Views of Kaylee

Kaylee has been doing very well hanging in with all of the activities. Doctors, shots, shopping, traffic, lightning, McDonald's!!! She's a trooper, but also has shown thatshe knows how to turn up that bottom lip and say NO! So we are working through some issues. She's a sweet one! Here's a look!

Dave

Lisa's China Story

Hey everyone! This is Kelsey. I have been posting blogs and facebook for my family while they are in China. They would like to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers, and comments and to let you know that unfortunately they do not have access to facebook or their blog so they can not see your comments until they return. If you would like to contact them, however, they would gladly receive your emails at : Lisatich1817@aol.com. Thank you and here's their message:

Hello All! The last 4 days with Kaylee have been just wonderful... and so interesting. It will be difficult to condense them, but I will try. Gotcha Day, as you can imagine, was an incredible experience filled with so much emotion. First of all, the anticipation was killing us, then as we were filling out necessary paperwork, the nannies kept parading the children in and out of the waiting room, once bringing Kaylee right up to us, only to be chided by our guide and hustled back into their own waiting area, but once we'd had a glimpse of them, it was all we could do to concentrate on the task at hand. Kaylee appeared to be limping as she was tugged by the hand back and forth. Dave and I commented to each other something about that being the expected-unexpected detail left out of her record. We suspected there may be one, but it didn't matter to us. The details of our first meeting are already somewhat fuzzy (thank goodness Mattie recorded it) but we watched as the Fraziers received their 20 mo old Meili, and the next moment, we heard "Yung-zhe" and were motioned to come over for our introduction to Kaylee. I think I hugged her, not sure, but I remember bending down to her level and patting her on the back and asking the official to tell her that we think she is beautiful and are so happy to have her in our family. She looked at me and mumbled something in a soft, shy voice which I was told meant "Thank you mommy". I stayed down next to her, stroking her back as Dave and I asked questions of her nanny, about her schooling (rode a bus to school, 1st grade), schedule ( up between 6-7, nap 10-12, bed between 9-10), hobbies (likes dolls), friends ( I can't pronounce their names), everything we could think of until my knees hurt, then we moved to a nearby bench where I pulled her onto my lap. Though timid, she seemed to warm up to us right away. I remember Mattie and David talking to her, and then we pulled out pictures of Kelsey, Hannah, LIndsay, Daisy our dog, and our house to show her. The official translated for us and she seemed to understand and smiled shyly. Then we walked her over to where the other families were gathered and introduced her, as we watched them interact with their new children. (The baby Meili had stopped crying, 12 year old Dan Ni had started crying, as the realization of leaving home and friends forever swept over her.) Mattie showed her how to catch and pop the bubbles that Jing JIng was blowing and we played a little while Dave left the room to sign forms and pay tens of thousands of Yuan (RMB's), approx $5000, a gift to the orphanage who raised her, and another 450 Yuan as a reimbursement for her "Finding Ad", which they were required to run in the local paper for about 3 months after she was found. I have not been able to bring myself to look at it yet. When Dave returned and swept her up into his arms, then on his back for a piggy back ride and swung her all around the way only daddies do, she really opened up and giggled. Mattie presented her with a stuffed cat, Mommy gave her a pink purse and Daddy gave her a pink pearl & yellow gold pendant from the pearl factory in Beijing, with the Chinese character for "Happiness" on it .  When it was time to go we realized that she was no longer walking with a limp. Not sure if it was fear, reluctance, self esteem or ill fitting shoes, but it was gone! We gathered her and her suitcase: a small, white plastic bag which held a water bottle, teddy bear and disposable camera from our care package, and a small red memory album with the same photos we last received of her in the orphanage. Her little fingers clung to a small package of paper thin wafers, which she readily shared with us once we were on the bus. The ride back to the hotel was full of hugs and smiles, and when we got to our room, more giggles filled the air as Mattie taught her how to jump on the beds, and back and forth from one bed to the other. We gave her a small bead making kit and she and Mattie made bracelets and keychains to tie on their purses. She caught on so quiclkly, and then we gave her the suitcase of clothes we had brought for her and she was delighted, holding them up and wiggling back and forth. We were impressed at how neatly she folded and put back each piece, and lined up her new white tennis shoes under the side of the bed before she climbed up. She learned "thank you" very quickly and uses it often. We took her to McDonald's for dinner, then after pj's, teeth brushing and prayers (she had no concept of) collapsed early that night, as we were all emotionally and physically spent but so thankful for the incredible miracle we had just experienced and the answered prayer: attachment was not going to be an issue, Thank you Jesus.

Lisa's China Story Day 2

t has been a wondrous 5 days now since we got Kaylee and each day has revealed something new. Friday, Day 2, we were convinced that we had received the best and sweetest child in all of China. So obedient, so gentle, full of hugs, opening up to us like a flower blossoming. We had the joy of finalizing her adoption papers with 3 different officials who interviewed us and asked her questions we couldn't understand, but each time we were told that she said she loved both of us very much and wanted to be with us. Papers were stamped, money changed hands, and she became legally ours. We are astounded. The process would be over if we lived in China, however the US CDC requires that she receive a medical exam, eye exam, TB test and vaccinations, including influenza and pneumonia, which would have been optional at home. So she was given 2 shots in each arm, one in her right leg, and a TB test  just above the inside of her wrist. So difficult to hold her on my lap and hear her cry and protest for the very first time as these were administered, but she did just as she was told by the nurse, who explained to her they were necessary so she could go to the US with us. Afterward she cuddled up in Dave's arms and cried herself to sleep. When everyone was finished there, the group voted for American food, so our guide, Lee, took us to a restaurant called Lucy's. Kaylee was quiet, but much better by the time we arrived.  She opened her menu and pointed right to a picture of a very large steak w/several giant prawns(I mean with eyeballs!), "Surf & Turf" it said, and then looked up at me.I showed her several other choices, but she kept turning back to that page and emphatically pointing to the same picture. I'm thinking "Oh No", how can I tell this child "No" for the first time over food. We have received much training over food issues.  I actually considered letting her order it, but since it cost twice as much as everything else, and wasn't sure if it would be spoiling her right away or if she would really eat it, or if I could watch if she did... and there were other kids in our group to consider, we finally convinced her to go for a large platter of chicken tenders, fries and onion rings, which she devoured most of quite heartily. Back at the hotel, she and Mattie delighted in more bed jumping then spontaneously started playing hide and go seek, which turned into a 3 day ordeal. Now every time we return to the room she holds her hands in front of her face and begins counting, and Mattie groans because there are no places left to hide. Every nook and cranny was exhausted in the first 15 minutes.  But through it we really saw her personality emerge as she would put one hand on her hip and gesture for help getting in a drawer or my suitcase, and "SHHH" us with her finger, then giggle outrageously when she found Mattie or was found. And she has learned to count to ten and the words closet, potty, chair, curtain and suitcase. After several hours of bouncing off the walls, & taking bead bracelets apart and putting them back together, Dave took the girls to the hotel buffet for dinner and Mom crashed early. Sleep came easily for all and I thanked the Lord again for this incredible, miraculous journey.

Day 3 was free...no appointments, so after breakfast we went to a large city park across the street called Lia Hua, hoping to meet up with our group. It was all we had seen in movies and on TV. Elderly folks doing their routines with the grace and strength of 20 year old athletes. We watched one woman who must have been in her mid sixties slowly lunge to the ground on one side then the other in one continuous movement, then back up into her next one-legged pose, effortlessly as she whipped open her fan. (I think the secret of their thigh strength is the squatty potty!) Another group was working it to the 1980's Eddie Rabbit hit, "I love a Rainy night!"  We walked all the way around a lake full of swans and paddleboats, admiring strange foliage, parents with their child (always just one) and took lots of pictures on our way to the amusement area, where rides were about 10-15 US cents each. Normally this would have been lovely, but the humidity! I thought I knew humidity, I thought I had conquered humidity, I live in middle TN and grew up in the Southern Ohio Valley. I thought I had lived with humidity.  I was wrong. I have just encountered REAL humidity and may I say it is most unpleasant, esp with scarcely any Diet Coke to be found. Besides being a large metro city, Guangzhou is in the South, not far from the South China Sea and it is hot and very humid here! DId I say humid? Feels like the 4th of July at home. Anyway we enjoyed the rides but never found our group, and after about 4 hours of sticky fun, we made it back and dropped in the Dong Fang hotel next door for a couple Tsing Tao's (beer) and Sprite/Juice cocktails for the girls. Did a little shopping for traditional Chinese dresses, was served tiny cups of tea and bought some to bring home from a kind little lady in a tea shop, grabbed some more McDonald's then headed back to the room for more guess what? Hide and go seek! The interesting thing about Day 3 was how our sweet, compliant Kaylee gradually became both funnier and more demanding throughout the day as she grew more comfortable with us. We showed her how to take pictures and she refused to give the camera back, taking funny shots of Dave without his head, crooked shots, and extreme closeups of our faces, then bursting out with that hilarious high pitched giggle of hers. Let me tell you, she is definitely a Tichenor!  Dave entertained the kids the day before with his face melter app on his I touch, and so she wants to do that constantly or play the other games on there, which she has caught onto very quickly. After introducing her to the piggy back ride she is always begging to be on Daddy's back, and " one two three Whee " swinging her between us by the hand, when we walk anywhere. We are beginning to think we have a little pistol on our handsl! By bedtime there was definitely some attitude present... and now the real parenting begins!

Fwd: Days 4 & 5

I need to start this post by telling you how wonderful Mattie has been
throughout this whole process. She is loving being a big sister... so
sweet and patient with Kaylee. Playful, attentive, and understanding
when she doesn't get the desired response of affection or cooperation.
It has been a treasure watching them bond and they have their own way
of communicating and interacting. Being Mommy, I think I get about 5
times more hugs than everyone else, and sometimes Kaylee will give
Mattie that "Look who I've got" look when she's sitting on my lap.
Kaylee has learned quickly the power of withholding affection and being
pursued for hugs. After initially giving them to all of us readily, she
has started holding out on Dave & Mattie at times. I told Mattie I
remember Hannah grinning and snubbing Kelsey when they were little when
she tried to hug her, and told her to ignore her when she does that and
be a little more hard to get. Not to be chasing her around saying "Give
sissy a hug", and it has begun to work. Mattie quickly pointed out that
it's like when our little dog Daisy will not stop running when you
chase her no matter how loud you yell or how patient or angry you
get...it's as if you can see her smiling, "catch me if you can!" But if
you turn around and start running in the opposite direction away from
her, she will turn around and follow at break-neck speed. What is this
about human and dog nature?

Day 4 brought the first real meltdown...the shots were nothing in
comparison. Since we had some free time in the AM before our afternoon
apptmt to have her TB test read, I decided to run next door and pick up
some Chinese dresses we had found the day before, and I wanted to do it
quickly by myself. But at the last minute Mattie said she really wanted
to go, so I agreed. I looked forward to having a little alone time with
her and Dave would keep Kaylee and spend some time playing with her and
figuring out this flipside of her attitude, which really was minor all
things considered. She had still been mostly affectionate and obedient
throughout. So we said Bye Bye and headed out the door, but before we
even got on the elevator we could hear her panicky crying and whining,
and Dave in a calm voice trying to soothe her. Apparently, she would
not be consoled. The crying quickly escalated into a fullblown tantrum,
which Dave described as hyperventilation to the edge of barfing, so
after cleaning up all the tears & mucous off of the both of them and
their clothes, he brought her to meet us in the shop. He said that by
the way she behaved, she probably thought we had left her for good, and
we had probably just broken every adoption rule in the book. I embraced
her and told her "Mommy will always come back". Then I kissed her
cheek and she kissed mine, which is another story because we don't
think she had ever been kissed before or even knew what a kiss was.
After we first started kissing her cheek, she would "air kiss" with her
head down. Then I put her little face to my cheek so she could kiss me.
Then Dave, Mattie and I all kissed each other to show her and she
giggled. Now she will randomly kiss us, but also, if she sees something
she likes or wants, she will point to it and "air kiss" Once we found
the vendor with the dresses, she spied some cute, red plastic child's
sunglasses and began "air kissing" as she pointed to them. Whether it
was spoiling her or not, we just could not say no, and she has been
wearing them around ever since, mostly on top of her head like Mommy.
We bought the dresses and the sales girl gave Kaylee a second pink
purse, so now she carries both around. We picked up a few
Chinese/English children's books and returned to the group for our trip
back to the clinic. Fortunately it was brief and uneventful as our
guide explained "no more shots". We had a little time before our
passport apptmt, so our guide had the bus driver drop us off at a
grocery store. What an experience! Dozens of sales girls in uniforms
everywhere, holding and hawking products just like a live TV
commercial from the 1960's, only much louder. Madge with her Palmolive
dishwashing liquid which also softens the hands. Whatever happened to
Madge? I think she moved here to work in her retirement. We rode with
our shopping cart down multiple levels on flat escalators like in the
airport, only they moved up and down instead of horizontally, all along
the sides of which were products for sale, so one can miss no
opportunity to shop while changing floors. After filling our cart with
snacks, batteries, & other necessities, including 2 liters of Coke
Zero, we checked out. The whopping total was about $17 US dollars. Then
it was off to the Passport office to apply for Kaylee's Chinese
Passport. (Once home, we will reapply for a US passport with her new
name.) We returned to the hotel to submit our week's worth of dirty
laundry,then spent the rest of the afternoon/evening exploring Shamian
Island, The White Swan Hotel, a Thai Restaurant, and dessert at a
Starbucks. This is when Kaylee really started to open up to the group
and interact with the other kids. I would no longer characterize her as
"shy". She giggled and played, ran around the hotel, posed for pictures
with her signature peace sign, shared her gum, and held hands with the
other girls, who gave each other piggy back rides all through
Starbucks. Yes, we got a few downward looks at our boisterous American
children, but they had a blast and it was an important time of bonding
for Kaylee, so we just let them go! Day 4 seemed to bring us full
circle!

To be contd...

To be contd...I have to send this before I lose it!