UNENDING JOY!!!

    Christmas at the Brakman's shaped up to be the crazy chaos is usually is.  Megan and Tim spent the weeks before counting and arranging all presents.....over and over again each night.  Tim was super excited he had the same number that Megan had under the tree.  Now mind you, Tim had no idea why gifts were there or that he would one day open them.  He was still processing this whole Santa and flying deer thing his sib's were telling him!  He had mastered Santa, Ho HO HO, Merry Chris-a-miss, Baby Jesus (to any sleeping baby), and most painfully.... if you disobey Mommy and pull on the stocking that has your name on it, the very heavy holder falls on your head and makes you bleed!

Kate really is completely oblivious aside from pulling off ornaments from the tree daily.  She is still working on sleeping through the night and not screaming when I leave the room.  Yepper's, she and I have a lot of togetherness! I will give ya a pictorgram of our Eve and Christmas day:

Christmas Eve

Tim opening his first present like an 88 year old grandpa!  So careful to pull all tape off and not rip paper, adding an occasional, "oh nice" even before the gift is open?  We swiftly showed him how to rip, tear and Woooo Hoooo like a kid should!

Then the 5 years as an orphan oozed out and Tim needed to hide and hoard his gifts in a safe place, so sad and hoping one day he will feel safe in his own home.

Kate seemed to wonder why is it today that we are opening these colorful boxes?  She needed help from her big sis and looked around for assurance that ripping this paper is ok with the "No, no" big people in the house.

And a sampling of the "Bigs" holiday splendor!

Beau, the leader of this tribe.

Megan, our "Big Sis" and my lifesaver on many occasions!

Wes, our middle and comedian, the glue that keeps us together!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  Now to dig out the xue (snow in mandarin) gear for the white stuff falling!  Could ya ask for a better first Christmas in Arkansas and as a family of 7?!!

Twas The Week Before Christmas

Wow!  Yes time has flown.  Let's catch up with the Brakman 5's transition progress............


Hmmmm, Does anyone remember these 3????

They don't make the FB postings often, but they are NOT invisible around the house.  After all, 3 teens are an eating, studying, sport playing blurrrr for the most part, in this house.  Megan is a mini Mama and both Tim and Kate are nuts about her.  Beau is Kate's favorite, and Beau changed his first diaper ever today....and it actually stayed on!  Wes is still finding his place.  He is just fine with Kate, but seems to not find a whole lotta patience for his brother.  We are giving it time. 

We are getting ready for Christmas and all the fun it brings.  Tim recognizes Santa and sings Jingle Bells and his Chinglish (Chinese, English and Spnaish) version of Feliz Navidad....however he seems to not grasp much of the holiday trappings.  We have only been home for 26 days now and the language barrier is one of the few things that prevent him from taking it all in with a complete understanding. 

 Imagine if someone told you a fat man, dressed in a red suit will drive a sleigh with flying deer and deliver colorful boxes through your fireplace to you on a specific day......well, he still thinks this is a head scratcher! 

Kate is completely oblivious to it all, except finds it fun to pull the ornaments off the tree daily!  She did say Ho, Ho, Ho when we passed a blow up of Santa on our walk today....so maybe she will have it all figured out in a weeks time!

Well, this was the runner up to our christmas photo this  year.  We wish all of you few who actually read this blog......A blessed and joyous holiday season!

Two Weeks Home!

A blog update from Cindy this time.....yes, you should be impressed!  Ok, Ok, let's quickly recap!

Tim waving goodbye to China

Tim has decided to conquer all play equipment all at once.  Loves puzzles, cars and on a rare occasion the Wii.  His behavior has dramatically improved.  Other than being a typical 5 year old with an opinion, he is a picky eater and has just recently started giving hugs!!!! Each day his english expands.  It is truly amazing to watch this transformation unfold before our eyes! 

Let me introduce my shadow next.....She still goes EVERYWHERE with me.  She walks miles each day on those tiny legs following my every move.  If she weren't so cute, I would complain!  Kate has a temper and honestly thinks she is me sometimes- while she gibber jabbers her bossing at her older sibs!  The hand on the hip so reminds me of my mother....must be in the DNA??? She is so trying to copy her brother and with a little help, she gets the job done!  She eats constantly and is never picky!  She had her blood drawn and was so darn brave!

We are still climbing to the month home and things are easier plateau, but are getting through each day just fine.  Both kids see the doctor for the first time on the 19th and should be moving along to the specialist from there.  Tim is on the waiting list for preschool, he would LOVE to go to school just like his big brother's and sister.  Prayers a spot opens up for him.  He puts his backpack in the car for carpool each day just in case!  

We are looking forward to the holiday season and all 5 of the kids enjoying each other.  Always love to hear from all of you.  My apologies if I haven't responded, I'll try and get better about that!

I'm off to get a crying little girl off the floor and rescue Tim from being closed in the pantry!  Oh the unending JOY!!!! 

Look! Up in the Sky!

It's a bird...it's a plane...no it's Superman ON a plane!!!

According to the airline website, Superman and Ladybug are in the air! They should arrive in Chicago around lunchtime tomorrow (Thanksgiving) and make the connection to Memphis. They will then make the 3 hour drive home. This will be Tim and Kate's first experience in a car seat. I am hoping the kids will be so tired that they just crash during that part of this long trip. If all goes well, the
Brakmans will arrive home Thanksgiving night. I don't know about you, but I can't WAIT to see pics of them all together at home! Thank you for your continued prayers. Really hoping that Cindy is the next one to blog here, but I'm thinking it may take a few days before we see a post! Happy Thanksgiving!!

The Homestretch!

Thank you to those of you who have kept the Brakmans, big and small, in your prayers.  Glimmers of hope are beginning to shine again.  Not only because the finish line is in sight (of sorts), but because they have begun to see baby steps of progress in Tim's and Kate's adjustment.  Bryce took Tim to the zoo on Monday, and he did pretty well.  And Kate was even playing with Bryce, whom she has been a little scared of for the last week!

Laughing while feeding Baba snacks

Tuesday was the all important Consulate Appointment.  All paperwork is done for China and the U.S., so as soon as they land in Chicago, they will officially be U.S. citizens!  After the CA, they went to Shaiman Island for a little more "touristy" stuff.  

Kate is a little scared of dolls. I think she is scared of the statues, too?  She tried to hit them!

It was quite a long day, and everyone was glad to get back to the hotel.  Cindy went to rock Kate in the other room, and when she returned to the bedroom, she saw this....

He has slept in his crib every night, but apparently he wanted to be a little closer to Mama and Baba this time!  So he just crawled right up!  With his blanket...and his superman...and his flashlight...and his cell phone...and fell right to sleep.

They have now spent their last night in Guangzhou and will be heading to Hong Kong soon!  This morning (Wednesday in China) they are all getting out and doing a little more sightseeing while they wait on the kids' visas to arrive.  By 4pm they should be loading up in their shuttle van and on their way to Hong Kong.  They will spend one more night there and then catch their Chicago bound flight on Thursday morning (Wednesday night for us!).  I know Cindy is beyond happy to be on her way back to see her 3 incredible kiddos at home, not to mention that she can sleep in her own bed soon!  I am sure with Mama and Baba having "home field advantage", the kids will settle in and make great strides very quickly.

Beau, Megan and Wes....Enjoy the last couple days of "normal."  No longer a trio, you're about to become part of the Fantastic Five!  We will be praying for you guys as well during this exciting and challenging time! Mamaw and Poppa...just 2 more sleeps!  

<3 Lori

Adoption is Hard

It is plain tough. And these last few days have been just that for Bryce and Cindy. The kids had their medical check ups on Saturday. No real surprises there. Sunday was a pre-scheduled shopping day with their group. I don't have many details about those days, because I haven't heard from them too much. What I do know is that these days with Tim have been really difficult. His behavior continues to be very bad at times and it is apparent that there is a lot of healing that needs to take place in his little heart...not just his physical one either. They have read all the books, done all the training, talked to other adoptive parents. So it's not like they were blind when they walked in to this adoption. But I am not sure that anyone else's story can fully prepare you for the tantrums, the intentional misbehavior, or the rejection that can come from the little boy in all of those adorable pictures that you've stared at and prayed for for months!

It. Is. Hard!

But this is adoption reality folks. And I think it is a true and accurate picture of the relationship with our Heavenly Father. He loves us more than we can imagine, but sometimes we just can't see it. How many tantrums and intentional misbehaviors have we been responsible for? We, like Tim, are often spoiled, selfish, unknowing, and lack understanding of His unfailing love for us.

"We love him, because he first loved us."
1 John 4:19

Please pray for Tim today. Pray that he begins to understand the love of a family. Pray that Bryce and Cindy can communicate well with him. Pray that his fearful heart is calmed and that a peace would settle over him during these final days in Guangzhou. Pray that Bryce and Cindy have extra grace and patience over the next few days and the ability to see past life in a hotel room.

Only three more sleeps for them until Hong Kong. Then only one day there before they board their flight home. They arrive in Memphis on Thanksgiving Day and make a 3 hour drive home. And there will then be two more little American citizens!

Hopefully Cindy will post again soon. But my guess is it may not be until after they come home. Feel free to leave encouraging comments for Bryce and Cindy below.

Lori :-)

Orphanage Visit

Well, I first have to thank my best friend Lori for keeping you all up to date.  We have been over run with appointments and small kids.  I will attempt to get this posted before I'm bumped off the VPN again.

Yesterday was our orphanage visit and finding spot day.  Exhausting to say the least.  the orphanage(SWI) was what I expected.  The nannies seem to really care for the children.  It is institutional in appearance and the kids are separated by many different buildings.  We were told Tim is quite the rock star at his SWI, not really knowing the full meaning of their expression.  EVERYONE, including the maintenance man knows and stops what they are doing to talk to him.  We were told he was very, very attached to his nanny and we would play it by ear IF we would take him to his room to say goodbye.  His behavior has been over the top and he can be a hand full. Nothing we didn't anticipate.  Upon reaching the SWI, he turned into a wild man.  Was pulling at anyone to take him back to his nanny.  He was approached and talked to by everyone, yeah  he is absolutely a rock star all right!

It seemed some what colorful in the play and sleeping areas.  Much like if you were raised in a day care building.  Kate wanted NOTHING to do with her nannies, wouldn't go to them and turned her head when they spoke to her.  Clung to me tightly and said Mama several times.  She's is my new shadow and goes every where with me....yes, even the bathroom.  Wants nothing to do with any man.

After watching Tim spiral out of control, we had a quick discussion with the head of the China department of our agency, she seemed to be the best person to help make the decision if we should let Tim go back to say good bye.  She was very concerned if he would leave willingly with us when it was time to go.  He spends time at the nannies home and weekends at her house, he is that special to her. It broke our hearts, but we decided to not let him go to say goodbye. I hope we made the right decision and he will one day understand, we did this to best help him attach to us.  He is coming along, but slowly.  He truly is very sweet, at times the life of an orphan comes out of him in floods.  Last night he got his first google translate talking to.  His behavior in a restaurant was epic, that's all I'll say!

This is Kate's finding spot.  Nan Fang Hospital.  She is asleep, long ride in a bus with 4 other finding spots to go visit in our group.

This is Tim's finding spot.  Guangzhou Cardiovascular Hospital.  He was worn out after the struggle when we left the SWI and his was our last stop on the tour.  Both kids were abandoned in very upscale areas. Both at hospitals.  Kate was only hours old and Tim was nearly 7 months old.  Not sure how often I will blog here, VPN is hard to catch and we are very busy.  I promise to catch up when we return home.  Greetings and Ni hao from China!

 

Superman Was Adopted...and Ladybug, too!

Needless to say, the Brakmans have been a tad bit busy since Gotcha Day!  But I (Lori) am here again to let you all know that they are doing FANTASTIC!  Very busy....but fantastic!  Eventually Cindy will blog again.  But for now she is doing a lot of this.....

And a lot of this....

And not very much of this....

Monday was the big Gotcha Day, and as I already blogged, things went considerably well.  Bedtime was a little challenging, but Tim was super excited about his Superman pj's, blanket, and sleeping companion.  He seemed a little nervous and fidgety, but he climbed in the crib by himself, cell phone in hand, and went to sleep. Kate slept 11 hours if I remember right.  I am sure her little body was quite worn out from the big day!  

Tuesday they headed back to Civil Affairs to finalize the adoption.  They had to return to the same room where they met the kids and complete more papers.  This was the day they officially became Brakmans!  I am sure on a camera card somewhere there are really great pics of this that we will all see soon?  

Wednesday seemed to have a little more down time, although after naps they went to the police station to apply for their visas.  They were able to go to the playroom at the hotel for a while.  

Tim seems to have an endless supply of energy and is very active!  He is very sweet, but there are times that orphanage behaviors are apparent.  Like any 5 year old boy, he is definitely testing his limits.  Lack of a common language has been a challenge, but Google translate has saved the day a couple of times!  He already has acquired several English phrases and uses them correctly.  Again, he is a very smart little guy!  Kate seems to be Cindy's shadow at all times and only wants to be held when they are outside of the room.  Cindy said she doesn't know that she was ever outside of the SWI (orphanage) and said, "The world scares her."  But she did seem to enjoy the Walmart shopping trip!  

Kate and Cindy at breakfast.  

Kate is not an OJ fan, by the way.  She even wiped it off of her tongue!  Bryce and Tim went to see the fish in the pond (behind Kate).  Tim got very entranced by the fish and suddenly realized the urge to use the bathroom.  So guess what he did with an audience of about 100 people viewing the pond from the restaurant??  Yup, he yanked down his pants!  Well, at least he didn't wet them? The people in the restaurant laughed...I am still laughing.  Bryce...probably not so much!  If you have ever parented a boy, you can probably relate! 

Fatigue is setting in for Bryce and Cindy.  Going back to toddlerhood is not for the faint of heart!  Please continue to keep them in your prayers over the next few days.  No one ever said being the hands and feet of Jesus was easy.  But when you look at this face, you know it is all worth it!

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."  James 1:27

And here they are....

This is Lori again!  I just received a couple of pics and thought I would post for all to see.  Cindy will try and do a post after the kids go to bed, so you'll have to check back in later for all the details. But here is what I have so far!

Although a little scared at the Civil Affairs office, he came out smiling.  However, when it was time to leave, Cindy said he started crying.  Can you put yourself in his tiny shoes???  Seems like Tim is a smart little guy.  His noodles were hot, so he opened his cup to put cool water in to cool it off!  He has mastered the iPad, Cindy said.  And he is very gentle with his Mei Mei!

Looks like Kate was enjoying her noodles as well!  Cindy said she screamed for about 35 minutes at the Civil Affairs office, but she looks like she is doing great now!

Guess she likes her "cell phone."

And they both were having fun with bubbles!

And I guess I should have put this before the noodle pics. But it was my favorite, so I saved it for last!

Tim was helping his sister to dinner...a gentleman already!

Much more to come from Gotcha Day!  These were just a few pics that she sent from her phone after they were back in the hotel!  I am guessing it is now bath time, a little more play time, Skype time with their siblings and grandparents soon, and then bed time!  Please continue to pray for them as bed time tonight may be a little tricky.  

Sleep well Tim and Kate...you are orphans no more!

Twas the Night Before Gotcha

Twas the night before "GOTCHA DAY" and all through the suite, the only creature stirring was a very tired me.  All charging outlet's were humming with the charging of camera's, camera's and more camera's so that not a second will be lost.  The hubby was snoring and my babies all snug, as it's the last night ever, they will not know how they are so loved. 

OK....Enough of that as this VPN is hard to get to cooperate, and I want to catch all up on the 411 of the last few days.  Seat belts fastened....let's go!

Took a very, crazy long plane ride: That's us going around the world and then some!

Had our camera stolen from our luggage somewhere along the way in the baggage area...buying locks for trip home!  Went to shopping districts in Hong Kong to buy a new one.  It is eye popping how congested with people, signage, cars, buses and more people this shopping area was.  Pretty sure my head exploded!

We took a sky tram thingy up to a Giant Budda and village.  Very pretty views.  Yes, of course we sprinted to the top.  I am that competitive, especially when I tower over most of the men here.

This is the insence burning garden in front of the temple, by the big budda. The aroma was something outta this world. I can certainly understand why Glade passed on this scent for air freshners! 

A nice ride up and down.  I nearly fell asleep, it was so relaxing....errr maybe it was the jet lag?  Which really has not been to terrible.

We made our way to the train station this morning for our ride into main land China, Guangzhou.  It was a nice ride and Guangzhou is far more cosmopolitan than I had previously thought.  Our train was late into the station and our Lifeline rep somehow missed us walking out of immigrations.  Not to worry, after an hour of searching without success, we hired a taxi to get us to the hotel.  The Garden Hotel is ubber nice.  We were rushed up to do paperwork for tomorrow and all is on track for a 2:30 GOTCHA!  Will send you the details bout that tomorrow.  Gonna post this before I'm booted off the VPN now!  Prayers please for our Timothy and Kate....these next few weeks will be very difficult for them.

China Day 1, 2, 3?

So I am not exactly sure if I should title this China Day 1 or China Day 2, or Day 3!  So I guess it is all three!

This is Cindy's friend, Lori.  I am "guest blogging" today since their trip has been quite interesting thus far, and their internet access is pretty limited.  I am no Cindy Brakman when it comes to wit and words, but at least I can catch you up on their trip up to this point!

So Day 1 would have been Thursday, November 8.  The first leg of their trip was a quick flight to the Windy City.  From there they boarded the LONG flight to Hong Kong. 

 For those of you that know Cindy, I find it amusing that she had to actually SIT for 16 hours!  I am sure that was quite a challenge for her :-)  Her words would probably be something like, "That was a long stinkin' time in a big metal tube!"

So then Day 2 would be Friday.  Most of that day was travel for them, since by the time their plane landed in Hong Kong, it was already about 8:30 Friday night there.  (They are 13 hours ahead of EST.)  But they did arrive safely and headed to their hotel.  After being awake for 26 hours straight, I am sure they both slept well!

However, when they woke up Saturday morning (Day 3), they discovered that their nice, big camera was no longer in their luggage.  So back to the airport they went!  Somewhere along the way they met a young man from New Zealand who had had his money and documents stolen.  So as I type, they are trying to help him figure out what to do.  Such a Bryce and Cindy thing to do...Always the helpful ones!  

Apparently Bryce, with his new friend William, is finding this whole circus of a day quite amusing!

The plan for today (Saturday for them) is to go on a sky tram tour of Hong Kong and to see the giant Buddha......

                                                   Right after they buy a new camera!

Please keep Superman and LadyBug in your prayers!  In about 48 more hours, their little world will be turned upside down!  Although we know this is a good thing, it will probably be a very scary and confusing time for them!  

Inching Along

FINALLY

TA!

Well now that was a..a...a record breaking, insanely long time.  And China granted us permission to roll the dice and move our mice outta the travel approval(TA) mousetrap!  Praise GOD!

Typically families travel within 2- 3 weeks after they receive their CA.  CA stands for consulate appointment.  It is the last official adoption appointment and they complete the children's visa to leave China and enter the US as legal citizen's. Now having said that, because of the Chinese trade fair in October and the American Consulate closing for an entire week in October, many families are in line already for the November CA dates.  Our CA date was issued for over a month later. so what does that mean?

MORE

STINKING

WAITING

UGHHHHHHHHHH!

I was so hoping to get this adoption done in a year, not gonna happen now.  We started November 14, 2011.  So much for plans, right????

But, here is our travel itinerary:

8 November- Fly from Little Rock to Chicago.  Board a very LONNNNGGG flight to Hong Kong.  Stay until 11 November to acclimate to time difference and sight see.

11 November- Take train to Guangzhou, China.  This is the city that Tim and Kate live in and we will be there for our entire trip.

12 November- GOTCHA DAY

The official day we finally meet these two cuties for the first time. They finally get a Mama and Baba.

We have our CA(consulate appointment) in the American Consulate in Guangzhou, China on November 20, 2012.  They are officially a Brakman!

November 21- Pick up Tim and Kate's visa's and catch the train out of town for Hong Kong.  

November 22- Leave their homeland China, until we return for a visit in a few years.  Super long flight back to Chicago and then the really bad deal....we can't fly home due to holiday flying schedule. So, we fly to Memphis and drive 3 hours home.  

YEAH.....SO....after all 18 hours, flying, wrestling kiddo's, custom's, bag drag, security check, another flight to Memphis and finally more baggage, bus to rental car and then we are off.  Not to mention Tim and Kate have never been in a car seat, like EVER!  So 3 hours in one, for the first time won't be a challenge...RIGHT?

I'm positive THIS will be an adventure of a life time!  Can't wait to live it...and I'm sure it will generate so many interesting stories for the blog!