Gotcha Day

Our dinner of protein bars and water in our hotel room was a welcome respite after days of tours and travel. Our full schedule and lingering jet lag leave us longing for some quiet time. Actually, the jet lag is more than "lingering". We've been awakening at 2 - 4 am and haven't had a good night's sleep since we arrived.

People everywhere want a picture with Emma!

After sitting out the first-day's touring, we decided to tackle the Great Wall and acrobatic show tour. We were worried about how Emma would handle being on an all-day tour but she did amazingly well. Actually, Emma is adjusting more easily than the two of us, I guess because she can go to sleep pretty much any time she wants. She's never before gone to sleep outside a crib until this trip but she's getting adept at falling asleep in my arms :) She even fell asleep during the loud, exciting acrobatic show (we called it a "tumbling" show) on the 10th and woke up the next morning in our hotel room. Yesterday she fell asleep on the bus from the airport and woke up in our hotel room asking, "Where is Emma?"
The Crowne Plaza Hotel here in Zhengzhou is GREAT! In Beijing the beds were so hard they were like raised sections of the floor. Here the beds are soft and everything feels familiar and comfortable. The hotel in Beijing made a good effort but the breakfast here was amazing!

Paul & Emma on the Great Wall

We're getting to know the families in our group and it is comforting to see friendly faces everywhere, all sharing the same experience, consantly asking each other about baby clothes and formula and naps and paperwork.
TODAY is GOTCHA DAY!

We're meeting everyone at 9:30 in the lobby to go to the Registration Office but we are the only family that is NOT receiving our child this morning. We're just going along to take pictures. Little Liu Dan is travelling so far that her train won't arrive in Zhengzhou until 12:30, long after the other families have received their children and we've all come back to the hotel. It will be easier for us, no doubt, but we're also a little disappointed to not be fully participating in the joyful time at the Registration Office.

Time to go! More later...