We're home a week today!

My dear angel... you change and grow each day with such vigour... and I marvel. You are now asleep upstairs in our bed and I have the Beijing lullabies playing near the remote. It has been a week since our time in China and I cannot believe you are in our home. And what has it meant for you to leave your land? It seems a massive transition and I see somehow you are capable of great transformation and adaptation. You are an outgoing and vivacious little girl who has already captivated hearts with your way. Each time I take a moment to be with you and to let myself really meet you and who you are ...my heart bursts....
Grandma is still here and it has been a very tough week for us in terms of sleep and all of being sick with something or other...?
soon this phase will be over too and we will then have a simple routine. I must include children in your life AnnaLeisa as you really are an extrovert and thrive in the world of people.
Sweet dreams my love....

off to our new hotel!

Here is G'ma and G'pa with AnnaLeisa! We are all pretty tight now. AnnaLeisa is sick today with a cold and constipation so not so happy and we have to check out at noon and not get to our new hotel until this evening. Not a good day all in all and tomorrow the dreaded flight. Wish us luck. We are all tired and ready to come home. Except Colin... he is having a blast and I am happy about that.
so until Canada our love.

She is great and matching us in our fatigue.

home sweet home....
how cold is it?

Seems I might have been able to post a photo of my newphew Colin and AnnaLeisa from this morning. She is so sweet to play with... giggles and really just curious and making leaps and bounds daily in her learning curve and her experience of her very changed world. Colin has been extraordinary with helping the two of us. I could not have done it without he and my folks.
AnnaLeisa went to Grandpa today and hugged him spontaneously and that is big! She will play with all three and is more than happy to be with us all but to me for the 'Mothering' things. It is nice. Noone could have prepared me for this trip and for motherhood. My goodness it is all much in terms of my learning curve too.
So we are well and this part of the journey is fast ending. I expect that Mom and I will take time to settle AnnaLeisa with the jetlag shift but my girl is an extrovert and I think we can have visitors soon upon our return.
I cannot wait for everyone to meet her!
I am sure she will change your world too.
The five of us shopped today and had a blast at a local market.
Again much love.

AnnaLeisa dear you are a little flower and everyday I get to know you more. You are a wide range of much my angel and my only plan is to help you grow and broaden into all that you can be. You light up the room with your delighted smile and you throaty laugh.
night all
see you soon!

The Great Wall and AnnaLeisa

It is now Sunday evening and I cannot begin to relay everything ....it has been so much!
Today we traveled to the Great Wall and had a great time. AnnaLeisa is a combination of many things.... she loves to be engaged and to connect so is best outdoors and being with life ... and she is very shy to strangers also. So we trooped with her in my snuggly and wandered amidst many many people.
She is a real delight and is so connected to me it is amazing. We are a team already. At this point she will go to noone else so my shoulders and body are aching as she is strong and very very active. And I love having her close.
And I think she is the only one I have met who chortles. Really her giggle is so infectious. Everyone is tired but good and all the babies and parents are adjusting.

Tomorrow I am up early in the am to take her to the medical appointment and I am sure she will pass with gold stars.
Mom, Dad and Colin are brilliant and such a help. Tomorrow they go to the Beijing Zoo and to the Chinese Acrobats and I will stay home to relax.
I cannot believe we leave Fri.
I send my love and then some....
It is a wonder to see these girls flower ...
I feel such a love for this little girl and we are still learning about each other and have not yet been together a week!
Last night she slept her first night through with only waking once for consoling and I think she is starting to relax and to settle a little bit.

off to Beijing

A lazy day in Guangzhou....

Seems I have finally figured out my blog while here... could not locate my username and password as I linked it at home! Details seem so important now. Thanks for all the notes!

AnnaLeisa is beside me now sound asleep in a very very vibrant green stroller. We just walked the pearl river wall in the heat of noon and she loved the cobblestones bumping her.

We had a rough night as she cried for 2 1/2 hours ....inconsolable and I could see I was not quite doing what was familier. I can imagine her waking in the night to such strangeness.. even A/C. So I had to bounce and walk and eventually she fell asleep on my chest. Was not having the crib dispite 2 nights of sleeping in it. She is exposed to so much right now and it is rightfully overwhelming. At first glance or attemtp to master anything or to be exposed to anything she is frustrated but quickly moves to mastery. She is now pulling everything down from everywhere and walking all around the room. She is a delight. Shocking how much they change every day. Everyone in the group is fairing well and I must say Yulin from our Agency is marvelous.... could not imagine this without her.

Mom Dad and Colin went to a group breakfast and then to a city tour of Guangzhou. I wanted us to be quiet and to just have an easy day. It was nice to walk.

Colin helped me all night and is learning much fast.... AnnaLeisa is ticklish and giggles outloud when he plays with her... which he truly enjoys. The girls here are noticing my handsome newphew....He is also my coffee runner.

Again much love and if I can this evening I will post photos... if not wonderfully sleeping. We may have more luck in Beijing and we go there tomorrow. Cannot believe how fast this is all going....too fast really.

Again all my love and then some from us both...
my goodness she is perfect.
Karla and AnnaLeisa
Mom Dad and Colin

Wow it has been almost three days together!

I cannot believe I have been unable to post until now.... I have met my girl and she is everything I imagined and more! I am a very busy and active mother of a delightful and very personable girl.
We met on Monday and as we went to the civic affairs office at the top of the stairs suddenly there were Chinese women with babies in their arms and the first one was AnnaLeisa. I knew her immediately and we both looked directly in each others eyes. It was her chin I knew! I broke down sobbing and could do so now again. I had to then go in a room with the other parents and wait. I knew she was across the hall so tried to catch glimpses but alas had to wait. And then she arrived... howling and screaming there was as much tears as snot... gosh she went for it.
I was able to take her into the nannies and have them hold her again and the head one must have had a connection with AnnaLeisa as she would hold her and speak very loudly and rock her vigorously.... Like I will never be able to...
She then gradually pointed to me and said Mama Mama and would touch me and bring her close to me. It was like the kindest most gradual transfers. One could see AnnaLeisa knew what was going on and she fought tooth and nail... Strong nature this little girl.
Then we hung around amidst wailing babies and parents. So great Mom and Dad and Colin were here and to share. They were very moved.
After awhile we went on the bus and AnnaLeisa slept. Once her and I were in the room alone awhile she sat and played with a single toy for a long time. I did get a smile or two out of her... it was a very sweet time together and as long as I provide some curiousity for distraction she shifts her emotion.
She slept from 8-7 am and soundly too.....
(Her mom on the other hand has not been sleeping since Edmonton Yikes).
The next day was overwhelming paper work at the Civic Affairs office and really hard acutally. AnnaLeisa did have more time with her nanny and again another transferring so to speak. Broke my heart to see her reaching for the women she knew so well...
And today she is really blossoming... smiling and laughing and all round just curious. It is now 10 pm on Wed and just before bed she decided she could walk so she is into and throwing everything. All new behavour and a true testament to resilience.
I love her... she called me Moma on the second day.... (thanks to the Nanny). And she really does know who I am to her. She comes to me for everything and I console and love her as much as possible. I am singing to her and somehow imagining wings from my heart that emerge from my chest to cacoon and to hold her and that she feels this support completely.
good night....
lovingly
Karla and AnnaLeisa....
we'll see about some photos soon. Hard here as very busy.

China bound.

I am now packing... and packing and then some. AnnaLeisa I meet you a week tomorrow on Thanksgiving day. I am now washing the dogs, washing your linen for your crib, clearing space for Gramma's clothes (she is staying for 2 weeks here in Edmonton) and getting sooo many hugs from everyone who wishes us well. Dear heart when I think of the changes you will experience I am packing only to make that all easier for you. It is big honey! New food, new smells, new language; and a big change in the way of relating. And as much as I am excited and preparing you are living your life as before. Do you hear my heartbeat....? The thread is about to draw closer.

I leave on Tues the 3rd of Oct and fly to Vancouver to see Sean, Sarah and of course Laurie. Then Gramma flies from Nova Scotia to meet me in Vancouver. Her and I then jaunt to Hong Kong to get over jetlag and shop for you. Maybe in Kowloon? On Sun Grampa and cousin Colin arrive to have a quick supper and then a lesson in how to use the DVD for the next day when we meet you. Darling Darling ... I am practising lullabies... singing in my heart to you. Little diddies and soft soothing songs for you to settle.
Are you waking up now. Is the orphanage also preparing? A faster beat of anticipation. Tender touches to you my dear all along a moonbeam.