We're Going to China

Mia loves the TV show Ni Hao, Kai Lan, which she watches on DVD in measured amounts. Her grandparents bought her the DVD containing the episode where Kai Lan visits China, and Mia would watch it for hours if we let her.

My personal favorite scene shows Kai Lan, her grandparents, and friends on the airplane. They sing, "We're going to China, we're going to China. I feel so happy I just want to sing. Kai xing, kai xing, kai ching!" (Which I understand means "happiness")

Our travel authorization was issued by the China Center of Adoption Affairs late last week, and ever since I've been finding myself breaking into song. Kai xing, kai xing, kai xing!

We are tentatively planning to leave on March 24, pending confirmation of our request for an appointment at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou on April 7. That would put us back home on April 11. We are planning to fly in and out of Hong Kong this time. Mia will have to see the Great Wall of China when we return for a homeland tour in a few years. Due to spring break, airplane seats were hard to come by, so we will be making multiple stops and the total flying time will be about 24 hours each way. On the return flight, we have a short layover in Minneapolis, just as we did when we adopted Mia. This means that Piper will become a U.S. citizen in Minnesota, which is where Jeff and I were born. I love that!

It also means that if we get through immigration and customs quickly enough, Piper will be able to meet her grandparents!!!

Piper at 13 Months

In December we used a China-based "care package" service to send some goodies and request an update on Piper. We were rewarded with the attached photos and updated measurements.

Piper is in an excellent CWI (aka orphanage aka "baby house" as we explain it to Mia), and we were delighted to see how happy and healthy she looks - at least what you can see of her!

The measurements showed Piper is making excellent growth progress, having moved from the 3rd percentile or less on height and weight on the China growth charts at birth to the 25th percentile on height and 50th percentile on weight at 13 months. She is still a peanut by U.S. standards.

Our Family Is Complete!

Meet Mia's little sister-to-be, Piper Li. Piper currently lives in the Chengdu Children's Welfare Institute in Sichuan province. She is a little peanut, small for her age. We've been told that people living in Sichuan province tend to be diminutive.

This referral photo was taken at age 8 months. Piper is now 16 months old. It has taken a lot of paperwork and there have been many delays along the way. We've had to have faith that in the end we would be able to complete our family.

(P.S. After seeing the blond baby doll in this photo, we sent a package containing an Asian baby doll and a few other goodies for Piper, the other children, and the nannies.)

Feelings and Friendships

Mia has now been in her new preschool for 6 weeks, and the change is noticeable. For one thing, she is louder. Her new classroom is bigger in square footage and there are a lot more kids, so the children have to speak up to be heard over the din.

For another thing, Mia is more expressive about her feelings. We often hear, "I don't like it when you do that. It makes me feel bad."

They must talk a lot about best friends, as in who is best friends with whom. For a couple of weeks, Mia declared daily that E (a boy) was her best friend. She also told me that "J and J (girls) are best friends, so they are not my best friend." As time passes, she seems to be entering the inner circle with the other girls, because now any child might be her best friend on any given day.

Oh, and she tells Jeff and I that we're her best friends - except when she gets mad at us. Then she says, "You're not my best friend!!!!!" Our comeback of course, is, "Mia it makes me feel bad when you say that." That is often enough to make her stop in her tracks, reflect, and say "I'm sorry, Mom. You're my best friend."

At the Playground

It was 60 degrees and sunny on Sunday, so Daddy took Mia to the playground.

Miss Hollywood

I took this photo on "ballet day." On Wednesdays, all the girls in Mia's class have a ballet lesson. The girls wear their leotards in the morning and the teachers change them into street clothes after class. When I saw her in this get-up, I had to get out the camera. Mia loves her new silver coat. I'm also happy that she is wearing her sunglasses more often. I am big believer in sunglasses, but to this point haven't had much success getting Mia to wear them.

Chinese New Year

We celebrated Chinese New Year (a week late) yesterday. Our China playgroup got together for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. The timing was a bit challenging - right smack dab in the middle of Mia's normal naptime. Other than that, Mia had a good time. There were about 15 girls from age 3 to 8 or so. A highlight was when the girls took turns parading around the restaurant in a "lion" head. (It looked more like a dragon to me, but the father who brought it said it was a lion.) Mia had a couple of spins with the lion, once in the middle (bottom photo) and another time in the head (shown being carried by another girl).

This morning, Mia's preschool teacher asked her if she had a nice weekend. Mia nodded, saying, "I saw my Chinese friends."