Three weeks!

We leave for Beijing in three weeks! Wow! I can't wait. I think I've already mentioned that everything else that is going on in my life is taking a major backseat to our upcoming adventure. Thank god for business partners and committees that are willing to take over! I'm still busy getting the house ready (nesting!) but I also want to just think about Iris, hang out with Amelia and Dean, and visit with friends. I feel so blessed and I really just to slow down and enjoy every second of it. Life is too short to miss these moments.

Amelia is starting grade one next week! She is super excited, as am I, but I'm a bit sad too. When she started play school and then moved into kindergarten I didn't find it too hard because she was still with me for the majority of the day. The few hours a day that I was away from her was a nice break. But with grade one, she'll be gone all day! It's going to be so strange! She's basically been an extra little part of me for the last 7+ years (if you include pregnancy). Jeez, I hope I don't cry on that first day!

So, a few of you have noticed that Iris is going to have my last name. Yeah, we're breaking tradition here. Certainly not the first people to do it, but it's not that common yet for siblings to have different last names. I love seeing Helmig on Iris' name! And yes, Dean and I have noticed the irony...that our blonde, blue eyed daughter has the last name Chan and our Chinese daughter will have a German last name. I love it! Because regardless of our names, we are still one family.

Since the time difference is 14 hours between here and China, almost every time I think to myself, 'I wonder what Iris is doing', the answer is almost always 'sleeping'. But last night I was wide awake (middle of the night...don't know why) and it was nice to be able to think about Iris in her waking hours. Wondering if she is eating or being entertained by her caretakers, or having a nap. Right now, she would be sleeping, since it's almost midnight there (10am here). I just checked the weather there...it's 26 C! At midnight! We certainly don't get weather like that here in Edmonton! We are going to have to bundle her up when we get her home...she won't be used to weather like we have!

Blessings

So, I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about Iris' birth mother. What it must have been like for her to carry a baby that she knew she may not be able to keep; to go through the birthing process only to find out that this baby, that she loved and cared for, couldn't stay with her. And to then have to pass her baby on to people that she didn't know with the hopes that they would take care of her and give her a good life. What a heartbreaking thing to have to do. To me, it's absolutely unimaginable to be faced with a choice like she had to make. Not that she had much choice.

Many people have been saying to us that Iris is very lucky to be joining our family. I don't see it that way. I see it as Dean, Amelia and I being the lucky ones because we get to have Iris in our family. We are so blessed and we have so much to be thankful for. I wish I could let Iris' birth mom know how honoured we are that we get to have Iris in our life. I wish I could let her know that we will give Iris everything she could ever want (ok, maybe not that extra cookie, or a pony, but you know what I mean). I wish I could let Iris' birth mom know how grateful we are, that she choose to take such good care of Iris for 9 months and then made sure that when Iris was born she was placed into the hands of someone who would take care of her. Mostly, I wish I could let her know that Iris will be loved and that she will always know how special her birth mom is and how much she sacrificed for Iris.

Still Lots of Tears!

Every time I look at Iris I want to cry! Is that normal? I remember it being the same when Amelia was first born. But this time I can't blame it on the pregnancy hormones! I wake up every morning and just stare at Iris' pictures. We have been getting so many wonderful phone calls and emails and I get teary eyed every time. But if you know me well, you know that I am a sap!

We just got confirmation of our flights. We are leaving Edmonton on Wed, Sept 17, arriving in Beijing on Sept 18. We've decided to go a few days early, to adjust a bit to the time zone before meeting Iris. Our facilitator, Yulin, who is now Canadian but grew up in China, will be there early as well, so if we really need a hand with something she'll be there, which is such a relief! And the hotel that we are staying in is a 'Western' hotel (with a pool, which Amelia is so excited about), where many people speak English and are very helpful. Being in Beijing and not being able to speak Mandarin is really not a problem. At least that is what we have been told! Amelia has a book called 'First 1000 words in Chinese' - I think we'll track it down today and start practicing a bit!

So, we are leaving in less than a month!! Four weeks today!! Wow! Yay!

Wondering where Iris is right now? I know I showed you pictures of the orphanage on the last post, but I didn't show you where in China she is. She is in Jiangxi Province, which is in the south-east of China. If you look at the map below, you will see a bright orange province called Fujian that is right on the south part of the coast. Jiangxi is the light blue province just west of Fujian. Although Iris does not live in Nanchang (the capital city of Jiangxi), that's where we'll get to meet her. You can click on the picture to make it larger.

Amelia just woke up and told me that she had a dream that 'we already went to China to get my baby sister'. So sweet!

So, on top of all the wonderful chaos of getting ready to meet Iris, we just found out yesterday that Fortune Hunters, the CBC TV show about entrepreneurs, wants to do a segment on my company TulaJane Eco Events. And they want to do it next Wednesday - they need us to throw an event, preferrably a children's party. So my business partner, Jill, and I are frantically trying to arrange catering, games, decor, etc for a kids' party that needs to take place in 7 days. And we're going to be on TV. Eek! It's all SO exciting, just a bit overwhelming!

Off to look for glass baby bottles and organic cupcakes this morning! Wish me luck!

Iris' Home for Now

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for all the great phone calls and email messages. It means so much to know that Iris already has this amazing community of family and friends so eager to meet her!

I'm a touch overwhelmed by everything right now. We have so much to do and I want to do it all right now! I want to start packing, and I want to learn about formula and bottles (Amelia was breastfed so this is all totally new to me); I want to dig out all of our baby clothes and go through them; I want to pull out all of Amelia's old baby toys and baby gear and I want to go to China right now! It's really hard for me to focus on work and my volunteer committments. My mind is neither here in Edmonton nor is it in August. It's in China, mid-September! I have to remind myself to just take some deep breaths and enjoy this time of preparation. (Serenity NOW!!!!)

Anyways, I thought you might be interested in seeing where Iris is right now. According to another blog from a family who has a daughter that spent the first year of her life in Xiajiang SWI (which is where Iris is right now), the pictures below are of the orphanage. Not at all what I expected! Apparently it is also a senior citizens' centre and a nursing home. I hope she is happy there. I can't wait to get her home!


Below is a picture of the field just outside the orphanage. Quite pretty isn't it? I love that she lives close to the mountains. I grew up with a view of the Rockies just outside my bedroom window.

Unfortunately, we won't be going to the orphanage. Iris will be brought to Nanchang, which is the capital city of Jiangxi province to meet us, either at the hotel or at a government office. I would love to see her orphanage and meet her caretakers, but that will have to wait for another trip. I know of at least two other baby girls that are being adopted by families in Western Canada at the same time as we adopt Iris. I can't help but wonder if one of them is Iris' crib mate.

We've been making our travel arrangements and finding a bit more about what will happen when we get to China. We are considering flying into Beijing a couple of days early to deal with jet lag before we meet Iris. It seems so unreal that it is all happening already! So exciting!

We are Going to China!

So, our facilitators (Family Outreach International) have already made all of our travel arrangements for us. They make it so stress free and easy for us. Here is our basic itinerary so far...

On the morning of Saturday, Sept 20 we leave Edmonton, land in Vancouver, and then hop a plane for the 11 hour flight to Beijing. When we arrive in Beijing it will be Sunday afternoon (weird to lose a day!). We will spend one night in Beijing and then fly to Nanchang on Monday, Sept 22. The same afternoon that we land in Nanchang we get to meet Iris for the first time! WOW! We spend 6 days in Nanchang with Iris and then we all fly to Beijing for a week. The whole family will arrive home in Edmonton on October 3.

It is going to be an amazing Thanksgiving the following weekend! So much to thankful for! And an amazing Christmas! Aaaahh...life is good!

It's amazing how quickly you can fall in love with someone. The first time I looked at her picture, I don't think it really hit me, that this is my daughter. An hour or two later I looked at the picture and my heart melted...she is already a part of our family.

Dean just said to me...'Do you feel like we are on the initial climb of a roller coaster about to take our first big dive into our new life?' I said 'Yes, and we are still trying to get our seat belts on!'

We have had more than 3 years to prepare for this moment, and now it seems we aren't ready at all! I'm so ready to have Iris in my arms, but we have so much to do in the house to prepare for her arrival! The next five weeks will be insanely busy, but so much fun!!

Introducing Iris Beatrix Xiukang Helmig!!

On August 13, at 11:15am, we got the call we have been waiting for for the past 3+ years! We have another daughter!!! Her Chinese name is Xiao Xiukang (Xiu means beautiful, elegant; Kang means healthy); we are going to call her Iris Beatrix Xiukang Helmig. She is the sweetest thing!

We are all over the moon!! Amelia is so excited to become a big sister! We will be heading to China on September 20, 2008 to finally meet her. Only 5 weeks from today!

A few details...her birthday is February 4, 2008 (that makes her just 6 months old!) and she is at the Xiajiang Social Welfare Institute in Jiangxi Province. She is healthy and in the development report that was sent to us she is described as 'growing well, she is chubby and cute. Her eyes are bright. She is a great child.'

I love it!!

We are in love!! More to come!!