Another Milestone...Red Couch Day

Our time at the White Swan is passing quickly! Tomorrow is our last full day, then Thursday is mostly a travel day as we take a train from here to Hong Kong. Friday morning we will walk across the street to the Hong Kong airport and head home. While I've loved this trip and the people with whom I've shared it, it will be so wonderful to be home with my boys. I miss them more than I could've imagined.

However, before we could come home, there was much shopping to do. This morning, mom and I "power shopped" at Jennifers and bought a large suitcase full of items, plus the suitcase to bring them home in. We still have one more more major shop left to do tomorrow. Among the more special items is a baby blanket that we are having made for Katie. At 10am, we headed to the Glasses Market with Mary, the Coggins' and Amy A. It was better than I had imagined. Optical shops lined the street, and we just picked one near where the cab let us off because it was empty of shoppers. We had Mary check the prices for us and we were in awe that the glasses (including lenses and anti-glare coating) were between $5 and $30 US a pair! I'm talking about what you go to Lenscrafters or wherever and buy in the states. I had heard of amazing prices, but I was blown away by the selection and price. The only bummer was that it would take a week for bifocals...sorry Dad! I got 3 pair, one for $7, one for $9 and one for about $30 (but they are really cool frames). I had priced a new pair at Sam's Club for over $300 before I left. Now I am swimming in new glasses. Mom also got a new pair of sunglasses made for about $30 (sunglasses were a bit more).

It took a couple of hours for them to finish our group's order, so I talked everyone into heading to the Toy Market (not hard to do). It was really interesting. Not quite what I expected. Kinda like a US flea market on steroids. There was a lot of stuff that we weren't so interested in, but we made out like bandits on stickers, hair accessories for girls, Barbie doll clothes, puzzles and wooden dragon kits. Amy and I tried to pool our purchases and bargain together, but we weren't the most effective bargainers. We always got things a little cheaper, though, and we were thrilled at the prices. I guess putting those 'made in China' things on a boat to the US adds a lot of expense (or someone is making a TON of money).

At 3pm, we met the group for our pictures. Getting the little girl's photos on the Red Couch at the White Swan is a bit of a rite of passage for adoptive parents. We took a group photo by the beautiful jade boat, then another group shot by the waterfall. The babies got lined up sans parents on the couch and it was fun. Not everyone was happy, but the parents were!

Katie retired for a nap with mom and I headed back to the Pearl Market with the Coggins'. Maria and I both wanted more cheap but awesome jewelry. We hit the same store again and found out that they had a bigger showroom on the 5th floor. We were wined and dined there (well, actually we were given a Coke with a straw, but that felt special) and walked away a little poorer but richer in Pearls and a bit of jade. I had gifts made for family and friends who have played such a special part in our adoption journey. After a couple of hours, we had a mini adventure as we tried to find a cab in the dark with pouring down rain, baby Marabelle in tow. It took all our efforts, but we finally fought off the locals (also trying to get home) and made it back to the hotel. Katie was fast asleep (she has been sleeping 6pm to 6am regularly now), so mom and I spent some time assessing our purchases to date and making our final shopping list. Tomorrow is a busy day with a late-morning trip to a Temple where Monks will bless our babies, then later in the afternoon we go to the American Consulate for our Visa to bring Katie home to the US. This is the last hurdle that we have to clear before coming home. Well, that is if you don't count the train to Hong Kong, the 15 hour flight to Chicago, the 3 hour layover and the 1 hour flight to St Louis!

Maria & Marabelle, Hyong & Sarah, Kay & Joy, Andrea & Madison, Amy & Madelyn, Me & Katie, Christie & Carly, a woman who just joined our group today for the photo from Chicago and Deanna & Shelby.

Stalls at the toy market. There were hundreds of them, and I'm sure we didn't see but a small part.

Amy amidst our Barbie doll clothes purchases at the Toy Market.

The entire group, mommies, daddies, babies & Grandma Bowen. We are the sixth, seventh and eighth from the left.

Hard to get the full effect, but it basically poured buckets of rain all day today. No one told me until today that this was the rainy season here!

Three generations of our family. I think Katie might look more like mom here that I do!

Our group in front of the waterfall.

With our good friends, Deanna & JD, with Shelby.

Carol Kramer, this one's for you. Katie Tillock, Joy Calhoun and Shelby Rainey on the red couch. Believe it or not, this was the best photo! All three of us had the pleasure of working with Carol as our Social Worker/Friend/Supporter-During-The-Long-Wait since we all live near each other in Shiloh and Granite City, IL.

The reason we're here: Madison, Carly, Madelyn, Marabelle, Katie, Sarah, Shelby and Joy. Have you ever seen more beautiful babies in your life?

PS: Today I realized that Katie is Chinese. I dressed her in her little silk outfit and mom and I looked at each other and saw the resemblance Katie has to people of Chinese descent. Until today, she just looked like my daughter. :-) (She still does...)