FAMILY OF 4EVER: 08/23/10

Today started off with a little victory. I was in the bathroom when Hope woke up, and started crying. My first instinct was to run in there before it got worse, but I thought that I’d give her a little time alone with Jen, and so I hung back. Well, Jen was able to comfort her, and change her, all without a fuss, and without intervention on my part. Later that morning, she fell asleep in Jen’s arms, another first. We’re not completely there yet - Tonight she wouldn’t let Jen put her to sleep, but this morning was a big step in the right direction.

We hung around the hotel until after lunch. We went to the roof where the pool is located, walked around, and snapped some pictures. Our guide Becky called and said that everything was ok as far as Hope’s visa was concerned. Tomorrow is the swearing in ceremony at the Consulate.

After lunch we took a cab ride over to Shaiman Island, for some shopping, walking, and a little Starbuck’s Coffee (yep, it’s here, too). For dinner, we decided to eat at the same Thai place that we had been to a couple of nights earlier. A family from Atlanta sat down at the table across from us. We got to chatting with the wife about the return home, and mentioned that we were staying in Tokyo for a few days, before leaving for the States. She mentioned that her travel agent had told her that they were not allowed to overnight in Japan, or at least, their newly adopted daughter could not, because she had a Chinese passport - Those with a U.S. passport are ok. We just about had a heart attack. We had so little time to book the initial flights, and had not considered that Hope would have a Chinese passport, not a U.S. one. Now we had visions of sitting in a Japanese airport for 3 days, or being sent back to China. Jen lost her appetite, and so we raced back to the hotel to make a call to Delta. Fortunately, we were able to change our flight. We are still flying into Tokyo, but leave the same day for the States. Delta also waved the change fee, which would have been $500. Awesome. So we will arrive home three days earlier than expected. I’m relieved. We didn’t want to stay in Tokyo, anyway, but that was the only option when we initially booked our flights. Now, we will see Bella three days sooner than we anticipated. We both miss her terribly. We’re so fortunate to have run into the family in the restaurant. It could have been really ugly in Tokyo had we landed and been given the bad news there.

Hope was as pleasant as ever today. She's a really sweet little girl, and I think she and Bella will get along. She had a blast again playing in the bath, splashing like crazy. Our guide in Wuchang said that she had been given two baths a day at her foster home, but I'm wondering if they were just sponge baths, or maybe a shower. Hope acts as if she's never had one before. I had mentioned that she would not sit down during her first bath with us, and it just appears as if the water and the sensations are all a new experience to her. I may be wrong, but it does appear that way.

Tomorrow afternoon is the swearing in ceremony at the U.S Consulate. So more shopping in the morning. Until tomorrow…