"Finally A Family" Recap.

On tonight's mid-season finale episode of The Little Couple...

• It's day 2 of parenthood for Bill and Jen, and the family of 3 is off to Guangzhou, where the American Consulate is (where they must go to get a Visa for Will so he can come home to Texas!)
• Before leaving Hohhot, they get Will's passport from Sandra, their adoption "guide" in Hohhot. The flight to Guangzhou will be Will's first flight ever!
• Growing up, Jen has a "flying lion", a stuffed animal from her dad that provided her comfort throughout her many surgeries. They continued this little tradition by getting Will his own "flying lion", which they sent to him as the one toy allowed as a part of his care package during the adoption process. He and Jen played with it on the plane, and as it turns out, Will is great flyer (even better than Jen, according to Bill!) 
• In Guangzhou, Will is required to get a medical exam. Although Jen is a pediatrician  Bill advises her to take it easy on doing examinations of her own, because neither of them want to bring up problems that could potentially delay their going home.
• Part of the medical examination process includes getting a blood sample to test for tuberculosis. Will cries and cries, (especially since little people are generally harder to draw blood from, so they had to do it through his foot) but Bill is able to console him.
• Next, Will's measurements are taken--he comes in at 32 pounds and 29 inches! Everything else checks out, and the doctor clears Will to travel!
• While waiting for the Visa to be processed, Jen and Bill take Will out and go to the park--which is more like a mini-amusement park! They decided on the train as the first ride...but it doesn't work out, as Will is too short/small to ride.
• They are able to have some fun playing the magnetic fishing game, and then Bill is able to take Will on his first actual ride./
• They stop to purchase some water, and Bill is able to break out his few words of Chinese.
• They finally find a ride that they can all go on together--a flying bee ride!
• After the rides, they go on a little walk and decide to chill out at the park, but Will starts to get cranky-antsy, so it's short-lived.
• Will wobbles because of his proportions (big head & small body), so Jen isn't quite comfortable with letting him run around on his own yet, so she follows him. He is very loving and wants to give lots of kisses to both of his parents!
• Before leaving the hotel and heading to the airport to go home, Bill goes out and picks up some good old fashioned American food--McDonald's! He likes it, so they figure he'll fit in just fine in America.
• Their last day in China also happens to be Jen's birthday! Bill tells her she can go shopping if she'd like, and of course she jumps at the chance and heads out while Will naps! 
• Jen goes to a dress store and tries on some traditional Chinese dresses-- after trying on a few ,she finds one that fits perfectly and purchases it. While she's there, she is also able to find a smaller dress in a similar pattern for Zoey (who they are in the process of adopting from India), which she's excited about because she wants her kids to understand each other's cultures! 
• For their last night in China, Jen wears her new dress and they go on a boat cruise. Bill surprises Jen with a jade necklace, which she absolutely loves!  The city is lit up and gorgeous during the night, and they all enjoy spending quality time together and checking it all out. 
• Reflecting on their adoption journey, Bill and Jen concluded that Will is the perfect match for them. They couldn't be happier, and they're very excited for what's to come in the future!

What did you think of Bill and Jen's adventures in China? Tune in later this summer for more new episodes of The Little Couple to see how all 3 of them adjust to life back home in Texas! 

"Best Day Yet" Recap!

On this episode of The Little Couple...

• It's THE day! Bill and Jen are about to meet Will for the very first time!
• The waiting is finally brought to an end as Will is finally brought out! Bill and Jen greet him and begin to play with him.
• As the playing goes on, he seems to get more upset and restless, leaning towards his care taker for comfort. Jen is upset that he's upset & worries that Will won't love and accept them.
• As everyone else began to leave, however,thing started to go a little more smoothly.
• At the hotel room, they're all able to relax a bit. The toy train is a big hit, and they're both able to laugh and connect with Will some more!
• Later on, they decided to take Will out and go on a guided tour of the city with Sandra, their adoption guide, who wears a traditional Mongolian outfit. It's very important for them to get to know Will's culture!
• Sandra gifts Will with a traditional outfit in blue and gold (all children being adopted receive one as a token to remember their culture). Sandra also has a few extra outfits for tourists, so Bill and Jen get dressed up and they all take a family photo.
• The hotel has 2 exotic cars on display, so they go check them out. Will loves them, much to car-loving Bill's happiness!
• Will seems to be pretty content, so they decide to head to the hotel restaurant for dinner. The restaurant features a lot of traditional foods, and they discover that Will has a huge appetite! They were there for an hour, and he was devouring food the whole time.
• Will is still a little wound-up at bedtime, but they get him in bed and they're able to lay in bed together and read a book, having some quality bonding time to end the eventful day.
• Jen is thrilled and feels so lucky to finally have a son, something she never knew if she would be able to have.

"William, Here We Come!" Recap

On tonight's episode of The Little Couple...

• It's 4:30am, and Bill and Jen are up and off to the airport! They're leaving Houston & heading to Beijing, China, to pick up Will!
• At their hotel in Beijing, they meet with Amy, who works with their adoption agency and will be helping them throughout the process.
• Before meeting Will, Bill and Jen are encouraged to get to know the Chinese culture, so they head out sight-seeing! They check out Tiananmen Square first.
• Bill mentions that he is hungry, so they head to Snack Street, which isn't quite what they were expecting--things like fried bugs, seahorses, and starfish! Bill ends up eating a starfish--Jen likes starfish and prefers not to eat them, but she does try (and enjoy!) bubble tea. 
• Next, they head to the Great Wall. It hits them that they are looking over the wall at Inner Mongolia, which is where Will was born!
• They finally head to Hohhot, where Will is, and check out the local malls. They pick up a lightweight stroller to use while in China. They also pick up some toy cars for Will!
• That night, they head to their hotel and get things set-up to make Will feel welcome.
• It's officially "Gotcha Day" (the day Bill and Jen pick up Will for good!). 
• They head to the lobby, and anxiously wait for Will to be brought to them... 

Tune in for next week's episode to see Bill and Jen actually meet Will!

"Countdown to China" & "Road to Parenthood" Recap

On tonight's episodes of The Little Couple...

"Countdownto China".

• Bill & Jen are 3 short days away from heading to pick up Will! They will be visiting 3 locations in China: Bejing, Hohhot, and Guangzhou. 
• Jen gets an email with some picture of Will when he saw the pictures Bill & Jen sent of themselves and the house. He seems excited!
• Over at the hospital, they must get vaccinations to travel to China--4 shots in total. Bill is very anxious, not being a fan of needles, but they both survive! 
• Rocky and Maggie's recently added grooming to their services, so Bill takes the dogs (Rock and Maggie themselves!) in for grooming.
• When picking up a child from an orphanage in China, you're expected to put them in clothes that you have brought along--the clothes the child was wearing are taken off and saved for other children in the orphanage!
• Knowing this, Jen is excited to head out shopping for Will (and also Bill)! She is thrilled to stock up on stylish clothes for her little 3 year old, and she buys Bill a few different pajama options (including a pair of  "grandpa pajamas", as Bill called them!)
• For whatever reason, Maggie isn't a fan of children and has some aggression towards them. With a new baby coming home shortly, this is obviously an issue--so they take Maggie to a trainer to figure out what the problem is.
• The trainer says the Maggie is overreacting to a stimulus. She then does some exercises with her to combat the problem. It seems to go well!
• The night before they leave for China, they get a package from Jen's mom with some gifts for Will, who turned 3 just a few days before the trip.
• Jen bought matching blue tennis shoes with red laces for the whole family! Bill, however, isn't too sure about them.

"Road to Parenthood"

This episode is a catch-up/recap reflecting on Bill and Jen's journey to parenthood.

• Bill and Jen were married almost 5 years ago. 4 years ago, they thought that they might have a child biologically, but ultimately decided, after meeting with an OB/GYN specialist, it may not be the safest (especially considering Jen has what is known as Restrictive Lung Disease).
• Next, Bill and Jen decided to look into surrogacy. In order to use Jen's eggs, they knew they would need to get going with the process quickly. They went through a tough process just trying to retrieve an egg, but were finally successful. Next, they met their surrogate, Cindy, and transferred Jen's egg into her. After a long 10 day wait, Cindy was pregnant! However, 6 weeks later, Cindy unfortunately miscarried the baby.
• During the surrogacy process, Bill and Jen built their dream home: a huge, customized home perfect for them and the children they anticipated having in the near future!
• After the first miscarriage, they gave it a try again and implanted another egg into Cindy. However, this time is was not successful--a pregnancy didn't happen. Bill and Jen were understandably depressed at this door essentially closing, but shortly thereafter, they found Rainbow Kids and got on the adoption train.
• Bill and Jen are very excited about the road they've ended up on, and can't wait to be a complete family of 4 with both Will & Zoey!

"An Adoption Twist" & "Baby Proofing" Recap

On tonight's episodes of The Little Couple...

"An Adoption Twist".

• Bill & Jen are just weeks away from going to pick up Will from China, but first things first--they have to baby-proof their home! As little people, they like to keep things low and accessible to themselves, but that means things are also accessible to children--not such a good thing.
• Their baby-proofing steps include cabinet locks, foam padding around the coffee table, and adding padded tiles to part of the media room floor. 
• Next, Bill and Jen head out stroller shopping. They need to find a stroller that's easy to push, fold up, and one that they can both see over safely. 
• Work never stops for Jen! She has a busy night in the delivery room, delivering 3 healthy and big babies. 
• Bill's pet shop, Rocky And Maggie's, is as busy as ever! On this particular day, they are hosting a Great Dane Rescue. Although they're very big, Bill knows has no doubt of how friendly they are. 
• While at the pet shop, Bill gets a message from Jen, saying she has some new about adoption.
• As it turns out, Jen got an email from Little People America that there is an 8-month old baby girl available for adoption in India! They make the decision to go ahead and pursue her adoption. As Bill says, "One thing Jennifer and I love is a challenge, and I think we've found it!".

"Baby Proofing".

• It's close! Bill and Jen are just a few short weeks away from picking up Will in China. Bill puts it in his terms, saying, "If it was football, we'd be in the final 20 yards!"
• With the addition of 2 kids in the near future, Jen decides it may be good for them to look at getting a mini-van, Bill is less than thrilled, however, because he doesn't want to give up his convertible! 
• With a sack of potatoes in tow to simulate baby Will, they head to a car lot and take a mini-van out for a test drive! However, Bill still stands his ground, saying he'll never buy a mini-van, ever!
• Bill and Jen meet with a doctor at Texas Children's Hospital (Jen's workplace) to have a consultation  about adopting internationally. She gives them some information about Will & Zoey's statistics and their types of dwarfism.
• Jen heads off to a medical conference, and back at home, a professional baby-proofing company comes to the house. The couple makes the decision to install gates and block off the entire kitchen, so that things will still be accessible for them, but their kids will be safe. 
• Bill gets to work painting Zoey's room! It's not as fun as he remembered it to be, and he gets the job half way done, but ultimately decides to hire painters to finish the job.
• Jen arrives home, and Bill give her the tour of all the new baby-proofing and Zoey's bedroom. She is thrilled with everything, and now both rooms are officially ready!

"The Golden Son" & "And His Name Is..." Recap.

Tonight was the season premiere of The Little Couple! The show kicked things off with a bang--Bill & Jen are adopting! Here is a recap of the first episode aired tonight, "The Golden Sun":

• Bill and Jen meet with Martha, founder of Rainbow Kids, an international adoption agency for children with special needs. She shows them pictures of Ben, a little boy of about 2 years old (now 3) from China with dwarfism. It's love at first sight for Jen! 
• Martha explains to them that if they fill out some forms and go through the proper motions, they can put Ben on hold as soon as next week. They waste no time, calling the adoption agency the next morning.
• Tina, from the adoption agency, calls with news that they have secured Ben's file so that no one else can adopt him.
• At work in the NICU, there is a code red when a baby's feeding tube comes out. Luckily, Jen is able to avert the crisis and get thing sunder control.
• Bill & Jen head to St. Louis to meet with Tina and discuss the adoption in person.
• Tina informs them that Ben's traditional Chinese name ("Ben" is just a nickname given for privacy reasons during the adoption process), pronounced REE-GEN, is translated to mean "Golden Sun".
• Tina shows them a few videos: one of Ben walking, one of Ben using sign language  and one of Ben being a little sneaky and steal a cookie off his neighbors plate!
• After their meeting, Bill & Jen go out for some lunch and try to process everything that's going on!

"And His Name Is...".

• Since Ben is from China, Bill and Jen decide to try and learn some Mandarin Chinese, in order to be able to communicate with him.
• Jen's parents are coming over for dinner, and Bill decides to cook traditional Chinese fair--dumplings, to be exact! Jen's parents also bring some takeout to go along with Bill's cooking.
• In Bill's family, the name William is a family tradition. Bill state's that he would like to name Ben that, and although Jen has some other ideas, such as Owen, she too likes William (as long as he has a nickname other than Bill--that would be too confusing, she says!)
• The adoption agency encourages Bill and Jen to send Ben a care package, with pictures of his new parents, his house, etc. In order to do that, they first have to pick out a bedroom for Ben! They ultimately decide on Jen's office (she moves her things and begins sharing an office with Bill).
• After 2 years of trying, Jen receives the sad news from their surrogacy doctor that her body has hit the end of the road, and she won't be able to do any more egg retrievals. With the door to surrogacy closed, they grieve a bit, but set their minds on the exciting adoption.
• It's time to lay out and set-up Ben's bedroom! The room transforms from Jen's office to a bedroom complete with bunk beds in about an hour.
• To couple come to a wall with decorating--Bill wants to put up a Giant's football blanket on his bed, but Jen rationalizes that he's only a toddler, and he'll have plenty of room for football decor when he's 13.
• Jen comes up with a much more versatile theme for the bedroom, focusing on nautical & sea creatures! The final look is very "boyish & preppy", in Jen's words.
• Bill's point of view differs a bit...in his words, "By the time she was done, it looked like a fish tank housing 200 fish."
• Jen gathers some scrapbooking supplies to give her photo album a unique touch.They finish it off with a heartfelt letter to their future son.
• It's official! The couple decide on a name for Ben--William, keeping with the tradition in Bill's family.

What did you think of the season premiere episodes? Don't forget to tune in next week...Bill & Jen are off to China!