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BABY UPDATE

Doesn't Jason look like he's having fun in this picture, must be the baby medicine he took .
It is now Wednesday Nov 23 @ 8pm. We have had our baby since Sunday Nov 20 @ 930pm which was just after landing from our flight from Beijing to Guiyang. What a trip it is to be parents. We got lucky, Ashley sleeps an average of 10-12 hrs, we get up at 7am and eat breakfast. Ashley has Jason's appetite she eats like a horse and doesn't gain any weight. Ashley naps at 10am and 2pm, she loves to get baths and is very attached to us. We are here in Guiyang until Sunday Nov 27 then we will be flying to Guangzhou to visit the US Consulate to finalize our paperwork and do our swearing in. After we visit the US Consulate. Ashley will be an official US Citizen. Hopefully by now some of you have received an email with the pictures, I am posting a picture with this update.

Here is an updated list of the couples traveling with us and their babies names.
*** = Babies from Ashley's Orphange.
Leslie & Bill -- Lacey
Leigh & Andrea -- Sonjia ***
Kevin & Melissa -- Sarah ***
Gary & Teresa -- Nola and their 8yr old daughter Mia

Today we went to the Jiaixou Tower (an island Tower where the Emporer lived while during the Ming Dynasty the Tower celebrated its 400th anniversary in 1998). Now there is a school on the island where they teach Chinese & English.

Greetings from China....We Really Miss American Food

We have been here for 36 hrs and have been pretty busy. We got to China at 3:40pm yesterday and sat in traffic (worse than New York) to go to our hotel it took almost 2 hrs from the airport to arrive. Immediately after getting to the hotel and before we even unpacked, we all went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. This morning we woke up early after not getting too much sleep during the night, none of the hotels rooms A/C works. The weather today was cold like NY in December, 43 & misty. Today we had an almost American breakfast than we went to the Summer Palace (a bunch of old buildings from the Ming Dynasty). Then we were off to a pearl factory where alomst all of the wives got some pearls. Colleen got a bracelet and necklace, we got Ashley a set of pearl earrings. The current exchange rate in China is 8 to 1, you get 6 bottles of water for 1 US Dollar. Then we went another Chinese reastaurant after finishing lunch we got back in the bus for another long ride making our way to the Great Wall. We spent a few hours touring the Great Wall, I took a walk up the Wall it was a hike I counted close to 4oo steps before I turned around and climbed back down. Our entire group took a group photo and we got a souveneir book with the photo. After the Great Wall we took another long bus ride to a Silk Factory for a tour and shopping. We bought Ashley a couple Chinese outfits. Everyone else bought them too, as well as a few bed sheets and mattress pads. When we finished shopping it was off to yet another Chinese restaurant (everyone is sick of Chinese already, I could sure use a burger or a steak). Now we are all back at the hotel trying to rest up for our journey to get the babies on Monday in Guizhou.
Here is a list of the couples we are traveling with. Kevin & Melissa from L.A. , Leslie & Bill from D.C. , Gary & Terese & Mia from M.A. , Andrea & Leigh from NY, and Anne "The Doctor" & Toby from V.T.

24 hours!

Only 24 hours to go! We are all packed and ready. Just finsihing up a few things around the house . this weekend Ashley will be in our arms. Wow! It is finally going to be real!

Only Three Days

Warren J. Kolendriski 1942-2005

This wedsite is deciated to my dad Warren Kolendriski!
On March 17, 2005 my father suddenly passed away. He was very sick ! He never told anyone how sick he was. My dad was great father, husband, father-in-law, uncle, and a great friend to others. We would like to thank my dad and mom, if it was not from them Ashley would not be here . We know my Dad is watching over Ashley right now! We say thank you for giving us a great gift a little girl from china named Ashley Rose Ring.
Miss You dad! Rest in Peace !

Projected Intinerary while in China

Only 9 More Days left! you can follow our journey in china!



Beijing November 18, 2005 - November 19, 2005
The start of our journey to China to pick up our newly adopted daughter will begin from Newark Liberty Int'l Airport at 730am on Nov 17 and arriving in Beijing at 340pm on Nov 18. Our first stop here we will do some sightseeing while staying at the Wangfujing Hotel, then will be flying to Guiyang to meet our daughter.

Guiyang November 20, 2005 - November 26, 2005
We will be in Guiyang to meet our daughter for the first time she is from the Orphanage (Guanling County Health and Welfare Institute. We will see the sites and do paperwork while staying at the Miracle Hotel. Then fly over to Guangzhou.

Guangzhou November 27, 2005 - November 29, 2005
Here we will be going to the US Consulate to do all of our documents required for our daughter to come home to the US. Birth records, SS#, medical check-ups, etc.. While staying at the White Swan hotel. Then its back to Beijing to prepare for our trip home.

Beijing November 30, 2005 - December 1, 2005
Here we will try to relax a little at another hotel, Sino Swiss Hotel Beijing Airport and get in some last minute shopping and sightseeing. Then pack our bags and fly home.

Our new baby Fu Li Shan

Our new daughter was born on Sept 1 2004 this picture was taken around the NewYear. From what we have been told the mother of our daughter left her at a bus stop in Ma Bu Village of Yong Ning Town. A civilian by the name of Zhou Xian found her at the intersection of Duam Qian Town while waiting there for a bus to arrive on Sept 16 2004. He contacted the local police force and they brought our daughter to the Oprhanage nearest town. The Guanling County Health and Welfare Institute in the Guizhou province of China.

Our daughter got her chinese name from her caregiver at the Orphanage. In China all names are given on a last name first basis, so to transalte for anyone that reads this blog. Our daughters first name is Li, middle Shan, and lastly Fu. Fu would also most likely be the last name of her caregiver.

Our China Adoption Story

Jason & Colleen sharing a Birthday smile
After, 18 months of unsuccessful fertility treatments . We decided our only option was to adopt, we attended meetings from several agencies . We chose Wide Horizon for Children, because we thought this agency would provide us with the best care possible. We were right in choosing this agency because they practially held our hands through the whole process.

We started our adoption in April 2004, and received our China referral on Sept 1 2005. We will be traveling to China on Nov 17 2005, with a stay in China requiring approx 2 weeks.

We will be traveling to Beijing, Guizhou, Guangzhou and back to Beijing.

we will get Ashley in our arms on nov 21, thats Gotcha !

We will return on dec 1 . we will keep you all updated !