Yes, Sir, That's My Baby

Thursday. I think. Days in a hotel full of babies, rain and not leaving the hotel much contributes to brain mush. That or having baby #2 has just driven what active brain cells I had left out to pasture. Oh, well. Luckily, China does not quiz you on the days of the week when you away are adoption. At each office, I get the same questions: when is your birthday, how old are you (trick question after #1??), why do you want to adopt from China (love the country, it is cheap and easy, well, not cheap but relatively easy comparatively, etc. and not I don't say the cheap and easy part, just checking to see if you really read this or just look at the pretty pics of Katie each day).

We didn't leave the hotel today except I ran across the street to Tiffanie's shop to get laundry and pick up Katie's christening outfit...which wasn't done yet. It was a worthwhile trip because I was able to get an original finding ad of Katie's for FREE. Yep. These people are smart at business. Their English is broken, but they know that if they give you a tiny piece of newspaper that means a lot to you, you'll buy from them.

The finding ad or tracing ad is a very tiny newspaper ad that is published after a baby is found in an attempt to locate the biological parents. Here is the English translation of Katie's ad:
Long Mei Xiu, Female, Born on 2005-5-14. Found on 2005-5-15 at the gate of a store in Dong ru Avenue. Thin, dark hair.

There is also a tiny photo of Katie as a newborn, which is the most valuable part. Her orphanage supplied a bad copy of this this ad, but the original is priceless to me. This tiny black and white newspaper photo, only 1/2-inch square, is the only photo of her as a tiny baby. The youngest photos we have otherwise are at 16 weeks from her referral. I feel a strong need to find out as much information as I can for Katie about her past, so that when she is older I can answer as many questions as possible. I will never be able to answer what could be the biggest question, why did her mother have to give her up, but we will figure that out together somehow. There is a photo of me with the ad below.

Otherwise, Katie was a playful baby all day. She is really attached to us now and she takes great joy in having us around to care and play with her. She woke up at 6am, ate then played until we went down for breakfast. She eats about every 3-3-1/2 hours and takes a couple of 2-3 hour naps a day, then goes to bed by 8. Would be earlier, but we keep ending up stuck at dinner too long. Tomorrow, we'll do something different about that. When she is tired, all we have to do is lay her down and she plays a bit then drifts off while sucking her thumb. Just like her big brother. They seem to have similar personalities, though Katie might be a little more introverted like Daddy.

She has a little runny nose and cough tonight, and it made me realize just how much she's attached herself to my heart. Every mother knows that when your baby is sick, you worry that much more. I think she is just fine, maybe a cold. We'll see in the morning...

Tomorrow, we go out to pick up Katie's passport and do a little sightseeing if the passport office isn't too crowded. I would LOVE to get out. On Saturday, we travel to the last city before heading home. I miss my boys and can't wait to introduce them to our newest family member. Brad is doing great at home, but I know it must be hard on him to miss these first days with Katie. She did talk about "da da da" today and even talked to him a bit this afternoon.

She loves me...
She loves me...hmmm...maybe!

Happy Katie playing with Grandma and our guide, Mandy.

Playing with Grandma!


Katie and mom have something in common, they're not morning people.

Katie sleeping...the thumb slipped out.
She'll do partial, but not full frontal nudity.

Katie already loves her big brother Alex who talks to her every day.

Mom holding Katie's finding ad. That is the tiny picture on the left side of the ad (in a plastic bag).