Back to the Island

“God reminded me how beautiful we all are to Him, after all, we were created in His own image, and He looks at me, at you, in all our sweat and dirt and brokenness, and says, "I choose you. You are beautiful.” Katie Davis, Kisses from Katie

"The Lord gives grace and glory." Psalms 84:11

We traipsed all over this city with CC today and she did great...a total trooper. We have noticed that she is calm and sweet and easygoing when we're out and about and she's riding in the Ergo (usually sleeping much of the time) but then her personality really comes out in the hotel room. She loves to cruise and play and bounce and crawl around, and is her happiest doing that. Her favorite is to be standing, though, and she finds a way to get upright just about anywhere. She is very active and changing her diapers and clothes is a chore and a half. She twists and turns and does her best to kick, roll over and get away. She does love her crib. Today, after a late breakfast, I took her into the bedroom and she got so excited when she saw her crib that she started crawling as fast as she could toward it and laughing. Our experience with Lia Kate is just about as opposite as it can be compared to CC! She hated the crib and never went back in one once we got home. She cried a lot when we were in China and she hated the hotel room. CC loves being in the hotel room. 

The last two nights, she has slept very well. We've had to wake her up both mornings. Not so sure how tonight will go, though, as we are all trying to go to bed early and she is up fussing. She usually only cries because 1) she is hungry, 2) she wants to be held or 3) she is tired. Other than that, she is very happy. We have seen her throw a few major fits when I put her down and she doesn't want me to. She can from 0 to 60 back to 0 in all of 10 seconds. It's quite the fiery temper for such a (usually) happy girl.

I love seeing these big brown eyes peer up at me when she's in the Ergo

She wakes up so sweet and happy ... flashing her big smile as she rubs her sleepy eyes. She is a sound sleeper and even slept through me accidentally shattering a coffee cup on the floor this morning. It will be nice to have a sound sleeper in the house and probably a necessity with two 4-year-old siblings. She also sucks her thumb in the most adorable way. She is our first thumb sucker and she will grab the blanket with one hand, pull it to her face and put the thumb of her other hand in her mouth...all with practiced ease. She also likes to have a little bit of blanket on the sucking thumb, and often when she's awake, she just likes to suck on the blanket. This is pretty common among adopted children from China as they are often given washcloths instead of pacifiers as babies. It's a good thing I brought some muslin blankets because that is exactly what she wants in her hands and mouth! We have gotten some belly laughs from her which are just awesome to hear. We feel so blessed to have her as our daughter. She was SO worth the wait...a million times over, she was worth the wait. 

Today, on official business, we went to the police station in the afternoon to apply for CC's Chinese passport. When children are adopted from China, they fly home on a Chinese passport with a U.S. visa in it, and they become American citizens once they are on U.S. soil. I am always amazed at how efficient the Chinese are at these appointments. They never last long and they are ready for you at your appointed time. While at the police station, we saw all the families that we got our children with on Monday. It is fun to run into them here and there and see how different their children are after just two days of having the love, attention and nurturing of parents. 

Beautiful Shamian Island streets

On unofficial business today, we took taxis out to Shamian Island, which is where we stayed during our last adoption. The historic White Swan hotel is under major renovations so it is closed and our agency puts families at another hotel in a different part of Guangzhou. I must say, I miss the peace and quiet of the island. It has historically catered to adopting families as the U.S. Consulate used to be located there, as was the place where the children have their U.S.-required medicals. There are also lots of little stores selling trinkets and wares specifically to adopting families. The buildings there are all colonial architecture and the roads are beautiful, tree-lined, quiet streets. After being in the busy concrete jungle where our hotel is, I miss the island!!! The hotel we are in now has much more space per room. We are in a suite for less than we spent at the White Swan for a small room, so that part is nice. But I miss the peaceful feel of the island. And I really miss Lucy's, where you can order a baby portion of chicken congee and a glass of sweet iced tea. We made sure to have lunch at Lucy's and I hope we go back for dinner there one more time before we leave.

Lucy's famous sweet tea. Southern iced tea served with a side of simple syrup.

How American adoptive parents are/were viewed. Older, balding 

dad with camcorder and camera, older mom pushing a baby girl in a stroller. 

Shopping for girlie shoes on the island

Tomorrow we go to CC's orphanage! I am so excited to go and see the place that she spent her first 9 months in and to meet and thank the nannies who took such good care of her. Zhuhai City is about 2 or 3 hours away from here, so we will load up at 8 a.m. and be on our way with our guide Miko. I did not get to go to Lia Kate's orphanage three years ago because it was so far away (6 hours one way). So, Danny went and met the nannies and took pictures of the orphanage to show her one day. I am so glad he did that, but I really wanted to go. Thrilled to be able to take CC back tomorrow, as I think it is important for her, even at 9 months of age, to get closure and to say goodbye to the people she knew. There is something powerful, I believe, about a child walking out of the orphanage for the last time in their parents arms. And that's exactly what we'll do tomorrow.