old.  I am so glad she is so young but I just want to go and get her right now.  Typically we would get some updated information and possibly a picture or two but we have been told we will not be able to which makes it so hard.  Literally everyday we are talking about what she might look like now and how much hair would she have, does she have teeth etc...

It was 4 weeks ago today that we saw her picture for the first time, in one way is seems like yesterday and in another way it seems like a lifetime ago.  I know people who don't have their referral yet hate to hear this (I use to also) but it truly is amazing how when you see their little face and learn about your baby those 6 years and all the crap you have to go through just disappears.  All we care about now is her, we love her so much!!  It is so weird because I didn't know how I would feel when we got her picture?  How can you fall in love with a picture?  Well let me tell you, you just do!  It is weird how I am already feeling protective of her, I find myself worrying about her and hoping that she is happy and being well taken care of.  We are busy getting ready to go and get her, another four weeks from now and we will be on a plane to Kunming City!

Not much longer now Mhyia and you will be with us forever!!  You have no idea what your life has in store for you but let me tell you there are soooo many people here that love you already and can't wait for you to be here.

We hope you had a great day today and we will see you very soon Love, Mommy and Daddy!