Boat Cruise

We did the boat cruise last night on the Pearl River. We did not eat, only tea and beer! The kids all loved the ride and all the amazing lights of this HUGE city! Doing some shopping today and then to the U.S. Consulate for our citizenship appointment. Lots of love!

Ni Hao from Guangzhou

Hi all! Having a great time and making a lot of progress and strides with little Jinsey. She is now walking very well, almost able to run, playing, laughing, talking in Chinese and possibly saying Maya....feeding herself and putting on her own shoes and some clothing. She has totally warmed up to Dad and has a very gentle and kind demeanor. She easily shares and loves to touch our faces and hair. Very sweet! Her health seems to be staying stable and she has more energy and appetite than we ever expected! She loves the bath and looking at books. Maya continues to be a super champ and so adaptable to each situation and city and hotel and environment. We have met some very nice couples from New York and have had dinner with all of them each night. The one family has a daughter who is 7 (Margaret) who has become fast friends with Maya. All medicals came back fine including the TB test for Jinsey. We still have no formal diagnosis, but that will come once we return home. Tonight we are going on a boat cruise on the Pearl river with the rest of the families and tomorrow Jinsey will be sworn in as a U.S. Citizen. We are very much looking forward to coming home, but a bit nervous about the flight. Hoping Jinsey does better this time around than the first. Either way, once we are home, we know comfort and our own environment will help foster more love and bonding and trust. XOXOXOXOXO.

Friday March 26

Today is our last day in Nanjing, tonight we fly to Guangzhou for one more week. I think Jinsey can sense this is for real and we are her family now she had some low crying moans last night before bed. Great last day of shopping packing saying goodbye to our guide and getting Jinseys passport so we can head out. Forward to 11:45 PM just arrived after 7 hours of brutal traveling. Both girls fell asleep on the plane we had to carry them and 40 ponds of carry ons through airport and security backs are out and we are dead tired, the girls never woke up. Found out when we got here we have to be down in the lobby at 8:30 am to go to medical exams. Medicals went o.k.(I could of given them) and now we have a free afternoon, met some other families and one has a seven year old maya has befriended. Heading to dinner tonight to a good Thai place with another family, the hotel is fabulous! Jinsey is coming out of her shell every hour starting to warm up to Dad a little. Thanks for checking in and we will post again soon.

Last few days in Nanjing!

Finally it has stopped raining. We went sight seeing with Anna yesterday to the Brocade (silk weaving factory) museum, the "city wall" that surrounds the border of Nanjing, and then to the Confuscious Temple just down the street from our hotel. We continue to be a total spectacle around Nanjing. Jinsey continues to bond and is warming up to Scott (baba). Our hotel room is a complete disaster and we are slowly starting to pack and get ready to move onto Guangzhou for the next 6 days. We are looking forward to some warmer weather and a hotel that caters a bit more to young kids. As it was with Maya, we are certain it will be emotional flying out of Nanjing and Jinsey's home city. Someday we hope to return here with her. Maya just amazes us at her ease and flexibility. We bought her a little robotic dog today at the market as a little reward for being so great. We miss home and will really be ready to return to AZ and settle in at home. Hugs and kisses to everyone!!!

DAY TWO w Jinsey

Greetings from the rainy city of Nanjing! It has been raining solid for two days straight and is very chilly! Thank goodness the hotel has umbrellas for loan. There is a great walking street with many flee market type shops....went today and bought a scarf, some shoes for Jinsey, and DVD's for $1 each! I was able to visit the SWI (orphanage) today, and was very lucky to be admitted into the actual orphanage. I was amazed at how clean, organized, and well run it is. The rooms are completed stocked with all types of modern developmental toys, classrooms, and sleeping rooms. I was very impressed. I met with the manager of the SWI and attempted to get many more answers and records regarding Jinsey's health and diagnosis. Answers seem very politically correct and careful, but we did obtain some additional paperwork (all in Chinese). Scott stayed behind at the hotel with the girls to bond and have some time. Overall, it went okay. Jinsey did cry for me when I left and finally said "mama, mama" today. Good sign! Tomorrow we will go sight seeing with our guide and see a little bit more of Nanjing. On Friday we are off to Guangzhou.