So amazing...

So, the trip was just amazing!

Once we arrived in Nanchang, we were unable to access Facebook, Twitter and Blogger. So, emails to our family and friends was the best we could do during that time.

As a result, I am going to post those to Blogger and update Twitter and FB at the same time.

Ella is doing great. She seems completely different from the first day we got her... but here's the beginning of our adventure...

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[Originally posted 08/08/10]

Well, we got her!

It was the strangest thing… we were called and told to come to the lobby of the hotel. So we did.

There were two women who brought her from her SWI. One was the director and the other an assistant. They were very sweet.



We stood there and looked at her and another baby from the SWI and asked if we knew which one was Xia Qing. We didn’t really. But they told us, obviously. She is much smaller than we ever thought. In fact, she’s probably in six-nine month clothes, but we’re not quite sure at this point. She was handed to Jenn and she just looked dazed and confused… I’m sure a lot of that will be forthcoming the remainder of the week.

Jenn held her for a little while until I got her. She did really well. She didn’t wince or whimper or cry or anything.

We asked a lot of questions and then said our goodbyes.

Our guide, Shinko, who will be with us the entire two weeks, said in her experience the babies that come from her province and SWI typically are the healthiest she’s seen.

We came right up to our room where Ella just started crying… loudly. It was the ugly cry. The really ugly cry. She got herself so worked up that now she’s asleep. So we haven’t had much time to spend with her… YET!

So, that’s where we are.

What an amazing day. Jenn and I are already exhausted from anticipation. But it’s just so weird to instantly have a love for her and we just really met. I’m not sure how to describe it. Odd, but wonderful at the same time.



Nanchang is nothing like Hong Kong. The traffic here is much worse. The neighborhoods don’t really seem safe. We get strange looks wherever we go, but we don’t care. We have our daughter and that’s what makes this trip worthwhile.

Attached are a couple of photos that we have so far. One includes Jennifer and the SWI director.