Opening Up

Today in Guangzhou we went on tour for a few hours with the group.  Our first stop was a Buddhist temple featuring a 17 story pagoda and several statues of Buddha.  People light incense and leave gifts (typically fruit) for the Buddhas.  People also left bottled water, which made us realize just how bad the water in Guangzhou is – even Buddha can’t drink it.

Next we visited the Chen House – a local art gallery/museum.  There were many beautiful displays and some artists were working on site.  We had some calligraphy done.  Our last stop was a jade and porcelain gallery.  We were a little nervous bringing so many kids in there – one vase cost $50,000! 

The afternoon was mostly free, other than some paperwork to prepare for our consulate appointment on Tuesday.  We went out for lunch and had lots of family play time.  Susan really opened up to everyone today and showed more of her fun and spunky personality.  She let us put her in the stroller and she even walked around quite a bit.  We got her some squeaky shoes (popular in China) that squeak with every step, and she was certainly proud of that.

Lotus Pagoda at Buddhist Temple

Last night’s sleep was the best yet – only one crying session early on.  We’re very thankful for that.  We’re also thankful for this southern (tropical) Chinese climate.  It’s a nice change from the cold of Beijing and Zhengzhou.  It’s prettier here with more vegetation, including beautiful large banyan trees.

Buddhist Monk with His iPhone - no kidding!

Family Picture!

Happy Laughing Girl

Whatever it Takes for Naptime

Love that smile!

Out and About

We’re here in Guangzhou so that Susan can have her US consulate appointment to get her visa to enter the United States.  We’ll do the oath of citizenship here with her and she’ll become a US citizen when she goes through immigration back home.  Our appointment is scheduled for Tuesday but today we had to go to the clinic for a physical for her (required for all immigrants).  We also took photos for the visas this morning.  I’ll include a copy of hers.  I had to wake her for it and plop her down on a chair.  She was NOT happy.

I think all of the (future) American children who are being adopted from China come through Guangzhou, spending several days here.  Our hotel is loaded with these families.  So fun to see them all at breakfast this morning.

Although Susan had another rough night she’s perked up during the day quite a bit. She still cried some but she’s a lot more alert and interactive with everyone. Actually just our family.  She’s still not interacting with anyone else.  She seems to get overwhelmed in larger groups.  We’re not forcing anything.  When we go out, I keep her in the front pack so she can choose to look around or just bury her head against me and ignore everything else going on. Ninety-eight percent of the time she’ll choose the 2^nd option.

We had a nice dinner out with our whole group this evening.  Susan was “teaching” us how to use chopsticks.  Fun how she knows just what they’re for even if she can’t really use them yet.  We went shopping in a market.  Look down at the pictures to see what we found for Todd.

Thank you to everyone who is praying for sleep for us (and for everything else).  We’re able to sleep between the crying sessions.  We go to bed when Susan does so we can make the most of her sleep time.  It’s a little like having a newborn again.  The boys have a separate room so thankfully they are spared the nighttime tears, and we’re spared the pleasure of having really tired and cranky boys.  It’s such a good situation.

Yesterday's plane trip - I couldn't upload pictures last night

Thaddeus and Susan at Breakfast 

Angry Visa Photo

There's our happy girl!!!

Fuzzy toilet seat cover!

Chopstick Demonstration

Dinner Out with the Krueger Kids

Guangzhou

Susan had her first plane flight today.  We left Zhengzhou (maybe that was her first time ever leaving that city) and we flew to Guangzhou.  It’s much farther south so the weather is warmer.  We’re looking forward to not having to bundle everyone up for the next several days. 

Susan was fine on the flight.  She slept almost the whole time.  That’s about all she’s done today – slept or just snugged up against us with her eyes almost closed.  She looks like a kid who’s sick but she doesn’t have a fever – just a little bit of a cold.  We’re thinking that this is just part of her grieving.  We were told that excessive sleeping could be something the kids do.

We were glad to see Thaddeus fine this morning.  At dinner last night he accidentally ate raw fish.  He picked up some fish at the buffet and started eating it.  We didn’t realize that you pick out the fish you want, have them cook it for you, then they bring it to the table.  Oops.  Anyway, he seems fine.

We’re hoping to have a good night’s sleep tonight – even in the new hotel. Last night was so-so.

Orphanage Trip

We’re here in Zhengzhou waiting for our childrens’ passports to be finished.  We applied the other day and they should be ready by tomorrow when we fly to Guangzhou.

This morning we went to see the orphanage where our children came from.  This is where Susan spent the first 10 or 11 months of her life before being placed with her foster family.  We were not able to meet her foster family although they lived very close to the orphanage (we’ve seen video of her using the orphanage playground).  We chose not to bring Susan on this trip in case we were able to meet her foster family.  We didn’t want to cause any additional trauma to her so she and Todd had some nice quiet time back at the hotel.

She’s slept a lot today.  Probably recovering from last night.  It was a better night overall than the one before (less desperate wailing) but she was still up quite a bit crying.

I’m so glad we got to go to the orphanage today.  It was a nice facility with lots of nannies looking after the kids.  But it was still so sad to think of these kiddos there with no families – picture daycare 24-7.  We got to see the set of rooms where Susan spent her time as an infant.  The nannies there remembered her.  There’s usually a set of nannies for a certain number of children.  They are assigned to a group of rooms, a play area and one or two bedrooms.  The children spend almost all of their time there.  Susan’s area was in a special wing of the orphanage that is sponsored by our adoption agency. These rooms were quite a bit larger and nicer with more nannies it seemed. I’m so thankful that she had that opportunity.

This evening our hotel had live Christmas music in the lobby.  So fun.  Then they did a special dinner.  The boys were laughing when the waiter told them that they could have beer if they were 14 years old. 

This is the look we got most of today

Drive to orphanage - Surrounding area not so nice

Three in a stroller!

One of the bedrooms for Susan's 1st year

Other bedroom

Play Area for Baby Susan

Lots of Laundry! Just drying across the hall

Entrance to Orphanage

Christmas Music at Hotel

Tired Susan at Dinner

Who wouldn't be freaked out with these crazy brothers