Gotcha Day !

We have Maggie ! It has been an exhausting and very special day !
Maggie is doing great ! We are really starting to see her personality
and lots of smiles and laughs. She did not have a nap today and is
still awake. She is very curious and does not want to miss out on
anything. Sounds familiar, doesn't it Walker ? Maggie came right to
us and only cried a liitle after we met.
She LOVES her daddy and thinks he is very funny !
She had her first bath and did pretty good. Of course, we rubbed her
down with good smelling baby lotion and she seemed to like that.
We are going to try and get her to sleep now and try to sleep a little
ourselves. She is used to a 4 AM bottle, so it may be a long night !
Maggie is much smaller than what we thought. I have not weighed her,
but I am thinking she would be in a 9 months clothes.
Much Love to everyone !!!

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Church, Tian'anmn Square and The Forbidden City

This will be a quick post. We are about to start packing up our
suitcases because tomorrow we fly to Gaungzhou and meet Maggie !! Only
ONE more sleep. It doesn't seem real.
We startd the day at a church service for non-China residents. We had
to bring a copy of our passport to the church to show that we are not
Chinese citizens. The church rents out a Chinese theatre and it was
very nice. We really enjoyed the praise and worship and the message -
very good !
Next, we went to The Olympic Birds Nest where some of the Olympic
games were held. Pretty cool ! Then, we went to eat at another
western Chinese restaurant. After that, we got back on the bus and
headed to Tian'anmn Square and The Forbidden City. We saw some
beautiful Chinese jewelry from One of the Dynasties ( I am tired and
can't remember which one !). The most interesting thing was we saw
the well where The Dragon Lady
( one of the China Empress') threw a Concubine in. Crazy.
The weather was a little colder today and we froze again. I am
getting real good at layering and bundling up and ready for a much
sunnier and warmer Gaungzhou ! We leave at 5:30 AM to go to the
airport and I am ready !
Please be in prayer for us and Maggie as her world as she knows it
will be turned upside down - for the Better - but she will not know
what is going on.
Please e mail us and say hi - we love getting all the e mails and
calls on the Majic Jack. We might not return your call for a while,
but it is so nice to hear everyone's voice. I can't read the Blogger
comments, so I will have to read them all when we get home.
Love,
Kathy and Chuck

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The Summer Palace and The Great Wall

We met most of our group this morning at breakfast. Some of the
families are flying in today and we will meet them later. It has been
so neat getting to know all the families and talk about our little
ones.
We started the day off at The Summer Palace and it was freezing !
Chuck got some beautiful pictures of the different architecture and
paintings. We had our first group picture there too.
Next, we went to a Jade museaum and learned all about Jade. Very
interesting ! Then, we went to a Chinese dinner ( more American than
traditional Chinese) that was served family style. All the food was
placed on a lazy susan and shared. Everything was delicious and not
too different than what we are used too except the fish was served
with the head and all - YUM !
We drove about an hour north to The Great Wall. It was really much
colder there ! We climbed a portion of the Wall and the mountains
around it were beautiful. It was quite a hike up and the steps are
very uneven. There were many Chinese woman in high heels - very
impressive.
Last, we drove back to the city and had a traditional Beijing Roasted
Duck dinner also served family style. The duck is served with
"pancakes" and you assemble it like a fajita. I wasn't to sure about
the duck, but all the other food was very good and a lot like our
lunch.
: Walker and Will - We miss you so much !! I hope your having fun
playing with Brantley and Olivia. Two more sleeps before we get Maggie
!! Wow !

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Shopping, Shopping and more Shopping !

Today is much colder than yesterday. It is 10 degrees F. Also, the
smog is not so thick and the wind is really blowing. But, you get a
little used to it and we have many layers of clothes on which really
has kept us warm. We mostly stayed indoors today and will tour more
outside on Sat. and Sun.

We are just about over the Jet Lag. I can tell a big difference in
how I feel today. Yesterday, I was ready to go to bed at 3 PM and we
finally crashed at 7:30 PM.

We went back to the Pearl Market and the Toy Market. I felt a little
braver and really bargained for some cool stuff. The sales people are
very pushy to get you to buy their goods and some even tried to pull
us over to their stalls. It was kind of crazy at one point ! We felt
like the Seagulls in Nemo - Mine, Mine, Mine !!!

We found some great Chinese Lego sets - COGO- and bought a set for
Will.(Sorry Will, no Batman Lego sets). We also got Walker some great
stuff too.
Chuck had fun looking at all the electronics again and I loved the
apparal Market.

Tonight, we are going to the Kung Fu show and it will help us to stay awake.
Only 3 more sleeps till we get Maggie !! Can't wait !

Merry Christmas !
Kathy

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Day Two in Beijing

We started the day with a huge breakfast at the hotel. It was yummy
and we were starving. Then, we got all our winter clothes on and
headed out to the Temple of Heaven. It was really cold, but not
unbearable. Tomorow, we will layer our clothes a little more though.
The Temple was beautiful, but our favorite thing was to watch the
people in the park. It is such a different culture here. Everone
exercises and plays games in the park - all ages. They look so
healthy and fit and I wanted to dance and exercise with them so bad,
but we just stood and watched them. It was really something different
and very cool ! Everyone here has been so nice and courteous.
After the Temple, we walked over to the Pearl Market. Chuck had a
great time looking at all the electronics, binoculars and scopes ! We
only looked at one level of the Market and we plan to go back tomorrow
to find some pearls ( for you Diane !) and look around a little more.
It is fun to haggle over the prices and see how low you can get them.
I saw a lot of MAC make-up too ( not sure if it's real though ?).
So by now we were starving - again. We saw a cute bakery right as we
were dropped off at the Temple and fell in love with it. The Chinese
bakery called -"Weiduomei' reminds me of the pastry bakeries we saw in
Switzerland. They had so many different kinds of goodies ( salty and
sweet) and everything looked good. There were woman decorating
elaborate cakes and making breads. It was very chraming ! We bought
six different pastries for lunch ( three were cheese and meat and
three were sweet). They were so yummy !! It only cost us $4.00 too.
Now, we are trying to stay up and not go to sleep untill later. The
Jet-Lag is bad and we are really feeling it now. Tomorrow , we plan
to go back to the Pearl market and some other smaller Markets nearby.
We might try to see a show too and just take it easy. Saturday and
Sunday will be a very full day of touring so it will be nice to get
reasted up.
Enjoy the pictures.
Merry Christmas !
Kathy

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We Are in Beijing !

We just got to our room in Beijing and we are really tired ! Our three flights were uneventful but we really could not sleep more than about two hours on the plane.  Everyone here has been so nice and Rosa ( our guide) met us at the airport .It was wonderful seeing that AWAA sign she was holding !  So, we are going to try to get some sleep now.  Tomorrow morning we will eat breakfast at the hotel and do some sight seeing without our guide.  I think we will try to go to the Temple of Heaven, The Pearl Market, a Chinese acrobat show and grab some dinner somewhere.  All the other families will arrive here Friday and our official tour starts Sat. morning.

It sure feels good to know that we are so close to Maggie and it won't be long now.

Oh - all Chuck's gadgets are working - The Magic jack, G mail video chat, quik.com and g mail of course.  We already had a video chat with the boys and it made me so happy to see their faces ! I miss them a lot already.

Merry Christmas !

Kathy

--

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Hi there - check this Qik video out Packing!!!! Again...

Survival Mode and Nesting.

I remember when we brought our boys home from the hospital and we were so tired and didn't know what to do.  So, we kicked in what we affectionately call " Survival Mode".  We did what we had to do to get through the first couple of weeks.  We let our babies sleep with us, we ate terrible fast food, the house did not get clean and we let our babies sleep in the baby swing or car seat ! 
Well, here we are again in " SURVIVAL MODE".  Our fridge is stocked with Coke ( we usually just drink water) and cinnamon rolls and we've been eating sandwiches for lunch and dinner for the past week. The boys have been sleeping on pallets in our room and they have played way too much WII.  It is just like it was when we brought our babies home. But, we are packed, the house is not a total disaster and we have tried to really focus on the boys this past week. Actually, it was Chuck that mentioned we were in "SURVIVAL MODE" and it hit me - even though we are adopting and the circumstances are different - bringing home Maggie feels the same as bringing home my boys.   Even down to physical changes in my body, lack of sleep and emotional highs and lows.
Oh, and I also am nesting really,really bad.  I nested with the boys and this is no different !
Everything seems cluttered and I have an overwhelming desire to throw away everything and clean.
Even my Blog seems junky and cluttered ! My wonderful friends are coming over this weekend to mop and dust for me while we are gone to take the boys to their Grandparents. I am so thankful for their love and support.
I am also thankful for all the prayers that are being said for us and for Maggie. We are stepping out on Faith right now in every area of our lives and it has been incredible to see God's hand in everything and His purpose fulfilled.

In seven days !!!

Beware: Very random

Yes, In seven days we will be boarding an airplane and heading to China !
It is so overwhelming to think about.
I have been really, really busy with Family Christmas', paying bills ( yuck), and getting all Maggie's paperwork together.  I have not even started packing for Chuck and me. I am stressed !!

I don't want to be stressed and really don't like it, because...

I am so ready to focus on Maggie and nothing else for a while !

Whew ! So glad I got that out in the open.  Her bags are fairly packed, the car seat is bought ( but not put in ) and her stroller is ready. Santa is coming early and then another family Christmas, then we will say good bye to the boys ( how will I do this ?), drive home, finish packing and cleaning and leave for Atlanta.


Chuck has become video happy and is a little obsessed with posting video on my Blog. Sorry.
I will go ahead and apologize about how dorky I am in videos ! No one wants to see Chuck or me anyway in a video - it's Maggie who will soon be video taped-OH JOY !!
I can't wait for everyone to 'meet' her on video !

There are eight families in our Travel Group.  I am looking forward to their friendship in China and meeting their little ones.

Test 678

http://qik.com/video/3900693

--
Chuck Beams
Opelika, Alabama
Be Blessed!
Never Give Up!
inthewaitingadoption.blogspot.com

TA !!!

It's official ! We have our Travel Approval ( TA) from China !!!
Lot's of HAPPY DANCE 'n going on at the house today.

Our official travel dates are Dec.22 - Jan 9. We should be holding Maggie for the first time on Dec.28 th !!
That means : 15 more sleeps till we leave for CHINA and 21 more sleeps till we see Maggie.

Praise the Lord and Hallelujah !! It felt we would never get to this point !

I have a lot of packing and more list making to do.
I'm also trying to really spend time with the boys and LOVE on them.  They are not going with us and it will be very, very hard to be away from them.  Thankfully, we can  SKYPE and talk with them from China.  They will be in the best care and spending lots of time with cousins and Aunts and Uncles.

A Little Busy Here.

We put our Christmas tree up.....

Bought some of these...

Made some of these.....

Packed for a much anticipated trip to China !!!!!

We are preparing to leave for China . Although our TA has still not come in - we are confident it will soon.  So,  we are planning on traveling with the Dec.24th AWAA group.  We were able to use our SkyMiles for our tickets and already have them booked.  Very EXCITING !!!

So, these days my head feels like it will soon explode from list making, TA anxiety, Christmas shopping, craft making, Home-Schooling, packing, and my overachieving  personality.  I am not a procrastinator, so I am trying to get as much done each day that I can.
Thank goodness, we all have a sense of humor around the house !

And, In case I don't send out Christmas cards this year...

Merry Christmas from,

Chuck, Kathy, Walker,Will and Maggie

Updates on Maggie and new pictures

We used LADYBUGSNLOVE and received these adorable pictures of Maggie.

We also sent her a care package that had a letter we wrote to the Orphanage director introducing our family and thanking him for taking care of our girl, a photo book of our family to show to Maggie, a toy and soft blanket and nuts/candy for the nannies.

We also asked ten questions and got updated measurements.

1. What kind of food is she eating and how much ?

About 300ml of Long Dan formula mixed with rice cereal along with meat broth or other food.

2. Does she use a bottle or a cup ?

Bottle.

3.What is her daily routine ?

She enjoys activities in the morning, afternoon as evening every day. She takes a bath around 4:00pm.

4. How would you describe her personality ?

She is lively.

5. What are her favorite activities ?

To play with other children.

6. Does she have a special friend or a crib mate ?

No.

7. What is her sleeping/feeding routine ?

Sleeping: 12:00-2:00pm, 8:30pm-6:30am.

Feeding: 7:00am; 11:00am; 3:00pm; 7:30pm.

8.What makes her angry or upset ?

When she is frightened.

9. Who found her and was there a note left with her when she was found ?

She was sent to our institute by policeman. There was no note or other things with her.

10.Is she close to a particular Nanny ? What is this Nanny's name ?

Zhou Xiao Rong, Feng Yi Fen, Zhang Xue, Liu Xue Ling, and Feng Quan Hua.

11. Her updated measurements:

Height: 29.1 in; Weight: 19.8 lbs; Head: 16.5 in; Chest: 17.3 in; Teeth: 6; Foot: 4.7 in.

12. Did she receive the care package we sent to her? Did she like it?

Yes, she got it and loves it.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from our Family to yours.


“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 
II Corinthians 9:15

Maggie's Room

I made these white, tissue-paper pom poms to hang over Maggie's crib.  I needed something to help fill up this huge wall.  They are really cuter in person than in the picture.
 (I still would love her name painted or vinyl letters above the crib.)

This was my husbands rocker when he was little.  My mother-in-law painted it white and stenciled the little lambs.  The boys have really enjoyed it over the years.
It has been so fun to fill her room up with dolls and toys.  Walker and Will bought Maggie the little white bunny and I ordered the Corolle Calin Yang doll.  She is so cute and soft and smells like vanilla.

I made these "curtains" for Maggie's diaper changing table. 
They were Shabby Chic Target shower curtains. 
 I cut them off and hemmed them, hung them by rhinestone shower hooks and Voila - a magical play area for our little girl

Her crib is just waiting for her. I have a stack of soft blankets and cute sheets ready.
Another doll I ordered, The Stella Doll, is adorable.
  It came with a magnetic pacifier that attaches to her mouth ( and it's the softest doll).
  (I have a little obsession with soft dolls.)


We spend a lot of time playing in Maggie's room now.  It's a fun,bright place to be !
The boys love just sitting in her room and I find myself just sitting there too.


**UPDATE **
Our Article 5 was approved and sent to the CCAA yesterday.  Yippee !!
Our TA will be coming soon !!!

No news

Today is three months and 4 days since we first saw our sweet Maggie's face and said YES !!!! to her referral.

We are still waiting on our TA ( travel approval) to come in.  I have become a little obsessed  busy with checking my e-mail, snail mail, and Rumor Queen. I would love any, ANY, bit of news that would tell me when I am going to get on a BIG OL' JET AIRLINER.

My guess at this moment would be that we will leave on Dec. 31rst.  But, at this point, it's anyone's guess....

So, anyone want to play the "When are Chuck and Kathy going to China" game ?
Go ahead, take a guess.
It will be fun !

Celebrating Maggie !

Last Sunday, I was given the Most Fabulous Baby Shower for Maggie.  I was so overwhelmed by all the food, beautiful decorations, fun adoption games and presents !

 It was my desire to celebrate Maggie with friends and family before we left for China. There was possibly no celebration at Maggie's birth, no baby shower or blessings given.  I can't wait for Maggie to watch the video and see the pictures from this shower.
 She was celebrated in such a festive,blessed, Southern way !

My very talented friend Allie made this photo board of Maggie.  I love it !!

These are just SOME of the incredible ladies who helped put the shower together.

Maggie's first Lovie !

A very beautiful sweet dress. I can not wait to see our girl in it !

Maggie's first purse - a  very cute patchwork, zebra purse.

  Oh !!! I love it !

 

My sweet friend, Malissa, is knitting a dress for Maggie.  It is made of the softest yarn and the prettiest blue.

I had a hard time trying to find the right words to express my gratitude for all the beautiful presents I received for Maggie.  How do you express your heart when it is overflowing with thankfulness ? I could feel so much LOVE from everyone.  It was like the BEST Christmas or Birthday party I ever had !  So, Thank you, from the deepest part of my heart - for celebrating Maggie and for your prayers.

Now, I am ready to go to China or I think I will bust !

Thanks Ida !

Dear Hurricane Ida,
You have dumped a lot of rain on us today. Our yard used to be nice and green and dry. But not today !

 The boys have enjoyed all the rain !

They have always wanted their very own lazy river !

A poem for Maggie

A dear friend of mine,Wanda, awoke at 2 AM this morning with our family and our waiting daughter, Maggie, on her mind. She just could not sleep and went to the kitchen and wrote this poem.
It is beautiful and healing to me.  It describes our journey and heart for Maggie and her journey and heart for us and of course God's plan for all of us.

Maggie Caroline

I was found at the intersection of life and death,
Only hours after taking my first life giving breath.

Found by strangers not knowing what to do, I was placed
In an orphanage while I waited for you.

God's angels took me into their care, they fed me and
Clothed me as I waited there.

From morning til evening God held me in His heart,
Knowing I was yours right from the start.

When God looked into my parent's souls, He said, my
Children don't worry, I will love her and make her whole.

As God's eyes searched the whole world through,
He saw the heart of Walker and Will, too.

With brothers to protect her and lots of love to share,
He could place His tiny daughter in their loving care.

So when you see the Beams' together and there's five instead of four,
You'll know their hearts expanded and God opened up a door.

A door that leads to life and love and so much more,
For parents who will follow God to any distant shore.