Flinal Blog post from China

It's 11:00 on this Wednesday night in Guangzhou. I am happy to say that it is our last night in China, having spent the previous 14 nights in this country cooped up in a hotel with three bored kids who have a desperate need to get back into a daily routine at home. For a time, China was home to two of the members of our family, but it has never felt like home to me. I have tolerated the sensation of claustrophobia while being swallowed up by the throngs of people who crowd every sidewalk, restaurant, park, and street, but I have reached my threshold. I'm a country mouse who is content living in a very sparsely populated corner of the world, completely opposite of the world full of city mice I've been visiting for the past two weeks. In our two trips to China, the smallest city we stayed in had a population of 6 million people. That city is Nanning, which is where we got Truman two and a half years ago. Harbin, where we got Tiana, has 10 million inhabitants. Guangzhou, where we are now, has 12 million, and Beijing has 20 million. To put it into perspective, New York City would only be fourth on that list. And most of the people there speak English. Well, at least half do.

Tomorrow, we'll be on our way home--for a full 24 hours. The kids, and especially Tiana, will test my patience throughout the journey, but by 9:00pm Thursday in Hartsburg, MO (10:00am Friday in China), the never-ending flight, the crowds, the language barrier, the relentless stares by curious Chinese everywhere we have been, and the feeling of complete isolation despite being surrounded by millions of people will instantly vanish as we walk Tiana up the stairs of her new home and into the beginning of a new chapter in all of our lives.

I'll be back on facebook Friday (without the help of my cousin Larry Barr, who has been doing a great job of converting my emails to blog/facebook posts for the past two weeks--THANK YOU, CUZ!!!) so I can respond to your comments finally. We really appreciate all your words of encouragement and support. Thank you all!

Finally, here's the link to my latest newspaper column in today's Boone County Journal. Enjoy!

Girl in motion

Here's a video to illustrate how animated Tiana is. She's a Naughton alright!

Saturday in Guangzhou

Today was literally a walk down memory lane. Everywhere we went reminded us of our journey to adopt Truman two and a half years ago. Same hotel. Same city park. Same medical center for the kids' examinations. Same souvenier shops on Shamian Island. Same guide (Simon). Same Starbucks. But not everything is the same. We met two other American families who are going through the adoption process who are wonderful people, but we miss the families we befriended here back in 2008. (Lisa, I let the kids ride the escalators in the hotel just for fun in honor of Avery.)

Tiana was pretty good today, but when she gets bored--she is a rotten Naughton. It is hard to keep someone who doesn't understand a word you're saying entertained, but we're trying. As an exaspirated Bethany just said after putting the kids to bed a moment ago, "Someone must think we can handle these three kids!"

Travel day from hell

Things have been going so well here that I should have known we were due for a day like we had on Friday. As sweet as Tiana is, she is equally as rotten when bored. Imagine sitting next to a seven year old girl who loudy moaned in feigned agony for half of the five hour flight to Guangzhou. Just as my nerves thought they couldn't take any more and just as the captain said to stay seated in preparation for landing, my precious little angel began repeating the phrase "la ba" which means "get me to the crapper" in Chinese. We thought she might have been crying wolf, because before we even got on the plane, she said "niow, niow" (I have to pee) three times in 20 minutes while sitting in the terminal. Apparently she thinks it's fun to make her new parents scramble to find a pisser whenever she gets bored. Well, our hunch on the plane was right. When mama found a bethroom in the airport, Princess Tiana miraculously did not have to poop at all.

The ride to the hotel was uneventful, with the exception of watching Tiana upchuck all over herself due to car sickness. I thanked her for not warning us. I praised her for ralphing in a reclined position, making sure to cover her shirt and pants in puke. A few minutes later in the hotel lobby, she started pleading "niow niow" again, with a smile on her face and vomit covering her entire ensemble. The hotel messed up our reservations, putting our two rooms on two seperate floors, so Bethany spent over a half hour getting a new room on the same floor as the other. During this time, the kids were all bored and exhausted from a full day of travel. The boys started arguing loudly in the lobby of the five-star hotel. Tiana picked her nose and made a grandiose production of eating it in front of all the hotel guests waiting patiently in the registration line behind Bethany. When I scolded our not-so-lady-like daughter, she laughed and ran over to a sitting area, grabbed a table lamp, and tried to yank it to the floor. Finally, we headed up to our rooms. The key cards didn't work in the new one, so we waited in grandma's room for the bell hop to bring a new key. When we eventually did get in, we discovered that our non-smoking room reeked of cigarettes and cheap perfume. (I didn't bother to look for the dead hooker.) It nearly made our eyes water. When Bethany went to the front desk to complain and get yet another new room, the only one available was three floors below grandma's. We took it and went to bed harried, exhausted, and in my case ready to snap.

Today is a new day. Tiana is singing "Happy Birthday" in English. The kids are all rested and in a good mood. I don't feel like killing people. I'll post an update about our first full day in Guangzhou later today. Hopefully, it will be much better than yesterday. It couldn't get much worse--could it?!

Last full day in Harbin

Thursday was the last full day of our stay in the northeast of China. Friday afternoon we will fly south to Guangzhou, which is near Hong Kong. Guangzhou is where Tiana will receive a medical check-up and her travel visa to immigrate to the U.S. She will also take the U.S. citizenship oath! One week from today, we will finally be home. (The poor girl thinks we live in the hotel.)

I've included a picture of the hotel at night, which is located on the bank of a major river. Another photo shows a tour boat house illuminated just down the street from the hotel. We visited the biggest Russian Orthodox church of the East today, also pictured, which is now a museum. And as you can see by the other pictures, Tiana and her family are getting along great. My favorite Chinese phrases are; "Qing qing Baba" (cheeng cheeng baba) which means "I want to give you a kiss daddy" and "Wo ai ni" (woh eye knee) which means "I love you." Music to my ears.

Thursday - Keeping it simple

My latest column in Wednesday's Boone County Journal.

Wednesday in Harbin

While you were sleeping, the Naughton family visited a children's science museum in Harbin. Tiana and her brothers laughed and played for hours until their exhausted parents and grandmother waved the white flag of surrender. During the van ride home, Tiana and Alex took turns cracking each other up by imitating one another. This little girl is a real comedian and she is smart as a whip, too. She's already picked up several English words and understands almost everything we ask her to do. She even made a point to tell our interpreter (without being asked) that we communicate well with each other.

This girl is amazing. She hasn't cried once or thrown any temper tantrums (although she does like to test her boundaries.) Even when she is being corrected, she can't help but smile and give kisses. (Which does have a considerable affect on the one scolding her.) Every time her awkward gait causes her to fall down, she just laughs and hops right back up. After living in a communist-run orphanage for seven years, Tiana would have every reason to be a sad and pathetic child, but this little girl's spirit is the brightest I've ever seen in another human being. I am simply in awe of her. We all are. And you will be too.

Worth Five Thousand Words

Daddy's Girl!!!

At about 11:00 this morning, I became a father to the sweetest little girl in the eastern world. When she walked into the room where her new family awaited her, my heart skipped a beat and I instantly fell in love. Head over heals. We introduced ourselves, shared hugs and kisses, and posed for pictures. Then, Tian Tian came up to me, smiled, softly whispered "baba" (Chinese for daddy), and reached out for me to pick her up. I melted. Later, as we ate room service rice and noodles back at the hotel, I served my little princess a second helping of rice. She smiled and said, "Xie xie baba." (Thanks daddy) in such a contented tone that it seemed we had known each other and loved each other all our lives. Mama gave her a bath after lunch and then Tian Tian lay down beside me in bed and fell asleep in my arms. No, it does NOT get any better than that my friends.

Alex, Truman, and Grandma Glee all love her as much as her mama and I do, too. The Chinese officials are giving us a 24 hour period to bond and decide for sure if we want to go through with the adoption although we knew the moment we saw her that Tian Tian (Tiana) belongs with us--and always has. I'll write more tomorrow. In the meantime, dig these pictures. Pretty awesome, huh?

Sunday - Change of Scenery

We left Beijing and her 20 million inhabitants this morning and arrived in the cozy little river town of Harbin in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang at about noon. Okay, so it's not exactly a little town. The population here is 10 million, making it more populous than any city in the United States, yet it is only the 8th biggest in China. And this country boy got a teeny bit overwhelmed during our first foray into the streets.

After a white knuckle van ride from the airport to the hotel, I nearly got down on my hands and knees and kissed the filthy pavement when we were finally out of the chaotic city traffic. Our guide told us that in this formerly Soviet-controlled area, we would look like Russians to the locals and we would probably be spoken to as such. She pointed out a nearby Walmart, said she'd see us Monday morning to take us to our new child, and then she split--leaving us to fend for ourselves in a very strange land. We ventured out of the hotel within an hour or so and tried to find some Russians to blend in with. No luck. Here we stand out like...well, we stand out like four Americans with a flamboyant Chinese boy in tow wandering aimlessly in a sea of black-haired, extremely curious Asians. People here don't try to hide the fact that they are checking us out. They stare at us like we're walking around on fire. A young woman at McDonald's (yes we gave in to the temptation of a taste of home) stared at me unflinchingly the entire time we were eating. People snapped pictures of Alex the fair-haired rock star again. We are fish out of water and are treated as such.

Walmart here is at least three stories high. It took us five minutes just to figure out how to even get in the store. We rode the escalator in circles trying to figure out where the milk was (we never found it). A male employee followed us around and stared at us with great suspicion, trying to figure out if we had just kidnapped Truman or something. And the crowds! Imagine going to the morning after Thanksgiving "Black Friday" sales in the U.S. and multiply the chaos by a thousand. I went into full sensory overload and nearly freaked completely out while searching desperately for the poorly marked exit. I virtually sprinted out the door as I fought my way past the throngs of prying eyes and flying elbows.

We're hunkered down in the hotel now. It is a Russian-designed place situated on the banks of a large river. We may venture out again this evening to take in the sights along the shore when the place is lit up for the night. I should be more relaxed by then. I'm pretty sure I spotted a Harbin Brewery beer tent across the street as I ran to the hotel earlier. And tomorrow, all the insanity will be forgotten, or at least rendered insignificant when we get to meet Princess Naughton at 10:00am. I can't wait!

Saturday in Beijing

When we last visited Beijing, the 2008 Olympics had just concluded. Drivers were only allowed to use their vehicles every other day in order to make the world think China had clean air. I'm here to tell you: They do not. The smog is so thick here that the sun is only a faint orb at noontime. And the tops of the relatively small mountains where the Great Wall is situated are invisible. But we wouldn't let a little pollution prevent us from enjoying the Wall and the Forbidden City. My eyes are still burning, but it was worth it.

First we scaled the steepest part of the Wall just outside of Beijing--in 90 degree weather. Alex and I were the only two to make it to the top out of our group. (The others had more sense than us and turned around about halfway up the ridiculously steep stairs.) But the hazy view was worth the effort. Several people asked to have their picture taken with Alex during our ascent. Light colored hair is seen so rarely here that people can't believe their eyes when they see someone like Alex with his reddish, light-brown locks. Several more Chinese tourists had their pictures taken with him in Tianenmen Square, too. He said he felt like a rock star.

The Forbidden City has nearly 9,000 rooms in dozens of buildings covering 160 acres. At one point in history, over 30,000 people lived within its walls. It is an amazing place. And you could tell Truman was really impressed. No sooner than we had walked through the first few buildings, he passed out from exhaustion, forcing Bethany and I to take turns carrying him the rest of the afternoon. Did I mention how hot it was today? It was Missouri hot. But we survived, and had a good time.

Right now, the kids and Bethany are swimming to beat the heat. Grandma Glee is already in her jammies and sacked-out for the night (although it is only 6:20pm). I am enjoying the peace and quiet (a rare commodity in a city of 20 million people) and the air conditioning. I am also plotting a trip down to the lobby bar to unwind with an authentic Chinese brew or three after the fam gets back. Enjoy the photos and stay tuned for tomorrow's update after we fly to Harbin, the city where we will meet our little Tiana on Monday morning. Wait'll she gets a load of us!

Ni Hao from China

Ni Hao from Beijing, China! Upon our safe arrival following 18 hours of travel, we discovered that my blog, my website, and facebook are all blocked in China. Sleep deprived and exhausted after being awake for almost 30 straight hours, I emailed a few folks, dispaired over how to reach the rest of you, and finally passed out. Then I woke up at 1:30am Beijing time with an idea: Enlist the help of my cousin Larry! I emailed him with instructions on how to login as me on my blog and facebook page and voila! He will be copying and posting my updates for me while we our under the big red thumb of the communists. Thank you Larry Barr for doing this and thank you to everyone who is following along with our journey. I'm sorry I won't be able to read your comments, but you can email them to me if you like. I'll send another update after today's visit to The Forbidden City, Tianenmen Square, and The Great Wall. And hopefully I'll be able to post pictures, too. Stay tuned and Zai jian! (that's "goodbye" in Chinese).

One week till Harbin

One week from today, the Naughton clan will be traveling from Beijing to Harbin, a city in Heilongjiang province in extreme northeastern China. The following morning, our sweet little angel Tiana will be introduced to us at long last. The day that couldn't get here fast enough is suddenly very close, but we are ready. I've been ready for this day for over ten years. Moments after Alex's dramatic entrance into the world, I whispered in Bethany's ear, "I never want you to go through that again. Next time, we're adopting a little girl from China." True story.

Facebook is blocked in China, but I will be able to blog daily and link my blog to my facebook page as usual. I won't be able to access facebook to reply to your comments and/or messages on there, so you'll need to post comments directly on the blog if you want to share your reactions to the accounts and photos of our adventures. Signing up for a blogger account is free and pretty painless.

I will also continue to write my newspaper column for the Boone County Journal while we are overseas. Folks who live in the Mid-Missouri area can subscribe to the Journal for only $15 per year. Others can view my column online. I encourage you to share the links to my blog and my column with anyone and everyone you know who might enjoy following along with our journey. I will try to post pictures and at least a short account of events for every day we are in China, so check the blog daily. I hope you will enjoy this experience as much as we will.

My next post will be on Wednesday, the eve our our odyssey. We will be in the air for over 20 hours from Thursday through Friday, so when you wake up Friday morning, I hope to have a new entry posted for your reading pleasure. One final thought: Thank you all for the love and support you have shown us throughout this adoption process. We are truly blessed to have so many supportive friends and family members who have been there for us every step of the way. We love you all!

I love my wife

I wrote the following love letter to my wife yesterday. Afterwards, I thought I should tell the whole world how just much she means to me.

B,

Do you know how much you mean to me? I wonder if you do. You mean EVERYTHING to me. Everything. You gave me your heart once and I broke it. You gave me a second chance and I took it. You gave me your hand in marriage. You gave me a hand up whenever I needed it. You gave me our children. You gave me the opportunity to stay home with those children. You gave me the opportunity to find my voice as a writer. You gave me a chance to find happiness. And I am happy. I've never been happier in my life. You tolerate my whims, my friends, my old girlfriends, my mood swings, my lack of height, my beer belly, and my morning breath. You love me. And I love you. I hope you know just how much. Because I am not a good enough writer to put it into words. Just know that I love you and I appreciate you and I can't imagine living without you. Thank you for sharing your heart and your life with me. I'll never take either for granted.

I love you,
T