Watch Out!

When I look back and see some of his first pictures , it's amazing to me how much Max struggled to be on his tummy, lift his head, and have that coordination. He hated it. It makes the video below even more amazing!! Max has been practicing walking with me for quite some time, but was always hesitant to try it with the help of anything else but Momma. Until two nights ago.

What you don't see in the video is how excited HE was about his accomplishment - the smiles, the giggles, the joy all came "off camera", but were definitely there!! It was such a great moment for him. Way to go, Max

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We also had our first doctors appointment yesterday. We went to the Center for Adoption Medicine where they specialize in working with adopted kids. Overall, the news was all good. Yes, he's delayed in all of the areas one would think (growth and developmental), but he's adapting well to his new environment, is sleeping well, is bonding with me (sniff...), and is basically a happy baby. He is showing great progress, and we'll be back there in 6 weeks to continue keeping track of his growth. He got some shots and had some blood drawn, which wasn't pretty, but it was necessary. We also got that important referral to Children's Hospital so that we can proceed with scheduling his cleft lip/palate appointments.

After that, we went to school, so that he could meet some of the faculty and students. It was so great to see everyone, and our visit was really special. We spent time in one of the Kindergarten rooms, and they got a close look at his lip, and of course had many wonderful things to say. One of my favorite lines was: "Ahh... he smells like... China!" It was so cute to see the kids so excited to welcome him. Now we need to make a plan of how to visit all of the classes. Max will love all of the attention, and won't be shy about showing off his crawling skills.

Cruisin' Around

Today, Max had his first "mountain experience", and of course, the Little Emperor did great! He loved the car ride, enjoyed about 60% of the snow-shoe, and almost fell asleep in the car on the way down. It is now almost 8:00PM, and he's been sleeping since 5:00. My night is doomed! :)

It was a beautiful, sunny day (also something that Max isn't used to in China), so my friend Kristin and I headed up to Cabin Creek, off of I-90. We putzed around on some cross county trails, and both agreed that our actual snow-shoe walk should at least be longer than our car ride up there. Max enjoyed the way down, tried to fall asleep at our lunch spot, and was snoozing on the way down. I think he had fun... I think. :)




Here are some more pictures of Max.



And here's a video of him crawling. It won't be long now for him to be REALLY crawling. Then everything will change again! :)

Home

It's been several days since my last "confession" :). Carolyn left on Saturday morning. At that point, we were exhausted, both from the plane ride, the jetlag, and the overall excitement of the last few weeks, so saying goodbye was very difficult indeed. But Max and I spent our first day alone taking walks, having a first play-date with Mason and Ray, and continuing to catch up on sleep.
It's been so fun to introduce him to the neighborhood. I've lived here since 2000, so people know me as the owner of Nona, the cute black dog with the snaggle tooth! Well, now I'm the mom of Max, who by the way, can give Nona a run for her money with his own snaggle tooth. For now, his cleft lip is making his front teeth grow mighty crooked.

This morning as we stopped by our favorite coffee shop. I had Max in the sling and wrapped up in my big down coat, and Nona on the leash. We've been going to the same coffee shop for quite some time, and I am certain that they don't know my name, but they sure know Nona's. And wouldn't you know it: I have my new son strapped to my body, and the entire conversation was about Nona's snaggle tooth! I'm glad she's still receiving the attention she deserves. :)

Max is definitely an extrovert. He brightens up when people come visit and when he can be with others. He's made many friends already, and it just warms my heart how much love surrounds this little man!!

I'm so lucky!!

:)

Thank you, Jessi and Max - from Car

Hi everyone. It’s Car. About 6 days ago, I asked Jessi if I could write the last entry of the blog. Those of you who know me will be not surprised that I have written most of this already in my head --- while in vans and hotel rooms, seeing the sights and waiting in airports, walking quietly with Max and in a crowd of thousands, laughing and talking and crying, as I sit alone and in a big group. To be honest, I have had 3 breakdowns already today knowing that my part of this journey is coming to a close. To think that I can get through this without tears is crazy.

Jessi is my best friend. We’ve known each other for 24 years and I feel incredibly lucky and special to have shared these years and especially this amazing and beautiful experience with her. Blessed. I feel blessed.

I am a mom of 4 and I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t know that I would be a mom. David and I have created a family whom I cherish and love with all that I am.

To love is completely is selfless. And parenting is selfless. Adopting a child is beyond selfless. Aside from the official part of the process, the compassion and interest and unconditional acceptance of a child who comes to you with a history that you will never know completely, and to embrace it and all that follows is selfless.

I told Jessi today that her ease at being with Max from the 1st moment did not surprise me. I know she would be a wonderful, patient, gentle, and loving mother. She is that and so much more. Max is meant for Jessi and Jessi is meant for Max. He belongs to her, and she to him.

These last few weeks have been some of the most intense, emotional, joyful and wonderful of my life. Thank you all for being such an important part of Max’s beginning …

And, Jess, thank you for choosing me to join you in this. The absolute wonder in your eyes each time you look at Max makes me smile with all my heart.

And, as you said to me last week, “Car, I don’t have to give him back.”

No, you don’t. He’s yours to keep.

We're Home!

What a journey!

I am currently writing to you from the floor of Max's playroom, with Max happily engaged in the Rollercoaster game and checking out his new digs on his tummy. It's been amazing to see him more comfortable scooting around on the floor. Soon he will be crawling full on, and he's also not far from walking. Oy!

As you know, we started out on Thursday morning in Beijing. After saying a bittersweet goodbye to our friends Dawn, Kevin and Quinn, we took the shuttle to the airport. Did I mention how amazing Beijing's airport is? Huge, clean, unbelieveable! Our flight to San Francisco was so smooth. It helps when you meet the flight attendants on the train over to the terminal. They take care of you even better then! And of course, Max's cuteness factor helped as well. The flight wasn't too crowded. Max had his own seat, so that helped him (and us) get some space to sleep, eat, etc. He slept for a few hours and was easily entertained the rest of the time. He did great.

Once we landed in San Francisco, we only had 60 minutes to get to our next flight, and we still needed to go through immigration and customs. That was a bit stressful, but again, we made it just fine. It's been interesting to compare the American and Chinese security checks. In China, they basically went through all of our carry-ons, took stuff out, scanned it, re-processed it. When they found a questionable item, they tagged it and identified it on the computer screen, then linked it to our ticket. They found things I thought I had lost, like my nail clippers! All is done in a very efficient, courteous, almost militaristic manner. In America, it truly seems more like they're herding cattle. What are you supposed to hide in your shoes anyway? Moo! :)

When we landed in Seattle, we had a welcoming committee with a banner and everything!! It was such an amazing feeling - we are SO glad to be home. Laurie, Heidi, Griffin, Jemae and Kristin - thank you for making our re-entry so special.

And so one part ends, and another begins. It is now 2:20 AM on Friday, and Max is back to sleep. Carolyn is staying until Saturday morning. That will be a difficult good-bye, as Max will miss his Lala, and I will miss my backbone. We will enjoy today, though, and make the most of it.

Back in Beijing

It's been a long day! Max woke up at 5:00, and Mama started the bad habit of having him sleep in her bed. But it bought me two precious hours. Both Car and I have been feeling a little under the weather - we're both fighting a cold - so the extra sleep was great. Then, packing up everything to be ready to depart was truly an accomplishment. As usual, Car was amazing that way and deserves more than a medal. A podium in Max's room perhaps, where we will leave fresh flowers and gifts on a daily basis to only make a dent in thanking her for all she has done for us this trip :). It's days like today that I am convinced I could NEVER have done this by myself.

We left Gaungzhou and drove to the American Embassy where little Max Qian Christiansen became a U.S. citizen. We were sworn in by an American Consulat and got his IR 3 visa, which means that as soon as he steps foot out of that plane, he's an American. He currently has a travel visa, and his passport will arrive in the mail.

I got a little mushy during the oath. It's been such a long road, and I was so glad to have Max with me, that even when I write this I get all teary eyed. Now, granted, I cry at Hallmark commercials, but I am so thankful to finally have the little Cutie Patootie (as Judith calls him), that it still overwhelms me at times.

This is a picture we took just before we went through security in Guangzhou. I just want to say how wonderful all of our guided have been throughout this trip. Charlotte, Michael and Cordelia really went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed, and were so sweet! Here's an example: Max has been on Chinese Nestle formula, but we couldn't find it in Guangzhou. So Cordelia called Charlotte in Beijing and she went out and got it for us. Way beyond the call of duty! I look forward to staying in touch with them, and having them enjoy watching Max grow up. They contributed so much to this process. I truly thank them from the bottom of my heart.

We got to Beijing really late - it's past midnight here. The three-hour flight was fine, Max did great. He didn't sleep, but enjoyed being entertained by his Mama and his Lala. Now he's sleeping in his crib, and we are re-packing some bags we left with Charlotte in Beijing. Not such a stringent weight limit on our bags - phew!!

So tomorrow, we will leave here around 10:30. We can't wait to see everyone, and be back home. Only one more sleep, and then Max get so start his new life in Seattle!

Lots of Pictures Today

Another busy day in Guangzhou - our last full one. The Little Emperor decided to wake at 6:30, and thank Buddha that LaLa and Mama had found a Starbucks by now, so off we went. After that, it was time for breakfast where we met up with Mike and his daughter, Lee Chin, Dawn, Kevin and their daughter, Quinn. It's been amazing to watch how Lee Chin is slowly coming out of her shell. She was interacting with her Dad, grabbing things, and basically being a typical one year old. Very heartwarming for all.

Because Mike and her were leaving today, we decided to take some photos of the children on the Red Couch. There are actually several of them at the White Swan and it is customary for all adoptive families to take pictures of their children on the Red Couch. It was amazing to see the size of some of these groups who are traveling together. The biggest one we heard of has 12 families - that's a lot of people! Our good-bye with Mike included many promises to stay in touch, especially for the sake of Lee Chin and Max, who will hopefully one day understand and value the fact that they come from the same orphanage. We will surely see Mike, Lee Chin and the rest of their family very soon.

After that, we had to stay in our hotel room so that Cordelia could reach us as she was trying to resolve some last minute things at the embassy. An hour in a small hotel room is basically torture for Max, and it took all we had to entertain him. :)

After that, it was free time, and Car and I putzed around the area, shopping and getting foot massages. Aaaahhh... even Max enjoyed one from Mama!

In the afternoon it was more pictures on the Red COuch, this time in his special outfit. He is a little emperor after all. Based on the outfits of all the other adopted kids, people really gussied up for this event!! :)

Now it is time for us to pack our suitcases one more time as we end our time in Guangzhou. Tomorrow we will have a swearing in ceremony at the Embassy, collect our visas, and head off to the airport where we'll fly to Beijing.

We really enjoyed our time here, but we are also really looking forward to coming home.

Blessed in the Buddhist Temple

We had some official business to do this morning. I spent about one hour filling out some paperwork. I was told by our guide to come without Max, so Carolyn and Max spent some time together. First I questioned why she didn't want Max, but later I understood - the paperwork was very detail oriented, and for some reason, complicated! It brought up all sorts of anxieties for me in regards to having to have the right form, checking the right box, etc. At one point, Cordelia turned to Dawn and me and said: "Be serious! Concentrate!" Talk about bringing out my test-taking fears!!

Then we were off to get our visa picture taken. Afterwards, we went to get our medical check-up. Both Car and I were pleasantly surprised at how clean the medical office was. We had to do three stations, and we were done. Max, of course, did brilliantly!! :)

Then it was fun time. We decided to visit a Buddhist Temple, The Temple of the Six Babyan Trees, where we were all lucky enough to get blessed by three Buddhist monks. It took about 5 minutes, was very rhythmical, and involved us getting sprinkled with holy water. It truly was special. Not that I know that much about it, but we were told that the number three is a very special number in Buddhism. We were right below three statues of Buddha, all made of solid copper, weighing 10,000 tons each. One stood for the past, one for the present, one for the future. The pagoda has 9 stories, odd numbers being lucky numbers. This particular pagoda is called the Flower Pagoda, because the various roof lines face upward, much like a flower.

Today also marks the last day of the Chinese New Year, and the beginning of the Lantern Festival, which is comparable to American Valentines Day. The Temple was especially busy today because people wanted to start their New Year off positively. Lots of incense was being burned.

Today was a really busy day. Only three more sleeps and then we're home!! Good night, everyone!!

.

Reunited in Guangzhou

Today we were reunited with Kevin, Dawn and their new daughter Quinn. We met them in Beijing before we all left to go to our province to pick up our children. Qinn is absolutely adorable. We had dinner with them as well as Mike and Lee Chin, his one-year old daughter. We met Mike in Chongqing at the Central Affairs Office. Lee Chin and Max come from the same orphanage, and it's very cute to see them together.

Our morning was spent touring a lovely park with Cordelia. She is very warm and friendly, and we are so lucky to have her here to help us. The park had a lot of interesting vegetation, and the usual Chinese flair - lots of colors, music, noise and people.


Just two tall Caucasian women hangin' out in a park!

:)

After pushing me uphill, Cordelia is now helping me downhill.

Tomorrow it's back to work. We meet with Cordelia to do some paperwork, then have a series of appointments. Good night from Guangzhou!