Alexis’s cold is a little better today. She has been testing Fred and I with serious temper tantrums, involving lots of blood curdling screams. Her foster sister has also been doing the same thing. They both must have been incredibly spoiled by their foster mother and got whatever they wanted, when they want it.
We left Nanchang at 1:00pm by bus and headed for the Nanchang Airport to catch a 3:50pm flight to Guangzhou. Well, the plane was late arriving due to another storm. We all waited in a very hot airport for over an hour before the plane was ready to be boarded. As we boarded, someone said the plane was 98F and it felt like it. All the babies started to cry because they were hot and miserable…can’t blame them, so were we. We sat on the runway for another 20-30 minutes sweltering in the heat with 17 very uncomfortable babies and warm air coming out of the vents. Alexis was actually pretty good during this time, which was a blessing. A Chinese man tried to get off the plane due to the noise to take another flight but was not permitted because the doors were already sealed. Poor guy! Once in the air we had some relief with cool air, but the babies were inconsolable by this point. Alexis didn’t start until the last 20 minutes of the flight. Once again, she decided to have a battle of wills with her daddy. I ended up taking her kicking and screaming and bounced her until she fell sleep. She was just overtired and fussy. Needless to say, when we all got off the plane, everyone looked pale and completely worn thin. We met our new CCAI reps Jason and Jocelyn, who welcomed us with signs and a warm smile. We got our luggage and it was another 50-minute ride by bus to the White Swan Hotel and we arrived around 8:30pm. Alexis had fallen asleep and stayed that way until morning. Fred and I both fell on the bed at 8:45pm. Wow, what party animals we are!! I guess this is what is meant by parenthood…
August 27, 2006 --First Day In Guangzhou
The groups met in the lobby at 9:30 this morning and walked across the street to a photo shop to have the babies picture taken for their visa. All the babies looked really cute have their pictures taken. We then had some free time for some shopping. It was really hot today and the smog is incredibly thick, a lot worse than Hong Kong and Nanchang. It was really nice to walk down the streets and visit the local shops. The people are incredibly friendly and actually speak English very well. Fred and I had a real cup of coffee today. Oh, it was good! It’s amazing how you can miss something so much… At 3:00pm, Fred filled out the paperwork for Alexis visa and the Consulate. Tuesday her visa goes to the Consulate and we will receive it on Wednesday after we take the oath. This is the last leg of our journey…YEAH!! Tonight we did the famous Red Couch Photos. Most of the babies did not cooperate, including ours. There were a lot of tears shed and runny noses but the pictures still came out really cute!
Tomorrow morning, we are touring another temple that is 1500 years old. After which, we will have more free time to rest or shop. I think we are going to take it easy.
Will write more tomorrow. Just five days until we fly home…we both can’t wait.
Aly
August 28, 2006 --Second Day In Guangzhou
Today Alexis had her physical exam and as determined before by the doctor in Nanchang, she is in good health. We thought she had a cold, but it turns out her nose is running from teething. This was good. I can take her off the decongestant and just use Tylenol if she is really fussy. So far, six teeth have come through.
We visited a Buddhist Temple today and the smell of incense filled the air. It felt very spiritual. I felt a complete sense of peace and could have remained there all day. We took lots of video and pictures and even witnessed a Buddhist ceremony, taking place inside one of the temples. Alexis woke up in a calm mood, which made the day a lot brighter. We then boarded the bus again, and headed to The Old Chen House. This is a Museum of the Arts. They house old embroidery’s, furniture, pottery and other ancient artifacts. The architecture of the building was phenomenal. The sculptures on the roof were carved separately and put in place. They have to be painted every year in order to help preserve, not just the colors but also the delicate material they are made from.
Our next stop was a Provincial Arts and Crafts Store. I was a nice store, but not what I was anticipating. I was basically a store with pottery, teas and sculpture. Not what we are used to in the US. I was a little disappointed because I was so excited about buying Chinese sculpting tools, but they didn’t know what I was talking about.
We arrived back at the hotel around 1:30pm and had to get something for lunch before heading off to the clinic before 3:30pm for her physical. Needless to say, Alexis, along with the other babies hated the physical with a passion. Three doctors checked them each for ENT, heart/organs, and weight/length/temperature. She weighs 15.5lbs, not 21lbs like we were originally told. I didn’t think she weighed near that much, when I first held her. Her length is 69cm. She is tiny for her age, but she is in good health. We bought a few new outfits in Nanchang and Guangzhou because everything we brought was too big. She is still in 6-9 month clothing.
Well, we are both quit tired tonight. Alexis fell asleep about 7:00pm. She really fights sleep.
Tomorrow, her paperwork is being delivered to the Consulate for the finalizing of her visa around 10:00am. So, we have to stay in our room from 11-12:30pm. I don’t think this will be a problem. We have been on the go for almost 2 weeks now. After that we are going to tour a pearl factory. This should be exciting.
Four more days until we fly home. We leave Guangzhou on Friday and arrive home on Thursday. That is still so strange. Well, at least I gain an extra day of maternity leave:) Talk to you tomorrow.
