Bonus Bedtime Shots

The pajama outfit we had on Brandon last night was too cute that I just had to take a couple pictures to share, of course.  He wasn't very happy with me as you can tell in the first shot--but he's just as adorable when he's crying as when he's smiling.  And for the second one, he's just as cute going as he is head on...don't you love the bear on his bum bum!!!  This kid is the BEST!!!!!

Sunday in Guangzhou

We are having the BEST time here in Guangzhou.  The people are so much friendlier, the traffic is not as crazy, and the weather is incredible.  This morning Brandon slept until after 8:00am so we got up and went to breakfast and then headed out into town to pick up our laundry (turned about beautifully.)  Each piece is folded so nicely and it's all wrapped up tight in one bag for pick up.  We are going to go back again this afternoon and give them some more pieces of laundry now that we know they do such a great job.  We did a little bit of shopping for ourselves and family and we are just having fun waltzing around town enjoying the sights and playing with our little monkey.  He is very cranky today.  The drool monster is really cutting teeth bad and is very fussy and hard to console.  He may also be realizing that at this point he's stuck with the Prater's and he's not going back to the orphanage--which could make anyone cranky.

He is currently taking a nap as I write this and then later this afternoon we will visit the Jade and Pearl factories.  We are hoping that once he wakes up he'll feel better.  Tomorrow morning we go to the doctor visit for his medical check up where Brandon could receive anywhere from 5-8 shots.  We are not looking forward to this at all, but I have the Tylenol ready and the video camera charged.  I'll report back tomorrow on how that went.

Just wanted to add a few more pictures of our day in Guangzhou as we walked around.  As you can well see, this kid loves his stroller.  He can't decide which position is more comfortable...forward or backward!!!

Our Terra Cotta Warrior

Just had to add this one as a bonus because this kid is so stinkin' cute!

Guangzhou Arrival

Well, Brandon had his first plane ride.  I have posted the picture of him before the plane took off, but the best one would have been 15 minutes before landing when he was screaming his head off and everyone on the plane was staring at us.  As you can imagine, I wasn't able to get my camera out at that point.  That plane ride was for 2 hours, please pray for us on the 14 hour one on the way home.  We arrived safely to Guangzhou which is the city that the American Consulate is located.  We have to stop here before returning to the US in order to obtain Brandon's VISA.  He had his photo taken this morning for his Visa photo and sat like a good boy for it.  I put a bib on him before the picture because he is cutting teeth and drools like crazy and I didn't want him to have a soaked shirt.  We walked around Shamian Island, which is where the White Swan Hotel is located, at the local shops.  Everyone was so friendly and said that just for us they would give us a 20% off discount because we had a baby.  Aren't they so nice...I think they must really like the Prater family more than anyone else here in China.  We got a great deal on a stroller for our little monkey and bought it.  It came to about $17 and within 4 minutes of having him in it, he passed out and took a 2 hour nap as Adam and I walked around and shopped.  It was the best thing I have ever purchased in my life.  Notice the face plant he put into it!

The weather here is a pleasant change from Beijing and Nanjing.  It is around 73-75 degrees.  Adam is even wearing shorts and a t-shirt today.  Makes us feel like we are back in Florida.  We also took some laundry to be done, so we'll see how that goes when we return to pick it up tomorrow.  Hopefully all will go well.  It's all Adam's clothes and a few shirts from drooly boy.  So if you see us in the same outfit when we return, you'll know it didn't go so well.  This afternoon, I have to go to a paper work meeting to make sure that all of his records are in order.  Adam and Brandon will go down to the play room for a while!

This little man makes us happier every day we have him.  I'm reminded of the verse in John 10:10 that states, "He came so that we may have life, and have it more abundantly"  Our lives have become so much richer having our son come into our world.  We thought we had an abundant life already, but this has just put us over the top.

Year of the Tiger

All around Nanjing there are Chinese New Year Decorations lit up like Disney 
 World.  On two of the main corners where the department store are, I took a 
 picture of my little man celebrating the Year of the Tiger while we were out 
 walking around trying to find something for dinner tonight.  What's funny is on 
 some of the decorations, they have used TIgger from Winnie the Pooh.  The last 
 one is Brandon and Daddy chillin' watching basketball in Chinese!  These 
 two are BIG BUDDIES already.  Life is great!!!
 

Another fun day in Nanjing

We had a fantastic day.  Our tour guide, Nancy, took us to Xuanwu Lake Park.  There was a great area to just walk around but we also visited an aviary and an amusement park.  We have discovered that our son has no fear of ducks, peacocks, and even emu's.  He tried to dart toward the largest bird possible and didn't stop even when they made grunting noises at him.  Luckily daddy was there step in an retrieve him before he was eaten.  We moved on to the amusement part of the park and Brandon had a blast.  We are also traveling with another family that has 6 children and they were excited to go on the rides.  Brandon went on two water rides and a carosel...he had a blast.  Adam went on a ride that was a circle with benches and there was no way to strap yourself in or hold on...it was hilarious.  He was thrown all over the place--and managed to hold down his breakfast.  I couldn't believe it because this is the guy who doesn't even want to go on roller coasters because they make him nauseous. 

Brandon is really warming up to us and has laughed more today than ever.  He has the best smile and giggle and once he gets started he doesn't want to stop.  He loves when we tickle him.  We stop and he looks at us like, "let's have some more of that."  He does an awful lot of babbling but no real words.  He seems to understand most of what we say, which I know sounds weird because we don't speak Chinese.

We have the rest of the evening free and then tomorrow we fly out of Nanjing and head to Guangzhou.  Our guide will pick up his notary certificate and passport in the morning before we head to the airport.  Another great day for the Prater family!

Nice Day in Nanjing

We had another great night.  Brandon woke up around 4:15 to check out the capacity of his lungs (he had himself a big cry) and then fell back to sleep for another hour.  We were thankful for that last hour to rest.  Mom and Dad are tired!!  We had a nice breakfast and then hit the big city streets of Nanjing.  We ventured out in the rain to the department store to have a look around.  Brandon got a new pair of pajamas and of course his Dad had to buy him a toy (a rolling light up cat.)  It's funny to me that the song the toy plays is "Angels We Have Heard on High" and the whole country worships Buddha, go figure!

We have discovered a few things here in China:  if your child looses his shoe on the street people scold you for not having him dressed properly.  (We lost his left shoe 4 times today--luckily one of the times a young girl chased us down to return it.)  All of the other three times we didn't know it was missing for a few minutes and several Chinese women came up and pointed at us and seemed like they weren't happy with us.  We have also found out that there are no high chairs in China or carseats.  It's a blessing that he sits in the chair and hardly moves while we are eating.  He loves to eat, so that must be why he sits so nicely.  Another lesson learned, the food at McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC are not the same as in the US.  You point to a picture on the menu and think you are getting say a chicken sandwich for instance, and then something else entirely comes out.  Needless to say, Nicole has lost a few pounds already....Adam and Brandon are doing just fine!  And yes, we have been to almost every American restaurant because if you saw what some of the Chinese food looked like, you would too!  One more lesson we have learned, we are going to have to check every area we stop at before we move on because now that we have a child, we keep loosing things.  While out sometime today, we left the hotel umbrella behind in the Department Store.  Adam went back to find it, but there was no luck.  It's just enough keeping up with our little man let alone worrying about the small details.  As each day goes on we fall more and more in love with this precious boy.  He is becoming more comfortable with us and growing more attached to us as well.  We both love it when he raises up his arms and smiles to be picked up....life is great!!!

Ready for Bed

Once we got out little man back to the room we got those three layers and snow boots and snow suit off of him (no wonder his cheeks were red when we first saw him--he was HOT!!)  We had a great night.  Our guide took us to the store to get him formula and rice cereal, he had a bottle, got on jammies, and was out like a light.  We had fun playing in the room first of course!  Here are a few more shots from yesterday!!!

Bath Time Fun!!!

We found something else this kid loves....BATH TIME!!!  He had himself a big time with Daddy tonight getting his tub time before bed.  Here is a cute shot I took just a few minutes ago.  (I have posted things several times but our parents are telling us they haven't gone though.  Sounds like things will be sporadic while we are here because my web site is blocked and I'm having to post everything through the email, so it's hard for me to see what's working and what isn't.)
WE ARE CRAZY ABOUT THIS SWEET BOY!!!  Can you tell???

Now for the moment you've all been waiting for...

We have our son!!!  We have had a busy day and by the time we got back yesterday afternoon from the Civil Affairs office, we were drained.  Pu Xi is the best baby...we couldn't have gotten any better.  I don't just say that because we are proud parents, we say that because he slept for 9 hours straight last night and has hardly cried at all.  The only time he gets fussy is when he wants something and he can't get to it quick enough.  He loves the bottle, he loves exploring, I would love to say he loves the toys we brought for him  to play with but he seems more interested in my hairbrush and an empty water bottle more than anything else.  He has really warmed up to us very quickly I would say.  Pu Xi comes to us very easily and loves to be held and hugged.  We have been calling him Pu Xi and then about every 3rd time we throw in a Brandon to started getting him use to it.

We walked in to the Civil Affairs office yesterday and there he was....standing on the counter waiting for his mom and dad.  I didn't have enough time to cry because we grabbed him immediately and didn't have to wait for him to arrive.  The bus ride on the way there was so exciting and we had butterflies for sure.  He was very attached to one nanny in particular and it was hard to peel him away from her.  You can tell that he was loved and cared for very much.  He was holding a cake in one hand and a tangerine in the other (that means good luck!)  We signed some quick paper work and then we were off to the hotel.  We are so happy to be together and start our family.  GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

Nanjing Arrival

We made our way to Nanjing yesterday afternoon.  We had a short 2 hour flight and arrived at the Nanjing Central Hotel.  Brandon better live it up while he's here because our house certainly isn't as nice as this hotel room.  Adam has found his way down to the fitness center for a work out before our BIG afternoon.  We leave the hotel at 2:00 to head to the Civil Affairs office to meet Brandon for "Gotcha Day!"  I have been busy getting things ready to take with us.  We have to take presents to give to the Orphanage Director and the Head Nanny.  How do you say "thank you" enough to the people who have taken care of our son for the last year and a half?  We will have a family photo taken and also will have to sign some papers.  We go back tomorrow to sign the official documents and wait for them to be processed throughout the week.  We stay in Nanjing until Friday.  When we entered our room last night, we saw the most lovely sight....a sweet little crib for our precious son.  It's empty now but will soon be filled with the gift we have been waiting a long time for!

Fobidden City/Tiananmen Square/Surprise - January 24

Last night we crashed in the bed after a long day of walking and sightseeing, so I'm sorry that I didn't get to post.  We started off the day with our 3 hour orientation.  We received a very HUGE surprise at the close of the meeting...a notebook with all of the recent information that the orphanage had about Brandon taken on January 5th.  They had also included 18 pictures!!!  We just couldn't believe and we were both crying.  Most of the other families in our group got 1-2 pictures some had 3-4 and Adam and I were blown away by 18 but kind of kept it quiet because there were two families that didn't get any pictures.  Later as we were walking around town I asked our guide if it was unusual to receive that many and she replied YES.  She said that Brandon is from a wonderful orphanage and the caregivers and nannies care very much about the children and are taken very good care of.  She said that there is one nanny in particular that Brandon has attached to and she is crazy about him, so that is why we got so much information.  The report told us that he sleeps from 8-4 and takes a two hour nap each day.  He loves to take a bath and enjoys colorful toys.  They told us what he is currently eating and that he likes sweet foods and cakes.  He'll fit in great at my house!  We also found out that they have given him a nickname, Xiao Xi with means little one.  Although if you saw the recent pictures that we got, Brandon doesn't look that little...he seems very healthy (probably fromall of those cakes and sweets.) 

We fly out of Beijing today and head to the capital of the province he is in, Nanjing.  Our flight is at 3:00 today and it will take us 2 hours to get there.  We will settle in tonight to our new hotel, wake up and have breakfast in the morning and receive Brandon at the Civil Affairs Office at 2:30.  Of the 20 families in our group, there is one other couple headed to Nanjing with us and then all of the families will meet up again in Gaungzhou where the American Consulate is.  The couple traveling with us has 5 children (3 biological and 2 adopted from China) and they are adopting a 9 year old boy.  They are also traveling with two other family members so there will be several of us together for the next leg of the trip.  We are looking forward to getting to know them better.

Now for our tour yesterday!  Forbidden City was amazing.  As you entered each new courtyard you thought that you were getting closer to the exit, but the City just kept on going and going.  It's amazing to think that commoners were not allowed in, just the royal family had the entire complex to themselves.  Such an awe inspiring place.  I have many pictures from yesterday's tour!  Tiananmen Square was interesting...before you can enter the square you have to run your backpack through a metal detector.  Adam asked our guide why we had to do that and he said they are looking for lighter fluid because people catch themselves on fire quite often to protest anything.  It doesn't even have to be something political...it can just be people who are made that the government took away their house and they want to make a statement--a BIG statement!  At Tiananmen Square we saw two buddhist monks dressed in their traditional garb, interesting!  They were just there as tourists!  Last night before bed we wandered around Wangfujing street.  A very metropolitan area of the city just two blocks from our hotel.  Any fancy store you can think of, they have it.  Hermes, Gucci, Prada, Rolex, etc...that was the street to go to.  And where did Adam and Nicole eat on the street...KFC!  We are already over Chinese food...I think we're in trouble!

Nicole Great Wall

Great Wall/Hutong Lane-January 22

What an amazing day!  Despite the cold temperatures we braved the Great Wall of China.  We made it quite a way up the wall.  Of course my adventuresome husband decided to climb up two more levels than I could manage.  There was even a shop at the top where he bought a bottle of water (who would have thought there would be something like that up in the middle of nowhere.)  After the Great Wall, we boarded the bus to head to Hutong Lane.  This area is only accessible by rickshaw or bicycle.  We took a rickshaw ride, interesting experience, to a Hutong that housed 58 family members.  Basically it's several buildings that all share one central courtyard with many common rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom.  For lunch they took us to a Cloisonne factory and we got to see how they made this beautiful artwork.  Of course we had to buy a couple of things in the gift shop before we left.  We have just returned back to the hotel and are going to try and find something to eat for dinner.  Tomorrow we have our orientation meeting and then head out for a visit to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.  Adam and I made the remark today that it's hard to believe that we are here after all that we've been through to get to this point, and in just a few days we'll be a family of three.  (I'm having trouble getting the pictures to post. I am going to have to work with it and figure it out.)

Beijing/Hutong Lane-January 22

What an amazing day!  Despite the cold temperatures we braved the Great Wall of China.  We made it quite a way up the wall.  Of course my adventuresome husband decided to climb up two more levels than I could manage.  There was even a shop at the top where he bought a bottle of water (who would have thought there would be something like that up in the middle of nowhere.)  After the Great Wall, we boarded the bus to head to Hutong Lane.  This area is only accessible by rickshaw or bicycle.  We took a rickshaw ride, interesting experience, to a Hutong that housed 58 family members.  Basically it's several buildings that all share one central courtyard with many common rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom.  For lunch they took us to a Cloisonne factory and we got to see how they made this beautiful artwork.  Of course we had to buy a couple of things in the gift shop before we left.  We have just returned back to the hotel and are going to try and find something to eat for dinner.  Tomorrow we have our orientation meeting and then head out for a visit to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.  Adam and I made the remark today that it's hard to believe that we are here after all that we've been through to get to this point, and in just a few days we'll be a family of three.  (Sorry if the first two pictures are turned sideways...I'm having to update the blog through my email and I can't seem to flip the photos.)

Beijing/Hutong Lane - January 22

What an amazing day!  Despite the cold temperatures we braved the Great Wall of China.  We made it quite a way up the wall.  Of course my adventuresome husband decided to climb up two more levels than I could manage.  There was even a shop at the top where he bought a bottle of water (who would have thought there would be something like that up in the middle of nowhere.)  After the Great Wall, we boarded the bus to head to Hutong Lane.  This area is only accessible by rickshaw or bicycle.  We took a rickshaw ride, interesting experience, to a Hutong that housed 58 family members.  Basically it's several buildings that all share one central courtyard with many common rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom.  For lunch they took us to a Cloisonne factory and we got to see how they made this beautiful artwork.  Of course we had to buy a couple of things in the gift shop before we left.  We have just returned back to the hotel and are going to try and find something to eat for dinner.  Tomorrow we have our orientation meeting and then head out for a visit to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.  Adam and I made the remark today that it's hard to believe that we are here after all that we've been through to get to this point, and in just a few days we'll be a family of three.  (Sorry if some of the pictures are turned sideways...I'm having to update the blog through my email and I can't seem to flip the photos.)

Beijing Arrival

We just got to our hotel in Beijing and made it safely.  The flight was a long 14 hours.  We both feel like we've been beat up and lost the fight after that plane ride but once we get a good night's rest, we'll be fine for tomorrow.  We visit the Great Wall of China and Hutong Lane tomorrow with a lunch in the middle.  The temperature was 30 when we arrived at the airport.  I'm having to post this from my email because I think that blogspot might be blocked here in China.  I'll find out more tomorrow and hopefully be able to include pictures from our tour.  Continue to keep us in your prayers!  Just a few more days and we'll be holding Brandon!

Baby Shower

My friends threw a baby shower for me at school this past Thursday. Everyone came and we all had a great time. The cake/food were delicious and the decorations/diaper cake were adorable. One of my fifth grade teammates, Nick, created a beautiful watermelon bowl filled with fruit and shaped it into a rickshaw. On the side he carved the Chinese characters for "First Son." Brandon is one lucky boy to have so many wonderful things to enjoy when he gets home. And I am one lucky lady to have so many wonderful friends to share this experience with!

New Picture!!

What a blessing! Our adoption agency was able to get us a new photo of Brandon. Seeing this most recent picture of him makes the trip we are able to take seem so real now. What a cutie pie!!! Hang on Brandon, we're almost there.

New Measurements

We got an update! This evening I turned on the computer to find that we received an email with updated measurements for Brandon. Our little guy is growing! He is now 29 pounds and has 7 teeth (3 upper, 4 lower.) They are going to try and get us updated pictures which we hope to have before we travel. I'll post those when they arrive.

TRAVEL APPROVAL

We have finally received the official word. We are headed to China to get our son! Here is our schedule:

Wednesday, January 20 - Fly from Norfolk to Chicago, then on to Beijing
Thursday, January 21 - Land in Beijing
Friday, January 22 - Sightseeing (Great Wall of China/Hutong Lane tour)
Saturday, January 23 - Orientation and sightseeing (Forbidden City/Tiananmen Square)
Sunday, January 24 - Fly to from Beijing to Nanjing
Monday, January 25 - GOTCHA DAY!!! We will meet Brandon for the first time
Tuesday, January 26 - Go to the Civil Affairs office for adoption paper work
Wednesday, January 27 - Free Day
Thursday, January 28 - Free Day
Friday, January 29 - Pick up Brandon's passport and travel from Nanjing to Guangzhou
Saturday, January 30 - Paperwork and medical check
Sunday, January 31 - Free Day
Monday, February 1 - Free Day
Tuesday, February 2 - Visa Appointment for Brandon
Wednesday, February 3 - Oath Taking Ceremony
Thursday, February 4 - Pick up Visa, take a train to Hong Kong
Friday, February 5 - Fly from Hong Kong to Chicago to Norfolk and ARRIVE HOME!!!

WELCOME TO BRANDON'S BLOG!!

Welcome! This is my first time making one of these and I'm still learning so be patient with me. We want to use this as a tool to document our trip to China to adopt our son. This will serve as a journal, travel updates, and will include photos while we are away and when we return home.