Ellie is a Harris!

When we arrived at the airport in Kunming our guide let us know we would be meeting Ellie at the Civil Affairs office at 3pm the next day. We rested, found our way to Pizza Hut, and walked through Ellie’s beautiful city. Kunming is way up in the mountains. I forget what Tom said the elevation was, but it’s higher than Denver. The weather is cool in the mornings and evenings and in the 70’s during the day. Basically, perfect. 

Things we have learned about Kunming so far: Where China and Burma share a border is where jade is mined. From that area the jade is taken to Kunming, giving the city first pick of the jade, as well as making the prices lower. Kunming is also known for its flower industry. The writer of the Chinese National Anthem is from Yunnan, the province the city of Kunming is in. People in Kunming speak Mandarin, but with a different dialect. It’s slower and easier to pronounce, which is great for us. There are several minority groups that come from far out regions to vacation in Kunming. Their traditional attire is so incredible to see. There was an important American air base here during WW II that still served as the local airport until just a few years ago. There are more than 6.6 million people here. Raleigh has less than half a million, if that gives you any perspective. There are a lot of people here. Kunming is the City of Eternal Spring, and it’s easy to tell why. 

On Monday morning we were nervous to meet Ellie. Our guide took us to Green Lake Park, a park built in the 17th century, to walk around and relax. It was a bustling place, but calm at the same time. Groups of people dancing and exercising, doing tai chi, Kung fu, chatting, there was a group meeting to discuss plans for the park, little shops, people just sitting and watching the flowers and people, and children playing. It’s a great place and reminded me of Central Park in New York. We have since been back in the afternoon when it was busier and lots of impromptu karaoke was going on. Both times it was beautiful. 

After the park we had lunch and came back to the hotel to rest. We got everything together that our guide said we needed and met her in a the lobby at 2:30. Our driver was stuck in traffic and couldn’t make it. Thankfully, our guide was able to get a taxi for us. We arrived at the Civil Affairs office, a small apartment in a nondescript apartment complex, and when we walked in, exactly at 3pm, Ellie was there waiting for us. She was dressed in a sweet little white dress with purple flowers and was playing with a toy car. She looked at us curiously, but didn’t cry. I sat next to her on the couch and played with her for a while before picking her up to put her in my lap. She seemed ok with that. Our guide and the orphanage official were talking in Mandarin about how much the nannies loved Ellie and she recognized who they were talking about and started crying. She is so smart. At the orphanage she was called Mei Gui (May Gway), which means beautiful rose. She cried a little at times during the appointment, but seemed ok that I walk around with her. The representative from the orphanage was able to make her laugh. It’s clear that she was cared for. We received a copy of her daily schedule and also were able to get a few questions about her care answered. From there our driver (who had made it to the office by then) drove us to Wal-mart. Wal-mart in Kunming is about ten times crazier than Wal-mart at home, but fun at the same time. Of note, Tom and I went to Wal-mart on our wedding day. We were heading to Charlotte to spend the night before leaving for our cruise and had forgotten to pack a couple things, so ran into a Wal-mart on the way. Maybe that’s just how we do things. Get married, go to Wal-mart, meet our child, go to Wal-mart. On the way there Ellie seemed exhausted, maybe from the changes, maybe because her nap was probably cut short that day. Either way, she fell asleep on my chest in the car and snuggled in. It was amazing to finally, after 18 months of this process, to have her in my arms. We bought a few things we needed for her at the Wal-mart and then walked back to the hotel. Ellie likes to watch all the people when we are out. I imagine her world has been pretty small, so there is so much interesting and new to see. 

We didn’t see any more tears after the Civil Affairs office on Monday. She was more interested in just taking everything in. On Tuesday morning we ate breakfast and took her back to the Civil Affairs office to complete the adoption. They asked if we wanted to adopt Ellie. We said yes, of course. We filled out a bunch of paperwork and signed a whole lot of documents. We placed our red thumb prints on our signatures and Ellie placed her red footprint. It was official. Cheng Ye Xin was an orphan no more! Elizabeth Jane YeXin Harris is a daughter, sister, granddaughter, and niece! From that office we went to get her passport picture taken and apply for her passport. The process was similar to going to the DMV, just much more crowded. Ellie fell asleep in the car, so she didn’t get a very good afternoon nap. She was a bit fussy, so we ended up giving up on nap time and went for a walk at Green Lake Park. It is common with newly adopted children for them to cling to one particular parent. Ellie clings to Tom. On Tuesday morning she would cry if he was out of her sight, but has been doing a little better. She still prefers him to hold her, but also doesn’t mind me holding her, or carrying her in the Tula carrier. At bedtime last night I think it really clicked for her what was happening. She grieved hard. She allowed me to comfort her and would fall asleep in my lap, and then wake up crying again. I am thankful she feels comfortable enough with us to grieve and allow us to comfort her. It is heartbreaking to see though. She has lost everything and everyone she knows. I can’t imagine. She has been so incredibly brave. 

Ellie has been eating well, but not drinking very well for us. The orphanage is going to prepare a bottle for us to take tomorrow. Maybe she just doesn’t like the ones we brought or the ones we bought at Wal-mart to try. I hope the new bottle from the orphanage does the trick. Yesterday she only took about 5-6oz of fluid total, with maybe 2oz of that being formula. She eats congee (rice porridge) really well, and that has a lot of liquid, so hopefully she is staying hydrated ok. She has a bit of a cold, which doesn’t seem to be bothering her too much. She sweats a lot when she sleeps. Not sure if that is from the cold or just her. We’re still learning about her for sure. She likes to mimic facial expressions. She has a very sweet laugh. She clearly has not had a tub bath before as she tries to lean over and face plant in it. She sleeps well once she falls asleep. She will eat pretty much anything, though she wasn’t too sure about watermelon (not my fave either). She tries to stand. She can army crawl. She likes to throw toys when she’s done with them. We’re excited to continue to learn about her. After all the documents were signed yesterday, we were given a precious memory book with pictures of Ellie from very early on. It is like a little journal and documents some of her milestones. It is in Mandarin, but we will have it translated once home. Some children adopted from orphanages receive nothing. No pictures or documentation of their past. We are so thankful for this little book. 

Today we will visit her orphanage. I’m sure it will be a tough visit for Ellie to see so many familiar things and then leave again, but it’s important for her to say goodbye to those who have cared for her so well. It’s important for us to the see the place where she spent her first year so we can tell her about it when she’s older. It might be a tough visit, but it’s important. 

Thank you for your continued prayers. Pray for Tom and I as we handle learning to parent Ellie along with lingering jet lag. Pray for Ellie as she continues to grieve and learns to trust us. Pray for Charlie as he continues to still be sick, but getting better. Pray for Graham as he is missing us (and us him!). He definitely understands what is going on, but wants to come to China too. We keep telling him there are no Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches in China. We can’t wait to all be home together!