Red Couch Photos

The White Swan Hotel in Ghangzhou, China is a place that almost all adopting American families stay while waiting for their consulate appointment. There is a red couch in the downstairs lobby that has become a traditional place to get your child's photo taken. They are called "Red couch photos". Here are the five children from our travel group. I have to say that I really love all of these children!!! They inspire me to be courageous and to be a better person.


Here is our red couch photo!!! We are a lot of big people so you can't see much red couch.

Back at home in our own living room we took another red couch photo. These kids inspire me too!!! I'm learning a lot these days.

Some video from China

This was the night that we arrived in Nanjing and the night before we received Elsa. We were so tired and anxious!

This video is from night one with Elsa. We put her in her crib and she put herself to sleep without any fuss. This is textbook self soothing behaviors. I am so happy to report that after just two weeks we seldom see this anymore! She needs momma to go to sleep now! I don't care if I don't get any sleep for a year, I want this girl to know that when she cries her momma is there and that mommas are the best for rocking to sleep. You can depend on Momma now, Elsa! Fuss away and be as demanding as you can be!!! Babies need attention.

Elsa in the hotel room.

Dad took a lot of video tape! I just took a few lame video clips with my camera. Dad is going to send me the video and I hope to compile it into something watchable!

We made it home

Here are Al, Katherine, and my dad, Craig, outside of the U.S. Consulate after our swearing in ceremony last Wednesday. That day 55 families were formed in one room in one moment. It was amazing; a remarkable and an unremarkable moment at once. No photos were allowed so you will have to take my word that there was joy, and celebration, and relief, and fussy children, and weary travelers. Families are formed every day. This was Elsa's day. I love this photo. I love the people in this photo. (Even the stray bicyclist). Thank you, Al, Dad, and Katherine for sharing all of this with me.

Here is Dad on the lobby floor of the White Swan Hotel. We were waiting on our shuttle at 6:30am. on Thursday. He was curious why there was such a georgous, expansive lobby and no place to sit.

Here is Dad sitting on the floor at the Shanghai airport later that same day...the man just needs a chair, people!!!

Dad finally found a chair to sit with Elsa. He likes her!

Elsa was pretty good on the flight home. She slept some... She made friends with the flight attendants... She did throw up an entire bottle of apple juice all over me but it made me feel and smell like a new mom! Bring it on girl. I can take it!!!

Elsa's first experience with a car seat! She liked it!!!

When we got home my friends had made a sign for Elsa. She knew that she was home!

Elsa finally at home in her own bed. Bless you, child. Sleep well.