Our Daughter From China

This Blog shares our journey to bring home our daughter from China. It tells something of her story and of our story with her.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Our Cakes Have Arrived at the Orphanage!

Blessed Kids
More Good News:
Adele from the Blessed Kids organization has emailed to say that our two cakes from our Barker travel group arrived at the Fuling SWI yesterday, the 25th.


Care Package Delivered!

After mammoth delays and our calls to FedEx twice a day over the whole of this week, our care package to our daughter has now been delivered! Hurray! This is the first physical contact she will have had from us.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Our Daughter's SWI (Social Welfare Institute)

It is often impossible to see the orphanage in China where your precious daughter spent the first months of her life. Thus, Catherine and I are fortunate that our daughter-to-be is in a place where American parents have been able to visit and even to take photos and video. She is in the Chongqing Fuling Social Welfare Institute. Maybe we'll be able to visit there too and take pictures when we travel to China in the coming weeks. Meanwhile here are a few pictures of the Institute. Click any picture to enlarge:



Here (above) is the front of the institute as it appears after you go down a side street and take a left through the entrance gate.



As you come up to the building, you see a very clean vestibule area, with pictures of the staff and nannies on the wall as well as a chalk board with current information in Chinese.



Here is an upper story of the Institute. To me, it looks very well kept up. The sign to the right of the door reads, "Love Has No Borders."



And, finally, here is a photo of actual babies moving around and playing inside the Institute!

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Photos of Referral Day

Finally had some time this afternoon (Sunday) to download our photos from the day we finally got our referral at the Barker Agency. Here Catherine and I are holding our daughter's photo for the first time! It is Thursday, January 4, 2007 at about 4:30pm:


Our new friends, Janelle and Edmund, who are one our two travel-companion couples on the upcoming China trip, received their referral right at the same time that we did. Here is our group photo, showing, from left to right, Emily (Barker Staff), Janelle, Edmund, Catherine, Steve, and Tina (Barker Staff) (click to enlarge):


"No Borders"



Catherine and I spent most of yesterday shopping in preparation for baby! We registered at Babies-R-Us and purchased a huge SuperYard XT Indoor Play Area + Extension Kit there. Should be fun to assemble! We also went to Carters and bought some lovely cotten outfits for our daughter and then bought some leggings at the Old Navy store nearby. The old folks in China act as "baby police," and scold you if your baby's legs aren't kept covered from the cold!