We have better pictures with her smiling...but this is more her personality
Everyone loves Jordan!!!
Donation after being blessed by the monk
Height and weight
Lined up to be herded through on medical day
OFF TO GUANGZHOU...
DAY 1...MEDICAL DAY:
We made it to Guangzhou. Breakfast that first day was eventful with everyone meeting the new kids. What a blessing to be sharing this journey with so many. We have missed them the last week..and were finally able to meet up with families that did not travel to Beijing. We are all in a rush the first morning because we are meeting up to go over to the island for our medical appt. Harbour flew very well on her first plane ride so I'm no longer concerned that she has an ear infection ..pulling her left ear seems to be a "sleepy habit"...but I'm anxious all the same to have her checked out with her being under the weather during the last week. It's chaos...not just our agency is there so there are people everywhere. We are lucky though...no shots for our little one today. The older kids in our group are not so lucky. Harbour checks out fine and we have time to toodle around the island a little. Wish we were staying at the White Swan. It would be so much more convienient seeing as we will be spending a lot of our time on the island this week!
Days 2 and 3 ..TOURING DAYS
We decide to join the sightseeing tour to see the Buddist temple. Neat place to see...statues of Buddah...and the smell of incense burning everywhere. They have a baby blessing ceremony that we were allowed to join. Ken has it on video. Our Harbour is extra blessed now! We then traveled to a mall which we were expecting to be a street market type place...WRONG! It was a regular mall...only with 2ce the shops. Pearls, jade, and amber amongst clothing and nicknacks. We bought a pretty place setting chopstix set..but just felt too weird buying stuff in a mall. We wanted to shop the street vendors! Ken was in a haggling mood :) On the third day, all the older kids had to go back to the medical to read TB skin tests. We caught the bus over with them to do some shopping on the island. We hooked to the WiFi at Starbucks and called Thatcher as well. Missing him terribly!
Day 4...Some free time, but have to meet for Visa paperwork
We all meet in a room downstairs to go over the paperwork that will be submitted for our Visa...of course there is a problem with ours. Not only is one of our forms expired (just filled out another ..so an easy fix), but our most recent homestudy that we had to do specifically for Harbour after we were matched is wrong. Her DOB reads 8/8/2009...apparently she hasn't been born yet! Luckily, we had to renew our paperwork last year and I had that homestudy addendum with me that they were able to use. There were others that had problems as well... mentally stressful day...
Day 5...Oath...IT'S OFFICIAL
Today we went to the American Consulate. Close to 30 families (not just CHI there) were there to submit their papers and take oath. What emotion was in the room.... They asked us all to stand. We took our oath with our children in hands and arms. The moderator then announces her congratulations on our new children. SHE"S OURS....SHE'S REALLY OURS!!! Everyone is crying... these precious children are finally a part of their forever family... When we step on US soil they become US citizens... The highs and lows of waiting, paperwork, emotional and financial stress, worrying if your child is ok because you are soooo far away.... OUR WAIT HAS ENDED..... my daughter is mine...ready to get home...........
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