Goodnight Penelope, tomorrow you're going home.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
We're going home tomorrow!!!!!!!!!
We are finally leaving China and going home to start our new life with our baby girl. We are more than eager to go home. I woke up sick so Joe and I have been trading off while one sleeps the other plays. This afternoon we went to the U.S. Consolate to take an oath and receive Penelope's visa. As soon as she lands in LAX she become a U.S. citizen. I can't believe we finally made it. These past three weeks were very long and we miss you all. Now let me tell you a little about China:
Weather: It sucks. It was always hot and always high humidy. Walking out side was like walking in a sauna, true. In Beijing the weather was nicer and a littler breezier but Guangzhou, sucks. Imagine jumping in the shower and straightening your hair, put make up on and ready to go, then you step outside and you start to sweat, your hair frizzes, and your makeup is melting. That's Guangzhou.
Traffic: It sucks. We went to Yangxi for a 4 hour trip. On our way back it took 7 hours. Enough said. The street lines are just guides, the cars will cram into any space just to get by. Pedestrians do not have the right of way. When one is crossing you must be looking both ways all the time even if it's green you.
Food: It's okay. Some meals were great, some were okay and some were awful. We had more of the okay and awful than great. The chicken would be surved with it's head on the plate, to show "freshness". The shrimp was always cooked whole meaning with eyes, shin and colon intaked. I'm sooo craving a taco.
People: Because there are soooooo many people in China, the mentality is "get out of my way". Us Americans would take that as rude, they're in survival mode. We turned lots of heads when we would walk the streets with Penelope. Some smiles, some dirty looks and some confusions. I would just smile back and kiss Penelope on the cheek, sort of letting them know that she will be loved.
Massages: They're Great!!!! I just returned with the rest of the fathers (Joe was on mom duty tonight) and it was incredible. I had a 1 hour full body massage for $8 and it was better than the States.
So we return tomorrow night and we know that everybody is eager to meet Penelope just as we are eager for her to meet you, but we would like for this weekend only to rest, recover from our jetlag (15 hour flight) and have her get used to her new environment. We will be going to the Dodger game on Saturday the 24th and I plan on taking her to my Nina Esters house on Sunday for everyone to meet her. I know that you will understand. Again thank you all your beautiful comments, I will be printing them for Penelope to have.
We love you!!!!!!
Joe, Pati and Penelope
Weather: It sucks. It was always hot and always high humidy. Walking out side was like walking in a sauna, true. In Beijing the weather was nicer and a littler breezier but Guangzhou, sucks. Imagine jumping in the shower and straightening your hair, put make up on and ready to go, then you step outside and you start to sweat, your hair frizzes, and your makeup is melting. That's Guangzhou.
Traffic: It sucks. We went to Yangxi for a 4 hour trip. On our way back it took 7 hours. Enough said. The street lines are just guides, the cars will cram into any space just to get by. Pedestrians do not have the right of way. When one is crossing you must be looking both ways all the time even if it's green you.
Food: It's okay. Some meals were great, some were okay and some were awful. We had more of the okay and awful than great. The chicken would be surved with it's head on the plate, to show "freshness". The shrimp was always cooked whole meaning with eyes, shin and colon intaked. I'm sooo craving a taco.
People: Because there are soooooo many people in China, the mentality is "get out of my way". Us Americans would take that as rude, they're in survival mode. We turned lots of heads when we would walk the streets with Penelope. Some smiles, some dirty looks and some confusions. I would just smile back and kiss Penelope on the cheek, sort of letting them know that she will be loved.
Massages: They're Great!!!! I just returned with the rest of the fathers (Joe was on mom duty tonight) and it was incredible. I had a 1 hour full body massage for $8 and it was better than the States.
So we return tomorrow night and we know that everybody is eager to meet Penelope just as we are eager for her to meet you, but we would like for this weekend only to rest, recover from our jetlag (15 hour flight) and have her get used to her new environment. We will be going to the Dodger game on Saturday the 24th and I plan on taking her to my Nina Esters house on Sunday for everyone to meet her. I know that you will understand. Again thank you all your beautiful comments, I will be printing them for Penelope to have.
We love you!!!!!!
Joe, Pati and Penelope
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
2 more days!!!!!!!
Today we were quarantined in our room until 11:30 am to be available if there were any questions on our paperwork. We passed!!!! Tomorrow we will take our oath and receive Penelope's visa. Joe is extremely homesick. He misses his home and his other babies. He's also sick with the flu so everything else becomes worse. We went to the electronic district to see how much cameras would cost. According to Joe they're the same, but I did purchase 6 DVD's for 60 yuans (about $7). So far one can't be read, one disc stops alot and the third's quality sucks, but what do you expect for a little over $1 each. Tonight we had our last evening out as a family because tomorrow night there will be a farewell party for us. We ate Italian and it was okay. Tomorrow I will begin to pack.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
3 more days!!!!!!!!
Well Sukie and Pepper left yesterday and we were sad to see them go. They had spent the last 2 weeks with us and they were ready to go home, also because I think they spent all their money on shopping. How many pairs of sunglasses did you get again Pepper? And how many watches do you have Sukie?(hello, hello, watchie? watchie?) Ahh, the sounds of street merchants.
Today I filled out the applications for Penelope's visa. They will be submitted tomorrow (Wednesday) and on Thursday we will go to the U.S. consulate to take an oath and get the visa. We leave Friday and it can't come sooner.These past 2 1/2 weeks have been amazing, exhausting, fun, sad and unforgettable. We can't wait to get home with our new baby girl and start a new life with her. We have been reading your comments and every comment that I read makes me cry, because I feel very lucky to have family and friends that are genuinely happy for us. Family and friends that are ready to welcome Penelope with open arms and lots of love.
The pictures that have been posted of Penelope are not the best just to show her best views, she is adorable. She is always smiling and is a happy little girl. We have a baby carrier that Joe has been using to walk with her and she laughs when she sees him putting it on. She knows that she's going out. While walking everybody that sees her smiles at her and she smiles back. We are very lucky to have her in our lives. I can't imagine my life without her now. Motherhood has come natural. Her crying doesn't bother me and that's amazing, right Virita? She cries when she's hungry and that's only when Joe was not fast enough in making the bottle. She cries when she's sleepy so all I have to do is carry her. Oh, and she cried when she bumped her head on the refrigerator door at 7/11, bad mommy.
Joe is out getting his $8 body massage with the rest of the fathers. Hopefully I will get one before we leave. Tomorrow we are suppose to go on a dinner cruise, hopefully it won't rain.
Today I filled out the applications for Penelope's visa. They will be submitted tomorrow (Wednesday) and on Thursday we will go to the U.S. consulate to take an oath and get the visa. We leave Friday and it can't come sooner.These past 2 1/2 weeks have been amazing, exhausting, fun, sad and unforgettable. We can't wait to get home with our new baby girl and start a new life with her. We have been reading your comments and every comment that I read makes me cry, because I feel very lucky to have family and friends that are genuinely happy for us. Family and friends that are ready to welcome Penelope with open arms and lots of love.
The pictures that have been posted of Penelope are not the best just to show her best views, she is adorable. She is always smiling and is a happy little girl. We have a baby carrier that Joe has been using to walk with her and she laughs when she sees him putting it on. She knows that she's going out. While walking everybody that sees her smiles at her and she smiles back. We are very lucky to have her in our lives. I can't imagine my life without her now. Motherhood has come natural. Her crying doesn't bother me and that's amazing, right Virita? She cries when she's hungry and that's only when Joe was not fast enough in making the bottle. She cries when she's sleepy so all I have to do is carry her. Oh, and she cried when she bumped her head on the refrigerator door at 7/11, bad mommy.
Joe is out getting his $8 body massage with the rest of the fathers. Hopefully I will get one before we leave. Tomorrow we are suppose to go on a dinner cruise, hopefully it won't rain.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
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