"Gotcha......Again!!"

Well I am happy to report that around 9am on Wed May 18th I got my son back!!  I have Gideon!!!  He is sleeping peacefully in the other room right now as I write this because here it is now 6:48 am on Thurs the 19th.

 

All went really well!  After breakfast I met our Beijing guide-- not George again after all because he got called to a meeting-- but another guide Devin.  We met in the lobby and I talked with George via cell phone about the day's plans and about Devin being our guide instead.  And just then, after I hung up the phone, I watched a black sedan pull up outside the lobby and I just knew he was inside. 

 

I was right!  Out came Gideon along with three of the people from the orphanage that I had met previously.  One was their facilitator who had helped us with getting all the paperwork done last time, one was his teacher coming to say goodbye, and the other was a nanny.  They all walked inside and I rushed over to him smiling and clapping and saying "Yeah!!"  I think I scared him a little  :)  I hugged him and told him how we had been waiting for this day and how happy I was to be back to get him and how sorry I was that it had all taken sooo very long.  That all had to be translated of course, but he smiled and nodded and we all got together for some pictures which I will have to post later since I am sending this post through my husband and email again.  Bloggerjust won't work for me in Guangzhou it seems.  :(

 

So after some discussion on medicines and more paperwork, it was time for him to say goodbye to those familiar faces he had known for so long and head off with me to the airport for our flight to Guangzhou.  He was the first one out the door.

 

The plane ride was great.  Gideon smiled nonstop and loved gazing out the window at the clouds and beautiful blue sky.  I am so glad that he is a good traveler so far and doesn't mind flying.  That would be awful if he did considering the long flights ahead of us!

 

Elsie met us at the airport again after we got our luggage-- no, praise God, it did not get lost again like last time!  I was really scared it would!  Then we all headed out to the van for the ride to the medical center.  We were cutting it close considering the center closes for the day at 4pm and it was already almost 3:30.  But of course-- welcome to China again and their crazy driving-- we made it with time to spare, though almost missing a right mirror and front bumper.  Lol!

 

At the medical center we were remembered well.  I got to speak with the doctor who had worked with us last time.  Such a nice man.  He was wondering how Evan and I were both doing, whether we had been checked out for TB or not, and was very glad to hear that we were both in the clear.  He chatted with me for a bit, and inquired about our other kids at home, and then told me pointing at Gideon to "Go fatten him up!"  I agreed he was quite skinny and told him I would do my best!

 

Considering it was almost closing time there were few other people there besides us, so we had a lot of attention.  I kid you not, there were three doctors hovering around us, reviewing paperwork and talking to Gideon and me the whole time.  Then when it was time to look over his previous vaccination record, there were so many nurses leaning against the counter at one time, I could not even see the man behind it.  I took some pictures because I thought it was so sweet and funny, will have to post those later too. 

 

It was like we were mini-celebrities and so funny that they were all so interested and intrigued in our little situation.  One of the doctors just kept staring at the two of us and smiling any time I would look his way.  Hard to know what he was thinking.  Happy that this child was being adopted or just happy that I came back and didn't abandon him after the TB revelation?  Hard to say.

 

So, we got all that done, will be getting a copy of the new x-ray they took today as well as copies of all the other medical reports to show the doctors in the US.  We might have to go back today for a chicken pox vaccine if the Consulate says they require it, but we will have to see what they say first.  For some reason he missed that one last time.

 

After leaving the medical building we finally got to come to the hotel and check in.  After filling out a few more pieces of paperwork for our upcoming Consulate appt, Elsie was kind enough to walk us to a nearby restaurant for some dinner and help us order.  Ok, I do have to say that right behind getting my child, my most favorite part about traveling to China-- and I think many will agree here-- is the FOOD!  Oh my, so good, and very inexpensive.  This dumpling house that Elsie brought us to was no exception.  Beautiful red lanterns adorned the outside but it wasn't anything special on the inside.  Just a small simple restaurant with a huge menu!  Took us awhile, but we finally settled on some fried dumplings filled with mushrooms and beef, sauteed eggplant and green beans in a sweet sauce, Gideon got a bowl of noodles in broth with egg and tomato for himself, and then to top it off we also shared a plate of sliced bananas which had been dipped into a batter and fried then covered with sesame seeds and a sticky toffee which hardened up and crackled after it sat a while.  Have pictures of that too, it was sooo good!

 

After dinner we walked back to the hotel and took a walk around, going up to the beautiful outdoor pool to take a look.  I am very glad I brought our suits!  The weather is great for a swim at a balmy 88 degrees and the pool is simply gorgeous.  Will have to put that on our itinerary for this afternoon.

 

But this morning, it is on to the Consulate!  Can everyone out there in cyber land just take a moment to say "Thank you God!" and then give three cheers on our behalf??!!  Hip Hip Hooray!!!  And the remarkable part about it is that as Elsie and I were doing that paperwork yesterday, we realized something very interesting-- our appt today is exactly 4 mos to the day from when we adopted him.  January 19th to May 19th.  So long.  But it is finally here and I am grateful!

 

So, on now to the breakfast buffet, then we are to meet Elsie and one other adoptive family from our agency at 8:30 and then on to the CONSULATE!!  People from our agency keep telling us we are going to be getting a mighty big greeting there.  Can't wait!

 

Amen to God who is ALWAYS faithful and keeps His promises.  It shouldn't be expected to be always on our timetable, but on His, and we have seen that time and again in this adoption.  He knows what is best, and he won't forsake us.  Our family is so thankful to God for taking us on this journey, for opening our hearts up to the orphans of this world and making us realize a need we never knew was there.  As a result He has blessed us richly with the gift of an amazing, smart, sweet, soft spoken new son and we are so grateful!

 

Can't wait to post pictures and for everyone at home to meet him!!