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
BEIJING, China (Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008, 6:30 a.m.) – Well, it turns out we have just a couple of minutes to give a quick update – but not much has changed since our last post.
We are sitting in the hotel lobby early Tuesday morning preparing to eat breakfast. Then we’ll check out of our room and head to the airport – and fly out before the first snowfall of the season is expected possibly tonight.
Weather forecasts for Zhengzhou are a little better than Beijing: Highs in the 50s and 60s during our three-day stay there. Should be a welcome change.
As I said before, we’ll update with photos and stories as soon as we get Matthew.
Before we go, we will share this quick photo of Pam and me in front of the Temple of Heaven. In our hands are two small, hand-knit animals that will serve as Christmas tree ornaments.
I know you can’t see it, but I am holding a small pig to (representing that Matthew was born in the Year of the Pig, 2007) while Pam is holding a small rooster (representing that Camryn was born in the Year of the Rooster, 2005).
DON’T FORGET: Help Pam decide what to eat in China before we leave. Cast you vote in the poll on the left. The poll closes on at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday.
Copyright 2008 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.
BEIJING, China (Monday, Dec. 8, 2008, 11:05 p.m.) – It’s late Monday night in Beijing, Pam and I just returned from walking around the Wangfujing shopping district and we’re about to head to bed.
We had a long, long day Monday with a briefing about our adoption at the Holt International Children’s Services office in Beijing (the Oregon office was too far to travel to) before eating lunch and touring the Temple of Heaven.
Oh, by the way, did I mention we made one more Wal-Mart SuperCenter run in Beijing?
Well, as bizarre as it sounds, we did it again – this time to buy chocolates for Matthew’s caregiver and a few of his favorite toys in hopes he’ll make an easy transition to life with us.
Yes, we are trying to bribe him.
So, after we returned to the hotel this afternoon, we decided to venture one last time into the Beijing night life where we visited the night food market and ate dinner at Kentucky Fried Chicken (which wasn’t half bad other than for some pretty nasty mashed potatoes that looked like they had been in storage for years).
Now, it’s off to bed. We must be checked out and in the lobby of the Novotel Peace Hotel by 8 a.m. Tuesday before heading to the airport for our 10:30 a.m. flight to Zhengzhou.
Remember: We get Matthew at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday (12:30 a.m. CDT). I don’t know if we’ll have time to post in the morning before our flight, so this may have to hold you over until after we get Matthew.
Look for photos, stories and observations on our blog – we’ll post as soon as we possibly can.
Copyright 2008 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.
BEIJING, China (Monday, Dec. 8, 2008, 6:30 p.m.) – At the end of this blog post, you will find a new photo slide show from today’s activities in Beijing.
If you click the photo, a larger version of the pictures and slideshow will appear in a new window.
You’ll also find a new poll in the left-hand column. Help decide which exotic food Pam should try before we leave China.
And don’t forget: If you want to look at previous photo slideshows, simply click a current one – that will take you to my Picasa Photo Web page in a separate window.
There you will find links to all photos we’ve posted on this Blog since we arrived in China on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Copyright 2008 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.
DIRECTIONS:Click photo to enlarge. Toggle photo captions with button in left-hand corner of photo gallery slide show.
BEIJING, China (Monday, Dec. 8, 2008, 5:30 p.m.) – After a briefing with folks at the Holt International Children’s Services office in Beijing earlier today, Pam and I are now ready to begin the most important leg of our adoption journey.
We learned a little more about the China adoption program and about Matthew, our son whom we will meet Tuesday shortly after we arrive in Zhengzhou (pronounced “cheng chow”), the capital of Henan province.
While we still don’t know many details – such as how Matthew was abandoned, where he was found and how he wound up in an orphanage – we do know several important things.
Matthew is apparently an active, little boy. He loves to play with toy cars and balls. He loves to eat snacks. He likes to play with rubber ducks when taking a bath. And he has an infectious smile.
Matthew has been staying in a group foster home in Beijing and is expected to take the overnight train from here to Zhengzhou, a 10-hour trip during which he’ll be able to sleep.
He will be traveling with his caregiver, whom we likely will meet at the Civil Affairs office in Zhengzhou. And, one more thing, our meeting time has moved up Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (or 12:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time).
Besides four recent photos of our son that Holt provided us today (and I posted with this entry), we don’t know much more than that.
Chinese adoptions
Much has been written about the plight of orphans in China, but it looks like at least since our last visit to this country in March and April 2006 practices and philosophies here have changed.
With more Chinese people well off and able to care for children, many are adopting domestically than ever before. Consequently, the China program has had fewer healthy children available for international adoption.
When Pam and I chose to adopt Camryn in September 2004, we waited a year and a half before we traveled to China. We liked the program so much, we decided to adopt again and began official paperwork in fall 2006.
Unfortunately for us and many other Americans hoping to adopt from China, the program started to significantly slow down and wait times for children in the normal process lengthened considerably.
We were eying a 30-month or longer wait.
That’s when we decided to look into the special needs program. And because we were willing to consider a young boy, Holt told us in April of this year that we could be matched with a child relatively quick.
Our match came in June when Holt told us about Matthew. His special need: He has a club foot that was repaired in China and that our own pediatrician said is something doctors in the United States can easily manage.
Final night
Now, some six months later, Pam and I are in Beijing for one last night – the last night of the first leg of our trip – and are less than 24 hours away from meeting our son.
Our flight to leaves Beijing airport at about 10:30 a.m. and arrives in Zhengzhou at 11:50 a.m.; after we check into our room at the Crowne Plaza, we’ll head to the Civil Affairs office to get Matthew.
Then the paperwork begins as we complete the formal adoption on Wednesday and then fly to Guangzhou on Friday to begin work on Matthew’s visa to enter the United States.
It’s been a long journey for me and my wife – one that began May 15, 1999, when we married at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Madison and one that will continue long after this trip to China ends Dec. 18 with our return home.
But we won’t do it alone. We have our faith, our families, each other – and, now, two small children to remind us about the importance of love and life.
Copyright 2008 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.
We are sitting in the hotel lobby early Tuesday morning preparing to eat breakfast. Then we’ll check out of our room and head to the airport – and fly out before the first snowfall of the season is expected possibly tonight.
