Water Day

Amy and Ty looking over a pond bridge at Local Zhengzhou Park

Ty pointing out fish at Zhengzhou Ocean Aquarium

Yo - I know I'm cute in pictures, but wait till you meet me in person!

Ty having fun at bath time

Hey Girls - Check out my sexy "wet" look

Troy: Hey everyone! We are doing fine in Zhengzhou. We have been with Ty a full five days now. He is really bonding with us. He does something silly and looks at us for our approval. We have gotten more and more laughs, hugs, smiles and giggles out this amazing little boy. I still have to pinch myself everyday to be reminded that he's our forever son. What an amazing gift of God! Thank you, Jesus! I know I am biased, but this boy is beyond cute. Girls beware! Just wait till you meet him in person, he'll blow you away with those cute smiles and amazing kissable cheeks.

Today was Water Day! We went to the beautiful Zhengzhou Ocean Aquarium in the north part of the city. Ty had a great time being at eye level with all the wonderful fish and turtles and even sharks! He would put out his little finger and go "ooh, ooh". We finish off the experience with some chocolate ice cream in the aquarium restaurant. After that we took a Zhengzhou Taxi Ride back to the hotel. They drive crazy over here! We all held on and prayed for God's deliverance as the bicycles and scooters are cutting across our path. So, after the aquarium, Ty took at nap and then we went swimming in the hotel pool. We've found that Ty absolutely loves the water. He keeps splashing around in the pool and smiling. After swimming, we went to dinner with the other families and came back for Ty's daily bath. He loves bath time as you can see from the above photos. Tommorrow is our last day in Zhengzhou. We are visiting the Shaolin Temple, northwest of the the city. It has beautiful sites and a great kung-fu show. Tommorrow afteroon, we pack up to take a 1.5-2.0 hour flight south to Guangzhou and get Ty's Immigration Papers ready at the American Consulate General. We'll keep you posted! Bye!

Henan Museum and Orphanage Tour

Henan Museum

Ty's nanny at ZZ SWI

All the fun at Swallow's Nest.

Sorry for the lack of pictures. It has not been the best day for us in downloading pictures to Blogger. Not sure if it is us, or the blogger issues. We have tried 5 times, including a slide show, so this is all you get.

It has been an emotional and grateful days. We visited Ty's orphanage in ZZ on Wednesday and Swallow's Nest, his foster home today. We have been able to piece more of Ty's history together and our heart breaks for this little guy. He has had more transitions in his 16 months then we would ever hope for. The good thing is, this little man goes with the flow which is a great survival technique. Ty spent the first 2 months of his life at Zhengzhou Social Welfare Institute (ZZ SWI), then was transferred to an orphanage in Kaifeng since he was being sponsored by Love Without Boundaries (they like to keep the kids they sponsor together) for his cleft lip surgery where he spent a year, then was transferred back to ZZ SWI for a month before Pam got him at Swallow's Nest in July. Then he was placed in our arms on September 16th, 2008. The madness stops. Please don't be offended if we do not let you hold Ty or babysit him for a while. Ty needs to know WE are his parents and WE will NEVER leave him. Ty needs stability in his life and our time here in China is not stable. In a couple of days, we get on an airplane ride and go to Guangzhou where we will be in another hotel with new people, new smells, new food.

While we were hesitant to take Ty back to his orphanage and foster home, we have seen incredible changes in him just tonight. Visiting these places I think made him realize that we are his parents and he is not going back. We have stayed in the hotel for the most part of the afternoon/evening with the exception for a walk in a nearby park after his nap. Ty played and played with his diapers, empty coke bottles, a flashlight, the remote control...seeking our help in figuring out how they worked and making simple games out of objects. He laughed, smiled, cooed and was talking away while pointing at objects in the newspaper. He is truly coming out of his shell. His body is becoming stronger by pulling himself up on objects throughout our room, crawling across the room (he would always stay in one place before), and walking with assistance. Before, he would take about 4 steps while I would hold his hand and then sit down. Tonight, he walked from our bed to his crib which was probably 20 steps for him! It is amazing to see the progress each day! He amazes us. Troy calls him a "soldier".

Registration Day

Ty enjoying his Kix and Cheerios while playing.

Ty's pants and diaper falling off as he pulls himself up.

And he made it!

Troy and Ty reading bedtime stories.

Panda is in the crib...

And Panda falls out.

Ty slowly waking up this morning with his book.

Amy and Ty at Henan Center for Adoption Affairs.

It is official. Ty is ours.

Ty enjoying the baby pool at the hotel.

Troy and Ty drying off.

Amy: It was another eventful day with Ty waking up around 6:30. He was still groggy and laid in bed with me for another hour for cuddle time. We then went for breakfast at the hotel and he enjoyed his congee, yogurt, noodles and steamed bread. The boy likes his carbohydrates. We are still keeping him on similar foods during this time as he continues to have so many changes in his life. After breakfast was the walk to the registration office. It was here that Ty legally became ours in a very informal ceremony. Then we hit the baby pool. Ty LOVED the water with his stacking cups which has become his favorite toy we bought. They would sink to the bottom and he stuck his head in the water to retrieve! We were shocked. It was also during the pool time that he wanted to walk. We still had on a regular diaper which of course was heavy as could be, but we were grateful for it since it added extra weight he needed to drag. Ty has low muscle tone and can pull himself up, but is still very unstable. He enjoyed himself walking in the pool to gather his toys. After this, the boy had a 2 hour nap and lunch of rice cereal and yogurt. At 3:00, our travel group took a bus to the Lotus Center. It is a 3 story Super Walmart type with conveyor belts that take you up each level. Your shopping cart is magnetized which keeps it in place while you go up and down. It was an interesting experience as we roamed the isles and picked up a few stacks and more diapers for Ty. Then we came back to the room for some more playtime before dinner. We were tired and didn't want to leave the hotel. This became a good thing since Ty had a major blowout at dinner and had poop all over his clothes, shoes and high chair. Troy picked him up and got poop all over himself. We attempted to wash him up in the restroom, but it was occupied, so we rushed to the room and put him in the tub. The hotel later came to our room to present us with our bill. We thought we handled the situation pretty good considering all things. Once again, we were grateful we were close and not someplace else. The theme of the day with our travel companions is "blowout day", so Ty was right in line. Tomorrow, Ty is getting diluted orange juice instead of apple juice. Ty continues to blossom and grow in his comfort with us each day. We have gotten more smiles and lots of giggles we captured on video which we will upload probably tomorrow. Ty is also exploring more of our hotel room and pulling himself up on furniture. As always, he is a blessing. We have discovered he prefers his left hand and can use his right (like his mom), gets frustrated when he cannot do/get something (like his mom), is patient and easy going in new situations(like his dad) and likes his books (like his dad).

Forever Family "Gotcha" Day 2008

Amy, Ty & Troy with Orphanage Director (Left) and Nanny (Right)

Amy and Ty waiting for Adoption Photos for Visa & Passport

Troy & Ty after Adoption Photos

Ty playing on Mommy & Daddy's Bed

Amy & Yisha taking Ty's Footprints for Paperwork

Ty taking his afternoon nap on Mommy & Daddy's Bed

Troy and Ty sitting on floor together before Bedtime

Amy and Ty reading together before Bedtime

Troy: What a great day in our lives! Ty arrives! After having a great breakfast and lots of coffee downstairs, Amy and I got ready and went down to wait for the babies to arrive in Mama Mia's Restaurant. When we arrived, Ty and his orphanage director and nanny were already there with him. We all got emotional as Ty was handed over to us for the first time with camera's popping all around. Ty has been absolutely amazing. No crying or whining so far. Just laid back and even keel. He has an absolutely sweet disposition. Everyone was marveling at how easy going he was today. Amy and I had a lot of fun today kissing is cheeks, playing, laughing and giving him a bath for the first time. It's a day, we won't soon forget!

Amy: All of this is very surreal. We are blessed beyond belief. Ty was the only child who did not cry when placed in their families arms. You could tell he was somewhat guarded, but took all of the commotion in. As Troy was filling out the paperwork, he started to smile as he was putting his jelly candy that he came with in his hands between the handle of the photo album we sent him in our care package. It was a little game like basketball. He has been absolutely amazing today with smiles, laughter, eating and drinking well and even having a bath. We were told he does not like his bath and he made a little noise when placed in the water, but I got in with him and it was no big deal after that. We played some more after his bath, read some books, had some milk in his sippy cup and laid him in his crib and that was the end of his day. No fussing, no crying, just easy peasy! I praise God for the people at Swallow's Nest because they prepared him well for us. It was like he already knew who we were today.

We're Up!

Troy: Amy and I just got up from sleep. We could only make it till 5AM and that was pushing it. We have been laying in bed since 4AM despite waking up at 12AM, 2AM & 4AM to talk. It's a big day for us! So, the countdown continues. 4 hours, 40 minutes to go! We're ready!

We're in Zhengzhou!

Troy: We are now in Zhengzhou (pronounced Jeng-Joe) safety. We flew on China Southern Airlines from Beijing to Zhengzhou at noon time and arrived at our hotel around 3PM China Time. We just had a great dinner out at a local cafe. We are now preparing the room for Ty tomorrow. We have a baby crib full of toys and paperwork and gifts for the officials. So, we are now 15 hours away from getting our little munchkin boy. We are here with 4 other families from around the US receiving children and will be helping each other out as the children transition. We will receive Ty tomorrow morning at 9:30A China Time or 8:30P Central US Time. They are bringing him to the hotel and we'll be giving him to us in the Mama Mia Restaurant. We will go to our hotel room and starting bonding with our son. Please, keep us in your thoughts and prayers about a great transition tomorrow with him. We will update you about how it all went. Blessings!

Amy: It has been another busy day transitioning to Zhengzhou. We landed safely after lots of prayers due to a turbulent flight and fast landing. The pilot seemed to take the plane down quicker then I was comfortable with. The scenery is definitely different in ZZ compared to Beijing. It is hotter, you can see the smog in the air and it looks a little bare compared to the lush Beijing. The Henan Province is said to be the poorest in China and it is obvious. Our hotel is lovely though and our dinner tonight was incredible.

While driving from the airport to the hotel in our bus, I realized God had given me a vision in a dream about six months ago before we even got Ty's referral. In my dream, I was in a bus on a highway and laughed at the signs as we passed by. There was a sign that said "No Drunk Driving" and another one that said not to liter and had people throwing trash out the window of a car. I remember waking up from my dream because the signs were not something we have in the US and the landscape was different from Illinois with fruit like trees lining the highway. As we were driving, tears started running down my face without me even thinking about it. It was then I realized we were living my dream.

It's A Small World

Amy: Besides Troy being able to watch the Iowa vs. ISU as I am writing this all the way across the world, listen to this incredible story.

Since Troy and I had been up before 4:00 a.m. due to our time difference, we were the first to breakfast at 6:30. Another couple came in soon after and sat with us. We shared the normal introductions of names, where we live, etc. When we said where we lived, the gentleman said his sister lives in the same city. Come to find out, we know his sister who goes to our church! We remember Mia telling us her brother and his wife were adopting, but had no idea they were with CCAI and of course would be traveling with us!

We Made It!

Rickshaw Ride on the Hutong Tour

Tiannamen Square

The Forbidden City

The Great Wall

The Bird's Nest at Beijing Olympic Park with Paralympic Games Flame

Amy: We made it safely to Beijing and are VERY tired. Thank you so much for all your prayers. We have been so blessed beyond belief with easy travel (smooth is a better word ), wonderful travel mates, the opportunity to tour the beautiful Beijing, drink the best coffee we have ever had and lay our tired bodies on a comfortable bed in a lovely room each night. Our schedule has been extremely packed since we landed which is why we haven't posted. A quick list of activities include: Tiannamen Square, Forbidden City, Hutong tour, acrobatics show, tour of a silk, jade and cloisonne factory, climbing the Great Wall and eating authentic meals. We leave tomorrow for Zhengzhou and get Ty on Tuesday. There is so much to write about I could be here for hours. Just know that are grateful for this opportunity and cannot wait to share this experience with Ty as he grows. Enjoy a snapshot of all that we have experienced.

Troy: I just want to say "hi" as well. We had a great plane ride over to Beijing. Definately, 13 hours straight in a plane is alot, but we made it and it is so worth it. China is awesome! Awesome people. Awesome sites. Awesome experiences. The last two days have been breath-taking as we have seen sites that I dreamed of seeing when I was a young boy. Definately, dreams coming true over here. We're ready, Lord willing, to come back again and get a daughter. Thank you for all your support and continued prayers. We will continue to blog as we get a chance to catch our breath. Next up, we get Ty on Tuesday! All our love!

In Babies Booties

This is a long read, but we encourage to preserve and understand what Ty might be experiencing.

Immense Loss; Walk a Mile in Baby’s Booties Imagine for a moment…
You have met the person you've dreamed about all your life. He has every quality that you desire in a spouse. You plan for the wedding, enjoying every free moment with your fiance'. You love his touch, his smell, the way he looks into your eyes. For the first time in your life, you understand what is meant by "soul mate," for this person understands you in a way that no one else does. Your heart beats in rhythm with his. Your emotions are intimately tied to his every joy, his every sorrow.

The wedding comes. It is a happy celebration, but the best part is that you are finally the wife of this wonderful man. You fall asleep that night, exhausted from the day's events, but relaxed and joyful in the knowledge that you are next to the person who loves you more than anyone in the world…the person who will be with you for the rest of your life.

The next morning you wake up, nestled in your partner's arms. You open your eyes and immediately look for his face.

But IT'S NOT HIM! You are in the arms of another man. You recoil in horror. Who is this man? Where is your beloved?

You ask questions of the new man, but it quickly becomes apparent that he doesn't understand you. You search every room in the house, calling and calling for your husband. The new guy follows you around, trying to hug you, pat you on the back,...even trying to stroke your arm, acting like everything is okay.

But you know that nothing is okay. Your beloved is gone. Where is he? Will he return? When? What has happened to him?

Weeks pass. You cry and cry over the loss of your beloved. Sometimes you ache silently, in shock over what has happened. The new guy tries to comfort you. You appreciate his attempts, but he doesn't speak your language-either verbally or emotionally. He doesn't seem to realize the terrible thing that has happened...that your sweetheart is gone.

You find it difficult to sleep. The new guy tries to comfort you at bedtime with soft words and gentle touches, but you avoid him, preferring to sleep alone, away from him and any intimate words or contact.

Months later, you still ache for your beloved, but gradually you are learning to trust this new guy. He's finally learned that you like your coffee black, not doctored up with cream and sugar. Although you still don't understand his bedtime songs, you like the lilt of his voice and take some comfort in it.

More time passes. One morning, you wake up to find a full suitcase sitting next to the front door. You try to ask him about it, but he just takes you by the hand and leads you to the car. You drive and drive and drive. Nothing is familiar. Where are you? Where is he taking you?

You pull up to a large building. He leads you to an elevator and up to a room filled with people. Many are crying. Some are ecstatic with joy. You are confused. And worried.

The man leads you over to the corner. Another man opens his arms and sweeps you up in an embrace. He rubs your back and kisses your cheeks, obviously thrilled to see you.

You are anything but thrilled to see him. Who in the world is he? Where is your beloved? You reach for the man who brought you, but he just smiles (although he seems to be tearing up, which concerns you), pats you on the back, and puts your hand in the hands of the new guy. The new guy picks up your suitcase and leads you to the door. The familiar face starts openly crying, waving and waving as the elevator doors close on you and the new guy.

The new guy drives you to an airport and you follow him, not knowing what else to do. Sometimes you cry, but then the new guy tries to make you smile, so you grin back, wanting to "get along." You board a plane. The flight is long. You sleep a lot, wanting to mentally escape from the situation.

Hours later, the plane touches down. The new guy is very excited and leads you into the airport where dozens of people are there to greet you. Light bulbs flash as your photo is taken again and again. The new guy takes you to another guy who hugs you. Who is this one? You smile at him. Then you are taken to another man who pats your back and kisses your cheek. Then yet another fellow gives you a big hug and messes your hair.

Finally, someone (which guy is this?) pulls you into his arms with the biggest hug you've ever had. He kisses you all over your cheeks and croons to you in some language you've never heard before.

He leads you to a car and drives you to another location. Everything here looks different. The climate is not what you're used to. The smells are strange. Nothing tastes familiar, except for the black coffee. You wonder if someone told him that you like your coffee black.

You find it nearly impossible to sleep. Sometimes you lie in bed for hours, staring into the blackness, furious with your husband for leaving you, yet aching from the loss. The new guy checks on you. He seems concerned and tries to comfort you with soft words and a mug of warm milk. You turn away, pretending to go to asleep.

People come to the house. You can feel the anxiety start to bubble over as you look into the faces of all the new people. You tightly grasp the new guy's hand. He pulls you closer. People smile and nudge one other, marveling at how quickly you've fallen in love. Strangers reach for you, wanting to be a part of the happiness.

Each time a man hugs you, you wonder if he will be the one to take you away. Just in case, you keep your suitcase packed and ready. Although the man at this house is nice and you're hanging on for dear life, you've learned from experience that men come and go, so you just wait in expectation for the next one to come along.

Each morning, the new guy hands you a cup of coffee and looks at you expectantly. A couple of times the pain and anger for your husband is so great that you lash out, sending hot coffee across the room, causing the new guy to yelp in pain. He just looks at you, bewildered. But most of the time you calmly take the cup. You give him a smile. And wait. And wait. And wait.

--Written by Cynthia Hockman-Chupp, analogy courtesy of Dr. Kali Miller

Our To Do List

It is hard to believe we leave for China in less then a week! Our "To Do" List is changing each day as we cross things off and add new ones. So far I have sent our $ to cover our In-China travel expenses this morning, filled out paperwork to add Ty to our insurance and set up an appointment with an international adoption pediatrician in St. Louis in October. I am really looking forward to this Dr. appointment. Dr. Jennifer Ladage is an adopted mom herself to 3 children including a son with cleft lip and palate. It will be wonderful to learn from her since she has been there done that.

We had our travel conference call on Thursday and spoke with Josh who co-founded CCAI with his wife Lilly. This call once again reiterated how wonderful CCAI is and the people who work for them. We are so grateful we chose them as our agency.

BabyTALK in the News!

Yes, the company I work for made national news with the recent announcement of Sarah Palin's pregnant teen daughter. I was the Teen Parent Educator until August when I decided to give up that part of my job to be home with Ty. Deb called me yesterday with the news and wanted to know if I knew a teen mom that would be willing to be interviewed. The young lady I suggested has a similar story to Bristol Palin and agreed to be featured. I received the following email from our PR/Development Director:

Last night, Baby TALK in Decatur, Illinois received a call from the CBS Morning Show production company from New York. Due to the recent announcement of Sarah Palin’s teen daughter, this morning’s show is focusing on teen pregnancy and the resources available to this population. The Morning Show found Baby TALK’s information online, and due to our success in working with teen parents, contacted us as “experts”. We were initially invited to fly to New York to appear in the studio live this morning but, due to the flight schedules, the show decided to conduct the interview via satellite.

At 5:30 AM on Tuesday, September 2nd, we met a production company at Central Christian Church (where our teen program is housed) to set up for a live interview that will air this morning at 8:30 AM Central Time. Baby TALK Program Director Deb Widenhofer was interviewed, along with one of the teen moms we have worked with.

As the nation focuses its attention on teen pregnancy and all the politics surrounding the issue, our mission remains the same: to positively impact child development and nurture healthy parent-child relationships during the early critical years… regardless of age, socio economic status, education, or background.

Our TA Arrived!

I got an email this morning from CCAI saying they received our TA last Friday! I let them know we didn't receive any notification of this. Praise God it is here and we can order our tickets! Looks like we will be gone from 9/11-9/27! Thanks for all the prayers!

Halfway There-Prayers Still Needed

Good news! CCAI was able to get us an appointment with the consulate! They are too fabulous! Now we are waiting on our travel approval. It is normally the other way around, but I guess we are different. (I think that has been the theme throughout this adoption.) We cannot purchase airline tickets until after we get our TA, so this is making me a little nervous. I checked Expedia to see what is out there with the parameters that our agency gave us regarding our itinerary and those tickets are $$$! Try over $2000 each! Please pray that we get our travel approval soon and airline prices will go down!

URGENT! Prayers Needed!

Just when we thought we were seeing light at the end of the tunnel to bring Ty home, our agency called and told us the consulate denied all the dates for appointments they suggested. They are resubmitting the dates with an explanation that we need to be home before the October holidays in China. Our agency remains optimistic, but PLEASE pray we will be grated dates in September. We do not want to wait until October to bring Ty home.

We Are Blessed!

After watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, once again, we are reminded we are blessed to visit China weeks after the Olympics take place. There is so much history and culture we want to expose Ty to so he can know about his birth place. After looking at www.nbcolympics.com, I think we need to purchase the opening ceremonies and Olympic highlights to share with our son. He needs to know the pride his country displayed and all that took place during his Gotcha Year!

One Step Closer

While we are still waiting on our Travel Approval, the CCAI travel department called to check some important information and make sure we have the vital documents to take with us to China. In addition, they gave us a tentative departure date of Sept. 11th! That is in 3 weeks...YIPPPEEE! We cannot make flight reservations until given the say so by them, but at least we have something to go on. We were also told we would be traveling in a group, fly into Beijing and depart from Hong Kong. Time to take another look at that packaging list and start preparing to pack!

Still Waiting

We continue to wait for our TA- Travel Approval. This will give us our traveling dates to China. I saw that some people who have the same LOA (7/31) as us, got their travel approval today. Ours might be delayed a few days since we waited until I was home from SLC to sign and send our LOA in. Hopefully ours will come early next week. Those that got theirs today leave Sept 3rd, in 2 weeks! I hope 2 weeks is all we have too!

We have a BUSY weekend ahead. Troy and I are both doing a sprint triathlon on Saturday. In fact, the last time I worked out was at the tri back in June. I know I will make it. I did this tri last year and it is A LOT easier then the tri in June. After the tri and visiting new moms at the hospital for work, off to Abby's (Troy's cousin who lived with us for 6 months) birthday celebration. Our church is throwing our adoption celebration on Sunday and then we have the Tri-Gators picnic on Sunday to share our stories, socialize and eat.

I bought a couple of outfits and PJ's at Kohl's today. They were between 60-70% off and then I had a 30% off coupon off of the total. Believe it or not, these are the first clothes I have bought for Ty. I even got him a swim suit for next year. Hopefully he likes to swim like his mom and dad!

We Got Our LOA!

Update: Troy has the LOA package!

.... or at least the e-mail saying it is on our way. It is to arrive today by FedEX, but I am in SLC and Troy is working, so I am PRAYING all is well. Troy said he will handle it, so I am trusting him. I can be a control freak and I DO NOT like being thousands of miles away from a major milestone, so this is a good test for me. We also got an update on Ty from the CCAA a couple of days ago. This time it says he is introverted and loves his bath. I find it interesting because our referral information said he is extroverted. Oh well. Sounds like a typical kid to me. We cannot wait to see what he is really like. We also got this picture that was taken on the day we got his referral!

USPS Rocks!

It still amazes me you can send a package half-way across the world and it gets to the right place, most of the time. Ty received our care package and these pictures and video were sent to us by our adoption agency from Swallows Nest. We are so grateful to get all of these updates and see how our little man is growing and changing. We KNOW he was meant for us and we cannot wait to bring him home. Still waiting for our LOA, Letter of Acceptance. Hopefully it will come by Tuesday before I head out to Salt Lake City for the Stampin' Up! convention. I am super excited and it will be a good distraction from our wait.

And More Video!

We got more video on Ty today. Sorry for the darkness. He even says "Dad" in one...or sounds like Dad, but we will take it for what it is. We LOVE our boy!