Yesterday (Tuesday) we went back to the adoption registration center and signed paperwork to finalize Julie’s adoption. She is now officially a Blake! The remainder of the time in China is just waiting for her passport to leave China and her visa to enter the US. Seems like a long process just for those two items, but we don’t make the rules. We did a group lunch and all of the babies seem to be adjusting fairly well. I am sure that it will take time. One experienced adoptive dad told us that three days of being with the children will make a world of difference.
After lunch we came back to the hotel and rested for a while, then we ventured out to Shamian Island where the White Swan is located. It is a beautiful setting along the banks of the Pearl River (?) with wonderful architecture in the surrounding buildings. We did some shopping and Erika bought a silk dress for her and Julie. They hope to wear them on Easter Sunday and to Melissa’s wedding. Courtney also has one that was given to her by an Australian friend, Lavinia. Won’t they be snappy!
We then went to a shopping area that is several downtown blocks of just pedestrian shopping area. What a free-for-all. The kids and I found it exhilarating, while Susan found it a little unnerving. 
Today we go to the Security Bureau for another interview and to apply for Julie’s passport. We will have dinner with the group, but the rest of the day is on our own. We are all healthy and are resting well. The breakfast in our hotel is very nice and we are enjoying the hotel accommodations very much. It m be the only time that our children get to have their own room in a 5 star hotel!
Julie is doing well. While have only had her for a little over a day, we can already see some encouraging signs. It seems obvious that she has spent most of her life alone without a lot of personal contact. She is very content to sit for long periods with no stimulus or interaction. She also has the hair rubbed off of the back of her head indicating that she has spent a lot of time just lying on her back. While you would expect that for an infant, you wouldn’t generally see it in a 15month old. She also has a little bald spot right in the middle of her forehead. The Chinese doctor thinks that it was shaven to insert an IV, however, we have a dermatologist traveling with us (a new grandma) that thinks it is a birthmark where her scalp did not fully develop. We think she is correct. We think that a Gene Keady comb-over is in her future! J Other than, that, it appears that Julie is healthy. We are thankful for that.
We appreciate the love and support of our family and friends at home. Your prayers have been very encouraging along with your notes of encouragement. Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
1 comment:
This is such an amusement (blessing) to be able to follow your trip:) I'm loving it and already creating your journal/scrapbook in my mind - - so that means tons and tons of pictures!!!
(Jules was left off the nick name list:) even though it's our dog's name)
And just make sure you tell her that we will be able to do better than a "Gene Keady comb over"! My goodness how much can you expect a kid to overcome?:) Hope you're getting time on the computer to read stuff....just talked to Alex for a bit. Left messages for Courtney:) Love you guys!
Post a Comment