Final Post from China

Okay, so I may have underestimated the time that would be available to post! I know for a fact that this is the last post I will be doing from China. It is currently Saturday @14:10 and I have been fighting Starbucks internet for about an hour :-(
Anyway, this morning we headed out to the Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King (!). It was within walking distance from our hotel, we really weren't up for anymore taxi rides. It's probably about 80 degrees outside w/pretty good humidity. Nate did well for something we didn't understand. They had a children's activity section where he and Mama made a bookmark:

Exploring the tomb of the Nanyue King

We kind of got turned around on our trip back to the hotel, but managed to find a way through the local park and Denise snapped this one of some schoolchildren:

We made it back to the hotel in a pool of sweat so it was back to the pool for a quick dip. We went back to our room so Nate could take his nap, which seems to becoming harder for him to do, even w/all the activities! I went out for some lunch, but our Starbucks was out of the sandwiches we like and McDonald's was absolutely packed! We are going out w/the other remaining family this afternoon, maybe to the park and then dinner. Denise is currently trying to pack up all our dirty laundry, souvenirs, and other odds and ends so we are ready to roll in the morning. We have to meet our van @05:30 tomorrow, drive to the airport, then we fly from Guangzhou to Shanghai. I don't have our domestic travel agenda on hand, but I think we leave Guangzhou around 10 and get into Shanghai around noon. I know our international flight does not leave until 15:45 from Shanghai, but we fly DIRECTLY to Cleveland (yeah!) and should arrive around 22:30 tomorrow (Sunday). I have managed to take one more day off from work (Monday) to try and get in the swing of things. I told Denise you know your worlds are colliding when you have a dream about installing Nielsen equipment in the house of one of the families we travelled with!

Rounding third and heading for home!

Well, the internet debacle continues. We pay for a 24 hour chunk at a time and today decided it wasn't worth the additional 100 yuan it was costing us. The transfer rate was pathetic and it was very unreliable. So today (Friday) I post to you compliments of our nearby Starbucks. It's crazy that an establishment from the states finds itself over here, but, hey, business is booming! I'm still losing track of previous posts, so I'll recap the last day or so.  Yesterday we had our Oath appointment @the Consulate in the afternoon. It rained all day, so we made do in the hotel through the morning. Our trip to the Consulate was uneventful, our guides were kind enough to drive us in their car to the appointment. We are the last family of 12 to have this appointment. I guess they're saving the best for last. No cameras are allowed inside the facility so I have no picts. to post from that. It was pretty cut and dried. There were probably 20 families total @the facility. You wait in a big room for either your name, your agency, or the (Chinese) name of your child to be announce. Fortunately we had a lady w/very good annunciation who listed all three. You go up to a bank teller type window (behind the bullet-proof glass) and receive a copy of everyone's passport. Then you wait again until all families have that paperwork then an American comes out, gives you some facts about the number of adoptions and all the documents they process, etc. Then you all raise your right hand and pledge that all the information you have provided regarding your adoption is accurate and truthful to the best of your knowledge. That's about it! Then another trip back to the hotel just in time to connect w/the last two couples for a river boat trip. Traffic was terrible so we actually missed the boat we thought we we're going to take. But the good Lord was smiling down because, since we were late, we got a discount on our ticket prices!

Mama making a dash for the Dragon Boat we took our river trip on (still raining!)






Nate did pretty well on the cruise. He got to look out the windows @all the lighted buildings and other activity on the Pearl River. We got back to the hotel late, he took a bath, he and Mama had a ticklefest and we all went to bed!

Old Man and the Sea, evidently the Old Man doesn't have his sea legs!

Today was another shopping adventure. Thank goodness the dollar goes far in this country. In a way it's kind of sad because, at times, it feels like they see Americans w/their adopted child and they see dollar, or yuan, signs! Many of the shops we have visited have been very nice and helpful. Some have the sales associates following you around the WHOLE time. We caught a taxi back to our hotel to await our phone call to let us know all the paperwork had been processed and Nate's passport was ready to go!

Muscle-man Nate Dog trying to show the elevator who's boss!

Our guides phoned about 16:00 to let us know everything was in order! We stopped by their apartment to get the paperwork and decided we needed to give the pool a dance since we're running out of time. It is definitely warm enough for swimming, however, the pool is outdoors and unheated. The setting is beautiful and the outside temperature is somewhere around the mid 70s, but the pool was COLD! Mama was the brave soul to take Nate in for his first swim. Dad hung out on the edge, getting acclimated (ha-ha). He seemed to enjoy the water and especially like when Denise would splash or go motorboating w/him!

This kid's Mama would go to the end's of the Earth for him. Actually we've come kinda close on this journey!

We went back to the hotel and Denise gave Nate a bath to help warm him up. She was hoping he could play in the tub while I blog and she starts packing. Tomorrow we're hoping to keep low key. We have no more guides, they had to leave today for Shanghai for another group coming in. Ironically that is the same group we would have been in had we decided to wait until the end of the month to travel. I believe it is safe to say that we are BLESSED w/all that we have been through and the time we travelled. According to one of our guides many things would have been different had we travelled later. Different hotels, different guides, etc. We are thankful for our time here building our relationship w/our son. At the moment, I'm kind of the court jester, bill payer, and "bad guy" when it comes to removing him from a situation or giving Denise a little breathing room It's a role I am unsure in and I ask the Lord everyday to give me guidance in leading our family down this path he has laid before us. It is only through him that I can become the kind of  father that Nathaniel needs to become the man He has in mind. I also owe an unimaginable debt to my ever loving wife of 15 years whose love, understanding, compassion, and patience make each day a blessing! I'm not sure I'll be able to post anymore, but know you are all in our thoughts and prayers as we begin to close this chapter in our lives and begin a whole NEW saga! Many thanks again for your thoughts and prayers, it has been adventure and it is now time to come home!

Troy

Rainy day in Guangzhou

Yesterday afternoon we stopped by the play area for a little while. They have a golden goose that is a bit too small for Nate, but he decided to give it a whirl anyway!

In the evening, we hooked up w/a couple of the remaining families (we're getting less by the day)and went to a restaurant located in one of the parks. The weather had turned somewhat sweltering, not an oppressive heat but very muggy. The air just kind of hung around you. We ate outside which was nice as the evening went on. A couple people wanted to taste the local flavor before this chapter ended and this is what they came up with:

Yes indeed, that is a little bitty squid topping that dish!

This pigeon comes complete w/Chik-Fil-A waffle fries!

The weather today (Thursday) is pretty crummy. It's been raining all morning. We are to meet in the lobby of the hotel @14:15 for our ride to the Consulate. Other families have stated that the actual proceedings only take about 15 minutes, but you have to wait until ALL families arrive, that could be up to an hour. So we plan on packing some cars and maybe a book or two to keep him occupied. No cameras are allowed so we won't have any pictures of that event.

We've whiled away the morning reading and letting Nate play w/his cars and balloons. Mama did eventually break out the Play Doh and a fun time was had by all!

Mother's perspective

Tonight is my turn to share with you all.  I was talking to another mother and I told her it is like I have been watching an exciting horse race all my life.  I was lucky to take a ride for a day or perhaps an afternoon, but I always had to go back as a spectator and wish to ride.  Now I feel the wind and the thrill of the race of motherhood.  Unfortunately, sometimes my little ride stops dead in his tracks and throws me off and other times he gallops to a happy tune feeling more secure  We are learning as we go and trying to communicate the best we can focusing on non-verbal and lots of love. It is the ride of a lifetime and it is so comforting to know I never have to be lonely again waiting for my turn on the track.  My son has filled a void in me that I didn't know existed and I'm in awe.  I praise God everyday for this little bundle of energy. As I am typing this now, he is covering his father up as Troy is trying to sleep. Everyday we get closer through our struggles and precious time together.  I can't wait to take him home to a cleaner environment and surround him with our family and friends.  He is perfect and worth the wait. Thank you to everyone for your loving comments and texts.  They keep me going and mean more than you will ever know.  China is not my cup of tea (no pun intended), but I get up each morning and offer it up to God.  He is carrying our family through and blesses us with small gifts- a clean squatting potty, a smile of a stranger, french toast, fresh pineapple at breakfast, kiss from Nathan, bottle water from the hotel every morning, or our guide letting us know our paperwork is correct.  We will be home soon so watch out everyone- Nathan is going to light up your life!

P.S. An aside from Troy: We are experiencing MAJOR internet issues here in the hotel. I was having no more luck w/the free wi-fi in the lobby, so Denise thought she would be nice and pay the 100 yuan/day charge for hi-speed in our room. I am having more trouble now, connecting, staying connected, and trying to access our blog than ever. So hang in there, if you don't hear from us. God is good and he has gotten us this far, He'll get us the rest of the way! It just stinks that this is our only form of communication!

Group Shot

You all will have to forgive me if I get repetitive on the blogs. Usually the day shakes out w/breakfast, play time or excursion, possible appointment somewhere or sightseeing, lunch, nap. During nap is when I try to update the blog. So it is actually done in half days. Like today (Wed.)I'll try to update on our activities last night and what we did this morning. But w/o checking the previous blog, which takes forever on this connection, I may be repeating. So sorry!
Yesterday after nap we played w/some balloons and then went down to the lobby to have our group photos taken. It was really neat because many of the children had traditional Chinese outfits to wear and it was nice to have a remembrance of this chapter in Nathaniel's life. Denise and I were talking today, it's almost bittersweet because some families are actually getting ready to leave today, or are leaving this afternoon! Everyone was taking down information and photos yesterday so that when we all get state side we can (try) to stay connected.

After the family photo, the three of us took a taxi ride back to the "island" where the clinic and shops are located to pick up the drawings that were made yesterday. During the tail end of our paperchasing, once we had our travel plans and whatnot, Denise did some research and found a restaurant in Guangzhou called "Danny's Bagels". Apparently this Danny came over from New Jersey several years ago and opened a restaurant to try and offer as traditional Italian and Americana fare as he could. So we had the concierge write down the address so we could have a taxi take us over to the restaurant. It was a nice place to eat and Danny actually came out later and talked w/us for about 20 minutes just asking where we were from and how the food was and everything. I think he actually was homesick and pleased to connect w/some folks from state side who could help him feel reconnected.
The surrounding area of Guangzhou is kind of like a low-key Vegas. Lots of neon lighting, although what they are advertising we haven't the slightest. The weather cooperated, I don't know if I've mentioned before but it has been running about 70 or so, w/moderate humidity. Some days we wear shorts, other times, light pants are comfortable.
We arrived @the hotel about 21:00 and took a short tour around the fourth floor where the pool and various other activity rooms are located.

Mama snapped this one while we were horsing around on a bench outside.

This morning it was, you know it, breakfast again. We know, since today was pancakes, that tomorrow will be french toast, yeah! We had to be back in our room so, at least, one of us could be near the phone from 09:30 onward while our guides were @the Consulate. So, we got the balloons out again and played w/them. Nate was still sleepy since going to bed late, but still getting up around 06:00, so he was kinda crabby. We got the call from Amy about 11:30 that all was good and we meet tomorrow in the lobby @14:15 to take our trip to the Consulate and take our Oath! We went down to the playland inside the hotel since it was raining out again. Two other families joined us later on and it was nice to just play around some and discuss future plans. The one family is leaving this afternoon and the husband called us to see if we wanted any of their leftover groceries. Down the hall he comes w/a bag full of crackers and nuts. We're all set on the snack front, even if we had to stay for another 2 weeks! Thanks Rick and Donna, God speed and safe travels!

Denise wanted to snap this pick, perhaps reminiscent of her college days? "Have you seen a Cheshire cat come through here?"

It's Groundhog's Day in Guangzhou

The title for this day's blog borrows from that ever-entertaining movie starring Bill Murray where he gets stuck in Pennsylvania during the Groundhog Day celebration and EVERY day he gets up.....it's Groundhog's Day! We're starting to feel that way here in Guangzhou as each day is (almost)like the previous. I'm sure we'll appreciate that consistency when we get home and things go the other way! Most of the families are on cruise control @this point. Some had their "interviews" w/the Consulate already. Others have them today (Tuesday) or tomorrow (us). It's kind of weird though because we don't actually go to the Consulate. Our guides for this leg of the trip go on our behalf and one member from the family has to stay in their room from 9-11 a.m. during that process in case they need to call.
Anyhoo, the rain continued yesterday, light but consistent. In spite of that we managed to get to the clinic for a negative reading on Nate's TB test (yeah!). According to our one guide, there were 260 people @the clinic to be seen, and the clinic was to close in about 2 hours!

After the visit to the clinic we wandered around in the rain, going from shop to shop. Denise found a few prints we will have framed and hung in Nate's room. She also came across a barber shop, which was a stroke of genius! Nate's hair was pretty shaggy and what perfect time to get it cut but w/someone who could explain to him what was going on! He did pretty well w/it, bouncing between not sure what was going on, to gawking @himself in the mirror.

Mama sporting the latest in "Homeless Visitors to China" rain gear!

Many of the shops were quaint and there was one where the artist uses no brushes to do his prints, just his hands!

We had dinner w/several of the families @Lucy's, kind of a low grade Planet Hollywood. Denise had spaghetti and I had sweet/sour chicken. Not too bad. Nate works off either plate, but mostly sticks to his milk, and some conjee (spelling?). Congee looks to be what you get when you cook the daylights out of rice, dump in a lot more water and cook some more. Very bland, but I'm sure it's cheap and the fills the children up. Our orphanage made no mention of Nate having to eat this, but it seems to have been popular elsewhere.

Today (Tuesday) is low key. We though we would be going to the Consulate w/everyone else to have our Oath Taking Ceremony, but we are kind of the stragglers along w/one or two other families that haven't had their interviews yet. So we went to CarrFoure, kind of a Chinese Wal-Mart, to pick up some milk for Nate and other items. He did pretty well, actually rode in the cart as long as Mama was pushing! We took a taxi there and back (about 20 yuan one way including tip). The exchange rate is approximately 1 yuan = $7. So here we all are running around w/fat rolls of 100 yuan thinking we're big stuff! After the taxi ride back to the hotel we had some lunch and Denise and Nate took a nap (actually they are currently taking a nap as I type this blog, it's about 14:45 here). We have the evening free, which is nice, but it makes the day go by very slowly. Maybe another trip to the park or around the block, we're not sure.

It was interesting last night, after our trip to the clinic, the shopping, dinner, and the taxi ride back to the hotel, I checked my watch....and it was only 18:00. Nate usually goes to bed around 20:00. I had to double check my watch to make sure it was working! So Denise gave him and bath and we all played for a little while, THEN it was time for bed!

Hope we make it to the hotel alive!

Father-Son bonding?

Last night after dinner we went out to visit one of the parks located near our hotel. It was another experience because you actually go under the street through a passage to the other side where the hotel is located. Unfortunately, Nate is unable to distinguish between running in the park and running along the sidewalk where that crazy driving happens. We had a very nice time in the park, tossed our Nerf ball around a little bit and then headed back to the hotel. THAT was an ordeal in itself. He was on overdrive from a short nap and all the excitement in the park. He was squirming and screaming to beat the band! We did manage to pick up 2 "Polo" shirts for him @$5 apiece. I think they are referred to as Polo Fashion and the embroidered player looks like he's riding a camel!

Scrub-a-dub after an afternoon in the park!










This morning was low key w/breakfast and a father/son trip to the park w/another dad and his son. It started off REALLY rough because Nate is mama's boy all the way. He doesn't like being away from her and he is still leery about being w/me. It was a good time for me to pick the brain of another "experienced" dad. Rick is 48 and he and his wife have three biological children, the youngest is 16. He's a good ol' boy from Georgia and he had some good advice to offer this "dad in training". His son Brookes rode in a stroller and was as quiet as could be. Nathaniel made up for both and about 200 other children! Once we made it to the park, though, he must have figured out that things were going to be OK w/o Mama. He is obsessive/compulsive to the point of picking leaves and things off the sidewalk and throwing them off to the side. Let me repeat, ALL leaves off the sidewalk! Needless to say, that walk took a while, but Rick was really good about it. We sat down for a bit and Nate and Brookes took to cleaning the leaves off the sidewalk and throwing them in a nearby lake.

"Yeah, well you wouldn't believe what MY dad did!"

We started to pick up some rain and Rick was nice enough to share an additional umbrella he and his wife had purchased here in town. The rain didn't appear to want to let up so we headed back to the hotel, complete w/a brief tumble down the stairs of the underpass as dad tried to juggle the umbrella, backpack, and holding Nate's hand :-(

Mama was so glad to see her little boy when we got back, and Rick showed us a really nice play area actually in the hotel on the fourth floor.

Let me show you how to do this Ol' Man!

We had lunch from Starbucks and Denise got Nate cleaned up from our walk. This afternoon we head back to the clinic to have his TB results and checkout the surrounding area!

Laundry returned from our guides source outside the hotel. They know how to do it!

A day at the Zoo

This morning we visited the Guangzhou Zoo, which is the second largest zoo in China next to Beijing! The day started off a little rough because we've been trying to figure out what to do w/Nate @bedtime. There is only one king size bed in our room, plus the crib that I guess the hotel figures every adopted child is going to sleep in. Not the case w/this little man! The first night, we made do w/the chaise lounge and some pillows. Mama felt bad about that so, you guessed it, last night he sleeps w/us. Seems as though Nathaniel also has a future in soccer once he gets older. Denise was restless most of the night and woke up tired. Needless to say, the show must go on. So, down to breakfast, mostly milk today and some egg, rice, noodles. That seemed to be the staple of his mornings while in the orphanage so I wonder if he is tired of it. Denise gets worried he doesn't eat "a lot". But he makes up for it w/milk, Graduates cereal, and other trappings from our plates! After breakfast comes bath time. The bathroom is setup quite uniquely. There is a glass window that looks into our room from it and the bathroom itself is laid out thus:

First area: sink and toilet. Through a glass door you enter the stand-up shower and the tub which is situated lengthwise along that glass window. Long story short, he is able to take his bath and make a huge mess because it only goes one way, towards the shower drain. That will have to change when we get state side! After bath it usually is the Smith tag team show to get him dressed. Once mass hysteria has subsided from the dressing, it's back to the lobby and off to the zoo. He seemed to do pretty well, most of the animals intrigued him, however a few still intimidate. Again, he was tied to his mother's hip. She's really getting to work on her biceps and triceps hauling this 30# package around!
After the zoo, it was time to head back to the hotel for nap and lunch for mom and dad. We had some laundry done through our guide and it turned out quite nice, packaged and everything. Tonight is a free night because 9 of the 11 families are going to the Consulate tomorrow for their appointments (we're not one of them, ours isn't until Wednesday). So, we also have a free morning. Tomorrow afternoon we are going back to the Clinic area to have Nate's TB results checked and do some shopping for souvenirs and the like.

Yes, I'd like to book a one way ticket out of here, please!

Hey Mom! It's one of Dad's ancestors!

Can't get enough of those Cheerios and Graduate puffs!

First day Guangzhou and the trip there (ugh)

Our last day in Harbin (Friday) was rather uneventful. Our flight was @1410 to Guangzhou and our guide picked us up @1130. Nathaniel is getting to be quite the handful @times as I'm sure Denise would agree. He is very stubborn and hard-headed. He's encountered SEVERAL time outs for throwing, talking back to Mama, and other disagreeable things. Through it all we (try) to remember what he has been through and even what he is going through now. Our flight was delayed out of Harbin by about 45 minutes, which actually turned out to be a blessing because one of our checked bags triggered security. So, there I was going through our assortment of dirty laundry, foods, toiletries, etc. w/the Chinese security guard wondering what he was looking for. Turned out we had several liquids that were scanned and needed accounted for. The Off mosquito spray Denise had stowed away threw us for a loop! Anyhoo, we made it to our gate and waited around for take-off. Nate did well w/taking off and even settled down for a nap. He was NOT about to wear his seat belt however! About 1 1/2 hours into the flight, we become that stereotypical American couple w/the Chinese child that is screaming at the top of his lungs and we are clueless! Only through the grace of God did Denise finally figure out that maybe his ears were bothering him. We gave him some Graduate hand foods to eat and all was (relatively) right w/the world.

Nate trying to make a getaway! Actually he and Denise were playing w/one of his cars on the moving sidewalk to pass the time.

We arrived in Guangzhou about 20:00 and were promptly met by our AWAA contact, Amy. We loaded up the bus w/other returning families which was another blessing. To be able to connect for that brief time w/others going through this journey was soothing.

Today was check-up day for all the children. We are staying @a 5 star Marriott and, brother, you know it! We actually ordered room service last night for a burger, fries, and Diet Pepsi. Amazing! You surely miss the simple things as you go down this path. Moving along, the breakfast is very good, Nate is not as big an eater in the morning as he was, but still manages to kill off about a half a cow's worth of milk! I don't have any picts. of the visit to the clinic for their check ups. That experience could only be done justice w/video. So I have three short sections of video saved showing the madness that is encountered during these checkups. Nate passed w/flying colors but, since he is over 2 he had to have a TB test which will be checked Monday. Mama was there through the whole thing trying to reassure him that we were there for him and this was to make sure he was healthy! I did manage to snap one of these doozies though!

A squatty potty in full effect! According to Denise this is actually a REALLY nice one! I have yet to encounter one for my own use.

After the clinic we travelled over to a multi-purpose store, is the best way to put it! Toys, groceries, perfume, they carried just about everything which is good because we were running dangerously low on pull-ups for Little Man. Currently we are back @the hotel, we had some lunch, and Denise was trying to put Nathan down for a nap. He was not happy about that @all! You have to pay for the internet in your room, however it is free in the lobby so that is where I am sending this post. Sounds as though we are going to have some pretty busy days ahead of us, but I will try and post when I can. Thanks again to all our friends and family that are praying us home through this. We appreciate it more than you will ever know! Unfortunately due to the slowness of the connection and the fact I have to haul the camera and assorted cables down to the lobby, I probably will not post nearly as many pictures as you would all like. Sorry :-(

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe what MY son did...."

Nathaniel a self-portrait

Last full day in Harbin!

It's scary the pattern we're getting into already w/this little man! Everybody's up around 6-6:30 (however, we use that term very loosely as I've been up several hours before as has Denise), play a little bit, Denise and I get cleaned up. No sense cleaning up Nate since he tends to be a little messy after breakfast.

After breakfast we come back to the room and kind of "wait" until he gets to go potty because, frankly, it is a real treasure hunt trying to find bathrooms around here!

Guess who's not allowed to dress the kid?

Once we get ready it's down to the hotel lobby to hook up w/Katherine and our driver for today's excursion to Siberian Tiger World, or something of that affect.

Somebody's getting tired of all this running around!

Not sure this was Nate's cup of tea. It's kind of like the Wildlife Safari in Sandusky where you travel in a van and drive through the tigers habitat. He was pretty scared when they were near by, but held his own!

"Look mama, I spy w/my little eye..."

So after our daily excursion, it's back to the hotel for lunch. Actually, Denise had packed lunch for us since we weren't sure how long we would be out to the tiger exhibit. After lunch comes nap time and this is where Denise and I are able to recharge a bit. She writes in the journal she is keeping on our travels and I update the blog. We let him sleep till about 4, play some, have dinner, maybe walk around (we've been doing laps on our floor of the hotel. Then it's time to unwind and head to bed around 8. Sometimes it feels like that span from 4-8 lasts for a day (isn't it bedtime, yet?). I'm not sure how much I'll be able to enter from tomorrow (Friday) as we are heading down to Guangzhou @11:30 (4-5 hour flight, ugh) for all our legal stuff! We cannot thank you all enough for your thoughts and prayers during our travel. It's been everything rolled into one: nervous, exciting, trying, tiring, exhilarating, frustrating, uneasy, unsure, enlightening. The change that has taken place in my wife is amazing. Almost overnight she has transformed into a mother. She is handling Nate so well w/patience, love, and understanding. We all know this, right?

It's not always sunshine and rainbows :-(

Adventures continue in Harbin

First and foremost, we are severely limited in our electronic communications. Denise is unable to send text messages (yet she can receive them, what's up w/that?) and we cannot SEND email, though we can receive it as well. So, basically, Sarah would you tell Mrs. Cairnes that we are alive and well and to check the blog for updates, please? Thanks!

Alright, Denise said I need to cut down on the chatter and up the ante on the pictures. So, here we go.

Breakfast this morning in the hotel (not so good, how do baked beans qualify for breakfast?). Picked up @10 by Katherine to go to a "church". Turns out this "church" is actually an old Russian Byzantine Orthodox church converted to a museum of sorts for the local history. Interesting, but not really the thing for a "crazy" three year old!



Outside the church there were many families and children just enjoying the weather, still slightly chilly although beautifully sunny! If any of you know our dog Annie (who does NOT know she is a dog), it seems our son is following in her footsteps regarding making friends. Denise had to sit in on this picture in order to keep Nate from heading in the other direction

We walked along past the museum to a local mall and hooked Nate Dog up w/his first pair of Nikes! While at the mall, we also picked up some tasty treats at a bakery and some fresh produce to offset the PB&J and other carbs we've been eating. This is NOT the place to visit if you are on the Atkins Diet! Anyway, the weather turned a little grey and started to rain, so it was back to the hotel for lunch and some "down" time before Nathan took his nap.

Nate checking out the fishes in our hotel lobby!

Mama's boy? You bet!

Watch out Bill Gates and Steve Jobs! Nathaniel Ze Smith is cutting his teeth on the cutting edge!

Second day in Harbin

I had a pretty restless night, between a phone call from our Asian travel coordinator and an anonymous phone call around midnight that went something like this:
"Hello?"
"Uh, herro, um youa havea message?"
"I'm sorry. A message?"
"No, um...er...massage?"
"No thanks"
"Oh, so sorry", click

                                                         

Anyway, today was our return trip to the Adoption Center to finalize all of Nate's paperwork. This visit was accompanied by a trip to the "squatty potty" for him. Now mind you, that trip to the potty occured while the Director of the agency is getting signatures and seals (placing your thumb in a waxy red material and placing it over your signature). The time wasn't stressful enough, Nathaniel had to laba - poo poo. So Ma Ma and one of his teachers go off to the squatty potty and there I sit w/the Director and the head of the orphanage. Talk about uncomfortable silences. With his laba finished, we were able to complete all the crazy paperwork, have more pictures taken and he IS OURS! (Well we still have all that legal stuff, but who's keeping track?)

Back to the hotel (our home away from home away from home) and the sun was actually out so we could take him for a short walk around the local grounds. Our hotel is situated by some form of "lake" where folks fly kites and just sort of wander around. It was nice, but cold. We weren't able to stay out for too long. So, again, back to the hotel where we played w/the balloon for awhile,but he was getting tired and quite crazy! We were able to lay him down for a nap while Denise read her book and I worked on yesterdays blog. As it stands, I'm running about a day late getting these out. It is currently Wednesday @0900 and I'm finishing THIS blog. Oh well, all the days are running together. After nap we went back to Wal-Mart for some of those boil-some-noodles-in-a-bag type things and some bread for our peanut butter. Lunch was in the room, peanut butter sandwiches, water. The rest of our day was taken up w/cars, balloons and much laughter. Nate has really attached to Denise, which is fantastic. We worry that he has attached so quickly, but it seems like his orphanage may have been the exception to the rule. Quite clean, many friends, and just a good place to be in for that situation.
We did try to get Nate some "authenitc" Chinese noodles @the California Noodle King USA restaurant. Man, what a trip. Menus were complete Mandarin and NOONE spoke English or even Chinglish. Fortunately there was a patron sitting near by who had a plate of what we thought Nate might like. So we ordered it up w/some water and he did pretty good. He's adamant about feeding himself and the traditional Chinese way is to kind of shovel the food into one's mouth from the plate. Of course, we're trying to break him of that habit! Anyway, it was McDonalds for Denise and I and back to the hotel for bedtime!