Even the cats love Christmas!

And herrrrrrrrrre's Fatty! in his winter garden!!

Sammie's First Christmas - Dec 2005

Sammie really enjoyed her first Christmas. She just loved the tree as you can imagine, and even now if I ask her where the Christmas tree is -- she will point to the corner of the living room where it stood. As she was still a bit young for playing with toys but loved trying to play with the cats, I made her a stocking stuffer (what else do you put into the stocking of a one-year old?!) of a wooden spoon with a string and a cat ball attached to the end of the string. She loved it! She'd swish the spoon around the floor and the cats would chase the ball. Per usual, as happens with all babies, she got royally spoiled by family and friends alike. I think we take out at least one new toy per week with all the loot we got! Thanks everyone for your generosity!!!

Sammie's First Playdate with a boy!

Sammie had her very first playdate soon after we got home from China. And it was with a boy! Thanks to my gal pal, Marissa (from work), Sammie was able to spend a morning playing with Jacob. They both weren't really old enough to play but I think they enjoyed having the company of another baby.

Mom Feeding Sammie

Another happy night time routine. Of course, Beast uses this time to sneak in extra cuddles, too!

Sammie visits her Toronto Granny

The first day home, Neil was off to visit his mom and introduce Sammie to her Toronto Granny, Amy. Sammie's other Granny lives in Victoria, B.C.; and Sammie will be visiting her there in April. Amy is just in love with her new granddaughter and looks forward to Sammie's regular weekend visits. In fact, I think the whole nursing home looks forward to Sammie's visits! Whenever we are there, there are always knocks at the door -- by nursing staff, kitchen staff, other residents, etc. .... "oh, I heard that Amy's little Chinese granddaughter is here; may I come in and see her?" It's so cute. They all just love her sweet smile and easy personality.

Sammie's Tub Time

The first picture is of bathing Sammie in the hotel bathroom sink in Beijing. This hotel did not supply baby tubs so we had to use the sink. Neil loves this picture so I thought I would include it.

Another of my all-time favourite pictures of Sammie is the one at the bottom taken when we first got home. Until I got her a proper baby tub, I bathed her in the kitchen sink. She quite enjoyed those few tubs under the soft lights, surrounded by plants and other neat kitchen-y things!

Sammie's absolute favourite part of the day is her tub time with her dad. Neil's routine is to tub her every night after dinner. Sammie's loves it so much that once she decides she's had enough dinner, she looks up the staircase, points and either says 'up' or grunts (a cute grunt mind you) to show that she's ready for fun in the tub. Recently, Fattie has decided to join in the fun and now always hangs out in the bathroom during this time. He knows that Neil is cornered (as in can't leave since Sammie's in the tub and needs him) so Fatty can garner extra petting time!

Everyone has their routines for sure. The other night, Neil was working late so I gave Sammie her tub. I didn't realize that Neil puts down the toilet seat and sits there for tub time; I had sat myself on a little antique footstool that we have beside the tub. Anyway, after a minute or two, Sammie noticed where I was sitting and starting smacking the tub in the direction where I was sitting then pointed to the toilet. I thought she was playing with me so I gooed back at her. After repeating this scenario a few times, I realized that she was trying to tell me something. I finally wondered if I was supposed to sit on the toilet seat -- so I moved -- and she stopped her antics and went back to playing. Not sure who's worse -- Sammie or the cats!!!!

Settling into a routine

The first two weeks home were rather wicked. The jet lag was easily twice as bad at home than in China. It took Neil almost a week to feel back to normal (as seen here breakfasting with Sammie), but I didn't rebound that quickly. It took me at least two weeks to feel more or less normal but, even now, at two and a half months later, I sleep when Sammie sleeps as I'm still extremely tired all the time. However, spring is coming soon!!!!!!!!!!!

Trip Summary - The Long Flight Home

The flight home was 14 hours in duration, and very long to say the least. However, Sammie was wonderful. She only slept about 1.5 hours of the entire flight and, more importantly, only cried for about 30 minutes of the flight. What a trouper!

We sat beside a neurologist on the flight and he couldn't take his eyes off Sammie. He assured us that we won't have any developmental problems with her and she's right where she should be for her age and perhaps even a bit advanced. [Now that we've seen Sammie in action for a few months, we've seen that she is extremely bright and is absorbing everything around her in leaps and bounds. After two months, she already understands everything we say and even has a vocabulary of five words. Not bad!]

Trip Summary - A Tribute to Our Group Leader

This is John and his wife and daughter. Due to their privacy, I won't give all of their names. Just wanted to pay a small tribute to John for volunteering to be our group's leader. He took care of so many incredible details and made sure we were all where we were supposed to be, etc. etc. I'm sure he missed out on some special baby moments taking care of the rest of us, and we all really appreciated him taking on this role -- as if being a first-time dad wasn't enough!

From all of Group 224, thanks John!!

Trip Summary - Au Revoir China!

Here we are at Gate 17, ready to board our flight home. Of course, Sammie is waving 'goodbye'!

Our trip was memorable in so many ways, and we’ll certainly always have a great respect for China. They gave us the most special little girl one could ever imagine; and, for that, we are truly grateful. Homeward bound ...

Trip Summary - Beijing Zoo

We had a fabulous day at the Beijing Zoo. This was the day before we left to take Sammie to her new country, and a great way to wind down from the hecticness of the past two weeks. Sammie seemed to enjoy all the different animals and the activities of the zoo. And we enjoyed getting away from the crowds, the traffic, and the noise.

Trip Summary - Our fearless guide!

This is Rose, our beloved guide. She slaved for us day and night, and the trip wouldn't have been as great were it not for her dedication to this job and to her travel groups. Rose has a great sense of humour, made the journey fun and raised our spirits when we were exhausted or frustrated with some bureaucracy.

Thanks for being our guide, Rose! And come and visit us in Canada as soon as you can!!!

Trip Summary - The Pearl Market (!)

The pearl market is something else! Here I am at a wall of pearls -- every imaginable size and colour. I felt I was in pearl heaven! The other picture is of Sammie and I in front of an aquarium at our hotel -- and Maggie wearing, of course, her new pearls!

Trip Summary - Tian An Men Square, Forbidden City

Tuesday was the long-awaited Tian An Men Square and Forbidden City visit. Tian An Men square is the courtyard to the forbidden city, and is the largest public square in the world. The operative word here being 'large'!

The Forbidden City is stunning; marble, statues, and gorgeous architecture as far as the eye can see. It could feasibly be a whole day tour to get a really good look at everything.

Trip Summary - Hutong Tour

Today was a full and exciting day. We took a rickshaw (bicycle driven) tour through the Hutong area. This is an area of very traditional homes, which were originally built around water wells by the Mongols during their time of rule. These are connected by very narrow alleys, through which we drove very fast, and which we were followed by street vendors. Shopping on wheels – who would have thought!

The first stop was to a small neighbourhood daycare; 700 kids from ages 2 to 6. They couldn’t be any cuter! We spent about 15 minutes being entertained by these little guys. Yep, kids are just the same around the world!

We were also very fortunate to be invited into one of the local family homes by a gentleman named “Cricket” Lui. In his courtyard he has numerous birds like pigeons and parrots. He also has a little dog, and of course, lots of crickets and grasshoppers. We had tea and snacks in his living room, and were entertained by the cricket chirps and all of the little implements he has made for the crickets – drinking bowls, brooms, houses… He is really a very entertaining and sweet man, and loves to open his home to visitors.

Our last stop of the day was to a tea house, to learn about Chinese teas, and how to prepare and serve them properly. A very nice break after our chilly morning.

Trip Summary - The Babies Get Their Medicals

Our first full day in Beijing was spent at the SOS medical clinic having the babies receive their medical examinations. The clinic was very westernized and the doctors were just great (and they all spoke English!)

Sammie passed her medical with flying colours but was only at the 2 percentile of weight for American children – 14 lbs, 57 cm in length -- at 10 months of age. What a wee thing!

Trip Summary - The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China! What a beautiful day it was for a trip to the Great Wall; sunny and clear and optimal viewing for long distances -- no smog!! This was, in fact, a big deal, since it was usually very smoggy in both Changsha and Beijing. The smog alert days in Canada do not hold a candle to what they experience here in China.

Until you see it yourself, it’s impossible to truly imagine the scale and the scope of this wonder. The wall spans everywhere the eye can see, and there are numerous outbuildings and a temple as well. It is mind-boggling to imagine how people could have built this thousands of years ago, without modern tools or machinery. The portion of wall we visited is very steep, and the risers of the stairs are uneven; anywhere from 5 cm to 30 cm high. But most braved the climb up to the 1st or even 2nd tower. All this with the babies strapped safely in their carriers. Not an easy (or safe!) feat.

Trip Summary - Off to Beijing!

Friday, November 4th, 2005: Today was a very full day. Up at the crack of dawn to finish packing and get to the airport for our two-hour flight to Beijing. This would be Sammie's first experience in an airplane and, of course, she loved it and took it all in stride. Mom was a bit of a wreck thinking of what she was leaving behind but yet happy knowing that she was going to an amazing new life. Very mixed emotions. The tears were streaming down my face as the airport took off and Sammie (believe it or not) looked out the window and actually waved.

We had beautiful, unseasonably warm weather in Changsha. The only problem with this being that many of us brought warm fall clothing, and we were carrying around little furnaces. These girls are hot!! They're nicknamed 'spicy girls' for good reason! Most of us in the group were quite uncomfortable in the last few hours, having checked out of our hotel rooms, and waiting in the heat. But the babies took it all in stride. Our stay in Changsha was a pleasure. From what we experienced, it is a large, clean city, with beautiful surroundings. It felt completely safe to walk anywhere, and people were very welcoming.

Trip Summary - A Little Down Time

Just hanging out in our hotel room reading The China Post!

Trip Summary - Yueyan Academy

These pictures were taken on our first real day of sightseeing. We went to see Yueyan Academy, which is a 1000-year old university, whose students included Confucius and Chairman Mao.

The buildings were of course done in exquisite Chinese architecture. The area we visited seemed to be the older portion of the campus; a relatively small group of buildings and courtyards. The courtyards held beautiful serene ponds and gardens. It was very relaxed, and it would be easy to spend much more time there.

Trip Summary - Just Hanging Out

These pictures are just casual shots when walking the streets and hanging out between meetings and outings. Sammie always seemed to catch the attention of passersby; and the picture here of the 'school girls' is one of my favourites. The children start learning English from about the age of three, so many are thrilled to see a westerner to practice on! These gals were enthralled with Sammie and were happy babbling to her (and us) in both Mandarin and English.

Trip Summary - Changsha No. 1 Orphanage

Our group was very fortunate in that we were allowed to visit the orphanage from where our daughters came (although Sammie is one of the lucky few who ended up being raised in a foster home from the age of two months until the morning she came to join our family at the age of 10 months).

The orphanage tour was quite heart wrenching to say the least but it was a new facility (less than a year old), and the children appeared cared for much better at her orphanage than at many other orphanages we've read about and seen pictures of. All the children from this orphanage appeared to have enough to eat and some stimulation so that they do not appear to be developmentally challenged.

We were not allowed to take photos inside the orphanage (other than the odd door or hallway) so there are not many interesting photos to share.

Trip Summary - Adoption Day ... (happy dance!!!!)

Two days after Sammie joined us, we officially adopted her. So, back to the Civil Affairs office for more paperwork, another interview, and getting Sammie footprinted. Finally, Sammie is an official member of our family! What an incredible feeling.

Trip Summary - Back in our room

Back at the hotel by 11:30 a.m., changing diapers, feeding her, checking out her little body to ensure she had all her parts! We then got a personal visit by some of the staff from her orphanage (a senior person and two nannies) who answered any questions that we had. We were allowed to ask … anything! Unheard of! However, we kept our questions respectful and to a minimum, and then she was all ours!!! We could not believe how adorable she was, and how she just latched onto us. When the orphanage staff visited us in our rooms, she wouldn’t let them touch her. One picked her up out of my arms and she fussed and leaned back toward me. This was a major coup as usually the adoptive parent has to work really hard (for possibly months!) to get their baby to ‘prefer’ them over a stranger or semi-stranger. We had some lunch, took her out into the sunshine for a walk (the weather was really starting to warm up now), and then back to the room for some quiet play and a nap. Neil and I were playing with her on the bed for awhile and she was having a great time. At one point, she lay on the bed with her head between ours and just rolled back and forth grabbing our faces one at a time before rolling to the over and grabbing the next, all the while squealing in delight. It was as if she was thinking, these are great people … I just LOVE them!! Needless to say, she stole our hearts lock, stock and barrel!! And, as the saying goes, the rest is history!!! From that point on, Sammie didn’t let anyone touch her or hold her. If they tried, she made it very clear that she wanted back to her Mommy or Daddy.

Sammie made our bonding experience so incredibly easy. We’re not sure what we did right, but whatever it is, it worked!! And we’re so in love with our little peanut!

Trip Summary - Sammie is Ours!

.... a nanny placed Sammie in my arms and not a peep out of her. I held Sammie for a few minutes -- me? I was bawling my eyes out! -- but Sammie was as calm as could be. She looked at me like she was thinking “Ok, cool, nice Mom, now where’s the Dad?” I handed Sammie to Neil, praying she wouldn’t make strange – and break his heart! – and she was just fine. We bundled her into our baby carrier which was ready and waiting on my chest (never too early to start the bonding process) and nary a peep out of her. What a gal. You’ve just got to meet her, and you’ll believe it!!!!! By 11:00 a.m., we were outta there, making room for the next set of babies being adopted. What a day!

Trip Summary - Enroute to Sammie

Monday, October 31st arrives bright and early. We certainly didn't sleep much with the anticipation of meeting our new daughter. We were told that there would be two morning appointments for presenting the children. One at 9:30 a.m., and the other at 11:30 a.m. We were to board the bus at 9:15 a.m. or thereabouts. Well, it turned out that there was also an 8:30 a.m. appointment, and the bus that we were taking was unloading a group that had had the earlier appointment. A group of very solemn parents descended from the bus, carrying bundles of babies that you could see had been crying so hard that their faces were red and sopping wet – and were all asleep from the exhaustion of it all. My heart wrenched for them, as yet another abandonment – even though they were all going to wonderful homes. Tough little kids for sure! And so, I started our trip to get Sammie crying myself, crying for all these babies that had no say in where they had come from, where they were going, not understanding anything that was happening to them. What a day.

This photo is of Neil and I with a few of our fellow adoption group members prior to boarding the bus to the Civil Affairs Office. On the far left is Nadine and her older daughter (also adopted from China), Kim and Rob from Leaksdale (they have 3 biological sons), and then Neil and I. This was taken in the front lobby of the Dolton Hotel, which you can see is quite nice.

Trip Summary - At the Civil Affairs Office

This next part is very hard to describe but I’ll try my best. We arrived at the Civil Affairs Office (the government office where we would meet our babies) -- see picture of Neil above left standing in front of the building -- (14 families, some with young children and / or grandparents and / or friends). The room in which we were being presented with our babies (see picture above right with Sammie on her nanny's lap) was quite large but it sure seemed small. Fourteen babies (most screaming/crying) with one or two nannies (from the two orphanages from which our new daughters were coming from) per baby, plus government officials, plus our two guides, and what you got was mass pandemonium! The parents were so excited and trying to guess which baby was their own new daughter (the referral pictures were now about five or six months old so many changes in the babies since then). I think only one family guessed correctly, and it wasn’t us! We sure got a pretty baby and she was also NOT fussing at all. When we saw her from across the room, we didn’t dare hope that this was Sammie for fear of being disappointed. From that distance and with her hair in three (!) pigtails, it didn’t look like our Sammie anyway. Although, now that I’m reflecting on this day, I guess we should have guessed it was her as she had lots of hair in her referral pictures and she was the only baby there with lots of hair. Anyhow, babies were being presented to their new families and wailing away (as were the parents!), pictures were being taken everywhere by everyone – and then ....

Trip Summary - More Paperwork to Adopt Sammie

Sunday, October 30th, at noon, we caught up with the rest of our group as they arrived at the Dolton Hotel, and during the afternoon, we did more paper work (it never ended!!!) for the adoption.

That evening, a big gala dinner -- Chinese traditional style – the last for many in the group as non-parents. The next day would be our big day so early to bed (at least for those not over their jet lag!). The next day, Monday, October 31st --Hallowe’en Day -- but, more importantly, the day we would meet our daughter and she would join our family!

Trip Summary - Sammie's Finding Place

On Saturday, October 29th, the weather cleared and was only a little cool. Neil and I took this day to explore Sammie’s “Finding Place”. This is the place where she was abandoned when she was 11 days old. Sammie’s Finding Place was under a bridge in Changsha. It was a very large (road) bridge, and underneath is a parking lot, an intersection, small sections of gardens along the sides of the streets, and the streets are lined with old and new China (typical-looking Chinese establishments as well as a Kentucky Fried Chicken and a McDonald’s!). Again, we spent a few hours here absorbing the reality of where our little Sammie had come from. Almost like from under a cabbage leaf! (Please forgive the humour, but sometimes it helps to lighten the morbidness of it all. We spent many hours crying over the abandonment of our little girl and all the other little girls and the lives most of them will lead. A lucky few escape by international adoption. And, trust me, you don’t want to hear the stories of those abandoned and not found by honest folk.) While at Sammie’s Finding Place, we took many pictures of this area for her Lifebook, as well as getting a bag of dirt and a smooth rubbing stone from this place where she was found. Those will go into her keepsake box should she some day need to see or touch something tangible connected with her past.