Sunday Ramblings

Teagin threw up 3 times in 10 minutes yesterday.  So we asked the other parents what they were giving and they were told 6 ounces.  The orphanage gave us an information sheet telling us Teagin was taking 9 ounces in her bottle!  I feel horrible now!  I’ve been gorging my child on formula and rice!  We’re cutting back on the amount.  We were supposed to go out with the travel group to a Japanese restaurant tonight, but decided to stay in, considering Teagin’s tummy was erupting in the lobby.  Probably a wise idea.  I know I don’t like going anywhere on an upset tummy so I’m assuming she doesn’t either.  It seems to have worked because she’s a happier baby this morning.  I’ve also noticed that she’s throwing up her formula when she’s working on her number twos.

Traveling to Guangzhou was a traumatic experience for her.  She screamed for almost the entire flight.  I got a dirty look from the guy in front of me, but what do you do?  The plane was packed and cramped quarters which didn’t make any of us happy.  I’m very glad that we’ve upgraded to Economy Plus for the ride back.  Hopefully the seat next to us is still open.  Then we’ll have the whole row to ourselves again.

Yesterday was the doctors’ appointments that are required for us to get her US Visa.  She weighed 7.6 kilograms which translates to 16 pounds and 12.8 ounces.  For those of you wondering, that’s a size 3-6 months but she’ll probably not be in them much longer.  All of her weight is in her thighs!  She also checked out OK with the ENT and surgical checks.  I’m still wondering how she got past the ENT doctor with flying colors.  I’ve noticed that she has this heart shaped tip to her tongue and that she can’t stick her tongue out of her mouth.  I think she’s a bit tongue tied so I’m making an appointment to have my doctor look at it.  I hate to say it, but she’s not going to be a very happy baby in the near future if I’m right.  She’ll have to have a minor surgery to correct.  I sure hope I’m wrong….

Today we did a bit of sightseeing.  We went to the Chen Clan Academy.  The architecture was simply amazing.  I thought the Forbidden City was awesome; it has NOTHING on this place.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get half the pictures I wanted…my camera died.  

Jason didn’t come along with the sightseeing.  He’s still not feeling well.  He started running a fever and is now coughing.  Poor Teagin doesn’t quite know what to think when he coughs.   It’s like a gunshot or cannon going off…so loud!  She just sits and stares at him.

Tomorrow is the appointment at the US Consulate.  We’ll get Teagin’s visa to come to the US and then we can’t leave China for 48 hours.  After the appointment, we’re heading to Shamian Island to do some shopping!  On Tuesday afternoon, we travel to Hong Kong in preparation for our trip back to the US.  So our time here in China is nearly over.  It’s going to feel so good to get home and get settled back into some semblance of normalcy. 

T minus 9 hours, 40 minutes

Well, one last push today.  We spent all day packing and doing last minute running.  Our flight leaves in less than 10 hours!  So crazy and surreal!  For so long, this trip was more of a concept to us than reality.  Now, it’s reality!  I know that the flight will be semi-torturous, but it will be so worth it! 

All I know is I’m exhausted right now, but I’m not so sure I’m going to be able to sleep!  I’m too darn excited!  We got ourselves up and running on Google Talk, so we’ll be able to chat with both sets of parents and at least my brother and his family.  We also subscribed to Express VPN so I’ll be able to post pics and updates on Facebook and this blog. 

It’s a short one tonight, and I don’t know how soon I’ll be able to update again.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to post once we check into our hotel in Beijing!

7 months

Teagin turned seven months old today.  We spent the day packing.  Our dry run for our big suitcase netted a very light 35 pounds.  We will need another checked bag, but we’re hoping that will also be under 40 pounds.  In the US, the weight limit is 50 pounds, but in China, we’ll be limited to 44 pounds.  Not sure what the overweight fees are there so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

We also spent some time with extended family.  All of my dad’s siblings came out to visit.  We enjoyed standard picnic fare and also had a sing along.  It was fun!  I was glad to see them all.

We have Teagin’s room done….for the most part.  We ordered a rocker/recliner that won’t arrive until the end of September and we also need to put the decals on the walls.  We’ll have to wait to do that until we get back.  The paint hasn’t cured enough yet.

So 4 days until we leave and 8 days until we finally get to hold Teagin!!!

In One Week...

In exactly one week, we will board a small plane to Chicago.  This plane will carry us to a much larger plane which will carry us across the ocean.  We will have a few days to acclimate ourselves to the culture and time zone and then we will finally get to hold, hug, kiss, and SEE our daughter with our own eyes.  All we have right now are five pictures of her.  That’s not nearly enough in my opinion.  We received our in-country itinerary and bookings.  They have us staying at some pretty nice places.  My personal favorite, based on name, is the Galactic Peace International Hotel, which is located in Nanchang.  Not only is that the hotel we’ll be staying in when Teagin joins our family, but it plays to my love of science fiction!  I mean really!  Doesn’t it sound like something the Federation or the Jedi Council would have to house the intergalactic dignitaries???

We have a little more work to do on Teagin’s room.  We need to get shades for her windows, hang the curtains; buy the chair and book shelf and then her room will be complete!  I’ll post some pictures of it when all that’s done. 

We’re frantically working to get our trip items together to pack.  I’m hoping to get that done this weekend.  Not sure if I’ll make it that far, but I sincerely hope so!  If not, we have Monday and Tuesday night to finish.  I want the suitcases completely packed by Wednesday afternoon so that Wednesday evening, we can relax.  Now, keep in mind, I said relax.  I seriously doubt that either one of us will be able to sleep at all!  I know that my sleep patterns have been taking a massive hit the last couple of weeks.  I’ve always been a light sleeper, but this new pattern of insomnia is really getting old.  Now, I know that sleep will be harder to come by once we get Teagin, but right now, we really don’t have much of a reason other than stress.  I could do without the chronic headaches I’ve been having as well. 

I want to give a shout out to my managers at work who are making valiant efforts to keep me distracted this week.  I feel bad for them since it’s not really working too well.  I have a constant mantra of packing items running through my head along with the mile-long to do list.

I’m beginning to ramble which means I’m starting to lose my mind!  Speaking of losing one’s mind…what the HECK is Brett Favre (traitor...narcissistic fool) thinking???????

Go Packers!

T Minus Two Weeks and Counting!

Today is the last day of June.  It’s going to be a scorcher here!  The Weather Channel said that we’re supposed to hit 97 for a high.  Everyone keeps saying how hot that is, but we need to get used to it!  That’s around the average high for Guangzhou. 

In two weeks, on July 14, we leave for Beijing, the first leg of the trip.  We’ll be getting there in the late afternoon on Friday.  Our bodies, however, will believe it’s the middle of the night!  We’re going to stay up as late as possible and then go to bed at normal bedtime hours which means that we’ll probably crash hard around 8 or 9 pm.  Saturday will have us going to Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, and The Summer Palace.  On Sunday, we’ll be going to the International Church Service and then the Great Wall of China.  After that we pack! 

Monday morning, July 18, we’ll be flying to Nanchang.  Family Day!!!  We’ll FINALLY get to hold Teagin.  There are no words to describe how I feel at this point.  Excited is a given.  But there’s just so much more to my emotions about this.  This will be the culmination of a very long adoption journey for us…one we started back in December of 2005.  The wait has been so long and tedious with no apparent end ever in sight…until now!  I cannot wait to study her little hands, her tiny toes, tickle her tummy, kiss her chubby cheeks. 

Blogging could be an issue.  This website AND Facebook are both blocked over there.  We’re looking to get a VPN to use while over there.  We were considering a Panda Phone, but with a VPN, we can use our computer to “phone” home.  I can also post updates and the much awaited and begged for pictures!  I’m not going to post EVERY picture I take, but will post a few of the best Kodak moments.  I plan on filling that SD chip up every single day!!  It is my goal to document as much of this trip as possible.  It is, after all, the trip of a lifetime.  I will be leaving with my arms empty and return home with the most precious bundle one can receive. 

In the meantime, we’re frantically finishing last minute projects to get the house ready.  We’re hoping to mostly get the nursery put together this weekend and I’ll move all of the packing paraphernalia in there to free up the living room.  So probably no fireworks this 4^th of July.  We’ll be too dead tired!

My Water Broke! Commence Pushing.

Remember this post? Contractions talked about how I've tied the stages of labor to Teagin's adoption.

Oh what a week it has been!

My "water" finally broke!  We're now in the push to get everything ready before we travel!

On Tuesday, our visas to travel in China arrived, snug as a bug in our passports.  We also saw rumors that Travel Approvals were starting to arrive in other countries.  With that tidbit of information, it was ANOTHER exciting and anxious day waiting waiting for that illustrious form that says, “Come and get her”. 

Wednesday afternoon, the call came!  Our Travel Approval had come and our agency was now working to secure a consulate appointment for us in Guangzhou.

Thursday morning and the email notifying us of our appointment arrived…along with the firm travel dates.  This sparked a flurry of activity on our end, because, with that notice, we had Thursday and Friday to book our international flights.  There was a catch.  Because our agency also books travel, they were working to reserve flights for us, too.  Our airline of preference is United Airlines.  We have our frequent flyer miles through them and also belong to a reward club where you register your credit cards and earn miles for purchases.  So, since this is a major trip, we really wanted to get the miles.  I pulled up a tentative itinerary for our flights, Jason agreed with my flight choices, and then waited.   Before noon, we had received AWAA’s itinerary…..theirs matched….well, close enough.  We did get United…the flights to China were the same I had chosen…the return flights were almost what I had chosen.  Des Moines to Chicago to Beijing….Hong Kong to Chicago to Des Moines.  The leg back to Des Moines from Chicago was for a flight one hour earlier than I had initially chosen….but the price was the same, so we said “Book it!”

After we booked, I asked Teresa, our travel coordinator, what date we would be meeting our girls.  We’ll FINALLY have her in our arms on July 18!  Oh, I can’t WAIT!

20 days until we travel.

23 days until we finally meet Teagin.

Let the insanity begin!!!

Introducing...

Here she is!!!

Teagin Fu Min Sitzman

Date of Birth: December 10, 2010

Given Name:  Gan Fu Min

Sex:  Female

Province:  Jiangxi

As of April 3, she was 21.5 inches long and weighed 10.58 pounds.  So she’s tiny. 

We FINALLY got our call today.  I didn’t think it was going to happen.  But at 3:36 pm today, the phone finally rang!!!  She is absolutely perfect!  I cannot wait to see her!!!

Today was such an agonizing day.  Because of the holiday, the deliveries were later than normal.  I can’t even describe what I was feeling when we got the call.  I know that I did start crying and didn’t hear much of what our coordinator said to us.  Today has been one of the worst and BEST days of my life!!!

I'm in Labor!

Isn’t this a beautiful sight? 

I can’t wait for my call.  After 5 long years, the wait is finally over.  The agency should be calling us tomorrow and also should be emailing us a picture.  Of COURSE I’ll post it as soon as possible.  I am going to get it to immediate family before that happens, though.  For those of you wondering what we are naming Little Dumpling, well, you’ll find out tomorrow too! 

Now, all I can do is wonder and dream.  What will she look like?  Will she like music as much as her new mommy and daddy?  Will she like to read?  Will she be interested in her daddy’s coin collecting hobby?  Will she be a tom boy or will she be a girly girl?  

You know what?

I DON’T CARE! 

She is going to be absolutely perfect in her own way.  I’ll love her no matter what.  Even if she becomes a Viking’s fan…even if she is an Iowa Hawkeye fan, I’ll still love her.  Football games could become dicey, but hey, that makes it fun!