Reviewing comments of past

With Chynna's referral-versay coming up the end of this month, for some reason I decided that I should go back and review those comments on Rumor Queen's site that lead to the debate over my daughter's name Click here for what I'm referring to. The day of Chy's referral started out to be a joyous day, and I was (as all parents are) quite excited to share this with the adoptive community on the Rumor Queen website that I checked religiously (especially as our referral was getting closer). Boy did that start something, all over my daughter's name. Not only did I get the know-it-all's telling me how wrong it was to name her Chynna, but then I started getting private messages and emails, all under the guise of helping me make an informative choice and "trying to protect my daughter". It really upset me, how dare these people take away my joy. But then I decided, who cares what they think....I have finally seen my baby girl's picture and learned who she is and where she is from. I'm one step closer to holding her in my arms. Funny thing is, I believe in the next few days, my daughter was nationally known (I even ran into a couple of families in the airport on our way to China who were super excited to meet us as we all shared the journey to our children, until they heard my daughter was Chynna, then they would roll their eyes, quickly express their "congratulations", and go about ignoring us. Their loss). To this day, those hurtful comments couldn't be further from the truth of reality. Chy has been home with us now for almost 3 years (she's almost 4 years old), and I tease her and tell her I'm gonna change her name to something else, and she proudly announces (ok, sometimes she yells at the top of her voice cuz she gets so angry with me) "MY NAME IS CHYNNA.....JUST CHYNNA". She does love her name, and others that meet her love her name. I really can't imagine that ever changing. So to all those out there that feel they need to express their opinion for something that an opinion really is not sought, do the person a favor and keep it to yourselves.

Our trip to Chynna

Journey to Chynna

Chynna's Gotcha Day Video

Here it is, the long awaited video of the Gotcha Day ceremony...Click here for Gotcha Day Video

Back Home (but posting last day, Hong Kong)

When we left for Hong Kong what a sad sad day. There was a mix up with some paperwork that was thought to be lost of another family (when in actuality it was mistakenly given to another family who had it in their document bag), so we didn't get a chance to say a proper goodbye to our amazing guide Veronica. Poor Veronica was so upset because she thought it was her fault that she cried and cried and couldn't speak. We felt awful that was the last thing that happened after our amazing time with her.

We traveled by train to Hong Kong and got to see parts of the countryside of China. How different than what we were exposed to, saw such poverty. So sad how some people
have to live.

Once we got to Hong Kong, things were so different than what we experienced in China. The people there appear to be much ruder than China, no such thing as personal space nor standing in any lines, and the hotel was not very accommodating (we had to wait over an hour for the crib to be delivered after my having to call the front desk numerous times, it was late and Chynna was beyond tired as it was well after her bedtime and they insisted it would be delivered right away every time I spoke to them). Maybe I was just ready to start the trek home.

The next day we did, and what an amazing little traveler our Chynna is. She did a great job on the long trip back to the States, but was so tired. I felt so bad, our friends Cyndi and Dean were there to meet us, first we get lost trying to find them, and they were there waiting with a gorgeous sign welcoming Chynna home and had a camera ready, but we didn't get to give them that joy of surprising us. We had to call them and they had to find us. Oh well, guess we'd never do well on the Amazing Race. We had a fantastic visit we got to have with them, but Chynna was freaking out and I felt bad for Cyndi and Dean. I just think she was overly tired, since as soon as we made it through security waiting on our plane she fell right to sleep.

There was definitely a difference in the flight from Hong Kong to San Francisco than the one from San Francisco back home. On the long flight from Hong Kong everyone was so accommodating to the babies getting us whatever we needed if we needed anything. However the shorter flight back here in the States, well let's just say we felt like we were the unwanteds on the plane. Not accommodating and just plain awful, but we made it back home. Dorothy had it right, there is no place like home.

We had some other friends (Don, Be, and J. Mei) who met us at the airport. Had a great visit with them, and Chynna (after sleeping lots on the short flight) was a much happier baby. Once Dad, my brother and my sister in law picked us up at the airport, she was all smiles and giggles for my family (including my aunt, cousin, and her brother who were anxiously waiting at home for us to finally arrive at home).

Chynna has adjusted really well and quite quickly to the new time and doesn't appear to be suffering from the jet lag (can't really say that 100% of Mom, lol). She's an amazing little girl, and we are so blessed that she is now officially part of our family. This has been the best journey ever. Now we will begin another journey, the journey of life with two amazing children.

Day Twelve (Consulate Appt, Pearl Market, White Swan Red Couch Pictures, and Medicine Street)

What a day today. We awoke to a dreary rainy day, and it stayed that way all day. But we weren't going to let that rain on our parade. We had lots of things planned for today, and no rain was gonna keep us from completing our agenda.

First we went to our consulate appointment. No cameras were allowed, so we took a few pictures of Chynna in her adorable outfit. The consulate appointment is basically a swearing in ceremony where you stand in for your child and swear the documents you've completed to that point have been true and correct. Once that was done, Chynna is now officially our daughter in the U.S. eyes. As soon as she steps on U.S. soil in San Francisco she is officially a U.S. citizen. What an amazing process.

Funny side note (to my family, they will get a kick out of this): Like I said it was raining, well when we got off the bus, I told mom to hurry out of the rain, and as we weren't allowed to bring strollers into the consulate, I was carrying Chynna in my flip flops that I wear a lot. Ray was basically running ahead of Mom. Well I hit a slick spot on the pavement, lost my footing and as one of the girls in our group said, I fell in complete slow motion (and quite gracefully too I'm told). Meanwhile all I could think of was don't drop Chynna. And I didn't, but I got quite wet on one leg but Chynna was safe the entire time, not a drop of wetness got on her and she stayed safely in my arms. Mom keeps saying it's karma for the Haiti incident....I still think her Haiti incident was funnier than my mishap today.

Anyway, after we were done there, we came back to the hotel til the afternoon. But then we were off in the rain again, this time to the closed White Swan for pictures. What fun that was. The other babies would start crying and trying to scoot off the couch and Chynna would look at them like, what's wrong with you. Then we were off to the medicine street, where they sell all kinds of things for any ailment from dried sea horses, to live scorpions, to snakes, and chickens, and ducks, and turtles, you name it they sell it. Ray and I feel adventurous and we ate some black ants (tasted like charcoal, or what I would imagine charcoal would taste like, hehe). I didn't get to eat my scorpion on a stick or a starfish, oh well.

We also got to experience the pearl market. This is a 5 story building with all wholesale jewelers selling gems. Amazing is all I can say. Then finally we went back to Shamian Island to shop some more and to eat at Lucy's.

Tomorrow we get Chynna's visa, and take the bullet train to Hong Kong. Last stop til we leave for home. We are so close now, and beyond ready to begin our trek back home and to our friends and family whom we miss so very much.

Enjoy the pictures from our adventures today. I'll post again when I can, I just don't know when that will be. Until then.