Notary and Registration Day

Tuesday started out early.  We had to meet our guide in the lobby at 8am to go back to the Civil Affairs office for two interviews, one with the notary and the other with the registrar, to have Sophie's picture made, and to do a little more paperwork.  It was a pretty painless process, with the exception of the registrar.  He didn't seem to like us too much, but we understand that we were his first customers that morning and that he gets more friendly throughout the day.  I was a bit nervous he was going to tell us that we couldn't proceed with the adoption!  I don't know that that has ever happened before, but I was a little worried.  Maybe he just needed a little more time to wake up or another cup of coffee or tea! 

 

Anyway, we had to tell them why we wanted to adopt from China, and then we had to promise to take very good care of her, to never discriminate against her, abandon, or abuse her.  When we were done there, we went to Carrefore shopping.  It's a French Wal-mart basically.  It has more than one floor, though I'm not sure exactly how many floors.  We only went to two of them, the food level and the level that has diapers.  To get from one floor to the other, you take something like a moving sidewalk that goes up.  Imagine an escalator, but without the steps.  They have anything in there you could ever imagine.  We bought a watermelon, some drinks and snacks, and of course some diapers and wipes.  I brought one package of diapers with me, but they are too big.  She wears 12m or 18 month shirts, but 12m pants fall off of her.  She has a tiny hiney, needless to say!  It's a good thing someone suggested that I bring safety pins!  The shopping carts are much different here than in the US.  Here, the front and back wheels swivel.  I have to say it was very hard not to run down someone or something with that cart!  That was about the extent of our day.

 

Several people have asked if we have met many people while we have been here.  There is a family from Atlanta down the hall from us.  We've shared some of our meds with them, as their little girl is sick with a cold or bronchitis or something.  Then I finally met Fliss and her husband who live in Florida.  They were introduced to us by a mutual friend, Monica.  Thanks, Monica!  Before coming to China, we had only chatted via email or on Facebook.  Fliss is a hoot!  They have a precious daughter.  We've met a couple from New York who are adopting a little boy, a family from St. Louis who is here adopting their 6th daughter.  This family used our adoption agency for one of their previous adoptions.  And a family from Maryland, who is in Fliss's group.  Everyone has been really friendly, and it's been a lot of fun getting to know so many different people.