We are home one week......

We are now home one week and it has been just wonderful...we feel that Gabriella Wenyuan has been with us forever. It has been a week of significant transitions for all of us, but Gabriella has taken it in her stride. She has been such a blessing to us; we have to keep pinching ourselves to believe she is finally here. The first night she slept in her cot I just stood at the end of it and wept...tears of joy and disbelief that after all of the 'waiting years' she was finally home and sleeping safe and comfortable in her own room. The first week of being home with Gabriella has just flown by. We have tried to instil some sense of schedule to each day...bath times, playtime, daily walk in her pushchair, daily nap (during which we run around by headless chickens trying to get some chores down lol). It has also been a week of more firsts and some of them are noted below:

First time in a plane (we thought we would start with a short flight to see how she liked it!!!)
First nights sleep in her own room
First meeting with Oscar & Mulberry....they are still adjusting to their new family member :)
First meeting with the grandparents and close family & friends
First outing to Church
First ride in her own car seat (with lots of tears during the first outing but which are now non existent as she has got used to it)
First tricycle thanks to her Auntie Andrea, and cousins Jill, Philip & Roslyn
First movie!
First new car - a mini cooper courtesy of Country Garages!!
First meeting with her Social Worker, GP & Health Visitor
First foot measuring for new trainers
First try of potatoes, gingerbread men, strawberries & yoghurt (to name but a few)

As each day passes our daughter is showing so much of her hidden personality. Her frequent tears that were so evident in the early days are now being replaced with smiles and laughter as she grows in self confidence and relishes her new life. Obviously there are so many more simple life experiences to enjoy with her but in one week Gabriella has truly embraced things in such a wonderful way....God is so good and we thank Him every day for her.

 

My new Mini Cooper...just watch me go!

Wonder if Nana is in??

First outing to Church as a family of 3

 

 

Auntie Andrea and Me...enjoying my new tricycle

 

Taking Panda Monium for a ride

 

Getting closer!

 

Gabriella's Great Wall

 

 

 

Getting my new trainers...lovely girl

 

 My second car journey....much happier today!

Wonder if mum would miss these??

Home Sweet Home.....Counting our blessings.

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24.15

Hello Everyone...sorry for the late post but due to time zone changes, jet lag, broken down washing machine :( and adjusting to life back home with our bundle of joy we are only getting a chance to post now. So just letting you know we have arrived home safe and well - PTL.

What a long 24 hours but thankfully we arrived home yesterday to a wonderful welcoming committee...cheers from immediate family members and a few close friends echoed around the arrivals hall at George Best City Airport!! It was just a lovely experience (flash photography, balloons - we felt like celebrities lol) and we all had to keep pinching ourselves to actually believe Gabriella was now safe in her new homeland. Nana & Grandpa Haddock had organised a welcome home buffet lunch at their home and it was obvious that the effort they had made was a real labour of love - thank you to you both! Miss Gabriella is a great eater and enjoyed the specially made sweet and sour pork with rice. Granny Beattie had thoughtfully brought a welcome home cake - just delicious.

As the afternoon progressed, the lack of sleep and change in time zone started to take their toll on us and so the new Beattie family of three left for the last leg of their journey - to Apple Vale, Portadown! Daddy drove home with Miss Gabriella strapped safely in her car seat....she is not too keen on the car seat at the minute but hopefully with time this negative response will change. It was just good to finally be home with our bundle of joy. By 5pm both Stephen and Gabriella had travelled to their last destination for the day - to the land of nod, and despite my own best efforts to stay awake until later in the evening (in order to adjust better to the new time) I succumbed at 7pm. Apart from being wakened at 4:30am with a cry from Gabriella we all slept until nearly 8am (for some that was nearly 15 hours sleep!!) The good nights sleep has done us all good, especially Stephen who is still recovering from a terrible throat infection.

Bath time, breakfast and Gabriella's trip out in her new stroller were the itinerary for this morning....although Stephen thinks the stroller is too comfortable since she fell asleep 15 minutes into their first outing around the block and that sleep lasted for 2 hours!! She totally missed her personal tour! Nana & Grandpa Haddock then called at the house and we spent some lovely quality time together...good bonding time.

Well Gabriella is now fast asleep in her new cot and what a beautiful day we have experienced with her, on her first day in her new permanent home. Once we get this blog posted we plan to closely follow suit! However we have posted some photos of Gabriella's first day in her new home - enjoy!

Speak soon
Caroline, Stephen & Gabriella

 

Beattie Travel Rule - If you want to bring it, you carry it :)!

 

All snug and ready for my walk. Dolly coming too

 

 

Raring to go!

 

 

 

 

Some last minute tuition at London Heathrow!

 

Mummy, Gabriella and my first dolly

 

Give us a kiss

 

My new doggy...the real one comes tomorrow!

 



Rejoice and give thanks

What a day! We have been on stressful tenderhooks all day waiting for Beijing to sign off Gabriella's visa that will allow her to permanently enter the UK. By 3pm there was still no confirmation so our guide drove us to the the British Consulate in Guangzhou so that we could plead the urgency of our case. What an experience...at one point I lent over to say to Stephen "I would not like to have done anything I should not have!!" We really had to plead to get speaking to a British official and then once this was granted over the speaker phone, we had to go through security clearance and be escorted to Interview Room 3 where we waited - my heart was thumping so hard I thought everyone in the building could palpate the vibration!! Then at nearly 4pm (and only one hour till the office closed for the weekend) the door opened and Dave (an English speaking British consulate official who had just arrived in Gaungzhou little over 3 weeks ago) spoke to us........confirming that Gabriella's visa was near ready since Beijing had just given final approval. He was very pleasant. In not very 'British stiff upper lip style' my tears started and flowed and flowed!! I think it was just the relief to know we were finally on our way home. All the other documents really meant nothing without her visa and to finally have it in our hands was an overwhelming moment. God really went before us today and we are so thankful that the plans all fell into place. We are all coming home!!

We then headed back to the hotel for some rest and a cuppa of tea. Gabriella then had her bath and we got her ready for going out for a meal - our last night in Guangzhou. On return to the hotel she fell asleep while getting her bottle of milk and is now sleeping peacefully. Stephen and I then tackled the packing :( I hate this part - trying to strategically put everything back into the cases so that it fits well (why does it never fit as well as it did on departure) and also ensure the case is within the allocated weight limit - now that is the hard part, well it is for me anyway!!!

Tomorrow we leave the hotel at 2pm and get a taxi to Hong Kong - yes to read that bit correctly. After our expereince of the train journey on our arrival and given that Stephen is still under the weather, and given that we have a little girl, a buggy and all her 'stuff!' we just could not physically face it. So we got our guide to organise a taxi van to take us to the airport - no doubt many of you are laughing at this!! Ah well can't teach an old dog new tricks.

So we now sign off and next time we post we will be on Northern Irish soil dv

In closing we would just like to thank our good friend Dawn for all her hard work in keeping our blog maintained over the last 2 weeks - she has done a marvellous job and one that did take some time to complete each night. However the blog was our way to firstly keep a daily journal of our trip, a powerful memory tool for Gabriella in years to come; and secondly a way of communicating to all our family and friends during our time in China. Thank you to you all for being such a source of love, support and powerful prayer warriors not only during the last number of weeks but, for some being wonderful prayer warriers for many years as we plodded our way through this long and challenging journey - but hasn't it all been worth it! So thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we now look forward to bringing Gabriella Wenyuan home to you all.

With our love and gratitude
Caroline, Stephen & Gabriella xxx

 

what today's stress was all about - Gabriella's UK entry visa

  

 

the 'Queen' on her throne

 

 

helping daddy count out mummy's spending allowance!!

 

last family picture before we leave Guagzhou

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12

We had planned to do more today but poor Mr Beattie is not too well today - sore throat and flu like symptoms. He tried to perserve with our planned visit to the local market but unfortunately he just was not well enough so we got a taxi back early to the hotel - Miss Gabriella however was oblivious to her daddy's plight and was focused on looking cool in the back of the taxi!!
Given that there are 30 million people living in this city, coupled with the extreme noise and heat / humidity, the city centre market place is not the place to be if you do not feel great. Thankfully I had antibiotics with me and now that that the course is commenced I pray that by tomorrow he will be feeling a bit better - not pleasant being under the weather and having to prepare for a long haul journey home :(

The rest of the day was quiet to allow Stephen to sleep. Gabriella and I went on our own to our regular haunt to eat - Lucy's Diner. We missed daddy so much but since the staff have got to know us over the last two weeks they were so kind to send me back to the hotel with heated noodle soup for Stephen. Miss Gabriella behaved like a little lady in the restaurant. She ate all of her rice dish, soup and as a treat she enjoyed a strawberry milkshake. On return to the hotel Stephen was feeling a wee bit better so we bathed Gabriella and following a short time of play, they are both off to the land of nod....allowing me some time to write up today's blog.

Off to the British Consulate tomorrow to (hopefully) pick up Gabriella's visa that will allow us to fly home with her on Saturday - only one day's holiday left and then HOME TIME!

Speak soon
Caroline, Stephen & Gabriella XXX

A Quiet Day..........

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5&6

We really do not have too much to post this evening since our day was a quiet one, that was based around the hotel complex. We were all tired after yesterday's safari excitement. In fact Gabriella slept for 2.5hours this afternoon and is away to bed early this evening as well.

We went to the park late this morning but returned early...a mixture of experiencing a tearful and tired Gabriella and the extreme heat / humdity. We had an early tea in Lucy's diner and then returned to the hotel so that Gabriella could have her daily bath (which she now loves) and some play time in the play room. That was a giggle since Gabriella has progressed in one week from a little girl who refused to put her feet on the ground to a little girl who is now growing in her walking confidence - tonight she even tried to run the toy hoover over the carpet....training her up early lol!!!

What a difference a week has made!

On a personal note, whilst we are not able to actually see our blog we are getting the personal messages sent to us by email - thank you so much. We just love waking in the morning and reading those posts and we are so appreciative of the ongoing prayers, love and support especially since we are so far away from you all.

Much love
Caroline, Stephen & Gabriella

 

We have to go all the way down there!!

 

An uncertain 'wheeeeee'

 

I like to wave (alot!)

 

Toys on loan

 (a little boy kindly gave Gabriella his toy fish and a parasol to protect her from the sun!!)

 

"All creatures great and small....the Lord God made them all."

What a brilliant day. After being collected by our guide Michael at 09:30 local time, we headed to Chimelong Safari Park, which was only 40 minutes drive from our hotel. I thought we were going to a panda reserve. We did not realise that we were actually going to a safari reserve (which included the panda enclosure) and the first part of our day trip was a car trip around the safari park - safari on wheels was the trip title!! We have posted some photos and as you can see we saw so many animals - large ones, smaller ones, exotic ones, cheeky ones and colourful ones.....just breathtaking and Gabriella was in awe as she peered out the car window. Most of the animals got a wave from her and some even got a shriek of excitement!

After the safari on wheels we then headed to the animal reserves and walked to the following: Pygmy Hippopotomus pool, Elephant Enclosure, Panda Reserve & Koala Zone. We stopped regularly to mop our brows in the searing heat but thankfully with sun umbrellas, hand held fans and plenty of fluids in our lunch bag we were fine and enjoyed every minute of our experience.

Soon it was home time and Gabriella soon fell asleep on the return journey...no doubt dreaming of all the wonderful animals she had seen. Each day she shares with us a little more of her lovely personality. Her confidence slowly increases daily and with this she continues to increase her walking distance - looks like the need for parental stamina is increasing daily as we now try to keep up with her!!

Enjoy the photos....
Love Caroline, Stephen & Gabriella X

 

elephant

 

 

brown bear

   

 

black bear

 

today the tiger said that Gabriella was just ggggggreat!
  

 

Rhino

 

"Did the cat get your tongue!"

 

I'm sticking my neck out here but Gabriella is the prettiest girl ever:)

 

"What is daddy doing mummy?"

 

Would you be interested in any cheap car insurance?"

 

Sleep time, Nite Nite x

 

 

 

I got to stroke a koala today (Nana Haddock - don't worry - mummy made sure she washed by hands afterwards!!!!)

 

 I love this place!

 

Attack by the mutant panda

 

 

 

 Look I am on my feet!



One small step for Gabriella....one giant leap for the Beattie family!

"Humble yourselves therefore under God's mighty hand, that He may lift
you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him for her cares for
you." (2 Peter 5: 6-7)



Well today marks the one week anniversary of getting our daughter and
what a week it has been. A week of blessing, transitions and sore gums!
We keep pinching ourselves that we are in China with Gabriella and
after getting her visa application processed today at the British
Consulate, we are nearly complete with all of the necessary papers that
will permit us to leave the country next Saturday for arrival home in
Northern Ireland on Sunday (15th) morning. Yippee!



We continue to take steps into our new family life slowly, and are
trying to establish a simple routine that allows Gabriella to cope with
the massive change in her life. Today consisted of a walk along the
lush pathways of Shamian Island (where we are staying), lunch at
Starbucks, Gabriella's daily afternoon nap and then out of our tea in
Lucy's diner. However today also marked significant milestones for
Gabriella. Today she did not cry when she had her bath. In fact she
loved the water so much most of it ended up on the floor and over us
lol and we were deafened by her shrieks of laughter as she splish
splashed all around her. But the biggest step of all today was hers!!
During evening playtime she just decided it was time to get up on her
feet and walk from one side of our hotel room to the other. This has
been a relief for us. We are amazed at her change over the past 7 days
- the sad face is replaced with a wonderful smile, albeit that she
still turns on the waterworks if she does not get her own way; her
stress has slowly reduced allowing her to observe the world around her
and become an active part of it; her lack of verbal speech is now being
replaced with constant babble and we also notice that when she hears
music she sways in response to it. Her mummy may have had something to
do with this!



Tomorrow we are off to the Guangzhou panda reserve, which apparently is
one of the best in China. We are really looking forward to that
experience so we promise to take plenty of photos and share with you
tomorrow dv



Lots of love

Caroline, Stephen & Gabriella

 

A lushious Shamian Island, Guangzhou

 

I hope those hands are clean??

 

Oscar here I come

 

"Beep Beep" My daddy taught me this!
 

 

"Ni Hao"

 

Chillaxing with daddy at our regular - Starbucks
 

Fancy meeting you here!