TEMPLE OF BAO GONG CI

Today was a visit to the Temple of Bao Gong Ci. My husband took LOTS of pictures! He said the girls enjoyed being out of the hotel room! Here are a few pictures from today...

This is Yvonne, their guide in Hefei!

Michael was also able to download some pictures from the hotel room window! This is the city of Hefei, as seen from the Holiday Inn.....

The last picture of the day is of Haley with her baby doll that her new Papa bought her(remember his visit to WalMart with her on Gotcha Day?)!! Haley plays with this doll NON-STOP! He also bought her a doll stroller. She holds the baby...she pushes the baby in the stroller...she puts the baby in the crib, and she tells Carli to "shhhhhhh" when the baby is sleeping!!

MY HUSBAND POSTED THE "GOTCHA DAY" VIDEO BELOW! That's little Madelynn Gehrke with the great set of lungs in the background! It sounds EXACTLY like Lauryn did two years ago when we adopted her! You feel so bad for them, but at the same time HAPPY because they're finally meeting their new family!!! Congratulations, Tracey and David Gehrke!!

VIDEO FROM GOTCHA DAY!

SICK GIRLS...

I talked to my husband about an hour ago. It is Wednesday morning in Hefei. He said Haley's fever had broke and she seemed to be feeling better. She woke her daddy up this morning by tapping on his arm. He opened his eyes and was greeted by one of Haley's signature smiles!!

The Gehrke family also has a sick little girl!! I'm so sorry!! Please keep them in your thoughts as well. http://www.journeytomadelynn.blogspot.com/

I asked Michael if they were going to "skip" the museum tour today, but he said Carli REALLY wanted to go. So, he is going to take the girls! I hope Haley is feeling well enough to handle it.

I will post more pictures sometime late this evening or early tomorrow morning when my husband downloads them! I just wanted to let everyone know that Haley's fever did break and she is feeling better.

Here are a couple more pictures from yesterday (adoption day)....

Haley loves her Pixter!! She has been carrying it EVERYWHERE!! She is also VERY fond of her sunglasses!!

IT's OFFICIAL!!

Today was the signing of the adoption paperwork to make the adoption official! There is a 24-hour guardianship in which you have time to decide whether you want to adopt the child or not. Michael said she's a keeper (ha ha)!!!! So, it is official! Haley belongs to our family!!

Here are a few pictures from today. My husband has not had time to download many pictures. Haley is VERY sick. I am in a major panic here because she is running a fever and she looks HORRIBLE. I gave my husband our guide's cell phone number and told him to call her right away and see about getting Haley some medicine. I packed a BUNCH of medicine for my husband AND the girls, but....they can't find the Children's Tylenol.

So, I'm saying a prayer right now that Haley gets to feeling better. My husband was laying on the bed with her. She wouldn't let him get up to talk to me on the web cam....she didn't want him to leave her side (which I thought was really sweet), but I felt so bad for her.

Please say a prayer that Haley gets to feeling better.

Haley has having a HAYDAY with all of the arts and crafts stuff that I packed for the girls! And, she's living up to her title of the "jewelry queen"!! My husband said when she gets dressed, she wants to put ALL of her jewelry on!

The assistant director of the orphanage was there (in the black dress)! Michael said Haley was so happy to see her! Haley drew her a picture!!

Here's the adoption decree! You can't see the picture too well, but Haley has a big smile on her face (and so does dad)! What a HAPPY day!!

Does he look like a proud "papa" or what?!!

I just talked to Michael again. He called the guide. She is going to bring some medicine to the hotel for Haley. If it doesn't bring her fever down, she will have a doctor come to the hotel. My poor little princess. What in the world could she have come down with so fast?!

CARLI AND HALEY...

Here are a few pictures of the girls..

Haley loved the sticker books that mommy sent along!! Big sister Carli is such a GOOD big sister! Haley is happy to have her there!!

Our two beauties getting ready to take a swim in the pool at the Holiday Inn!

WE'RE STILL ON CLOUD 9

The other family who is traveling with Michael and Lauryn is the Gehrke family. They are with the same adoption agency that we are, and they are adopting their new daughter, Madelynn, from the same orphanage Haley is from. My husband is very fond of the Gehrke's....I've heard a dozen times how great they are!

Anyway, I wanted to check their blog to see if they had posted pictures yet from Gotcha Day and sure enough they had! She also included a brief description of Haley in her blog! She was talking about how emotional this was for Madelynn and how Madelynn was scared and crying (which is perfectly normal!), and then she said....

"On the other hand our friends new daughter, Haley, was ready to be adopted. She came in and went right to him. She had the biggest smile on her face. She is hearing impaired and does not speak. However words were not necessary. The expression on her face said it all. "It is finally my turn and I am ready." She was all dressed up and had her new pair of sunglasses on and her bracelets to match. She is a little princess. You can tell she is very bright. She watches everyone and takes cues from them. I would not be surprised if she reads lips."

Carli carried a backpack along for Haley filled with "little gifts" to keep her occupied while daddy signed paperwork! Haley loved the sunglasses!! And, OF COURSE she loved the necklace and bracelets (my little jewelry queen)!

My husband sent me a video in the middle of the night while I was sleeping. They walked to KFC and had dinner there (hooray, Carli finally ate something)!! Then he took the girls to the hotel swimming pool, but it wasn't very nice, so he took them to a little shop in the hotel and bought them ice cream!


When Haley saw that her daddy was sitting in front of the computer talking to me, she ran to his lap and pointed to the computer and kept saying "mama...mama"!! Needless to say, it has made MY day!!

I just talked to Michael on the web cam! Carli had fallen asleep already....she was sooo tired!! But, Haley was so busy playing with her new toys...there are no signs of her slowing down any time soon!! Michael said she is just so thrilled with her new toys and she doesn't want to put them down! I hope daddy doesn't have a tough time getting her to sleep tonight!!

WE HAVE OUR GIRL!!!

Carli on the way to Civil Affairs office to get Haley!! Anxious to meet her new sister!!

I got the call at 12:05 a.m.!!! WE HAVE OUR GIRL!! I have been on pins and needles here WAITING for that call!! I love the web cam!! I don't even know where to start, other than saying that our little girl is an absolute ANGEL!! She was ALL smiles!! I even got to see her give her daddy some kisses!! I am sooo jealous!!

Michael said she is SUCH a good little girl, and soooo happy!!

The reason he was so late in calling......he had to take his new daughter to WalMart and buy her some presents!! She got a new baby doll, a stroller and a stuffed animal! She was so proud to show them to me!

For those of you who have followed my blog for a while....Haley did not come to my husband in her infamous pink outfit!! She was dressed in a VERY PRETTY red and white dress with matching shoes and red ribbons in her hair! Just beautiful!

And now if you're ready for a laugh....

My husband said he had to put down a middle name, and he couldn't REMEMBER what we had decided! He said "Erin, you've changed your mind so many times, I couldn't remember"!! OMG!! So, our daughter's name is "officially" Haley Kasey DeNicolo!!! Oh mercy!!

CLOUD 9 IS TAKEN!! Seeing my new daughter "in motion" rather than in pictures.....it's something that I can't even describe! She is...an angel!! And....she LOVES her new daddy!! She is also very happy to have her "big sister" there!

So, for all of you who have anxiously been awaiting my post......WE HAVE OUR LITTLE GIRL!!!

COUNTING DOWN THE HOURS..

Okay, I'll admit I've looked at the clock about EVERY HOUR today! We are ONE HOUR away from my husband and Carli meeting our little princess Haley for the first time! I am nervous and excited at the same time! Excited that this is actually happening (finally)! And nervous about how she will react. Please remember that Haley is deaf. So, I am not sure how much they have really been able to prepare her for today!

I don't know when they will get back to the Hotel with Haley, but they are going to call me right away! If it's really late, I don't know that I will have time to wait on my husband to download pictures and then post them on our blog. But, I will do this ASAP (I promise)! If not pictures, hopefully a short video! We've been figuring out different things on the TokBox program (it's like Skype). It is a great program! It has been very nice to see my little Carli girl on the web cam.....and dad too!!!!

So, my thoughts right now are on Carli FINDING SOMETHING TO EAT FOR BREAKFAST.....and Haley not being too upset when she figures out that she will be leaving the Civil Affairs office with her new daddy and sister! Keep us in your thoughts! I will post pictures or a video as soon as I can!!

Less than an hour to go!! Can I get a WOOO HOOO?!!!!

THEY ARE IN HEFEI :)

UPDATE: I just talked to Michael and Carli via the webcam. They went to dinner with the Gehrke family, but Michael excused himself from dinner and took Carli back to the room to order from Room Service. He said she hasn't eaten since breakfast and she would not even TRY the food in the noodle shop. Okay, all of you BTDT Hefei moms, please give me some advice on some fast food restaurants or something near the Holiday Inn in Hefei...where my husband can go to get more "Americanized" food for Carli. He said the guide just dropped them off and said "see you tomorrow"! This did not make me too happy!!

So, Carli ordered a hot dog and french fries for dinner from room service. My husband said she did not eat it. I need some advice, moms!! Is there a McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut nearby the Holiday Inn in Hefei?! HELP!!

They both looked very tired! I told them to go to bed early tonight and try to get some sleep! Tomorrow is a very big day for them!!

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It is 6:00 a.m. here on Sunday morning! I woke up and my heart started racing because Michael said he would call when they arrived in Hefei, and they should have arrived at 3:30 a.m. our time! No phone call from Michael!!

So, I logged onto the computer and went to our TokBox account (it's like Skype) and he had sent me a video clip of him and Carli!! They are in Hefei. They met up with the Gehrke family and they were going to meet with them for dinner! My husband said the Gehrke family is VERY NICE (I think he said this three times!!!)...so, they must be VERY NICE! I'm glad that he and Carli are not alone in the region (that can get to be very depressing real quickly)!!! And my "Carli girl" looks just as sweet as ever! I tell you...I think I'm the luckiest woman alive!! I love my family dearly!

It is REALLY nice to know that the TokBox works just fine! We were worried about it not working once he got to China! It works!!! And, this means that I will get to SEE my little Haley every day via the Webcam!! AWESOME!! I also think my husband can make a video clip via the Webcam and then I can copy it to my blog!! Oh my gosh, how great is that?!

You KNOW that I'm excited.....in about 15 hours Haley will be with her new daddy and new sister! I am a little bit nervous about how she will handle this. I hope she will understand what is going on and not be too frightened! I know they do a good job of preparing the children for their adoption, but....I'm not sure to what extent they can explain things to Haley. So, keep us in your thoughts and...say a prayer that all goes well on "Gotcha Day"!

EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL!

Michael called about a half hour ago from the White Swan. They made it through customs pretty quickly, and then to the hotel...all within an hour and a half of landing!! I don't think I've EVER been so happy to hear his voice!!

And then....my sweet SWEET Carli came on the phone!! I could hardly hold back my tears! She said the airplane was "cool"! She is VERY happy to be at the White Swan and she was in a hurry to take a bubble bath!! I told her it's all smooth sailing from here! They have a flight to Hefei tomorrow afternoon (less than 2 hour flight), so she should handle that like a piece of cake!!

Michael said he didn't sleep at all on the plane, which isn't surprising! He said Carli slept pretty good!! He said she didn't eat a THING the whole way there, though! And, if you know Carli....that is HARD to imagine! We often joke about "not coming between Carli and her food"!!

So, everything is great! They are both doing just fine! Michael did not pay for Internet service in the room because it is 1:00 a.m. there, and they have to get up at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast and then to meet the guide! So, he just wanted to get a shower and RELAX until their wake-up call at 7:30 a.m. That is very understable! I'm sure he's exhausted!

Thank you ALL for your emails (and phone calls)! I have really appreciated every one of them!

We're going to Build-A-Bear today! I wanted to get Carli a nice "welcome home" gift (I'm so proud of her)! Build-A-Bear introduced the new High School Musical bear on Thursday, so I'm getting her one before they all sell out! She will LOVE it!! She doesn't really play with any of her Build-A-Bears, but she collects them and proudly displays them in her room! Speaking of Build-A-Bear......her very first one was a white kitty named Sassy Kitty! Carli has taken this Kitty with her EVERYWHERE! She never leaves it home if we go away somewhere! She named it Chelsea! I did not know until yesterday that Carli had taken Chelsea along with her to China!!!!!!!!!!!! My mother-in-law said that when they were at the airport in Detroit yesterday, Carli was just sitting so patiently waiting to board the plane...with her "stuffed cat"!! I started LAUGHING! I said "Oh my gosh...she took her Chelsea cat with her?"!!! Yes, Carli loves her Chelsea! So, Chelsea and Carli are now BOTH officially world travelers!! I actually found a picture from Carli's 4th birthday when she GOT Chelsea!! Here they are....

Carli, if you're reading this blog and are embarassed by that picture, I'm sorry! I think it's precious!!!

WE LOVE YOU BOTH VERY MUCH...AND MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY!

THEY HAVE ARRIVED!!

UPDATE: It's 10:40 a.m. I just checked their flight status again, and they have landed a half-hour ahead of schedule!! They are in GUANGZHOU CHINA!! H-O-O-R-A-Y!!! We are all doing high-5's here!! WOOOO HOOO!
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UPDATE: It's 9:50 a.m. here on Saturday! Their flight left Tokyo on time, and they are LESS THAN AN HOUR away from their final destination in Guangzhou, China! OH YEAHHHHHHHH!!!!



They will have spent almost 18 HOURS in the air. They are going to be EXHAUSTED when they arrive in Guangzhou! It will be 11:00 p.m. in Guangzhou when they arrive, so I hope they will be able to get some sleep! Carli was so excited about staying at the White Swan!! I am so glad that she is ALMOST THERE!!



For those of you who haven't ever seen the White Swan Hotel, here are a few pictures...

Lobby of the White Swan Hotel

Lobby of the White Swan Hotel

The White Swan Hotel - Guangzhou, China

The Gehrke family arrived in Guangzhou a day earlier than Michael and Carli will arrive. The Gehrke family is with the same adoption agency as we are, and they are adopting their daughter from the same orphanage as Haley! So, once Michael and Carli arrive in Guangzhou, they will have travel companions the rest of the time they're in China! I'm sure Carli will love the Gehrke's daughter, Kaylee! She will probably remind Carli a lot of Lauryn (who misses Carli a LOT by the way)!! Here is a link to the Gehrke family blog if you'd like to follow along on their journey as well...
http://www.journeytomadelynn.blogspot.com/

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It is 5:40 a.m. here on Saturday! I was so happy to see on the Internet that their flight arrived safely in Tokyo, Japan about an hour and a half ago! They have a 2-hour layover in Tokyo and then they will board another plane for Guangzhou, China (they should be boarding the flight very soon)!

I did not fall asleep until after 2:30 a.m. I was actually laying in bed thinking....maybe Carli LOVES flying and she will tell me that she wants to be a flight attendant when she grows up!!

THE LONG FLIGHT

UPDATE: Carli called from the plane just before it took off this afternoon! She sounded so excited! She said it was "way cool"!! The flight took off as scheduled (departed 3:34 p.m. EST). They are about 8 hours into their flight right now. They have 4 more hours to go! Hang in there, baby doll!!

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I was up at 6:00 a.m. and didn't sleep too well last night! I talked to my husband this morning and he said Carli slept just fine last night. They have taken their showers, got their bags together and are eating breakfast at the moment!

They are leaving in about an hour and a half for Detroit. They are stopping at an Italian restaurante in Detroit for lunch (surprise, surprise)! And, then they need to check in for their flight by 1:30 this afternoon. The flight does not leave Detroit until 3:30 p.m. I hope the weather cooperates and they are able to depart on schedule! I hope they have "smooth sailing" and Carli does okay on the plane. I am probably making a big deal out of nothing, but.....hopefully she will be one of those kids who can SLEEP on an airplane!!

They will have a layover in Tokyo, and then board their flight to Guangzhou. They should arrive in Guangzhou around 11:00 a.m. tomorrow morning (Indiana time).

Please keep my little angel girl, Carli, in your prayers!! And, pray for her mommy too.....she's a NERVOUS WRECK!!

THEY'RE IN MICHIGAN!

My husband and Carli left just before noon today! They have arrived in Michigan!

Carli didn't sleep well last night. She was sick to her stomach (nervous). So, naturally I felt like "crap" and wondered if we made the right decision to send her on this trip! I will be a basket-case from the time their plane leaves tomorrow until the time my husband calls from China to say they have arrived!

I hope Cari is able to sleep better tonight at Grandma and Grandpa's house! Their flight doesn't leave until 3:40 p.m. tomorrow, so I'm hoping that once they get in the air, they will serve drinks, and then dinner shortly therafter! She'll be able to keep herself occupied for a few hours after that, I'm sure! And then.....I'm REALLY hoping that she will be tired and will get some sleep! It will be "night time"....so, let's hope my angel is tired enough to sleep on the plane!!

I need to go find some Margarita mix somewhere!! I need a DRINK!!!!