Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Last day in China

Today was our last day in China, and we had one more important hoop to jump through to finish this process...but more on that later!

We slept in a little bit this morning, and then headed upstairs for another delicious breakfast. Leila LOVES breakfast, especially scrambled eggs. She also still likes congee every morning, which is basically like cream of wheat, but with rice. I've been trying to learn how to make it and while it's not difficult, it takes 90 minutes to cook. Oh well, maybe she'll like oatmeal instead! She also loves yogurt which is more of a liquid here than a solid, and the kids drink it with a straw (Jason has since named it 'milgurt'). She's had one almost every day that we've had her. The only things we have found that she doesn't like are juice or anything carbonated.

After breakfast we headed back to the room to chat with the kids, who are now at home in Lees Summit with Papa and Grammy. Leila likes to see them on Skype, and we've been practicing their names. She also likes to flip through the photo album that we brought, and imitate us saying those names, too. Around 11am, we took Leila to her first playdate with our friends the Johnsons and their new daughter Noelle. The girls didn't quite know what to do at first, but soon they were playing with a beach ball and running around the room together. Leila's favorite toy by far was Noelle's stacking cups. She loved putting them together (nesting), and figured it out quickly. I love watching her little wheels turn as she learns by experience---it's amazing to think about how much she has to learn in the months and years ahead! She didn't really like having to give the stacking cups back to Noelle, but all in all, the playdate was a success. Jennifer and Eric live in Richmond, MO, so we hope to arrange more playdates in the near future.

After lunch, we gave Leila a bath and got ready for our group photos. We finally achieved some pretty cute pigtails today, and she left them in until bedtime. She was ready for her photo shoot! All 9 families met in the lobby to get photos of all the families together, as well as moms and babies, and then babies alone. They did really well, and we got some great shots. Leila even let me walk away from her without crying, as long as I was in sight...progress!

After the photos, we boarded the bus for our last big step in this adoption process---the US Consulate for our 'Swearing In Ceremony.' The Consulate was just a short distance from our hotel, and when we entered, we saw probably 60-75 families with Chinese kids ranging from infants up to 9-10 years old. It was really amazing to just watch all the families, knowing that all of them had waited a long, long time to be in this place at this moment. Although it has been a reality for a week now, it was overwhelming to think that we were almost done. Once we verified our identities and the fact that we indeed had the right baby, we were sent back to our chairs to wait on the Consulate representative (who happened to be from Kansas City!). He addressed us by thanking us for adopting our children from China, and reviewed the rules for re-entry into the United States. He then asked us to raise our right hands and swear that we had been honest and forthright in the information we had provided. He congratulated us and we all cheered---the adoption is complete! He also gave us instructions in carrying our documentation for Leila into the United States tomorrow---she's not a US citizen until she touches US soil in Chicago. After we received this documentation and her passport/visa, we were off!

On the bus ride home, our guides Maggie and Rosa addressed us. They congratulated us and expressed their appreciation to us for adopting from China. They told us that they consider us family, and that their children are now our children. We were touched by their gifts to us, a personalized t-shirt for Leila, and a beautiful wall hanging for Jason and I. Moreso, we were so thankful for Maggie and Rosa's dedication to their jobs, and their earnestness in teaching us all they could about the country where Leila was born. These are intelligent, beautiful young women who are committed to the families that they serve. However, in that process they remain loyal to the country that they love, and do everything they can to help the families experience China to the fullest. We are so grateful for both Maggie and Rosa.

One interesting thing that Maggie told us is that right now, there are 10,000-12,000 Chinese adoptions per year. Half of these are from the United States, and almost all of the special needs children are adopted from the United States. She said because of this, the U.S. is greatly respected. She also told us that there will be fewer adoptions in the years to come as abandonment is down in China. While I'm not sure of the validity of this statement, we can only hope and pray that both abortion and abandonment are on the decline, and in the meantime, that families are found for all the children left in the hundreds of orphanages in China.

We are confident---as we have been all along---that Leila was exactly the child God had chosen for our family. We hope that others will see the need to help the orphans, not just in China but all over the world. It's not an easy process, but the reward is so great. Many people have told us how lucky Leila is. While we understand the sentiment, we really do consider ourselves the lucky ones. We're just an average family, blessed by an amazing God who always knows what is best for us. His timing is not ours, but His is always best. Thank you so much for following along with our journey to Leila Grace. It has been an amazing adventure!

With love,
Alissa, Jason, Madison, Caeden, Rudy, and Leila Grace Potocnik

Monday, March 24th

This morning was pretty uneventful. After a good breakfast, we were told to wait in our rooms from 10am-12pm as this was our consulate appointment time. If they had any questions regarding our paperwork, they would call between those times. We never received a call, so apparently all was satisfactory. We went to lunch at Pizza Hut as it was right next door to the hotel but Leila was so tired, we had to head home for a nap. Maybe if her crazy parents hadn't kept her out so late she wouldn't have been so grouchy! Oh well---we know that any schedule we put her own now will only be ruined after the 20-24 hours of travel we have ahead of us!

In the afternoon, the group went to the Guandong Folk Art Museum, a famous museum here in Guangzhou owned by the Chen Family. I knew we would be going out for our final dinner at night, so in the interest of everyone's sanity, I stayed with Leila so she could take a nap. Jason went though and said that there were all kinds of beautiful folk art--ivory, jade, glass etchings, fans, paintings--the group enjoyed it a lot. After the museum, the group had one final hour of shopping at which time Jason indulged in one more North Face jacket and a Starbucks coffee. He also picked up the stamp we had made for Leila---it says "Leila Grace" and "Er Ting" with Chinese characters. It's beautiful and I'm glad we had it done. J took a lot of pictures of Shamian Island so hopefully I can get those posted at some point.

Tonight, we had our final group dinner at an amazing Thai restaurant. Our guides ordered all the food and it was delicious! Ting Ting was especially fond of the meat kabobs, she ate two by herself. She amazed everyone with her chopstick skills, and was a happy girl all through dinner, so the nap paid off! There was also some entertainment with singing and dancing---hard to describe but let's just say there was a whole lot of Diana Ross and the YMCA---felt just like home. Several of the kids (siblings, not babies) joined the singers/dancers which was hilarious---all the Chinese people in the restaurant were taking pictures of the crazy foreigners. At one point, the dancers grabbed all the husbands (Jason included), which was definitely the highlight of the evening. I mean Jason has moves, but he just didn't have a lot of time to practice.

After dinner we came back to talk with family and friends on Skype, and then headed to bed. One more day in Guangzhou---hard to believe we're almost at the end of our journey. It's been awesome, but we're ready to come home. We miss the kids and all of our family and friends. We can't wait to see you!

Love,
Alissa and Jason

Sunday 3/23 HAPPY EASTER!

Well---it was certainly not a traditional Easter Sunday for us, but it was a good day nonetheless. We had the opportunity to go to church this morning, but the service was only in Chinese so we opted to have our own service in the afternoon (more on that later!) We all boarded the bus to Shamian Island at 9:00 and did our shopping---more souveniers---and then headed back to our hotel for a nap. Leila--like any 2 year old--isn't big on the shopping and she was in dire need of some rest. At around 3pm, one of the dads in our group who happens to be a pastor, and another dad who happens to be a worship leader, rented a conference room in the hotel and held an impromptu Easter service. Unfortunately, Leila was sleeping so hard that I couldn't wake her up, so we were unable to attend. Jason said it was great to be able to spend some time with other believers singing and in prayer, as well as listening to a message that Eric had prepared.

Sunday evening, Jason and I decided that we were on a mission to finish all our shopping. We headed back to the island, had dinner at Lucy's again, and by 9:15pm had finished our mission. The shopping is so much more exhausting because of all the haggling you have to do if you really want a good price. We came back to the hotel and chatted with family for awhile, then it was off to bed for all of us.

Tomorrow is a pretty relaxed day, so we plan on sleeping in!

Love,
Alissa

Saturday, 3/22/08

Saturday morning we woke up and had an amazing breakfast! I was so happy to see scrambled eggs and bacon, you would think I'd not had it in years. We were able to eat breakfast with a couple of the families that we had been away from for 5 days as they were in their own provinces picking up their babies. It was wonderful to reunite and see everyone's beautiful children---I haven't seen so many proud moms and dads in one place in all my life! Leila was a little overwhelmed with all the new faces, especially the babies. In our province, she was the oldest and also the most mobile. She had everyone's attention and she knew it. So I don't know if she just sensed new competition or what, but she got very quiet and wouldn't even look at anyone for awhile. Over the course of the morning, we learned that the other groups hadn't experienced nearly what we had in our province. While we had spent every day sightseeing, trying new restaurants, and really experiencing the city where Leila was found (and assumably born), many of the other families were basically 'stuck' in their hotel rooms for 5 days. For some, this was for safety, but we were SO thankful for our experience in Chengdu after hearing these stories. When we left, I felt like we had really gotten a feel for Leila's birthplace, and for that we are so grateful.

At 9 am, we headed to Shammian Island for visa pictures and Leila's medical examination. The photo was quick and easy, but the medical exam was quite an experience. The exam is a requirement for all adoptive families, and you would not believe how crazy it was. Basically there were 3 stations: height and weight (Ting Ting's a whopping 32 lbs), medical/surgical exam, and ENT exam. There's no order---you just stand in line until you get through all 3 stations. At the med/surgical exam, they basically looked at her skin, checked her heart/lungs, and gave her a quick little check-up. She was just fine (but hated it)---what a surprise. She has a small Mongolian spot on her right leg, which are very common in the Asian population (90% I believe). At the ENT, the doctor was female and very sweet. Leila didn't cry at all. The hearing test was quite funny. They played a note on a keyboard and then squeaked a toy in the other direction. She looked both ways so apparently she passed! They checked her ears and throat, she did fine with both. So----we were done and on our way in about 2 hours time. There were probably 50 families there with their babies, so it was fun to talk with them and compare stories, though it was a little hard to hear over all the screaming children. The other half of our AWAA group was there as well, so we were able to say hello and see their babies briefly as well.

Although we had planned to stay on Shammian Island, it was pouring rain so we headed back to the hotel. At this point, the rain was making me feel a little down, I was tired of riding the bus, I was missing my kids, and ready to just be done. Jason felt that the cure for my less than desirable attitude was some good ole-fashioned western food---courtesy of the Colonel. So---Jason, Karen and I shared a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken and it may have been the best chicken I've ever had. That and a quick nap gave me the boost I needed, and after laying Leila down for a nap, I headed to the poorly named "Paperwork Party" in a different part of the hotel. Most of us moms spent about 1 hour filling out all necessary paperwork to complete our adoption. Our guides led us through each step, as you have to be very meticulous about how it is filled out. After we were done, I headed back to the room and found my sweet girl, hanging out with her daddy and her aunt, and NOT crying! It was a huge step forward as I hadn't been able to leave her at all until this point.

The weather had mostly cleared, so we celebrated the paperwork being done with a cab ride over to Shammian Island for some souvenier shopping and dinner. It was Karen's last night, so we really had a great time shopping and then ate at Lucy's Diner, which caters to adoptive families with both western and Chinese food, including a menu specifically for adopted babies (this was just unbelieveable to me). The restaurant reminded me so much of home---it was exactly what I needed. There were even license plates from Nebraska on the wall---I mean what could be better? The four of us just laughed like crazy the entire meal---it was awesome. Ting Ting must have sensed that this was a celebration, and she was in (not so) rare form. They played a lot of American music, and she entertained us with her dancing. Because Karen is gone now and the video is on her camera, I'll have to post it later, but I promise, it will be worth the wait. Although this may not sound significant, Jason would like me to interject here that during dinner, he and Leila had their first date...to the bathroom. She told us she had to go and for the first time, she agreed to go with Jason without a fuss. She was so cute and I never thought I would see Jason so excited after coming back from the potty! It gave us hope that she will eventually go to either of us, and learn to trust others as much as she does me.

After dinner, we cabbed back to our hotel and tried on Leila's new jammies---traditional red silk and oh my goodness---she was cute. She was so wound up but we decided to just enjoy it and let her stay up way too late. She talked to her grandma and grandpa on Skype, and then headed to bed. Jason, Karen and I stayed up and played cards after putting Leila to bed. We talked about all the amazing things we had seen and done together over the past 10 days, and how this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to share this trip together. I am so grateful for my sweet sister, and cannot imagine having done this without her. Karen helped us remember to enjoy every moment, and never tired of telling me how fantastic my daughter was. She encouraged me as a mother, and she's only been a mother for 6 months! She sacrificed time with her own family to share this experience with us, and that's what I love about her. She NEVER misses an opportunity for learning, experiencing a new culture, and having an adventure!

We will be SO sad for you to leave tomorrow, Karen---WE LOVE YOU!

Alissa, Jason and Ting Ting

Friday 3/21

Hello everyone! So sorry for the delay in entries---my little toddler would really rather run around the hotel and go on walks outside than sit and watch me type (hmm? I guess she IS 2!)Friday morning we got up and took a quick little side trip to Chunxi Liu, a nice little shopping district in Chengdu. There were no cars/bikes allowed, so it was a nice break from the nonstop-fear-for-your-life-traffic we had been battling all week. We didn't buy anything, but enjoyed the walk.

We came back to the hotel and boarded a bus for the airport---ready to fly to Guangzhou. I have to say that once we boarded the plane, I felt a little sad for my girl. I don't know what it was, but it felt somewhat sad to be leaving her city without her even understanding what was going on. I had to just focus on her opportunities ahead, and keep my mind on her new life outside an orphanage, knowing that we won't let her forget where she was born and raised for her first 2 and 1/2 years. Because she is older, Leila was able to sit in her own seat on the plane. However, she took one look at that seatbelt and decided that this was NOT going to be fun. Luckily, they let her sit on my lap with an attachable seatbelt, and she did great. In fact, she fell asleep 10 minutes after we took off and slept the entire 2 hour flight. Now if we can just have that kind of luck on Wednesday (20+ hours of flights)--that will be GREAT!

We arrived in Guangzhou around 5pm Friday and could immediately tell a difference in the climate and in the overall attitude of the city. It was warm -- Miami like according to many, and it had a much more international feel (people of many races and nationalities). The Chinese people here were so used to "foreigners" with Chinese babies, they were less apt to look down at us, which is what we had experienced in Leila's province. I think in the provinces, people are just not used to seeing families like ours, but in Guangzhou, I think we're a dime a dozen!

Friday night we took a walk around the town and eventually ate dinner at a Thai restaurant. Leila was very hungry which, we have learned, equals very ornery, so it was a rough dinner all around. We all agreed, room service may have been a better option! We came back to our hotel which we are thrilled with. It's a beautiful 45-story building with a sky view restaurant, a much bigger room, and finally, a king-size bed! J and I had been sleeping in twin beds (as is custom in hotels) for almost 10 days, and Leila had been sleeping with me. So---it was time to try her in her own bed. We moved the mattress from the crib onto the floor next to our bed, and although she didn't like it at first, we were able to convince her to go to sleep eventually. After a long day, we all collapsed into bed, ready for new adventures on Saturday!

OOPS, forgot to mention---one thing that cracks us up at PJ time is Leila's insistence on tucking her shirt into her pants and pulling them up as high as possible. She looks so silly, but we can't convince her that this is not the best fashion option. The photo above is the evidence---but she's still so DARN cute!

Goodnight,
Alissa

Night Out on the Town!

Tonight was our last in Chengdu, but we still had one important little trip to take. One of our local guides, Susie, helped us take a taxi to the part of Chengdu where Leila was found in February of 2006. We knew it was in a park, but were unsure how to get there. Once we did get to the right area of town, we realized that it was quite different from anything we had seen in Chengdu to date. We made our way through a very run-down alley, and began asking the local people where the actual park was where Leila was found. We soon learned that over the past two years, the park had been developed into apartments and the actual park was no longer there. Although the area was obviously very low income and run down, it appeared that with the new development, it was transitioning into a more economically stable neighborhood. We were able to at least picture Leila's early beginnings, and take a photograph of the area. It was important for Jason and I to see this, and to have it recorded for her for later in life.

After this side trip, we made our way to a little western food joint we like to call Pizza Hut. We introduced Ting Ting to her first "American Special" (pepperoni pizza), which she loved. She was very particular about eating it---she wanted to hold it just like the rest of us. Karen, Jason and I laughed the whole evening, mostly at Leila Grace who we have really just been referring to as Ting Ting these days---it really fits her personality. After dinner, Karen and Jason treated themselves to Starbucks, and we took a little walk in this very nice part of Chengdu. One thing we've learned is that when Leila gets tired, she gets so silly---and clutzy. She was laughing like crazy, running around, speaking her version of Chinese which we have now dubbed 'Tinglish.' This picture is one of my favorites so far---it absolutely captures her personality and her zest for every new adventure. She's my Spicy Sichuan Sweetheart!!
See you tomorrow---from Guangzhou!

Quick edit (from Alissa's brother): We've also got this little video of Leila!


Love,
Alissa

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Hello friends and family,

This morning we spent the day at the Panda Reserve here in Chengdu. It was amazing to see the Giant Pandas and the Red Pandas eating bamboo and playing together in such a beautiful environment. We also saw baby pandas (ages 1-2) being cared for by the staff at the Panda base, they were even cuter in person than in the pictures you see! Leila was absolutely fascinated by the pandas, she kept saying 'another one! another one!' in Chinese (thank Heavens for our guides). I will try to have my brother upload a little video so you can hear her jabbering---when she says 'murmur' that means 'Panda.'
After the Panda Base, we took a trip to a brocade factory. We learned how silk thread is made, and how it is turned into stitched and woven silk brocade. We also learned (and watched) how silk quilts are made. Leila had a couple trips to the bathroom at this place, so I missed a lot, but Jason and Karen filled me in, in between squatty potty breaks. Can I please just tell you how much I love regular potties? Especially with a toddler? Ok, I digress. Anyway, many people in our group bought silk table runners and other decorative items. I believe Karen bought a few scarves as well. It was great to learn about one of the main industries in this part of China, and we all enjoyed the trip a lot.

For lunch we had "Hot Pot," famous in the Sichuan province. It's a little like fondue, where you sit around a table with two pots, one inside the other. The middle pot has less spicy oil, while the outside is typical Sichuan---fiery hot. The waitresses bring many "normal" items (beef, pork, veges) to cook in the oil, as well as a few not so normal items (quail eggs and lotus root--to name a couple). The lunch was wonderful, but left us with a not so great feeling of peanut oil in our bellies...but you have to try it once, right? Leila was good at the restaurant, but definitely ready for a nap when we returned at 2pm.
Tonight we'll be on our own after picking up our final notary papers from our guide, Rosa. Tomorrow morning we'll check out of this hotel and fly to our final China destination, Guangzhou. We are really looking forward to this leg of our trip (I am especially looking forward to shopping). Karen will be with us until Sunday, when she flies back to Washington D.C. I cannot tell you how amazing it has been for us to share this trip with Karen---she has been incredibly comforting and I can't imagine having gone without her. The three of us are good travelling partners, and she has been fantastic in helping us learn, enjoy, and relax even in the midst of an emotional and exhausting adventure! She has also been our technology queen---helping photograph, videotape, download, upload, blog, email, and Skype from across the world. We love her and we love Taylor for taking care of Ady so that she could join us---now if we can just get them to move a little closer...

I have been able to pick up my email a couple of times in the past 2 days. I appreciate all the emails of love, congratulations, and support from friends and family. Thank you to those that are checking in with my kids, helping my parents and Jason's parents, and praying for us during our last week in China. We love you and appreciate you so much.

More later, I promise!

Love,
Alissa

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Today has been quite fun. Leila slept well last night (about 9-10 hours), and woke up ready to go. She constantly picks up her backpack and says the Chinese word for 'go.' She's ready for adventure---none of this hanging out in the hotel room stuff. We had a little breakfast and met the rest of our group for our sightseeing.

Chengdu's weather is a lot like Seattle's---cloudy almost all the time, intermittent rain, with only 1/3 days of sunshine in the winter months. We did get a little sunshine yesterday, but today we're back to cloud city. Not a big deal though as we headed to the People's Park today in the middle of Chengdu. This place was absolutely beautiful. There were mostly older people, but also moms with children on what looked like playdates, and couples strolling around admiring all the flowers and open air tea houses. We had mid-morning tea at one of these tea houses and were surprised at the immediate offers of massages (for $4, um yes, I'll take one) and (I'm not kidding), ear cleaning. Our friend Kyle was brave enough to take one of the men up on this offer, but no matter how many times the men told us "very comfortable" --- none of the rest of us could muster up enough courage for that one. Later Kyle swore they were touching his eardrum with one their many instruments---seriously? NOT OK. It was entertaining, though---for the rest of us. We all loved this outing with Laura, our sightseeing guide. We were all tired of being in the hotel and walking around the city unsure of where we were or what we were doing. Leila loved the outing most of all---she could walk on her own, hold our hands, run in the grass, listen to music---she was one happy camper.

After the park, we went to a large department store to buy a stroller. Leila is almost 30 lbs and still won't let anyone hold her but me. Needless to say, my back is hurting and I'm worn out, so the stroller was a necessity. Based on our experience thus far with the crib and the high chair, I should have known she would hate the stroller as well. However, this one was non-negotiable for my back's sake, and she eventually calmed down and got used to it. She remains calm as long as a) Mommy puts her in the stroller, and b) Mommy pushes her, and/or c)Mommy holds her hand the entire time we're walking while Daddy pushes the stroller. Whatever. I'm willing to compromise at this point just to be able to set her down for a little while!

Following our little grocery store outing, we headed back to the hotel for lunch and a nap. Jason and Karen had lunch at a hotel down the street from us, while Leila and I had Ramen and fruit back in the room. She needed a nap and I needed a break from Chinese food! Leila slept for 2 hours and when she woke up, I was down the hall in Karen's room blogging! She let Jason carry her down the hall to me with the promise that he was taking her to Mama.

For dinner, we went to a Korean restaurant. I have been much more adventurous in my eating---probably due to my very adventurous husband and sister. Leila takes the cake, though. She'll try anything and likes almost anything. Tonight, I was reaching into her backpack to grab her cute little American plasticware, quite pleased with my mommy skills in remembering to bring a fork and spoon. Imagine my surprise when I looked up and caught my sweet girl eating noodles with her own set of chopsticks! I had no idea 2 year olds could use chopsticks! She looked at me like, "Really mom? 'Cause you know I've lived here all my life. Maybe you should work on your chopstick skills."


After dinner, we returned to the hotel for a bath and a movie night. Leila and Emma (our new friend from Kentucky), watched "Finding Nemo" together in their jammies while eating popcorn and M&M's. Leila didn't pay too much attention to the movie on account of the aforementioned snacks that were distracting her. Bedtime was a little bit late, but she was good and went right to bed. I did forget to take her potty---how long have I been a mom, really---and she helped me remember by promptly wetting the bed. Oh well...I won't forget from now on!
Good night!

Love,
Alissa

Hello everyone!
So sorry it has been 2 days...I have a new little shadow that likes to be on my lap, so I am taking a quick opportunity during nap time to update you!

Gotcha Night we splurged on a fancy meal...at McDonalds. We have had so much Chinese food, we just needed a little break. What better way to celebrate than some french fries? By the way, Leila is quite fond of happy meals, but her belly didn't so much appreciate it. This child will eat absolutely anything, and really isn't sure when to stop. We had a great time together and then headed back to the hotel.


When we returned to the hotel, we put Leila into the jammies that I brought. Now I normally have a weakness for kids in jammies, but this was just ridiculous. She was so cute in the pink fairy jammies, and even better, she knew she was cute. The more tired she got, the sillier she got and by 8pm, we were just rolling as she did anything and everything to make us laugh. Finally we tried laying her down in the portacrib that was provided by the hotel, but she was having NOTHING to do with that. We didn't push the issue and when we laid her down in my bed next to me, she quickly drifted off to sleep with pandas in her hands. Leila was a good sleeper, though she did wake me up a few times talking in her sleep (in Chinese, of course). I just had to smile as I laid in bed, realizing how incredibly lucky I was to be laying next to this sweet little Sichuan girl. I still can't believe she is mine!

Tuesday morning we ate breakfast and then took Leila on a walk around Chengdu. The city is interesting in that there are very glitzy, almost Las Vegas like areas and then other very poor areas such as where Leila's orphanage was. We bought some fruit and real popcorn--yum--then headed back to the hotel for lunch. We ordered our first real Sichuan food and OH MY---there is a reason they say to come here for spicy food. Somehow Leila isn't even phased by it, she can eat spicier noodles than even Jason can tolerate. She'll try anything---and I have no idea when to make her stop eating (or what not to give her). Oh well----she'll be the first Potocnik child that isn't a picky eater!





Tuesday at 1:30 we went to the Civil Affairs office here in Chengdu to complete our paperwork and obtain Leila's Chinese passport. It was a LONG afternoon, but just one of those days that has to happen to finish this process. Leila was fantastic. She is all about carrying her things around in a backpack. Everytime we go anywhere, she loads up the backpack with her pandas, her Elmo phone, her sippee cup, and a snack. She zips and unzips it herself, puts it on her back, and then walks to Baba (Jason) and asks him to tie the straps. She is very regimented and wants all her clothes on, her shoes and socks on at all times, and a bow in her hair. It's too funny---wish you could see a video or something. During our trip, she wanted to sit in her own seat on the bus today. It's hard to explain how she communicates these things---she tells me in Chinese, I look at her--confused--and then she somehow gestures in a way where I'll get it. Once we got to the offices, she charmed all the other parents, government officials, and people on the street with her big smile. She gave the other kids her toys, promptly took them back, and then shoved them back into her backpack. Jason says we are exacerbating her tendency to hoard (very much orphanage behavior) by giving her the backpack. Oh well---if it's not that, it's her pockets (she checks every single shirt or jacket we put on her for pockets---she loves them). At one time yesterday, we found about 42 Cheerios in her jeans pockets. Can't wait to see what she hides behind her bed when we get home.

After the Civil Affairs office, we went to the Notary's office where we had documents signed releasing Leila to us as her parents. We had to agree to never abandon or abuse her in front of a Chinese official, pay the fee, and we were gone. We then recieved her passport, and headed back to the hotel. We had dinner together with our friends at the hotel, and then headed upstairs to get ready for bed. Again, Leila was absolutely hysterical the whole evening---the biggest ham you've ever seen. She'll do anything to make you laugh, no matter how naughty. She totally gets the fact that we think she's the cutest, funniest girl ever, and is...well...working it.
Leila also had her first bath tonight. She was a little scared at first, but then loved it once she realized that it was just another opportunity to be ornery. We snuggled into more jammies (heaven), and almost as soon as I said the words "time to sleep" in Chinese (I had to learn that one)---she was gone. She's a very heavy sleeper. Jason, Karen and I played cards, ate popcorn and laughed our heads off recalling the events of the day, and she barely even stirred. We all knew...she was just recharging her batteries for tomorrow.

Good night!
Alissa

March 17th, 2008

I'm not even Irish, but I might just be the luckiest Mama around. Gotcha Day isn't even over, but I have to fill you in so far.

We left for the Chengdu Children's Welfare Institute at 8:45am. As we arrived, it was almost surreal. There were nannies on the grounds taking children outside to the playground...all just so little and so sweet. I wished I could take them all with me---I KNEW that would happen! I began to get very teary as we made our way to the 'adoption room.' Each family sat in a love seat while the nannies and other worker did all they could to make us comfortable. I was completely surprised when the nannies brought me a photo album that they had made of our daughter, with so many pictures of her growing up. I completely lost it---it was the most beautiful gift I could have been given, and I had no idea we would get that. They also gave me back one of the disposable cameras and the photo album that I sent. As I was looking through the album, all of a sudden they were bringing in the girls! Leila and Riley came walking in holding hands.

After that...oh boy. To put it mildly, Leila was NOT happy to be seeing her new parents. It was absolutely heartbreaking as she cried and cried in my arms, reaching out to her caregivers. I wasn't surprised by her reaction---I knew this would be a very hard transition for her. I did feel at one point that this might be more cruel than just leaving her at the orphanage, but I hoped it would eventually pass. The orphanage director came in a few times and spoke somewhat sternly to Leila, at which time she would calm for a moment. Her nanny came in one time and calmed her down, but when she handed her back to me it was back to sad, sad baby. Jason and I signed our initial papers and received all kinds of documents from the orphanage (most of which will be completed tomorrow). We tried to comfort Leila with a baby doll, toy, and blanket, but it seemed that each of those items just made her more sad. The ladies at the orphanage did give her a lollipop which helped somewhat, but the grieving our daughter was doing was evident and so hard to watch. Our guide Rosa told me to take her outside, that this will usually help. When we walked down the front steps, a group of children Leila's age walked up to her and waved goodbye. As you can imagine, this was not exactly helpful but so sweet to witness. We then boarded the bus and just like that (maybe 30 minutes after arriving), we were on our way with our sweet girl in our arms.

The bus ride was intriguing to Leila. She watched intently out the window, crying at first but soon calming and becoming very sleepy. She never took the sucker out her mouth, but began clinging to me and me only. Jason would try and hold her or at least talk to her, but she wasn't even close to ready. However, as she snuggled into me, there was a glimmer of hope that she wouldn't cry for the rest of her life! I did tell my sister though that so far, this adoption thing was WAY harder than actually giving birth.

When we returned to the hotel, Leila had fallen asleep but immediately perked up when we walked into the hotel. Jeannie was holding Riley, so we think that seeing a 'friend' helped. It was really amazing...all of a sudden...something clicked and Leila looked at me, looked at Jason, and seemed to be OK. By the time we got to the elevator, she was holding on to me tightly and reaching for the "up button"! When we got up to the room, you would not believe the little personality that popped out. Leila was absolutely hilarious! She was laughing, doing little tricks with her tongue, and talking up a storm. First it was all Chinese, but soon she was a parrot, imitating everything we said (even in English). She responds well to her nickname from the orphanage (Ting Ting), so we've been calling her that and Leila to get her used to her name. My parents and Jason's parents will tell you---we were able to Skype with each of them for a short time---she was waving, laughing, telling them 'Ni hao' and 'bye bye.' She went potty on the potty 3 times this afternoon, she picked up on several sign language signs (more, drink, eat)---it was just amazing. The best part of the day is when she finally went to Jason. There was a dog outside, which she loves, and he held her up to the window to see it. You can only imagine his joy to finally hold his girl!

Although I left her clothes on for awhile, I just had to change her into one of the outfits we brought. Karen made her the cutest Gotcha Day shirt, which we put on with jeans. She was so good, she could almost get her clothes on by herself. She looked so darn cute---pictures SOON I promise! We then made her some lunch (Ramen Noodles) which she LOVED (she even fed herself). This kid LOVES to eat---she just went crazy with the noodles, raisins, teddy grahams, and fruit snacks. She also loves to hold things--food mostly, but also these cute little panda finger puppets that we brought. She is definitely attached to them, it is hilarious. We did try a nap this afternoon, but it just wasn't happening (she just laid there and talked to us in Chinese, it was very funny). Once we turned the lights back on, she smiled at us with the biggest smile---she had us. We played all afternoon and did a little shopping as well.
We are so thrilled to finally have our daughter in our arms---JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE HER! It's a little hard now not to want to just hurry home, but we know we still have lots to do, including lots more bonding! Thank you for praying for us today---we could feel those prayers and we are so thankful for you. I am emailing photos to my brother, hopefully they will be up soon. For some reason, yahoo is blocked here, so I'm not getting emails. I'll keep trying, but in the meantime, know we love you and are so thankful for you.

Much love,
Alissa, Jason, and Leila Grace

3/16/08

Hello everyone, thanks for checking in! Today was a great day. We started by attending a church service at the Beijing International Church Fellowship. It was amazing to be able to come together with so many other people to worship and praise God! The service was for 'foreigners' only, so you had to bring your passport, but the theater was packed, I'd say close to 500 people in all. It was a bilingual service, so we sung songs in both English and Mandarin. The most amazing moment for me was listening to hundreds of people around me singing "How Great is Our God" in two languages...it was encouraging and brought hope to our group.

Next, we checked out of our hotel and visited a pearl factory. It was basically a five story shopping mall with a very famous pearl shop. I didn't buy anything there, but did find a strange little souvenier that I couldn't pass up. It was a little brass turtle with 4 baby turtles, all kind of stacked together. Hard to visualize, I know, but was meaningful to me as tomorrow, I'll have 4 babies...how amazing is that?

For lunch we had a wonderful Beijing Roast duck. It was delicious and great to just enjoy each other's company for a couple more hours. After lunch, we headed to the Beijing airport. Four families (including ours) boarded our flight to Chengdu, while the other families headed out to their various provinces. It was hard to believe that when we come together next Friday, we'll all have our babies (finally!). Many of you may have heard about the terrorist threat that occured in China last week. Rest assured, we are just fine. This only created mass airport chaos as officials tighten security, and long lines of angry folks who aren't used to these measures. We kept our eye on the future though---it's not about the inconveniences, it's about completing our journey to Leila Grace.

So tomorrow....Gotcha Day! I'm nervous, excited, ready to go. We are told we'll leave the hotel at 8:30am and head to Leila's orphanage. Out of the four couples in our group, three of us will get our girls at the orphanage, and the other will travel to the Civil Affairs office as their baby girl is in foster care. Of us three, only Jason and I are already parents. The others are our now good friends Elissa and Kyle from San Antonio, adopting Lily and Jeannie from Charlotte, NC adopting Riley. Should be an eventful day, to be sure...keep checking in!

Love,
Alissa

Ni Hao everyone!

We are now in Beijing---having a fantastic time. We arrived Friday afternoon and joined our group around 5pm. I was SO happy to see my sister (she came Thursday), and finally meet some of the wonderful couples I've been communicating with over the past year. First, we went to the Acrobats of China show. It was great! We then went to a delicious dinner, and then returned to the hotel. Jason and I were exhausted from traveling and Karen was exhausted from touring earlier in the day (Tianemen Square, Forbidden City, and Hutong)---so we went to bed pretty early.

This morning we started our day at the Summer Palace. This was a summer home for the emperor, and was beautiful! We saw incredible architecture, paintings, and carvings, and our weather was perfect (50 degrees and sunny). On our way there, we got to see the stadium for the Beijing Olympics coming up in August. It is designed like a bird's nest---for good reason. You would not believe all the preparations going on for the olympics...this is such an exciting time to be here!

After the Summer Palace, we went to the jade factory. We learned how jade is formed into beautiful carvings for decoration, jewelry, and other amazing pieces of art. We bought our first major souvenier at the jade factory---but I don't have a picture of it yet. Will have to share that one later!

Following the jade factory, we had a great lunch and were able to see cloissones being made. These are beautiful vases, pictures, even ornaments made of brass filaments, then painted and fired, and finally polished---it was really neat to see the entire process. We were forced (not really) to buy a couple 'reminders' of what we learned...


The high point of our day was seeing the Great Wall of China. It was absolutely breathtaking (not only the view, but the climb itself!). We opted for the more challenging hike, and made it as far as you can go on that side of the wall. We took some great photos, and had a fantastic time together climbing, laughing, and just enjoying every minute of our time here.
The Great Wall was everything you can imagine, just an amazing structure with such a rich history. I feel blessed to have seen it in person. One thing that surprised us were the amount of 'peddlers' selling all kids of souveniers, including 2008 Olympic hats, shirts, and other items! They were waiting on all parts of the wall, hoping to convince us to bring something home 'for your mom' and for 'very good price.'


Tonight was Pizza Hut and cards when we got home, and of course catching you up on our day! We are all doing well, everyone is healthy, and just enjoying our time here to the fullest. We have one more day in Beijing and then off to Chengdu for Gotcha Day (on Monday).

Photos to come soon thanks to my brother...enjoy!
(Update: Photos added... by yo' brother!)

Love,
Jason, Alissa, and Karen

Hello everyone!

We are waiting in the Tokyo Narita airport to board our flight to Beijing. My sister is already there, so we are looking forward to seeing her soon! Our trip over to Japan was very long, but we did get some sleep and then last night stayed in a beautiful hotel called the Tokyo Conrad (Thanks Wade for the hotel room!) Today we'll fly to Beijing and do some sightseeing, which will continue tomorrow. When we get to Beijing, we'll meet up with the rest of our group (25 other families who are adopting---from our agency). It will be great to finally put faces with the names of all the families we've been communicating with by email for the last couple of years.

Hope all is well---we are excited to be here and can't wait to continue our journey to Leila! It does feel great to at least be on her side of the world (finally!).

Much love to you,
Alissa and Jason

Wanted to show you the 'mini-quilt' that my mother in law, Linda, made for us to take with us to China as a gift for the orphanage. It does include all the fabrics that were sent to us, but on a smaller scale than the one she is making for Leila. It is absolutely beautiful and we can't wait to give it to the Chengdu Social Welfare Institute. If you are still interested in sending in fabric/wish for the 100 wishes quilt, feel free to send it to Linda Potocnik directly. You can email me and I'll give you her mailing address!

7 hours and counting...we're coming Leila Grace!

3 more days...

Hello everyone!

We are feverishly packing, planning, and preparing for this amazing adventure we are about to begin. We've been waiting so long, it's hard to believe we are actually ready to go! On Friday we received our itinerary for our trip...here it is:

Wednesday 3/12: Depart Kansas City
Thursday 3/13: Arrive in Tokyo (J and I will stay the night)
Friday 3/14: Fly to Beijing (arrive around 2pm). Today we will tour Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Hutong.
Saturday 3/15: Continue Beijing Tour (The Summer Palace and the Great Wall)
Sunday 3/16: Palm Sunday church service, late afternoon flight to Chengdu
Monday 3/17: GOTCHA DAY! Meet Leila Grace Potocnik!
Tuesday 3/18: Civil Affairs Appointment
Wednesday 3/19-Thursday 3/20: Paperwork, sight-seeing, shopping
Friday 3/21: Flight to Guangzhou
Saturday 3/22: Medical Exam and Paperwork Party
Sunday 3/23: Easter Sunday church service and shopping
Monday 3/24: Consulate Appointment
Tuesday 3/25: Pick up Leila's Visa
Wednesday 3/26: Depart from Guangzhou---Fly home to Kansas City (because of the time change, we will actually arrive on 3/26 as well).

We would specifically ask for prayer for our flights, travel safety, Gotcha Day (for Leila especially!), and the flight home (20+ hours with a 2 year old---need I say more?)

We love you and thank you for checking in.

Love,
Alissa and Jason

11 Days and Counting...

Hello everyone,
Just a quick update. We are now confirmed on our travel days and we do have plane tickets! We will fly out of Kansas City on March 12, stay in Tokyo overnight, and then fly to Beijing on March 14th. My best guess is that we'll meet Leila on March 18th and then fly home March 26th. I'll post a more detailed itinerary as the week goes on and our in country travel plans are complete. As my dad said tonight, "it's really happening." We are so thankful for our friends M&K (I'm not sure if they wanted to be anonymous or not), who very graciously gave us their frequent flyer miles in order to fly us to China and back. We're quite sure that they have no idea how much this means to us---we have the most amazing friends and family you can imagine. I have been keeping track of all the wonderfully generous gifts---some monetary, some gifts of time, babysitting, etc.---the list just grows daily as everyone wants to play a part in getting our sweet girl home. The list of 'things to do ' is still long, but we're getting it all done. This weekend we'll paint the girls' room and J will do our taxes (I think painting sounds a lot more fun). Next week we finalize all travel plans and before we know it, we'll be on our way!

Please keep praying for travel plans and for my sister's passport to arrive---she'll need that to go with us and to get her VISA!

Much love,
Alissa

Don't you just love surprises?
Here's the email I received today around noon from my travel coordinator:

Dear Travel Group 132,

We are happy to announce the arrival of all Travel Approvals! Because Travel Approvals were not delayed by Chinese New Year celebrations, we are able to move your tentative travel dates up two weeks earlier than originally anticipated. Your travel group will tentatively depart for China on March 13th and will return to the US anywhere between March 25th-27th. We will move forward today to request your Consulate appointment. We anticipate a response from the Consulate in 1-5 business days. Once we receive the official Consulate appointment date we will be able to establish concrete travel dates, finalize flights, and complete in country arrangements. Please continue to wait patiently for concrete travel dates, as we promise to contact you as soon as we have any new information.

Congratulations again on receiving your Travel Approvals!

Yep--that's right. 16 days and we are on our way to see our girl! Yes---we are so excited! No---I'm not at all ready! But that's OK...it will all work out. More tomorrow, I promise!

Love,

Alissa

How cool is this?

Our 16-year-old friend Bianca did this amazing pencil portrait of Leila from one of the photographs we received (she did it in about 24 hours, actually). She and many other kids from our church are going on a mission trip to Jamaica this summer, and this is one of the ways she is raising money for her trip. We are so thrilled---we can't wait to have her do one of Leila smiling!

I am ready to send the care package tomorrow, as Bianca also wrote a letter for us in Chinese (this is one talented girl!) to put with the package. It is so beautifully written, even if I don't have a clue what it says! Bianca's father is Chinese, her mother is American, and she spent many of her first years in China. We are so thankful to know her and her family, and are looking forward to getting to know them better!

If you would like to support Bianca or the other kids at LSCC going on this summer mission trip, and would like a portrait done like ours (she does best with one or two faces), let me know and I can get you in contact with her.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Love,
Madison, Caeden, Rudy, and Leila's Mom

More fun facts about Leila Grace!

We received a translated growth report for Leila last week and have read it over and over since it arrived. I have to say, it is kind of surreal to read about this little girl we've never met, who lives thousands of miles away, and yet know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was meant to be ours. Here's what we know so far:

• Leila was found on February 21, 2006 at 9:40pm wrapped in an orange blanket. We believe she was found in a public park (it's actually illegal to abandon a baby in China, so the moms leave them in a public place where they will likely be found quickly). The police were called and officers went to the scene immediately. No family/relatives were found and thus, she was identified as a 'foundling' and taken to the police station. She was then sent to the Chengdu Children's Welfare Institute, where she has lived since.
• Leila 'appeared' to be approximately 6 months old, and thus her birthday was backdated to August 21, 2005. She was diagnosed as a healthy baby girl when found.
  
• Leila's name "Gou Er Ting" was given to her as she was found in the year of the dog (Gou). "Er" means "Child" and "Ting" means "Graceful." (She may be the ONLY graceful Potocnik!)
• My favorite fact about her is that in the orphanage, they call her "Ting Ting." When Maddie read that part, she said "Oh we are SO calling her 'Ting Ting,' Mom!" I'm sure we will use this sweet name to transition and make her feel at home.
• She was rolling at 6 months, sitting at 10 months, but loved to be held. She was standing at 12 months, but didn't walk until she was almost two. It says that once she started walking, it was 'the most exciting thing to her' and that she loves to listen to music and dance.
• When she moved to the "little sisters" program at age two, she had trouble transitioning. She did adapt, and now enjoys this class as much as her first 'class.'
• Ting Ting's personality is timid, quiet, and shy; she is relatively introverted. (Poor child...wait until she meets Rudy!). It also says she is 'obstinate at times' (sounds like a true two year old!)
• She is on a great schedule every day, and is potty trained. She "has deep sleep" (my second favorite part of the report).
• She eats rice cereal, veges, ground meat, noodles, and biscuits (cookies?)
• She is doing well with motor and language development, loves to play outside, and enjoys 'musical toys.'
  

The rest is about labs and immunizations...none of which I fully understand. However, I think I've memorized the rest. We know that she'll most likely have a tough transition, but we are praying that the nannies are preparing her as best they can, and that God is preparing her heart for the next 5 weeks before we travel.

Tomorrow I will send a small care package, including a small stuffed panda, a photo album with updated pictures (all of ours are 3 years old!), and a disposable camera. Most families with children from this particular orphanage have had good luck with their children actually receiving the items, and even coming home with them on "Gotcha Day."

Have I mentioned how excited we are?

Love to all,
Alissa

Tentative Travel Dates: March 27-April 10th
We received our travel packet yesterday, and today received word that we do have tentative travel dates as above. We are getting so excited but there is so much to do. I have a lot to write about, but I keep getting distracted by paperwork, packages to mail, etc. Above are pictures of Jason and the boys right before we opened the package that held Leila's photos. Jason took the day off (we both just wanted to sit on the porch and wait for the FedEx man). He also bought me these beautiful lillies (same as the ones in our wedding!) with a card that said 'Hope does not disappoint!' That is for sure...we are just making the most of this season of joy, and coming closer each day to flying to China. I will post more about our itinerary when it is set in stone...thanks for checking in!

Love,
Alissa