Guangzhou

We would stay in Guangzhou for about 6 days. It was great to be reunited with the families in our agency and see them with their children! We stayed at the White Swan Hotel where just about every family who is adopting stays at the end of there trip to finish their paperwork and swear in at the US consulate. It was very touching to see all of the families there with their newly adopted children. They all have very different stories. China is so big and diverse. Grace was doing better each day but I would have to work very hard to earn her trust after being so sick and unavailable. It took a lot of effort the first day to get her to let me hold her hand and to eat with me present. We made good progress but took a step back the next morning. By the end of the second day though she was calling me Mama and letting me hold her. She was still a Daddy's girl though and will probably be for life! The next several days we would send Daddy away for long periods of time so I could bond with her. If Rob was around she wanted nothing but him. Can't say I blame her=) It dawned on me though that Rob would be going to work Friday of that week so although Rob would have liked us all to be together he agreed to disappear for some Mommy only moments. We had such a great time together going to the pool and eating and playing. She was so attached to her shoes and would not take them off even to go to bed so I took her to buy squeaky shoes. They are popular in China. Shoes that squeak. They are annoying but boy she threw off those old shoes and squeaked right out of the store in those squeaky shoes! Grace's nap and bedtimes were still very hard. She was getting comfortable in Province but then we had to leave for Guangzhou and she had to adjust to yet another new place. She was doing great during the day though. Our guides throughout the trip were so great about talking to Grace for us in Chinese. They would explain to her what was going on and tell her that it was ok to cry but to let us hold her. Grace was at first always looking for her foster mom but the guides would tell her that she was far away and that she would not see her again. They would tell her that we loved her and would always be good to her and never leave her. This was hard for Grace and she didn't want to hear it but it helped so much. She was more and more calm and less on hyper alert. In Guangzhou we took her to a park and learned that she had never been down a sliding board. It was so wonderful to teach her how to do it and see her squeal in delight and do it over and over again! This has been the most difficult and most rewarding thing I have ever done. More on Guangzhou soon!