Day 6

I discovered that it's difficult to post large files here, so I have a few smaller video clips to post. This is from this morning before we went to breakfast. She can't sit up on her own, so we have to prop her up with pillows.









I know I've been bad about blogging over the past few days. We now have a mini-dictator running the show, so I either haven't had time some days or I'm just too exhausted by the time she goes to sleep, so I end up crashing too.



Her hair cracks me up. She woke up with a 'Zo-hawk' this morning.




Let me catch you up on our time in Nanchang so far.


Monday

After we got Zoe on Monday, we had to stick around in the conference room for a couple of hours to sign some paperwork and fill out even more documents. Since Zoe wasn't officially ours until Tuesday, the orphanage asks you to sign an agreement promising to take good care of her overnight until the adoption is finalized the next day. As many of you know, all of the document gathering and organizing has been my project for the past 6 months. I have everything copied, collated, labeled, highlighted, etc. So on gotcha day, Zoe ended up falling asleep on me after we got her, so that left Mark to fill out all of the paperwork. Even Mark will agree, penmanship is not in his wheel house, so he had to keep asking me if what he wrote was legible to anyone who doesn't read 'mark'. In the end, he did a great job. Then the orphanage director presented us with a gift for Zoe- a silver pendant with tiny bells on it. It's for good luck and a happy life.





After the chaos of delivering the babies, we had a chance to go back to our room for a bit before lunch. Zoe was dressed 'split pants' which is very common for Chinese children. The pants are literally split open at the crotch to allow easy diaper access without undressing or to allow older children to simply squat and do their business. Her diaper was made of very thin plastic and a little bit of absorbent material in the center. It was held on by a piece of cording tied around her waist. She had on a long sleeve jacket and the arms were wet-- and we later discovered why. When she is stressed out she chews on her sleeve to comfort herself.







Tuesday


This was a VERY long day. We had to make 3 very important stops today.:


The Adoption Registry



At the Adoption Registry we were interviewed about why we wanted to adopt and what our education and child care plans are. We were asked "Are you satisfied with your child?" Umm, let me think about that....


We had to take a family photo and then, the moment we had been waiting for, we finally got to unload all that cash. We had been walking around with thousands of US dollars since we arrived last week. Some orphanages will allow familes to wire the money from the US, but Zoe's is not one of them. The worst part is-- all of the money had to be brand new and completely pristined. No marks, no wrinkes, no creases, nothing. But for safety, we had to carry the cash in a money belt under our clothes...for 5 days...in 90 degree heat and 80% humidity. It was a challenge to keep it all in good condition, but we did. Here's Mark unloading that wad of cash:


Police Station

Then it was off to the police station where Zoe was photographed. Yup, baby mugshot. Most of the kids had fallen asleep on the bus after leaving the adoption office, so the parents had to wake them up for the photo. You can imagine how happy the kids were about that.



Notary

Then it was off to the notary where our adoption decree would be formalized. We had to do another interview and were asked again if we were 'satisfied' with our child. Hmm wait, still thinking...

Then he signed and stamped the paperwork we completed that morning and Zhuang Lu Xin officially became Zoe Xin Lu T.

A note about driving in China...
We have a chartered bus that takes our group from place to place each day. The traffic here makes Boston drivers seem courteous. Cars come within INCHES of people, bikes, buses etc. At home, if you're halfway across the street when a car comes, the car typically slows down. Not here. You better move your butt or you WILL get run over.

I have to go see a pagoda in 20 minutes, so I have to run. (I know, what a typical excuse.) I will continue this tonight.