Soon to be walking (or Running)?

Yesterday Jorja finally realized that she could stand by herself.  Although she could walk around holding things, it was not until yesterday that she would stand up by herself and let out a scream of joy. She seemed to be very proud of herself.

Christmas

Well Santa did come to our house and Jorja was a bit indifferent.  At first she did not know what to think of it but know she thoroughly enjoys her zebra toy

Bath Time

Do you think she likes it?

Santa

Jorja finally met Santa and she dis quite well.  She had the support of her big sister but for the most part, she just sat on his lap and stared at him wondering who this white bearded individual in the red suit was.

1st Birthday

In making the adjustments back to Nova Scotia, we had time to celebrate Jorja's 1st birthday on Saturday.  It has been quite the week for her and we are extremely happy to be able to celebrate this special day at home.  It was a small affair but was fun.  Jorja was not quite sure what to make of it all but she certainly is enjoying her new toys.

Jet Lag

Well we have been home for several days but the jet lag still remains. Although it is getting better, we have been going to bed and waking up at irregular times.  Last night was our best so far so we are hoping that in the next couple of days we will be back on Nova Scotia time. 

Beijing to Halifax

The girls did incredible on the flight home. It was over 14 hours of flying but they were incredible. While sitting in our seats on the flight from Beijing to Toronto, We looked over and saw Jean Chretien, who was walking around the plane talking to people.  Jean was telling people that he wanted to do something special for the flight.  He stated that there was a young Canadian musician on the plane who plays the Cello by the name of Stephane Tetreault and he had just finished touring Asia.  After talking to our section of the plane, he had Stephane set up at the front of our section and play 3 selections.  It was a very memorable experience and broke up the flight.  Mr. Chretien was an incredible personality and you could see why he was Prime Minister.

On Our Way Home (Goodbye China)

Well today is finally the day where we make the trek back to Canada.  Although we all have had an incredible time, it will be very nice to get home.  We have over 15 hours of flying and will not get in until midnight but we will be all apprecitative of being in our own home and own beds.  The first little while will be difficult to adjust to the time difference but getting Jorja on a regular schedule will be great. She has adapted extremely well and has been an incredible baby girl.  See you soon!

Shopping and Acrobat Show

Yesterday and today were mainly shopping days (much to Mom's delight). We went to the Silk Factory yesterday morning and it was really neat because we got to see the silk worms and the process for making the silk. We got some really nice things there. We then went to the Pearl Market and Paul got to do some bartering which he LOVES!
Last night we went to an Acrobatic Show and it was really amazing. Paul stayed home with Jorja; she's doing really well and is almost as good a traveller as her sister but we didn't want to risk an evening performance so just Maya and I went.  Maya really liked the show, especially the costumes the female performers wore.
Today we skipped the group excursion and went to the tea house and saw a traditional tea ceremony. Maya didn't like the tea so much but did like the clay 'lucky boy'.

Tonight we had our farewell dinner with all the families in our group. It was nice to be together with everyone and share our experiences here in China. We are all anxious to get home now, it is not easy living out of a suitcase with two kids, but we have really had a wonderful experience here and it is a little sad to leave. Jorja is showing more of her personality to us each day and she is such a delight. She has the sweetest smile and we are so blessed to have this little girl come into our lives. As I sit here writing this post I can here Maya and Jorja playing together behind me and it really is the most wonderful sound in the world. Our family is now complete and we can't wait to get back and show her off to all our family and friends at home!

Summer Palace

On Monday we went to the Summer Palace.  It was beautiful there, however I think it would be much nicer in spring and summer when the flowers are in bloom.  It also boasts the world's longest corridor and that was very nice to stroll through. It was pretty chilly but we enjoyed ourselves and Jorja did awesome. She loves all the activity and loves to watch what is going on around her.

 

Beijing Zoo and Great Wall

It has been a very busy couple of days! Yesterday we went to the Beijing Zoo and Maya was delighted to see the giant pandas.  It was a little cold but we had a great time. The zoo was huge and we only got to see a fraction of the animlas there. The pandas were the main attraction of course, but we also saw lions, bears, monkeys and alligators. Most of the animals were in indoor cages, and it was a little sad because there were some huge lions and tigers in little cages just pacing back and forth.
Today we went to the jade factory and then Great Wall! It was kind of neat that we went to the same place on the wall that we went when we came over for Maya.  One of our complaints was that it was very foggy that day so it was nice to have a clear, crisp day to enjoy the scenery.  We actually made it to the top this time and the view was incredible! Maya did an awesome job climbing up and Jorja even had a bottle on the walll. It was a very interesting climb because the stairs are not consistent heights and are on a fairly steep incline, but we did it! I think I was more nervous coming down than I was going up! We also did a drive by of the Olympic stadium and the Bird's Nest and Water Cube. Everyone was pretty wiped out by the time we got back to the hotel.

Jorja is doing very well, she has very quickly wrapped us around her finger and she won't go to sleep unless she is snuggled into one of us. She responds to her name now when we call her.  Paul had her laughing out loud today, such a sweet sound!

Beijing

We made it to Beijing yesterday without any major issues.  Jorja travelled quite well.  Today we will be completing some paper work and in the afternoon heading to the Beijing zoo.

Yuntai Gardens

Today was our last day in Guangzhou before we head to Beijing.  We went to the Yuntai Gardens today and it was really beautiful there. All of Guangzhou is beautiful actually and probably the most beautiful city I've ever been in. Joanna our guide said it is called the flower city and I can see why, there are flowers everywhere! We tried Jorja in her stroller again when we were at the park and she still hated it but she eventually fell asleep as we strolled around. It was hot and humid here today and the air conditioning at the hotel was a welcome relief after our walk. I definitely don't think I could handle the summer months here. Just before supper we took a last walk around the neighbourhood surrounding the hotel and tried Jorja in her snugli again. She has now come to like that mode of transport so we had a small victory! We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here in Guangzhou, it has been an amazing experience. The people here were very friendly and the service we received was wonderful, I feel a little sad to leave but am also looking forward to our time in Beijing.

Sha Mian Island

Today was a pretty low key day. We went shopping on Sha Mian island. It was beautiful there and we enjoyed walking around and taking in the sights. There were school children out doing what I think was probably the equivalent of our gym class and we must have seen about 8 couples being photographed for their wedding which I thought was strange for a Wednesday morning! We bought a few things, one of which was a stroller, and discovered that Jorja hates being in a stroller about as much as she hated being in a snugli! We are going to have to work on that because even though she's small she gets heavy after a while.

Adoption Official

Today we are officially Jorja's parents! We went to the registry office this morning and completed the final Chinese paperwork to adopt Jorja. We had to do a couple of interviews and sign some paperwork and then we were all done! I forgot the gifts we had brought for the officials but other than that it went very smoothly. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying our new baby girl. She is eating much better today and her personality is really starting to show. Lots of smiles and 'talking' today. She does NOT like getting changed and it took both Paul and I to get her ready for bed tonight. Hopefully that will change. Maya loves her but is not a fan of the crying and tends to run away when Jorja gets upset.Luckily for everyone there hasn't been a lot of crying so far.
Our guide, Joanna, has been wonderful helping us with everything since we arrived and tonight she took us to a local restaurant for a cantonese dinner. It was delicious and it was great to have someone do the ordering for us who know all the best dishes!
Tomorrow we are going shopping onSha Mien Island. First on the list is a stroller as Jorja doesn't like the snugli we intended to carry her in! Mom has been dying to do some shopping since we came to China and she's finally going to get her chance. We'll get a chance to work on our bartering skills before we get to Beijing!

Our Family

Jorja is adapting fine and Maya has been an incredible big sister.

Our 2 Angels

After an incredible day, our 2 angels have hit the wall.  Jorja was falling a sleep in Tanya's arms and Maya has been an incredible big sister so far but at one point put on her pajama's and hopped in bed herself.  Hopefully they will sleep in tomorrow.  We have our fingers crossed.

Finally!!!!!!

What an amazing day! Our long wait has finally come to an end and we have our daughter and our family is now complete! We went to the Adoption Registry Center of Guangdong around 2pm and we didn't have to wait long to get her. I recognized her as soon as I saw her! She is a little peanut! Maya is enthralled with her and is a very proud big sister. Jorja has a wonderful dispostition, very calm and happy. There was a lot of crying from other children at the center, but Jorja took everything in stride!I only hoped I'd be as lucky the second time around and it appears that we have been doubly blessed. She loved the musical toy we brought her and hasn't parted with it since we gave it to her. She hasn't been too eager to eat anything yet, hopefully she will before bed tonight, I like a healthy eater! We are back at the Registry tomorrow to finalize everything and Jorja will officially be ours!

Today is the Day!

We arrived in Guangzhou yesterday afternoon and we had a lovely train ride here. It was really cool to get to see some of the Chinese countryside although most of it was developed. Guangzhou is really nice and our hotel is great..very fancy with an amazing garden. We are now just hours away from meeting Jorja and can hardly wait. I barely slept a wink last night and Maya woke up at 3am. She told me she couldn't wait to meet Jorja and that was going to be her apple for the day. It has been great to get comments from some of you, it feels like you are right here with us. Our next post will be to show off our beautiful baby girl!

Hong Kong at Night

Last night we went on a boat tour around Victoria Harbour and watched the symphony of lights. It was breath-taking looking at all the lights and the skyline was amazing! Maya loved it and has been doing awesome with everything we've done so far. She is a wonderful traveller, happy and content with whatever adventure we take her on. She has adapted to the time change here better than anyone else and always has a smile on her face! Today we are heading for Guangzhou by train. I think that should be a very interesting way to see China! We have totally enjoyed our time here in Hong Kong but are anxious to get to Guangzhou and get out little girl!

Bridges, Buddah & Cable Cars

What a beautiful day.  If was around 25 degrees out side and we had a tour of Lantau island which was beautiful.  We started with a bridge tour, then went to one of their beaches on the South China Sea (2 miles long), then to the local fishing village and then we went to the Po Lin Monastary for lunch and then we got to see the worlds largest outdoor seated bronze buddah.  It was amazing and instead of taking the bus back, there was a cable car ride over the mountains that was 5.7 km long. Although this was a great day, we still connot wait for Monday to come.

The Peak

We went on a tour of Hong Kong Island this afternoon and the highlight was definitely Victoria Peak. It had wonderful views of the city and was really amazing. It has been a long day and we are very tuckered out, but it was fantastic! Only three more sleeps until we meet Jorja!

Our First Day In Hongkong

We have had a great morning here in Hongkong! I can hardly believe we are finally here, it feels like a dream! It really is a lovely city, very scenic and clean.  The thing I found very surprising is all the Christmas decorations, it is very elaborately decorated. We saw one amazing display of the Toy Story characters. It was more like Disneyland than Hongkong! Tonight we are planning on doing a harbour cruise to watch the symphony light show, should be exciting.

Made it to Hong Kong

Althought the flight was long, we all survived and arrived safety in Hong Kong.  Exhausted but will rest well tonight and do some sight seeing tomorrow.  We are one step closer to getting Jorja!

This will be the first post of many to document out journey to China for our new Daughter Jorja Song MacDonald.  We are heading to China on November 9th and should be meeting her on November 13th or 14th.

Jorja was born on November 26, 2010 in Yangxi County which is a county of Guangdong Province, China. She is currently at the Social Welfare Institute of Yangxi County.