We HAVE GOTTEN IN!!

After five days, we have finally gotten into our log. Turns out the servers were down but we thought their was a lockout by the quality control information folks here in country. Haven't figured out how to load photos in yet (am in a coffee shop using their machine) but at least we have been able to get in!

So, we got Mia two days ago. It was rather odd - we went to the official building but they had two groups. The Canadian group got the big room and we got into some other very small room. Then, the babies came in rapid succession. The family that was getting their child would be in the middle while the rest of us would be around the room standing on top of chairs to shoot photos. There wasn't much room and they apparently store chairs in the room so we did what we could.

We were second to last out of nine. A nannie brought her in. All the kids were wearing matching yellow outfits. Mia has the most hair - enough that we could cut if we had the guts to try. However, she does have a bald spot on the back of her head from her wooden crib so we may leave the hair to cover it at least for a while. She was willing to come with us but spent the first several hours looking at us like we had some serious facial defect that she couldn't figure out. Robert's nose was of her greatest interest. At 3:00 pm. we went back to the hotel. MIa began to cry in a existential angstsortof way. She seemed so deeply sad and nothing could relieve her of her sadness. She finally fell asleep and slpet through the night.

We are now getting to know one another. We had our two interviews yesterday. We passed although we had some discussion in one as to what year we had gotten married. Gave two answers. I was wrong. Guess time just flew by - what's a year or so? But, they passed us. We are official.

Mia had some rather bad jerking and very odd tongue rolling the first day. It has gotten better each day and is completely gone when she sleeps. We think it comforts her. She is amazed by her thumbs and will clasp her hands to look at them. She is learning to sit up and is doing a pretty decent job at balancing for a while. She hasn't learned to hold toys or objects but is trying to do so and we are trying to help her learn.

Mia has bonded well with Robert and wants to be held all the time. She isn't too thrilled with me. Perhaps it is my lack of an interesting nose. At least, I'm going to tell myself that. She does sleep next to me.

Mia does know her name which is Jin Jin, pronounced roughly Jen Jen. So, we call her Mia Jen Jen and she will look to see who is calling her.

Now that we know the government isn't trying to suppress our babble, we feel much better. We didn't think that the government had any issue with our ramblings but we do have two writers along on the trip. They are a bit better at drawing the picture so we were blaming them. Now, harmony has been restored. Tsing Tao's for all!

More later..