August 8, 2007 WE ARE A FAMILY!

Today is our officially adoption day!  Lexi is now legally part of our family!!!!!

When we went into the civil affairs office Katy wanted to know if we were taking "my China" back to the people?

LEXI DID NOT CRY MUCH; but wailed when they wanted to take our family photo for the adoption certificate.  She still will start crying and trembling if anyone makes eye contact with her but she likes to look around just don't look at her!  Katy loved the "play equipment in the family waiting room at the Civil Affairs Office; it was really like miniature exercise equipment.

Day 2, August 8

I had to leave breakfast this morning because Lexi became hysterical when anyone would look at her or talk to her, I could not get her to calm down so I left and let Dave and Katy finish.  Right now it seems like Lexi cries all the time.  Anything and everything will set her off.  When she gets upset she does not just cry but becomes rigid and shrieks at the top of her lungs, and almost hyperventilates!  I can usually calm her by holding her very close and very tight against my chest and talking very quietly to her.

After breakfast we went back to the Civil Affairs Office to complete the adoption.

Lexi taking her first bottle!

Lexi refused to eat yesterday!  She finally just took 4 ounces of formula!  She wants me to hold her all the time and protests if Dave comes in the room much less sits by us.  He just made her another 4 ounces of formula, she would not take it from him and let out a loud protest, but once I gave her the bottle she is gobbling it down!

Gotcha photos!

These photos went with the last post but somehow did not show up.

Gotcha Day!!!

When we got to the building Lexi was already there along with two other babies.  They brought the three families in, we had to sign some papers and make sure they had our names and address was correct, all the while you could hear a baby just wailing in the other room.  All the families were saying they hoped it was not there baby,  Welllll it wasn't there baby it was ours!!!  They came out and tole our guide that Lexi is afraid of strangers and will cry or hide when they are around.

Lexi did snuggle up to me but would not go to anyone else and still kept crying and occasionally would stop and look around to see what was going on clinging to me all the time.  When the staff from her SWI came in to talk with she would look at them and follow them around but did not offer to go to them or act like she wanted them.

We have our angel!!!!!!

All she wants to do is cry.  She refuses to go to Dave.  In fact she cries harder when she can see him!  I am so tired now both girls are asleep but I need to send something.  Will send more later.

Debby Harmon

lifesredthreads@gmail.com

www.lifesredthreads.blogspot.com

We are in Guangzhou!

We checked into the Victory Hotel and have settled in.  Right now we are trying to get Katy to settle down so we can get some sleep, it is almost 2AM here and she is WIDE AWAKE!  We leave the Hotel to get Lexi about 12 hours from now!  Katy did real well with the trip over.  Will post more later.

Aug 6, 2007 10:56 AM US time

WE ARE HEADED TO THE AIRPORT!!!!

We finally made it! I finished packing at 3:30am, got a couple hours sleep and we are off to the airport! Will add a little later!

Almost ready to leave!

We have our travel Itinary, our airline tickets are purchased, our hotel is booked, we have our prescriptions, we have our cash and we just have to pack. We think everything is purchased on our list, now we just have to get it in our suitcases. We are trying to pack it all as carry on!

Next Sunday at 8:55AM we will be off to China!

I just got home from working all night (13 hours), looked at the calendar and realized Our FLIGHT LEAVES NEXT SUNDAY at 8:55 AM from Seattle for China.!!!!!! I can hardly believe it is so close! Now I am having a hard time going to sleep and I have work again tonight.

Every morning Katy asks if we can leave to go get "My China". We have to keep telling her not today but pretty soon!!!

The Tickets are reserved and confirmed!

By a large miracle we have plane tickets reserved and will be paying for them on Monday! A family member was able to give us a short term loan and Mandy Hu found us an awesome deal on Northwest Airlines.

We will be leaving on Sunday August 5 from Seattle Washington at 8:55 AM and arriving in Guangzhou, China on Monday August 6 at 10:35 PM!!

Lexi we are almost on our way! We will be there soon sweetie!!!!!

We are getting down to the wire for tickets!

We know something will work out, we are leaving it in God's hands.

Keep praying!!!

Keep us in your prayers for cheap tickets!

We are trying to find cheap tickets and the money to pay for them. So far the best price we have is $4500 just for airline tickets. We talked with the Agency and told them we did not want to do the tour again because they go to the same places we went last time. They called back today and said they negotiated a better price for us to just use the guide for transportation to and from the airport and for the adoption related stuff.

The Agency wants us to have our tickets by Friday so here is to a lot of praying that everything works out and we will have our baby in our arms on August 7th!!!!

Lexi's Doctor appointments are set up.

We set up doctor appointments for Lexi for the 24th of August to see her pediatrician and then on Monday, August 27th, we spend all day at Seattle Children's Hospital with the Cranial-Facial team.

The high point will be we get to have a birthday party for her on August 23, she will be 2! This will be her first ever birthday party!

Our travel is all set up!

We have our official travel dates!!!!

We leave Seattle August 5, Gotcha day is August 7 and CA appointment August 16, Visa appointment August17 and return home on August 19.