Saturday, July 6, 2006
We've just made it official: Pam and I are applying with Holt International Children's Services to adopt a secondchild from China. A welcome packet is on its way from Eugene, Ore., about the China program.
Ofcourse, we are familiar with the program. So, while it will be once again tedious work compiling documents, it should be easier because we've been through this already. My best guess is that we couldhave a dossier ready to ship to Holt and China by about October or November.
If the wait time holds up, we could be back in China for another adopting by the end of 2007.
-- TERRY R. CASSREINO
A little about Mississippi, a little about Louisiana, a little about New Orleans and A LOT about our adoption story. This blog and our adoption story is dedicated to Camryn and Matthew Cassreino so that you both will know. Copyright 2021 by Terry R. Cassreino
Saturday, July 8, 2006
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Mother's Day and our seventh anniversary
Saturday, May 20, 2006
PHOTO 2
OK, so I’m cheating a little. This wasn’t exactly Mother’s Day. But it does feature Granny Jo feeding little ol’ Camryn. Actually it’s Na Na Jo. Another nice photo if grandmother and baby. And a nice shot for Mother’s Day whether or not it was snapped that day.
PHOTO 3
Mother’s Day morning, before we attended Mass atSt. Thomas
PHOTO 4
Later that day, Pam and Camryn sit on the front steps of our house for this nice shot.
PHOTO 5
On Monday, May 15, we stopped at my sister’s work to visit before Pam and I headed to Uptown New Orleans for our anniversary dinner. Here, Camryn holds onto my fingers as she shows off how she can stand.
PHOTO 6
I love black and white photography. There’s something about it, a timeless quality. This is a particularly nice shot on grandmother, Maw-Maw Gay, and grandchild.
Photos and text copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino
But here’s to Mother’s Day and our seventh wedding anniversary. This short photo gallery is a nice look back at Mother’s Day weekend. The photos are not in order, but you’ll enjoy them anyway. -- Terry R. Cassreino
PHOTO 1
Camryn enjoys a ride in the basket at
PHOTO 2
OK, so I’m cheating a little. This wasn’t exactly Mother’s Day. But it does feature Granny Jo feeding little ol’ Camryn. Actually it’s Na Na Jo. Another nice photo if grandmother and baby. And a nice shot for Mother’s Day whether or not it was snapped that day.
PHOTO 3
Mother’s Day morning, before we attended Mass at
PHOTO 4
Later that day, Pam and Camryn sit on the front steps of our house for this nice shot.
PHOTO 5
On Monday, May 15, we stopped at my sister’s work to visit before Pam and I headed to Uptown New Orleans for our anniversary dinner. Here, Camryn holds onto my fingers as she shows off how she can stand.
PHOTO 6
I love black and white photography. There’s something about it, a timeless quality. This is a particularly nice shot on grandmother, Maw-Maw Gay, and grandchild.
Photos and text copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Letter from the president
Sunday, May 14, 2006
HATTIESBURG - Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there.
And in celebration of this momentous occasion, I thought you'd like to read thetext of the letter President George W. Bush personally mailed to our daughter, Camryn, to mark her citizenship in the United States.
- Terry R. Cassreino
****
Dear Fellow American:
HATTIESBURG - Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there.
And in celebration of this momentous occasion, I thought you'd like to read thetext of the letter President George W. Bush personally mailed to our daughter, Camryn, to mark her citizenship in the United States.
- Terry R. Cassreino
****
Dear Fellow American:
Friday, May 12, 2006
Camryn receives citizenship papers
Friday, May 12, 2006
By Terry R. Cassreino
HATTIESBURG – Camryn’s official citizenship documents arrived in the mail today.
So now it's official. Well, actually, Camryn became a U.S. citizen as soon as we landed in Detroit on Friday, April 14, and we all went through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services checkpoint.
The certificate is just a little lagniappe. Actually, it’s kind of cool-looking and features an official U.S. seal. It even spells out Camryn's full American name: Camryn Ai Hua Cassreino. And it has a color mug shot of the baby.
Too bad I can’t post a copy of it here on this blog. A statement on the certificate says clearly that any photographs or duplication of the certificate is against the law and punishable by public hanging in the town square of a major American city to be determined at a later date.
Hey, but Camryn did receive a signed form letter from President George Bush. The old prez himself said in the letter that he was extremely glad and proud that someone like Camryn decided to become a proud citizen of the United States of America.
Geez, with all the problems Bush is facing in the polls across America (skyrocketing gasoline prices; an ongoing, pointless, unnecessary war in Iraq; the foot-dragging he has done and continues to do in, first, saving, and, then, rebuilding New Orleans, Southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast), you'd think his office would have been able to realize that Camryn IS A BABY FOR GOD’S SAKES.
She didn’t choose to come here (although, I maintain that had she known beforehand that I was going to be her father she would have had her bags packed, her Sunday-best on, her plane ticket in hand, all the paperwork completed and be ready to go the minute Pam and I arrived at the Gloria Plaza Hotel in Nanchang, China).
Pam and I made the decision for her to be a U.S. citizen. And we are glad we did.
Oh well. C’est la vie. On with the show
So let’s move on to the photos in today’s gallery. These may not be the most exciting (I’ll have some better ones after a trip to New Orleans for a wedding anniversary dinner with Pam on Monday), but they are all I have to offer.
One final note – the dates and times marked on the photos are wrong because my camera is still on Beijing time. Sorry.
Here goes:
PHOTO 1
Camryn stages a sit-in in our master bedroom. This was on Sunday, April 30, before we packed up and headed to Slidell for the weekend (yes, the weekend because I am off on Sundays and Mondays). Camryn refused to budge. She sat there for hours. We had to get a crow bar to remove her from the carpet.
PHOTO 2
Well, after we removed Camryn from the floor we piled in our Toyota Camry and headed for Slidell. When we got there, my mother informed us that my aunt, Rose Caffery, and my cousins (her daughters) Kelly and Melynn, wanted to see Camryn. So we piled back in the Camry and drove to Metarie. I hadn’t seen Aunt Rose in a few years and rarely see Kelly or Melynn. They look pretty much the same. Here they are in Aunt Rose's house.
PHOTO 3
Kelly, right, laughs at the fact that I have more hair on my legs than I do on my fat head. Some things just never change.
PHOTO 4
In this group shot in Aunt Rose's living room Kelly, right, and Melynn, left, pretend to enjoy my company. Notice how I take up three-fourths of the sofa. I thought I lost weight on the trip to China. Ha. Fat chance. Oh, sitting on my lap is innocent little Camryn. She actually behaved herself quite well. No temper tantrums. No spinning heads. No pea soup. No profanity. An angel.
PHOTO 5
Hours later, I was back at my mother’s FEMA trailer. Here I am in the dining room – inches away from the master bedroom, the spare bedroom and the bathroom – looking up at the television are thinking this is a small trailer. A real small trailer.
PHOTO 6
Oh, now how in the hell did this photo sneak in here? This is back at our house in Hattiesburg AFTER the trip to Slidell. Camryn is sitting on my lap while my mother demonstrates how to play a drum the baby just received as a gift. My mother came back with Pam and Camryn because Pam fell out of my mother's FEMA trailer and sprained her ankle. Ouch.
PHOTO 7
OK, now we are back to Slidell. Here is Camryn sitting in the spare bedroom of the FEMA trailer having fun while Mommy looks on in the background.
PHOTO 8
Just who in the hell organized these photos? Fire the jerks. These are completely out of order. This one is at Aunt Rose's house and is a group shot. I tried t oget in the photo, but was ordered out. They were afraid my natural good looks would steal all attention away from themselves. So I said fine, let them have their day in the sun. See if I care.
PHOTO 9
Back home in Hattiesburg. I just finished giving Camryn a shave. Her beard was especially thick. If you look hard, you can even see a little bit of the shaving cream on her face. I’m still thinking about just letting her beard grow and then possibly enter her in one of those carnival side shows you see at events like the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson in October. I remember at the Gulf Coast Fishing Rodeo in Gulfport one year I went to see the world’s fattest man. I paid $5, got suckered into the room and saw a guy eating food. But let me tell you, I’ve seen fatter people grazing at the trough at those all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets or the all-you-can-eat casino restaurants. You want to see people who could stand to go on a 10-year fast and not suffer health effects? Stop by one of those buffets.
By Terry R. Cassreino
HATTIESBURG – Camryn’s official citizenship documents arrived in the mail today.
So now it's official. Well, actually, Camryn became a U.S. citizen as soon as we landed in Detroit on Friday, April 14, and we all went through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services checkpoint.
The certificate is just a little lagniappe. Actually, it’s kind of cool-looking and features an official U.S. seal. It even spells out Camryn's full American name: Camryn Ai Hua Cassreino. And it has a color mug shot of the baby.
Too bad I can’t post a copy of it here on this blog. A statement on the certificate says clearly that any photographs or duplication of the certificate is against the law and punishable by public hanging in the town square of a major American city to be determined at a later date.
Hey, but Camryn did receive a signed form letter from President George Bush. The old prez himself said in the letter that he was extremely glad and proud that someone like Camryn decided to become a proud citizen of the United States of America.
Geez, with all the problems Bush is facing in the polls across America (skyrocketing gasoline prices; an ongoing, pointless, unnecessary war in Iraq; the foot-dragging he has done and continues to do in, first, saving, and, then, rebuilding New Orleans, Southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast), you'd think his office would have been able to realize that Camryn IS A BABY FOR GOD’S SAKES.
She didn’t choose to come here (although, I maintain that had she known beforehand that I was going to be her father she would have had her bags packed, her Sunday-best on, her plane ticket in hand, all the paperwork completed and be ready to go the minute Pam and I arrived at the Gloria Plaza Hotel in Nanchang, China).
Pam and I made the decision for her to be a U.S. citizen. And we are glad we did.
Oh well. C’est la vie. On with the show
So let’s move on to the photos in today’s gallery. These may not be the most exciting (I’ll have some better ones after a trip to New Orleans for a wedding anniversary dinner with Pam on Monday), but they are all I have to offer.
One final note – the dates and times marked on the photos are wrong because my camera is still on Beijing time. Sorry.
Here goes:
PHOTO 1
Camryn stages a sit-in in our master bedroom. This was on Sunday, April 30, before we packed up and headed to Slidell for the weekend (yes, the weekend because I am off on Sundays and Mondays). Camryn refused to budge. She sat there for hours. We had to get a crow bar to remove her from the carpet.
PHOTO 2
Well, after we removed Camryn from the floor we piled in our Toyota Camry and headed for Slidell. When we got there, my mother informed us that my aunt, Rose Caffery, and my cousins (her daughters) Kelly and Melynn, wanted to see Camryn. So we piled back in the Camry and drove to Metarie. I hadn’t seen Aunt Rose in a few years and rarely see Kelly or Melynn. They look pretty much the same. Here they are in Aunt Rose's house.
PHOTO 3
Kelly, right, laughs at the fact that I have more hair on my legs than I do on my fat head. Some things just never change.
PHOTO 4
In this group shot in Aunt Rose's living room Kelly, right, and Melynn, left, pretend to enjoy my company. Notice how I take up three-fourths of the sofa. I thought I lost weight on the trip to China. Ha. Fat chance. Oh, sitting on my lap is innocent little Camryn. She actually behaved herself quite well. No temper tantrums. No spinning heads. No pea soup. No profanity. An angel.
PHOTO 5
Hours later, I was back at my mother’s FEMA trailer. Here I am in the dining room – inches away from the master bedroom, the spare bedroom and the bathroom – looking up at the television are thinking this is a small trailer. A real small trailer.
PHOTO 6
Oh, now how in the hell did this photo sneak in here? This is back at our house in Hattiesburg AFTER the trip to Slidell. Camryn is sitting on my lap while my mother demonstrates how to play a drum the baby just received as a gift. My mother came back with Pam and Camryn because Pam fell out of my mother's FEMA trailer and sprained her ankle. Ouch.
PHOTO 7
OK, now we are back to Slidell. Here is Camryn sitting in the spare bedroom of the FEMA trailer having fun while Mommy looks on in the background.
PHOTO 8
Just who in the hell organized these photos? Fire the jerks. These are completely out of order. This one is at Aunt Rose's house and is a group shot. I tried t oget in the photo, but was ordered out. They were afraid my natural good looks would steal all attention away from themselves. So I said fine, let them have their day in the sun. See if I care.
PHOTO 9
Back home in Hattiesburg. I just finished giving Camryn a shave. Her beard was especially thick. If you look hard, you can even see a little bit of the shaving cream on her face. I’m still thinking about just letting her beard grow and then possibly enter her in one of those carnival side shows you see at events like the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson in October. I remember at the Gulf Coast Fishing Rodeo in Gulfport one year I went to see the world’s fattest man. I paid $5, got suckered into the room and saw a guy eating food. But let me tell you, I’ve seen fatter people grazing at the trough at those all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets or the all-you-can-eat casino restaurants. You want to see people who could stand to go on a 10-year fast and not suffer health effects? Stop by one of those buffets.
Tuesday, May 9, 2006
Mother's Day Surprise
Tuesday, May 9, 2006
By Terry R. Cassreino
This will be Pam’s first Mother’s Day as a Mother. Whoa. Hold on a minute. No jokes please. I said it is her first year as a Mom. A Mom. Get it? A Mom.
Anyway, this is Pam’s first Mother’s Day as a Mom and Camryn already has the day planned. Camryn is planning a Major League surprise for her Mommy and Pam is going to have a cow. Shhhhh. I’ll fill you in. Just don’t tell Pam. She needs a surprise.
First, Camryn plans to cry her butt off at about 6 a.m. Sunday morning.
Camryn, in between hearty laughs and a few swigs of Boone’s Farm Strawberry wine, told me the other day she plans to wake up at 6, reach over the top of her crib, grab the wireless intercom her Uncle Pauly gave us and scream as loud as she can in the microphone to wake Mom. Then, after Mom’s eardrums burst, she plans to tear-up the crib’s mattress by using that switchblade I gave her two weeks ago. She plans to take the stuffing, throw it over the side of the bed and then cut an “escape hatch” in the bottom so she can get out.
Whoa, I said. You can’t do that. We just bought that damn bed and it was delivered here for you while we were in
Camryn smiled broadly, then laughed. Ha, she said. Yeah, right. She’s in her element now, she told me, and she didn’t care what I thought. This was going to be a Mother’s Day her Mommy would never forget.
So after staging a prison break, Camryn plans to brew a pot of coffee, cook pancakes in the kitchen (even though she can’t reach the stove yet, so don’t go there), scramble a “dozen or so” eggs and create what she called “hell on earth in the kitchen.”
And that’s only for starters. Apparently, Camryn is planning some sort of afternoon beer party in the back yard with neighborhood infants – one of those “infant only swingers parties” in which babies choose which adults they want as their parents for a week.
And it’s all for Mommy, she said.
She can’t wait.
I can’t either.
Copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino
Sunday, April 30, 2006
More photos to excite you
Sunday, April 30, 2006, 9:15 a.m.
HATTIESBURG - It’s hard to believe, but on Wednesday we will have had Camryn with us for one month.
And it’s hard to believe that you are letting me continue to bore you with these photos from our trip to China to get Camryn.
But until I have time to take some interesting new photos, I guess you’ll just have to make do with what I post.
And, you have to admit, these photos are interesting and fascinating - just like our trip was. Maybe I’ll be able to post a few fresh shots later this week.
Until then, I hope you enjoy these 10 photos in a look back at the China trip.
- Terry R. Cassreino
PHOTO 1
This is from our own personal excursion to Beijing. Thursday, March 30, 2006, I believe. Pam and I took a taxi into the city near the Forbidden City and we just walked and walked and walked. We came across an entire store that only sells chop sticks. That’s it. Nothing else. Just chop sticks. Porcelain chop sticks. Metal chop sticks. Wooden chop sticks. It was a veritable Chop Sticks R Us. The Chop Sticks SuperCenter. Chop Stick Express. I couldn’t believe it. So I snapped this picture.
PHOTO 2
Later that day, Pam and I got hungry. Our hunger only grew as we passed restaurant after restaurant in town. Many served the Beijing specialty: Roasted duck. We passed by this restaurant and admired its menu; for some reason I can’t remember, though, we skipped eating there. I think, maybe, it seemed too touristy.
PHOTO 3
In front of the restaurant was this huge sign highlighting the major dishes served. I thought this was rather neat. Why can’t restaurants in the United States do something similar? I’d love to see photos of the dishes I’ve ordered so I know when to send it back if it looks wretched. Oh, yeah, take a look at the crispy crab and the roasted duck. I’m getting hungry just looking at this photo.
PHOTO 4
Friday, March 31, 2006. Speaking of food, we visited the Summer Palace on this day with other families in China with Holt International Children’s Service. And part of our tour included lunch at this restaurant on a hill overlooking the lake. Unfortunately, the view of the lake was obstructed by construction. But the food inside was excellent.
PHOTO 5
And here it is: Our lunch. Like in most Chinese restaurants, lunch was served on a Lazy Susan or a revolving table. Each dish was placed on the table; diners take a little here and a litte there. While the food was good, it was a bit Americanized and not quite the real Chinese experience you find in a neighborhood restaurant.
PHOTO 6
Outside, we noticed the incredible detail on the exterior and ceilings of the ancient, classic Chinese buildings. And while at first it looked like intricate paintings, I later discovered this is intricately detailed fabric. Over years, the fabric rots and the colors fade. Workers are now restoring just that at the Forbidden City and other area attractions.
PHOTO 7
Sunday, April 1, 2006. This was Pam’s idea. She and I, along with other Holt families, had just spent the afternoon touring the Forbidden City. We were across the street when Pam wanted a shot of the four bald guys on the adoption trip. Now, I have to admit I found it interesting that three other guys also shaved their heads. Pam did too. She laughed her butt off at the photo. I, by the way, am the good-looking bald guy second from right.
PHOTO 8
Here it is Monday, April 2, 2006. We are in Nanchang. We just got Camryn a few hours ago. And she is fast asleep in the crib. What a bizarre, surreal day. We started with Pam and me and ended with Pam, Camryn and me. After all that crying she did, Camryn just exhausted herself. Looking back at the photo, it’s easy to see how much she has changed in just a few short weeks.
PHOTO 9
Wednesday, April 5, 2006. Pam, far right, me and Camryn take a few minutes to relax in the Gloria Plaza Hotel before joining a few other Holt families for dinner at the East Restaurant. This also was Camryn’s birthday. And you can tell from the photo how genuinely excited she is to celebrate her first birthday.
PHOTO 10
Here we are about an hour later at the East Restaurant. We had just finished dinner when the folks from Holt surprised us - more than Camryn - with a birthday cake for the baby. The cake was incredible. The food, by the way, was one of the best meals we had in China.
Photos and text copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.
HATTIESBURG - It’s hard to believe, but on Wednesday we will have had Camryn with us for one month.
And it’s hard to believe that you are letting me continue to bore you with these photos from our trip to China to get Camryn.
But until I have time to take some interesting new photos, I guess you’ll just have to make do with what I post.
And, you have to admit, these photos are interesting and fascinating - just like our trip was. Maybe I’ll be able to post a few fresh shots later this week.
Until then, I hope you enjoy these 10 photos in a look back at the China trip.
- Terry R. Cassreino
PHOTO 1
This is from our own personal excursion to Beijing. Thursday, March 30, 2006, I believe. Pam and I took a taxi into the city near the Forbidden City and we just walked and walked and walked. We came across an entire store that only sells chop sticks. That’s it. Nothing else. Just chop sticks. Porcelain chop sticks. Metal chop sticks. Wooden chop sticks. It was a veritable Chop Sticks R Us. The Chop Sticks SuperCenter. Chop Stick Express. I couldn’t believe it. So I snapped this picture.
PHOTO 2
Later that day, Pam and I got hungry. Our hunger only grew as we passed restaurant after restaurant in town. Many served the Beijing specialty: Roasted duck. We passed by this restaurant and admired its menu; for some reason I can’t remember, though, we skipped eating there. I think, maybe, it seemed too touristy.
PHOTO 3
In front of the restaurant was this huge sign highlighting the major dishes served. I thought this was rather neat. Why can’t restaurants in the United States do something similar? I’d love to see photos of the dishes I’ve ordered so I know when to send it back if it looks wretched. Oh, yeah, take a look at the crispy crab and the roasted duck. I’m getting hungry just looking at this photo.
PHOTO 4
Friday, March 31, 2006. Speaking of food, we visited the Summer Palace on this day with other families in China with Holt International Children’s Service. And part of our tour included lunch at this restaurant on a hill overlooking the lake. Unfortunately, the view of the lake was obstructed by construction. But the food inside was excellent.
PHOTO 5
And here it is: Our lunch. Like in most Chinese restaurants, lunch was served on a Lazy Susan or a revolving table. Each dish was placed on the table; diners take a little here and a litte there. While the food was good, it was a bit Americanized and not quite the real Chinese experience you find in a neighborhood restaurant.
PHOTO 6
Outside, we noticed the incredible detail on the exterior and ceilings of the ancient, classic Chinese buildings. And while at first it looked like intricate paintings, I later discovered this is intricately detailed fabric. Over years, the fabric rots and the colors fade. Workers are now restoring just that at the Forbidden City and other area attractions.
PHOTO 7
Sunday, April 1, 2006. This was Pam’s idea. She and I, along with other Holt families, had just spent the afternoon touring the Forbidden City. We were across the street when Pam wanted a shot of the four bald guys on the adoption trip. Now, I have to admit I found it interesting that three other guys also shaved their heads. Pam did too. She laughed her butt off at the photo. I, by the way, am the good-looking bald guy second from right.
PHOTO 8
Here it is Monday, April 2, 2006. We are in Nanchang. We just got Camryn a few hours ago. And she is fast asleep in the crib. What a bizarre, surreal day. We started with Pam and me and ended with Pam, Camryn and me. After all that crying she did, Camryn just exhausted herself. Looking back at the photo, it’s easy to see how much she has changed in just a few short weeks.
PHOTO 9
Wednesday, April 5, 2006. Pam, far right, me and Camryn take a few minutes to relax in the Gloria Plaza Hotel before joining a few other Holt families for dinner at the East Restaurant. This also was Camryn’s birthday. And you can tell from the photo how genuinely excited she is to celebrate her first birthday.
PHOTO 10
Here we are about an hour later at the East Restaurant. We had just finished dinner when the folks from Holt surprised us - more than Camryn - with a birthday cake for the baby. The cake was incredible. The food, by the way, was one of the best meals we had in China.
Photos and text copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Random photo gallery
Thursday, April 27, 2006, 11:54 p.m.
I’m still trying to find time to sort through my hundreds of photos and hours of video I took in
And then I hope to arrange them into photo galleries for my Web site and for a home video I want to make of the trip.
I simply have not had the time.
And I don’t know when I will.
So, that said, here is a look back at a few photos you never saw from our trip to
PHOTO 1
Saturday, April 1, 2006. Pam and I joined other families from Holt International Children’s Services for a tour of the Great Wall of China. This is what we call in America a “Big Ass Wall.” It’s long. Very long. Here, Pam and I share a brief, quiet moment while someone we don’t know snapped our picture. You can see the “Big Ass Wall” streaking up the mountain in the background through the arch. This wall was big. Correct that: This wall was big-ass.
PHOTO 2
Thursday, April 13, 2006. We are in Hong Kong on our last stop before flying home to Hattiesburg the next day. Here I am holding Camryn while shopping in what’s called the Ladies Market in Hong Kong. It’s sort of like the New Orleans French Quarter Flea Market multiplied by the thousands. Camryn didn’t much care for the shopping. She wanted to go out drinking instead. I, of course, told her no because we had to find a “Big Ass Suitcase” to pack her in for the return trip home. She didn’t like my joke.
PHOTO 3
Friday, April 7, 2006. Our last night in Nanchang for the 10 Holt families who adopted a child from the Jiangxi province. That night, we all ate at a Nanchang restaurant (I don’t know the name, but I didn’t like it as much as I did the East Restaurant near our hotel). After dinner, the three girls from Jiujiang City posed for this photo with their moms. Camryn, in blue on the far right, is from the orphanage in Jiujiang City and shared this final moment with fellow orphans.
PHOTO 4
Tuesday, April 11, 2006. Here we are in the lobby of the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou for a photo session with all the children in our group from Jiangxi province. Poor Camryn got there late (we fell asleep in the hotel room) and was forced to sit on the arm rest for the photo. Needless to say, the photo sucked (something the child on the sofa, third from the right, also felt).
PHOTO 5
Tuesday, April 4, 2006. Pam, Camryn and I had just finished visiting the Nanchang Wal-Mart when we stopped outside for fresh air. Pam and Camryn sat on a bench while I turned my attention to this child’s split pants. Don’t be shocked. This is a common sight in China. And it’s a perfect example of the pants that Chinese families use to potty train their children. Children walk and run all over town in split pants, which I guess makes it easier for them to take care of bidness, as they say in Mississippi (I can’t help but think they also must leave you cold when you sit on metal or concrete). They were neat in a strange kind of way. I sort of liked them. I looked for a pair of split pants for myself; I thought I’d wear them to work or out to eat with my wife. I bet they are great when you are in a hurry. But, alas, I couldn’t find any in my size.
PHOTO 6
Sunday, April 2, 2006. Out last night in Beijing before we flew to Nanchang to get Camryn. Pam and I met another Holt couple for dinner and walked to this Korean restaurant. When we arrived and found a long line waiting for a table - and everyone talking in thick Mandarin - we skipped it and went back to the hotel to eat. We thought we’d rather eat Chinese food than Korean. I love the neon sign, though. And it is interesting that we were able to walk to the restaurant in safety despite it being about 10 minutes from the hotel.
PHOTO 7
Friday, March 30, 2006. Beijing. Bikes. Bikes. And more bikes. They are everywhere in China. You can even rent one to ride. Appparently, they are faster than driving in a car and getting snagged in Beijing’s nightmare traffic jams.
PHOTO 8
Tuesday, April 25, 2006. Camryn is adjusting just fine to her new parents, her new home, her new city and her new life. She is a different child than she was when we first got her. She is growing fast. And putting on a little weight. She’s even almost as big as that lady bug behind her - a reject from one of those Japanese nuclear-bomb-causes-mutant-insects movies.
Text and photos copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Hattiesburg photo gallery
Monday, April 25, 2006, 9:25 p.m.
HATTIESBURG - Sorry it has taken so long to post. Between work, jet lag and other things, I simply have not had the time to post as often as I did when Pam, Camryn and I were in China. Oh well, c'est la vie. At any rate, here are a few photos I thought you'd enjoy. Oh, and as a side note, I have not yet watched "Lacombe, Lucien." - Terry R. Cassreino
PHOTO 1
Here, Sophie, Camryn and I watch television on Saturday night, April 15, in Hattiesburg. It was one day after we returned from China. We were wiped out; I still haven't recovered from jet lag. Sophie seems a little jealous, but she also seems to have accepted Camryn.
PHOTO 2
On Easter Sunday, we celebrated Camryn's homecoming with family and friends at our house. The main attraction was a crawfish boil orchestrated by my brother-in-law, Paul Amore, aka Uncle Paulie. We also celebrated Camryn's first birthday, which actually took place two weeks earlier in China. Here, we nearly set the birthday cake in flames.
PHOTO 3
Pam wanted to see Camryn's reaction to her own cake. So Mommy bought her baby daughter a special cake. Camryn stared at it at first; she only got aggressive after I urged her to do so. And even then, it was relatively uneventful.
PHOTO 4
Nana Jo came by to visit for part of last week. She helped Pam with Camryn. And while I was away at work, they kept the house clean. Here, Nana tries to put Camryn asleep while I recline in an adjacent chair.
PHOTO 5
Aunt Brandi visits with Camryn outside our house. Aunt Brandi also visited last week and helped Pam and Nana Jo decorate Camryn's bedroom. Sorry the photo is overexposed.
PHOTO 6
At first Camryn despised baths. She screamed bloody murder, puked green pea soup, spun her head around and shouted frightening baby gibberish. It was a horrifying sight. Then, she found out she loved taking a bath in the kitchen. Here, she decided to eat the bath sponge before Pam begins the rinse cycle.
PHOTO 7
Here, I watch Camryn practice for this year's running of the Kentucky Derby. I actually thought it's a bit too soon for her to try something so ambitious. But Camryn disagreed and said the best way to prepare is to ride the rocking horse Maw Maw Gay gave her. After all, Camryn says, you can even hear the horse gallop when you squeeze the ear.
Photos and text copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.
HATTIESBURG - Sorry it has taken so long to post. Between work, jet lag and other things, I simply have not had the time to post as often as I did when Pam, Camryn and I were in China. Oh well, c'est la vie. At any rate, here are a few photos I thought you'd enjoy. Oh, and as a side note, I have not yet watched "Lacombe, Lucien." - Terry R. Cassreino
PHOTO 1
Here, Sophie, Camryn and I watch television on Saturday night, April 15, in Hattiesburg. It was one day after we returned from China. We were wiped out; I still haven't recovered from jet lag. Sophie seems a little jealous, but she also seems to have accepted Camryn.
PHOTO 2
On Easter Sunday, we celebrated Camryn's homecoming with family and friends at our house. The main attraction was a crawfish boil orchestrated by my brother-in-law, Paul Amore, aka Uncle Paulie. We also celebrated Camryn's first birthday, which actually took place two weeks earlier in China. Here, we nearly set the birthday cake in flames.
PHOTO 3
Pam wanted to see Camryn's reaction to her own cake. So Mommy bought her baby daughter a special cake. Camryn stared at it at first; she only got aggressive after I urged her to do so. And even then, it was relatively uneventful.
PHOTO 4
Nana Jo came by to visit for part of last week. She helped Pam with Camryn. And while I was away at work, they kept the house clean. Here, Nana tries to put Camryn asleep while I recline in an adjacent chair.
PHOTO 5
Aunt Brandi visits with Camryn outside our house. Aunt Brandi also visited last week and helped Pam and Nana Jo decorate Camryn's bedroom. Sorry the photo is overexposed.
PHOTO 6
At first Camryn despised baths. She screamed bloody murder, puked green pea soup, spun her head around and shouted frightening baby gibberish. It was a horrifying sight. Then, she found out she loved taking a bath in the kitchen. Here, she decided to eat the bath sponge before Pam begins the rinse cycle.
PHOTO 7
Here, I watch Camryn practice for this year's running of the Kentucky Derby. I actually thought it's a bit too soon for her to try something so ambitious. But Camryn disagreed and said the best way to prepare is to ride the rocking horse Maw Maw Gay gave her. After all, Camryn says, you can even hear the horse gallop when you squeeze the ear.
Photos and text copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.
Friday, April 21, 2006
What a difference two weeks make
Friday, April 21, 2006, 7:31 a.m.
By Terry R. Cassreino
HATTIESBURG – Camryn is a different child.
Two weeks after getting our daughter at the Gloria Plaza Hotel in Nanchang, China, Camryn
has quickly changed from a scared little girl to a happy, fun-loving child who enjoys the non-stop attention from everyone she meets.
Two weeks ago, Camryn cried and scrreamed her head off. Today, she eats regularly, is adjusting from the 13-hour jet lag of our return trip, loves to be around her parents and enjoys attention from her grandparents and other relatives.
But for you to better understand the progress, allow me to go over a few key points in this young child’s life. Then sit back and take a minute to ask yourself if you could have done any better adjusting to the many changes Camryn did.
• Camryn was born April 5, 2005, possibly somewhere in Jiangxi province of China. We will never know exactly where. And there is a distinct possibility that Camryn is from Hubei province which is one over from Jiangxi.
• Her mother abandoned her. Think about that for a moment: Her mother abandoned her
the day after her birth, possibly placed her in a basket, left her on the side of the road and fled. Luckily, someone found Camryn and she was placed in an orphanage.
• We’ll never know the real reason the child was abandoned. But there are several possibilities: Her mother wanted a boy so she abandoned the baby because she was a girl; the mother was affected by China’s limit on children; or her mom was a teenager ashamed of her pregnancy.
• I’ll throw in one other possible reason: Her mother was freaked out by Camryn’s polydactilly, an extra thumb on her right hand. So mom abandoned the baby with hopes that officials could care for her; they did, by the way, and her hand is perfectly normal.
• After a year in an orphanage, Camryn was ripped from her daily routine on April 3 and casually handed off to two strange-looking white people (one bald guy with a strange sense of humor who likes to visit Wal-Marts in other countries) with unusual accents.
• The child lived in three different hotels in three different cities over the next two weeks before being dragged (well, carried) screaming and crying aboard a jet for a 24-hour flight away from her homeland and to a new country.
• The child was bombarded by family and friends at the airport in Jackson, Miss., and again at our home in Hattiesburg. Plus, she found herself in another strange place, although with two white people she has slowly come to like.
This is a tall order. So, in my opinion, it’s not that shocking that Camryn has needed a little time to adjust to us. What is surprising, though, is how quickly she has appeared to adapt to her surroundings and new people.
They say children are resilient; I have proof.
Hard-knock life
Life in the orphanage probably was not easy.
Pam and I were unable to visit the orphanage in Jiujiang City where Camryn spent much of her first year of life. The city was simply too far away from Nanchang and in another part of Jiangxi province.
But we did visit an orphanage in Nanchang and, like most social service institutions in the United States, it was sad to see the residents. This place was filled with children, all homeless and all looking for a place to live.
If anyone in their right mind visited, they would have been emotionally touched and wanted desperately to help these children. Of particular note were the older children of 3, 4, 5 and
above, who are harder to place in families than infants.
Anyway, I digress.
Life in Camryn’s orphange probably was similar to a degree to the one we visited in Nanchang. And in these institutions, children long for attention and love of which they don’t receive enough. The orphanages simply don’t have the staff.
And that leads to the children being substantially behind the curve compared to those of the same age in the United States. For instance, Camryn can’t crawl, sit up on her own, prop herself up on the stomach or hold her bottle.
Here’s another sad image: Many children from orphanages, including Camryn, have a flat spot on the back of their heads which indicates they were left in their cribs. Some who were adopted the same day as Caryn had a bald spot on the back of their head for the same reason.
Re-adoption process
Now that Pam, Camryn and I are back, the next step is for our social worker at Catholic Charities in Jackson to visit our home and file a post-placement report on the baby for the China Center for Adoption Affairs and Holt International Children’s Services.
I talked this week with our social worker and she will get back with me with a date for the visit.
Then Pam and I must initiate re-adoption procedures in Mississippi. We will re-adopt Camryn here through Mississippi courts and obtain a state birth certificate; she already is a U.S. citizen, so this is just a formality most families follow.
And finally, we’ll apply for a new passport for the baby in case we ever go on a cruise or visit China again (which, by the way, we just might do because Pam and I are interested in doing another adoption in the future).
Photos and text copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.
By Terry R. Cassreino
HATTIESBURG – Camryn is a different child.
Two weeks after getting our daughter at the Gloria Plaza Hotel in Nanchang, China, Camryn
has quickly changed from a scared little girl to a happy, fun-loving child who enjoys the non-stop attention from everyone she meets.Two weeks ago, Camryn cried and scrreamed her head off. Today, she eats regularly, is adjusting from the 13-hour jet lag of our return trip, loves to be around her parents and enjoys attention from her grandparents and other relatives.
But for you to better understand the progress, allow me to go over a few key points in this young child’s life. Then sit back and take a minute to ask yourself if you could have done any better adjusting to the many changes Camryn did.
• Camryn was born April 5, 2005, possibly somewhere in Jiangxi province of China. We will never know exactly where. And there is a distinct possibility that Camryn is from Hubei province which is one over from Jiangxi.
• Her mother abandoned her. Think about that for a moment: Her mother abandoned her
the day after her birth, possibly placed her in a basket, left her on the side of the road and fled. Luckily, someone found Camryn and she was placed in an orphanage.• We’ll never know the real reason the child was abandoned. But there are several possibilities: Her mother wanted a boy so she abandoned the baby because she was a girl; the mother was affected by China’s limit on children; or her mom was a teenager ashamed of her pregnancy.
• I’ll throw in one other possible reason: Her mother was freaked out by Camryn’s polydactilly, an extra thumb on her right hand. So mom abandoned the baby with hopes that officials could care for her; they did, by the way, and her hand is perfectly normal.
• After a year in an orphanage, Camryn was ripped from her daily routine on April 3 and casually handed off to two strange-looking white people (one bald guy with a strange sense of humor who likes to visit Wal-Marts in other countries) with unusual accents.
• The child lived in three different hotels in three different cities over the next two weeks before being dragged (well, carried) screaming and crying aboard a jet for a 24-hour flight away from her homeland and to a new country.
• The child was bombarded by family and friends at the airport in Jackson, Miss., and again at our home in Hattiesburg. Plus, she found herself in another strange place, although with two white people she has slowly come to like.
This is a tall order. So, in my opinion, it’s not that shocking that Camryn has needed a little time to adjust to us. What is surprising, though, is how quickly she has appeared to adapt to her surroundings and new people.
They say children are resilient; I have proof.
Hard-knock life
Life in the orphanage probably was not easy.
Pam and I were unable to visit the orphanage in Jiujiang City where Camryn spent much of her first year of life. The city was simply too far away from Nanchang and in another part of Jiangxi province.
But we did visit an orphanage in Nanchang and, like most social service institutions in the United States, it was sad to see the residents. This place was filled with children, all homeless and all looking for a place to live.
If anyone in their right mind visited, they would have been emotionally touched and wanted desperately to help these children. Of particular note were the older children of 3, 4, 5 and
above, who are harder to place in families than infants.Anyway, I digress.
Life in Camryn’s orphange probably was similar to a degree to the one we visited in Nanchang. And in these institutions, children long for attention and love of which they don’t receive enough. The orphanages simply don’t have the staff.
And that leads to the children being substantially behind the curve compared to those of the same age in the United States. For instance, Camryn can’t crawl, sit up on her own, prop herself up on the stomach or hold her bottle.
Here’s another sad image: Many children from orphanages, including Camryn, have a flat spot on the back of their heads which indicates they were left in their cribs. Some who were adopted the same day as Caryn had a bald spot on the back of their head for the same reason.
Re-adoption process
Now that Pam, Camryn and I are back, the next step is for our social worker at Catholic Charities in Jackson to visit our home and file a post-placement report on the baby for the China Center for Adoption Affairs and Holt International Children’s Services.
I talked this week with our social worker and she will get back with me with a date for the visit.
Then Pam and I must initiate re-adoption procedures in Mississippi. We will re-adopt Camryn here through Mississippi courts and obtain a state birth certificate; she already is a U.S. citizen, so this is just a formality most families follow.
And finally, we’ll apply for a new passport for the baby in case we ever go on a cruise or visit China again (which, by the way, we just might do because Pam and I are interested in doing another adoption in the future).
Photos and text copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.
Jet lag causes havoc
Friday, April 21, 2006, 6:23 a.m.
By Terry R. Cassreino
HATTIESBURG - Damn, this jet lag is awful.
I have been battling it for several days now. It really hit hard on Monday night, and I've been struggling with it ever since. The good part is that I don't go to work today until about 2 p.m. or so, which gives me a few extra hours to relax at home.
It also means that Pam, Camryn and I likely will remain at home this weekend, Sunday and Monday, instead of driving to New Orleans for the annual French Quarter Festival. The festival is a free concert on stahes throughout the French Quarter.
The festival is an incredible event made even more special because it’s free. And don’t forget that it is the first huge even in the Quarter since Hurricane Katrina laid waste to this city in August 2005. Oh well, c’est la vie.
Maybe next year.
Copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.
By Terry R. Cassreino
HATTIESBURG - Damn, this jet lag is awful.
I have been battling it for several days now. It really hit hard on Monday night, and I've been struggling with it ever since. The good part is that I don't go to work today until about 2 p.m. or so, which gives me a few extra hours to relax at home.
It also means that Pam, Camryn and I likely will remain at home this weekend, Sunday and Monday, instead of driving to New Orleans for the annual French Quarter Festival. The festival is a free concert on stahes throughout the French Quarter.
The festival is an incredible event made even more special because it’s free. And don’t forget that it is the first huge even in the Quarter since Hurricane Katrina laid waste to this city in August 2005. Oh well, c’est la vie.
Maybe next year.
Copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Back on the job again
Tuesday, April 18, 2006, 7:20 p.m.
By Terry R. Cassreino
HATTIESBURG – Back to work.
Today, I returned to work for the first time in three weeks. It wasn’t too hard to get back in the swing of things. It’s the jet lag that is still slowing me down. Crossing 13 time zones in one day has finally caught up with me.
I was so drained Monday night that I fell asleep at about 9 p.m.; I hope it’s not that bad tonight.
Highlights from the past few days:
• We had a successful Easter Sunday crawfish boil that attracted family and friends to our house to celebrate Camryn's homecoming. We even celebrated Camryn's first birthday (we also celebrated it in Nanchang two weeks ago).
• Camryn had a Monday doctor's appointment. But Pam and I arrived at the doctor's office too late, so we pushed the appointment back a day. Camryn went today, and the doctor said she is a perfectly healthy girl.
• And I’m still toying with the idea of pulling together all my posts on this blog and using it as the basis for a book, maybe expanding it and turning it into a memoir or sorts. This is just in the early stages.
I’ll try to post a few new photos when I have a chance. Until then. . .
Copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.
By Terry R. Cassreino
HATTIESBURG – Back to work.
Today, I returned to work for the first time in three weeks. It wasn’t too hard to get back in the swing of things. It’s the jet lag that is still slowing me down. Crossing 13 time zones in one day has finally caught up with me.
I was so drained Monday night that I fell asleep at about 9 p.m.; I hope it’s not that bad tonight.
Highlights from the past few days:
• We had a successful Easter Sunday crawfish boil that attracted family and friends to our house to celebrate Camryn's homecoming. We even celebrated Camryn's first birthday (we also celebrated it in Nanchang two weeks ago).
• Camryn had a Monday doctor's appointment. But Pam and I arrived at the doctor's office too late, so we pushed the appointment back a day. Camryn went today, and the doctor said she is a perfectly healthy girl.
• And I’m still toying with the idea of pulling together all my posts on this blog and using it as the basis for a book, maybe expanding it and turning it into a memoir or sorts. This is just in the early stages.
I’ll try to post a few new photos when I have a chance. Until then. . .
Copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Camryn visits with her godfather
Monday, April 17, 2006, 9:22 a.m.
HATTIESBURG - Camryn sits on the lap of her godfather, Fredie Carmichael, on Easter Sunday at the Cassreino house. This family gathering (Pam is sitting in red in the background) was a crawfish boil to mark the homecoming of Camryn after our 19-day trip to China. Note how calm and content Camryn is with Fredie. She just seems so cute and calm sitting with her godfather. No doubt, a perfect match. - Terry R. Cassreino
Photo courtesy of Fredie Carmichael (but taken by Terry R. Cassreino).
HATTIESBURG - Camryn sits on the lap of her godfather, Fredie Carmichael, on Easter Sunday at the Cassreino house. This family gathering (Pam is sitting in red in the background) was a crawfish boil to mark the homecoming of Camryn after our 19-day trip to China. Note how calm and content Camryn is with Fredie. She just seems so cute and calm sitting with her godfather. No doubt, a perfect match. - Terry R. CassreinoPhoto courtesy of Fredie Carmichael (but taken by Terry R. Cassreino).
Saturday, April 15, 2006
One more photo gallery from China trip
Saturday, April 15, 2006, 12:06 p.m.
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Here are a few new photos I thought I'd post to wrap up our trip to China. These aren't that spectacular, but some are, dare I say, cute. At any rate, enjoy them if you like. - Terry R. Cassreino.
PHOTO 1
Pam, Camryn and I were eating dinner Thursday night at the Harbour Metroplis Hotel in Hong Kong after a long afternoon of shopping. Camryn, who went without a nap, was exhausted. Here, the poor thing fights sleep in between bites of dinner.
PHOTO 2
Camryn fussed a little later that night, but then went right to sleep. The hotel incidetally, provided a crib for the baby at no charge. The hotel was nice, but a bit pricey and the rooms too small for our tastes.
PHOTO 3
Here is a better view of the cubicle, or rather room, where we stayed at the Metrolpolis. The room was small compared to the rooms we had in Beijing, Nanchang and Guangzhou. But the bed was comfortable and the air conditioning worked.
PHOTO 4
Pam smiles here in the Toykyo airport in between flights on Friday from Hong Kong and to Detroit. Little did she know that the upcoming Tokyo-to-Detroit flight would become "The Flight from Hell." Keep telling yourself "It's only a movie. It's only a movie. It's only a movie."
PHOTO 5
Camryn enjoys a bite of delicious pureed corn and chicken from Heinz baby food. Yum. This, of course, was before the baby took over a featured role in "The Flight from Hell."
PHOTO 6
Ba ba (what the Chinese children call their dad) falls asleep with Camryn in his arms after trying to quiet a restless baby following more than 24 hours of flying that left everyone on board with three hours of sleep at most (in between showings of "The Flight from Hell" starring Camryn and Pam). I was exhausted. So was Camryn. But, boy was she fussy Friday night and Saturday morning.
Photos and text copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Here are a few new photos I thought I'd post to wrap up our trip to China. These aren't that spectacular, but some are, dare I say, cute. At any rate, enjoy them if you like. - Terry R. Cassreino.
PHOTO 1
Pam, Camryn and I were eating dinner Thursday night at the Harbour Metroplis Hotel in Hong Kong after a long afternoon of shopping. Camryn, who went without a nap, was exhausted. Here, the poor thing fights sleep in between bites of dinner.
PHOTO 2
Camryn fussed a little later that night, but then went right to sleep. The hotel incidetally, provided a crib for the baby at no charge. The hotel was nice, but a bit pricey and the rooms too small for our tastes.
PHOTO 3
Here is a better view of the cubicle, or rather room, where we stayed at the Metrolpolis. The room was small compared to the rooms we had in Beijing, Nanchang and Guangzhou. But the bed was comfortable and the air conditioning worked.
PHOTO 4
Pam smiles here in the Toykyo airport in between flights on Friday from Hong Kong and to Detroit. Little did she know that the upcoming Tokyo-to-Detroit flight would become "The Flight from Hell." Keep telling yourself "It's only a movie. It's only a movie. It's only a movie."
PHOTO 5
Camryn enjoys a bite of delicious pureed corn and chicken from Heinz baby food. Yum. This, of course, was before the baby took over a featured role in "The Flight from Hell."
PHOTO 6
Ba ba (what the Chinese children call their dad) falls asleep with Camryn in his arms after trying to quiet a restless baby following more than 24 hours of flying that left everyone on board with three hours of sleep at most (in between showings of "The Flight from Hell" starring Camryn and Pam). I was exhausted. So was Camryn. But, boy was she fussy Friday night and Saturday morning.
Photos and text copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.
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