Presley Update - March 26

Hi all,

Presley is doing very well. We have dragged her from doctor to doctor since she has come home and she is such a brave little girl. Today we visited the Shriner's Hospital to see about her dislocated hips. We arrived at 9:15am and left at 3:30pm. It was quite a long day. Presley was checked by Dr. H and she was sent for xrays of her hips as he didn't feel any dislocation in her hips. The xrays came back and her hips are not dislocated afterall. We asked then why is she walking like that and why does she appear to be in pain. He did not have a good bedside manner and was very busy with a room full of other patients. He wrote down a couple of words and said we should see physio therapy and they would help us with some exercises as her muscles are aspastic on her right side. He also indicated we should make an appointment with a pediatric neurologist. We already have a referral. He wants to see her back in a year.

We headed to physio but they were closed for lunch..so we headed to the caf for some tasty chicken and then headed back down. We finally were able to see someone at 2pm. A wonderful lady sat with us and told us what the doctor had written down and passed along to her. She indicated that she beleives Presley has cerebral palsy that has affected the right side of her body. She did a few games and observed Presley and indicated to us that she beleived it was a mild case and that from what she could see her hand was not bad but that her leg needed exercises as her muscles are tight. We sat and watched the therapist as she did the exercises on Presley's leg and foot. All through this she was laughing and giggling.

James and I are scouring the internet tonight and reading about CP and what it is and hopefully learn everything we can in the next months ahead...it is scary thinking about the potential big challenges our little girl might face in the future...but as I said to James as we drove out of the parking lot in the hospital...she is our daughter and we will do whatever it takes to help her ..

As soon as I got home I called the neurologist to make an appt and I was so lucky as I was told the wait for neurology is about a year...they had a cancellation and we have an appt for 11:15am tomorrow morning.

So hopefully tomorrow we will have more information and perhaps more answers. It has been a big day for us. I am pooped and need some sleep!

Until next time,

Karen

Pictures of our Presley-Home 1 week

What a great site don't you think? Sisters getting ready for the day. Madison is so in love with Presley. Kennedy is being a wonderful big sister and well Jaden..she has her nose out of joint a little but that was to be expected.

Friday is here...and our update

Hi all,

Well today is Friday and James and Presley have been home almost a week. In a week things have changed quite a bit. Everyone is now back on our time zone which is a big bonus and Presley is really starting to warm up to life in our family. It is very nice to see. Her sisters Kennedy and Madison are madly in love with her and help her with anything she needs. With her hips this causes problems with her walking up and down stairs and they are still keen on helping her up and down and taking her to the bathroom or whatever else the Princess wants to do. Hmmm I wonder how long that will last. Colby is doing great with his little sister and is very good with her. Jagger will help her if he is needed to help and once in awhile I catch him showing her his favority gameboy or giving her a kiss on her head.

Just now she was in the livingroom and singing me some Chinese songs she knows. She was too cute.

I have not had much time for anything these days and have not taken many photos as most of the days from 8am-3pm we have been out at the hospital, pediatrician or where ever and the days have flown by. By the time the kids are in bed..I don't feel like doing very much. I will try and get some new pics this weekend as it is James birthday and we are having a BBQ tomorrow to celebrate his day.

So here is her latest update:
Thursday morning we headed to the Children's hospital for her appointment with Dr K for her eyes. He indicated that she had a micro strabismus in her eye and that with her bridge being wide it appears that her eyes turn in more than they really do. He checked to see if she needed glasses and he indicated he beleives she needs nothing and that he hopes that she will grow out of it as he has seen with other children. He wants to see her back in 6 months to see how she is coming along. So good news there!

Thursday afternoon we visited her new pediatrician, Dr K, who checked her all over. She gave me the list of the many blood tests to be done so we will work on that in a week or two. She indicated of course she needs to be checked by orthopedics and I advisd her the appointment was for Monday morning. She also gave us a referral for a neurologist, for her to be checked as well.She said she would like to cover all the bases...and I agree.

Friday morning was our visit to the Cardiologist with Dr J, He and his resident were fabulous with us. They explained very well and checked Presley out. Both listened and agreed they did indeed hear something. They sent us for an echocardiagram(we waited no more than 5 minutes to be called in-GREAT!) and within 25 minutes with results in our hands we were heading back to Dr J's office. He checked the results and indicated that she has 2 minor issues with her heart. 1 is pulmonary stenosis(very minor he indicated) and PDA(again minor). He indicated that nothing needed to be done surgically and that when she visited the dentist she would require antibitotics.
He indicated she should be seen again in 2 years...so we were- happy with that. He indicated she will live a very normal life and what he saw and heard many people have. He was very funny. I was asking questions about the PDA (patent ductus blah blah) and the resident was explaining to us what a duct was...when Dr J came into the room the resident indicated..I was explaining to them what a Duct is...Dr J replied...a bird with yellow feathers and goes quack quack. We all had a good laugh.The appointment was very calming and they made us feel very comfortable about her situation. I really appreciated their approach.


Monday morning is her key visit which I am very anxious about...her visit to the Shriner's for her hips and legs. I pray that they will be able to help her with her mobility. She can run and walk but she asks to be picked up all the time and is in much pain.
Keeping my fingers crossed that it is indeed Dislocated hips and that Dr. Hamdy can work some miracles for our little brat.

As for Presley she is starting to feel comfortable and I am happy to see it. She is running around and so happy to play with the kids. I think she is fitting in quite nicely. She has a great funny characher. She loves to laugh and is already trying to push the limit already. She is definitely your typical 3.5 year old..tantrums and all. We love her so much and are so happy she is part of our family-at long last!!

Hugs,
I will post pics this weekend! I promise..

Karen

Presley Update-Tuesday, March 20,2007

Hi all,

Thanks so much for the encouraging emails..we having been running for the last 2 days.
I just wanted to send an update. Monday we went and received her temporary medicare card. DONE! This thing will be smoking by the end of next week..LOL

Today we happily had her visit with a pediatric dentist at a clinic in Anjou..the Dentist was wonderful(Thank you Karen Nolan for his name-Dr Dirsken(SP???). He lied Presley down on the chair and said he only needed 10 seconds to get an idea what the issues were. He indicated that Presley most likely had been layed down with bottles of milk and sugar and this constant coating of milk and sugar and lack of brushing of her teeth just ate them away. He also indicated that this is routine for his office and that he treated about 25-30 kids a week. I was shocked. Kids here in Quebec have teeth like Presley....WOW!!!

They treated us so well there. I was amazed. She will require to be put under anestesia(sp??) and will have all the work done that is required. The Doc indicated that when she is put to sleep we will be in the room with her..and once she is sleeping we will go and wait for about an hour while they take full xrays, do their prognosis(final one) and do all the work required. So....we have been so lucky and we have an appointment next Thursday at 3:15pm for the procedure. So her teeth will hurt no more after that. The Doc indicated normally a few days afterward and they should be great. He told me you will see a huge difference in her, eat more, be happy and grow like a weed as she will then be able to eat whatever she likes as she will be able to chew. He said she must be in a lot of pain as the cavities especially in the 8 teeth are very bad and will probably require crowns. He indicated that her teeth are full of cavities ...poor angel. He indicated that she will be prone to cavities in her baby teeth and that lots of brushing, flossing and 6 month cleanings will have to be followed...but he said I have a feeling that won't be an issue for you guys..and he is right!


She is sleeping the whole night and today I saw a much more alert, happy little girl. She is still crying with the pain in her legs and her teeth...and I see she is having problems with her vision...but all of these things will shortly be looked at and hopefully have them corrected soon.

By another miracle and some wonderful people I know...Presley has an appointment at the Children's for her eyes this Thursday. Her Doctor normally does not do clinics on Thursday but decided to do one this week...and we have an appointment for 9:15am. I am so happy about that.
I think she will need glasses for sure..but I want her to be able to see well and not have to struggle with that as well. So much struggle for such a young sweetheart.

Tomorrw she has Dr Kooglemass her pediatrician for her overall checkup.

Friday she has Dr Jutras her cardiologist at the Children's-so hopefully we will know how her heart is doing following that meeting.

Monday next week she meets Dr Hamdy at the Shriner's and will have her legs xrayed and checked and we will see where to take it from there.

Of course I will keep you updated.

She touches me on my hand about 100 times a day and looks at me so sweetly saying "Mamma ya"..I love her so much already..she is very precious to me.

She is getting along so well with the kids and is so happy when they come home from school. Yesterday they were playing with majhong pieces, building them up and knocking them down. She was clapping and had a huge smile on her face. It was soooo wonderful to see.
She is very caring and appears to be settling down and getting more comfortable with all of us.
She is quite a little charachter. She has fought against all the hardships she has had to endure for many years...but now she has Mama and Baba to help her finally get them out of the way.

She deserves anything and everything and we will do whatever it takes for her. Step by Step we will hold her hand and help her get better. Her Baba is madly in love with her..and I know it has only be a few days...but so is her Mama.

I am so happy she is home. She needed to come home so badly.

Hugs and thanks to you all once again.

Karen

The journey to bring Presley home is finally over!!!!!!

Well I am so sorry to take so long in sending an update. The weekend has passed so quickly. Saturday I was up at the crack of dawn checking the storm and of course the flights to see if things were still on schedule..and they indicated they were.

Friday night around 10pm James and Brian were still at the airport with the kids and were starting to plan to spend the night in the airport..they had called many hotels and all were booked solid. I called around and was able to find them a room at the Holiday Inn Express for the night..and Brian was able to stay in the room until 2 the next day. Perfect timing for his flight which was leaving at 5pm. James left at 9:10am and arrived at 10:53am. We were waiting with red ballons and the kids were very excited. They had waited a long time.

Finally at 12:00pm James and Presley walked through the doors and the kids ran like the speed of light. Presley was sitting on the baggage cart with her red baseball hat from the Olympics 2008. She was adorable. Of course the kids and I attacked and she was a little afraid but Daddy was happy for the attention. He had missed us so much.

I kissed my angels little face over and over as she looked at me with the biggest brown eyes. She was sad, scared and so tired from the long journey home. We quickly got everyone's hats and coats on as it was snowing and cold outside and headed into the van. Presley cried for her Baba..

James was so happy to be heading home. The journey was definitely a very long haul but so worth it.

Presley is doing as well as can be expected. The whole night last night she cried off and on..and it was evident as she hugged James neck and from time to time looked at me and whaled that she was not too happy with the situation...which was not a problem for me..I understand her whole world has been turned upside down in the last 3 weeks.

Now ...her walking is very bad and she is very unbalanced...I hope that this is all related to her hips ..we will find out next Monday...on the 26th. She has problems with her vision (she reads books close up and when looking at something tends to put her chin down and raise her eyes).

Her teeth at least 8 of them are rotten and I am sure in the very near future she will require surgery to fix or remove these teeth. It is just horrendous what shape they are in. The poor thing sucks her food with her front teeth and if she has to chew anything she starts to cry. The pain is very bad. This morning she stood in my room and just put her fingers in her mouth and cried and cried. I felt so helpless.....I hugged her and cried along with her.

She has a sadness in her eyes somtiems that I can only say I have seen one time in the face of a little girl in Colby's orphanage..my little YiSu will always stay with me forever. I saw her little face and cried so hard...as she looked like she knew she was all alone in this big old world. I think Presley is missing her foster family very much and keeps it mostly inside. I feel so bad for her...and hope with time and our love that we can see the sparkle and light in her eyes.

She is a little precious soul who when she smiles and laughs..she makes my heart feel so good.

She will see the dentist for a referral on Tuesday and the cardiologist on Friday so we can find out hopefully what the issue is with her heart. Next Monday is the Shriner's for her hips and then Tuesday she sees the eye surgeon. We are hoping to see a prediatric dentist asap.

Hopefully in a couple of weeks we will have a good idea of the medical issues.

She is a beuatiful little girl and together we will all get through whatever she needs to do to get healthy. That is what family is for.

Say a prayer for our Presley for the next 2 weeks....

Hugs,
Karen



Presley is delayed and hopefully as many of the kids do she will bloom. I am so happy she is finally home. She is upstairs as I type this sound asleep with her Daddy...they are struggling with the jetlag and the time change.Hopefully by the end of the week...they will be back and awake on this side of the world.

Well no Presley or James today!

HI all,

Well what started out to be a very happy day has not turned out to be so wonderful. By now 7:59pm I was hoping to have my little girl in my arms and my husband by my side. Well that is not going to be happening tonight. Our friend Jennifer was checking the stauts of the flight and in a chain of phonecalls Nancy called and told me to check James' flight. I did and low and behold the SNOW adventure continues. James was to arrive in Detroit in about 20 minutes and the flight from Detroit to Montreal was cancelled due to weather conditions. I was just ready to cry and am still sooo disappointed.

James called about 4pm and was sad to share his bad news . I told him I already knew..he was not as angry as I thought he would be..after flying for 16 hours I guess you don't care about anything anymore..LOL

So he had to take Presley who did very well on the plane and slept off an on...and try and find a hotel as Northwest would not provide them with one. They indicated when a flight is cancelled due to weather they are not responsible to provide a place to sleep. James was looking for a hotel the last time he called. I told him he was not going to spend the night with the baby in a an airport. They needed some comfort.

Poor guy...I feel for him and Brian who are both weary travellers and just wanted to come home.

They are booked on a flight tomorrow morning at 9am and landing at 11am. So hopefully the snow we are supposed to receive tonight will not stop that from happening...If they don't come home tomorrow..perhaps they will make it home for Presley's 18th birthday!

Hoping for good news in the morning...but afraid to kept my hopes up!

Goodnight and trying to hang in there,

Karen (Wife of Mr. Snow)

3 friends actually told me today I should change Presley's middle name to Storm...Presley Storm..hmmmm something to think about.

The big day tomorrow!

I can't beleive the time is almost here...I hope tomorrow doesn't drag by. I am going to try and keep busy. I was given a $95.00 gift card from the guys I work with for Children's Place so perhaps I will take a drive to check out what they have. A girl can never have enough stylish clothes...right! I also received a $50 gift card from a wonderful friend ,Scott, for Presley so we can take her to the store and she can pick whatever she would like. He was so kind in thinking of Mommy too and generously gave me a $50 gift card for Chapters. So perhaps I could treat myself to an afternoon of checking out books..I love sitting down with a good book! Thanks to all of you once again!

I was busy this afternoon shopping for fruit, noodles and dumpling ingredients. I hear Presley loves dumplings so I had to make them fresh for my babe. Anything to make her feel welcome. I made about 200 of them...those will be gobbled up in no time with my gang.

I know it will be a bumpy road for the next week or so as everyone gets aquainted and the jet leg disappears. It is now 8:10pm as I write this and they are probably at the gate getting ready tto start boarding.

23 hours and counting..

We also have a something else to celebrate tomorrow....it is Jagger's 7th birthday! I can't beleive he is already 7. We are going to have his celebration on Saturday so Presley and James can be home to celebrate his big day. I would think it will be Presley's first look at what birthday's are all about. Happy Birthday my little man..he is quite a charachter, funny, silly and a wonderful son. I was so blessed the day he became my son. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIGGY..I LOVE YOU!


Karen(aka Mom)

They are shortly starting the journey HOME!

Good afternoon everyone,

I was speaking with James this morning around 7:30am and he was just getting in from having Peking Duck with Brian and Noah and Ellen their guide. James loved the duck but it was definitely not a hit with Presley. She didn't eat anything and just finished some noodles in the room when they got back. James said she was tired and crashed as soon as she got in her nightgown.

James finally made it to Silk Road and made some purchases. He spent about 3 hours or more there. He loves it!
They returned to the hotel, had some lunch and then began packing the suitcase for the trip home. James indicated that he can't wait to be home, he has missed us all and is so excited for all of us to finally meet Presley.

They have a wake up call for 5am (5pm our time) to get up and get ready. They are heading to the airport around 6:30 (they are taking their breakfast with them and eating on the way). Their flight is from Beijing to Tokyo (layover for 2 hours) then Tokyo to Detroit(almost 12 hour flight) and then a layover for 2 hours and then home...1 hour and 40 minutes.

I hear snow is in the forecast for tomorrow night...let's just hope there is no blizzard still following James. I will be calling him Mr. Snow from now on..LOL

So I don't think I will be hearing from them in the morning as they will be busy and have lots to do...no more pictures will be coming until he gets home.

James says Presley loves it when he says..Chin Chin Baba(kiss daddy) and then she says Chin Chin Mama and blows a kiss to the wind...I can't wait to catch it!

TOMORROW NIGHT BABY...FINALLY YOU WILL BE HOME! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!

Thanks for following along on our journey...now a new chapter of the journey begins..
Say a prayer that all goes well for my angel as we have 2 weeks of doctor appointments coming up. Let's pray for good news!

Hugs,
Karen

2 pictures hot of the presses-Summer Palace and Tiannamen Square

I am off to work but thought I would post these this morning. Will update the blog later. Last day at work..YEHAWWWW!

Hugs,

Karen

Wednesday in Beijing-The Summer Palace

Well not much to report today...James called and said things were going well and that today they would be heading to the Summer Palace, a favorite place of mine, and then off to pick up the visa's. Visa's are normally received on the Thursday and than the families leave on the Friday..So the paperwork will all come to an end today...in China anyways...soon as they are home it starts back up. LOL....

Presley is doing well..eating, sleeping and drinking. Talks non stop...loves to jump in her stroller and go out with her Baba. The last big challenge,the flight home, is almost here. James wants to do some shopping so if there is time today he will try and hit the shops. Tomorrow should be a relaxed day and he said no matter what..he is hitting Silk Road. I don't think he has bought too much on this trip. Earring for all the girls, a CD for Kennedy of some famous young singers in China, a couple of pairs of running shoes for Presley and I think that is about it. So the next couple of days watch out shopkeepers..Mr. Cheapo is heading your way.

So they are finally in the home stretch and in 2 days will be heading to the airport as their flight leaves for 9am on Friday. So Thursday night 9pm our time they will be boarding that plane and coming home. I can't wait to see them in person. I have missed James these past 2 weeks. The kids have been wonderful and so very helpful. I actually thought it would be tough but gladly I can say it has gone very smoothly and we missed Daddy around..but we did it and we had fun.

Jagger fractured his ankle Sunday night and is now sporting a bright red fiberglass cast. He jumped off his bunkbed and was limping saying he had a sore toe. Well Monday morning he couldn't put his boot on for school and was limping..so I sat him down and checked his foot and his ankle was huge. Well we were all dressed and ready for school and work...so we waited for the schoolbus to come for the others and we left for the Children's hospital. They took xrays and well you know the rest of the story. In 3 weeks he has to go back..and hopefully it will come off.
Casts definitely have come a long way..with this one he could go swimming, go in the tub and it is not an issue at all. I was amazed. The evolution of the cast..go figure!

So that is the warm up for Miss Presley perhaps...only time will tell.

Tomorrow is my last day at work and I am certainly looking forward to just concentrating on my daughter and my family. It has been a stressful time these last months not knowing what was happening with our file in China, waiting and waiting for the famous TA...and than the long 2 week wait for her to come home to us. Finally all that will be behind us and we can move on and just be together as a family.

I thank so many of my friends out there who have shown support to us and called and sent emails helping us to hang in there. Some heard me complain on a daily basis and just didn't know what to say. I know they cared as no matter how sad my face was, they kept coming back asking me and showing that they were there for me. We did and do appreciate all the kind thoughts and prayers.

2 more sleeps and my little girls will be sleeping together in their room...all of my children finally under the same roof. I look forward to her walking into our home and meeting her brothers and sisters..they are so excited..they asked me last night if I had enough love for all of them...I told them of course I did and that my love just grows and grows and that they are all so special to me. That each of them is a gift to this world and I am so lucky to have each one of them in my life. They are precious and I hope I show them that are are just that to me.

I know the next few weeks will be a little bumpy as they all find their groove with Presley joining the family. Hopefully it won't take long and everyone will adjust.

I am off for 8 weeks, James is off until the end of August. I plan to take my remaining 6 weeks in late July and return back the last week of August when the kids go back to school. That way we can be together for a good part of the summer. I look forward to that. Hopefully by then our Presley will be up and running pain free...and that she will be playing in the pool-squealing with excitement right along with the rest of the gang.

No pictures today folks...James was not able to send any. I will post more when I get some.

Hugs,
Karen

The medical and more pictures

Hi all,

James called and Presley had her medical. In her medicals we gotwith her referral pics it was indicated on top of her legs she had a small hole in the heart. Supposedly she was submitted to the Tomorrow plan and was to be looked after medically under that program. When she was checked they indicated that the heart had healed itself with time. Well it appears that this is not so. The doctor at the international clinic indicated that she has a very loud murmur and should be followed by a cardiologist as soon as she arrives home. So I have worked a miracle and she has an appt next Friday the 23rd at the Children's.

The doctor checked her hips and he indicated he did not hear any clicking but again said he was not a specialist and she would have to been seen by an orthopedic specialist. Appt already made for March 26th.

Her eyes both eyes seem to be effected but not all the time. The doctor indicated we should have a neuro evalutaion just to make sure there are no issues as when they see eyes and weakness in the legs he indicated it could be a neurological issue. So that will have to be tackled soon.

He indicated it is probably dislocated hips and strabismus as indicated in her medical(only the hips and heart were mentionned)...but that if it was his daughter he would have an evaluation just to make sure.

So can we say doctor appointments...we knew we would have a few visits to the hospital etc...so one thing at a time and we will hopefully in not too long we will have a better picture of how she is healthwise. The not knowing is very stressful.

So that was my news this morning...James was a little concerned but said if her heart was an issue wouldn't she have blue lips, fingers? Would she be so active and not out of breath or tired all the time? The cardiologist I talked to this morning said those are all good signs..her being active and acting very normal for her age without any effects...so he told me not to be too worried. He would check her out and we will take it from there.He indicated if she had a serious problem you would see something.

I will be saying a little prayer for our angel and hope all turns out ok..

James and Brian, Presley and Noah on the wall.

Monday in Beijing-Off to the doctor

Good evening all,

Well it is that time of the trip that the kids make their way to the International clinic for their medicals for their visa to get into Canada. Perhaps we will have more insight into Presley's hip issues. I am anxious to hear what was said.

The visit to the clinic is scheduled for this morning and then a visit to the US embassy is needed as our kiddo needs a transit visa. James and Presley will be landing in Detroit and because of that she needs this visa. Normally we don't go through the USA but this time around we had to. So this is an additional step in the paperwork that normally we don't have to do. Once the paperwork is submitted at the US embassy than James and Presley head off to the Canadian embassy to hand in the papers for her visa into Canada. I know you are saying..does the fun and paperchasing ever end..????

James is hoping that this will take a couple of hours as he hopes to go to the Silk Market or perhaps the Antique Market. He has the itch to buy and bargain. He was known last trip as "Mr. Cheapo" and he doesn't want to let anyone down this trip. I would still like him to get Presley and Jaden some leather shoes as well as look out for artwork for our home. He has ordered the calligraphy work with Presley's name in Chinese(LiJie) as we have one hanging in our home for each of our kids. He has also ordered a chop for Presley. He should be receiving those by the end of the week.

5 more nights until my James and Presley are home. I have 3 more days of work left and it is getting harder and harder to concentrate. I cleaned the house up a bit and am trying to getting everthing organized and buy some of her favorite foods so I have it on hand once the princess makes her grand arrival. She loves fish so I was out fish shopping..not something I do much of in our house...I was saying to James in our house if it doesn't say Captn Highligher on the box and smothered in ketchup...I don't know what to do...LOL

Oh well I guess it is time for me to learn and my girl loves seafood. She come from Dalian and that is the food of choice there.

Oh yeah..the cutest story James told me was..when they were eating lunch..Presley and Noah sat beside one another and with each sip of their tea they would clink cups and say chin chin..drink their tea and do it over and over. When Presley had no more tea...Noah took her cup and passed it to his Daddy to fill it up ..what a gentleman...James said once lunch was over they both got down and started arguing with one another...he said they looked just like an old married couple. What a hoot!

So that 's it for my update tonight...I will post when I have more info to pass along.

Hugs,

Karen

Beijing here they come...Goodbye Shenyang!!!

Well the packing has finished, bags were out at 8:20am and they headed to the airport in Shenyang for 9. Their flight left ontime..what a novel idea and they boarded the plane. James indicated Presley was very excited to be getting on a plane. Once they took off she settled down in her seat and fell asleep for most of the 1 hour and 40 minute flight. It seems like a little motion and our little one falls asleep. I will keep a note of that. LOL

Anyways, James called and they are settling into their new room at the XiYuan hotel. They arrived around 1:30pm. Our friend Brian and his son Noah arrived at 4pm. James met up with Brian and they headed out to a Pizza restaurant with the kids. James said it was so nice to have some company and to talk with someone from home.

Here are some pictures of the XiYuan. James said it is a little far, about 25 minutes from downtown, and that it is under construction. The pool is closed and he is not too happy about that. He likes to be able to go out and walk around without having to take a cab everywhere. What can you do..it is only for 1 week. Hang in there sweetie!

This is the lobby, they are always so impressive.

Tomorrow they head to the Great Wall, Pearl factory and cloisonne factory...so it looks like a busy day ahead tomorrow.

Not much to report today only that they could not do curbside checking for the stroller and they had put a fragile sticker on it. Well once they got to the room, James went to the bathroom and came out to Presley with the Fragile sticker stuck to her forehead. What a clown. He said he had a good laugh about that. He said we have our job cut out for us with Presley..she is non stop and is always on the go. I don't know how she will do when she gets her body cast on for 6-8 weeks. I am really not looking forward to that. I can't imagine how hard it will be for her to stay still and have to depend on Mom or Dad to bring her everywhere...poor angel..it is going to a tough time for her..but something we definitely have to do..We will address that once we get there.

Sara our guide from our last 2 adoptions stopped by the hotel to visit James and Presley today. She is so kind. She remembered I collect Tea pots and brought one for me and and a small gift for Kennedy from her daughter Kimmy(they met on the last trip for Jaden). How sweet was that!

Have a nice day all,

Karen

Last day in Shenyang...

Well their last evening in Shenyang and guess what is happening with the weather...SNOW is supposed to fall again in Shenyang..let's hope he gets out on his plane before it starts to fall. The flight to Beijing is only 1 hour and 40 miinutes so hopefully by lunchtime tomorrow(China time) they will be in Beijing and on their way to the XiYuan hotel.

As you can see in the picture in downtown Shenyang there is lots of snow. Appears that the sidewalks are cleared pretty good and I guess it is not that cold as people are not wearing hats and mitts.

James said if the airport is closed he won't be taking the train from hell again. LOL

Presley spent a few hours in the room with James in the afternoon as they were packing to get ready to move onto the week in Beijing. I just noticed in the pixture that she is coloring with her left hand. I never asked James about that as I just received the pics. I will have to ask as she would be our first leftie in the family other than my niece Lia.

Hmmm I see the coloring was more fun on her face than on the coloring book. James says she has such a great charachter and she is so much fun!

She gets herself into a lot of trouble and her latest thing is she likes to go the bathroom every 5 minutes. I think she like flushing the toilet. Ahhh no more pit toilets for our little one. Actually James said it is getting very old that they have to run to the washroom every 5 minutes so she can check out the toilet in every place they visit.

Sounds just like her sister Jaden when she came home.

We packed an inflatable beach ball and she has been playing with it. When James meets up with Brian and Noah..Noah is 3 years old as well..I am sure Presley and him will be playing ball a lot. It will be nice for James to have some company and Presley to have a little playmate as well.

After a fun filled morning a little girl needs to take a nap. James says she falls asleep without notice. One minute she is talking away and the next she is sound asleep. When I was on the phone with him this morning he said she got up into the bed..put her fingers in her mouth, she motioned him to tuck her into bed and she fell asleep within seconds. A lot going on everyday for a little one. She is a real trooper and is doing extremely well. Much better than we had hoped for. I thought being in a foster family the greiving would or could have been very difficult.

Sleep tight my little princess..you are soon one step closer to your Mama and your sisters and brothers. She looks at the photo album many times during the day and sits with Daddy and tells him who everyone is. I can't wait for them to all meet one another next Friday.

Hugs,

Karen

Friday morning in Shenyang...almost time to take the plane for week 2

Well it wouldn't be a trip to China if we didn't have a picture of Presley eating McDonald's. She loves her chicken nuggets or pork nuggets over there..I am not sure.

Ahhhh...she is lovin it indeed.

Just got off the phone with James...he said he feels like he is coming down with a cold and Presley too has a little bit of a runny nose. He said she went into the bathroom and came out with a long strand of toilet paper jammed into her nostril. He should have taken a photo of that!! LOL

James was telling me that in the middle of laughing she will stop and look at him and start to cry. I wonder if the honeymoon phase is starting to wear off now and she is finally showing that she is missing her foster family. James indicated she quickly gets over it but that it happens many times throughout the day. I don't know how she couldn't be missing them..after all they were her family for over 2 years. James was not able to meet them as the start of the trip was rocky and delayed all the paperwork getting done so he didn't have the time to go to Dalian like he was hoping to do. He asked the orphanage staff if he could get the address of the foster family and was told that they were not allowed to provide this information. I so wanted to have contact with them in the future and let them know and see through pictures that she is doing well.

In the presents I gave for the family I included our address in many of the gifts...so I am hoping that one day perhaps we will receive a letter from them. Crossing my fingers as I think it is wonderful for our children and for the families who took good care of our kids and took these kids in as part of their families to be in contact with one another.

Until my next update!

Karen

Love you both....Daddy..you are doing an amazing job...and Presley...I love you baby!

Thursday in Shenyang..

Ni Hao Mamma ya! That is what she yells to me on the phone. Even though the picture is not that clear, it is so great to see her big smile. What a cutie pie...so nice to see!

The serious Miss Presley decked out in her cozy pink jammies. Even though in the picture she is so serious..it is a great picture of her.

Today James and Presley had a relaxing day of visiting the Forbidden City in Shenyang (picture below). They then decided to take a swim in the hotel pool and she loved it. James said she loves to get her head wet. They than had lunch and did some shopping. He bought a beautiful scroll for our house(See pic below). He also bought Presley some running shoes at a whopping 19 yuan each. Which is almost $3.00 Canadian. For dinner they enjoyed Korean BBQ and loved it. James said is was very tasty. Presley was complaining today to James about her teeth hurting so Mommy has set up an appointment with Dr. Don our dentist to have them checked on March 21st, shortly after they arrive home. My poor angel, between her hips and her teeth now and the gash she got on her head(which is healed now) she is one tough cookie and doesn't seem to let it bother her in any way.

They were heading off to bed when I spoke with them this morning and tomorrow they pick up the paperwork and her passport and start packing once again for the trip to Beijing. So half the trip is almost done and 1 more week to go. Not like I am counting or anything..BUT I AM...6 more nights and they will be heading home.

The throne in the forbidden city in Shenyang..only 2 forbidden cities exist in China..1 in Beijing and the other in Shenyang.

Here is the lovely scroll that James bought yesterday in Shenyang. Great shopping honey ..keep it up!

Some more photo's for you!

What a face...come and kiss mommy...

It is official..she is our daughter

Well it is now official...James just called and sent me some pictures. This one was taken in the hotel lobby not too long ago. All the paperwork is under way, he has signed and we are now offically Presley's Mom and Dad.

James is tired from running around all day. Civil affairs, notary and then off to the police station for the passport. They waived the expediting fees for the passport and HE WILL be getting it on Friday..so they will be fine to head back to Beijing on Saturday as was originally planned.

James indicated many time during the day today she will hold her legs and cry with pain. Cripes I hate to hear that and can't wait for her to see Dr Hamdy at the Shriner's. Her appointment is April 2nd. James said it is painful to watch her walk. I so hope that with the miracles of surgery and the talent of the surgeons they can help Presley to walk without pain.

They had lunch with Pan(from the orphanage) and was able to give them our gifts for the foster family, Pan as well as the orphanage. The box of blankets was delivered sucessfully for the kids in Dalian. The 30 pairs of slipper/shoes as well. They were very happy. I had made a blanket for Presley's foster family as well, with the weather I hope they can use it. When I was making it it somehow make me feel connected to them.

James and Presley are heading to the local carrefour for drinks and snacks as Presley loves to eat. James indicated he will try and buy something there to eat in the room as they have hardly had any alone time at all since meeting. Tonight will be the first bath so we will see how that goes. Perhaps it could help her legs?

Here is her first night with Daddy. She looks so big in the pictures.

I love you both! Have a good sleep.

Hugs,

Karen

Todays activities in Shenyang

James called and he and Presley are now on their way to eat breakfast together. She woke up in a great mood he said and he got her dressed. He said she was smiling and very happy. He gave her the little doll I had put in the suitcase for her and he said she was pretending to feed her and was holding her in her arms rocking her back and forth. The motherly instinct at such a young age.
Today on the agenda is paperwork. James and Presley have an appointment at Civil Affairs and the notary this morning at 8:30am. They need to get the picture for the passport as well.So I guess that will keep them busy until around 11am or so. I will call before I head off to bed tonight.
Hopefully I will be able to update the blog with a new picture of Presley. I can't wait to see her. James indicates she looks very much like the pictures we received of her except she is not as chubby.

I will post when I get an update from my two sweeties. Until than...

Karen

The Princess has finally arrived...

Well I got the call this morning around 6:15am from James saying that after waiting almost 24 hours on the train that he was rushed to civil affairs to meet our Princess Presley. They normally close at 5pm but stayed open until 6:15pm so James could make it. How kind of them! Thank You civil affairs in Shenyang.

Presley waited on her train for 30 hours before they finally were able to get off. While on the train she had an accident and hit her head causing it to bleed. She was taken to a doctor who took care of it, placed a bandage on her head and was given antibiotics. Poor little one.

Well on to the best part of everyone' day...James walked into civil affairs and Presley pretty much ran into his arms. He said she was very happy, talking a lot and was not scared of him at all. He said it was like he was an old friend of hers. They must have shown her pictures and prepared her well. Thanks Pan.

She was in his arms and calling him Baba...music to his and my ears. He has to wait the 24 hours before he can sign and officially she is ours. This will all take place tomorrow at civil affairs. Notary and passport will all be underway and hopefully with paying an expedited fee James will have her passport on Friday and they can leave on Saturday to head to Beijing and meet Brian and Noah(friends of ours who are adopting as well).

James called as soon as he got back to the hotel. Presley had 3 layers of clothes on and as soon as we started to talk she was stripping down to her bare bum and was into the free fruit bowl that was in the room. She was laughing and screaming, spitting the peels from the apple on the bed and was just so happy. It was wonderful to hear. I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Jaden was lying beside me in bed while I was on the phone and she could hear Presley talking to me and immediately she wanted to talk to her baby sister. They talked..it was priceless. Jaden had a huge grin on her face. Presley sure loves to talk on the phone..she had lots to tell her Momma.

James said that her eye is turning in as we saw in her pictures so she will see Colby's surgeon when she gets home for that. My guess is she will have to start wearing glasses. As for her hips and her walking, Presley's medical issue is that both of her hips are dislocated. James indicated that her legs are bad and that walking is a bit difficult for her. Her arms are out to the side to help her with her balance and her legs are a little bow legged and her toes point inwards...poor little thing. He says it doesn't stop her though from getting around. While I was on the phone she was squeeling and so excited and not a tear fell from her. James indicated that Pan(the lady who takes care of the adoptions at the orphanage) cried when Presley went to James..but Presley was very happy to go with Baba and start her new life. James indicated that Presley will be a perfect fit with our family-lots of energy and a little one who loves to talk. He said she was so happy and it felt so good to see that.

James was feeling much better during the day as he slept for about 9 hours on the train. They had a sleeper car and he indicated it was quite comfortable.

So finally our little girl is in her Daddy's arms..I hear from Anne(my sister in law) who called after I spoke with James this morning..that James was trying to get her down to sleep but she was not interested in that at all. I am sure once the lights go down and she starts to calm down that sleep will come. It has been a big week for our little girl.

Finally after a whirlwind start...our princess Presley is here. Sleeping in her cozy jammies snuggled up to her Daddy..where every little princess belongs.

Sleep tight both of you...I love you so much! I can't wait for pictures..

Karen aka Momma ya!

Rare snowstorm hits Shenyang in Liaoning

Rare Snowstorm Hits NE China

Lots of vehicles are trapped on road in Shenyang on Sunday, March 4, 2007 as the heaviest snowstorm on record since 1951 hit northeast China's Liaoning Province over the weekend.

One person was killed and seven injured in Shenyang on Sunday when heavy snow caused the roof of a market in the Huanggu District to collapse after a rare snowstorm hit the city.
Beijing Morning Post reports the heaviest snowstorm on record since 1951 hit Liaoning province in northeast China over the weekend, grinding traffic and everyday activities to a halt.

The local meteorological department reports the snow started falling on Saturday night and predicts it will last until Monday. The unusual weather has been attributed to the combined impact of a cold front moving in from the Baikal Lake area, plus a cyclone entering the province from the Yangtze-Huaihe Area.

The provincial meteorological department has launched a second-level emergency plan to stop the fierce weather from inflicting any more damage.

The provincial transport authority says nine out of the eleven highways in the province have been closed. Most of the roads linking the provincial capital of Shenyang with Dandong and Dalian are also out of service with only a handful of sections still open.

Nearly all inter-city bus services have also been suspended. A large number of passengers are sheltering in the Shenyang Taoxian International Airport after the snow forced the airport to close and cancel all flights.

The snowstorm has also delayed local rail services.

Well do I need to say anything more!!!!

James did NOT meet our Presley last night as we were hoping...he woke up and headed to the Beijing airport at 9am only to find out that the airport in Shenyang was closed and they didn't know when it would be re-opened. He called and he was devastated. He is so tired and just so upset that after all this time he is still not with her.

Presley and the orphanage staff were stuck on the train on their way to Shenyang. I don't know if they were able to get off the train and hopefully now are in a hotel waiting for James arrival.

We made the decision since they didn't know when the airport would re-open to try and take the train. So this morning at 10am our time..James boarded the train from Beijing to Shenyang which is a 9 hour train ride. I feel so bad for him. He has been in and out of airports..sleeping only minimal hours in different hotels each night...and now has spent the evening hours in a train. Talk about a rough start to this journey.

By now 7:08pm as I write this James hopefully has hit his destination of Shenyang and hopefully is on his way to the hotel. He was scheduled to sign today at civil affairs and the notary..hopefully this can still happen. I am worried now that there won't be enough time to get the passport done on time. He is supposed to leave on Saturday for Beijing. I am waiting by the phone for news from him and really hoping that tonight is the night. It just seems like there has been so many obstacles in the way...the storm followed him from Montreal to Shenyang.

As soon as I get an update I will keep you all posted...it has been a rough few days for me as well..many sleepless nights and tonight I am really starting to feel the lack of sleep and I am not even in China. James is doing great considering the journey but like he says...he will do anything to get to his daughter.

Let's hope they are meeting very shortly...

Waiting impatiently at home...

Karen

James home away from Home-Traders hotel in Shenyang

Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province, is the largest city in northeastern China with a wealth of natural resources. Strategically located downtown and just 30 minutes from the airport, the friendly 588-room Traders Hotel, Shenyang is also close to Shenyang's popular tourist attractions. As the city develops, travellers seeking service excellence, but still value for money, are well-served by the Hotel's many facilities such as business centre, meeting rooms and banquet halls, fitness centre, and array of dining options.

Poor baby..looks like he will be roughing it this week!

Wish I was there..

Hugs,

Karen

Shenyang here he comes....

Hi all,

Well I just got off the phone with James in Beijing..he is at the Poly Plaza Hotel and will soon be heading back to the airport for his flight to Shenyang....his flight is 1hr and 40 minutes so that is a hop skip and a jump compared to what he has done so far...

He is scheduled to meet Presley at Civil affairs at 2pm China time...so tonight while we are sleeping..or trying to....he will meet our angel for the first time. He is very anxious, tired and excited...the last pictures were got of her are over a year old. So I am sure she has changed a bit.

Presley has lived with her foster family for over 2 years and last week she was brought back to the orphanage..so I am sure she has had a tough week..the orphanage indicated to James it is easier for the parents to make the break with the foster family earlier instead of the day the parents arrive to meet their child. My heart breaks for all the heartache I am sure Presley has gone through. I am sure she has had a lot of sadness in the last week. Losing her family makes me so sad for her, she doesn't understand what this is all about and only knows that she has lost everything that she knew...hopefully the transition to her Daddy will be not too hard...he has done well in the past with Jagger and Jaden and we are hoping for it to go as well. Only time will tell. He is a great Dad and I am sure he will have her giggling and playing with him in no time. He has some experience behind him which helps a lot.

Presley and the orphanage staff will be leaving shortly from Dalian to take the train and make the 3.5 hour ride to Shenyang...and then the moment we have waited for for what seemed like so long will arrive. I doubt I will get much sleep tonight...and I will be waiting for the phone to ring.

I will update the blog once I get an update and of course will send pictures once I receive some. Of course he opened our laptop to try it out and it has a corrupted file in Windows it says..so he has trekked it all the way to China and it has a bad file...he checked it days before he left and all was ok. So I guess he will be using the good ole business center.

I can't wait to hear about our daughter and to see how her legs are, what her personality is like, to see her smile, laugh and all the wonder a child brings to ones life. The journey truly starts in 7.5 hours from now...Presley we are so close baby, your life will change forever in a few short hours. Mommy loves you so much and can't wait til you are in my arms.

Hugs,

Karen

James leaves for Beijing today!! Crossing our fingers

Good morning everyone,

Well James arrived in Detroit last night and they put him up at the Detroit Hilton Suites. They provided him with a supper and breakfast voucher which was nice of them. So this morning he is planning on taking the shuttle from the hotel around 9am and heading back to the airport. I just checked the status of his flight. Here it is.


Flight: 11 Date: Sat., March 3, 2007
Departs: Detroit-Wayne County Int'l, MI (DTW)
Arrives: Tokyo-Narita, Japan (NRT)
Departure Date: March 3
Arrival Date: March 4
Gate:
Gate:
Scheduled: 12:35PM
Scheduled: 4:00PM
Actual:
Actual:
Aircraft: 747-400
Weather: NRT

Status: On Schedule (I AM HAPPY TO SEE THIS)

So the journey continues today and by 9am tomorrow morning James should be landed in the country of our children. One step closer to Presley. He will take a plane to Shenyang on Monday morning we are hoping. Because of the flight delay the in China flights had to be changed so we are hoping that he will get into Shenyang before lunch (I think it is not more than an hour flight) and then hopefully he can rush off to meet Presley in the afternoon. Our agency indicated that perhaps that James would only meet her on Tuesday. Only time will tell. Of course I will keep you all updated. : )

The snow here is incredible but so beautiful. Today we are off to my niece Lia's 6th b-day celebration. Lia is from Taihe in Jiangxi and she is growing up to be quite the little lady. Happy birthday sweetheart!

Have a great Saturday!
Love you James and Presley...can't wait to hear from you both.

Hugs!
Karen aka Mom

The journey has begun-bit of a bumpy start

Good afternoon all,

Well last night everything came together quite nicely....I left work at 3pm and James finished as well....we had supper and finished up our last minute things before leaving...everything was arranged and ready....and when I woke at 3:30am..I could not sleep..just so excited and stressed..the wind was already howling and the snow was starting....

We checked the Northwest flight as soon as we got up and it indicated of course "DELAYED" the favorite word that all travellers love to see....so it was delayed until 11:30 instead of 8:45am...6am we have all the van packed, kids are ready with backpacks and all and we are heading to the airport anyways as I have to work, Jaden to be dropped off at daycare, kids to school....who am I kidding on a day like today....I no sooner put the key in the ignition and on the radio announces "Lester B Pearson schoolboard is closed"...well there goes school and there goes work for this single mom..LOL

So we came back into the house, tried to see what the options were for James flight as with the delay there goes his connections to Beijing...

So we got on the phone...and he got a seat for the flight out of Detroit tomorrow morning..direct to Beijing...so will sleep the night in Detroit...

He will arrive in Beijing only on Sunday night at 9pm ..I guess will fly out to Shenyang on Monday am and meet Presley once he arrives or shortly thereafter....he has a long trip ahead of him...but he is in good spirits and is very anxious to get the journey underway.

He just called and he is boarding the plane to Detroit so that is great news...hopefully Detroit won't be hit with a huge snow storm or anything....

Doesn't Mother Nature know we have waited way too long for our little girl....we need some low temperatures and lots of sunshine...

So day 1 of the journey is underway...Daddy is on the way Presley..

Soon he will be on your side of this big world..

Jaden is walking around the house already saying "I Miss Daddy"..it is going to be a lonnnnnng 2 weeks.

Karen
Mom to 6!!!!!!!!!!