From Xi'an to Guangzhou

Our day started out early yesterday (Friday), since it was our last day in Xi'an and Rodney and I really wanted to see if we could find the place where Sophia was abandoned before we left the city. The concierge at the hotel was very helpful in drawing us a map to the hospital and helped us get a taxi. THAT was an experience in itself! The drivers here all cut each other off all the time and drive way too close for our comfort, but this guy actually pinned another car against the curb/wall and the other guy got out, came over to our driver (both of them yelling at each other the whole time), grabbed him by the shirt and tried to pull him our of the car. Oh my word, it was crazy! Rodney and I were both yelling at him to GO! GO! Cars where blocked behind us and honking...

Anyway, we did find the hospital and got some help finding the Pediatric Outpatient Department. Her paperwork says she was found on a chair there. I'd like to think her birth mother left her there because it was a busy place and there's no doubt her baby would be found quickly and taken care of. We'll forever be grateful to her for making sure her last gift was to leave her baby in a safe place. I'm so glad we took the time to go there. Oh, the ride back was very uneventful. :-)

Sophia's "finding place" - a busy waiting room in the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic at the hospital.

We got back to the hotel, packed everything up (more challenging than it sounds!) and headed to the airport. Just before we said goodbye to our guide, Tom, we had a chance to talk to him about a conversation we'd had earlier in the week. He told us previously that he had grown up without any kind of religion, but he had been given a bible and had been reading thru it. He considered himself about "half way" to being a Christian. Rodney and I spent our last bit of time talking to him about it and encouraging him to go the distance and become a Christian all the way. We had shared with him how God had answered so many of our prayers throughout this adoption and he told us that if he did become a Christian, we were part of the reason why. I share that not to toot our horn in any way, but to ask you to please pray for Tom. He is such a nice guy, but more importantly, his job is such that he is in contact with many, many people all the time. What an example he could be to others who may decide to follow Christ as well!

Rodney and the girls with our awesome guide, Tom.

The flight to Guangzhou was uneventful (yeah!) and Sophia did really well for her first time on an airplane. Let's hope she does that well on the long flight home!

We're staying at the Garden Hotel - it is unbelievably nice. We're obviously from small town America - our jaws dropped when we walked in the building... and then we realized we were only in the foyer and weren't even in the real lobby yet! It's crazy nice and all I can say is our agency gets a whopper of a good deal, because a place like this would cost an arm and a leg in the U.S.!!! I suppose if we have to spend another week away from home, this hotel will do. :-)

Can you even see us in this picture? The lobby is seriously HUGE.

The bath tub is too big and scary for Sophia, but we found the sink works great. (Thanks to Brooks for the tip!)

This morning our group met up early and headed to the American Medical Clinic (I think that's what it's called) for the children's medical exams. All adopted children must pass this exam in order to be given a visa and allowed to enter the U.S. Everyone comments on how "healthy" our little chunky monkey looks! It was very crowded and noisy and took a little over an hour, but she did great the whole time and never cried.

Waiting outside for our group's turn to go in.

There were three parts to the exam - she did great with each of them.

Listening to her heart - both doctors gave us the thumbs up!

We had a couple of hours of free time after that and got to explore Shaiman Island for a bit and do a little shopping. I got Miss Priss a few pair of squeaky shoes - they are these darling little leather shoes that only cost $5 a pair - and that girl does love her shoes!

Momma checking out the squeaky shoes while Maddie entertains Sophia.

Worn out from a full day and snuggled up with Mom. She's definitely a Daddy's girl right now, so I love it when she lets me hold her like this.

She also loves her stroller and wants to sit in it every where we go. She even likes to sit in it in our room sometimes.

That's it for now. We're here until Friday morning when we'll start the long journey home, but until then, we only have one more appointment, so we'll be filling our time with some sight seeing and exploring. We're really missing Olivia, Jackson and Elijah and wish we could head home right now, but since we can't, we'll try to make it a fun week. Only five more days and a wake up till we head home!

Till next time,
Karee