Journey 2 Ali

Christmas 2009

2010-01-17T08:52:00.001-08:00

Ali turns 3

2009-09-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

On sept. 12th Miss Ali turned 3 years old. She had a little birthday party with a lot of her relatives. We had a BBQ and cake and ice cream and pie. Ali had a cake with her favourite "Elmo" on it. She also had fun playing stick the nose on Elmo with her cousins and just hanging out with them for the day. It was a beautiful day out and a good time was had by all.

Summer Fun

2009-08-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

Ali is having a great summer. She is talking more every day. We are still in a battle with her eczema but it doesn't seem to be slowing her down any. Recently we went on a trip to Kingston to spend some time with the Loebach family. Ali loved visiting with her Grandma and Papa and her aunts, uncles and cousins. Ali had a great time swimming and playing wii. She is quite the little ham with a microphone in her hand. The words aren't there but the beat goes on. (somewhat like her mother).Our toughest challenge with Ali now is sleep. She still doesn't seem to require much and has a hard time going to bed at night. She never wants to slow down or stop for a break!! So much to do.. So little time!!

All systems Go!!

2009-08-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

Miss Ali has been having a very busy summer and a very good one. She had an operation and got her adenoids out and tubes put in her ears. It has made a huge difference in her. She is much calmer and more relaxed and she sleeps alot better. Her world is much clearer to her now. Best of all for all of us now is she is a talking girl. With her hearing fixed she has finally begun talking! She seems to be able to say more every time she wakes up. She is growing and changing really fast. We are having alot of fun so far this summer. On June 19th we celebrated 2 years as a family. Early in July we got together with some of our China family and had a party at Brad and Karen's house in Elmira. Ali liked the zoo and the splash pad and playing with her friends in the treehouse. The next week-end we went to Newmarket for the Rebecca Run for SMA. A number of us in our family were there to participate in memory of Ali's sister Abby. Ali liked staying in the hotel and swimming in the hotel pool. Ali loves the water! We have also had a number of visits with our families in London and Middlemiss and enjoyed the 2nd annual Lucas family B-B-Q. We are just going to rest up for a while now before we have to head to Kingston for the Loebach family B-B-Q and get together week-end. Ali is still attending daycare 3 days a week and is doing very well and loves playing with her friends. She also likes to help around the house and proudly proclaims "I helping..I'm a helper" and she really enjoys her books. Ali is still very active and loves being outside going for a walk or playing at the park on the swing and the slide. Ali's favourite activity though is jumping. She loves to hop hop hop around the house.It is easy to tell when she is happy and excited as she will be jumping around. She gets to jump on the trampoline at our friends Jen and Keith's house and she is just in her glory. She cries and fusses when it is time to stop! Things are going well and we are looking forward to the rest of the summer.

School Pics

2009-06-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

Ali is growing and changing by leaps and bounds now. She is finally starting to vocalize. She is so smart! She does struggle with hearing properly though and with a constant build-up of fluid in her ears. She gets tubes put in her ears on June 10th so we hope this will finally solve the problem. She is trying really hard to talk but we believe now that it is obvious that she doesn't hear properly. Other than that she is doing great. She continually amazes us with all the things she knows and is learning every day. Now that we can understand what she is saying..LOL!! Ali got her first formal set of school pictures (daycare-preschool class). She did a great job for the photographer and they turned out just beautiful. Our baby girl is growing up!!

Chinese New Year

2009-02-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Chinese New Year 2009 with Ali, some friends and some of the Chinese community in our area. We are now in the year of the Ox. We would like to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous 2009.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas with no major incidents. Ali did really good despite all of the travelling and running around. She had a lot of fun but still isn't crazy about sleeping away from home. She was a little tired for pictures at night. Ali has become a very emotional little girl and much more attached to her mommy and daddy.

Ali recieved this painting of her last year. She has come a long way in a year.

Ready for Christmas

2008-12-04T17:10:00.000-08:00

Miss Ali is all ready for Christmas. She helped mom and dad decorate the tree. She went to see Santa at our Christmas party and sat on his lap and didn't cry or complain and she went and helped pick out and buy presents for her cousins. We are all looking forward to spending time with family and friends over the next couple of weeks.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

Ali really enjoyed Halloween this year but it was a long day for her. She was up early because she had school (daycare). She enjoyed giving treats to her little friends and received many in return. After school Ali and mom went trick-or-treating. They visited 5 houses (mostly relatives near by) and showed off her 3 costumes. She looked so cute in all of them that we just couldn't decide so she just kept changing and wore them all. Everybody had their favourite which were all different. Daddy liked the elephant. Mommy liked the skunk and Ali liked the monkey so they all worked! It took an hour and a half. By the time Ali got home and had some supper she was wiped out. She spent the rest of the evening checking out the little ones costumes at the door and headed to bed early and exhausted!

End of Summer

2008-10-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

We couldn't believe how Ali is pointing at Abby in this picture. It made even more precious.

Grandma & Papa Loebach's house for 2nd birthday.

The Loebach cousins - Trevor, Jacob, Meghan, Melissa, Rachel and Ali

Riding Grandma Loebach's horse. Ali was using her cousin Melissa's riding helmet. We remembered safety first!!!

Ali and Papa watching Elmo together and sharing some cuddles.

Ali turned 2 on September 12th

2008-09-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

Miss Ali is 2. We can't believe it. She is such a joy to have around. Her dancing continues to get better and her love for Elmo is even stronger. She now just doesn't give you a hug but gives you a pat on the back as well. Ali continues to enjoy daycare (still cries when I drop her off but as soon as I am out of eye sight she goes and plays happily). We have had a few minor medical problems but are getting them taken care of. Ali had a lot of ear wax build up but we now are seeing an ears, nose and throat doctor. We are hoping this will help with her delayed speech. Even though she is not talking much she has no problem communicating with us and continues to be her happy loving self.

Next week we are planning her birthday celebration with family. We will post more pictures then.

First Hair Cut

2008-08-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Ali got her hair cut for the first time on Aug. 6,2008 at 10 A.M. at Yvette's Salon. It was a long time coming and not much came off but she can see a lot better now. She had to gear up the night before with a healthy portion of chicken lasagna.

Ohhhhhhh, Pretty! Pretty!

CELEBRATING OUR FIRST YEAR

2008-06-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

NOT ONLY CUTE BUT CANADIAN TOO

DO YOU LIKE MT PONYTAIL?

FIRST YEAR REUNION GROUP

FIRST TIME EATING CORN ON THE COB

WAGON RIDE WITH FRIENDS

A RIDE IN THE WHEEL BARROW

Miss Ali is a CANADIAN!!!!!! We got her citizenship card on June 5th ( a present from her big sister Abby). We can't believe it has been a year since we got Ali. Time sure flies when you are having fun. She is such a joy to have in our lives and we can't imagine what our lives would be like without her. We just got back from a reunion with our travel group. The girls and Zach really enjoyed playing with each other. The kids all seem to be adjusting well ( and so are their parents.) We did have a problem taking the group photo. The children weren't so cooperative this time.

First week of Daycare

2008-05-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

settling in on the firetruck

playing outside

blowing bubbles

nap time

finishing snack

Ali has just finished her first week of daycare. Ali is in the toddler room. The children are from 18 months to 2.5 years. Ali is one of the younger ones in the room. Tuesday was her first day and she did really good. Played with new friends, enjoyed her food and fell right to sleep at nap time. At circle time she was excited to go a pick a fruit. She picked a banana and tried to take a bite. However, it was plastic so she gave it back to her teacher.
Wednesday she also had a good day until mom picked her up. She saw me on the other side of the door and started to cry. Thursday, she cried when I dropped her off and when I picked her up but the rest of the day she did really good. Her favorite time is outside time after which she has no problem letting the teachers know she does not want to go back inside! She has some amazing teachers; Mrs. Barb, Miss Rachel and Mrs. Alison which I know helps Ali and mom.
How did mom do the first week? Well, mom didn't eat much and didn't sleep well either.
I only went to see her when she was asleep. The rest of the day my spies did a great job of keeping me informed.

Mother's Day

2008-05-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

My first Mother's Day. I believe meant more to me then it did to Ali at this point in her life. The day was spent with my family at my parent's house. I would just like to THANK all of the ladies in my life who have guided me and supported me into Motherhood. Your advice and wisdom will also be greatly appreciated. I hope that I to will become the amazing mothers' that you have all become. Thank you once again ladies and "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY"

We just want to let everyone know that the recent earthquake in China did not cause any damage to the orphanage Ali is from.

Getting together with Friends

2008-05-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

On April 26 we had a chance to get together with many of the families who travelled together with us to China. It was a fun and interesting experience to see how all of the kids have grown and changed. In our minds and I'm sure in some of the other parents minds as well this would be such a special day for the kids. As they were all together we thought something magical and special may happen. A discovery of a special connection and memory of their past. Well... not exactly. At this stage in their lives it was just a bunch of other kids that they really didn't even know except the few that live close and get to see each other more often. They were more interested in the new toys and play things than each other. Ali liked going in and out the doors on the stair and playing in the rocks outside and going down the slide. It was a great day for the moms and dads to get caught up though. The kids have been with us now for over half of their lives. We are their families and the people around us are their friends and the people they know. Maybe someday when they are older they will understand the special connection they have with each other and decide to get to know each other better.

40 year old daddy

2008-04-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

Ali and daddy spent his 40th birthday together on April 17. The nice weather is finally here!! Eczema is still bothering her and now possibly allergies but she is growing fast through it all.

Waiting for Spring

2008-03-31T15:21:00.000-07:00

It's been a long cold snowy winter filled with colds and battles with eczema and a little bit of asthma but Ali has survived her first winter in Canada.

On Good Friday Ali received a visit at our home from her friend Samantha from Toronto. She came home from China with her mommy and daddy the same time as we did. The girls had fun together for the day. Ali taught Samantha how to turn our T.V. on and off. Gotta nip that habit in the bud.

On Easter week-end Ali enjoyed the holiday at Grandma and Grandpa Galbraith's house with her family. Ali had lots of fun and especially enjoyed the chaos of the Easter Egg hunt.

Today we just got back from the neurologist in London. Ali has been seizure-free since late last November and everything looks good. We don't have to go back now until November '08, which is the good news that we have been anxiously awaiting. We are now all ready and waiting for spring weather and looking forward to Grandma and Papa Loebach to come home from Florida and getting outside to play and enjoy the sunshine.

Hangin' with friends

2008-02-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

Saturday was our first time getting to see our new forever friends since coming home from China. It was just with Kaia & Amelia and their mommy's and daddy's but the girls sure had fun at Adventures on Wonderland in London. I think the mommy's and daddy's were more excited to see one another as for the girls they just wanted to play, especially in the germ infested balls. (Ali now has a cold) Ali would get mad every time we took her out. We really got to see the girls' little personalities for the first time which are just adorable. The girls seem to be about the same when it comes to milestones. All are walking and talking a little. Some words more clear than others. After playing we all went to Swiss Chalet for lunch so mommy's & daddy's could visit more. It was a short visit but very enjoyable and we can't wait until April when we plan to get together with the rest of the group.

On the left- Miss Ali- Very busy adorable little girl!!! Favorite saying "What's that?"

In the middle- Miss Kaia - Very cute with a very adorable smile!!!!Little shy around strangers but talks alot with mom and dad. Loves her doggy and mimicking him.

On the right- Miss Amelia - Very cute with an adorable smile!!!! Is a official Canadian and has had 2 hair cuts since coming home.

Valentines Day

2008-02-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2007

2007-12-30T07:51:00.001-08:00

Ali's first Christmas celebration in Canada was at Grandma and Papa Loebach's house on December 15th and 16th. Ali had a great time having a sleepover with all her cousins. Ali did leave the Christmas tree alone however the gas fireplace was a different story. So with a burnt hand and a visit to the hospital her first Christmas with the Loebach's was very memorable. The plus side to her accident is that we now have a little girl WALKING in the house (her hand hurt to crawl so she decided to start walking.) She was spoiled by everyone and got a new best friend; Angus.

Ali's second Christmas celebration started on Chirtmas Eve at Grandpa and Grandma Galbraith's. It was full of chaos and Ali loved it. She had her first sleep over at Grandma and Grandpa's. She liked it so much that we stayed for a few more days. She once again got spoiled by everyone. She got her first sled which she loved sitting in. We just hope that since we are in the sunny south we can use it this year!! Santa came to Grandpa and Grandma's but after the first 2 celebrations it kind of lost it's lustre. After the first 2 presents she had enough.

Our first Christmas as a family of three has come and gone. After all the running up and down the 401, the cold, the teething, the excema, the doctor visits, the burnt hand accident and subsequent trips to the hospital, sleeping in strange beds and being surrounded by LOVED ONES it sure was a great Christmas filled with very special memories.

The Christmas Card

2007-12-13T17:20:00.001-08:00

After many years of receiving Christmas cards from family and friends with their adorable children this would be our year to send one in return. Little did we know how much work it would take!!!! Especially with a little girl who likes to climb, not sit still and is not all that fond of hats. As you can see the out come was well worth it. A picture of the GREATEST "gift" of all, our daughter Ali.

HAPPY 94th BIRTHDAY GREAT GRANDPA LOEBACH

2007-11-17T17:33:00.000-08:00

We just returned from great Grandpa and Grandma Loebach's house where we celebrated Ali's great grandpa's 94th birthday. What an accomplishment!!!! We did get our 4 generation pictures of Ali with Great Grandpa, Papa and Daddy. Also, one with Great Grandma, Papa and Ali. It didn't take us long before we started moving things out of Ali's reach. Ali once again showed everyone her many talents and accomplishments.

14 months today

2007-11-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

Miss Ali Is 14 months today and a very active happy little girl. Ali celebrated her first Halloween by first going to visit her friends Rebecca and Marrim the night before. They gladly shared their pumpkins to let us get a few pictures. Ali being Ali got a little excited at times and pulled Marm's hair but Marm understood that she was "Just a Baby". Halloween night she enjoyed standing in the front window waving at all the trick or treaters.

We are still adjusting her meds regarding seizures but they are occuring further and further apart. We have pretty much come to the conclusion that it has nothing to do with her diet. With that being said she has been able to enjoy the finer foods in life. "MacDonald's"

We still just have a crawler in the house but she has managed to accomplish some other very important tasks like turning off the lights, opening and closing cupboards and the most important, flushing the toilet.

With the last picture in this post, the one on the left was taken while we were in China and the one the the right just a few weeks ago. We can really see the change in her. We needed to do a new picture for her Canadian citizenship because unfortunately it would become to much of a pain to go see Mickey Mouse until she is a Canadian.

Here she Grows..

2007-10-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

10 months

11 months

First birthday, September 12,2007

Baptism, September 30th,2007

Bumps in the road

2007-10-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

We have been home with Ali now for about 3 months. We just got back from the doctors yesterday. Ali is healthy and doing well. She is growing and developing at a good rate. She is above average in both height and weight for her age. She crawls and moves around very well. She stands unassisted and moves around the furniture well but so far doesn’t seem too interested in walking just yet. With Ali however, it seems that once she decides she wants to take off it won’t be long. She is always very umm “determined” when she sets her mind to something. She turned 1 on the 12th of September and last week-end we had her baptized. She is still very, very active and hardly sits still for a moment. She really hates to sleep and fights it but now manages to have a nap every day (sometimes even 2) and will go to sleep at a reasonable hour most nights and only gets up if she is hungry. She has 6 teeth and bites and chews on everything. She is good at giving hugs and kisses when we ask and can indicate how big and how cute she is with hand gestures. She seems very smart and learns many new things every day. She gets into everything and our house is constantly changing. She hardly seems at all like the little girl we got just 3 short months ago.
We have incurred a few bumps in the road thus far. A few weeks after we got home Ali began having seizures. They were very mild at first and then began getting a little more severe. She started having them every day and then multiple times a day. We began investigating with many doctors and specialists. Since we had no family medical background we had to have Ali checked for everything to try to find a cause. The good news is that Ali is perfectly healthy and has no medical, diet, or developmental problems. We spent the bulk of the last few months with doctors and specialists at offices and hospitals both here and in London trying to find a cause. We have learned many things about seizures. We have now learned that there are many, many causes with children and many times you never find out the answer why. This is where we are at with Ali. She has undergone every possible test and everything is normal so far. She is now on meds to help control them and she is much better. The only thing that seems to stick out is sleep. Now, if Ali has a seizure it is usually after a rough night or a big day and she is really tired. She is so over-active that it is like her little body/brain is telling her , O.K. little girl you have to rest now, we are out of gas. She has a seizure and then a good restful sleep for a few hours and she is right back to normal. With a little luck she will just outgrow this. We now just have to keep an eye on her and keep our specialist updated. The only thing we have left to do is to get her on the rights meds for her to keep them under control and get her through this big adjustment in her life. We are starting to settle in much better now and getting some things done around here. It’s been a big adjustment for us all but she is a joy to have around.

Ali is 10 months old now

2007-07-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

Sisters

2007-07-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

We have just returned home from another successful Rebecca Run for SMA charity event. This year the event has raised an estimated $158,000 for SMA research. Quite an achievement for an event of its kind. This event means sooo much to us. It is through this event that we have met many dear friends and parents like us and were really inspired to start living again and gave us direction and hope after losing Abby. I post this here on this blog because it is in many ways our starting point for our "Journey 2 Ali". Abby showed us how much a daughter could mean to our lives and how badly we really wanted to be parents. We learned here that anything is possible and decided to find a way to become parents again. This ultimately led us to Ali and a happiness that we thought may be gone forever. We hope to teach Ali about her sister and we are glad that our "SMA family" have finally got to meet her and we thank them for their support and encouragement along the way. To learn more about this charity event; SMA or a chapter in your area (all over the U.S./Canada/World) you can find links on this blog under Ali's sister. We are truly blessed to have 2 beautiful daughters who are linked in many ways to each other.

Canadian for a week.

2007-07-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been home for a week now and are finally settling in. It's been a busy week. We arrived at the airport friday and to our surprise there were about 85 people waiting for us. Ali loved the crowd and attention. Thanks everyone. We had a doctors appointment that afternoon and Ali was just fine except a cold but we switched formulas on the doctors advice. Saturday, Grandma V. (Ali's g.g.) passed away but she followed the blog and knew she was home safe before she was called home. This week we got Ali her health card and s.i.n. card so she could get a complete medical which we did on thursday and started her file with him and she is doing just great. Grandma's funeral was wednesday and I was a pallbearer and my father and I delivered the eulogy. In between all this we have had many phone calls and visitors and last but not least a little sleep. Ali hasn't quite turned around to Canadian time yet but is very close and we are all settling in nicely now. Her skin has cleared up. She is eating and sleeping good (albeit she is a Chongqing girl and it's on her stubborn terms) and has found her favourite toys and things around the house. We are amazed at how she changes and adapts each day. She loves her exersaucer and just about jumps right out of it and laughs out loud. She can stand against things now and when she holds our fingers we can pull her up from laying down to a standing postion. She is still very active and and is the apple of everyones eye. She babbles a lot and can say mamamama and dadadadada. It is amazing at how such a little person can have such an engaging personality already. Everything is great in her world as long as her new mommy and daddy are within' eyeshot.

Zac and the girls

2007-07-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

Before we left we got a great shot of all the kids from our group. Great bunch of people and we hope we can have many more of these in the years to come. It would be neat to watch them grow up in pictures together from time to time.

The Orphanage in Qianjiang

2007-07-05T15:57:00.001-07:00

The orphanage that was Ali's first home was really a beautiful place. It was in a modern building at the top of a hill overlooking the city. It was immaculate inside and out. We were allowed to tour it and were very impresssed. The kids are well taken care of by a diverse and caring staff. Donations are well spent there. We are still sorting pics and stuff as it has been a busy week but here are a few shots for those who have been requesting.

Goodbye China

2007-06-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

June 28, 2007
Today we are heading home. We all have had a great time here and wish to come back again but we are ready to head home. We are all pretty worn out and anxious to get these babies home, sleep in our own beds and get some laundry done LOL!!! Ali is back to her normal self; giggling,smiling,squirming,exploring and very active. We will miss this place. This has truly been a life changing trip in more than one way. We have learned so much and gained a lot of perspective about the world we live in. We are so blessed at home. We'd like to say thank-you to our guide Ma Rui (Mary) for showing us such a great time and helping us get everything done we needed. We'd like to thank the Chinese people for being such gracious hosts. Thank-you China for trusting us with your most precious resource and providing us with the greatest gift of all..our Ali. We will love her forever and cherish her always and we won't forget you when were gone....thanks everyone for following along on our trip and we'll see you all soon. Can't wait to be able to read your comments when we get home. I hope to keep posting now and again as we watch Ali grow up. Bye for now.

Too much excitement!

2007-06-27T06:57:00.000-07:00

June 27, 2007
This morning we went on a HuTong tour. HuTong is a very old and traditional area of Beijing. We travelled through by Rickshaw. Two to a cart with our drivers pulling us along by bicycle. They had great skill weaving through the streets and narrow alleys without even looking back. We were mobbed by street vendors everywhere. Being able to say "I have no money" in chinese was a big help as they left us alone quickly but some of our group didn't get off that lucky. We got to go through a school and it was their last day and the children put on some little shows for us. The school was amazing. It looked far better than any of the gradeschools we have at home. We took lots of pictures. We were then invited into the home of one of the residents. He told us about many of the ancient traditions they still follow today. How the height and direction the homes were facing and the # of rooms all meant something. He served us tea and let us take pictures of his home. He told us about a day in their lives. He even showed us his fighting grasshoppers. He was a retired steel worker and his wife was a seamstress. He was very gracious and told us to come back and vist in October and drink some beers with him as he was a very good drinker but to leave the children with a sitter. It was the best place we've been so far we thought. It taught us about the real China for a lot of people...Tonight we went for final group pictures and we went out with the entire group for the traditional Peking duck dinner celebration for the last night here at a restaurant down the street.Everything was going great until about half way through. Ali spit up a bit and started choking. A nurse from our group took over quickly and she is just fine but she put quite a scare in us for a few moments. After that we decided to just head back to the hotel. The doctor checked her over just to make sure and she was just fine and back to herself at the hotel. Pheeewwww!!!. We are exhausted and drained. Jayna helped pack everything up and we are on our way home tommorrow. No more appointments or stops. Ali is tired as she missed her nap today because the cleaning staff got here late in the afternoon. Can't wait to get her home.

More sight seeing

2007-06-26T04:39:00.000-07:00

June 26, 2007
Another busy day today. This morning we visited tianamen square and the forbidden city. Our guide taught us more about chinese history. The square is appx 77 hectares. It was a lot bigger than we thought. There were people selling stuff everywhere. Some of the dads bought chairman Mao watches. Allan Chong even tried to sell his back to a different vendor. It was fun. We then cruised across to the forbidden city. It was quite something although it was being renovated for the olympics. It was getting very hot out by this time and Jen and Jayna didn't like the heat that much so we just quickly toured through. It will be a must see when we return and have more time. We went back to the hotel for a rest and then off to the pearl market in the afternoon. We once again made many good purchases as Jen and Jayna are becoming very adept at bartering. The temperature here in Beijing is starting to really get up there. Today it hovered around 40* C. most of the day as it has been for the last few days. We have been fairly lucky most days here. It rained the 2 days on the bus rides in Chongqing and now overnight the last few days but has been pretty good otherwise.. The rain doesn't cool things off though like back home. Last night we went down to Pizza Hut for supper and it was really good. Most say better than back home as it wasn't as greasy. Right now we are busy packing up and getting organized for our trip home. We bought 1 extra big suitcase and hopefully that will be enough. There is a bit of time for shopping tomorrow though so we'll see. LOL!! Ali still has a bit of a cold but is still doing great. She looks like she is cutting a few teeth as well but it hasn't slowed her down at all. Look out grandparents; she is quite a busy little handful.... but great fun.

The wall, jade factory and doctor.

2007-06-24T22:54:00.001-07:00

June 25, 2007
We have just crossed our last hurdle to bring Ali home. This morning she had a doctors appointment to get clearance for the Canadian gov't. She did just great. She is 71 cm long and weighs 8.29 kg's. She has a cold still and gets a rash on her face that comes and goes but the doctor says that it is just a symptom of the cold.She is eating good and has no trouble unloading a poop. She is the envy of many of the other babies in that department. She is very alert and happy with lots and lots of energy. She has no ear infections or other problems and is right in the norm's for development. Everything looks good and we just have to wait for the paperwork at the embassy to be processed....Yesterday we went to the Jade factory and learned a bit about it and how it's carved and of course picked up a few things. One of the dads in our group is of Chinese heritage and explained to us which items would be good family heirlooms for the babies to have. After the Jade factory we went to the Great Wall. It was quite an experience and an amazing thing to see. We learned a bit about its history and walked along it as families. We were then allowed to tackle it on our own. I (Dave) climbed a path right to the top of one of the high points. The view and feeling from the top is indescribable. There weren't many people who made it to the top so I am quite proud of myself for that as I took a little angel on my shoulder up there with me.The climb down was no picnic either but exhillerating. As I reached the bottom Jen yelled at me loudly for a while but it was all worth it. LOL!! I was the first up and down from our group and she was worried I was holding up the others on the bus who didn't make the trip but not to worry there were a couple others behind me. Ali hung out with mom and played on the grass and watched the people which she loves to do. While we were there we purchased a lock and locked it to a chain on the wall and threw away the key. This is a chinese ritual sympolizing that we are now all bound together as a family forever.We had a nice traditional chinese meal and the waitresses tried to take the babies and just loved them. They made the new moms a little jumpy. We all made out well with the chopsticks. Back to the room to fall into the bed. Glad this afternoon is an off day. Dad and Ali will hang in the room and rest while mom and auntie and some of the other ladies are heading out shopping again.

2007-06-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

Ali on the Great Wall

2007-06-24T06:47:00.001-07:00

Back in Beijing

2007-06-23T02:03:00.000-07:00

June 23,2007
We are now safely back in Beijing. Ali is doing just great. Over the last few days she has endured a 7 hour bus ride, 3 different hotel rooms in 3 different towns and a 2 1/2 hour plane ride including a few victory laps at the airport before landing with a training pilot making her first landing. All of this while breaking in a new set of fumbling parents and she still complains little and babbles alot and has many smiles and giggles for us.This morning we did the paperwork for the Canadian gov't to bring her home. She got her picture for her visa. Also this morning our guide MaRui (Mary) arranged to have the tailor come to the hotel to size the babies up to make them traditional silk outfits. We are having 2 made for her as well as a matching outfit for Jen and a tie for Dave. Some of the dads are also having custom suits made. All right here from the hotel and the should be ready in a few days. This afternoon is free time and daddy and Ali had a 2 hour nap after a long day yesterday while Mom, Aunt Jayna and some of the new friends went out hunting supplies and treasures.They came back with McDonlalds and it's just like home. We've all just been eating room service since the babies have come the last few days. Burgers and fries imported from Australia and they have been awesome and huge. One family even tried a pizza although they didn't get tuna or any strange things on it that were offered on the menu. It's been a nice relaxing day allowing us to rest up as the next couple look to be pretty busy although it is just optional stuff ; we'd like to experience it all. Ali is eating more now as we discover what she likes and can tolerate. We also think she is teething as she drools alot. She still loves to play in the tub and we've discovered how to steal giggles from her. She's ticklish on her neck and belly and laughs out loud. Mommy has also fondly nicknamed her "Nosey Parker". She does not want to miss a thing. She wants to see and touch everything wherever we go and contorts herself in some weird ways to do so although she now makes sure we are never too far away. If she hears something she has to investigate. She doesn't like to sit still. There is a 2 foot marble ledge in front of the window here at the hotel and Ali can sit there and look out for hours and watch the action below with amazement. In a lot of ways she reminds us of her sister Abby. Same chubby features,fair hair and inquisitive nature. Somewhere in heaven she is looking down on her little sister with pride and a smile.

Stealing giggles

2007-06-23T01:58:00.000-07:00

Aunt Jayna to the rescue..

2007-06-23T01:55:00.001-07:00

Aunt Jayna has become a very valuable member of our little travel family, not only for us but for our whole group. We are all very thankful that she made the trip. She has been the group photographer and videography as well as the extra pair of hands for us all. She has helped out on the shopping for those who needed it and with the babies when we had a couple of little emergencies with a few dads and also the voice of experience for the new parents. We can't thank her enough. Ali also really loves her. She now has a big running head start on favourite aunt.

Goodbye Chongqing, we'll miss you

2007-06-21T20:32:00.001-07:00

June 21,2007
We leave Chongqing today and fly back to Beijing to complete our paperwork for the canadian government at the embassy. What a wonderful city and experience. We loved our time here. Our hotel is right next to the Yangtze; the 3rd largest river in the world after the amazon and the nile.Yesterday we went to the panda zoo and saw the oldest momma in the world. There was also an art gallery and training center on the grounds and we got a lecture about the training and history of the arts and to see some of the local artists and of course purchased a few things for our homes. We've seen many of the sites and sounds and experienced the culture here from the big city to the small villages. One of the interesting things we all noticed is the little boys peeing in the streets. If they have to go they just pull their pants down to their ankles and go; wherever! One little boy even did #2 once right on the street corner. The ladies all stared at him from the bus with amazement. We've come to Chongqinq on the 10th ann. of it's promotion from city in Sichuan to an independant municipality with it's own central gov't. There has been fireworks and celebrations going on all week. When we arrived here there was a red carpet and flowers and a lot of media coverage waiting at the dock for the plane. We thought this was really something, however....when the plane stopped the dignitaries were allowed to leave out the front door of the plane and we were scurried out the back and on to a shuttle and away to the depot. It wasn't for us!! LOL!! Chongqinq, including the main city where we are and all of the little towns and villages that are included is now roughly the size of Austria. Since we have the babies and as we travel the city we now feel as though WE are the celebrities and have been treated as such. We'll miss this place although there is a Ford plant just down the road from here and if things keep going the way they are back home we could be back sooner than we think. Ali is doing great and we are growing closer every day.

Ali loves splashing in the tub

2007-06-21T02:53:00.000-07:00

The tough part is done

2007-06-20T05:09:00.001-07:00

June 19,2007
Well, don't know were to start. We've been on the run for the last 3 days. No time to journal or post. We just fell into bed each night. The trip up the mountain to the orphanage was a bit ahhhh... scary but well worth it. The 7 hour trip through the country mountain roads was very interesting. Over bridges and through tunnels and finding roads were none really exist. There were landslide debris and rocks on the road and occasionally the water flowed down the mountain side and right over the road and we drove right through it all. Nothing stopped or slowed down "Trevor" our driver. We bounced around pretty good but we all made it in one piece. There was an accident about 1/4 mile from the orphanage so we got out and walked up the hill. We managed to get some great pics of the surrounding areas. Inside was very exciting and chaotic. All the babies were with caretakers just inside the door and everyone started to scurry to find theirs.We recognized her right away. We had to wait 'til we were called 4th in the line. Jen was just shaking and crying. It was so emotional. Ali took it all in stride and laughed and smiled the whole time. She has been so amazing breaking in her new mommy and daddy. She is just beautiful and laughs and smiles and jabbers alot. She is eating good and sleeping well and seems to be taking to us more all the time. She looks for us now in the crowds and chaos.She is very,very active and gets bored sitting for a second so we've done many miles with her in the rooms and halls but she is more than we could've ever dreamt. We spent the night in Qianjiang and then had the exciting ride back here to Chongqing. The babies all have colds but are managing quite well. The bus ride didn't faze them at all. This morning we went to the adoption office and completed our paperwork. This afternoon we went to the bank and completed the finances. It was suppose to take an hour but ended up a little over 4. We then went to the store and got some supplies and are all just relaxing comfortably. Our little travel group has gelled quite nicely. We are getting many things accomplished on our own. Only 1 dad went down sick today.Too much fruit we think. We really like it here in China and time is flying by but we are looking forward to going home. We definitely would love to come back though with-out schedules and chaos because it is truly an amazing country.The views alone are great and the people have been great to the dopey Canadians. So friendly and helpful wherever we go or even just walking the streets although the moms get a little nervous as they love the babies and they come right up and want to take them and touch them and hold them and are very forward about it. They also love to try their english when they can. I am also getting to try my limited chinese out and have been able to help the group find a few things and get around a bit. The people are very patient with me. All is well. The tough part is over.

It's Official!!!

2007-06-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

We finished our "donations" and received our family document today. Ali has been great through it all. She sure has helped us get through everything and always with a big smile and a cute little giggle. Even for our official family photo. We are so lucky and blessed to have her.

GOTCHA!!!!!!!

2007-06-19T04:17:00.000-07:00

only 1 more sleep

2007-06-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

June 16,2007
Today was not quite as busy as the past few. After breakfast we checked out and took a quick trip to the silk factory were we saw how silk was made right from the gestation of the worm all the way through to the finished product.The tour leader was very funny. The ladies from the group also did some power shopping and vowed to return as we only had an hour. We then took a short 2 hr. plane trip to Chongqing. It is quite a beautiful place. It looks like a huge metropolis built in the Tenessee mountains. The vistas are amazing.We are in awe everywhere we look. The hotel is unbelievable. We have a crib,stroller,baby bath tub,free internet and much,much more all in the room for us. We were able to complete some of our paperwork here as well. All we have to do tomorrow is make the long 7hr. bus trip to Ali's city of Qianjiang and bring our passports and finally GOTCHA!!!! We got to see a newer picture of her with our paperwork but had to turn it back in. It was taken about 1 month ago and she looks so grown up from the ones we had. Just amazing!!! Chongqing is all lit up at night. We have lots of pictures (over 100 so far) and will post more on the site when we get home. We can't see our posts so we are just hoping the text gets in but we will do our best to post our new family pics with Ali in a few days. No internet connections for us in her city and we stay there overnight tomorrow and return here the next day..Stay tuned..The best is soon to come...We are soooo excited it's hard to sleep but we've got to try tonight. Long couple of days coming up..

newer pic of Ali

2007-06-17T05:02:00.001-07:00

another great day in Beijing

2007-06-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

June 15,2007
We had another great day today. It was very,very busy.In the morning we took a bus trip to the summer palace. It was incredibly beautiful there. We only spent 3 hours there so we tried to see as much as we could but you really need about 3 days to truly experience the place. In the afternoon we went to the silk market for some shopping. It really wasn't my(Dave) thing. I don't like shopping anywhere and don't do well in a mall.I wouldn't know what is or isn't a bargain in any country or form of money. Jennifer and Jayna did really well. Once they got over the shock and frustration of people tugging and pulling at you everywhere they were really good at bargaining themselves some good deals. I bought one small thing and got had so at least I experienced it so I'll just leave all the shopping to them. I was however able to speak a bit of chinese to people in the mall and was understood and talked to without buying anything so that was kinda cool for me. In the evening we went to see an amazing acrobatic show. Words can't describe it. We have a video so hopefully it will be O.K. otherwise you'll just have to come here and see it for yourself. We just love it here but Jen is starting to stress about the big day coming up. Tomorrow we fly to Chongqing and do our paper work at the hotel there and then rest up for the trip to the orphanage to get Ali the next day. Only 2 more sleeps 'til gotcha Day!!!!

Day 2

2007-06-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

June 15,2007
Our first full day in Beijing. What a great day. We started with the breakfast buffet from our hotel. We joined a few other couples from our group. It was just great. The food was really good with a large variety. After that we all just ventured out for a walk to check out a bit of the city. We were all amazed at how clean everything is. No cigarette butts or grafitti anywhere. The people were also very warm and friendly although the cars take a bit or getting use to. People don't have the right away!! Something we all tend to forget but we made it O.k. also, there doesn't seem to be any rules on the road. Lights and lanes mean nothing. People, cars,bikes anything thing that moves all just intertwine. No helmuts or safety equipment at all and amazingly there were no accidents or mishaps at all. Nobody really seems to move too fast.We all felt very comfortable and safe touring arround. We then made our way down to the temple of heaven. It was an amazing place. We took lots of pictures. Some new friends from our group have a cousin who lives here.He served as a guide for us.Jayna,Jennifer and I managed to take a cab to there and back and I got to try out my chinese. That was fun!! This afternoon we walked down to the market a short ways away from the hotel. We just looked around and sat down for a beer and people watched. We saw scorpion-on-a-stick at one of the food vendors and it was still moving. At 7:00 we met 3 other couples for dinner at a restaurant our guide recommended. It was pretty good and we are all still standing. After dinner we walked down to the grocery store for some water and a few things. Beijing is just as beautiful and friendly at night. We got back about 9:30 and after an extraordinary and full day we are ready to hit the sack. So far everything has been awesome. Gotta be down tomorrow for breakfast at 8 a.m. for another full day.

Less Than 12 hours To Go …….

2007-06-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

Are we excited?.. you bet!……. Are we nervous?.. you bet!….. Will we sleep tonight?…don’t think so?!….Will it be well worth it in the end?…. No doubt about it!!!!!!!!

We did finally get our paperwork.. Finally! We just wanted to thank everyone for being there for us. We have really appreciated it. Please stay tuned ……..

Thought we would post a last picture before we go; so here is a picture of Jennifer and Jayna.

We're Packed....We Think......

2007-06-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

Everything is packed except for our paper work. Still don’t have it!!!!! In fact the most important document ( The Notice of Coming) we need will be coming with another family since our agency as of Friday still didn’t have it. Purolator was suppose to delivery some of it to my (Jennifer) work on Friday but needless to say it didn’t come. In case you didn’t know, I am all done work. for at least 8 months; maybe more if my lottery numbers come up.

We got some exciting news on Friday. We will be going to the SWI in Qianjiang to get Ali . Apparently the Civil Affairs office in Chongqing is closed on June 18th and 19th so they wanted to push our date back but Children’s Bridge instead made arrangements for us to go and get Ali at the SWI in Qianjiang . So, we get to take a 4-6 hour mountainous bus ride. But it will be well worth it.

Dave will edit our itinerary before we go.....In 2 days.

Surprise!! a baby shower

2007-05-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

On May 10th I (Jennifer) was surprised with a baby shower by my co-workers and friends. They not only gave me amazing gifts but also got the children in the daycare to decorate the room for me. Since we will be celebrating the Chinese New Year each year; we now have Chinese fans, lanterns, pictures of Chinese children and of dogs (for the year Ali was born “year of the dog“) and a lady bug (sign of good luck in the adoption world) to decorate our home.

These ladies have been of great support and guidance to me through-out our adoption. They in fact were the first to hear the news of our referral since I was at work when I got the call. Something I will treasure forever.

Here is a picture of these great ladies and the amazing gifts I received. Also, a picture of the baby quilt Miss Sandy, the daycare cook, made for Ali. It is just beautiful.

Thank you ladies for everything!!!!! You guys are the best!!!!!

Our Travel Itinerary

2007-05-20T17:17:00.000-07:00

IN-CHINA TRAVEL ITINEARY – SICHUAN PROVINCE

Group 246-247: Beijing and Chongqing

Beijing:

Jun.13: leave Windsor 10:15 am, Arrive Toronto 11:24 am; leave Toronto 2:10 pm.
Jun.14: arrive in Beijing on AC031/ 3:40 pm., guide will meet them at airport and transfer to JianGuo Garden Hotel.

Jun.17: Beijing to Chongqing on Flight HU7161 (1:25pm-3:45pm)

Chongqing:

Jun 17: Transfer to Yangzi Holiday Inn hotel.
Jun.18: GOTCHA DAY !!!!! Families will to go to Qianjiang SWI by bus and meet the child and sign the agreement. Families will stay overnight in Qianjiang. (please note it will take apprx. 4.5 hours from Chongqing to Qianjiang.)
Jun.19: back to Chongqing from Qianjiang, transfer to Yangzi Holiday Inn hotel.
Jun.20: 10:30 go to the Civil Affairs office for adoption registration,notarization and the passport.
Jun.21: Visit Chongqing Zoo.
Jun.22: Pick up passport. Chongqing to Beijing on Flight HU7162 (4:40pm-7:00pm).

Beijing:

Jun 22: Transfer to JianGuo Garden Hotel.
Jun.23: Rest. Guide will help families for visa photo.
Jun.24: Sightsee the Great Wall with Lunch. (cable car is not included).
Jun.25: Medical for the child and go to Canadian Embassy for visa appointment.
Jun.26: Vist Tian An Men Square and the Forbidden City.
Jun.27: Hutong tour. Have Beijing Duck dinner in the evening.
Jun.28: Pick up visa in the afternoon. Leave Beijing for home on AC032/ 5:30pm, transfer to Beijing airport. Arrive Toronto 6:45pm. Overnight stay in Toronto
June.29: Leave Toronto 12:00pm, Arrive home in Windsor 1:07pm

Here we go....

2007-05-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

We have decided to start a blog so our family and friends can share even more of our life with Ali Rong Loebach…… So here we go…..

We will start by doing a little back tracking. Our journey began with a seminar from Children’s Bridge on February 13, 2005. This was the day that convinced Dave our family was going to expand by adopting. Jennifer however, knew long before that. This is also the day we met some great families and now new friends. We started the home study portion of the adoption process in April of 2005. With the help and support of many of you guys we finished and submitted our file to China. Our log in date with the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) became October 25,2005.

AND THEN THE WAIT BEGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2005 ended no word
2006 came and went
2007 began and we knew were getting closer . We thought we were would get our referral in March 2007 but our log in date was missed by one day. This was very heart breaking at the time until…

On Wednesday April 11 2007 we received our long awaited phone call from Chia at Children’s Bridge and an email package with pictures and a brief description of our new daughter. We had already known we were going to call her Ali but the spelling was going to be different ( we were thinking Ally) but with her Chinese first name pronounced “Lee “ already, we knew we had to change it. On Monday April 15 we received our purolator package from Jim the driver with all of our information on our new daughter. Here is what we know so far;

Name: Qian Li Rong (last name, first name, middle name)
Date of Birth: September 12, 2006
Orphanage: Qianjiang Social Welfare Center, Chongqing, Sichuan Province,China

We are naming her Ali Rong Loebach. She has been in foster care since November of last year. As of Jan. 8, 2007 she was 6 kg and 60 cm long. She is normal in physical and intellectual development. We are told that she is a deep sleeper and is very active and can pick things up. She is a cheerful little girl who always has a ready smile. She is fond of watching T.V. and listening to music. She also likes toys that make noise with her favorite being a bell.

As of today this is what is going on in our lives . We are busy getting ready for Ali to come home. When is she coming home you ask? We are leaving Windsor on June 13th and returning June 29th and we will be arriving home with Ali at the Windsor airport at 1:07pm.