Trip to China
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Monday, August 16, 2010 RETAIL THERAPY Today is the day of our Consulate Appointment and we are skipping it! Well, actually our guide is going for us. We didn't even know that was possible until this weekend when she informed us that she could take our place at the appointment. In some ways I was happy to be able to enjoy the morning without rushing out the door but also upset that we wouldn't be able to see all the newly adopted children. I had heard so many stories from the adoption community and this was a pretty big appointment. It would actually be our second to last appointment required for the China adoption process. I can hardly believe it! Our adoption journey is almost complete! Pretty soon we will not have to worry about anymore paperwork in China! Yesterday Todd met with the guide to hand over all our remaining paperwork and we found out that we were missing a very important piece of paper. Our I-800 form which shows that Harper is allowed to become a US citizen and is eligible to be adopted. Thank goodness I was so obsessed with dates at every step of the adoption paperwork trail. I actually memorized the date for each piece of paperwork was issued to us. So even though we did not have it they were able to process us since I knew the date. I also found a copy I had saved to our computer (for all adoptive parents, make sure to scan in each piece of paperwork. It was a lifesaver and something that could have really delayed us in traveling back home this week). Our guide will pay our Visa fee today and then tomorrow we take an oath for Harper. It feels really weird to be missing such an important milestone in our journey. I almost feel like we were playing hookie from school or work! We were told to just be available in our rooms during the appointment time in case the government officials had any questions. Of course you can't really enjoy your morning because you are still up worrying that everything will go smoothly and there are no mistakes on any of the new papers. We did make it down to the breakfast buffet and I got to sit with Harper and little miss Hadley, the other baby that is in our travel group. Harper is still not the best with other children. She just points and yells something to them. She also did not like it when I gave Hadley a piece of food today. I am guessing Harper never had to share anything before! It is really hard to figure out what she has seen or done before she came into our arms. Each moment just brings something new and I love seeing the world through her eyes. Even though Harper was still not herself today with the fever and the ongoing hives, we decided we still wanted to keep our shopping appointments for today. I was starting to miss home and needed some form of therapy. What a perfect day to get my shopping fix! I get into the zone when I shop even at a super market! I don't even have to buy anything to be content and happy! It is definitely something I inherited from my parents and my favorite form of therapy...ha! Instead of dressing Harper in the dress I had picked out months ago for the Consulate Appointment I put on something stylish for her to go shopping in. As I was dressing her she began pointing and yelling, "Da da!" I could not figure out what she wanted and then I realized she wanted my sunglasses that where on top of my head. She did not want to play with them though she wanted to wear them. We spent an hour today with her putting them on me and me putting them on her. It was so much fun. With her outfit and sunglasses she reminded me of a little J-Lo! On our way downstairs to meet our guide an English couple with their children entered the elevator. They looked at us then Harper and the man asked, "So what is the on the agenda for today? Perhaps some shopping or lunch out?" We replied that Harper loves to shop and that would be our outing for today. His wife replied in her English accent, "Oh a girl after my own heart!" After we exited the elevator Todd and I were laughing at how we didn't really feel like we were in China here in Guangzhou. It puts us a bit at ease to see the diversity here at The White Swan Hotel. We almost have to catch ourselves because there are many times we just feel like we are staying at a hotel in the United States. However, here we need to be careful to not drink the water and to watch everything we eat! Everyone says the shopping is pretty slow in the province and then gets out of hand in Guangzhou. This is definitely true! Today our guide, Connie, would meet us at 10:30 am after the consulate appointment and we would then be off to the government run jade and pearl market. I had done some research on pearls and jade but when you are at the shops admiring the pieces for their quality they didn't seem that inexpensive to me! Well this was once in a lifetime and since jade is very precious in China we wanted to get some very unique pieces. In China, jade is actually more sought after then diamonds. Jade symbolizes beauty, nobility, perfection, constancy, power, and immortality in Chinese culture. Typically a baby will either receive a bracelet or a circular charm on a red string from their eldest family member. On the way to the jade store our guide explained to us the three different qualities of jade: Class A, B & C. She was so funny and adamant that we not buy Class C because as she says it is "junk jade" that has no value or meaning and would bring bad luck. I thought about how I bought Harper this tiny $1 play bracelet the other day. Hmm...I guess I won't let her wear that anymore. It is funny how after some time here you start to follow their culture's advice! I definitely didn't want to do anything to upset the "Jade Gods"! Harper was in rare form today. She was tired and cranky or annoyed with the hives or the eruption of some new teeth. She was all over the place and needed to be carried the whole time in the stores and of course only by me. I was in the zone and was trying to figure out what pieces of jade I wanted to buy. It was fun to shop but was very difficult with Harper. She was touching everything and pulling things off the shelves. She is a typical toddler! This government run store was very nice. When you first walk in there is a Buddha that you can take your picture with and leave some money at his feet. Even though we are not Buddhists we did as they do in China and took a picture and payed homage to him. Harper did not seem impressed and gazed over to the artists that were painting very finely on porcelain. We were able to watch the artists at work here and it was amazing to see how steady their hands were while painting. I was so happy for the artists and they were so proud of their work. They could do what they love and make money from it at the same time. They are so dedicated to sit here for hours painting. The manager of the store guided us around and then pointed to another man who was finger painting but I have never seen finger painting like this before. The brushstrokes of his finger mimicked the brushstrokes of a paint brush. Todd picked out a painting and we had Harper's Chinese name painted on it. Todd then went to tip the young man and he tried to refuse but eventually accepted it. We kept complimenting him and he was so bashful. It was translated back to us that he was thankful and didn't feel he should get tipped for just doing his job. He was so kind. I just made a wish for him that he always has a job and can live a good life. They are blessed to have these jobs and to be so talented. I know they don't have much of an education though so I wonder what would they fall back on if something were to happen to them and they could not physically sit and paint on hours upon hours. There is no system in place to help them should they need financial or medical assistance. I find myself getting very attached to the people of China and just wonder what their lives will be like years from now. After being at the Jade store for two hours I finally had found my perfect pieces of Jade for Harper, me and my parents. The Jade we got today I will cherish forever! I made sure our guide approved of the pieces I bought! I definitely did not want junk or cloudy jade! I also bought Chinese shoes, magnets, clothes and some really different gifts for my friends. We shopped until we dropped there! The babies were tired but we had one more stop the Pearl market. China is now the top producer of freshwater pearls, so like Jade most foreigners come to China and buy pearls as one of their many souvenirs. I knew exactly what I wanted here so luckily it would not take us two hours to shop. My best friend Deanna is going to be the Godmother so I wanted something very meaningful for Harper and her at the Christening. The pearl market was bigger then I ever could have imagined. Since my dad is a jeweler I have been to a ton of jewelry shows and up and down jeweler's row in Philadelphia and New York City. This place, however was remarkable! It was six floors with countless stores and they all just sold pearls. Thank goodness we came with a guide because I would not know where to begin. Our guide took us to her favorite store. I know the shop owners smell the Americans coming a mile away to spend some cold American cash! We picked out a strand of pearls that we liked and then right in front of us they made a bracelet for the godmother, as well as Harper and a few pairs of earrings for some very dear people in our lives. It was very meaningful for us to have everything done from this one strand of pearls. The word "pearl" in Latin means unique which is true. No two pearls are alike just as no two people are alike. We are all different in some fashion. If you look at Harper and us we look different but we are also all connected like the pearls but our string is invisible. As the ancient Chinese proverb says, "An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break." This is how we feel about Harper and the special people in our lives that are receiving the pearls from Harper's pearl strand. Tonight there would be no shopping but definitely some baby therapy. After dinner at Lucy's we came back to the room and

Harper and Hadley in their highchairs at breakfast in the hotel Harper and mommy checking out the waterfall at the White Swan Hotel My little J-lo! Harper staring at the kids on the bus and the kids staring back at her One of the artists delicately painting a porcelain vase The young man finger painting artwork for Harper The Pearl Market Harper getting fitted for her special pearl bracelet A successful shopping day! Harper continues to touch the ashtray (on our non-smoking floor) even though I repeatedly said, "No". Enjoying some one on one time with Daddy!

Harper was back and forth down the hallways. She obviously knows the word "no" or 'Mao" in Chinese but doesn't seem to listen to us. We are told she is testing us. It amazes me that this little girl would be doing that already, but she is! She would run away but then peek around the corner to make sure I was still there. She poses for the camera and just cracks up when she gets caught doing something she shouldn't. If I shake my head no she just smiles and shakes her head the same manner excepts she smiles a huge grin the whole time! Even though I am probably suppose to not laugh I can not help it. I love her so much and right now as long as she is happy I am too. We are definitely seeing her true personality! She is use to things her way and only her way! At dinner she was super rambunctious and I only got two bites of my dinner down which was okay since it was rubber spaghetti and fake pesto sauce! They only thing that kept her occupied were straws and french fries! It was quite the combination! Our sweet, crazy little girl was getting ready for bed tonight and she is such a stinker! She has figured out that the past few nights we did not go to sleep with her right away. So tonight after after I rocked her for what seemed like forever she was still not asleep My arms were so tired so after an hour I finally put her down on the bed and patted her back. She seemed okay and then began her sucking squirrel noises. I was like great she is asleep! Now all I have to do is inch off the bed slowly and make my way into the other room to spend some time with Todd. Just when I was about to make a quick get away I realized she wrapped her hand around the string of my pajamas. Just when I thought I was free, I was stuck! She would definitely wake up screaming and crying if I moved her hand off of me/ I can't believe she knew to do that! I felt like a contortion artist as I slithered my way out of my pants leaving them on the bed with her. Todd was watching me from afar and was trying to figure out what I was doing. I said to him, "You will never guess how smart our baby is"! We laughed so hard about Harper's cleverness and wit and enjoyed a different form of therapy that night . . . baby laughter!

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