What a Difference!

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Hello from Guangzhou!
Stace and I LOVE reading your comments! It’s a lot of fun, and a great way to end the day! 😊 We’re sorry we can’t answer them individually, but keep sending them our way! It’s like camp mail call all over again for us!

This is our second to last stop on the Adoption from China Tour. We took an early flight this morning and had to miss our hotel breakfast buffet, so there was the potential for crankiness (and not just on Sarah’s part). But thankfully, Sarah did really well on the flight (her first airplane ride!) after munching on leftovers and rice cereal. Mom and dad just survived on adrenaline until we got to McDonald’s in Guangzhou and to our new room for a 3 hour nap!

The air is thick with heat and humidity but is cleaner than the air in Changsha. Stacey and I have developed a slight sore throat and cough that’s keeping us from sleeping well, and we’re thinking it was the bad smog in Changsha and the cigarette smoke at the hotel. Other families are confirming the same experience. Los Angeles has bad air, but I think Changsha’s got the Southland beat by a mile. And what’s the deal with cigarettes and Chinese men? Anyway, we’re enjoying the environmental conditions much more here. Personally, I’m more familiar with the dialect (Cantonese) so I’m a little more at ease when having to speak in public. It’s amazing how one country can have dialects so different that they’re almost foreign languages to one another.

Stacey and Sarah have just collapsed in bed and are breathing heavily. Though we long to be back home, it’s actually quite good to have a couple of weeks here in China to get to know our Princess and be mostly free of responsibilities. Besides the few hours of meetings or pre-planned tours every day, our schedule is wide open and allows us to give undivided attention to baby. And we can really sense that there is much progress being made.

Sarah’s really cut loose, and has been, at times, very playful and inquisitive. The little turtle has come out of her shell! Whereas on Tuesday, she would cling tightly on to mama, today, she was doing backflips in mama’s arms. Whereas on Tuesday, nothing interested her, today she was pulling drawers open and digging inside bags. Whereas on Tuesday, she was content to let us feed her, today she was aggressively grabbing at food (she even sat in a high chair after an initial tantrum). Whereas on Tuesday, she wouldn’t allow her feet to touch the floor, today, she was walking around the 7-11 store and refused baba’s hand.

That sounds like progress, eh? How wonderful…how beautiful to see…and how thankful we are. What really pulls on our heartstrings are the smiles and quiet cackles of laughter. Sigh…what a long way she’s come from the frightened child she was when we first received her. We are so in love with Ah-Boo-Boo…we’re already mourning the day when we’ll have to say good-bye to her when she leaves for college or gets married! Ha!

Our agenda for Saturday: medical exam and shopping (again). We’re already in need of diapers, as this 23-pounder is a waste-production machine! Ah-Boo-Boo has already gone ah-poo-poo four times in 24 hours, after pitching a shutout the first 72 hours! It probably has something to do with the anxiety and change in diet. Yesterday morning, we said that we never have so longed to see poop…Today, we are literally pooped-out!

Many thanks again for your love and emails. Blssings to you all!

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Photos

Sarah in Flight
It was only about an hour, but our little princess did very well on her first airplane ride.

Going solo
What a difference a few days have made! She would have never been on the ground, much less on her own in public, just a few days ago!

Kung Fu Fighting
Don't mess with this young lady.

Comments

[chengs]

Soooo funny!
Praise Father! That's a great and funny update! Glad to see Sarah's doing nature's calling regularly now! Yes, she IS a princess, after all the Biblic-l meaning of her name is princess ... we should know, right! We will keep pr'ing for you and praise Father for all the great news!

[Irma]

U 2 r amazing
Hi Stacey and Godfrey. I came across you blog last night and read all your entries.... My name is Irma and I am South African. I am a kindergarten teacher and currently living in Shanghai. Your story is absolutely amazing and I want to thank u for helping China. I am very passionate about chinese children and love my students so much. I will adopt a chinese girl too in the future. i am only 22 now so I have to wait a few years. Please don't stop writing because I enjoy it so much! And I know that Sarah is going to have a fabulous future with the 2 of u! Thank you for inspiring me and may God continue to bless u! I'm praying for you!

[whitney]

sweetness!
a traveler, she is! such a joy to read your posts! it's become a daily ritual here in the Chen house. =) take care of those sore throats/coughs! some chinese medicine a day...keeps the sore throats away? haha. pr-ing for ya'll!

[Yvonne]

memories
Your journal entries keep bringing back memories of our own first few weeks with Sophia. Was it really just last year that we were in your shoes? Anthony and I look forward to your new entries and have inspired us to attempt our own blog. Can't wait to see you back at home.

[Anna W]

Pretty As a Princess
"Pretty as a Princess" is the title for a Precious Moments figurine. I'll have to get that one for you to put on your mantel because from the looks of it, Sarah certainly has you both wrapped around her precious princess finger and other body parts. Y'all are going to be in trouble (and I'm not just talking about in her teen yrs either)- I think daughters have a way of doing that to parents. You should see Wes with Amanda- he's this big old teddy bear (very different with his boy). Wes says that she's got the cutest smile and dimples. And when I put her hair up in pig tails, then Wes really becomes this mushpot. We're so happy that Sarah has felt so comfortable and has warmed up to you both practically instantly- how could she not?!! What a difference each day makes- that really reinforces the fact that children just need love, care and attention and then they grow like wild flowers- blooming everywhere. Sarah is sprouting so quickly and isn't it amazing that you're seeing right there before your very eyes? Thanks for your updates and happy trails as you head to other stops and back home. Stay healthy by drinking lots of water.

[nicole h]

awwww.....how cute!
awww...it's so awesome to hear how everything is going! every morning when i wake up to read the blog, i get so excited!! It's such a joy to hear what has happened everyday, and in so much detail. Thanks for sharing! I'm thinking of you! i'm serious anticipating the day when i get to see all three of you together!!

[Cez]

How old is she?
...23 lbs!?! My Hannah is only 21 lbs at 21 mths old. :) Glad that everything is going much better. Everyday you'll learn and see something new from her and as parents. Heard that you might be coming back 'home' for a bit. Let us know when and where! We'll try to be there with open arms! :) Much love, Cez

[D&J]

Wonderful Hom Princess
Godfrey and Stacey, It's been our evening ritual for the past week reading your "Sarah" entries before we go to bed. Our hearts are just so thrilled reading all the stories and seeing all the pictures. I know that she is such a wonderful gift to you. But we also know that you both are an unbelievable blessing to her. Thanks for sharing all your thoughts and keeping up up-to-date on your princess. Greetings from San Diego. We've been on vacation with our extended family enjoying the beach life. We can't wait to sell all of you very soon.

[Cindy Akiyama]

Sarah, the social butterfly
Praise Father, He has made all things beautiful in His time. Every day we wait for your travelblog to show up in our mailbox, It's like a special treat from China. Dave and I have had a lot of chuckles over how much Sarah reminds us of Hannah. Hannah also went from clingy and shy to a social butterfly within a week's time. So we know you'll have your hands full (and a great bl---ing, too!!!). We are asking Father to help you get a lot of rest on that plane ride home so you can join us for a big homecoming at PVBC's family camp. By the way, Hannah had a fit the first time we put her in a car seat on the way home from LAX. She wailed all the way home, until red-faced, she finally dropped from exhaustion. Hopefully, Sarah will not follow in the footsteps of her China cousin in this regard. We are SOOO looking forward to seeing you all!

[elaine]

BABY!
awwww!! babyy! yay for baby! Godfrey..wow you just made my day with your poopie sentences...haha...sooo funny!!!!! i hope that everything is going well!! =D