June 8- Official Adoption Day!

Our first night with Meredith went well. She was out by 8. Around 10:30 she woke up screaming, the first time I heard she actually scream. She drank half a bottle and went back to bed easily. Then around 2:00 she woke again, drank the other half of her bottle and went right back to bed. She woke again around 5 ish, I didn't look at the clock closely. This time I just laid her with me and she went back to sleep. She woke again around 6:30 for the day. Not bad for the first night.
She still will eat nothing but formula. Even the cereal they said she eats 2x a day she won't touch. She will only eat the gerber snacks I brought if I put it in her mouth and it melts before she spits it out. Her facial expression tells me she doesn't really like it. She wouldn't eat anything at breakfast, congee (rice pudding that ALL babies eat in China) watermelon, pancake pieces... nothing! To go along with her formula she has a blowout about 15 min. after the bottle. Not sure what to think about it... but kinda scared to take her to the dr here. She is acting fine otherwise and is always pleasant!

We spent the morning at the registration office to make us her legal guardians. Then we headed to the Notary office to notarize things... I am not really even sure what to be honest! But I DO know that we had to walk up 6 flights of stairs and sit in an un-airconditioned meeting room that smelled like smoke for way too long! We got back around noon and she took a good 2 hour nap. Our next adventure was to the Lotus Center. This is a department store/grocery/everything you could possibly want store. It was 3 stories at least. They had escalaters that you used to take your cart with you from floor to floor. Greg, I hate to break it to you but Target in Florida is not the first to develop the cart-o-later. I however was unable to take a pictures. They had a NO camera sign at the front door. This shopping trip was not much better than Walmart. We got a large bag of diapers and more formula (4 bags), shoes for Rebecca, candy, 2 bottles, teething rings (which we have already lost one of!!!) and some other snacks all for under $80... quite the bargain! Interestingly enough you have to pay for bags... we had brought the one we purchased at Walmart on Sunday. It is one of the green bags most stores sell... but even if you choose the plastic ones, you still have to pay! Crazy!

More and more people come around and "try" to talk to us. They are all so curious. International adoptions didn't happen much before 2008 in this province. Many people are not use to seeing us. I can't speak to them, but the facial expressions and body language tell me they are very happy for both my girls. Some give me a thumbs up, other smile and pat the girls on the back. Those that can speak some english ask how old and tell us how lucky the girls are. Of course I am always quick to correct them to say how lucky WE are to have them in our lives! We are the lucky ones!!!

We ate at Momma Mia's Italian kitchen again at the hotel. It is the only place we have found something Rebecca will eat most of... pizza.

Jim and his new buddies are trying to figure out where they will watch the world cup game. How funny is it that 2 of the 3 people we traveled with are big soccer fans??

We got Merediths photo book back today after being translated. I cried more at what the caretakers said than I have this whole trip! It is so obvious how much they love her and will miss her. I feel guilty for adopting her... but not enough to offer her back to them! I can not wait to visit the orphanage to give a personal thank you to every one of them! They have taken care of my baby for 11 months. They have been a great family to her. I can't wait until she is old enough to share this with her. I wish Rebecca had one. Other than Meredith, this is the greatest gift I could have gotten from China this trip! I will cherish it always!

Having two girls is quite tiring! What scares me the most is that here I don't have to clean, cook, or do laundry. I just have to play and have fun with them, in a small confined space... what will I do once we are home?

Rebecca has brought up Meredith's birthmom several times since Monday. She has mentioned to me that she doesn't know what her birthmom looks like. So far she drops it as quickly as she mentions it, and we just answer the questions as we go along. I am surprised with her personalily that she isn't insisting on answers.