Family Shots

Here's one of Tito and Mei Mei (Chinese for 'little sister'). If there's food around, Ming wants to be involved in the action!
Mommy and Sleepy Ming...She has her snuggly Mommy, her Pinky bear, and her TV clicker. Life is good.

A Letter from Dubya

It's been a busy week at the Szym home...Titus and Levi started school (finally!) on Monday. Yes, they start late at the kids' school. I was out of town the first part of the week as I was tasked with hosting a big sales event at my company. Mommy had her first day on the job as a Lunch Room Monitor at the kids school - she's going to do that one day a week during the school year. And Ming...well, she received a letter from George W. Bush. No kidding. He didn't call her "Ming," but instead he referred to her as "My Fellow American." Which is exactly the point...he was congratulating her on officially being an American. As he closed the letter George wrote: "Welcome to the joy, responsibility, and freedom of American citizenship. God bless you, and God bless America." (Amen!)
The letter came with her official and 'original' certificate of citizenship. Pretty darn cool. The photo, by the way, was taken while we were in Guangzhou during a photo shoot for visa and citizenship documentation.
Ming slept soundly with her teddy bear, Pinky, knowing that she is the real deal here in America. (Don't you just want to kiss those little lips?)

Are You Ready For Some Football?!

Check it out...my awesome football player, and his biggest fan. Today, a beautiful fall-feeling Spokane day, Levi had a football game. We all went to cheer him on, including Ming in her football jersey. You can't see it too well in this picture, but it has the number 12 on it. This little sporty shirt was a gift from Nate & Heidi for Ming's 1 year birthday. She has about a zillion pink things, a half a jillion lavendar and purple things, but now in the midst of all those girly-girl clothes she also has a football shirt. You da man, Levi. And Ming's the fan.

Little Girl, Big Wagon

Here are a few cute shots of Ming in Grandma S's big wagon...

Post-Party Thought: What's Better Than Cake and Ice Cream?

Answer: A Mommy.

Both Linda and I couldn't help but think about what today probably means to a Mommy on the other side of the world. Ming was born on September 10, 2005 at 4:07am. The only reason we know that is because when she was abandoned, the person who abandoned her left a hastily scrawled handwritten note with her in the apple box she was left in that noted the date and time. Was it her birth mother who wrote that? Father? Some other relative? We can't help but wonder about that other Mommy today, one year later. Does her heart ache for the child she gave birth to but never knew? Was the pain especially present today, the birth date? I'm pausing now to pray a special prayer for that Mommy thousands of miles away...that God would comfort her, and that perhaps some how, in some way she would experience a peace associated with the thought or knowledge that her daughter is loved and cared for... Won't you say a prayer for that Mommy too?

Numero Uno!

The real party went down at Grandma Szym's house. And man, was it a doozy. Cake, ice cream, and water in a bottle. When you've grown up as an orphan girl, that is some real living. Besides the Szym family and Grandma S., attending the festivities were Grandma & Grandpa Butler, Aunt Cindy & Uncle Jack, friends Carolyn and Thelma, friends Mary Ellen and Dan, and a few neighbors even stopped by (must have been all the racket we were making). Ming enjoyed the delectables. Every last finger-lickin' bite.
More please!

(Check out the hat from Grandma S...it reads, "I'm One")

What?! Presents too?

Everybody treated Ming with so much love and generosity. She received so many nice gifts and such affection from her family and friends.

Watch the link on the right for all the birthday photos to be uploaded soon to Webshots. I took 100 photos during the party...I won't upload all of them, but I'll send plenty of them to Webshots in the next couple of days.

The Pre-Party

Hey, you only turn one once, so you might as well have a party before your party. Here's Ming checking out the gifts... Actually, this party was for Holden, Ming's cousin. Holden's Mommy and Daddy are Linda's sister Kim and her husband, Roger. Holden and Ming were born on the same day. The party was at Kim and Roger's house and was mainly Holden's celebration. Aunt Kim and Uncle Roger did give Ming a couple of nice gifts but typical of one year olds, she had more fun tearing up the yellow tissue paper!

Here's a happy Holden, and a not-so-happy Ming at the party.










Levi, Holden, and a couple of their friends.

One Year Old Tomorrow

Little Ming turns one year old tomorrow, September 10th. She's been in our life just 1/12th of that lifespan. It seems like we've had her around forever...I wonder how it feels to her.

Tonight Levi said that he didn't think she would be smiling as much if she was still in the orphanage. I'm sure he's right. I love the way she smiles all the time, and even makes silly faces on purpose to get us laughing.

Tonight she zonked out in her cozy crib with an arm around Pinky...you can't do that in an orphanage.

A Thousand Faces Of Ming Mei

Linda and I have laughed about all the different funny faces that Ming makes. Babies in general tend to make funny faces, but our little Chinese baby can sure come up with some cute ones. Check out this one below, for instance...

And we call this one, Kung Fu Ming-A-Ling...

I was in Chicago on business this past week, and it's amazing how much I feel like Ming had changed in just a few days. Oddly she seems a little more grown up. Or maybe I'm just feeling younger...

While I was gone Ming received a fun gift box from our friends Blaine and Connie in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Among other things was a soft, fluffly, teddy bear. Now interestingly, Ming hasn't been too wild about stuffed animals. She's been quite suspicious, and a little fearful of them. But for some reason (maybe the color), Ming took right to this teddy bear. It came with an official name (birth certificate and everything), but we quickly nicknamed the bear "Pinky." Ming loves Pinky, and even gives it hugs and kisses. Here's a shot of the happy baby and bear -

Montana Ming 2

The ride home from Montana got a little long, not just for Ming, but for all of us. That's kind of the way it goes...lots of anticipation when heading out, but when coming home everybody just wants to 'get there.' On the last stretch of the trip we were feeding Ming cheesy crackers to keep her happy. After a couple of them, she decided that it was more fun to pull the crackers apart and pick at the cheese in the middle. When you look at this picture just remember that this is our 4th child...we're a lot more relaxed about parenting!

Montana Ming

We took our lil' Ming Mei to Montana for Labor Day weekend. It was her first extended trip in a car seat, and her first time visiting our hang out in Bigfork, Montana. She did very well as she traveled, and she seemed to enjoy breathing that clean Montana air. Here's a shot of her in her nifty little Eatin' Seat as she enjoys some yummy Fruit Loops at the breakfast bar...
As has been the case for the last few years, Grandma S. and Aunt Cindy & Uncle Jack spent the weekend in Bigfork too. That made it nice for everyone's golfing schedules since we all (including Mommy) got to play a little golf. Grandma was especially accomodating when it came to taking care of Ming while the rest of us hit the links at Eagle Bend. Here's a shot of Grandma taking Ming for a stroll on a beautiful evening...

On Sunday night Aunt Cindy and Uncle Jack hosted us for a BBQ at their place. The burgers and sausages were fantastic (Thanks, Jack!), and the family time was great. After it got dark we went out on the golf course and played a little glow-ball golf. This morning I was tidying up a bit before we left to head back to Spokane. I set Ming down on the bathroom floor as I was working on my sink area. She crawled over to the step by the bathtub and pulled herself up and stood leaning against it for a few minutes as she talked in her own little baby language. I thought she was seriously going to take a few steps, but she end up falling forward and doing a nice little face plant on the carpet. No tears, though...she's a tough little cookie.

Sweet Ride!

Remember me telling you about Ming's high tech stroller? Check it out...

iPod nest and latte holder - very handy.

Cruising Speakers integrated into the console.

Aunt Cindy checking out the high performance steering.

A chariot fit for a queen!

I Told You

If you've been following the Story of Ming Mei from the beginning then you know that Ming initially bonded with me before connecting with Linda. I said at the time that it was only a matter of time before she was 100% Mommy's Girl. Well, we're there folks! Yes, she still loves her Daddy, but Mommy's soft, nurturing, caring ways have total won over little Ming Mei. Tonight I was walking through the kitchen holding Ming in the vicinity of Mommy. Ming didn't hesitate to reach out her arms and grab for Mommy...she was the one Ming want to be held by. And why not...Mommy takes walks with her, always feeds her, hugs on her when she is fussy, give her baths (which she greatly enjoys), and generally puts the love on her like few of us are even really capable of. It is enjoyable to see my two special girls getting along so well together.

Taggie Blankets Are Fun

We have received so much love from our family and friends with an outpouring of encouragement, support, and baby gifts. Because it has been so long since we've had babies, I didn't realize how cool baby stuff is these days. As in, Ming's new stroller has speakers to accomodate and iPod. How cool is that? It practically makes you want to have a baby just to get a new stroller! One unique baby gift we recently received is a fleece Taggie Blanket. Cousin Sharon, who has also adopted from China, who has so faithfully followed our journey to China and back, and has supported us from the early days of waiting to be matched with a baby in our adoption process, was the giver of this lovely little blanket. Taggie Blankets were developed by an early childhood educator who also happens to be a mother of three. The blanket is a soft fleece and is designed with assorted ribbons sewn around the edges with different colors, sizes, and textures. Ming takes turn with them by putting them in her mouth, poking her fingers through the holes of the loop, and rubbing the edges of the ribbons. This snuggly little blanket is a real winner, and I suspect that Ming will drag it with her wherever she goes in the days ahead. Thanks Sharon!

The Big Purple Chair

OK, I'll give you three guesses to figure out where Princess Ming Mei is sitting...and the first two don't count.

Starbucks! One thing that Daddy and Ming enjoy doing is going to Starbucks so we can give Mommy a break. I get my iced coffee while Ming sits in the Big Purple Chair enjoying Cheerios, grapes, and whatever else Dad packs for her. You can just imagine the kind of attention she gets sitting there as if she doesn't have a care in the world.
Ming is smiling a whole lot more these days. She has this magic, disappearing act that she performs while smiling - when grinning and showing off those teeth of hers, her eyes disappear!
We're experimenting with names these days...Sometimes we call her Ming; sometimes Ming Mei; sometimes Mei Mei (which means 'little sister' in Chinese); Sometimes Baby Ming; the boys like calling her Ming-a-ling (thank you, Aunt Cindy, for that dubious designation). And we still occasionally call he Guo-Guo (gwah-gwah), which is how the nannies in the Orphanage addressed her. Whatever we call her, she is one special little girl.

Bizzy Week

Our little China Doll is getting a chance to drink in the My-New-Home-In-Spokane experience this week. Before sending Nate off to his second year at George Fox University on Thursday, the Szym bunch had a picnic at Manito Park. Heidi, Nate's girlfriend, is also in this photo of the gang. Nothing like a family picnic on a sunny day to make you feel right.


On Thursday, Levi, Linda and Ming went to Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho. Levi earned a free pass because of the extra reading he did this year, and it happend to be the same day that Titus went with his youth group from church. There were lots of familiar and friendly faces at Silverwood that day...including Garfield. Ming is doing her best sleepy eyes Garfield impression in this picture.
Tonight, Friday night, we had another picnic. This time it was with our special friends the Gibsons and the McNeills at Comstock park. Ming was stylin' as she wore her matching sun dress and girly-girl hat. She got to bed later than usual tonight, but she's on a roll so I suspect that she'll sleep soundly through the night just as she has most of this week.

Shhhh! I'm Talking To My Agent!

Skype me, baby, so I can have my peeps talk to your peeps!

One of the great discoveries during our trip to China was Skype (www.skype.com). We had originally purchased calling cards to use for calling back home while in the Land of the Rising Sun. Although it appeared that they could be used internationally when we bought them, we couldn't work the magic from China. We left one behind for Nate and Titus, and although they could get it to work from the US, it was only valid for 8 minutes when calling to China. After trying to buy a calling card in China, and also using the hotel phone line at a buck a minute, I resorted to Skype. A couple of friends had previously mentioned that I should check it out, so I did. Skype is a free program that you download to your computer. It allows for Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) calling from a computer where there is a broadband connection. If you phone computer-to-computer, it is absolutely free. If you phone from computer-to-phone it has a small cost. I had to load 10 Euros into my account by using a credit card, then I could call my boys, Mom, etc. on either their home or cell phone for about a penny and a half a minute. After a lot of calling I still have over 6 Euros left in my account. The voice quality was good to excellent. Sometimes there was a little delay, but nothing that doesn't occasionally happen when I call my pal Gary McCarty in Alaska on regular phones. If you have a microphone and speakers for your computer you will be set. I ended up going to Wal-Mart in Nanchang and purchasing the headset that Ming is wearing in the picture above for about $4.50 USD. Skype also allows for keystroke chatting like MSN Messenger, which I did with my buddy Jeff Gibson while I was in China and he was in Australia. If you have a webcam, then you can video message too. If this sounds like a commerical for Skype, it is. It was a very cool discovery for me which I will continue to use when connecting with people around the world. Don't you just love the technology age?

One Week Today

Our little girl has slept through the night for three nights in row now. Yahoo, we're on a roll now! It's hard to believe that Ming has only been home in Spokane with us for a week today. It certainly seems a lot longer than that. She's making a lot of progress. For starters...
-She lets Grandma S. put a red funnel on her head :-)
-She points at Joe the dog and says 'uhhh!' (her baby word for just about everything). Just a couple of days ago I was holding her by Joe on the floor and he came up and nosed her in the the nose...that creeped her out pretty good, but generally she's not nearly as frightened of Joe as she was on Day One.
-She'll sit on the floor and play without having to be held by Mommy or Daddy
-She tolerates all the passing around from brother to brother to brother.
-She has been quite good about being strapped in a car seat and going for a ride in the car.
Tonight I was honored to have dinner with a couple who are in the process of adopting from China and are also teaming with Kathy Storro from Small World Adoptions. It was fun to relive some of the Szym. Family China adventures for their benefit. Their paperwork was "logged in" last month so they are where we were for about a year as we waited to get our referral, then our travel approval, then our precious baby Ming. It seemed like forever at the time, and now that waiting period seems like nothing compared to the feeling of having this Special Little Gift in our lives. Thanks Tom and Katie (and Ralph and Rita) for letting me blabber on about our experience and joy. I am genuinely excited for your day in China.
There is nothing like a little girl giggle to make your day brighter!

Red Couch Photos

As I had mentioned in a previous posting, one of the traditions for adoption families before leaving the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou is to take a 'red couch photo.' I have posted some of the red couch photos that I took here: http://community.webshots.com/user/timszy In this photo we had lined up the three babies that were orphan buddies from the Yongfeng Orphanage - Tess, Ming, and Lily. Just as I was about to snap the photo, Ming leaned over to Tess and gave her a smooch. Lily wasn't having anything to do with that nonsense.

First Visit To Church

Sunday morning in Spokane with the little girl wearing white. Ming looked lovely on her first visit to church. She was excellent during worship...I think she enjoyed the music a lot because her Daddy was playing guitar. She probably would have done fine during the preaching, but she began to talk a little bit so I took her out and hung out in the 'parents with kids' room. Ming sat on my lap for awhile nibbling on her teething cookie, and she also like playing with one of the toys.

We are all settling into life in Spokane. Although it seems a lot longer than just a few days that we've been home, things are getting better each day. Ming was fairly agitated the first couple of days at home. She had a lot of unfamiliar people sticking their face in hers talking in a language that she didn't really understand. And she seems to be the one having the hardest time adjusting to the 15 hour time change. But when you think about it, she has lived her whole life (with a very routine schedule in the orphanage) with her days being our nights and our days being her nights. So needless to say, she's got things a little mixed up right now. Titus calls her, "Our little nocturanal baby." Last night was her best yet. She didn't really get to sleep until midnight, but she slept straight for about 7 hours. We're making progress.
When Ming woke up from her nap today she had a temperature of 102 degrees. The poor little girl was feeling pretty punky. She just layed on the bed all glassy eyed playing with her Children's Tylenol bottle. She has a couple of new teeth coming in, so we figure that her runny nose and fever is all part of the new teeth gig. It's been so long since we've had babies that we can hardly remember how all this works!

Ming is adatpting well to her big brothers, Nate and Titus. She has no problem with either one of them holding her and hanging out with her. At first she seemed a bit leery of such big guys. In fact, when we returned home both Linda and I felt like Nate and Titus had grown significantly after spending two weeks in China with such short people. The boys are very gentle with Ming and enjoy kissing her.