Hope...At Last! - hopeatlast

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Just to update you on how Hope is doing.  She has made the transition better than we ever expected.  She is a great sleeper (thank God) and has the best personality.  Hope really seems to like everyone, although she has to warm up to you before she will allow you to hold her.  Even though she has grown comfortable with Dad, Sister and Brother, she still is a "Momma's Girl" and will ultimately gravitate to her.  She is now spending the day with Nana and doing very well.  Physically, she has been very healthy, but she is still a little thing.  At her last Dr. visit, she isn't even on the growth chart yet (American).  She's just little.  We're working to fatten her up though.  She's not walking yet, but loves to get in her walker and chase the dogs around the house.  She's learned to say DaDa and Mama along with a few other words including some Chinese words, which we discovered when a Chinese friend of ours was visiting.  We just thought she was babbling, but it turns out she was actually saying some things in Chinese.  She's also learned to growl from Daddy. 

The time has finally come to travel home and man are we ready - ready to get back to our families, our homes and ready for you all to experience Hope!  It has been an experience, some of it bad, some of it good and some of it amazing (the Hope part).  I can only imagine where little Hope might have ended up if it had not been for my brother (Buck) and my wonderful sister-in-law (Stacy - you should see the love between Stacy and Hope already).  They are truly awesome people and deserve all the prayers and rewards that may come their way.  They are taking a little amazing girl and giving her a tremendous home and a family (immediate and extended) that will love her forever.  What a lucky little girl!!!!!  Buck/Stacy - I have always looked up to you guys - your faith never ceases to amaze me - thanks for keeping that faith and Hope alive and fighting to get your daughter from China!!!!!!  I love you guys and am proud to call you my family!!!!!!!! 

Finished up the paperwork at the consulate and took part in the oath ceremony yesterday, all good so far.  Mostly just hung out today - did a little shopping.  Ran into one of Hopes uncles while shopping (notice in the pictures) - the biggest china man we've seen so far!  Visa will be ready Thursday afternoon and we will head home Friday morning - we are ready.  Hope is a beautiful baby - great personality - and keeps getting better.  It will take her some time to get to know each of you when she gets home - just be patient and let her get to know her family first, then you will see the real Hope.   

Pretty uneventful day, did not accomplish anything at the Consulate, we have to go tomorrow to try and finalize the visa for Hope, Chinese holiday on Wednesday is affecting them.  Pretty much just hung out at the hotel, shopped a little, ate and watched Hope in amazement.  She is a very funny little girl.  Please pray that everything goes smoothly at the consulate, we are ready to finish everything and come home!

Pretty laid back day - no business - just hang out with Hope and look around town a bit.  Went to the local market/mall, alot going on for a Sunday - people everywhere as usual.  Lunch at Pizza Hut today - similar to Pizza Hut in America - not exact though (good enough I guess).  Hope is very much a normal kid now - very use to being around us - loves Stacy!  Hotel buffet for supper tonight - lots of strange/different things to eat from squid to crocodile soup to ox tail to many different types of sea creatures.  Just one time maybe we can go one whole day of meals without Stacy having to spit some kind of food she doesn't like into a napkin at the table.  Also, two days at this hotel - two times Stacy locked out of her room - forgets her key everytime we go somewhere, it seems like.  They know the call now "Mrs. Irwin in 1108 needs her door opened for her".  Things are going well, but time to come home.  You are all going to love Hope! 

Sorry for the delay, day 5 travel - took me a while to get settled in and get internet up and working right.  Good to leave Nanchang - the airport was rough - Hope was a good traveler though.  She slept almost the entire flight - Stacy nodded some too - I on the other hand just sat cramped up and sweated.  The lady in front of me seemed to think I was as short as the rest of the locals on the plane - she wore my legs out with her seat back.  Once in Guangzho - a loooonnng ride to the hotel thru the crowded city - so many people in one spot.  Hotel (The White Swan) sits on a small island - very scenic - much better than the past few days.  Got checked in and went to eat at Lucy's - serves good American food!!!!!!   We ate good!  Good night sleep on a hard bed - all the beds are extremely hard here. Day 6 -  Up early for a Skype date with Hope's daddy and grandparents - she slept great again!  Then off to the doctor for physical and check up - everything was good - healthy!  She was a good baby at the doctor - didn't complain one time.  She is a beautiful little girl with a great sense of humor - she is really getting use to Stacy, it couldn't be any better! 

All is smooth after a nice long nights sleep (I can't believe how well she sleeps, doesn't move all night - its awesome).  Woke up, Hope in a great mood, bonding really well with Stacy.  Stacy and I have decided we are kind stuck in the same day (like the movie GroundHog Day) - Same hotel room, same restaurant, same people.  We decided to set out on an adventure to McDonalds - Hope first trip there.  She loved the ice cream.  Then to the super market for some Hope supplies.  You should see some of the stuff (I won't call it food) they sell here at the local super market in the meat department.  Check out some of the pics from this date.  Tomorrow we are headed to Guangzho to finish all of the adoption processing - we hear the the city there is much nicer, we sure hope so.  All is good here. 

No business today, just Hope time.  She slept all night again and woke up in a good mood, she is getting very used to her new Mommie.  She eats very good - food works well as a bribe with her.  After breakfast and a skype date with her daddy, big sister and grandparents - we set out for the only site seeing adventure in Nanchang.  We went to the "Teng Wang Pavillon", we were told it was over 1000 years old, very impressive - pics have been downloaded.  Hope is a good sight-seer!  After that we have a good lunch at a local Chinese restaurant with Emma (our translator), very good food at a great price.  Their food presentation here is not exactly like ours though, imagine a menu with pictures - pictures of entire chickens cooked with the feet, heads, beeks all still in place.  Not very apetizing.  By the way, we didn't order any of that.  I am now skilled in the are of chopstick use!  Then back to the Hotel - we did survive the taxi ride, but barely!  The traffic is unreal, 8 cars always competing for 3 or 4 lanes - a lot of horns and holding on!  All is well here but we are sure ready to come home!  Keep us in your prayers! 

The first day was kind of rough - a lot of crying (some by Hope).  After a busy day of running from office to office doing paper work - Hope slept all night - didn't make a sound!  Tuesday - today - we have nothing scheduled so will just hang around and get to know Hope.  After an afternoon trip to Wal-Mart, we realize just how crazy this place is, and lot of famous quotes and movie lines came to mind ("I'm proud to be an American" and "There's no place like home") are two that really come to mind.  Every trip outside of the hotel is an experience, not necessarily a good one!  People seem to wanna share your space with you!

 

All is good though, Hope is a true blessing!

We picked Hope up around 11am.  She was very cranky and upset(which is to be expected) but after a bath and some mom time with Stacy seems to be settling in a bit at 1:30pm.  Unfortunately we leave again at 2pm for more paperwork and more running around this crazy busy town! 

 

I just have one question - how many of you use the horn on your car?  Probably most have not been used more than just a few times as long as the vehicle has been owned by you.  I gotta add that I am sitting on the 25th floor at the hotel by the window and all I can hear from below is the rumble of traffic and horns honking continuously!  These people need to slow down a bit!  It's a completely different world here for sure!

OKC TO DALLAS TO SEATTLE - NOW IN BEJING (16 HOURS LATER - 6PM ON SUNDAY) WAITING ON FLIGHT TO NANCHANG.  ONCE THERE WE WILL STAY THE NIGHT AND MEET AND TAKE OVER THE CARE OF HOPE AT 11AM TOMORROW (MONDAY).  INTERESTING TRIP SO FAR!

Today we received our travel approval from China so we'll be traveling, we will be leaving on September 8. 

Well, after a very long wait, we received our referral and we have now submitted all of our acceptance documentation and request to travel.  Now, we wait again.....hopefully not for too long though.