Everything's great!

Sorry I haven't posted since we got back. Everything is going great, but finding computer time is really hard.
Willa is healthy and happy. She smiles all the time. She seems to love being a part of this family and seems truly attached to everyone, even the dogs.
Here's a picture I took right after we landed in KC.

LA, KC, Here We Come

Tomorrow we go home! I am so ready. I want my bed, my kitchen; I want to eat a salad and take a shower with my face right under the shower head. I want my dogs. I want to eat fresh fruit. But most of all I want Dennis and Iris. I'm just about to explode in anticipation of seeing them.
Willa passed her medical exam yesterday and our paperwork went through without a hitch at the American consulate today. Tomorrow afternoon we go to the consulate to take an oath (not sure what we actually swear to) and then we head to the airport. Nikki and I will spend the night in LA, and will fly into KC Thursday evening.
Oh I so hope Willa sleeps on the plane.

Willa and Theresa

L says: I told Theresa I would like to post a picture of her and Willa here. She said:

Your wish is my command. I look kind of scary in this picture, but it's the only one I have of just the two of us. It's Willa's first trip to Starbucks.

Willa's First . . . Starbucks!

Willa had a very hard night tonight. She hardly napped today and she was crazy clingy all night. I do my best to hold her; I know it helps with attachment. Still I have to go to the bathroom sometimes; I have to clean up. I sat her down for a while and she cried so hard for so long I thought she was going to vomit. I picked her up and that soothed her, but as soon as I put her in her bath, she started screaming hysterically again. I cleaned her quickly and lifted her out of the sink, slippery wet and shiny. When I put her down on the towel I'd laid out on the bed, she started with the screaming again. I leaned over her little naked body and whispered in her ear, "I'm your mommy. I'm not going to leave you." And then, magically, she stopped screaming, closed her eyes, and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

Totally different topic: we finally made a pilgrimage to Starbucks, the three of us. I took plenty of photos since I believe Willa's first trip to a coffee house is quite significant. It was like a Merchant Ivory Starbucks. We sat on a long veranda with big wicker chairs and ceiling fans. There were palm trees and other exotic plants all over. Everyone around us looked interesting: cool gay guys with severe classes, a German woman with purple highlights, a good looking Chinese woman with a fat English novel in her lap. Nikki ate a croissant and stole sips of my iced mocha. Willa kicked her feet and looked around. Chocolate! Coffee! Wheat! The West isn't all bad, right?

Blessings, Pearls, Poems, Bagels and Booze

Today we started out early, to avoid the heat. We went to a Buddhist Temple, for a baby blessing, which has been the highlight of my trip, tourist-wise. It was crowded, mostly by Chinese, but there were also a few Westerners there having their babies blessed as well. We bought a big bundle of incense and lit the whole thing, leaving the smoldering sticks in a special spot. Later I took Willa before a monk who chanted and tapped a little instrustrument. He dipped a leaf in some cool water and sprinkled it over both of us. Willa was entertained and cooing during the whole event. There are many beggars outside the temple walls. Our guide instructed us not to give anyone money, so I didn't, but it felt kind of heartless to walk past everyone. So inside the temple walls, compassion; outside the temple walls, pragmatism.

After the temple, we went jade shopping, and I bought a small, nice piece of jade for myself and each of the girls. I'm not unhappy to have purchased it, but I'm starting to feel a little played. It seems like every adoptive parent is given the "opportunity" to buy porcelain, jade, and pearls. The sale is pretty high pressure, and for a whimpy Midwesterner like myself, rather uncomfortable. After you purchase your jade, you're taken to the corner of the store, where an old man, whom I was told is one of the best caligraphers in China, will write a poem for your daughter and then make it into a wall hanging. I joined the line and had this done for Willa, and even though I felt like it was expected of me to do this, I didn't mind because the work he did was truly lovely and there was something gracious about this old man that rose above the dog-and-pony-show atmosphere of the day. He was reed thin and wrinkled and smiling.

Tomorrow is a medical exam for Willa, something the U.S. government requires before she can come to the U.S. Then we're off to the pearl market. You know, I kind of wanted to buy some pearls here in China, but I just don't know if I can face another dog-and-pony-show. I'm in a very small travel group and wriggling out of planned activity can be rather awkward, but I just might.

Tonight, we're ordering delivered food from Danny's Bagels, which is reputed to have very good Western food. Willa is a bit of a challenge at meals since she grabs everything! Last night I had some nice Thai green curry, but the whole bowl of it nearly landed on my lap several times. After food from Danny's, I'm hitting the mini bar. I haven't done that the entire trip, and I say it's high time.

And I still haven't gotten my latte yet.

Pictures!

Laura says: Sorry if one of these is sideways. I dunno how to fix it. Nikki looks so old!

& Later: Ok. I figured some photo stuff out maybe, and I'm adding 2 new versions of the same photos that are already on here.