Pages

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

A look back at China

I got a little reminiscent today and wanted to look back at some of our China pictures. While looking at them tonight I decided to do a little post on Mia's days in China. This is just a short little pictorial review but it blows me away at how much she has changed and grown in every way!

China day 1-- GOTCHA evening-- Changsha Hunan- May 21, 2007 - Mia was 6 months old


She bonded with daddy immediately. She loved his goatee!


One of the few bottles Mia actually drank. Come to find out, she was not really given bottles in her foster home and was given table food from day 1.


Day 2:


Smiles!!



Our precious little girl! I never thought she was reserved with us but looking back I realize how much she came out of her shell by the end of the trip pointing to the fact that she was reserved from the beginning.





Day 3:


Funny story. Mia would not take bottles and she was not really eating much. We were sitting at our favorite restaurant at the Dolton Hotel in Changsha Hunan-- Food Street-- and I held up chopsticks to take a bite and she opened her mouth wide. This is her eating Cheerios with chopsticks. From that day on she ate congee and other table foods-- very little formula.



Such a pretty little thing.



Day 4: our visit to Mia's area-- Yueyang County Hunan (northern tip of Hunan)



Long drive-- 2+ hours.




She was always so easily entertained and was always such a joyful little one.



Day 5:






Mia loves her daddy!!




Day 6: our plane ride to Guangzhou-- White Swan


Our bathing beauty



In the airport-- wow did we get some crazy looks!




Day 7:


As the days went by she just warmed up so much!



When an adoptive parent checks into the White Swan they give you a Barbie Doll with a caucasian mom holding a Chinese baby-- this is our rendition of the doll.



All smiles at this point!



Day 8:

Hanging out with daddy while making a phone call home on Skype.



We had Mia's medical exam this day and she passed with flying colors. This is a picture of her taking her passport picture. Everyone just thought she was perfect-- we agreed!!





Mia loved baths-- especially in the sink!



Day 9: Starbucks Baby!!

Mia loved her some good Starbucks!!





Day 10:

Just opening up like crazy!! We were eating at our favorite Thai place on the Island.




Yes, she is doing what you think she is doing-- I have always thought this picture is hilarious!!



Day 11: The Red Couch at the White Swan

Holy cow was she tiny!! Look at how big Kevin's hands are in comparison to her-- wow!!!




My favorite red couch pic-- I loved this face-- she made it all the time in China!




Mommy and Mia


I don't have the pics but the next day we packed up and headed home. The homecoming was amazing and the boys just loved their sister from the first moment they saw her. I will do a post on that sometime soon. It is a lot of fun looking back. I actually do it often. I also find Kevin on the computer looking through our China pics. If you have not received your referral or have not traveled, your China time will be precious. Document it as much as you can. It is just a treat to be able to go back and look at our trip and to watch your child's growth-- DOCUMENT!!!

17 comments:

  1. I sooo remember all of these pictures..
    This is when I first started viewing your blog..
    It is truly AMAZING to see how much she has grown..
    Her beautiful little smile..
    Hugs girly..
    Can't wait for the little piece in the mail..
    THANK YOU..
    You are amazing..
    And I am still looking for that necklace..
    LOVE IT>
    And I will do what you did..put clippies in her hair from the beginning..

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just loved reading this post. Mia has grown so much and is such a beautiful little girl!!!!

    Take Care.

    Linda
    Bruce's Mom

    ReplyDelete
  3. How sweet! Thanks for sharing!

    Mia has grown sooo much! I can't believe she was already eating solids!

    Love the red couch picture! (:

    ReplyDelete
  4. wow...I remember watching these pics and posts so well. It's hard to believe it's almost been 2 years ago!!! Mia has grown SO MUCH!!! She has always been so cute!!! I LOVE the pictures you chose to take a look back! The adventure of just doing the adoption was so much fun. I don't have a desire to adopt again..but I do miss the adventure of the whole process!! That was my new years resolution...to do something adventurous. Who knows what that will be?!!?

    OH...and that Barbie....isn't it hilarious?!?! i thought it was funny that at the bottom of the box it says "this is not a toy". What a funny comment! I guess it means it's a collectors item or something.

    Anyway...thanks for this look back. You guys are an amazing family and it has been SUCH a blessing to get to know you the last couple of years!!! have a great WEdnesday!
    Buffi

    ReplyDelete
  5. OH ..how fun!!! She is so cute and I love that face she made in China..so funny and cute!
    -sandy toe

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a trip down men lane. I remember thise photos oh so well, and the wait you had to go get her. Oh, the time does fly. I try to take so many photos of Maelie...I think I could document at least every other day!!! I want to be able to look back, like you did, and see just how much she's grown and flourished.

    From the words of Frank Sinatra...'Thanks for the Memories!'

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh my -- what sweet photos of your beautiful little girl! She was so tiny, wasn't she! Fun to see how much she's grown!

    Hope you're having a good week!

    Janet

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is a great post - I love looking at the pictures. They are precious. As a waiting Mom it's always nice to see families being united. It's really what helps us get through the wait. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for sharing these with us again. That is when I started on your blog and it is one of my top reads! I have so loved watching Mia grow. She is just too adorable. There are days I wish I could just give her a big hug!

    ReplyDelete
  10. oh my gosh Christy....she was so tiny....and so CUTE!! I had no idea she was only 6 months old at referral!!
    It looks like you had a wonderful experience while in China....I might be coming to you for tips as we get closer to referral!!

    I cannot wait to go and I will be taking pictures GALORE.....I can only imagine the posts.....you all will probably have bleeding eyes:)

    Enjoy your week....and thanks for taking us for a walk down memory lane!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I can't believe how tiny Mia looks in those pictures! It's amazing how fast our girls are growing....sniff sniff.

    Tanya

    ReplyDelete
  12. It is amazing what you don't see in the middle of the trip that the photos make much more clear. There were some pretty sad pics of G on the look back too. Mia at least smiled a lot though!

    ReplyDelete
  13. What's up, yes this paragraph is actually fastidious and I have learned lot of things from it regarding blogging. thanks.

    My site - Used Bucket Truck

    ReplyDelete
  14. Itѕ likе уou read my mіnԁ!

    You appear to know a lot about this, like you ωrote the book in it οr something.
    I thinκ that you сould do with
    ѕome ρics tо driѵe the messagе
    hοme a bit, but insteаԁ of that,
    this is excellent blog. A gгeat rеаd. I will ԁеfinіtely be back.


    Also νisit my webρage: benefits of using tens units during pregnancy

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am in fаct thankful to the holԁer of this ѕite who hаs shared
    thiѕ great post at heгe.

    Alѕο visit my weblog - Www.Streetsmarttaxi.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Everything is veгу οpen with a reаlly clear clarifіcаtion
    of the challеngеs. It wаs tгuly informative.
    Υour websіte іs very helpful. Many thаnks foг sharіng!



    Revіew mу weblog: internet marketing dallas tx

    ReplyDelete