Day 12 - Conclusion at the Consulate

Our day started off in the usual manner - wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

We had an earlier than usual start time meeting up with our group at 8:50 am to head to the consulate appointment. There's a lack of pictures attached to this blog entry due to picture taking not being permitted. We arrived early for our 10 am appointment, took our group oath, one last signature to complete our paperwork and now it's officially official. Our baby is ours! We then made a brief stop at the city center in downtown Guangzhou to admire some new architecture and the stadium that was used in the 2010 Asia Games. It was a bit overcast and hazy today so the pictures aren't the best, but we attached a few including a group picture. We arrived back at the hotel by noonish and spent the rest of the day unwinding and enjoying a relaxing afternoon before our trip to Hong Kong tomorrow. The best picture of the day has to be Mei Lin sleeping with daddy for a mid-day snooze while mommy and Marci enjoyed a foot massage at the spa!

If all goes according to plan, which we've learned it usually doesn't, we may be able to blog one more time. If not, we look forward to seeing all who can make it to Dulles at 3:30 pm on Thursday! Please pray for a smooth bus ride to Hong Kong and for Mei Lin (and her parents) to do well on the long plane ride. Please also pray we make our connection in Tokyo - we have one hour between flights. Thanks!

Day 11 - A Three Hour (Shopping) Tour

Hmmm...how should we start off today?  Hey, I hear there's a pretty good breakfast buffet at this hotel...

After breakfast we met our group around 10-ish, since we're always fashionably on time, and we headed back to Shamian Island for our official shopping day.  We went to a couple of new shops and actually kept our word and went back to shops that we had promised "we'll be back tomorrow."   One shop in particular had a lot of items for sale that had Bible verses on them.  The shop owner, Jenny, noticed us taking particular interest in those and said that she was a believer.  She said that her husband has known Jesus for 12 years and she has for 8 years.  It was amazing to have someone speak so freely about their faith in this culture.  We really liked Jenny and her husband and found ourselves not wanting to bargain with them!  After shopping at Jenny's we stopped for a quick cracker break (not Cracker Barrel, unfortunately) for Mei Lin.

Time flew by and before we knew it it was back on the bus at 1:30 pm to head back to the hotel.  As we were waiting on the bus for the rest of the group to arrive, we were reflecting on how they tend to rush you while eating at a restaurant but won't let you leave their store.  Restaurant - You been here 3 hour...you go now.  Store - You only been here 3 hour - you no go now.  We compared notes on the bus with the rest of the group...what'd you get?  Then it was back to the hotel for lunch and the rest of the afternoon to ourselves.  We took Mei Lin to the onsite park at the hotel - on the 4th floor - of all places.  She especially enjoyed the swingset.  Note to self: Find park close to home!  When playtime was over it was time for another quick nap for all before dinner.

As we checked out the different styles of the restaurants at the hotel we decided to go for something a little more adventurous and authentic.  Chinese food.  Once again as the "westerners" entered the restaurant the staff switched out the Chinese menus for the English versions; however, they failed to switch out the chopsticks for forks and knives.  Ginger would be very proud of us for eating an entire meal with chopsticks.  Now we know why they have sticky rice - so it sticks to your chopsticks and helps bind the other foods together!  After managing our way through the meal, it was back to the room for a bottle before bedtime (milk for Mei Lin and something a little stronger for Daddy!)  Mommy is very glad that Mei Lin likes to be rocked and sung to sleep.  Good night to all and to all a good night.

Day 10 - The Island of Misfit Toys (Souvenirs & Such)

We're sure you're tired of hearing about the breakfast buffet by now, but... yum!

We met up with the rest of our group around 10 am for a trip to the Chen Family Folk Art Museum. We're feeling extra special because not only do we have a guide but we have a guide-in-training to accompany us. The museum was beautiful and full of pictures that are embroidered so well they look like paintings, detailed ivory carvings and pretty gardens. We never grow tired of the intricate details in the architecture. To the Chinese culture, this was a fairly new museum being only a couple hundred years old. We are thankful we haven't seen a drop of rain in this tropical climate that is well know for it this time of year.

We're sure you're tired of hearing about our lavish hotel accommodations by now, but...

Upon returning from our museum trip we rested and relaxed right through lunch. At 3 pm we met up with a few of the families we're traveling with for a premier of our shopping on Shamien Island. During our excursion through various shops on the island, we enjoyed the interest the locals took in Mei Lin and how they asked questions about her. One woman in particular, Sherry from Sherry's Place for those of you who've been here, was very friendly and enjoyed talking and playing with Mei Lin. She told us she was a big baby and asked where she was from. When we answered Nanning she shook her head emphatically and said "yes, big babies in Nanning!" Mei Lin is living up to her referral comments that she is a "fat baby with big eyes!" Those are the comments we're hearing from everyone in addition to people commenting about her beautiful smile. When food isn't near by, she finds a few of her digits to gnaw on. We visited a few more shops promising everyone "we'll be back". It's a little high pressure but they will make deals if they see you're about to leave. Tomorrow is our "official" shopping day and/or tour of Shamien Island, but we were anxious to get a head start. We still find it hard to believe that a taxi ride is only a few dollars here and there. The stroller rental is more expensive. We finished up with dinner at one of the local establishments with some families from our group. We returned to the the hotel for a little R&R (rest & relaxation)... put the little bundle to bed and let the blogging begin once again.

I can't believe Breakfast is only a few short hours away!! We're on the 13th floor and food is on the 2nd. Perhaps we should ask for a closer room?? Enough of the thinking with our stomachs... catch up with ya'll later.

Day 9 - What's Up Doc?

As a PS to yesterday's blog, our flight from Nanning to Guangzhou was delayed and so was our patience!  Luckily the flight was only an hour so Mei Lin's initial ride in an airplane went smoother than we expected.

A new town, a new hotel and a fresh start. Back to "civilization."  We love our new hotel and you'll see why with future pics. The modern amenities here are beyond compare including a variety of restaurants, stores, shops, spa treatments and even the elevator knows what floor you're going to with the wave of your room key.  How many "Oh's" can you put in OMG?!  And we thought the breakfast buffet in Beijing was off da hook! The only thing on our schedule for today was the medical exam for Mei Lin's consulate paperwork.  She passed with flying colors and had not even a hint of a sniffle.  She weighed in at a whopping 24 lbs...perhaps we should watch ourselves at these buffets...and we're not just talking about Mei Lin!

After the medical exam we did a little shopping at a local department store which included clothes and food.  Their idea of a department store is groceries on the 4th floor and kids stuff on the 7th floor so it was quite the shopping experience.  Not that we mind a little bit of shopping from time to time... It was then back on the bus and back to the hotel for another lunch trip to McDonalds and a nap to follow for all of us.  We met back up with our guide at 3:30 to fill out paperwork needed for the consulate and to make our final adoption payments.

We took a short break to further enjoy our hotel room and then met back up with the rest of our adoption party around 5:30 to visit the Japanese steak house in the hotel.  Food for thought (no pun intended) we found it amusing eating at a Japanese steak house in China!  They took their cooking a little more seriously than the Japanese steak houses in America - their chefs didn't do any interactive cooking with the customers  ie rice volcanoes, tossing shrimp or throwing knives in the air.  After dinner we came back to our room to let Mei Lin enjoy some of the creature comforts as well, by taking another bath and having the joy of splashing mommy...again.  Did we tell you how much we enjoy our hotel room yet...cuz that's where we're headed after this blog entry...zzzzzzzzz.

Day 8 - A Day at the People's Park

Our day started with... can you guess?? That's right, breakfast at the hotel. An answer to prayer consisted of not just one, but TWO poopy diapers. No more prayers for that please. We met our guide back in the room to pick-up some more paperwork and our laundry service was right on time as well. Now we are all set to pack up for our flight to Guangzhou later on this evening (7pm). We then set out on foot (and stroller) to the nearby People's Park. What we thought would be a nice little nature park with maybe a swing set, a slide, and a few picnic tables turned out to be a huge nature park which included a lake (with paddle boats), walking paths, carnival rides and games, and several refreshment stands. Mei Lin enjoyed her first carousel ride (giddy up horsey). We then enjoyed a local tradition of feeding the coy fish. Let them splash you for good luck (a when in Rome experience). After finishing our lap around the lake and taking in the sights, it was back to the hotel for a room service lunch. A quick nap for "little fussy" and Mei Lin and then it was time to pack up. Hurry, the bellboy will be here at 3. A quick download of pics and a blog entry... Now its time to Pac da Mac! We'll check in with ya'll later... Hope the internet is better in Guangzhou; especially for Skype!

Day 7 - Lions & Tigers & Bears, Oh My!

Day 7 started with a larger crowd at breakfast due to a convention going on at the hotel which meant several more awkward stares and a lot more distraction for Mei Lin.  We also found out that she doesn't like greens, at least the ones we tried to give her had a quick trip to the floor beside her highchair! After breakfast, we went back to the room to top off our supplies in the diaper bag and met up with our guide for a 10am departure to the zoo. Upon arrival at the zoo, we stopped for a few photo opportunities on our way to the bear show. We were surprised that the bear show actually included lions and tigers, as well.  Mei Lin seemed to enjoy venturing out and looking at all the sights and sounds of the zoo.  She especially loved her blue blow-up elephant which Mommy and Daddy just *had* to buy for her.  We're scared to imagine our first Disney with all the souvenirs they have to offer - we may need another suitcase for the trip home! After the bear show we made our way to the aquatic side of the zoo for the dolphin show.  Mei Lin was more interested in the cheerios than the dolphins but we enjoyed it.  It wasn't Seaworld but for a zoo, in Nanning, China, it was pretty good.  Mental note...for long outdoor excursions, a stroller is recommended when toting a 25 pound load!  Another small bit of advice would be to use the bathroom before you go as the zoo only had one-star toilets...! Now that we have the addition to our family, we scheduled an additional laundry service before departing to Guangzhou tomorrow. The rest of our evening plans consist of receiving paperwork from our guide, trying out the local pizza hut and getting to bed early for a big day tomorrow.

Day 6 - Hotel Homebodies

Our day started more relaxing with another casual breakfast at the Hotel buffet.  The staff here is starting to recognize us more and even seems like they are anticipating our arrival.  The buffet was more enjoyable with the discovery of chocolate croissants.  Even Mei Lin enjoyed a little more variety with bananas and Mandarin oranges added to her diet.  A little less mess and a few more smiles from the Hotel staff and we were done.  Back to the room for Skyping with family.  We all seemed to be at a loss for words and video at times.  We met our guide for Walmart trip part deux.  Mei Lin enjoyed her second time in a Walmart cart . . . she enjoyed it so much she took a little power nap in route around the isles.  We picked up a few items for ourselves as well as some outfits to donate to her orphanage.  After Walmart it was back to the hotel for another round of naps for daddy & Mei Lin while Marci & Monica chit-chatted about the days events and world affairs. They were a lil' surprised to see us back so soon at the hotel restaurant for lunch. Its amazing how inexpensive food is here. We then went on a sight seeing excursion around the hotel grounds, shops, and such. It seems like we had just eaten but our biological clocks were going off again around 6ish. We decided to give the hotel dining room a break and ordered room service. We pumped Mei Lin with some rice cereal, warm milk, Prunes, and some ham from the Hawaiian Pizza hoping to get her bows moving. We're on bow movement watch day 2. A little gassy seems to be an encouraging sign. Hey - ya'll said you wanted a play by play......insert TMI here?? It's a bit hard filling a blog with what seemed to be our first uneventful day. Tomorrow's highlight is a trip to the zoo. Tune in tomorrow.........catch up with ya' later.

Day 5 - It's Official (in China's Eyes)!!

First breakfast with Mei Lin - what a mess! It didn't take her long to develop a new nickname - messy Mei Lin!  But we've been told that hired help prefer messy children to loud ones - we'll take a messy one any day! It was also our first breakfast at the provincial hotel and it's noticeably not as westernized a buffet as the previous hotel. Thankfully, they did cater to our needs as far as bacon and eggs are concerned, but as we soon discovered, feeding a child lessened our appetite - caring for her needs outweighed our needs.  In other words, the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many.  Sorry to contradict you, Spock, but I think you had it wrong! We foresee and look forward to a little bit of weight loss this week...

After accident clean up, it was on to the Civil Affairs Office to finalize the paperwork on the Chinese end. A handful of signatures, a few thumbprints and one footprint and she was ours! A brief trip to the notary's office for a couple signatures and a question and answer session meant the last of the i's were dotted and the t's were crossed and we were out of there. Back to the hotel and a round of naps for everybody!

After catching our second wind we hailed a taxi and made a trip to Walmart and McDonalds for a few necessities.  We have fulfilled our primary objective in coming to China by taking Mei Lin to experience her first trip to Ronald's House of Beef!   We took our parental obligation seriously. Upon stepping into McDonalds, the staff immediately reached for the picture menu to assist in bridging the language barrier.  If you thought Australia has a Great Barrier, try coming to China sometime!

We expect to have a little downtime for rest and relaxtion the next few days.

Day 4 - Gotcha Day!

Our day started at 5:30 am at the local bed and breakfast...no wait...we only had bread for breakfast!  Caught our 7:20 flight to Nanning and arrived a few short hours later.  Met up with our new local guide, Mary.  Checked into the hotel and began the waiting game.  I don't recommend playing if you ever get a chance!  Then we unpacked and got settled into our cozy adjoining rooms...how convenient...for Mei Lin and Monica at least!!  Met back up with our guide at 3:30 to go get our daughter.  Traveled to a different hotel and met up with another adoptive family who was waiting for their child as well. We compared notes and pictures with the other while we were waiting because the civil affairs official was running a tad late.  As anxious as we were, we would all  jump when we heard footsteps in the hall to see if they were coming with our child.  And finally the moment arrived and so did the entourage of caregivers and information.

Mei Lin was on a rocking horse in the room, happy with her caregiver, when we arrived.  She has longer hair than we expected and it's a little curly in the back. She has several teeth and a great smile!  We learned, to our excitement, that she had been in foster care for the past 9-10 months and had a foster mother and father, as well as a 5 year old foster brother.  She can sit up, grab food, put it in her mouth.  She can bang objects quite well.  She is anxious to stand up, likes pulling up with help and we predict she will be walking in no time at all.  She also enjoyed all the toys we brought for her to play with.  We had an opportunity to ask the orphanage worker several questions about Mei Lin as it pertained to her sleeping habits, eating habits, and all around, general welfare condition.  So after having several moments of playful interaction and questions answered, we left the hotel with Mei Lin in our arms!

We came back to the hotel for a little more paperwork and settled back in our room(s). We played with her for awhile on the floor with some of her new toys.  As the excitement wore down so did she.  So we put her in a new set of pj's and then she fell asleep in Monica's arms!

It's been a great day.  Thanks for your prayers.  We're getting the comments and are greatly enjoying them.  God has been good.  And to all a good night - including us, fingers crossed!

Day 3 - Great Wall, Small Blog Entry

We will be writing a bigger blog entry about Day 3 while we're on the plane tomorrow. We have to get up very early to catch our flight.  We went to church and the Great Wall. Here are some pics.

Day 2 - Sightseeing and Shopping

Rise and shine - it's breakfast buffet time.  Started our day with a delicious buffet.  Met our guide and rest of our entourage at 8:30 to begin Tour Time.  Our tour began at Tienanmen Square and then onto the Forbidden City.  With the amount of walking required - I would just as soon prefer the Forbidden City Stay Forbidden.  But the architecture and history were amazing! A culture of dynasties compared to decades is overwhelming. Our tour guide was a wealth of information before during and after each visit including teaching us some important Chinese phrases to help us get by.  We also learned that a star-rated bathroom is as important as a star-rated hotel (maximum stars = western toilet!!)   Our final tour spot of the day was the Summer Palace.  Upon completion of the sightseeing...let the shopping begin.  Our first port of call was the pearl shop.  There was a brief tutorial regarding the making of, harvesting of, types of and price ranges of the pearl, including the differences between the real and fake.  Our next destination was the silk shop.  See above...just insert silk instead of pearl.  After getting suckered into our pearl and silk purchases, we made a brief visit to an authentic tea room.  Our final activity of the day consisted of a Peking Duck Dinner.  Ginger would be very proud of us for trying the duck!  Our day finished up around 6:00 so we can chillax in the hotel before tackling the Great Wall tomorrow.

Day 1 - Fly, Fly & More Flying

Need I say more? Enjoyed upgraded seats, food...not so much.  Arrived in Beijing around 2:30 pm.  Checked into hotel - very nice accommodations.  Went to Carrefour (Chinese Walmart) to stock up on bottle water. The experience was about the same as our regular Walmart - you see all kinds.  We encountered the Chinese version of the typical Walmart shopper.  Back to the hotel - crash and burn ie down for the count, ie went to bed.