Blessings

Today was a great day. Our group came back together (twenty-six families total) after having been in different provinces to receive our children. This was such a neat experience to see all of the families with their new children...God is so good. We went back to the island for some of the kids to have medical checks done.

The biggest news today is that Will is now holding his arms out/up for us to pick him up...it's the little things that bring such joy and comfort to us as we watch him blossom. We have enjoyed passing him back and forth just to see his desire to come to each of us. At this point he seems to like all of us equally...some families are working through their children being partial to one parent. At dinner tonight, he actually played with his toys. He is manipulating things with his hands much better...When we received him, he obviously had not had the opportunity to develop fine motor skills. He is changing almost by the hour. He started drooling at dinner...we think he is cutting another tooth.

On a funny note, our guides took the group to a Japanese restaurant tonight. Having never been to a Japanese Restaurant, we didn't know what to expect. We were led to a room with a table very low to the ground and chairs on the floor. We were instructed to remove our shoes before entering our dining room. Jay and I sat down the best we could. I watched Jay try to fold his 6'5" frame to sit somewhat properly at the table. Neither of us realized that there was a cut out under the table for our legs...let's just say it was quite funny when the other family eating with us realized this...

Abby has been writing poetry to express her thoughts and document her experiences. I'll leave you with one tonight...

"The Blessing" (Written about her brothers Kai and Will)

Of all the people in the world

Of all the things I could receive

The Lord has blessed me with two very precious things!

How could this happen to me?

What did I do to deserve these wonderful blessings?

Of all the experiences for an eleven year old - How could I get these wonderful ones?

Oh thank the heavens for all my wonderful blessings and dreams

And thank the Lord Almighty for creating y'all just for me!

Hey Kai...we love and miss you very much! Brother can't wait to meet you. He is getting stronger each day and will be ready to play when we get home! Love you...MommyThank you for praying for us...we see God's hand on Will...it is amazing to watch him. Please continue to pray for us each day...We miss you all so very much...

Breakthrough for Jie Jie

What a wonderful day...a day of answered prayer. Our little guy has gone from an orphanage, where he had very little interaction, to a family who longs to interact and bond with him. This... combined with multiple appointments in crowded areas has caused Will to be overwhelmed at times. This is difficult for adults to grasp...much more challenging for a child to understand.

We have tried to reassure Abby over the past few days that Will would begin to respond to her as he settled in more. As I mentioned in the post yesterday, today was our first free day of the trip...and today was a wonderful day for bonding...and bond they did! He loves his sister and she couldn't be more pleased. I think I wore a smile most of the day...seeing my kids enjoy one another has been amazing. To think that less than a week ago they were complete strangers...and now they are Jie Jie and Di Di (big sister and little brother). The only thing that could have made today better would have been Mr. Kai! We miss you big brother!

Will has had an amazing day. After eating breakfast and verifying some paperwork, we decided to be brave and take a cab to Shamian Island. This area is familiar to adoptive parents. We ate at Lucy's Dinner. Many adoptive American families eat here as the food is a reminder of home...Abby and I had a grilled cheese sandwich, french fries, onion rings, and a baked potato...I know that sounds awful...but we are so hungry for familiar food. Jay stuck to his guns and had Chicken and Pan-Fried Noodles! As we were walking around the area, we saw a young couple. They were walking hand in hand. They kept looking at Will...whispering to one another...looking at Will...they even turned back to get one last look after passing us. It made Jay and I stop and wonder about Will's birth parents... will they be looking into the eyes of each baby boy his age with foreign parents...wondering...is he our son? Since we have been here, we have learned a great deal more about the significance and seriousness of the one child law. We will never know the circumstances surrounding Will's abandonment...but we are blessed to call him son...brother...family. He is William "Will" Addison Hellums...our chosen one!

I Know that I Know

Yesterday was a bit challenging. Will was fussy most of the day. It turns out that we may have been given the wrong scoop for measuring and mixing his formula....thus the concentration was too weak, and he was not satisfied. We have now transitioned him over to Enfamil, so he has been an angel today. He is such a sweet little boy. He is actually letting us snuggle him today...what a comfort to a mother's heart....and his Daddy is eating it up too.

He had is mandatory medical exam today. He did well....he weighs 17.1lbs and is 27 inches long. After completing some paperwork in preparation for our consulate appointment, we decided to be adventurous and take a cab....to pizza hut. Abby practically begged us to go...I think she has had her fill of Chinese food. So..off we went...Will's first cab ride.

Understand, in China apparently there are no child restraint laws... therefore, no car seats. Let's just say, I closed my eyes and held tightly to Will, and prayed for our safety! That was quite an adventure. It took about fifteen minutes to communicate that we wanted pepperoni pizza...but Abby says it was worth every bite!

Abby is doing well...she misses her friends and little brother. Please pray for her as she continues to understand that bonding process with her new little brother...she loves him so much and can't wait for him to be strong enough for them to play more. Tomorrow is the first day without an appointment. We plan to just spend time together and prepare for the home stretch.

Thank you so much for your prayers. Also, Sheri is emailing us the comments you leave on the blog. What a blessing it has been to hear from our friends and family. Please keep them coming...we look forward to reading them.

Kai...we all love and miss you sooooo much. WE know that you are being a big boy - get ready to be a big brother...you and Will are going to have great fun together. Hugs and Kisses!

Today, at lunch as I was playing with Will, it finally hit me that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Will was and is the precious one that God moved mountains and crossed oceans to unite us with. After just three days I cannot imagine our lives without him!

The Eyes of an Angel

Our lives have been forever changed...words cannot describe how amazing the past forty-eight hours have been. We are so sorry that we have been unable to post since arriving in Will's province. Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to access our blog. Some friends have offered to update for us via e-mail. Please continue to post comments...we may not be able to read them for the next couple of days; however, they will be such an encouragement when our access is restored. We can send/receive e-mail if you would like to do so (jayhellums@juno.com or pkcjwh@juno.com). We miss you all so very much.

On to the real news...we have our precious baby boy! We flew to his province (Guangdong) on Monday morning. Due to a flight delay, we were late arriving. We were taken from the airport to our hotel for fifteen minutes, then we boarded another bus and headed to the Civil Affairs Office. Upon arriving, we were taken to the area where families meet their children. As soon as the elevator opened, we heard many babies and children crying/screaming.

I felt my eyes fill with tears...within five minutes Will was brought into the room and placed into my arms. He came willingly...he did not cry...only fussed a little later...he was so tired from the 5 - 6 hour car ride. If he has ever traveled by car, this was almost certainly the longest distance. Within a few minutes he smiled and laughed out loud.

He is a beautiful little boy. He is weak and small, for he has only been receiving formula (poor quality) with rice cereal. He can sit alone. It seems as though he has no concept of what a toy is. He prefers to look at his hands/feet. We think he weighs about sixteen pounds. One of the pictures you see is taken with a coffee cup so you can somewhat know his size...six to nine month clothing is still a little big in some outfits.

He is a happy baby...loves to laugh. At first, he made very little (if any) eye contact. By the hour we see him improving in this area. Our guide told us that due to the number of children, the bottles are propped and the nipples are cut so that the formula drains easily down the throats of the babies. He has probably had little opportunity for one on one interaction. It is obvious that the orphanage cared for him and met his basic needs - now he has the love of a family.
As we were talking, Jay said, "Paula, he is or was a true orphan." I never really understood the full impact of that term...until Monday. He came to us with the clothes he was wearing, the items we sent him for his Birthday, and a book with a picture of the orphanage and two of him...Overwhelmed? Yes, we are...to realize that we have been entrusted with this precious life. I looked at him this morning and said...why us? Why did God allow us to have such a precious one? Not realizing anyone was listening to me, Abby replied...I guess you can ask Jesus that when you get to heaven...One thing I do know...we are his and he is ours...forever !

Praise Him! Praise Him!

We had the opportunity to attend an international church service this morning. This was an experience that we will not soon forget. We worshiped with people from around the world...all praising the one true God! We had to show our passports before entering the service...Chinese citizens are not permitted to attend these services. How blessed we are to be able to worship and praise Him freely.

After the service, we were taken to the Jade Factory where we learned about the significance of Jade in Chinese culture. Jade is passed from generation to generation in many families. Our guide Sherry wears her great grandmother's bracelet. A country so rich in history and tradition.

After lunch, we walked on the Great Wall...truly amazing...and beautiful! We finished the day by seeing a Chinese acrobatic show. Our bags are packed to leave at 6:30 am to board a flight for Guangzhou where we will meet our son tomorrow afternoon. The next time we post we will be a family of five! Please continue to pray for us. Remember, we would love for you to leave us a comment of encouragement...we miss you all!

Culture Shock!

Our adoption agency does a great job of intoducing adoptive families to Chinese culture. We have three guides on this leg of the trip because our group is so large. We are traveling with twenty-two other Christian families. It has been amazing to hear how God has been at work in so many lives to bring this group together. Today we visited Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, the Pearl Factory, Summer Palace, the Silk Factory, and the Olympic area...with two traditional Chinese meals. It was a very busy day, but we are so thankful for the opportunity to learn about Will's heritage. Tomorrow we will attend an International church service and climb a portion of the Great Wall. We cannot wait to meet our little guy...one more day as a family of four! Hey Kai...we love and miss you soooo much!

Beijing Bound!

Our journey began when we brought Kai to Nan and Nandy's on Wednesday. We then traveled to Houston where we spent the night with David and Sheri Walling, who so graciously opened their home and brought us to the airport on Thursday morning to catch a 6:00 am flight. After an unexpected four hour delay in Newark, NJ we finally landed in Beijing at 5:45 pm Friday evening.

After arriving at our hotel, we decided to grab a bite to eat. As we were sitting in the hotel restaurant, Abby commented on the snakes in the large jar on a shelf behind me...she thought they were "fake" snakes used for decoration. No...they were very real. We enjoyed our first meal in China...

"Thanks"

When we came home on Friday, Abby and Kai presented us with this cake with "Thanks" written across it. Attached to a toothpick was a note that read: "Thank you for doing all the adoption stuff! I'm so grateful for y'all. P.S. Love Abby & Kai" What a special way of showing their appreciation. Abby is so excited about her newest little brother...she can't wait to meet him. Today when I was rocking Kai before his afternoon nap, I asked him if he would like for his puppy (stuffed animal) to take a nap with him. He shook his head, no. I asked him who he would like to nap with...his answer..."brother"...That says it all. None of us can fully prepare for the life change that is just around the corner. We have prayed, read, researched, and sought wise counsel...in the end we simply have to trust that this is God's plan for our family, and He will continue to walk with us every step of the way. We couldn't be more excited!

China...here we come!

We had a great weekend! Our precious church family worked hard to organize donated items for a rummage/bake sale...adoption fundraiser. Abby was excited to participate with her lemonade stand. It was a great success! While at the fundraiser, we received a call from the travel agency stating that our flights had been secured. The proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward the cost of our plane tickets. We are thrilled with the outcome of the sale and are very thankful to all who donated their time, items, and money to help bring Will home to his forever family! We are leaving on Thursday, July 22nd and returning on Sunday, August 8th!

Will Turns One In China!

Our precious Will turned one on June 27, 2010 in China. We enlisted Ann at Redthread, a care package company in China, to assemble a birthday care package for him. He received a panda bear with a traditional Chinese shirt and a fresh cake from a local bakery. Also included in the package was a disposable camera, candies for the care givers, and a translated letter from his family. We are thankful that he will not celebrate any more birthdays without his forever family. We were delighted to receive updated measurements and pictures from his birthday celebration.

weight 7.9kg
height 65.5cm
head 42cm
chest 43cm
feet 10.5cm
teeth:4

Welcome To Our Journey!

Many of you have prayed with us...cried with us...and rejoiced with us over the last four years as we have waited for the Lord to reveal his perfect plan for our family. It has been quite a journey...we have learned a great deal along the way. It is with thankful hearts that we introduce our precious son...and little brother...William Addison Hellums. Please follow our journey as we travel to China to bring him home to his forever family.