we've arrived in Guangzhou/ our final sop before bringing Cerys home - very exciting! She did well with the plane ride, slept all afternoon/ and we had a party at dinner because she finally ate more than three bites! It's the little things, says Becky!

I have lots of fun stuff to report, but I am sitting in the questionable back room of a clothes and etc. store, using a keyboard that for some reason has the letters hacked into the keys with a knife - very psycho sort of scene, so I'm not staying long - internet in Beijing was 50 cents/hour, in Changsha it was $7.50, and here at our hotel it's $18 - so a lot more difficult! THis place is free, but it's also a bit scary...

We are at the WHite Swan Hotel, also known as THe WHite Stork as it's where all the American adopting families stay as it's near the consulate. There are Chinese babies in AMerican arms all over - and the little island within hte city that we're on (the Brits built a moat around this section to keep teh CHinese out years ago, a questionable past, cetainly), is full of stores selling offf GAP and GYMBOREE seconds as well as adorable CHinese clothing, trinkets, etc. THings like food and drink are way more expensive here as well, but since we've found something Cerys will eat, we're ok.

It has been an amzing trip, and what an experience for these families to be thrown into the fir eof parenthood together. For those somewhat new parents out there who remember discussing at great length your babies every movement (and I mean EVERY KIND of movement), it's that/ full time here. SOmewhat ironically, I'm beset by a related problem but one that noone else here is likely experiencing - clogged milk ducts. Yep, kiind of bizarre - that's what i gert for being here on Sawyer's first birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAWYER! I have to sut this short now to call him and my wonderful husband and daughter - I waited in the local coffe house (they are trying to cvopy Starbucks, Pete's, Seattle's Best and every other chain coffe store all in one place - the drinks menu is hilariious and i think even sprts a matcha green tea macchiato latte freeze blend - if I'm remmbering correctly - and I'm spelling it far too clearly), but the Russian guy on the internet wouldn't get off of his questionable chat sites, and the teenage coffee house employees weren't looking for a fight, so here I am in this backroom...

OK, love to all, a longer one tomorrow, I promise! All is going well, love ot everyone!

xoxoxo
H