Halloween Fun

Collin and Brennen had a lot of fun this year showing Maeve what Halloween is all about!

One Happy Family

Our summer with Maeve went so fast! It's hard to believe fall is already here. Though Maeve has only been home for four months, it seems that she has always been with us and we now can't imagine life without her!

We had a lot of fun this summer going to the pool, spending time on the ball fields with the boys and welcoming the many family members and friends who came to meet Maeve. In September, we had Maeve baptized and we were just thrilled at how many friends attended the service, in addition to our families. Everyone is still so excited that she is home and is doing so well.

We recently went to Colorado Springs. Dave had an Air Force Academy Alumni Baseball Reunion there, so we made a family trip out of it so that we could see our dear friends, the Blocks. The kids all had so much fun...and by kids I am including my husband and all of his college buddies! What a hoot to see all of those guys playing baseball at the Academy again! I have to admit, for a bunch of "old guys", they still got it!

The morning after we got back from Colorado, a reporter and photographer from the Quad City Times showed up at our house to do a feature story on international adoption and my non-profit organization, Raising Hope International. (Okay, I knew they were coming but I still felt like Carol Brady on the episode where she wrote down the wrong time that the camera crew was coming to their house and she answered the door with her hair in rollers!) My friend, Cristi, and her three girls (all from China) came down from Dubuque for the interview as well. Luckily, the girls were the stars of the show. Maeve is now a celebrity in our town of Moline. She really hammed it up for the camera! (I know, hard to believe). What a different life she has compared to just a few months ago! What a different and blessed life we all have because of her.

Collin and Brennen are still wonderful big brothers and they are more excited than anyone with each new word she learns to say and with each new step she takes as she learns to walk. She loves both of them so much and she gets so excited when they come out of school each day. When I tell her, "it's time to go get the boys from school," she goes and gets her shoes and brings them to me! She can hardly wait to see them.

I will try to post more pictures after Halloween, but at the rate I am going, it may be Thanksgiving before I post again! Thanks again to all of you who check in to see how we are doing and for your interest in our blog!

Home Sweet Home!

Yes, everyone, I am FINALLY updating our blog now that we are home! After getting several phone calls wondering if we were all still alive, I figured I better get going!

Our flight home was uneventful. Maeve was great the whole way home. She either slept, or smiled at people. Who could ask for more than that?

Dave and I were so excited to see Collin and Brennen when we arrived at the airport in Moline. We missed them terribly. They were excited to see us, but were even more anxious to see their new baby sister. They made signs and brought balloons to welcome her home. What a relief it was to have our family all together safe and sound.

Our friends, the Cavins, made a big "Welcome Home, Maeve" sign that was hanging on our garage door when we got home from the airport. We have such a wonderful family and so many wonderful friends who made our homecoming very special. Someday Maeve will realize how many people anxiously awaited her arrival!

Now that we are home, we couldn't be happier. Maeve is settling right in and seems to know that she is home with her family. She continues to be a happy, smiley baby and she adores her brothers! She gets so excited when they play with her, inspite of the fact that they "love her to death" from time to time. She doesn't seem to mind her legs moving a thousand miles a minute while Brennen sings ,"The Wheels on the Bus" to her, or that it's not always comfortable when Collin tries to carry her around. She just seems to be happy to be home with her family who loves her very much.

Maeve is really starting to like solid foods and is gaining weight as a result. She is up to a whopping 15 lbs.! We are even starting to see a roll on her thighs. She'll be a little beef cake in no time!

Well, that's my update for now. Thank you to everyone who followed along on our Journey to Maeve. We received such positive feedback on our blog from so many people, and we appreciate everyone's excitement for our family. Our trip to China was an unforgettable life experience. Dave and I are fortunate to have traveled to 9 different countries in our almost 12 years of marriage. But, when we look at our three little pumpkins, we realize there's no place like home.

Going HOME!!!

Well, today was our last day in Guangzhou. Tomorrow we leave for Hong Kong, then we head home on Friday. We went to the American Consulate today and took our oath, the last official act before leaving the country. As soon as we get through immigration in Chicago, Maeve will officially be a U.S. citizen.

One of the families in our group left for Hong Kong this evening. The rest of us leave tomorrow, so we went out for one last group dinner. It was really hard to say good bye to everyone, but we'll get together again. Next time, in the States.

This will be our last post until we get home. It has been a lot of fun keeping this journal of our time in China. We hope all of you enjoyed it as well. We didn't take many pictures today, so there's no folder of extra pictures to look at for today. Cameras weren't allowed at the Consulate.

We can't wait to get home to Collin and Brennen. We have missed them very much. Thanks to all of you who emailed and posted messages to us. We really enjoyed hearing from everyone and appreciated everyone's excitement. This journey to Maeve has been quite the adventure, but the real adventure begins when we get home. We can't wait!

Down to the Wire

Well, today was the last full day our group will be together. Some of the families begin their journey home tomorrow after our Oath Ceremony. We all agree that tomorrow will be bittersweet. We are all excited to get home to our families, but our daughters will be leaving their home country and the only sisters they have known. We made a pact to get together for group reunions. We have become like family.

Today we went to a Buddahist temple that is right in the middle of the city. It's a very peaceful place amid the chaotic city of Guangzhou. Some of us braved the long climb up the pagoda that is several stories high. There was a beautiful view and we got some really nice pictures. We also took pictures of the three enormous gold buddahs in one of the temple buildings. It is mind boggling to think of what it took to construct those things!

We ended our day with one last pizza party, this time in Drew and Stephanie's room. It was so much fun looking back over the past two weeks. The girls are all growing and changing before our eyes. Their personalities are really starting to come out. They are all such sweet babies and we will miss them.

Tomorrow we will squeeze in some last minute shopping and the few of us who will be here until Thursday plan on going to dinner together. I will be frantically packing, trying to shove five suitcases worth of "stuff" into three! I may be purchasing another suitcase tomorrow!

Well, it's time to put a very sweet, but very tired little baby girl to sleep. If you would like to see more pictures from today, click on the "More China Pictures" link and then on the "China Day 12" folder.

Red Couch Picture

Today was "Red Couch Picture" day. This is an event that all adoptive families are excited about because it means that they have their child and are close to coming home. The families in our group met at 10am for the photo. It was actually quite fun. The kids were dressed up in their traditional Chinese outfits and looked adorable. They were also all over the place so we had to act fast. As you can see from the extra photos, Maeve wasn't as excited as we were about the "Red Couch" picture. In the end it turned out just fine. We actually got a few good pictures and one excellent group photo. We have a great group and we have enjoyed getting to know them all.

The "Red Couch Picture" wasn't the only event we had for the day. Actually, to start our day we called Collin and Brennen. They sound like they are having a great time with their grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. We sure miss them and appreciate them being so good while we pick up their baby sister. Maeve is excited to see you and give you her great big smile. She looks at her special alarm clock quite often. We can't wait to see you in a few days. Cathy and I really appreciate all the help that our family and friends have provided while we have been away.

After the "Red Couch Picture" it was time for Maeve's doctor's visit. It was very easy and she is quite healthy. The appointment consisted of quick measurements, a doctor's once over and an ear, nose and throat exam. She sailed right through and it was determined that she was the smallest of the girls at 13 lbs 9 oz. She also is 26 1/2". These measurements were a bit different than the last adoption document we received. S he actually is doing great and progressing every day--sleeping well and eating a lot more than she did a week ago.

After the doctor's appointment, it was Dave's turn to get pampered. I went with some other men in our group to get our foot massages. I think the best thing about the whole experience was Carl's reaction to his feet being massaged. He is extremely ticklish and had a hard time not laughing through the whole experience. I must say that I really enjoyed it. Initially I was reluctant but it was very relaxing. I can now better understand why Cathy enjoys them so much.

Cathy took this opportunity to take Maeve on her first Mother/Daughter shopping outing. They had a great time with some of the other mothers and daughters, but they are a deadly pair. They came back with a lot of packages--I may have to put some type of quota or restricitions on them (yeah, like that will work). Actually, I am writing the blog tonight because she is out with her friend Wendy (NC) closing down some more stores.

We had another good day in Guongzhou and finished it with dinner with our group at a local restaurant. The restaurant was very nice, but when you initially enter you walk by all these tanks of fish, crab, and all sorts of stuff, like water beetles, silk worms, dirty eels, etc. We didn't have anything exotic tonight but some traditional Cantonese foods. These foods are much milder than the spicy foods of Chongqing. After dinner, we decided we needed an evening stroll because Maeve wasn't quite ready for bed. We took a short walk to Starbuck's and got a latte and muffin to cap off our evening. Well my evening, remember Cathy is out shopping. Actually, I am glad Cathy and Wendy have hit it off so well and that they can develop their friendship.

Well that's enough for now. If you would like to view more photos please click on the link at the upper right corner that states, "More China Pictures" and select "China Day 11."

I'm filling in for Cathy tonight because she had a tiring day of shopping (3 times) and a massage. Please don't worry about me--I got to write the blog.

Actually, we all had a wonderful day. It started with Maeve having a great night sleep and then putting on an outfit that our dear friend Cristi gave her and it actually fit (photo). She is such a pip squeak and we are having difficulty finding her clothes. Maeve is doing really well. She is sleeping great, eating more and more, and has such a great disposition.

We didn't have any planned activities today but it turned out to be quite busy. After breakfast, we all went on a trip to the jade market. Maeve and I were actually along for the ride and Cathy and some other ladies got down to business. It was quite interesting but hard to really know if it was authentic. After that adventure and lunch, Maeve and I went back to the hotel. Maeve had a very lengthy nap and I might of dozed off a bit as well. Cathy on the other hand was off shopping with the ladies again. We have a group photo of the girls tomorrow and they all decided to purchase the girls authentic Chinese dresses for them to get their photos in. They were successful and then they were off for massages. Many in our group went to include our friend's 8 year old boy, Pait. They had a wonderful time and it was a very relaxing experience for all. It was so good that I'm going to go tomorrow with some of the men.

After Cathy got back, we decided to go to the pool. The White Swan has an awesome pool and a nice little baby area. Maeve loved swimming and it was fun talking to many of the other adoptive families not in our group. There is a huge group (~20 families) from the Boston area. The pool was very refreshing in the heat of Southern China.

It was now time for dinner. We went with our friends the Bryans from NC. We went to a Thai restaurant that was very good. Carl ate his meal out of a coconut and mine was out of a pineapple. I have been very pleased with the food on the trip. The hotel buffets have been great and the Chinese food has been very good everywhere we have gone. I guess I won't be losing a few pounds on this trip.

At this point it was close to 8pm and we were heading back to the hotel, however, Cathy and Wendy decided we weren't quite done shopping. We poked in and out of a few stores and enjoyed talking to some of the locals. We even bought a few things if you can believe it.

As if we hadn't had a full enough day, we decided to go and get some ice cream. It sure tastes good in the humid air of Guongzhou, just ask Maeve. I had her in the bjourn in front of me and she decided she wanted some ice cream. I had to give her a little taste. Well we found out she REALLY REALLY REALLY likes ice cream. Let's just say that our quiet, easy going Maeve had a legitimate meltdown after daddy was done and mommy was done. Thank goodness for bottles.

If you would like to view more photos about our 10th day in China, please click on the link that says, "More China photos" and then click on "China Day 10."

China Day 9

We arrived in Guangzhou late last night, so we were too tired to post a message. Today, we had a relaxing day walking around beautiful Shamian Island. It's a nice change of pace from the craziness in Chongqing. The White Swan Hotel is wonderful and we are looking forward to spending our last few days in China here.

Maeve is doing better each day. She is actually getting pretty used to Mom and Dad. This afternoon I had to go to fill out some paperwork, so Maeve hung out in the room with Dad. When I got back to the room, she was so excited to see me, and then she had to give me the business for leaving her! She is getting very attached to her mommy and that is just fine with me!

This afternoon all of us took the girls to have their pictures taken for their visas. It's hard to believe that we are down to the last few days in China. Dave and I are so excited to get back home to see Collin and Brennen, but I still have plenty of shopping to do before we go! It's also bittersweet in that we will be taking Maeve away from her home country. We know we will be back someday with all of the kids, but we are trying to be good about taking lots of pictures so that Maeve will be able to learn about where she came from. We hope she will be proud of her heritage. We are very proud of where she comes from. China is a wonderful and beautiful country.

Dave and I took a lot of pictures of Chongqing, which you can see by clicking on the "More China Pictures" link and then on the "China Day 8" folder. The "China Day 9" folder has a few pictures from today.

Our Last Group Outing in Chongqing

Cathy needed a break from the blog tonight so I am substituting for her this evening. Today was our last group outing in Chongqing. This morning we all gathered in the lobby and departed for Eling Park. Eling Park is the highest point in the city with some spectacular views of Chongqing. Unfortunately, it was rainy and overcast and visibility was very poor. I was very disappointed because Chongqing is absolutely enormous. I wanted to see it from that vantage point because it is high rise after high rise with many more under construction. Our tour guide calls the city a "concrete forest" because of all the high rises. They go on for as far as you can see and truly is hard to comprehend--think Chicago downtown times 1000. Despite the rain the outing in the park was very interesting. It was very pretty and had some neat landmark's. Mao had a house in the park where he held up during World War II and there was a neat museum. The museum outlined the Three Gorges project, which is a huge damn, that is displacing approximately 1.3 million people. After an hour or so the kids let us know that it was time to head back to our hotel so off we went.

We returned to the hotel and spent a quiet afternoon hanging out in the hotel. We got take out from an italian restaurant and Maeve and I took a nice walk in the garden on the 10th floor. We all also were able to sneak in naps.

It has been a long week here in Chongqing so we decided to invite all the families and our guides to a pizza party in our room. We ran down to the Pizza Hut, which is right next to the Starbuck's, and brought some pizzas back to our room. It was a great way to spend the evening. We all needed to socialize and blow off a little steam. Many of us have been so focused on adjusting to our children that it was nice to really spend time with other adults having fun. It really turned out well and we were all able to share our progress this week.

Well tomorrow is our last day in Chongqing and I think all the families are ready to move on to the next leg of our journey. We have all heard of the great experiences that people have in Guongzhou and the White Swan and we are all looking forward to it. I think Cathy is excited about the shopping.

If you would like to view more pictures of our experience in China please click on the link in the upper right corner entitled, "More China Pictures" and then select, "China Day 7."

Taking it Easy

Today we decided to take it easy and stay at the hotel. Maeve is feeling much better, but she needed a day with less excitement and more nap time! Maeve was having a lot of trouble keeping her formula in, so we switched her to soy formula and that seems to be helping. Little by little she is doing better.

There is a mall attached to our hotel, so we went for a walk. Other than that, we just played in the room and rested. We all needed a slow day.

Tonight, Maeve finally started grieving. She has been through a lot and it finally all hit her. We worked through it and hopefully each day will get easier for her. We talked to her big brothers, Collin and Brennen, on the phone today and they are ready to give her lots of love when she gets home.

Tomorrow we are going to the highest point in Chongqing to get a great view of the city and to learn more about the 3 Gorges Dam. We should have some great pictures to post tomorrow. If you would like to see some pictures of Maeve playing, you can click on the "More China Pictures" link and then click on the "China Day 6" folder.

Going to the Zoo!

Today we had an outing to the Chongqing Zoo to see their many panda bears. Maeve is still fighting a cold, but she still had fun seeing all of the animals and pretty flowers at the zoo.

It was amazing to see panda bears eating bamboo just a few feet in front of us! They really are cute animals. One of the pandas gave birth to twins, which is very rare. Unfortunately, the baby pandas weren't out today. But, we got to see mom and grandma.

We also saw something you would never see in a U.S. zoo. A bear stood on it's hind legs and would dance in a circle to get you to give him soda! People were pouring soda down to him and he would catch it in his mouth!

Maeve is starting to trust us and bond to us a little bit more each day. She gets a big smile on her face when she sees mommy or daddy. She is just so sweet.

To see more zoo pictures, click on the "More China Pictures" link and then on the folder entitled "China Day 5."

It's Official!!

Today was the second day we were waiting for...going to the Civil Affairs Office to make our adoption leagal in both China and the U.S. After a family picture and a swearing in, it was official! Maeve is our daughter forever!!!!

To celebrate, our group went out to dinner for some spicy Chongqing food. Maeve tried her hardest to sit in the highchair, but she is such a peanut that she kept sliding down. So, she sat on my lap and had some steamed eggs...a favorite of Chinese babies.

Maeve continues to be such a happy baby, inspite of the cold she is coming down with. We are hoping it won't be long before she starts the grieving process that is natural for her to go through. It won't be much fun, but it is necessary.

Everywhere we go, people comment on what a smiley baby she is. It amazes me that a tiny baby in her situation would have such a joyful spirit. I guess the angels we prayed for God to send took good care of her and made sure she was happy. Her big brothers, Collin and Brennen never let a night go by without praying for baby Maeve. God heard all of their prayers.

To see more pictures from today, click on the "More pictures from China" link and then click on the "China Day 4" folder.

Our Beautiful Maeve!!!

Words cannot explain the joy we feel today! We FINALLY have our beautiful, smiley Maeve in our arms!

After arriving in the absolutely crazy city of Chongqing (it's the largest city not only in China, but also in the world...32 million people!!), we had just one hour to do more paper work and get ready for the babies! We were all rushing around in a state of delerium.

After the paper work was finished, we were told to go back to our rooms, wait for our luggage to arrive, and then come back to the conference room. Well, Dave and one of the other dads headed for the lobby with their camcorders and cameras to catch the girls arriving. Dave took one look at a sweet baby being carried in by an older gentleman and said to the other dad, "That's my daughter!" He could tell it was her right away because she has Collin's chin and Brennen's big smile.

Dave called me immediately from the lobby and said, "They're here!" Unfortunately, our luggage was the last to be delivered, so I was still gathering up a few things. Needless to say, I was in panic mode and just about stopped breathing! (I know that is difficult for most of you to imagine). The next thing I know, my dear husband was walking through our hotel room door to help...I think the dead silence on the other end of the receiver followed by a slam tipped him off that I was about to lose it!

We finished getting our things together and headed for the conference room. When we walked in, all of the girls were in the room already waiting for their moms and dads! Maeve was the first baby I saw and my heart about stopped. She is such a beautiful baby and I knew it was her the minute I laid eyes on her. I said, "Nihao, You You" and she looked at me and gave me the biggest smile Dave and I have ever seen. At last we were looking at our Maeve.

Once all of the parents arrived, we were one by one joined with our daughters. Everyone in the room had to let out a laugh and an, "Awwww", because when I took Maeve in my arms, she looked me right in the eyes and gave me the sweetest smile, as if to say, "It's going to be okay, Mom."

After going back to our room, Maeve continued to amaze us with her giggles and smiles. Then, she took a bottle and fell asleep. I have a feeling that when she wakes up, the smiles will be gone for awhile. But that's okay. We'll see that sweet smile again before we know it.

What an amazing day. Though God may give us our children in different ways, the moment you hold that child in your arms for the first time feels the same...amazing and indescribable. Life doesn't get much better than this.

For more pictures of our day, click on the "More China Pictures" link and then on the "China Day 3" folder.

China Day 2

Our second full day in Beijing was quite the adventure. After our orientation meeting with Holt (at which we received updated photos of Maeve and she still has that beautiful big smile, only now with two teeth!), we set off for Tian An Men Square. I had to pinch myself that I was actually standing there! It's bigger and more impressive than pictures show. Chairman Mao's mosoleum is closed for renovations, so we couldn't go inside. However, just being there was very surreal. It was also fun to see the countdown clock to the olympics just across the street. Everyone in China is so honored and excited to be hosting the next olympics.


Afterwards, we went to the Temple of Heaven, which is where the emperors would go to pray and offer sacrifices. It is probably one of the most beautiful sights in all of Beijing.


Next, we went to the Pearl Market. I had to convince everyone in our group to go there after the Temple of Heaven so that our driver would take us there and wait for us. It didn't take much convincing and we had a blast! I haven't gotten to bargain like that since we lived in Turkey! Needless to say, after just two days, I have a reputation as the resident shopper of our group! It helps to have good friends who told me ahead of time exactly where to shop!


We ended our day with a stroll through "Snack Street." Let's just say that if the visuals didn't put you over the edge, the smell did! Of course, if your idea of a snack is scorpions, beetles, silk worms, or sparrow on a stick, then this would be the perfect place! To see more pictures from our day, you can click on the link to the top right that is entitled, "More China Pictures" and then click on the folder labeled, "China Day 2."

We are now less than 24 hours from holding our sweet Maeve. It's hard to believe, but the next time I post a message, it will be with Maeve by my side. Okay, now my stomach is in knots. I'm not going to sleep a wink. Where's my Tylenol PM?

Our First Day in China

After a three hour delay in Chicago, we safely arrived in Beijing on Thursday evening. Today was our first full day in the beautiful country of China. We met everyone in our travel group this morning and we are very fortunate to be traveling with such a wonderful and fun group of people!

It took about two hours by bus to get to the Great Wall, which allowed us to see a great deal of Beijing, including the grounds of the Olympic Stadium. The stadium, still under construction, is called "The Birds Nest" due to its shape. It will be used for the opening and closing ceremonies.

The Great Wall was breath-taking...literally! We haven't huffed and puffed that much in ages! There are parts of the wall that go straight up, but the view was worth every minute of the hike. Being two people who have also had the fortune of seeing the pyramids in Egypt, it was just as mind boggling to imagine what went into the construction of the Great Wall. It's no wonder that it is one of the seven wonders!!!

After leaving the Great Wall, we headed for the Cloisonne Factory and learned all about what goes into the making of these beautiful pieces of art. Much to Dave's dismay, I out-shopped everyone!

We ended our afternoon by taking a bicycle rickshaw tour of the Hutong district. We even got a tour of a family's home. Though it was very modest, the family was extremely proud of their home in the Hutong district which is being increasingly threatened by the construction of new apartment buildings.

We ended our day by going to a duck restaurant with two other couples from our group to try Peking duck. We were told that it was one of the four experiences we needed to have in Beijing. One of the guys in our group was convinced he would get avian flu if he went near the duck, but the rest of us were daring and it was delicious! We even got an official certification of the duck we devoured...not sure why. I guess if there's a duck recall, we'll know the other guy in our group was the smart one.

To see more pictures from our first day in China, you can click on the link at the top right entitled, "More China Pictures", then click on the "China Day 1" folder.

Two more days till we see our newest pumpkin! We can't wait!

ALL PACKED AND READY TO GO!

The past six weeks have been a whirlwind, but our bags are packed and we are ready to go! It's hard to believe that Dave and I leave in 2 days, we will be on the Great Wall in 4 days and we will have Maeve in our arms in 6 days!

Big brothers, Collin and Brennen, are looking forward to spending time with both sets of grandparents, but are very anxious for their baby sister to get home. They have been a big help in getting everything ready.

Our next post will be from Beijing!! Somebody pinch me.

AT LAST...WE HAVE A DAUGHTER!!

On April 6, 2007--Good Friday--we finally received our referral call after an 18 month wait! It was indeed a "good" day and our precious Maeve was definitely worth the wait! So, it is with indescribable excitement and joy that we introduce our daughter and baby sister:

MAEVE MARIE FUYOU O'KEEFFE

Chinese Name: Xiu Fu You

Date of Birth: August 10, 2006

Xiushan Social Welfare Institute

Chongqing Municipality, Sichuan Province

There is something to be said for the "Red Thread" Chinese proverb that says a red thread connects those who are destined to be together. We know this is the case with our precious Maeve. Not only could we feel it in our hearts the minute we laid our eyes upon her, but we also realized that she was born on what would have been Cathy's grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary. God is good!

While We Wait

We have been keeping very busy as we anxiously await our referral from China. In spite of terrible winter weather and Dave's busy travel schedule, we managed to continue our tradtion of celebrating Chinese New Year with our good friends, the Steeds. We had a wonderful time going out for dinner at a Chinese restaurant and exchanging red envelopes with the kids. This was the 6th Chinese New Year we celebrated together! Oh how time flies...except when you are waiting for a referral, that is!