AveryAddition

Settled In

Well, it has been a couple of weeks now that we have been home and we are finally starting to feel settled. They say that it takes a day to adjust for every hour difference in time zone. So, with eastern China being 12 hours behind Georgia, 2 weeks is about right. And now that our sleep patterns are adjusted, it is time to mess them up again. School starts in a week and that means getting up a lot earlier. I was really getting used to sleeping in too. Oh well.

Canaan is doing beautifully. It is amazing how much she has changed in just a couple of weeks. She hardly looks like the same skinny little girl that we latched onto in Nanchang. There is some meat on those bones now, and there should be. She eats non-stop. As a matter of fact, last night she had dinner three times. I fed her some sweet potatos, carrots, and yogurt before Mindi and I took her to Third Day's Chronology Volume II DVD premier at Regal Cinemas last night. Then, during the viewing, she ate a half a bag of popcorn and an entire Chik-Filet chicken sandwich. Afterwards, Mindi and I went out for coffee and dessert, and Canaan drank a bottle of milk, ate a bread roll, and had some Ooh Lah Lah ice cream pie. Obviously, she loves to eat, but she is developing well also. Her personality is starting to come out. She smiles all of the time now and boy does she like to laugh. So, we can't help ourselves. We tickle her like crazy and all join in the laughter. She is also jibber-jabbering too. She wants to be a part of all of the conversation and fun at the Avery house. Best of all, in my opinion, Canaan loves music. She dances and sings along to the radio and moves her arms to the beat. She likes rock-n-roll, but yesterday in the car, she went crazy to TobyMac. So, she loves to feel the drums and bass.

If seems as if Canaan is really understanding now that she is part of a family. She lights up when her sisters come into the room, and she really enjoys hanging out together. Sometimes we will all sit on the floor and play with her and she looks around and just beams with excitement. She knows she is loved and she loves to be loved. At times, she has to put up with a lot....with all of us in her face with kisses, and hugging her to death. But, she is so content and easy going. Nothing seems to bother her much.

Canaan is getting stronger every day, and she has already taught herself to flip over on her own. It shouldn't be long before she is crawling and then it will be time to buy a pair a running shoes to keep up with her. We feel so blessed to have her in our lives and thank God for this experience. The pain of having to wait for so long to get her is nearly gone now. The joy of being with her has made it all worthwhile, and God's timing is proving itself perfect as always. Of course it is!

Headed Home

Alright ya'll, this is the last post before we head home.  We have had an amazing time here and will take memories with us that will last forever.  We are ready to get back and plug into life in Georgia again.  Our adventures here make the world seem a lot smaller than it was before.  People are people, and we ALL need a Savior to free us.  Maybe this step is a first to many more adventures in China.  We pray that we have been a blessing to these people and hope that the Spirit of God has shown through us in a way that they would see Him and His amazing love.  Thank you for your support and prayers on this journey.  We will keep you updated on how our little Canaan progresses in the future.  Thanks also for your kind words and comments to encourage us along the way.  They mean more than we could ever express.  Peace and Blessings!

Guangzhou Zooseum

Yet another incredible word that Chai has created and the source of today's adventures.  We opted for the zoo today because the other choice was a hot tea tasting exhibition in an unairconditioned environment.  With temperatures approaching 100 degrees and the humidity at nearly 100%, we decided that roughing it with the animals would be better.  It was an wonderful time that we got to share with some new friends that we have made through this journey. 

The first wildlife that we encountered were the loudest creatures I have ever heard.  As we were walking up to the exhibit, we thought that people were calling out to the lemur like creatures, but we were wrong.  It was the animals who were doing the calling and they sounded almost human.  Crazy!  Then we were able to see a Bengle Tiger splashing in his private pool.  He, along with his friends the black panther, and jaguar, were impressive indeed.  However, it was the next exhibit that really got our attention though. It was a ferocious Cocker Spaniel and Chihauhau!  We couldn't believe our eyes.  I thought we were at the animal shelter.  These dogs needed rescued and adopted.  Anyway, we made our way past the reptiles and birds, and took a break to get something to cool us down.  Canaan had her first taste of ice cream and she was hooked.  She ate the entire thing and then wanted more.  She is definitely an Avery.  After cooling down we headed to see the Panda Bear who pretty much ignored us the entire time.  I thought he might be impressed, and stare at the caucasions like everyone else, but he wasn't.  Truly people do stare at us over here.  They are not discreet at all about letting you know that they are shocked to see you.  Many times we felt like we were the zoo attraction today.  Well, finally we made it to the monkeys which were the highlight of the day.  I was able to take Chloe and Chai into their exhibit and feed them by hand.  They were extremely friendly and would even jump onto your shoulders if you held the food up in the air high enough. We had a blast with them and decided that a pet monkey could be just the thing we need to add some excitement around our house.  With four girls now, we could use a little more drama in our lives, don't you think?      

Up and Running Again

Ok! Ok! I know that we have been silent for a few days but there is a good reason.  I have had bad luck blowing adaptors over here.  Our first night in China, we blew one that powers the DVD player, and then I blew the adaptor for my laptop on Friday right before we left Nanchang. I haven't found an Apple store anywhere, so I have had to borrow someone else's laptop to catch up.  So here we are again, up and running.  Well, maybe limping because I won't be able to include any pictures yet.

So, as of Saturday, we are now at the Dong Fang Hotel in Guangzhou.  The city is quite a bit larger than Nanchang (4 million) with a population of 10 million.  And quite a bit more modern.....a welcome change to us westerners.  Outside the hotel is a Starbucks and McDonalds, so we hit both in the first few hours that we were here. Big Mac, french fries, and a venti iced soy decaf latte. Very nice and sorely missed. 

The hotel is worth visiting online.  It is quite a place.  The tradtional gardens in the middle courtyard are spectacular.  They have rock paths that weave to and fro and connect many ponds and streams that are filled with fish.  There are bridges, a gazebo, a traditional pavilion, and of course the pool.  Canaan had her first swim last night and she loved it.  Well, she learned to love it.  She was a little freaked out at first.  But she came around.  She has had a lot a firsts just in this one week that she has been an Avery.  Solid food, a stroller, bus, and plane ride, pair of squeaky shoes, and a Disney princess movie.  I'm sure there are more but I can't think of any right now.  Just about everything she experiences is brand new to her, so she is soaking it all up. 

Canaan is opening up to us more and more each day, but it is obvious that she doesn't trust us yet.  Part of it might be that we don't look or sound like anyone that she has been around yet in her life.  She continues to compare us to the locals.  When they speak to her, she tends to respond more to them than us.  Regardless of whomever is speaking to her though, she does seem more unresponsive and unconnected than normal.  She often stares as if she is looking right through the object or person.  I  wonder what is going through her brain, or if she is even connecting at all.  Every once in a while, we get a glimpse of her beautiful little heart.  She loves to be tickled, and when she smiles and laughs, it is uninhibited and contagious.  I know that each day in our loving arms, will be a day that God uses to heal her and let her know that she is adored and cherished by her Creator. 

Today, Canaan had her check-up at the doctor and she weighed in at 17 lbs.  Her head was 17 " in circumference, temperature was normal, and it was so chaotic that we couldn't hear how many inches tall. She got a clean bill of health though which was reassuring. 

Then, we got a little shopping in and were able to get our girls some traditonal chinese dresses, as well as umbrellas to shield them from the sun and heat.  Unfortunately, it won't help with the humidity which is unlike any that we have ever experienced.  My highlight of the day was when I discovered a local artist and was able to purchase a few of his tapestries.  I also got my picture taken with him because I was so taken by his art. I think that his work will accent our dining room well and be a daily reminder of our trip here. But, we really don't need any local artist to remind us of our time here.  We have a priceless masterpiece handcrafted by The Artist.  Her name is Canaan and very soon she will have the opportunity to experience life in America with family and friends who love and care for her with a love straight from the Father above. 

Canaan's Progress

Good evening from China! We almost have one week down of our trip and one more week to go! We are close to the point where we can start counting backwards the days we have left, but we have got to get to single digit numbers first. Brad has been doing a great job of telling you the details of our trip, but tonight I am going to give the "girly version" since I am the only one still awake. I must admit, to be handed over a bundle of life, and in a matter of seconds it is understood that it is our responsibility to take care of, nurture, meet the needs of, raise, support and love this underdeveloped and socially challenged child is quite daunting. The first 24 hours we had her were quite emotional in many different ways. However, it has been nothing short of a miracle to see her thrive and literally come to life these last 4 days. She was handed to us with a blank look on her face, bruises on her body, a runny nose and rattling cough and arms that just flailed in a really weird way. In fact, she was still holding her hands in really tight fists just like a newborn would. God only knows what she has spent the first year of her life doing, not much obviously. It is so sad. But who knew what a bunch of kisses, lots of hugs, a few toys, three hyper sisters running around and a trip to the Super Wal-Mat would do? Her eyes have gone from distant and dazed to darty and curious. Her hands have gone from tight and fisted to open and grabby. Her body movements have gone from awkward and flailing to more smooth and normal. She has gone from pushing us away and not making eye contact when we try to cuddle her to enjoying the closeness and even looking in our eyes. Even today her eyebrows began to move and show expression and the smiles she gives are almost making it to her eyes. The life we are beginning to see in her eyes completely changes her look. Her tummy is already beginning to round out now that we have finally figured out what she likes to eat (which was a challenge in and of itself). She actually reached for Brad today which really warmed our hearts. The other girls seem to be adjusting to their new position in the family and even Chai seems to be handling the displacement of being the baby quite well. We are sure there will be many tough days ahead but we are thankful the Lord has brought us this far already. Watching Canaan progress has made me think that we all have a long way to go in one way or another and I am so thankful our Heavenly Father does not get overwhelmed with our progress or lack thereof. I praise God for His endless patience and mercy with me and I pray He will help me keep this all in perspective in the days ahead.

Congratulations! It's A Girl!

Of course, we all knew that already. The point is, Canaan is officially an Avery! No two ways around it. Signed, sealed, delivered, she's ours. It has been a whirlwind since we last blogged, and the bags under my eyes are huge, but let me try to recount the past 36 hours or so to bring you up to speed.

We left Beijing Monday morning on a 10:30 a.m flight to Nanchang, which is in the southern part of China. We landed at 1 p.m. and immediately caught a bus to the hotel. On the way, I couldn't help but notice the differences in terrain between Beijing and Nanchang. We went from metropolis to the sticks. Actually, farmland really. This region produces the majority of the food, especially rice, for the nation. So, we saw fields everywhere. Our regional guide Mary also gave us some info. about the country. For example, China has over 3 times the population of the U.S. Sizewise, China and America are similiar in land mass, but there is one major difference. Most of China is mountainous. So only a small portion is suitable to live and farm. That is why no one here can really afford land or even homes. Most people live in the cities in rundown highrise apartments that tower everywhere. People on top of people on top of people...you get the picture.

Anyway, we arrived at our hotel with barely any time left to unpack and freshen up before we would need to be back on the bus to go get our baby. When we got to our beautiful room, it had a terrible odor that we could not pinpoint. It was so bad that we needed to change rooms, but had no time to do so. So, instead we left our things and headed to the offices where we would pick up Canaan. We were so frazzled and emotional and feeling way out of our element. In route, we were told that our baby would be waiting for us when we arrived, but when we got there the story inmmediately changed. Some babies supposedly were not yet there. Because our name begins with the letter A and we are family number 1 in our adoption group, we were supposed to be first in line to get our girl. However, they called somone else's name first, so we assumed that our Canaan had not yet arrived. What an emotional roller coaster ride this had turned out to be. Babies crying, parents crying, Avery's crying. BUT, they called our name second. And there she was. Our little Canaan. Just like in her picture. So beautiful and so content. Taking it all in, and without even a whimper. I can't imagine what she was thinking. All these caucasion people everywhere and 3 Avery girls all up into her ATM space. Of course, she immediately proved herself to be a "daddy's girl." So, I proudly walked around showing her off to the other new proud parents, who in turn were showing off their new little treasures. It was a room full of gushing mamas and proud papas. And we relished the moment, before it was off to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, there was plenty of paperwork to complete, and we still had the issue of the myserious odor to deal with. I dealt with both while Mindi tried to get some food in Canaan and get her down for nap. She didn't take to the formula, so we gave her some baby food and then she was OUT. We ordered a couple of pizza's for the girls to enjoy, but they were OUT also by the time it arrived. So, Mindi and I had a meal with some peace and quiet for once. By the way, let me mention that China credits themselves with inventing ketchup. I bring this up because the room service pizza tasted as if it was made with ketchup instead of pizza sauce. Very interesting I would say, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it was good. Oh well, they tried. The upshot is that Mindi got her Coca-Cola and I got my Sprite. And then we were OUT!

Chloe and Chai were both up at 4:30 a.m. and wanting to eat, so they had some cold pizza. Chai liked it, which makes perfect sense, because she eats her weight in ketchup when we eat out in the States. Chloe wasn't sold, so she ate a granola bar instead. I am sure glad that Mindi packed the snacks. I never thought I could miss good ol' American food so much.

Mindi decided to get Canaan up and give her a bath and change. The water was lukewarm so Canaan wasn't thrilled, but she never get too upset about it. We did notice some bruising on her little body, and she seemed to have a cough as well as some congestion. When we checked into it, we were told that she had just gotten sick and that they had put an IV in her. It is very common in China to give babies IV's because they feel that it helps the baby get well sooner. There is no way of knowing all of the details really, but we will get her checked out here before we leave and, of course, have a thourough examination once we get back home to Georgia.

We met the bus and group at 7:30 a.m. and headed to go do more paperwork and finalize the adoption. The first appointment was quite interesting. We were asked about 8 to 10 questions ranging from.... the reason we wanted to adopt a girl from China (when we already have 3 girls of our own), to... do we promise to provide a wonderful life for her, always taking care of her, and never abusing her in any way? After the question and answer session (about 3 minutes total), she was officially ours. Next, I just walked over to the cashier to pay the government for their portion of Canaan's upbringing. We then headed to another office to deal with pictures and passports, before the last stop of the day, the Nanchang Super WalMart. At the WalMart, we stocked up on baby food and grabbed a few "essentials" like Coca Cola and Sprite...oh, and water also. As we headed for the checkout counter (which was on the second floor, by way of a "no step escalator".... strange I know), we caught a glimpse of a beautiful sight. KFC. Mindi hightailed it in there to get us some "original recipe" while I checked out. Unfortuntely, I couldn't communicate with the cashier, so we could never figure out how to purchase the lollypops that the girls had each picked out for a treat. They were disappointed not to get their candy, but were suddenly satisfied when mama returned with the chicken, and it was finger lickin' good!

Then it was back to the hotel for some R&R. Which of course brings us to now, with everyone crashed out for an afternoon nap...... everyone except me. I have got to take care of these enormous sandbags under my eyes. But who can sleep? PIZZA HUT is soon to be on it's way, and I have to decide between Pepperoni and Cheese Lovers. I sure hope it doesn't taste like ketchup....

The Great Mall Of China

No, that isn't a typo. It is what Chai affectionately and accidently penned today, all on her own. But, based on the events of the day, it fits perfectly.

After breakfast, we caught up with the entire AWAA group (43 families total), in the hotel lobby, and then proceeded on to church. It was a really cool place called Beijing International Christian Fellowship. The service we attended (one of many that day that cater to different nationalities) was a bilingual English/Chinese event. The worship team, as well as the pastor, would switch back and forth between the two languages seamlessly. It was fantastic to experience worship that way and the message was right on. The pastor spoke of how we can lay aside our pride and constant desire to "save face", because as believers, our identity is in Christ.

After the service, we headed to a jade factory. I was blown away by the beauty and precision of the carvers. The images created were very powerful and moving. We enjoyed ourselves there and after some pitches from the sales team, ended up with a few souviners for the girls to remind them of the trip.

Then, it was off for lunch at a family style chinese restaurant. Mindi dubbed it "Chinese Cracker Barrel." It was a great meal, and more food than should be allowed by law. Also, attached to the restaurant was another opportunity to purchase memorabilia from our travels. Surviving another store is precisely what prompted Chai to ask "how much longer until we go to The Great Mall Of China?" After all of the shopping, I felt like I had already been there.

But, we did finally arrive at the Great Wall of China and we were absolutely dunbfounded. The beauty, the craftmanship, the enormosity, the logistics.... I mean.... How do you build a wall of heavy brick and stone that is so long, it can be seen from space? Especially one that covers such ragged and tuff terrain. Our girls were amazing! They hiked up what was probably the equivalent of 50 flights of stairs at a pitch that felt literally straight up vertical, just to get their picture taken and say they "climbed the Great Wall."

Now we're back at the hotel and everyone is asleep but me. I better get to bed, because tomorrow is the big day...... "Gotcha Day" to be certain. We fly out of Beijing at 10:30 a.m and into Nanchang to go get our little China girl Canaan. We've been waiting a long time for this day to get here, and it has finally arrived. I hope I get some good pictures, that capture the moment well, to share with you. Until then......

We're Here!

Well, after a stop in Newark and another 12 hours of flying over the top of the world, we have finally made it to Beijing. The flight was pretty good and the kids did great. It is hard to get kids to sit still for that long, but I have to say that ours did a fabulous job. At least, we thought they did, but we got plenty of dirty looks from a certain young couple in particular. Oh well, they will understand one day, I'm sure. Unfortunately, the turbulance and breakfast duo was too much on one little Avery's tummy, that she vomited. That was quite a treat for everyone, and the smell and mess served as extra incentive for the entire plane to exit quickly.

Anyway, we arrived on time and didn't have any troubles with baggage or customs. We were met by our AWAA (America World Adoption Agency) transportation attendant just past the declarations desk, and we were off. When we got outside of the airport, if felt a lot like the Hotlanta sultry air. We enjoyed the trip from the airport to the hotel and got to see some of the sites and architecture from the road. After arriving at our hotel downtown, and one failed attempt to get into our rooms, we were finally here and settled. A little dinner at the restaurant later and we were ready to crash.....EARLY. All of us were out by 8 p.m China time (8 a.m. Eastern). So much for sleep though. The kids woke up at 4 a.m. and here I am blogging!

Today, we get to visit an international church and the Great Wall of China. But before that, I am off to the gym for a workout. Stay tuned for some pictures and stories from our adventures today. I am sure there will be some wonderful moments for the Avery's to share.

Travel Eve

It is officially the eve of our trip. It seems hard to beleive that the event that we have waited for, thought about, prayer over and tried to picture hundreds of times in our minds over the last two years is about to roll into reality. All arrangements have been made, the bags have been packed and repacked and the latest Terri Blackstock is in my backpack (You are right! This is Mindi, not Brad blogging tonight!). Tomorrow should prove to be a loooong day and night of travel. Instead of laying in bed all day laboring to have a baby I will be sitting in one spot on a plane for an unmentionable amount of hours laboring to keep my kids entertained and keep from feeling too incredibly institutionalized. I figure that the amount of travel time actually equals the amount of time I was in labor and delivery for Chai. The actual time it took Brad to book the flights for this trip equals the time of labor and delivery for Charis. And Chloe, well, her labor and delivery will be about equal to the time of our sightseeing stay in Bejing where we will be saying "Wow! Look at that great big wall, but on the inside we will be screaming "Can we get this sightseeing over with and get to our baby?!" All very different situations, but all very much the same result. A precious, irreplacable, priceless bundle of sugar and spice. A work of art. A unique and divinely created being crafted by the Master Artist himself. Lord willing, the next time you hear from us we will be on the other side of the world!

Here We Go!

Alright! So the travel has been approved, the consulate appointment is secheduled, flights are booked, and we are on our way. We leave Friday July 6th and return on Friday July 20th. Mindi and I are taking our three other daughters with us, so it ought to be quite an experience for everyone. Please pray for our travel and trip safety, as well as our consulate appointment, that all will go well. We pray that God will be glorified in all of this and that it will be an incredible memory and time for our family.

Obviously, I am going to be missing some shows because of this trip. So, Shawn Lewis from HyperStaticUnion will be filling in for me. Pray for those shows that they will come off without a hitch and check them out. It isn't very often that you get a chance to see Third Day without all members.

As a side note, if you are or are ever planning on adopting from China, and you decide that you would like to use your frequent flyer miles, you might want to try to hold them way in advance if possible. It wasn't a possibility for us because we found out our approval at the last last last last second. But that last second approval process might be common for a China adoption. All I am saying is, it is a hard sell to get last minute frequent flyer seats, so you might need a gameplan that was better than mine. Good Luck!

We'll keep you updated so check back with us!