It has been another amazing day with Arabella!!! When we wake up in the morning I think I need to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming. What a long 2 years and 12 days (to be exact) wait! It was way too long for any mother to wait for her baby.....but in the end....Arabella was definitely worth it!
We went shopping today and bought some souvenirs. The ladies in the shop were trying to help me with my Chinese. They would get excited when I could repeat what they would say. It was funny! Of course they thought that Arabella was beautiful!!!! When one of the ladies took her from me to hold her she reached for me when I put my hands out to get her back. I thought my heart was going to burst because that made me so happy! Later, the lady held her again. This time when I put my hands out she didn't reach for me. But that one time she did made up for that!!!!
Arabella is sleeping all through the night still. She loves to eat and eat and eat! She really likes the congee and rice. Today I gave her a banana and she ate the whole thing.
She is a very active little girl. She has kept Kevin and myself running. It is so funny to see how such a little girl can make her Daddy do some funny looking things.
This afternoon we went to the police station to apply for Arabella's passport. That was very interesting they are very serious about no pictures being taken in the station at all, but everyone was very nice through the whole process. This puts us one step closer to coming home.
When we left the police station our group went to a local outlet mall and purchased some things needed for the orphanage. All of us together bought a rocking horse and three walkers we will take to the orphanage on Friday as gifts. Then it was off for some authentic Chinese food at a place where our guides usually take the families. It wasn't like any we have ever eaten before and Julie and I both love Chinese. I guess that would be a western version that we prefer. I don't think Arabella enjoyed the meal as well but we enjoyed the atmosphere and dinner with our guides and driver.
Our guides had told us about the Chinese New Year tradition of the Lantern Festival so we finished our day by walking through the festival. I think Arabella really enjoyed all the lights shining in the night sky, the whole time we were there a newspaper photographer from a local paper followed us around and took picture after picture telling us how beautiful Arabella is and he must be on to something because that is the second photographer from the news paper to say that.
Well good night for now we have another big day of shopping so we better get some rest.
