Visa Paperwork, Etc. Finished

Today we went out at 9:45 to have the babies photos taken for their visas. We met the third LaVida family who adopted an eight-year old girl from Fuling, ChongQing. Ashleah is visually impaired, and learned quite a bit of English while in foster care. Her new mother is also legally blind and works with visually-impaired and blind students in the Des Moines, IA school system. The shop where the photos were done was right down the street from the International Medical Clinic - but without the clinic's lovely air-conditioning. So much for the shower, I was doing pretty well walking the tree-lined central street but within minutes of hanging out in that shop I was damp and sweating in places I was heretofore unaware I had sweat glands.

The physical went a little differently than Thea's, much more crowded for one - so I now know why our previous facilitators made us get moving by 8:00 am. Micah has gained about 1/2 pound, if the clinic's scale is to be believed - he got weighed and measured AFTER seeing the doctor for his physical, so that was rather useless. The doctor asked what was wrong with his head and idiot that I am, I thought she meant his auditory canal atresia and microtia. No, she meant the bruise on his forehead from last night's collision with the marble floor. Oops, baby mommy.

For what the internet costs here at the White Swan, we should probably go out to the internet cafe down the island a few blocks but the humidity just smacks you over the head like a baseball bat when you walk out the door so wimps like me pay the price to sit in peace and air-conditioning and crab about how much they are looking forward to going home.

Among the miracles of today: Thea went in the pool today. It was akin to the parting of the Red Sea. We have begged, offered bribes, you name it over the past ten days and the stubborn mule that she is, she absolutely refused to go. Once in both kids loved it, and were so tired they passed out at dinner or shortly thereafter. Problematic when dinner is at a restaurant (with no worms or insects on the menu) a block from the hotel and we didn't bring the stroller. Micah is portable, but Thea is dead weight. Fortunately the Cash family had their stroller for Jillian (also portable) so Steve could bring Thea back in that. I left a little ahead of them with Micah, but had to make a trip back down to the front desk because my key card didn't work.

Second miracle: Micah might actually be somewhat trained to use the potty. This morning we were playing on the floor when he got that pinched and serious look that is the international language of defecation in progress. Steve brought out the little purple plastic potty we (fools that we are) brought from Wuhan. Even though there was poop in the diaper, we thought we'd sit him on the potty to refresh his memory. He continued to rock and squint and grunt while playing with his Link-a-Doos, but I thought it was just going through the motions until we uncorked his little behind from the potty and saw the monster offering he put there. So my little man is a genius of a gastrointestinal nature. He's going to get plopped on the seat right after he has his bowl of rice cereal tomorrow morning so he can do a repeat performance.

I just confirmed our reservations on China Southern from GZ to HK. This airlines needs 72 hours for confirmation. Amazing.

All the consulate paperwork was done today. We go to TianHe to the US Consulate Adopted Child Immigration Visa Unit Wednesday to swear we didn't lie on the paperwork and get his IR-3 - which will get him immediate citizenship upon return to the US. Two hours of filling out forms with the other families (in our room at the hotel); Micah slept through it all. The noise level was probably similar to what he knows from the orphanage. This time when we go to the Consulate office we can take a small diaper bag/baby bottles since it's 35 minutes away. Last time when it was within walking distance of the hotel, it was passports and that was it. Period. No cameras, no electronic equipment, no diaper or bottle.

The Going Home Barbie arrived in our room today. It's made by Mattel and is given to guests at the White Swan. Micah's first doll - I'll keep it to show him what I looked like before children came into my life and then see if he would want to donate it to one of the charities working with Chinese orphanages to auction off. You would not believe how much some parents care about this silly plastic doll. This one just looks like a bad fashion decision carrying an Asian baby girl; Thea's looks like Barbie went to Woodstock, smoked a little something and then said, "Like let's go to China to adopt a baby, dude."

Anyway, that's the latest from GuangZhou, where all the (American) men are sweaty, all the (American) women are dripping in perspiration and all the children are looking forward to their next trip to the pool.

Thanks to all those who've emailed or left comments - especially since the phone Steve got from Princeton has been pretty much worthless, it's like a small slice of home arriving each day.

Lydia