Molly Is 7!!!!!

Today was Molly's 7th birthday.

She requested spaghetti for supper.

She also got to be the teacher at school.

(she earned it through ar reading)

Molly facts:

she is 47.5" tall.

weights 43 pounds.

(don't know why, she eats like a horse)

She LOVES to read and

anything art/crafty.

She gets nearly straight A's

and loves doing school work.

Her favorite thing to do is

draw and create artwork.

She takes art & piano lessons.

Enjoys soccer and basketball.

She is a big help to her sister

with school work. If

you ask her Lindy is

her best friend.

Soon we will celebrate 6 years

with Molly in our family.

The time is flying so fast.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOLLY NICHOL!!

Molly's First Tooth Fairy Visit

When Molly had her last cleaning at the dentist they told us she would most likely NOT loose her bottom teeth. The permanent ones were growing in behind the baby teeth. She would probably have to have them pulled at some point.

Sure enough them came in just as the doc said.

Double teeth. She started complaining about them. So we had to tell her what the doctor said. But she was ready to call and have them pulled. I told her we would after vacation.

BUT....



Look what happened!!!

She worked and worked on that tooth until it came out on it's own!

Yeah!!


She was so proud too.



The next morning I asked her what she got...



"Not much, just a dollar. Probably because it was a little tooth"



Hummmm......

On Monday March 21,

Molly and three of her friends from her

reading group were invited to participate in a

reading lesson for the

school board.

So we got new clothes on

and away we went.

The kids did a great job.

And it's safe to say we there were some proud parents there too!!

Being silly after the meeting.

Then it was time for ice cream!!

Finally Home- 3 Years Ago

February 15, 2006

We traveled the whole day of the 15th We started out very early in Guangzhou with a short flight to Hong Kong. I believe our layover there was about 2 hours. Then the very long flight to Newark took 15+ hours. Here we had to gather all our bags and go through customs, then find our gate for the next leg of the trip and go through security again. But it all went smoothly. Molly did wonderfully on the fights. We did not reserve a seat for her, but as luck would have it we ended up with an empty seat between us. It was really nice having a place to lay her down some. Our last flight was delayed about 30 minutes. For me this was the worse part!! Our trip to Louisville went well. Molly slept most of the way.

We got off the plane and found a bathroom. We all were about to bust (Molly's diaper was very full). It took us a few minutes to get all situated before we walked out of the secured area and saw our families. It sure was a sight for sore eyes. It was good to see them. We were surprised to see so many there, as I thought only my parents and another couple were going to greet us. The top photo above is everyone who met us at the airport. Then the bottom pic greeted us as we hit the city limits of Mt. Carmel. It was good to be home!!

Our Last Full Day In China- 3 Years Ago

February 14, 2006

I remember this day being very busy. We were on cloud nine with our little valentine!! The streets and shops of Shamian Island were decorated with balloons and streamers. The local shop workers called it "lover's day". Lucy's (our favorite place to eat) was all fancied up with table linens and dressed up waiters. It was a beautiful day.

Our group met in the hotel lobby in the morning to take the famous "red couch" photos. This is when you dress the kids in traditional Chinese clothing and line them on the couch and try to get some pictures before the crying starts. It was pretty hard getting all these little ones to cooperate, but it was fun. In the top photo above you will find Molly wearing pink on the right end of the couch. She sat there all calm and collected for some time, then as crying got louder, she decided to join in!! See the bottom picture. Isn't she the cutest even when crying!!

The pictures above are from that day as well. One of the three of us and the other is our entire group. It was a large group. 17 children in all.

Our trip was almost over. We were very ready to come home, but yet sad to be leaving Molly's birth country. We were also enjoying the carefree days with all the focus on Molly. Because that would all change when we return home. But I was looking forward to a real routine and my own bed! The weather is also hard to leave as it is very cold in the US. A snow storm had hit Newark (our point of entry) and the airport is nearly closed.

This afternoon we all went to the US Consulate to take our oath. We could not take anything into this building but our passports and basically a diaper and bottle. A very restricted place, and I have to say intimidating. We waited for it seemed forever, with cranky children. The room was filled with lots of families from all over. When the time was right, we were instructed to raise our right hands and take the oath that everything in our paperwork was truthful. Then it was over. What??? That's it??? Yep, done and gone! No big deal. It took longer to go through the security line that take the oath.

The rest of the day was spent packing our bags for the trip home. Our night ended with Molly losing her bedtime bottle all over me and her!! Or I guess I should say bottleS!! Yes I gave her extra because she was crying for more!! Hey!! I was new at this stuff!! Anyway, the bags were packed and we were saying good night to China. I think I stared out the window for an hour that night. I wanted to remember everything about it. This country provided us with something we couldn't for ourselves, a beautiful baby. It was hard to leave, not knowing if we would ever be back here.

Vias Photo, Physical Exam, & Park- 3 Years Ago

February 2006

My days are running together in my mind. I am now not sure what we did on what days. By a few things we did do... Above we we to a really nice outdoor park. Not a park for kids, like botanical gardens kind. It was beautiful and the warmest day of our trip. It got 86* and very humid!

Here we are at the clinic to have Molly's physical exam taken for purposes of issuing her visa to enter the states. There were three stations to go through. Listening to her heart, check her hearing, height and weight. Then a all over exam, no clothes. She sis not like most of this exam! It didn't take too long. She is a healthy girl!

These photos are reversed. We actually had her visa photo (top) taken before the exam. Then walked over to the clinic. The sign at the clinic (by Dave's ear) says "clinic for international adoptions). We are getting closer to coming home!!

Passing The Time In China- 3 Years Ago

February 2006

There were days while in China that we did not have official business to take care of. So we passed the time exploring Shaminan Island and hanging out. The above photos were taken in our hotel lobby. It is a beautiful place and very baby friendly!
Here is a few shots of our little princess.

There is a Catholic Church right on the island. We enjoyed the service, even though it was in Chinese. Father Tom spoke very little English, but thanked us for being there. The bottom pic is also taken at the entrance of the hotel. It represents the terracotta warriors (famous in China).

We spent a lot of time in the hotel hallway visiting with our travel group. We would gather up various toys and the kids had a lot of fun crawling all over.

Day 8 In China- 3 Years Ago

February 8, 2006

Orphanage Visit

This day I had been dreading. But I was going to make myself go, because I wanted to be able to tell Molly about it when she is older. I think what made this trip today even worse for me is we were the only family going on this trip. Molly was the only child referred from this orphanage on this trip. So Shirley hired a driver and and a local guide to occupancy us. The guide is nice enough (I forget her name) but she spoke broken english. The driver was nice enough but I think he was a race car driver at heart!!

The trip took about 2 hours and was mostly highway traveling. The city of Shenzhen is mainly a industry town. It was not as "pretty" as Guangzhou or Beijing. After a few wrong turns we made it there. The orphanage is off a busy highway, with a guard and gated entrance. The building itself is new looking and well kept. The staff met us by the van and couldn't wait to get a hold of Molly. We were lead though to the courtyard/ playground area. The orphanage has about 5 stories to it and you could hear children all around. We were not allowed to photograph the other children. We were taken to Molly's room. The front area was basically a empty room with a wooden floor and some toys and walkers around. Very neat (they knew we were coming) and organized. Through a door was the bedroom area. Cribs on one side and toddler beds on the other.

The bottom picture here is the bed Molly slept in. Her name was still on the foot of it. She did not want to be on this bed! We visited with the staff as they passed Molly around getting a hug from her. There were several little kids here. Most were crawling around our feet. I am told many have special needs with heart defeats. It is very difficult to see these little ones. I bent down and hugged on some. Most were a little frightened of us. But as we prepared to leave the room, one little one in particular laid on the floor at my feet and cried. Very sad for this new momma that would take them all home if they let me! The photo on the top is Molly's primary Nannie or caregiver at the orphanage. She did not want to let her go (even had some tears when we left).

We were taken to the office area and offered hot water to drink. The guide and staff were trying to find directions to Molly's finding spot. So we talked to those who could speak a little English and I fixed Molly a bottle. I had switched her to the Playtex bottles that take a bag in them. The nannies and folks there were so amazed with this. They were bringing people in from I don't know where to see it. Finally it was time to leave. I used the bathroom before we left. My first squatty potty. It was clean enough I guess. But when I washed my hands at the sink the water ran out onto the floor under my feet to a floor drain.
So we got back in the van and started looking for Molly's finding spot. The traffic was horrible! Sights were a little scary for me and the guy was driving like a mad man. We had to stop several times for him to ask for directions. At one point he slammed on the breaks to keep from hitting a dog. This sent us to the floor and Molly started to cry (I wanted to too). They had the heat on in the van and it was 70+ degrees, so I was sweating like a pig and holding on to Molly for dear life. (no car seats or seatbelts in china) She was getting tired of it too. At one point I looked at David and said I wanted to go back to the hotel. But the driver kept to his task and we finally pulled over to the side of the road and announced we were here. Huh? Sure enough the guide read her paper and agrees with the driver. So we get out. We walk to the corner and under the street light (in the top Pic) near the bushes in a cardboard box is where a police officer found her. She was wrapped in a yellow towel. The police station is located just opposite of this corner. This tells us her birth mother wanted her to be found and be safe. The bottom photo is us standing in front of that police station. In another direction is a farmers market. We are stared at by a lot of people but none ever approached us. Finally we were on our way home.

I were glad the day was over and back at the hotel. Some of the families gathered in the hotel hallway to exchange orphanage visit trips with eachother. At the end of the day I was glad we went.

Day 7 In China- 3 Years Ago

February 7, 2006

We went as a group to a Folk Art Museum in Guangzhou. It was rich with history and the building was so pretty. It was right in the middle of the city. It showcased many Chinese artifacts and handy work some Chinese are known for. Like embroidery, carvings, calligraphy, palm painting, just to name a few. Molly slept nearly the whole trip. The above photos are in the garden of the museum. There are many of these sculptures around the island and here at the museum. It was a beautiful day.

Day 6 In China- 3 Years Ago

February 6, 2006

Adoption Day

Our first morning as a family started well. We heard Molly begin to stir in her crib. So I was up fixing her morning bottle. She did not cry when she rose up from her sleep. (thank the Lord) We started our morning quietly by laying her between us on the bed while she took her bottle. The look on her face told us she was unsure what was going on and was a little frightened. But she was dong well considering all the changes in her life.

After her bottle and some play time I decided we'd try a bath. It did not go to well. She cried when I took her clothes off. Then after she was in the tub for a few seconds she started screaming!! Hated the bath!! So it was a very quick one. She cried at bath time the whole time in China.
After breakfast we had to go back to the Civil Affairs Office to complete the paperwork for the Chinese side of the of the adoption. The photo above is when we were leaving the Civil Affairs office that day.

The rest of the day was a "free"day, meaning there was no official business or touring to do.

As a matter of fact the rest of the weeks was low key. We had applied for Molly's Chinese passport (which takes about 4-5 days to process) , so the week was spent taking walks, napping, eating, shopping, playing with the other kids and sightseeing. Molly seemed to be happy and enjoyed playing with everyone in the group. She ate well and slept well from the start. We were so glad. She is such a sweetie, we are on cloud nine!!

Day 5 In China- 3 Years Ago

February 5, 2006

Gotcha Day

This day started early as we had to fly from Beijing to Guangzhou. We left the hotel before breakfast was served, so we had a sack breakfast in the bus. I remember the flight being so full, we didn't get to sit together. But I was sitting by someone in our group. The food on this flight was pretty strange, so I barely ate. We arrived in Guangzhou on time and boarded our bus for the White Swan Hotel. The weather was very different than Beijing. As a matter of fact The weather got bad soon after we left. Beijing had a major snow storm and it shut down the airport there. We were lucky to have gotten out.

So we arrived at the White Swan. It is a beautiful place, with a tropical feel. It took some time to get checked in and our room was not yet clean. So we wait and wait. With only about 20 minutes to spare we finally got to our room. The rush was on to get prepared. Things we needed to take to the Civil Affairs office were packed into our luggage. We packed our diaper bag and threw together our gifts, gathered paperwork, checked the cameras and out the door we ran.

The ride to the Civil Affairs Office took about a half hour. We arrived and took the elevator to the 4th floor. Into a room we packed. 14 families were waiting for their girls. The excitement ran high among us all. Tears were already flowing. Then the babies came. One by one the children were brought into the room. We were the third couple to receive our baby.

The top photo is our first glimpse. She was being held by the male (he was most likely the driver) and she was the most beautiful little thing I ever saw! She had a bewildered look on her face, but she was not crying. David took her from the guy and she came right to him. The bottom photo here shows our first family hug.

She was doing so well. After what felt like a year (only a minute I'm sure) I reached for her. Dave handed her to me. The top picture is the first time I held her. She smelt so good, just like a baby should. We take turns holding her and she continues to be calm. There is so much going on in the room, but we are oblivious to it. Lots of crying and unhappy babies. We are so focused on Molly. She continues to be calm and played with a toy. I talk to the orphanage director. She gives us a photo album and a bottle that Molly likes. Soon we are whisked to the waiting bus. She is still calm, with a confused look.

Back at the hotel we take off her coat, sit her on the bed and just stare at her. She is so precious. She likes the toys in front of her. We can not believe what has taken place. Still, not a tear, until I change her diaper. She isn't fond of that. After some cuddle and play time we realize we haven't eaten all day. It is late when we venture to the deli next to the hotel for a sandwich. We also buy diapers and juice at the 7-11. We decide not bathe her tonight, she has had enough excitement for one day. So I change her clothes and feed her a bottle. She likes it very warm (OK hot). So hot in fact it makes her sweat! She falls asleep in my arms. We lay her in the crib and stare at her. What a day this has been. It is hard to put it into words, but we had to be the happiest people on earth that night. She was perfect and she was ours!

Day 4 In China-3 Years Ago

February 4, 2006

On our 4th day of our trip more sight seeing was scheduled. It was still pretty cold, but warmer than the day before. We hadn't took winter coats because we were spending the majority of our time in southern China, where it was warm. So we thought we could tough it out. Well, I was a wimp! I froze the whole time in Beijing. We wore just about all the clothes we took!

On this day we went to the Great Wall, the Cloisonne Factory and the Summer Palace. It was a long day, but we enjoyed it so much.

The top photo is taken on the shore of Lake Kunming. It is a man made lake at the Summer Palace. In the photo, you can see the frozen lake and the Palace (where the emperors lived in the summer months) in the background. The bottom photo was also taken at the Summer Palace. The city was alive with new construction in preparation for the 2008 summer Olympics.

This photo was taken at the bottom of the Great Wall. David and some others from our group climbed as far as tourist could. He was very proud of himself, as he should have been. It was no easy feat. I only climbed a few steps to take a photo, and that was enough for me. I refused to take any chances! After all, I had a baby to take care of!!

Between the two places we ate lunch at the cloisonne factory. It was interesting, a authentic Chinese meal. We were able to do some shopping there as well. Then on the drive to the Palace we drove by the Olympic stadium. It was being built, but I could tell what it was. It already looked like a birds nest!

We had planned to eat at the Beijing Hard Rock that night, but had paperwork to do for the adoption. So we ate at the restaurant again and hit the sack early. Tomorrow is the big day!!!

Day 2 In China, 3 Years Ago

February 3, 2006

Because we flew over the international time line, we jumped ahead by 14 hours. So we landed in Beijing on Feb 2, I think it was around 2:30. We had left New Jersey on Wednesday and arrived here on Thursday. We were surprised at how easy it was to get around in the airport. There were signs in English, so we made it through customs rather easy. Collected our bags and met our FTIA coordinator, Shirley. She stood, with her flag amongst the thousands of people waiting for passengers. After we all were accounted for, she led us to a bus that took us to our hotel. The traffic is horrifying to say the least. We had a leisure evening at the hotel. We choose to eat our dinner at the hotel dining room with another couple, the Wiscavers. Our meal was, mmmmm, different!

The next morning (it was Friday) we ate breakfast in the hotel restaurant. It was very good. It had lots of favorites, like pastries and omelets. But also a lot of weird breakfast foods as well. We then layered our clothes as it was very cold! Only in the teens if I remember correctly. We boarded the bus to tour the city. First stop was Tienanmen Square. The photos above are from there. The top photo is us in front of Chairman Mao's tomb. The other is a random shot if the square. They say a million people can fit in this place. It is huge. Chinese New Year was ending while we were in Beijing. So there were a lot of festive decorations.

We then walked from there to the Forbidden City. It is an amazing place. To think of it's history alone is overwhelming. It is also huge and we walked the entire length! We were glad to see the bus at the other end. The building have amazing detail and there were so many of them. Although we were frozen, we were glad to be there. Shirley is very good at telling the stories and history of China.

We were enjoying ourselves, seeing the sights, the city and getting to know the other families. We also learned today that we would be receiving our girls on Sunday afternoon, instead of Monday. Everyone was praising the Lord. We couldn't wait to hold Molly. Would she like us? Would she adjust well? So many emotions to write. Soon we would find out. Another day in China came to an end.

Remebering.....

February 1, 2006

We left Louisville airport at 5 (something) AM on a flight to Newark NJ. The top photo is Dave & I waiting for that flight. My parents had driven us there the night before and we all stayed in a hotel because we had to get up at 3 AM! They were there to see us off. It was hard to get on that plane, but I couldn't wait either. Does that make sense? We were a bit scared of what we were doing and where we were going.

We had a 3 or 4 hour layover in Newark. We found our gate, then looked for a snack. The bottom picture is our ride to China! It was the biggest plane I've ever seen. All I could think about was how in the world it even got off the ground! Anyway, as the morning passed our travel group started joining us at the gate. There were 15 other families traveling with us. It was great that we were not alone.

We boarded and flew out around 12:30 or so. We flew west over Canada and Alaska, even coming close to the North Pole. Sleep did not come easy for me. I had took puzzle books and magazines, but I couldn't concentrate on anything. My mind was on our little girl who would soon leave her orphanage and be placed in our arms forever. What would she be like?

Molly Tooting Her Horn

scroll down to the end of the page to pause the music

Molly Nichol

Molly is our first. We received her referral in Dec 05 and traveled to China in Feb 06. Our "forever family" day is Feb 5th. She came to us with a smile and has been a joy ever since. Her birthday is Jan 23, 2005, she had just turned one.

She is from Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, China.

When thinking about names we knew we would use Nichol as a middle name. Her dads middle name is Nicholas. Her first name was harder. One day I mentioned the name Molly. We both liked it allot, so it was decided that Molly Nichol would be her name. Molly comes from my great grandmother Mollie B (we called her grandma B). She passed on in Nov 1985 at the age of 93, I'm sure she would have been proud of her namesake.

She is a smart little thing who amazes us everyday. She is also big for her age, even for american sizes. She loves paper and pencils. She is a great sister and loving daughter