Getting Sydney - Day 13 - London's Birthday

Another quiet day at the hotel. Today we had our consulate appointment...and we didn't even go there! Our guide just brought all our paperwork for us. Someone had to stay in the hotel room in case the consulate had a question and needed to call. So all the ladies in our group went, where else...shopping, and left the men to take care of the children. Thankfully I had 2 helpers today and we had another great day (if not a little confined.)

In addition to being a very important day in the adoption process, it is also even more important because my middle child turned 9 today! While Sydney slept in a crazy position:



London and Victoria play on their friend's Gameboy



Then we all gathered together and had a birthday party for London. Sydney didn't know what to think of London tearing paper...but she liked to play with the boxes. Any bets on how long before these toys have teeth marks on them?








Then the ladies took off for a day of haggling and shopping. After Sydney's mid-morning snack she sacked out for a nice, long nap



After an hour or so we tried to wake her up...but she was sleeping too hard (see the video below), Here she is after I passed her off to Victoria



It wasn't too long before Mommy came home, having transferred weight from my wallet to her shopping bags.

Sydney loves her Mommy so much. She can't wait to walk in her footsteps:



Later in the evening our guide stopped by with a gift for London's birthday...she is very sweet and the girls just love her.



Then our friends, the Adams, stopped by with their little boy, Ethan. He has a cleft lip and palate as well. You'd think he and Sydney would have a special bond because they share the same affliction...wrong! Here's Sydney being teritorial:



Then victoria, London, and Kasity were horsing around in the hall



Sydney says "Hey...what's going on out here"



"I want to join in the fun!"





Please pray for us today...we found out today that the consulate here in Guangzhou is missing Sydney's visa that should have arrived last January. We tried to get a copy faxed to us at the hotel, but the INS lady said that it's an official government document and that they can only send it directly to the consulate, again. The officer in charge of these things in New Orleans assured us that she'd send it again today so it would be there tomorrow for our final meeting. If, for some reason, it doesn't get there today we don't come home this week. Needless to say, we're ready to come home and don't want any delay.

Videos:
First (for us) sitting to standing:






Brusing sister's hair:






Too sleepy, head-loll:




Why is my face so red? Yin/Yang balancing out:




Eating off a fork: