Finally Home!

We are finally home and appreciate all of you wanting to know how little Noa is doing.  I think she really likes having two brothers.  She has really bonded with our oldest, Durden and will hold out her hands and call for "Bubba."  He adores her and loves to be with her more and anything in the world right now.  We have to be careful that he doesnt become the "parent" she bonds with because he is so great.  Now Dobbs on the other hand....well, he was playing with her the other day and handed her a rubber ducky and said, "Here Noa, you can take this toy home with you.  pause....when you go back to China."  He doesnt like sharing his toys but on the other hand he tells everyone he sees "this is my sister."  He seems very proud that he has a sister.  He loves to kiss and hug her and gets very excited when she picks him up from school.  He is really helping her eat.  She will try things if he eats them first and he is a fantastic eater!  She loves to see our St. Bernard and calls her in chinese which is the only word we think she says in her native language.  She can say "uh oh" and can sign for "more".  We have her hearing test on Tuesday and look forward to finding out the truth.  We really havent noticed any problem. 

From Karee

Brooks asked me last week if I had put a picture of Noa and my daughter on here yet and I told her I hadn’t. I thought her blog should be all about Noa and the Duell’s journey. She asked again though and wanted me to introduce myself on here. I probably should have done that at the beginning instead of now that they’re almost home!

Brooks and Troy were matched with Noa the same day that my family was matched with Libby (soon to be Sophia). Noa and Libby are in the same foster home and the two girls have always shared the same nanny. Brooks and I “met” shortly after we were matched with our babies in June via a yahoo group for families with children from Starfish Foster Home.

Noa and Libby (Sophia)

It’s been wonderful to walk this last part of our adoption journey’s together, and we plan to keep our little Chinese Starfish sisters in touch with each other for many years to come.

It’s been a pleasure getting to keep their blog for them and I will offer to continue doing it until she feels up to taking over. I just love seeing all these precious pictures of Brooks, don’t you?

Blessings,

Karee

http://www.bluntfamilyadoptionblog.blogspot.com/

Update from Hong Kong

Brooks and Troy sent some beautiful pictures from the past couple of days. They are starting their journey home and will arrive around 4:30 Sunday. (She didn't say if that was am or pm...) Keep them in your prayers for safe travels!

Click on photos to enlarge



Tiny fishing village market outside of Guangzhou with fresh eel, turtle, fish, veggies and fruit. If a picture could only capture smells.

 

Walking through the banana trees at the village farm.



Keeping her happy in Karee's outfit.  She has definitely proven to be "Worth the wait."

Peanut ice cream for the 7th and final time.  This will be one of the things that Brooks will miss most about China.

Noa's Asian dress photo session with her fan that she knew how to use.

Photo shoot in hotel garden in Guangzhou.

Her cutest photo of the session.

View from our room at the Airport Marriott in Hong Kong.  We had no idea Hong Kong was this nice.



The otherside of Victoria's Peak.  We had no idea Hong Kong was this green. 



Victoria Peak over looking Hong Kong.

Victoria's Peak overlooking Victoria's Harbor without our heads in the way.

  

Victoria Harbor.

Safe travels Duell's!

Karee, for Brooks ~

More Pictures!

Brooks was able to resend the pictures that didn't come thru this morning, so here they are!

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

During her medical exam.



In the Lobby of our hotel

with Rebecca our fascilitator

We found a way to give Noa a bath!

View from our window in the Garden Hotel

Mommy and Noa

At the Gardens

Her first swim



At the zoo



Mommy and Noa with Lilly



Karee, for Brooks

Another update from Guangzhou

My stomach longs for steel cut oatmeal with honey and pretzels with a diet sprite.  I LOVE chinese food but there just comes a point in the food career when you need bland.  Im having another spell of sickness and look forward to evening out and not having to worry about what i eat!  But i will miss that peanut ice cream! Troy drug us to a pub tonight where he ate a hamburger and drank a dark beer.  He was very happy.  The curry vegetable wrap thing not so yummy.  When in china i think you should just stick to chinese food. 

 

Noa sang to us all night tonight as we strolled her around the streets.  She is really beginning to let her little personality come out.  She also smiled at Rebecca and Lilly and even let them hold her.  That was big for her.  She loves to come running into our arms with a humongous smile on her face just laughing.  She really loves to be loved and held and kissed.  She is becoming attached to Mommy finally as well.  Her favorite thing in the world to do is climb steps.  She will go up and down a step for hours if we let her.  She walks like a wet noodle.  She is very unstable on her feet. 

 

We got to eat lunch with Lilly today who is the wonderful person who got Noa's file and tried to find her family.  She liked the zoo today.  She points at EVERYTHING.  I think it is her way of saying "hi" or "I want" or well just about anything.  We caught a glimpse of the panda bear on his huge ice block.  He looked very hot! 

 

Our paperwork was cleared at the consulate today :) and tomorrow we take our oath and there will endeth our paperwork trail!!!!!!!!!!!!!  AAAHHHHH.  It is the culmination of 4 years of paperwork, waiting, faith, trusting, hoping, hurting, frustration and elation!  I wish i had been able to see the end all those times it was so hard to hang on to the promise we knew we had. 

 

Here are some pictures from the last couple of days.

 

Pure cuteness!

 

During her medical exam.

(From Karee - Brooks tried to send several more, but they didn't come thru. I'll post them as soon as I can if she's able to try again tonight.)

 

Till next time,

Karee, for Brooks

Monday, September 13th

For those of you who know me well you know I'm just a little interested in fashion trends. Well, for the life of me (and i think I'm pretty good) i can not figure out the Chinese fashion trend. it has been bugging me since i stepped foot in this country. Its like hello kitty meets Jane Jetson. There is not one thing i can put my finger on and say, "oh that's so Chinese." this is actually good because it means i am not tempted to buy anything to be on the cutting edge of the market. The typical Chinese dress is actually only worn by "women who work in restaurants." Well there goes that idea. This really has absolutely nothing to do with our adoption...

Brooks :)