Sunday, May 8, 2011

Two Days in Guangzhou

We arrived in Guangzhou yesterday morning (May 7) at 6:00 a.m. after a 14 hour flight from LAX. We were surprised we didn't have jetlag. We stayed awake all day and even got some amazing massages. Jeff and I toured Shamian Island, finding it beautiful, safe, and very eclectic. The people are wonderful We slept very soundly Saturday night.

We woke up Sunday morning realizing we still had another day to wait. We went for a long walk around the island (twice) after our Mother's Day buffet breakfast. (It is Mother's Day in China, too, even though today is really Saturday in the USA. We met with 3 other couples in the afternoon for a light lunch. They had all just flown in from Beijing and were pretty exhausted. We immediately liked all of them and find we have a lot in common (more so than the adoption).

As I type now, we are 21 hours away from holding our daughter for the first time. We are giddy with anticipation. So many questions: Will the diapers we brought fit? Will she be afraid of these strangers holding her? What will she eat? Will it be anything we brought? What if she doesn't stop crying? Will she smile at us right when we hold her? Will she enjoy her first bath? And the list goes on...

This is our last night of peace and quiet together, just the two of us. Pretty unbelievable when you think of it. Excited as we are, we need to savor these moments. Still, our minds are preoccupied with the smiles, hugs, and fulfilling joy we have in store.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Well, we're off to China on Thursday, May 5.  We're flying out of LAX late in the evening and arriving in Guangzhou at 6:00 a.m., Saturday, May 7 (China is 16 hours ahead).  On Monday, May 9, we travel to the Civil Affairs Office and get our daughter--2 days after we arrive!  It's going to be quite an experience. We'll add photos and videos as the adventure continues.  Thanks for joining us on this journey of a lifetime.