Living a Dream by Karen Szabo An Adoption Journal

Editor’s Note: Gary and Karen Szabo adopted a child from China through Dillon International Agency in Tulsa. Karen kept a blog throughout the process and was gracious enough to share part of the experience with TulsaKids through her words and photos. Happy National Adoption Month! bc Welcome to our journey! After two years of paperwork, patience and preparation for adoption, we announce the referral of our precious Piper on June 26, 2006! This site chronicles our life-changing trip to China to bring our beautiful baby girl home. A change will do you good Thursday, August 3, 2006 We have our travel dates! We arrive in Beijing on Aug. 11. This is the last weekend in our house without Piper. We will hold our daughter in 10 days. We will be home with her in 20. After all this time, all this waiting and wondering and hoping and praying - we are mere days away from meeting our daughter. Days away from looking into her eyes, kissing her cheeks...seeing her smile. You want to put what...where? Tuesday, August 8, 2006 We did it! We got all that in there! In a scene reminiscent of Rainman, we agreed that I am a very good packer - a verygood pack-er. We’ve decided that this trip is like going camping or on a safari with a newborn. And with all the medicines we’re taking, we are prepared to handle any illness or injury that befalls our little troupe. I can treat anything short of a broken arm; however, I’m almost convinced I could even set a limb with a diaper and some duct tape. Oh - one more thing I couldn’t fit into any of our bags because it is seriously way too big: my continued amazement that we are actually to this point in our journey! I can’t believe this is our last night at home without Piper! Sunday is going to be a great day Tuesday, August 8, 2006 Remember in National Lampoon’s Vacation when the Griswald’s reached the Grand Canyon and Clark looked at it for about six seconds and then hustled the family back into the station wagon? That’ll be me on Saturday at the Great Wall. No offense, China - your wall is magnificent. Why, some would say it’s “great,” but you see, there’s a darling little girl waiting for me in Jiangxi and, well...she’s more than great. She’s incredible. More importantly, she will be in my arms on Sunday afternoon! Following a day in Beijing, we are off to Nanchang, Jiangxi on Sunday at noon. We arrive at 2 p.m. and receive our babies “in the late afternoon.” How great is that?! Why, some would call it magnificent! We’re here! Friday, August 11, 2006 It was a long, tough journey, but we are here now! It’s hot and steamy. Tomorrow we go to the Great Wall and Summer Palace and, we hope - a Peking Duck dinner! The Great Wall Saturday, August 12, 2006 We did it! We climbed the Wall! Breathtaking in every sense of the word, too. We climbed up to the first pass and I am proud to say I am literally a card-carrying “Hero.” According to Chinese legend, only real men, or “heroes,” climb the Great Wall. So, today I am a man. La’chaim! Following the great climb and lunch, we visited the Summer Palace. Very beautiful and peaceful, despite the throngs of tourists. It was a wonderful day and a great opportunity to learn more about Piper’s homeland and culture. But, tomorrow is what we’re here for - we should receive Piper around 4 p.m. In less than 24 hours, we will hold our daughter. Unbelievable. This is the day Sunday, August 13, 2006 This is the day we’ve been waiting for. Not just during the past two years of paperwork and anticipation. No, we believe that our lives have been leading up to this very moment for many, many years - perhaps all our lives. This is why we met, why we fell in love, why we married and why we are still crazy in love with each other after all these years. It’s all been leading up to this - the moment they place Wang Fang Qin in our arms and she becomes forever our Piper. It has been indeed been a long time on a long and twisted road, but we have arrived at the pinnacle...the top of our own Great Wall, perhaps. This is the day. This is the day. At last! Sunday, August 13, 2006 She’s here! And she is beautiful - absolutely stunning. We arrived in Nanchang around 1 p.m. and got everything prepped for Piper. We met in the conference room at our hotel at 4 p.m., expecting the babies to arrive at 4:30. But they were early! Our guide announced “the babies are here” around 4:15 and one by one, began calling couples’ names. We, of course, were last. Piper was crying when they handed her to me...and she continued to cry for about an hour. Mournful cries...you could feel her sorrow and loss. She is very attached to her nanny at the orphanage, so this is horrific for her. And it shows. She cried and cried and cried and cried until she just cried herself to sleep around 5:30. Daddy had to go back down to the conference room to complete some paperwork, so I sat with my precious baby girl asleep in my arms for about 40 minutes until she woke up and realized that the nightmare was real - and began howling. I just held her and let her cry it out - there’s just not much else to do. Unless you’re Daddy. He returned and it was my turn to go to the conference room to sign the paperwork. Daddy decided to try walking. He paced the room until I returned, which calmed her down completely! Yay Daddy! We can’t put her down - literally. She cries the second we try. Not that we’re complaining! It has been an incredible day - (there’s no reference to her rash so this could be confusing?), the indescribable memories and feelings from today will last forever. We are family! Monday, August 14, 2006 It’s official. We are Piper’s parents. Today we went to the adoption center and registrar and legally adopted our beautiful daughter. It was yet another amazing day - not only are we parents at long last, but we have watched Piper blossom before our eyes with each passing hour. A tough day Monday, August 14, 2006 Piper had her first bath last night and - as usual - was a little trooper. A tad hesitant at first, but she either gave in and accepted her wet fate or possibly enjoyed it a little. However, we’re having a rough time today. Piper is very fussy and simply doesn’t feel good - if she’s not sleeping, she’s crying. We emailed the incredible Dr. Jane Aronson, aka Orphan Doctor (www.orphandoctor.com), about Piper’s rash. Turns out, it’s a skin staph infection. Dr. Aronson said to put her on antibiotics immediately and use Neosporin on the bumps and blisters. This is just a little bump in the road - well, a lot of little red bumps and ugly blisters - but we’ll all be better soon. What a difference a day makes Tuesday, August 16, 2006 Wow. What a difference a day - and some antibiotics - makes. Piper’s rash is clearing up, but more importantly, her spirits are lifting and her personality is emerging. She’s a happy, giggly little thing. After lunch and a brief nap, we went to the Buddhist temple in Nanchang. Piper is a sheer delight. Her smile is incredible and today, Mommy got a big, open mouth kiss from Piper! I was kissing her little cheek and she turned and smooched me right on the mouth. How great is that? Daddy dives in Wednesday, August 17, 2006 Ni Hao, Everyone...Gary here... Piper experienced her first stroller ride in a neato stroller from the folks at Bridge of Love Adoption Service. It started off great, but due to the heat, she fell asleep for most of the trip. But she was a precious doll while awake on the bus — sitting in Mommy’s lap, laughing and making clucks and lip-smacks. We get Piper’s Chinese passport from the local Police station tomorrow, and then head to Guangzhou. Could be another Big Day... We’re in Guangzhou! Friday, August 18, 2006 Piper is tickled pink to be in Guangzhou, our last stop before heading home! What a sweet, sweet baby she is. She had her first plane ride today. At the airport, she attracted much attention - as usual - but this time it was for her new trick: blowing bubbles or giving Mommy the raspberries. According to my brother, I did the same thing when I was her age. Who says she’s not my daughter?! We are now settled in our room at the legendary White Swan Hotel. It’s been a tough day and we’re all exhausted. Before leaving Nanchang today, we went to the police station to pick up her Chinese passport and our adoption papers. Tomorrow she has her medical exam and we will find out just how much she weighs. Gorgeous Girl in Guangzhou Saturday, August 19, 2006 Today was yet another big day! We started the day with a photo shoot for our visa and then it was off to our official medical exam. Our sweet P was literally poked, probed and prodded. She officially weighs 17 lbs. (tell that to my shoulders) and is 27 inches long. We are astonished and thrilled at how healthy Piper is. Piper continues to blossom before our eyes. She’s saying “da-da” a lot - and once cried out “maaaa-maaa” during a post-bath meltdown. She hates baths. What can I say - she is a sheer delight and we simply cannot believe how lovely she is. We are truly blessed. A look back at our week Monday, August 21, 2006 Let me just say that I love Guangzhou. I don’t want to leave! I’m sad that we only have a few more days in this glorious country. Yesterday by the pool this suddenly felt like more of a vacation - a family vacation - than “The Adoption Trip to China.” I guess we’re becoming a family! While we were playing in the room, Piper looked right at me - right at me, right into my eyes - and said clear as a bell, “Ma Ma.” As you know she says Da Da all the time, but this was the first direct Ma Ma. Such a smart girl who melts my heart with each moment. Farewell China Tuesday, August 22, 2006 We can hardly believe it’s time to leave China. We leave tomorrow, so this is likely our last post from the glorious country. Today, we went to the American Consulate for Piper’s swearing in ceremony. They don’t allow cameras, so we have no photos. But, it is a tradition to take a photo of the babies in your travel group on the famous “Red Couch” at the White Swan. That’s our angel in the red dress. This entire experience is indescribable, but we will try to capture some of the vivid memories from this amazing trip: From Mommy: The moment they placed Piper in my arms. Piper’s first smile. Her giggles. Her “raspberries” in the airport. Hearing her say MaMa and DaDa. Piper’s kisses. When she reaches for me. The other families and their beautiful babies. The Nanchang heat. Climbing the Great Wall. The Buddhist Temple. The Daoist Temple...and the incredible heat that day. The frenzy of the “Red Couch Photo” at the White Swan The music and light show along the Pearl River each night in Guangzhou. Piper’s first steamed egg. And mashed potato. And custard. And ice cream. All the “thumbs up” and “lucky baby” comments we received from Chinese. The old women at the Buddhist temple who thanked and blessed us for adopting Piper. The monk who scolded us for taking pictures. The moment this trip became a vacation and not an adoption. From Daddy: How clammy my hands were waiting to see Piper for the first time. Seeing the “real China” in Nanchang - a skyline I never imagined, ancient structures standing next to high rise buildings. The unbelievable ballet of traffic in the cities. The genuine interest Chinese have about us and why we’re here. Even though they know more about Western culture than we know about Chinese. The Great Wall. The smog. Seeing our little girl’s face every day. Watching Piper blossom before my eyes. Realizing and remembering that we’re better travelers than we thought we were. How being a world away isn’t all that strange. We will miss China and know we will return someday soon. This is our daughter’s first home and we feel it is our second one now. We’re sad to leave, but happy to be coming home to friends and family who love us and our Sweet Potato Pi. See you in America! Welcome home! Friday, August 25, 2006 Piper’s first night home was so full of new sights, sounds and faces. And yet, she soaked it all in like the calm little curious sponge that she is. Piper likes new things, she likes going places and riding in cars and her stroller. Even though she’s from Jiangxi - a province known for its porcelain - she’s not made of it and seems to be extremely resilient. We are truly blessed - blessed to have such a delightful daughter and blessed to have such incredible friends. We are so glad to be home! Let the fun begin!