Then skyping with Baba.
When we pulled up at the Civil Affairs building, Cheng Cheng started crying. It was the first time he had cried and it was pitiful. When we got out of the van he got more and more upset. I picked him up and kept saying he was going with Mama to Baba in America. He seemed to understand that but he stuck to me like glue for a long time after we got there. Therese was ready to go into the play area, and he finally joined her.
Here I am putting my fingerprint on my signatures that make the adoption official.
Now we have to get Cheng Cheng's handprint on the documents. First, get his hand inked up.
Then apply the hand to multiple copies of the documents.
Then, as I learned by experience with Therese, you don't let go of the inky hand until you clean it.
There was a big group getting their adoption decrees presented to them.
Then it was our turn. The woman in a white dress is the official in charge of all international adoptions and marriages for Henan Province.
They told me that I was now his mother and they were happy he has a family, and we get to keep him. I don't remember the exact words.
The head adoption person had seen that I had Therese as well, and she noticed her feet. She told me that she is so impressed that American families will come and take children like this into their families, and that it makes her feel very emotional. She told me that I was a supermom because I was adopting two. It was a very moving scene, and she seemed to be getting misty-eyed and she embraced me, which didn't seem typical of a Chinese lady. I did think it was funny she said I was a supermom. I'm not one at all, but I wish I was.
Then it was back into the van for the long ride to Jiaozuo to apply for Cheng Cheng's passport and get the notary to finalize the documents. The kids were mostly happy on the trip there, but it does help to be able to roam around unrestrained by a carseat or seat belt.
I was a little worried about how he would react when we brought him back to Eagle's Wings to say goodbye, but when we pulled up the head nanny had just arrived and he was happy to see her. She walked with him up the stairs and chattered away in Chinese telling her about his new clothes and what he has been doing.
The kids were napping when we got upstairs, but my two children were overjoyed that they were offered some lunch. We have really good timing, because both times we have managed to be there at lunchtime.
Therese loved the bowl of milk they get after the noodles.
Donna let the kids get up from naps so they could visit, and I'm afraid we really messed up the schedule. The kids were quite happy to be allowed up from naps.
You could tell that the head nanny really liked getting some time with Cheng Cheng.
This boy was really loved here!
I'm sure Zi's family will be glad he is so interested in tooth brushing. He went through this book and showed me every picture.
Therese loved getting to give a walker a try. This girl really wants to walk!
We had to say goodbye finally, and it was emotional for everyone.
Thank you so much, Donna, for taking this little boy home to Eagle's Wings! We can never repay you for what you have done for him and the other children.
We went to a local restaurant for lunch with our guide and driver. The menu had all sorts of interesting things, with pictures. I ate lunch at EW, but Hannah had to choose what to eat.
She was really tempted by this goat head--isn't the rose a nice touch?--but decided to save it for an even more special occaision.
Both kids decided they needed to eat too, even though they had just eaten lunch. I guess eating in a restaurant is too exciting to pass up.
After lunch we tried to find Cheng Cheng's finding spot. Our driver was very nice and kept stopping to ask people.
We drove around the city, trying to find the office where he was left as a tiny baby. We got to see a lot more of the town. They have built some really nice wide streets and there is construction everywhere, and a thick haze of pollution covering it all.
Finally we gave up, even though our driver asked a lot more people. Maybe the office has been torn down since that time. You can tell this town is changing fast.
We were supposed to meet the orphanage people at the passport place at 2:30, but then when we got there they told our guide by phone that they would be there at 3. So we drove around and came back, and Therese fell asleep. I left Hannah in the van with her and the driver and went with the guide into the police station. This morning, Cheng Cheng had started having some digestive issues, which by this time was leading to some very smelly and fairly explosive diapers. I changed him in the van but there was diarrhea on his shorts and on me. There was no trash can to throw away the diaper and I didn't have any more clothes for him and of course none for me. We scrubbed ourselves with wipes as best we could. Our guide said to throw the diaper away on the ground. So if there was an evacuation in that area later when our stink bomb was discovered, I'm glad we weren't around. I haven't ever littered before. It was hard for me to do that because it seems so wrong.
Hannah was left with a child who very soon woke up and was very over-excited and not happy that Mama wasn't there.
We had to wait in the police station for an hour before the orphanage people finally showed up. Both of us smelled like poop and I was out of diapers. The guide sent Hannah with the driver to buy some, which was an adventure in itself because he didn't speak English and she had a cranky kid and had to find the diapers. The guide had to help her and he was embarrassed because they looked like a weird little family. A tall American, a Chinese child who speaks Lanzhou dialect, and a Henan driver who can't understand either of them. I had to laugh about that one.
We finally got the passport stuff done, then we loaded up with the two women from the orphanage and went to a bank to deposit the money for the orphanage "donation". I was so glad to be rid of that stack of cash. Then we had to go to a notary where we climbed multiple flights of dingy stairs. Cheng Cheng had to go in with me and the guide, and he was very tired and had had an emotional day. I had to leave him for just a minute to use my first squatty potty (I didn't fall in, which was my worst fear) and he just lost it and cried and cried. One of the notaries gave him a little candy bar to get him happy. He didn't want me to get more than a foot away from him, poor guy. Finally I looked over 9 different documents and we gave the notary the gift bag we had brought. It had American cigarrettes in it, which judging from the smell in the office will be put to immediate use.
We got back to our hotel in Zhengzhou about 7:30 pm, exhausted, hungry, cranky, and smelling like poop. We noticed that the guide and driver had discreetly cracked the windows on the drive back. It was such a relief to get everyone cleaned up and in bed. I hope we don't have many more days like that. It really stressed everyone to the breaking point. There was a lot of emotional ups and downs during the day. We kept changing diapers and we didn't want them in the room, so we would sneak down the hallway when no one was looking to put them in the trash can by the elevators. Hannah and I were so tired that we were soon laughing hysterically about our efforts to dispose of the toxic waste. It was one of those times that you are going to either laugh or cry out of sheer exhaustion. I'm sure the maids will figure out which room they came from anyway, since they will recognize the smell. I think we are the only ones with kids in the hotel as well. We did get everything done, Cheng Cheng is adopted, and it looks like all the paperwork is completed. Our guide will pick up the passport in Zhengzhou on Friday.
