The city of Yanjiang has two counties, Yangxi and Yangdong. Yangdong is where Giorgia is.
The Population is 2,600,000 and the Area is 3,017 square miles
Nationalities: Han
Location: Yangjiang is a coastal city in southwestern Guangdong Province, facing southward to the South China Sea. Close to the Pearl River Delta, The city is 153 and 99 miles from Guangzhou and Zhuhai. By water, it is 143 and 129 sea miles from Hong Kong and Macau.
History: According to archeological discovery, human settlers first came to Yangjiang ten thousand years ago. Like other regions in Guangdong, it was conquered by the Qin Cour belong to the shires established there. As its location became increasingly important, Yangjiang had been elevated from a county to a shire by the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Physical Features: Main terrain of Yangjiang decends from the north to the south. It has two mountains standing in the northeast and northwest. Within the territory, the city’s zenith is the Ehuangzhang of the Wangfu Mountains. Furthermore, Yangjiang has thirty islands in total bearing a coastline of 213 miles.
Climatic Features: Situated in subtropical zone, the city holds temperate weather and abundant rainfall. The extreme heat may emerge in August. Summer is long and hot, lasting from mid-April to late October. Typhoon and rainstorm usually happen in summer and autumn.
When to Go: Without chilly winter, Yangjiang is an all year round tourist destination.
Special Local Products: sea product, black bean sauce, lacquer
Just some organizational things for G's closet! I think it just might work. She can grab a whole container of toys at a time. (yeah right, if she's anything like me, she'll be a crawling tornado!!)
Okay, so you know how wierd I have been about "sign" lately. Well, the day I secured daycare I drove home that way! As I was approaching the intersection which I would take a left at and the daycare is immediately on the right...I saw a RAINBOW over it. I scrambled for my camera and finally found it. By that time it was almost gone but you can see it just a bit in the upper left hand corner, right over the roof of part of the daycare.
We all got together on Sunday night for a Giorgia Celebration!!! It was me, Marla, Bernadette and the girls!!! The last time I was there I was with Andrea, Bernadette and the girls!
Anyway, we had GREAT food and Lots of fun! Thank you ladies for your friendship, it means the world to me! One day, all of our little ones will be home and then it will TRUELY be a celebration!!! Looking forward to that Playdate!!!
Okay, and here is another card (from Bernadette and the girls) that choked me up...
(front) SOMEDAY, she’ll be a famous pianist or a high school science teacher. she’ll settle down, marry, have a couple of kids. Maybe she won’t.
SOMEDAY, she’ll help millions of people all over the world. or maybe she’ll travel, send letters from Africa or phone you from Rome.
SOMEDAY, she’ll be a strong, confident woman…
(inside) …but you’ll always remember the first time you held her in your arms.
SOMEDAY, she’ll have her own hopes and dreams, not knowing that once upon a quiet time, you closed your eyes and dreamed to have her in your life.
These gifts are from the Welch Girls, Bernadette and her beautiful daughters Grace, Charlotte and Jocelyn!
Do you all know me or what!!! Bernadette refers to this as the cupcake dress! How fitting! I love it!
This baby doll is super soft and of course, looks just like Giorgia! She's even in purple!!
They also found a cd of music from Giorgia's province of Guangdong! And a perfect little Princess outfit with sparkles and all.
Plus with a beautiful sweater if it's chilly.
The books are INCREDIBLE. If anyone doesn't have them, I highly recommend them. The first is "Motherbridge of Love" and the graphics alone are AMAZING! The second book is from the author of Love you like Crazy Cakes...it's another must..."Every Year on Your Birthday"
The girls also pick out some little bowls, silverware and sparkly stickers. See, I told you the bowls and spoons will match Giorgia's little mini blankie perfectly!!!
Thank you sooo much for all the AMAZING gifts, they are wonderful. I can't wait to see Giorgia in all of them, playing with them, eating from them, listening to them or me reading the books to her before bed!!! They are just PERFECT!!! Stephe
I used to love cards, but that was back when I could find those that said the perfect thing that melts you heart. Marla's was beautiful...
"Life has given to you the BEAUTIFUL gift of a PRECIOUS child to LOVE, and to your child it has given the GIFT of a FOREVER family"
Marla, this dress is just perfect. So cute and whimsical! G will love it. I love it for it's whimsy, colors and polka dots. The polka dots are my weekness!!! It was hard to get a photo of the whole dress including the tights. The tights make it!! They are great, look, they are striped to match!!!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE G's new CarSeat! Thanks Dad & Margaret!
The Britax Marathon™ is a convertible car seat ideal for parents seeking premium comfort and a higher, forward-facing harnessed weight capacity. The seat features side impact protection, which distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, and contains the head and body. The tangle-free, five-point harness with four harness heights ensures a snug and secure fit. Premium push-button LATCH connectors provide a quick, simple and tight installation. Unique features include the patented Versa-Tether® for energy management, and rear- and forward-facing recline for child comfort and positioning.
The Rule is to be Forward Facing, your child MUST be 1 year & 20 lbs. - 65 lbs. This is the minimum. It is recommended to keep your child rear facing up til 35 lbs but not required to.
Great tips on installing a secure car seat in a previous post here.
Thank You Christie, Jay, Brooke & Moorea for the Beautiful Flowers!! I kept them up all week at work until I brought them home!! (hey dad, there is the Marlin Print you used to have in your office, not sure if you've seen it in mine yet!)
Peta, this was the most amazing suprise!!! I cannot believe how generous! The gifts you sent were beautiful. The pacifier clip just sparkles and sparkles. I've tried to get a photo of it but it just doesn't do it justice. I've used the one online but just imagine it with a "G" instead of an "E". It will look fabulous on Giorgia! For some reason she doesn't take a pacifier, no worries, she's going to wear one because I don't know if we'll be able to go a day without wearing this!!! Thank you!
We also had some more suprised. See below for the other FANTASTIC treats Giorgia received from.
What is the twilight ladybug...
Not only is the Twilight Lady Bug adorable and a great addition to the collection, it truly makes bedtime fun and helps children overcome their fear of the dark. The Twilight Lady Bug illuminates a starry night sky in 3 soothing color options of Sapphire Blue, Emerald Green, & Ruby Red. Instantly your child's bedroom will become a magical wonderland of soothing colors and stars. Stars should illuminate on the walls and ceiling.
Twilight Lady Bug has an automatic 45 minute shut off and is battery operated for safety. Uses "AAA" batteries which are included. Also includes an instruction manual and booklet about the stars.
It's AWESOME and it really does what it says. Her room is magical at night. This is one of those things that will grow with her and as long as she doesn't break it, we'll have FOREVER! It's so cool.
This Voice Activated Crib light you send is a great idea. This way if G wakes up in the middle of the night and starts fussing a very diffused light will come on .
It is supposed to help lull your baby back to sleep. "3 colored lights cycle on for 10 minutes the moment it hears your baby cry. They’re the perfect combination to ease your baby into slumberland…which means you can get back to sleep, too.. And the lights are just the right brightness for nighttime checking or diaper changing. We call it a crib light… but you’ll call it a small miracle. Voice activated or manually controlled light Attaches to the crib or stands on a dresser."
For G's age, you don't want to attach this to the crib but there is a bookshelf just next to her crib that it is sitting on top!!
Thank you so much for thinking of us! I can't wait to show you more photos of Giorgia!! Hopefully it won't be too much longer!!! We appreciate your kindness!! Thank you! Stephe
Hepatitis A - Transmission of hepatitis A virus can occur through direct person-to-person contact; through exposure to contaminated water, ice, or shellfish harvested in contaminated water; or from fruits, vegetables, or other foods that are eaten uncooked and that were contaminated during harvesting or subsequent handling. Hepatitis A is the most common vaccine-preventable infection acquired during travel.
Shots - The hepatitis A series consists of two doses given 6-18 months apart. If you started either series but didn't get all the doses, you should continue where you left off.
Hepatitis B - Especially if you might be exposed to blood or body fluids (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, or be exposed through medical treatment. In addition, open skin lesions, such as those due to impetigo, scabies, or scratched insect bites, can play a role in HBV transmission if direct exposure to wound exudates from HBV-infected persons occurs. There are many children adopted that have scabies.
Shots - The hepatitis B vaccine series consists of three doses spaced out over approximately 6 months.
Are these shots safe?Do they have any side effects? Both hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines have been proven to be safe. Globally, more than one billion hepatitis B vaccine doses have been given. Since 1995, more than seven million doses of hepatitis A vaccine have been given in the U.S. with no reports of serious health problems linked to the vaccine. Side effects might include soreness at the injection site, headache, and fatigue.
Are these shots effective? Yes. After three doses of hepatitis B vaccine, at least 90% of healthy young adults develop immunity to HBV infection. Immune compromised people might not respond as well to hepatitis B vaccine. They should be tested 1-2 months after the third dose of vaccine to see if they responded. Almost 100% of people are protected from HAV infection after getting two doses of hepatitis A vaccine.
K asks, "What was the reality like vs. what you anticipated? How do you feel now?"
Great question. Well, a part of me imagined the picture perfect day...you know, the sun is shining, the birds are singing and I would fall in love with her photo the split second I saw it. But, I've had 3+ years to read other families stories, research, and have all kinds of things that could go wrong swirling around in my head. All of the What ifs? Everyday led up to this one day, this one call, where China would say, YES, we want you to be a mom to one our Children! Then comes the worry that I will never get the call or they would decide to pass on me, a single mom, to a mom that also comes with a dad. So, even though my "anticipated" version of referral day had the sun shining and the birds singing...most of the anticipation was riddled with worry.
The reality!! I should have known. It was COLD. It was rainy. There was no sunshine and no birds singing. I was really, really sick still and a few days prior, there was almost an emergency room visit. (thank god the medical aid unit fixed me up). The boards were eerily quiet. Me and all my LID girls were trying to speculate and wondering where everyone was. Then BAM, I get that call...which I hang up on. My heart was literally pounding out of my chest!!! As I drive home I call some friends...I just needed some chatter to get me home. I had no details at all...not even "It's a GIRL". I was off the charts on the crazy meter with my chatter! I was all over the place. (sorry, I told half of this post in an earlier one)
Anyway, I knew that I would be unable to focus (true) and that I really wasn't paying any attention to what my family advisor was saying...I just kept agreeing. My respiratory issues were taken over by adrenaline (thank god) but my heart kept pounding sooo hard. I swore a couple of times the video mic picked up on it! LOL. I didn't cry. Big things I don't cry about but stupid Hallmark Commercials I'll need an entire box of tissues. This was a big thing. No tears but my insides almost burst when I saw her face. It was instant! China said YES and she was the most BEAUTIFUL child I've ever seen and she was MINE. Yup, it was way better than I ever thought it would be! In my heart, it WAS the MOST BEAUTIFUL DAY! I didn't need the sun or the birds, just her!
How do you feel now? LUCKY, LUCKY, and oh, did I say LUCKY!!!!!!
At 7:52 I think I finally caught my breath and it was time for a Champagne toast and a Bubble Bath. It was the most AMAZING day but I was still really sick and falling fast. Now off to dream about my little girl. :)
I love how my cell phone caught the exact moment and showed that it was raining!!
Well, Giorgia's stork didn't look anything like the one in those photos!! LOL.
The day after the "call", I went to work. I had all intention of telling everyone to tell the FEDEX guy to wait so I could get that cheezy photo! It completely escaped me to tell them. It was around 8 and I went over to our Main Building to the girls at the parts counter to show off my daughter and in walks the Fedex Guy. OMG!!
me: "Hey, are you delivering that for Stephe XYZ"
Fedex guy: "Yes"
me: "DON'T MOVE, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK"
then I burst out the doors to my building for my camera. I hadn't yet shown the girls Giorgia, they didn't even know I got the call yet so everyone was totally confused. I get back and say...
me: "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST DID???"
(poor guy thought he was in trouble as he walks closer to me with the package)
me: "YOU JUST DELIVERED MY BABY, SMILE...no, hold up the package, smile, thanks!!"
He was a good sport!! I had him fooled, he thought I was going to rip him apart! LOL. Then, the girls and I ripped open the package and looked at her photos and all that good stuff. Okay, so that's my Fedex Story!!
Wednesday, November 5, I got "the call". It was a dreary day here and it was misting. Something told me that maybe this was the day and I took a photo of the trees across from my house as I jumped in the car. It was 6:30am and the darkness had just started moving away. My plan was to take photos every morning, never thinking that this was "the day". Unlike my fellow Precious Pandas, all waiting for "the call" I tried not to get to excited only to be let down another day. You see, all of our paperwork has been in China for over 32 months. Most of us started way before this and when we did, the process took only 6 months. So, for the past three years, every 6 months we were told/though, oh, just 6 more months.
The Rumor boards were quiet, all the yahoo groups were quiet...eerily so! How is it that the CCAA and the agencies have finally mastered the zip-lip technique when I'M expecting the call. My ECG girls & Precious Pandas are all speculating but nothing...all quiet.
At 2:00pm on the dot, my cell rings. Unkown area code??? No, My Agency area code!! OMG!
I pick up the phone and
my FA says: Stephanie?
me: Phillip? Is this it? Is this the call? DON'T SAY ANYTHING!!! I'm on my way home!!! Can you call me back? BUT DON'T TELL ME ANYTHING YET!!!!
Phillip: (trying not to giggle) Yes, this IS IT, How long will it take you to get home?
me: 30 minutes
Phillip: Okay, no problem
me: You can call another family if you want so I don't hold you up, I'll understand and I'll be home waiting for your call. I hang up. Post to my group that I got the call, referrals are really here and that I hung up on Phillip and told him to call me later. Jump in my car and race home. Meanwhile, I'm getting all these texts saying "ARE YOU CRAZY, INSANE, STUPID...YOU HUNG UP ON THE CALL" I know, I know. But I wanted to be home and video tape it. Hey, I've waited for 3+ years, I think the least they can do is wait for me for 30 minutes!!!
So, I arrive home, oh did I tell you I'm sick as a dog with major resp. issues!! Thank God for adrenaline...I didn't feel a thing. I change my clothes, brush my hair, let Pirate outside, turn on the computer, turn on the video tape, review call sheet, look for lost "referral pen". (which I never did find) then wait... wait... and wait...
Finally Phillip calls me back. He waited for me to get home and didn't call anyone else. I was the first. He said he sent the email with her photos and for me to open it up. I said no, I want you to tell me everything first because I won't pay any attention otherwise. I have no idea really what he said. I will have to reference the video.
The tidbits I got were:
It's a Girl
She's 10 months old.
Her birthdate is in January
Her name
She's from Guangdong
That's it!! He rambled for about 10 minutes but I have no idea what he said but I kept saying yes, okay, absolutely.
He then asks me to open the email and I say no.
I told him I wanted to do it by myself when I got off the phone but Thanked him for the call.
Then, I go to my computer and keep refreshing my email...
there is no email from Phillip.
Refresh, Refresh, Refresh... nothing
Then I decide to check my msn email...Then I see this...
This is it!!! And this is what I saw. Sorry that the video is so bad. I was trying to be cool because I had the video camera on me and my little camera taping my laptop as I opened the photo. Those of you that want to do this, might I suggest practicing. It didn't come out well but it's still memorable. The second I saw her I was in love and I kept saying that she looks like me. Something about her looks like me or it was her I saw in my dreams. She was so familiar. I must say Pirate was smitten too, you can hear him in the background. Stephe (yes, it's official, I'm a dork)
to be continued...
I will try to post referral video with the camcorder. At least it's clear video. Then more of that day!!!
Can you hurry your ass up a bit? I've only got one more graphic left for my blog and darn it, I've waited long enough. Doc say hurry to because you are reaking havoc with my blood pressure! So, fyi, do what you got a do... Red Bull, wheaties, hitch a ride on a United direct flight...I don't care, just GET HERE!
***UPDATE*** Okay Lighthousegal guessed Asian which was the second one! She also guessed Spicy but that was not the other one although I could make it the third if G is from Hunan! Does Jiangxi have spicy girls? Has anyone figured out the first thing that made my heart skip a beat???
***UPDATE #2*** Okay, mom2two, Susan and Stacy all got the "Georgia" referenence and although my daughter's name is spelled differently, it's pronounced the same. I guess it'll be fate that all she'll have on her head is some peach fuzz!!! Time will tell. Thanks for playing!
Okay, so the night of my referral, my four of my ECG Panda girls are expecting their too. We have decided to have a Skype party. Champagne is a requirement. So, I head out last night after work in search of some "Pink Champagne". I stumpled upon the cutest, most perfect bottle. I'm a complete sucker for "packaging". Anyway, it was a White Zinfandel champagne but it was PINK and it was CHAMPAGNE. So, I bought it.
Now, this morning I was sharing with my girls this cool perfect choice of mine and went looking online to send a link to the champagne I bought.
I find the website, find the bottle, and read the description and my heart skipped a beat…
Can anyone guess what made it do this (actually, it's two things)???
FYI, this bottle is really bright pink in the photo but in reality it's the prettiest light pink...you know...that little girl light pink!! Now, hopefully it will taste okay.
My agency does not call me and let me know if I made the cutoff ahead of time. So what likely will happen is I will begin to see others getting calls by watching blogs and Rumor Queen then at some point likely next week my cell phone will ring with a caller id of my agency name...at that point all bets are off I may just pass out. You see, waiting since 2005 is not helping with the denial. I haven't fully decided but I might choose NOT to answer in liu of jumping in the car, going home, getting the video camera & digital camera all set up and my call sheet out! Then I will call my agency back and find out some basic information like her name, her birth date, where she is from and other basic information. I am told that they might be able to email me a photo of my daughter right then. I might have to wait 1 -2 days to receive a Fedex package containing the original pictures of her and any information that is known. Please keep in mind some of this information is very private and really is not mine to share it will be HER STORY. Most children adopted from China are left by someone to be found (abandoned), that is somewhat a given, but the details are something I am not sure should be shared with others until Giorgia can fully understand herself and then at that point she can decide. Basically what I am saying is that any information about her finding would be kept private. With that, it should be an exciting day...hope you check back with my blog!!!
I'm a single mom with an amazing daughter! It all started when I decided I was tired of waiting to be a mom. In my search to find a little girl who needed a mommy I was led to the China International Adoption program. I actually started the process in 2005, got my paperwork to China on 1/13/06. China accepted my paperwork and gave an LID of 2/18/06. After waiting 33 months, I finally received my referral on 11/5/08 for the most beautiful baby in the world. She spent her first 11 months in Southern China just above the South China Sea and now she is home with her mama!! I hope you enjoy reading & looking at my blog as much as I enjoyed creating it. During the wait I was a research junkie for all thing IA so please check out all the links in the sidebar under "Find it Here"...it will show you the posts pertaining to that category. Best wishes to all. Stephe
