Planes, Trains & Automobiles

While my dinner cooled off, Katie had about a 1 hour screaming bloody murder fit. So again, as I type this I'm not operating at full capacity. Katie is fine now and sleeping like a baby. It was a bit of a marathon day for her (and the rest of us!), so a little crying was understandable. Like always, Katie was a trooper!

The day started off with our last breakfast buffet at the Gloria, then finishing the packing and checking out by 11am. That was all fine, though getting everything back in the 3 suitcases (1 large and 2 small) was a project. We made it. Everyone was over the 44kg weight limit, but we checked in as a group and were 50kg over in total. That came out to about $10 per family as we share the cost. All of us agreed it was well worth it to get our stuff to the next destination.

The Nanchang airport was full of babies! Our guides, Mary and Mandy, had us head for the airport early because they knew 2 other groups were headed that way and there is some restriction that says only 13 babies per flight from Nanchang. I'm not sure how that all worked out, because we had 7 and the group right behind us had another 8, plus one group must've had 20. The plane was full of babies, so they must have relaxed the rule. They do only allow 1 baby per row (all of the babies were on laps, no seats for them). There is a picture below of part of the gate area. It doesn't do justice to the number of American families here with babies, and I think it is about to get worse here at our new hotel, the White Swan. It is surreal to always be around these families. We were all at breakfast together at the last hotel. I am told that where we are now, in Guangzhou at the White Swan Hotel, there are over 400 Americans staying here with adopted babies at any one time. It is nicknamed the White Stork Hotel. It used to be near the American Consulate, which is how it got this way. The consulate moved last year, but the hotel remains a baby mecca. Mattel even sponsors a playroom here.

Katie staying pretty much on schedule for the trip and had a little nap on the plane and finished it on the bus. We left the Gloria Hotel before 11am and arrived in our rooms here between 4 and 5. Lunch never happened in between, so we were all anxious to get here. It was a 5 mile walk from the plane to the bus (I'm estimating the distance...) then another 45 min. bus ride (I think) to the hotel. Several bus loads of adoptive parents were on our fight, so of course we all hit check-in at the same time. We've only walked to our room, but the common areas of the White Swan resemble a big-city hotel more than the Gloria. Picture the Hyatt in downtown Chicago or similar. Lots of attractive shops, artwork and antiques everywhere. The rooms are nice, but so far I preferred the Gloria (as have many in our group). The rooms were actually cleaner there and set up a little better for families. This is pretty, but not quite as functional.

I'll also add here that if you only came to Guangzhou for an adoption, I don't think you'd see much of real China. The airport is in the suburbs, so you don't see rural life at all. From what I've seen, Guangzhou is much nicer than Nanchang, which is not surprising. And this hotel is situated on an island that used to be only for foreigners and most of the architecture is Colonial and intact (as in not crumbling, burned or similar). After we're out tomorrow, I'll have a better idea what's here.

We're exhausted tonight, so tomorrow we eat, pick up a stroller and plan to hit the zoo and toy market if time allows. Shopping is high on our list of things to do if the weather allows. It looks like we might get lucky that way.

Katie continues to be a really good baby. Fun to play with and easy to be around. She has her moments, but luckily they are few and far between. She has a good appetite, so she'll fit into our culinary-centered family quite well. I can't wait to have her and Alex together, though I am prepared for a difficult time at first. A 4 year old little boy named Eddie is here with his parents and new baby sister, and he is having a terrible time with jealousy. Bless his heart, this is a very difficult time for him. I'm guessing Alex will have some of the same feelings, but in the end this is the best thing for all of us. We'll all adjust.

Thanks again to everyone who has been posting comments and sending e-mails. I haven't had time to respond lately, but we read them all and it is really fun to know you all are following along with us. It warms my heart to know that Katie will have so many friends and family caring for her. This little girl who was abandoned shortly after birth at the step of a shop in Suichuan will come to America and find family and friends who will care for her more than she ever could imagine. It is an amazing world where we can change the life of a child, and of her parents, so relatively easily.

Love from China! Lori, Carol & Katie

At the airport. Can you count all the tiny black heads? And there were 15 more rows like this, at least!

Lori, Katie, Carol, Deanna and Shelby collecting their mounds of luggage at the airport. Are we there yet???

Lori and Katie waiting at the airport in Nanchang. Katie enjoyed the trip and got lots of attention from the locals. Good attention today, no poking!

I'm still bad at keeping these photo in order, but this was how Katie started her day. She is sitting up by herself better each day. Here she is looking at big brother Alex's (and Daddy's) pictures in her photo album.

View from our new hotel room. Though we haven't ventured out, this looks more like Puerto Rico to me than China...

The street below our window. The round things in the top right are cafe tables outside. Hope it is nice enough to eat there!

Big city Guangzhou. Shopping, here we come...