Keith reporting:
It’s our second day in Guangzhou, and what a beautiful place this is. The tropical climate is wonderful, and the “clothes police” don’t scold us for not having Kasen bundled up like an Eskimo. Our hotel, the White Swan, would be a five-star resort anywhere in the world. (You can check out the hotel at www.whiteswanhotel.com). The shopping mecca is right outside our hotel, and we’ve taken advantage of it in only our first 24 hours here. We bought several custom-taylor-made silk outfits for Kasen for less than $7 US each, and I bought a handful of hand-made silk ties (picking from hundreds of material patterns) for only $5 each. We’re buying the largest suitcase the airlines allow for $14 to fill up with all this great stuff to bring back home.
Kasen wore a dress for the first time today, and seemed to be amazed that she could see and touch her legs. (Remember, they bundle these babies up like they’re going skiing no matter what the weather is like.) We dressed her up for her visa photo (she actually leaves the country on a Chinese passport with a visa to visit the US, then becomes a US citizen the minute she steps on US soil.) She cried as they tried to take her picture. I think everything structured with strange adults seems too much like the hospital to her.
We spent a large portion of the afternoon going through the frustrating process of filling out and organizing her final paperwork. She goes for her medical exam tomorrow, we have our appointment with the consulate on Tuesday, she gets her visa on Wednesday, and we come home on Thursday.
As you can see from the pictures, we had successful bath time tonight for the first time. It had been torture up until now; all of a sudden, it’s fun and game. I think it has a lot to do with her trusting us more and more (and no more IVs IN THE HEAD!).
Kasen is doing great, and has become the joy of our lives already. She and we can’t wait to get home to see you all! Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.