Gotcha' Delay

Chris called to say that their plane to Nanchang was delayed by about 5 hours. The travel group voted to postpone meeting their babies until tomorrow because it would have made their gotcha' time so late in the evening. They spent the day in the airport and got to the hotel at about 7:30pm (there).

Apparently, the hotel, and Nanchang in general, is a little grimy. I was able to talk to both Sara and Chris via Skype, which was cool. It was like having a 4-way conference call between Sara, Chris, Calla and me. Sara and Chris's pizza arrived while we were talking, so we signed off.

They will get Zanna at about 10:00am there and will call me when they get back to the hotel at about 12:30am (here). I will get to say "Mama loves you" to little Kun Kun in just a few more hours. Of course, she will quickly learn to respond to "Pudlet", "P-Dad", "Jo Jo", and all the other names we have already started calling her.

The Wall

Sara and Chris went to the Great Wall today. Look at the cool photo Sara took with the moon in it. They also drove by the new Olympic Stadium. You can see why they call it the "bird's nest".

Happy Birthday, Zanna!

Today is Zanna's first birthday. I wish we could all be together, but Chris and Sara will have her in a few more hours.

I talked to Chris this morning, and he said they took a "forced march" tour to the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. He was glad he had been to both places before on more informative and leisurely tours. Two days to see the sites in Beijing means you don't get to linger much.

When we wake up in the morning, Zanna will be with Chris and Sara.
Happy Birthday, Baby Girl! We love you!

Jet Lag

Chris reports serious jet lag this evening. He sounded exhausted on the phone. He and Sara went to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden city, and ended the day with the acrobat show. He said there is a lot of construction going on everywhere and things looks different in Beijing than they did four years ago.

He received some updated information about Zanna. Her nickname at the orphanage is "Kun Kun", she eats 6 times per day, and she takes two, 2-hour naps each day.

Tomorrow, they will go to the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. I hope it is warmer there tomorrow morning than it was here this morning!

Click on the photos to see them better.

Chris and Sara Have Landed

I talked to Chris a few minutes ago, and he and Sara have landed safely in Beijing. They will catch a few winks and be off to the Forbidden City and the acrobat show tomorrow. I will miss seeing the Forbidden City. I really loved it there.

Chris said the trip was long, but they endured. Sara should be traveling easier after she off-loaded the 11 pounds she was overweight on her luggage before they left the Indy airport! Sorry, Sara, I had to laugh about that!

I am feeling better now that I know they are in-country and getting closer to our baby. It's a good day!

China Accommodations

We received Chris and Sara's in China itinerary. They will stay at the Zhaolong Hotel in Beijing, the Gloria Plaza Hotel in Nanchang, and, of course, the famous White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou. No slumming it for Chris and Sara. Our friend in Shanghai, Iris, is going to try to get down to Nanchang to catch up with Chris and see the baby while they are there.

Seventeen Days Until Take Off

We received official travel dates. Chris and Sara will leave on October 31st and return on November 15th They will most likely be handed Zanna one day after her first birthday, which is November 3rd. Time is passing so quickly, and we have lots of packing and some paperwork left to do. I still have to put together my list of things I want Sara to buy for me in China!