We are in Guangzhou!

After a long day, we made it to our hotel in gz. Liam wasn't sure what to think, so his "little bit naughty" came out. He pushed buttons all day (literally and figuratively)! He is sitting in my lap now eating my m and ms instead of his dried fruit. Can you blame him, really? Our hotel is gorgeous! It is in the heart of a shopping/restaurant area, so we shouldn't have to get a cab for much of anything. We will meet two other families from our agency tomorrow. We look forward to that.
More about Liam: when he is happy he has the cutest little giggle. He is getting a little bit better about looking at you when you have something to tell him. When he is in trouble, he shuts his eyes so he cannot hear or see you. He is showing a little more affection towards us. He will give a pseudo kiss on the cheek when we ask for one (no smack). He still wants to be carried everywhere, but he will walk or run around when he is in a familiar environment.
I will update more tomorrow. Free wifi in the hotel!
Love Erin

Hotel in Guangzhou.


Signing Airplane in the Airport


Liam nervous about the plane ride.

Day ???

Erin sent these this afternoon (Friday morning in China). My best guess is they are from Thursday when they took a tour of the city of Shanghai.

Liam signing car and gum, watching cars out the window, his favorite hobby!

Days 3 and 4 with Liam

Sorry we didn't get to post anything yesterday. You might say we were the accidental tourists! Our plan was to take a cab to a shopping area close to our little coffee house and then walk to the coffee house and back to the hotel. Our cab driver took us to a totally different part of shanghai for new York style times square shopping. It was really awesome, but there was no place to log in and post.
Liam is doing great! He is signing more and more. Yesterday we went to the zoo and he and jay learned a lot of new animal signs. He is so active that we have to take turns getting any kind of rest. (Allison, get ready!) He loves being carried everywhere! he is a little heavier than Jaci in a smaller body. At the risk of spoiling him, we are giving inane carrying him whenever he wants us to. It is a good sign that he is comfortable enough with us. He is showing more comfort in his surroundings. He even went right to sleep last night without a fuss.
Today we visited the famous yu gardens and the bund. The bund is an area where you can see the famous skyline of shanghai over the river. I got some great pics that I will have to share once we get home. Colin: I made a new flat Stanley and took him to those places today.
Liam is getting pretty restless, so I will have to cut it short for tonight. We may not get to post tomorrow because we are flying to Guangzhou for the second part of our trip. I will seek out a new little coffee house as soon as I get there. Thanks for all the comments! Love you all! Jay Erin and Liam

Day 3

Signing camera in the hotel lobby.



At the Shanghai Zoo.



Signing I love you.

Day 2 with Liam

We are officially Liam's family today! He is a creature of habit and routine. He love to drink as much liquid as possible and subsequently we visit many Chinese restrooms. He likes to eat anything and everything, and yet he is so tiny! He wears size 120cm clothing. In America, that is somewhere between 3T and 4T. One of our proudest moments is when he found all the Dallas Cowboys logos on every picture and article of clothing including a hand me down cowboys hoodie from the boys that fits him perfectly! We brought three pairs of swimming goggles and he has assigned us each a specific pair. When he puts his on, we both have to wear ours! During his waking hours, he needs and gets 100% of our attention (happily)! He is constantly making connections between pictures and objects in his environment. It is very clear that someone prepared him for this. He is not using asl, but he definitely had a system of pointing and homemade signs to get his needs met. He is signing the following since meeting us: mama, daddy, please, sorry, I love you, eat, drink, full, finish, banana, bath, no, and a couple others. He tests his limits a lot, but responds pretty well to correction. He got sad once today while looking at the picture book the orphanage put together for him. He pointed to the picture of his friends then went to the window looking for them. He pointed to the picture of the orphanage and then out the window several times. No tears yet, but sad little eyes. Jay is his favorite, but he loves me too. We are all very happy and VERY ready to come home.
Love you all!

Specific messages:
My sweet babies at home: we love you and miss you. We can't wait to come home....be good!
To laura: thanks so much for keeping us connected! HOpe you are feeling well!
To Colin: did I leave flat Stanley at home? If so, I will try to get an address where MomC can mail it to me in Guangzhou.
To anyone out there: please mail me some sonic ice!

Early Bird Liam

Erin sent me (Laura - the message relay operator) around 3:00pm today. All it said was "Yes, it is stinking 5 in the morning!" I guess Liam is a morning person!!

Day 1 with Liam

Liam is amazing! He hasn't slowed down yet. We are hoping to all crash when we get back to the hotel tonight. I am expecting the new to wear off and the sadness to hit soon. He has been on a communication high you might call it. He LOVES Jay! He is playing with all his new toys, but only for a few seconds before moving on to the next. He has been introduced to French fries and ketchup (as was Jaci on day one), and he is a big fan! He loves to clean up after himself. The orphanage was phenomenal! We got to interview one of the caretakers for a long time. She gave us her email address and is expecting updates. The kids are VERY well cared for! I will text Laura a few more pics to post here when she gets a chance. The comments and prayers are so helpful. Thank you! I love you Aidan, Colin, and Jaci! Your little brother is checking out your pictures very carefully. You guys are going to love him!