Wuhan Day 4 - Another Crazy Day!

We had a pretty good first night together. Hildy woke up at 11 for a bottle and then again at 5:45am. She was a little freaked out when she woke up but calmed down pretty quickly with some cuddles and a bottle. She drank a whole bottle this morning...she was hungry. We tried having a bath but she did NOT go for that... combination of being naked and the prospect of water..the bath was a no go. She loves to be bundled up and sweaty... All the babies in China have so many layers of clothes on them they look like the little brother from A Christmas Story. We get looks if we are out and about with the babies and they don't have at least 4 layers on, one a giant puffy coat. No skin can be showing... Anyway, after the non-bath wipe down we got dressed up and headed to the Civil Affairs Office for the province of Hubei. I went in and was interviewed about me and Horst, about our jobs, our levels of education, our reason for choosing China to adopt from, our plans for our daughter's future education. I was more than a little nervous... I signed another round of documents, had my piicture taken, stamped my fingerprint on each signature and then Hildy signed the document via a red food stamp! She didn't seem to mind as long as we didn't take her finger out of her mouth...
After we went to the bank to change our orphanage donation from US$ to RMB. That was the most insane experience... we had to get past a security guard to get into the money exchange area, there were little kiosks each with a teller behind glass with a microphone/speaker system. there were people everywhere, each teller was practically yelling through the microphone, every time a client came into the bank, a huge bell rang, people were shouting into cell phones, talkingto each other...Then the teller was asking us a bunch of questions, scrutinized my passport for 5 minutes, scanned it, then she took each bill from me, put it through a counterfeit scanner three times, then counted it, recounted it, entered it all into a computer, I think you get the picture. We went in to exchange and it took easily 45 minutes. Somewhere during that time a "street man" came in waving a newspaper and ran up to an American man behing me and was yelling at him and pointing at the paper... Security freaked out and ran after him and took him out the front...didn't see what happened to him... Needless to say, i was VERY glad to get out of there and get back into our van to be driven back to the hotel. Except of course for the traffic. There really are no lanes, no rules, cars,vans, bikes, pedestrians motobikes, mopeds, buses you name it, all trying to get past each other with about a cm to spare.
After we got back we decided to cancel our planned trip to Qichun tomorrow. We were going to go to the orphanage but it is 2 hours away, no car seats, no seatbelts, babies that don't even know us yet... So instead we are going to go to a Buddhist temple in the morning and if we are up for it to the Wuhan museum in the afternoon. Hildy is starting to come out of her shell just a little...we were treated to some smiles, a giggle or two and lots of playing this afternoon. She loves to lay on the bed and play with her feet, make all kinds of funny noises with her mouth and she is discovering that toys can be fun too. She loves to be carried and I love holding her so we spent a lot of time today just snuggling... its a pretty good gig. Papa is enjoying his role as babysitter and assistant to baths and eating. Hildy just sits and stares at him. She reached up and stroked his beard this afternoon...She is not afraid of him...just checking him out. They look pretty cute together. She is so tiny. She was tired tonight. I just wrapped her in a blanket, put her in her crib and put two more blankets on top of her, she cooed twice, turned over and went to sleep.... I think I will do the same... good night.

Our Daughter!!!!

How do I even begin to describe this day? Got up at 3:30... nervous until we left for the Civil Affairs Office at 9:30...waited in quiet polished-florr calm until the babies arrived and then the craziness started: tears, babies, nannies, directors, more tears (mostly mine) and a haze of papers to sign (through tears..all mine). Zi Jie was very calm, very quiet. She came to me easily and cuddled right in. There were tears but quiet and reserved tears... she is like a little butterfly. She is tiny...her hands and feet are the same size as Gus's from when he was 2 months old. She studies my face and tentatively touches my hair with gentle, delicate hands. We came back from the office and had time to just stare at each other and try to figure out what to do next. She drank all of 2 ounces and then fell asleep on my chest. After more tears (mine) she woke up, cried a little herself and then we played on the bed, cuddled, played on the floor, cuddled, cried (me), cried (her), then I got my first smile and the hint of a giggle...she is very ticklish. Went down to the hotel restaurant for dinner and got a taste of what it wll be like out on the street... we are quite the spectacle. Norah, Heather and tom's baby, is much bigger than Hildy. She downed an 8 onuce bottle in 45 seconds as soon as we got back to the hotel and then ate half a bowl of congee at dinner. hildy just cuddled in silence... no food. We came back up to our room, Hildy drank another 2 ounces and then our guide Kathy showed me how her foster mom would have put her to bed. She wrapped her mid section with a thick blanket like a sausage roll, put another heavy blanket on top of her whole body, gave her a toy, turned out the light and that was that... She is still laying in her crib and playing silently with her toy as I type this... Not sure whether to pick her up and cuddle her (because it's all I can do not to...) or to let her fall asleep as she probably has for the past year...alone in her crib. We'll see how it goes... I am exhausted, stiff from the stress of the morning and absolutely, completely, head over heels in love. I am so glad we never gave up... today was worth every second of the wait and it was only our first day together... my heart is full.

Wuhan Day 2 - Yellow Crane Tower

Well, the number one attraction in Wuhan is the Yellow Crane Tower so that is where we headed this morning. We went with Kathy, our guide and a driver. The grounds and gardens were beautiful and the tower itself was very impressive. It served as a military lookout tower for the past 1500 years (!). It has been destroyed by fire a few times and every dynasty would rebuild it according to their likings...they had scale models of each reincarnation of the tower over the past few hundred years. As expected, we were part of the display/attraction so many people wanted to talk to us and take our pictures. It is weird to have people just grab your arm and pull you over into their group to take pictures with you. One thing you lose in China is your need for personal space...there just isn't any. We have all adjusted to being stared at. And I mean stared at...not a quick, polite glance but full-on in your face-Yes, I am staring at you staring. It was unnerving at first, but now it is just part of our day, especially here in Wuhan. Our guide said, "Just wait until you have the babies..." Oh boy..... Speaking of which, tomorrow is the big day. We will leave the hotel for the Civil Affairs Office at 9:30 am China time, that is 6:30 pm Easter Monday your time. By the time you finish Easter dinner we will have the girls. The appointment tomorrow is informal and will simply consist of us meeting the babies, having a chance to ask any questions we have of the nannies that bring them to us then coming back to the hotel to get to know each other. Our first formal appointment will be on Wed. when we sign some papers, make a pledge in court, etc. We will be going to the orphanage and the girls' finding places on Thursday. On Friday we fill out paper work for immigration and citizenship then fly to Beijing on Saturday... our first flight with the girls. We are all pretty excited about tomorrow. We have this afternoon and evening to get ready for tomorrow...We went to the equivalent of Walmart to buy water and diapers and are now unpacking, set things up, getting ready... Today is our 4 year anniversary for being logged in to adopt Hildy. After all this time, I will finally hold her tomorrow. I wonder if I will sleep tonight? I wonder if Norah and Hildy have any idea what is about to happen in their lives... From here on in there is going to be a lot of change in our little group... The next email will have pictures of our little peanut...

Lots of love, T

Wuhan Day 1 - What a Difference!

Woke up in Shanghai, got delivered to the airport, checked in and had a nice flight on a smaller plane to Wuhan. We were met by our guide here, Kathy who is very nice and extremely helpful. As soon as we left the airport, things around us changed. No longer are we in the land of glass and steel towers with marble bathtubs overlooking the city skyline. The change is a bit shocking. I don't know if the pictures can really tell the story. The roads are full of pot holes, the buildings are old, some falling apart. The roads from the airport into the main city of Wuhan are littered with garbage, packed with cars and motorbikes... no one actually drives in a lane. Everyone just honks and drives wherever there is space. I actually felt like I was in the middle of a Lonely Planet show as we whisked through intersections amid honking and vehicles coming at us from every conceivable direction. The highway we were on had apartments, houses, restaurants, stores, each looking run down, dirty. After an hour and a half ride over the rough road dodging trucks carrying pigs, sewage, building supplies, people, etc we arrived downtown, got to the hotel and quickly learned that English is not spoken much here...and foreigners are very unusual. All the hotel staff was in the lobby upon our arrival. They all know we are adopting babies and watched us come in with curiosity. Our guide, Kathy helped us check in and took us up to our rooms. Our rooms have cribs, baby baths and are ready for our babies.
It was now 8pm and we hadn't had much to eat since breakfast. We went down to the restaurant in the hotel to have something to eat. There was one menu in English...one for the whole hotel. We took turns with it then played charades with our drink orders. Coke is the only universal drink...dad tried for tonic water and that caused a 10 minute consultation amongst all available staff as they tried desperately to get him what he wanted. They want so badly to use their limited English and want to be perfect... they are trying very hard. He finally settled for a Sprite, then Tom ordered a beer. "No beer..sold out" was the response. Instead she brought him a warm Heineken...no bottle opener... Not sure if she didn't know that was beer or if it isn't Tsing Tao it doesn't rate.... Then we were served sandwiches that none of the wait staff could pronounce. Heather asked for some mayonnaise for her sandwich (with the help of her digital translator) and got a large gravy boat full of mayo... It was quite an experience. Kathy is coming tomorrow morning to take us to the Yellow Crane Tower and then to a store to buy bottled water and diapers in preparation for receiving the babies on Tuesday morning.
I am tired from the flight and experience coming into Wuhan. I am so glad we had the time in Shanghai to get into this time zone and have a few days to prepare... We will receive the babies Tuesday, go to court Wednesday then go to their orphanage and finding places in Thursday...it is just about 2 hours away from here. It is sure to be an emotional week!

Day 3 Adventures - Last Day in Shanghi

Well, just go back from yet another adventure. Getting used to the traffic... taxi rides today seem old hat. getting better at crossing the street...just look straight ahead and go...FAST in the cross walk... no near death experiences today..things are looking up. We had a great breakfast at the hotel agin and then headed to Xintiandi neighbourhood. Walked for miles and miles along streets with all kinds of clothing stores...saw $46 000 US watches, $1200 outfits you name it. Tried to shop but finding the haggling overwhelming. Will wait until tomorrow and beyond when we have guides to help us. Experienced our first Chinese style squatty potty in a department store bathroom today... very challenging... Went for lunch in a true Chinese restaurant just outside Peopl's Park...chicken hotpot looked good until Heather pulled out a chicken's foot.... that is when I stopped eating. People's park was pretty cool. It is a huge park in the middle of the city with beautiful gardens, lots of children and kites flying all over the place. Made out way back to the hotel... feeling pretty good about hailing cabs and trying to make our way around. I think if you had two weeks you could go to a different part of this city everyday and experience brand new things every day... it is mind bogglingly huge. Just walking down the street, so many people, cars, bikes, buses, mopeds go by you. It literally makes my head spin. Just being out and about tires you out regardless of what you are doing because of all the rush and energy around you. We are back at the hotel for a little downtime, a swim and then we will venture out for dinner and drinks for our last night in Shanghai. Flying to Wuhan in the morning... one step closer to Hildy..

Day 2 Adventures!!!!

"Wow... I can't believe we have only been here for one day. I got about 4 hours sleep last night which brings me up to a grand total of 4 hours of sleep in the past 48 hours. I went downstairs to put all of our adoption paperwork in the main vault and the boys at the front desk all greeted dad with a hearty hello. Apparently he had already made the rounds and given everyone Canada pins before I came down! We had breakfast here in the hotel overlooking the Huangpu River. The pastries in the hotel are to-die for....with strong coffee..... perfect. We spread out the map, picked a spot then got the fellows downstairs to call us a taxi. Taking a taxi through downtown Shanghai is CRAZY! No one follows the lights or stays in their lanes... Dad sat in the "suicide seat" beside the driver and Heather, Tom and I cowered in the backseat. Dad was jamming on his imaginary brake the whole time we were in the cab. Hilarious. We strolled down the Bund overlooking the river and looked at all the architecture from the time of the foreign occupations and concessions along the river front. Very cool. We wanted to go to the Yuyuan Gardens so decided to venture off the Bund into the neighbouring area...Heather and Tom were nearly run down by a delivery van and dad was almost hit by mopeds...three times...we crossed one street....with the light. I was laughing so hard; I wish I could have taken pictures but I was running for dear life. We wandered into the Old Street Bazaar. I cannot begin to describe this. Narrow alleys full of stalls and shops selling everything from high end gold, pearls and jade to touristy t-shirts and Mao kitch. It was absolutely jammed with people bumping up and into us, the air was thick with incense and the old buildings were covered in lanterns and red ribbons. We wandered around, tried a little bartering then ran into a chatty fellow named Liao at a stall who asked us where we were from and why we were in China. We had a good chat; he was very excited about us adopting two little girls and leaving the "busy city" for Wuhan. We asked for his recommendation for getting lunch. We had a best friend for the rest of our time in Yuyuan. He took us on a wild path through stalls and past streams of people up these stairs we would never have found behind a different store to the top of the buildings to look over the whole area. Then we went further into the maze to a tea house for locals where he ordered tea and dumplings for us. The woman who runs the teahouse,Yin, made us all kinds of different tea, chatted and laughed as we tried tea and Chinese. Tom tried to tell the woman ( in Chinese) that she had a beautiful daughter and wanted another dumpling but apparently ordered a "stupid prostitute" instead. We don't let Tom try his Chinese anymore........ I laughed so hard at the look on Liao's face... I thought he would die from laughing. We took a taxi back to the hotel (another adventure in Shanghai traffic) and decided to spend the rest of the afternoon recovering from our adventure at the hotel.

Dad has made another best friend in the hostess. We met her last night and she sat and told us all about her travels, her boyfriend from Ecuador and her life in Shanghai then listened to stories about Vancouver, snow and Quebec.. She remembered dad and greeted him like a best friend. Amazing how many people that man can befriend in a day. Had another great meal of kung pao chicken and desserts aplenty. I am now ready to pass out.What an amazing day!"

We Have Arrived!

Message past on from Tammi:

Well, we're here. After a 12 hour flight, a crazy line up at customs, meeting our driver (who didn't speak English) and an hour or so drive through Shanghai, we arrived at our hotel. The air quality is horrific. I can feel the poolution in my nose and throat already. The hotel is absolutely beautiful..marble everywhere. My room is huge. We are on the 40th floor. We have been up for 22 hours...I need to go to sleep. We are in Shanghai until Sunday morning, then we fly to Wuhan and get Hildy on Tuesday the 6th. I am hoping to get on China time today!

Her humble blog-servant,

Wendi