Crazy day...

We arrived in Guangzhou last night , after a very long day!   We had to hang around first until 2 for our driver, he first brought us to the Notary office, where we had to painstakingly go  over every WORD of the documents they gave us.. ONE mistake and we'd have to travel back to Wuhan (yuck!) to fix them.  We found them happily in perfect order, then next back to the Adoption Center (aka registration dept) for her passport.  The OFFICE was locked!! We could see our papers, but NO worker, after 10 or so minutes of panic (which in that state feels like 100 hours), we found a woman who opened it, gave us a cool Adoption Certificate (like when you get a new cabbage patch), a document thanking us for the Orphanage donation (Kevin is going to put that up on our website when we get home and can scan it -- it really belongs not just to us, but all of those who generously supported us making that donation!!), and her passport.  I was busy trying to keep an eye on her, because there were toys there, and riding toys to boot that she REALLY likes!!  Kevin and the guide took everything, we weren't asked to check papers over, just accept them... ANOTHER LESSON learned in the land of Adoption... unfortunately after in Guangzhou we discovered that her Passport has the wrong birthdate, the transposed 10 to 01...

YEAH NOT good!!  I brough it toour guides attention immediately this morning, and are just praying it will be back fixed from Wuhan before we leave on Friday!!  Here again is where we feel God has already laid the perfect plan for us... as some of you know, we have to stay 2 1/2 days LONGER than most adoption trips due to the Veterans day holiday.  This is a huge blessing , because that gives us the extra days to get this problem fixed and STILL GET us out of the country with the rest of our group!  Though they have threatened NOT TO board without us :)))   Our guide seems a wreck about it, but I am confident that its a minor issue, and that they will have it fixed quickly.  The most important thing is its not a document that requires TRAVEL back to that Smog-forsaken place to get a new one!! YEAH!!

Oh DID I mention that after running around the city, this time at least in a van (a bit more secure than teeeny tiny taxis), we were shuttled to the airport at 4:30 for a 8:30 flight!!  We could have stopped to grab a pizza if we wanted... um the last pizza menu I saw had prawns on it and another eel.. so um we passed!!   We inquired about an earlier flight, and were told there was room but that they couldnt do anything, we'd have to take care of it when we arrived at the airport, by time we got there no seats were left. Soooo , we buckled down for a LONG wait!!  Again, God's plans are perfect, we were meant to stay, because the time gave kevin and I an opportunity to share our experience so far, to discuss our feelings good, bad and otherwise about our new roles , our new daughter, and our plans for helping her transition in a positive , yet unspoiled way :)))   We had made the mistake that morning of offering a decade of the rosary for patience  -- you pray for it, seems you are always given an opportunity to practice it !!   Faith was good, very overwhelmed by the airport, the people, clung to daddy, very hard on him, poor guy was exhausted but I was glad to see her comforted.

We arrived at 10:00 p.m. ,  and were JAMMED INTO A bus... a stinky, people filled bus from the tarmac to the terminal (another FUN experience, but again God is merciful and provided us a seat for the journey).  Happily our LUGGAGE was there, huge fear we have at every bag carousel !!   We met our guide right away, with relief we'd soon be in a nice cozy bed .. um yeah, not so fast.. first issue, we had to wait for another family , who's flight just HAPPENED TO be delayed, fantastic.. and then well once we did get to the hotel the bed was something close to concrete.  We'll be booking my chiropractor appt. my first day back!!!

Today , we were up NICE and early again, first because of worry over the passport (I wanted to email our adoption agency) , and two because we were starving!!  Its not like you can do a McD's drive-thru on your way home from places!!  IT WAS so amazing seeing all our friends again, and their gorgeous babies, WE all cried!!  so funny how people bond in similiar and extreme circumstances, it was like we've been close friends our entire lives! One family is even calling us Auntie Allison, and Uncle Kevin to their daughter which absolutely warmed our hearts.  Oh and she came right to me lol so that was a refreshing way to start our day!!

We saw the doctor traveling with the group - from CAWLI today.  He is fantastic, so kind and reassuring.  We discussed the bonding, and he said it was VERY normal for children at 3 to latch onto one parent at a time, and that when we get home things will equalize.  It is what we believed in our hearts, and I continue to work at building her trust, yesterday I dubbed it smile at Faith day - through everything I did, I just smiled big smiles at her.  We know how much I LOVE to smile!!! (not lol, but it definitely seemed to be a good course of action, today again we are seeing more and more warming to me... hmmm, I just re-read that sentence, I'm starting to talk with a Chinese accent).  Anyway, she is healthy, very smart, funny and the doctor feels her muscle weaknesses and such will all work themselves out as she gets better nutrition and exercise. 

I'll leave it to Kevin to blog his experiences at the Physcial Examination office -- He deserves a GOLD MEDAL for his patience today!!  gosh golly I love this guy!!