Switching to a Yahoo!Group. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GottliebsGrow/

Blog Problems - After no access at all, we can now post titles, but nothing in the body or photos.

We Made it to Beijing and Slept through (most of!) the Night!

Getting Ready

It has been a hectic couple of days. Some of the packing got done. DJ's room is ready for him. We are trying to spend time with Francie and Lee before we leave. And Katie is packing the refrigerator with food for the kids and grandparents.

Here We Go Again

A little over a year ago Katie and I started the process to adopt our third child. We matched with a child very quickly and have been staring at his pictures for about a year now. Occasionally we got a new photo and wondered what happened to him that day, that week, and that month. But while we thought about this this little guy constantly, we were lucky and thankful to have Francie and Lee keeping us busy, happy, laughing, and on our toes. So this year has been a time of waiting and hoping while a little boy in China kept growing and living a life that will change dramatically in about a week.

First, some stats on D.J. His name is Fu Sheng Li, bu we already have a Lee in this house! Douglas is my middle name and Joyner is Katie's middle name and her mom's maiden name. Katie still calls him Douglas sometimes, but I think D.J. fits him. We'll see what happens. He is two and a half and lives in Jiaozou which is in the Henan province in China. He was born in Jiaozou and is back there now, but for most of his life he lived in Beijing. He's huge! Despite having had several abdominal surgeries and still struggling with digestive issues, according to the reports we've seen, D.J. is in the 75th percentile in height and weight on the American growth charts. Francie and Lee either barely made the American charts or weren't even big enough to rank. The other reports we have read say that he is quite a character. He is smiley and fun, but a bit mischievous. He should fit right in.

Katie and I will leave this upcoming Wednesday for China, but we'll leave the kids at home. We are thankful to have Katie's parents and my mom splitting time in North Carolina taking care of the kids while we are gone. I will return a week early, and Katie and D.J. will make it home on December 17th. Katie won't be alone in China for the final week, though. My brother, Greg, still lives in Shanghai and will visit and help in the middle. Also, Katie's sister, Dale, will make the long trip to spend the last week in Guangzhou to help both there and on the seemingly longer flight home.

We, of course, don't know what to expect. Although we have some comfort in the fact that we have been through this before, we know that each child is different. The adjustment period might be long and hard, but we are excited to begin this next phase in the life of our family. We can't wait to meet him.

Anyway, I know that most of you skim though all the wordy stuff and are just looking for pictures. Here they are:

Hair Bows

It's Katie, again. I just wanted to share this photo. Yesterday one of our friends and her little girls brought over a delicious dinner. Apparently her daughters have shared my concern that Francie won't wear bows. Using Taylor as a role model, Katie and Olivia convincingly pointed out that "bows are good." Now my daughter is not quite two and only speaks Shantouese (except for "Daddy") but she got the message! After they left, she brought me the bag of bows from cousin Anna and wanted each one in her hair. When Randy came home, she was still proudly wearing two matching pink bows. We'll see if it lasts!

Otherwise, life if good but jetlag is bad. Randy and the kids are sleeping now, but at 2:30 I'm wide awake. Lee seemed happy to return to school yesterday, and Francie is warming up to Ozzie. As long as she's being held, she's a happy girl. Unfortunately, I haven't mastered doing laundry one handed, but it can wait.

A Few Pictures

We Made It

We made it home about an hour and a half ago to a stork in the yard, a refrigerator full of food, and a happy puppy. We were able to quickly heat up some dinner and get Francie and Lee to bed. Francie is still trying to figure out why we have a dog running around the house. While we ate, she kept pointing at Ozzie and screaming in Chinese. She was infatically pointing out that we had a fuzzy animal on the floor and didn't understand why we weren't concerned. She'll learn to love him.

The flight today went well as both little ones slept for quite a bit of it. We'll see if they sleep through the night. Francie seems to be struggling right now, but Lee's already out. We would all love a full night's rest.

Thanks again to all of the people who helped with our house, Ozzie, food, a last-minute crib for Francie, and a wonderful welcome home. We are lucky to have great friends and neighbors.

Not Home Yet

Other than a 2-hour delay which caused us to miss our connection in LA, the trip went great. We are now sitting in a hotel near the airport and will take a late morning flight to finally make it home. Both children behaved beautifully on the plane, waiting in customs for Francie to become a US citizen, and sprinting to the flight that we missed by about a minute and a half. The bus ride to the hotel wasn't ideal, but we'll take it.

We now have a chance to recharge the DVD and take our final flight home tomorrow. And the midnight room service hamburger was wonderful.

No signs of any roosters in LA.

Guest Blogger

Hey! It's Katie. Randy is still asleep, but I am feeling too sentimental and sappy to sleep right now. In about 15 hours we'll be getting on our first plane and heading home as a family of four. I'm as excited as Randy is to go home, but I am still amazed at how well the trip has gone and just a little giddy. I know that I may be singing a different tune after the flights, but it really has been amazingly smooth. We've all been healthy, the paperwork went well, we've loved the new hotel, and it's been wonderful to have all the support and help from my parents, Greg and Eileen. We even found a yummy Italian restaurant over here and saw panda bears! And when I look at our little ones sleeping, I feel like we've been blessed beyond belief.

I'm especially pleased with how well Lee has done on the trip. I won't pretend he's been perfect - yesterday he both slapped Eileen and told the waitress her legs were smooth! But all in all, he's been great. It's not easy to fly half way around the world, have no schedule at all, sleep on a couch, lose a lot of attention, eat funny foods, and handle it all gracefully, especially when you're four. And not to brag too much, but he didn't even throw a fit when Francie bit him in an effort to grab his grits!

I can't begin to describe how excited we are about this funny little girl. Francie's still eating everything in sight, won't wear hairbows, and has gotten used to way too much attention from everyone. But otherwise, she's just about perfect. It's amazing how quickly we've all fallen in love with her. I know the weeks and years ahead will be challenging at times and even tougher at others, but she's already brought us incredible joy. Thank you so much to all who have written notes and comments while we're over here. We have appreciated the support and felt like all our prayers have been answered with the most amazing blessings.