The paperwork has been completed and Isabella Jiuzhi is officially ours, today and forever....yeahhhhhhh!!! WOOHOOOOOO!
Today was spent completing the official Chinese government Adoption paperwork. It took about four hours to complete. It was during that time, I figured out how ticklish Sweet Cheeks is.... oh my! And, I got my first toothy grin. I had waited such a long time to see that happen.
The province official presented us with a piece of porcelain for us to keep and we were able to take a photo. We were asked and we promised to love, raise and educate Sweet Cheeks. She is ours!
We also got to meet with the orphanage director. Not a lot of information was received. We did ask if there was anything he would like for us to know about her and he said she was very cute!
Afterwards, we navigated a local Chinese restaurant with two other families we have been traveling with, and without our guide... We ordered from pictures on the menu. Some of the things I am not sure we will ever really know what they were but they were pretty tasty except for one of fried animal fat. It looked like chicken with vegetables in the picture, seriously! We left with food in our bellies and an enjoyment of the local brew. Eight adults ate for 125 RMB which is about $20.
A little about Sweet Cheeks.... she is very sweet and loves to cuddle. She appears to be fairly easy going and gets fussy when she is hungry, but don't we all. I LOVE HER! She is so stinking cute! I know she is mine and all that but she really is cute. She is always watching what is going on and is more on the quiet side.
Cupcake has enjoyed feeding her and playing with her. She really wants to hold and carry Sweet Cheeks but Sweet Cheeks is just not ready for that and gets a little fussy. We continue to remind Cupcake that this is all new to her little sister and we have to take it slow. She has about five years of ideas in her head that she is ready to teach Sweet Cheeks about in one day.
It has been interesting seeing the hustle and bustle of everyone as they continue to prepare for Chinese New Year. The traffic here is insane! Not sure if it is always like this or on the rise with a large holiday. Fireworks have been going off every night and last night was no exception. Horns are constantly blaring. It is always loud here. Even when at 3:30am or so when we are awake there are horns blaring.
Enjoy a few pics from the day.... everyone is happy and healthy..... Thanks again to everyone for the emails. Love to you all... Signed: Bowen Party of Four
4 hours of paperwork? That is A LOT of papers! :) Welcome to the Bowen family, Isabella.
ReplyDeleteShe is so darn cute!! That second pic of her smiling at her momma just melts my heart:) I know how long you waited for that sweet smile and I'm sure it was soooo worth the wait! Only 9 more days until you guys are home...not that I'm counting or anything hehe;)
ReplyDeleteCONGRATULATIONS!!!! She is BEAUTIFUL! So, so happy for your family! It's wonderful to watch your journey, as we will be there in just a few short months and we will also be in Nanchang! God Bless your family and your new baby girl!
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love the sound of her laughter? That's what always does it for me. Our Zoe was a lot quieter for the first couple of days - so you may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg in her personality - which sounds like she may be a spitfire! Glad she and Kayli are bonding so well and so happy that your family is finally complete!
ReplyDeleteThe next part was the most stressful for me - filling out all the paperwork for her visa and getting her out of the country. I so needed a stiff drink afterward!
I know you can't see this until you get home, but keep the pictures and comments coming - we are enjoying this immensely!
When we were there in November for Sweet Princess, it was loud and traffic was insane. The firecrackers throughout the day we were told were for wedding celebrations. After hearing them for 6 nights, we started to think they just enjoyed waking us in the middle of the night. Aww the sweet memories of all the horn honking... NOT! LOL
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures of the girls. We had to do the same reminder for Little Man because Sweet Princess ONLY wanted mama for the first 3 or 4 days. I still can't seem to leave the room without her following me even to the bathroom.
Love the updates! Keep them coming! :-)