October 29 -- Adventure at the Temple
We are sort of behind posting because of the trip to the orphanage.
Which is just as well because today was relatively uneventful.
Yesterday we went to a local temple here in Fuzhou. We were impressed
by not only the beauty of the architecture, but the sheer size of the
compound. There are several buildings that make up the temple complex.
They are all ornate and the main tower is fifteen stories tall. If you
wish to go to the top you’d better be in shape because you’ll take
steps all the way.
It was a beautiful day with mostly clear skies and the temperature
was in the upper seventies. It was during this time that Daddy was his
typical self. (The ladies in the office at J.J. Daniell Middle School
will not be surprised at all). We were taking pictures at the
entrance to the temple grounds when I set down our backpack containing
all of our baby gear to facilitate the process of aiming the camera.
Fifteen minutes later when we were looking at a part of the complex one
hundred yards away, I realized that the pack wasn’t with me - I had
left it at the temple gate. “Oh, but it was just baby gear,” you
say. But it wasn’t just baby gear. It was also our passports and money
and credit cards and video camera and. . .oh well, you get the picture.
This was a serious situation with potentially life altering and
devastating consequences. Because if I didn’t find the back pack,
I would have to sleep in the lobby. And the lobby is a noisy lonely
place. Sometimes there are so many dumb husbands down there roaming
around that you can easily get disoriented. And if you screw up late in
the day you will find that all the good places to sleep have been taken
by all of the dumb husbands that had the good sense to make their
mistakes early. I had to find that bag.
I don’t know if it is in bad to taste to sprint through a temple
but sprint I did. I ran like O.J. Simpson through an airport.
After jumping over benches and dodging priests like a downhill skier I
finally found the bag right where I had left it. What a great feeling
to know I wouldn’t have to sleep in the lobby that night. But each day
gives into night and then again to a new day. And with each new day a
new set of opportunities to land in the lobby. After the near-lobby
experience we went shopping. It is, of course, a well known rule in
Husband Land that if you do anything that even gets close to doing time
in the lobby, or on the sofa, the wife gets to go shopping and buy
anything she wants. At least that’s what my wife says. We went to a few
different stores and my wife went immediately for pearls and jade. She
didn’t buy anything though. I guess she felt that the humiliation of
running a hundred yard dash through a place of religious significance
and tranquility was punishment enough.
As we got back to the hotel I noticed that there were already
several men sitting despondently on the sofas in the lobby. I didn’t
see any wives. I guess they were all out shopping.
Caroli is seems to be doing better each day and likes the stroller.
We don’t use it too much because she still needs reassurance that we
are there for her. The Baby Bjorn is a great invention that is perfect
for bonding. It is a baby carrier that keeps the baby facing you. This
way she can see you at all times and no one else has to watch her spit
up. Oh yeah, you might want to bring an extra shirt.
The doctor in Cincy thinks that Caroli’s rash is fungal in nature.
We have stopped treating it like eczema and were told to use
anti-fungal cream. Lacking that, jock itch spay would do just fine. I’m
not kidding. So here we are, spraying Cruex on our hands and rubbing it
on the back of the baby’s neck. It’s actually working. The rash is
going away. We have since gone to Wal-Mart and bought an ani-fungal
cream.
But it sure was interesting to be able to say, “My baby uses Cruex.”
By the way, each morning we wake up and can’t wait to check our
email. We are getting all you are sending and it makes us feel
closer to home. Hopefully, we will be there soon. |
| Love the teething biscuit! |
| Learning how to pull hair! |
| Getting use to a stroller. |
| Kentucky Fried Chicken supper in the lobby. |
October 30 -- Stir Crazy in Fuzhou
Caroli is becoming more vocal and has learned how to “raspberry”
with her lips. This matches the other “raspberry” sounds she as already
been making. The rash on the back of her neck is clearing up nicely.
She is complaining less about that now as well.
Today is Granddaddy Stott’s birthday and Caroli has sent a special message to him to honor the occasion.
We have included that picture in this post.
Today has been about packing and getting ready for our flight to
Guangzhou in the morning. We will meet in the lobby at 6:00am.
Fortunately I won’t already be there.
We can’t wait to leave. This has been a long stay in one place and
we know that we will have much more freedom of movement in the next
city than we do in this one. Here we have needed a taxi to go anywhere
and there really is no tourist district. The weather has been
unpredictable and mostly cloudy and rainy.
In Guangzhou there is a tourist area and we will not need a guide as much to go places. That will be fun.
Also it is warmer and they have been having much more sunshine.
Mostly we are ready to come home. We will leave on Wednesday for the US
and spend the night in LA before flying on to Atlanta. There will be
lots of traffic there but nothing like here. We are using a limo
service to pick us up at the airport. After all we’ve already spent
plenty - why stop now?
Uncle Pooter will meet us at the airport to take pictures. Caroli
has a special surprise for her Uncle Pooter so he had better be ready.
And Susan, it’s Auntie Pootie until you come up with something better.
Our next post will be from Guangzhou after out first flight with a
baby. Something tells me that there will be a story or two in that.
Until then . . . |
| Happy Birthday Granddaddy! |
| Ready for Georgia in my overalls |
| Doing baby laundry -- again..... |
| The clothes Caroli was wearing when she was found......very worn, torn seams and quit dirty........ |
Thanks so much for visiting
us during our journey,
Danny, LeeAnn
and Caroli! |
October 31 -- Finally In Guangzhou
Today we flew from Fuzhou to Guangzhou to begin the application
process for Caroli’s visa. She already has a passport and, as far as
the Chinese government is concerned the adoption is final. Once we have
Caroli’s visa for entry into the US we will fly out almost immediately.
As soon as we land she is a US citizen and, with the exception of some
follow up work from the adoption agency, she is ours forever.
We had to get up at dark-thirty this morning to catch our flight.
Everyone was asleep. The girl at the front desk was asleep. We had to
wake her to check out. The bus driver was asleep. We had to wake him so
that he could drive us to the airport. Caroli was asleep and slept
through most of the traveling. I think she will be a good travel baby
because as soon as we start moving she is out. This is good news for
grand parents who want to see their new grand baby.
The White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou is amazing. There is a waterfall
in the lobby, lots of shops and attendants at the elevators on each
floor. They take care of all needs of the guests on their floor. Need
an iron or extra towels? Ask these guys. They also notice when you are
coming out of the room and rush over to the elevator to press the
down button so you don’t have to wait as long - or press the button
yourself.
Afetr settling into the hotel, we had Caroli’s visa picture made
and took her for her medical exam. This exam is apparently to check for
major observable problems and to weigh and measure the babies. Caroli
hated every minute of it . One minute your tooling around with your new
parents and the next minute some stranger has a giant stick of wood
down your throat.
We have included some photos to show her general protest to the whole thing.
Adoption families are all aware of a local restaurant called Lucy’s
Bar and Café. It is within easy walking distance of the hotel and
serves western food. They have many movie posters on the walls. They
also have managed to acquire some old US license plates and placed them
on the wall with the posters. The food there was good. Derek (the
other dad) and I munched down on some cheeseburgers while Caroli
enjoyed the rice cereal that LeeAnn packed in her baby bag.
For you soon to be new dads a baby-bag is either a bag or a back
pack that carries an all-contingency supply for needs that might arise
during an outing to the mall or to some other planet. It is the job of
the dad to carry the bag and be prepared to reach in and grab whatever
item the general, I mean mom, might demand.
Usually the bags can weigh anywhere from sixty to four hundred
pounds. The moms pack the baby-bags and, since they don’t carry them,
they don’t care what they weigh. They usually pack enough supplies to
meet the needs of a small army of babies for a duration of up to ten
weeks. It is not an option to question anything concerning the contents
or weight of the bag - so don’t even go there. What is really
frustrating is when General Momkoff gives an order to retrieve - say
baby wipes - from the bag and you reach your hand in and pull out a
make-up bag, a hair dryer, and three Snickers Bars. It is at this point
that you realize that there is much more than baby gear in there and
you have no prerogative to question anything. Just simply replace the
Snickers and facial cream and find those stupid wipes! It is also
an unwritten rule that there is a direct correlation to the distance to
be walked and the weight of the bag. They increase in direct proportion
to each other. And rest assured that every store you go into will have
a million shoes so cute as “to die for” and absolutely no benches. Not
even a chair.
Tomorrow is shop til you drop day. I plan on dropping to the pavement at about 3:00. Unless, of course, I can find a bench. |
| Waiting To Board Our Flight |
| But I Don't Want To Play The Piano |
| Holding Hands With My Orphanage Friend |
| |
