Goodbye from China

Well this will be the last post from China. Our internet subscription will run out at 6pm tomorrow night. We will leave for Hong Kong Tuesday after we receive Jayden's visa. We will spend one evening and one night in Hong Kong before returning to the US on Wednesday. We are SO HOMESICK. Jayden has not felt well today. I think he is trying to get a cold. UCK! This is a picture of our whole group (Lifeline and small world). On the red couch are all the children that were adopted by our group. As you can see Jayden was having a bad day. The other little boy having a bad day is Caleb Mann from Alex City. The next blog entry till be after we return home. Thank you all for your prayers for us and especially for Jayden. We appreciate all of your support. This has been a long and hard process, and some of you know the heartbreak that we have had to endure during this process. God has been faithful to us and has brought us through. The moment Jayden climbed into my arms made every hurt ease. I have never been more certain that this is the path that God had intended for Brian and me from before time began. God knew that our little boy would be born a world away and that He would reunite us in His timing. We give all the praise and glory to God for placing this child into our family. He is such a joy and a blessing.

Jade art

Jayden's first shopping mall experience

We went to a very large shopping mall today. This place was two or three times larger than the Galleria in Hoover. We also went to the jade and pearl market today. The prices were unbelievable. I bought a very nice (according to our guide 1st quality) set of pearl's for Jayden's future wife. I also bought a jade bracelet to commemorate our trip to China and Jayden's adoption. This will probably also pass to Jayden since it is part of his heritage. I thought I would also share some jade sculptures we have seen.

Medical Exam

This was Jayden's exit medical exam. The first picture is the ENT (Here in China the abbreviation stands for eyes, nose, and teeth) Kinda funny huh? The second picture is where they weighed and measured him. He weighed in at a whopping 20lbs. He's gained 2 pounds since we received him. He is 29 1/2 inches long. The third picture is his actual medical exam.

Goodbye to the orphanage FOREVER

This was Jayden's favorite nanny. He was really glad to see her and when she gave him back to me he cried. This was the first time he has really cried. It was very heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. I am glad that Brian and I had the opportunity to visit and to thank especially this lady for loving and taking care of Jayden. We left via the playground and I think Jayden sighed with relief when we pulled away.

Tomorrow we pick up Jayden's passport, apply for his visa and he will have his exit medical check up. Tomorrow evening we will have a diner cruise on the Pearl River. I hope to get some good pictures.

More inside orphanage

These are pictures of the room where they sanitize the bottles and utensils. The room where the food is prepared. The room where they are bathed. And last...Jayden's crib.

Inside the orphanage

These pictures are a little heartbreaking. The facility that Jayden was in was very clean and the staff and nannies were very loving...however, there were so many children. They do the best that they can but the faces of the children break your heart. I wanted to take all of them home with me.

On the way to the orphanage

This is Jayden and his daddy in the van on the way to visit the orphanage.

Orphanage

This is us outside the orphanage where Jayden spent the first 19 months of his life.

Here are some more pics of our tour

thursday

Went touring today. Started off by going to the Chen Family Museum. This was built in 1840 by the Chen Family as a temple. When the communist government came into power they took over the museum and all the properties owned by the family. Now it is run by the government as a tourist attraction. After we left there we went to a place that makes ceramics and has a large selection of class A and B jade. Class A is the best quality you can get as it is jade in the purest form. Class B is colored by using chemicals. After that we went to a traditional chinese restaurant where the food did not look all that enticing. Everyone tried a little of it but there was a lot of food left. Nothing like "Sweet Home Alabama" food. Tomorrow Terri and I will be going to the orphanage where Jayden has lived all his life. This will probably be an eye opening experience so pray for us. Until tomorrow

Wednesday

Well, today in Guangzhou was rainy and a little cool. We stayed in the hotel this morning and just took some indoor pictures. The White Swan Hotel on Shamian Island is a four or five star international hotel. I don't really know what all that means, however, it is truly beautiful. The hotel is surrounded by the famous Pearl river. There are two swimming pool. exercise rooms (with treadmills, stair stepper, and free weights), golf driving course, gift shops, clothing shops, sauna's, massages, beauty shops, barber shops, banks, just about anything you could want.

This afternoon we had our appointment at the police station to file for Jayden's passport. Everything went like clock work. If anyone is interested in International Adoption, Lifeline children's Services are the ones to call. They have this whole process down to an art.

In the morning we are going site seeing, so we should have some great pictures.

I apologize if I have told you this before, I am posting to this site blind. I cannot see what I am posting. For some reason, I can post, but I cannot view Jayden's blog. ? But anyway, we finally, found him a couple of pairs of pants and a few shirts to wear. He is so tiny. Right now he is wearing a 9 month. He is adjusting well, although he has a hard time eating solid food. His palet is a 3rd degree cleft, and his cleft went all the way through his left nostril. He will need at least 3 surgeries to correct.

I will try to post more tomorrow. Please pray for the Forbes family and their daughter Emme Grace.

SLEEPING BEAUTIES

Do you think Jayden and Daddy are bonding?

Pictures of Guangzhou China

Here are so photographs.