China - Day 3: Changsha

We are now in Changsha. We had a 2.5 hr flight this morning and made it with no difficulties. We had a suitcase malfunction just before we left (the zipper broke in our large one!) and had to make a last minute change – so we ended up with an extra bag here in China. The problem is that you are supposed to check only 1 bag each and you can carry on one each up to 10lbs. Long story short, we ended up carrying on a bag that weighed 30lbs at least with no issue. That was a VERY good thing. Yet another crisis averted. Lunch was served on the flight. Beef or chicken.  Hmmmm ….. Chris had beef and said it was fine. I opted for my protein bar with no regrets. Getting to Changsha was another step in this journey. We met our new guides  - XiXi and Bob, who will be with us for the remainder of the trip and will help facilitate all of the adoption proceedings. I liked them immediately. They have been helpful and informative so far. Changsha already has a much different feel than Beijing did.  We were told that it is more "academic". It is still a huge city but doesn't seem as fast paced as Beijing. We were informed that there aren't many Americans here at all and those that are typically are here to adopt a baby or get a wife. We are also told that this is the "real" China that we'll be seeing over the next few days. I'm excited to get out tonight to have dinner (we are going to experience "local" food) and see a little of the area. We were also told that here in China we all look the same to the Chinese people. (We are all white). That made me laugh. As I had said before, we are here with a group of families who all logged in their paperwork with China on the same date back on March 14, 20006. There are 7 families for a total of 15 people. (One of them brought their teenage son).  2  families are from NC (the other NC family actually lives in W Wake County and attends our church but we didn't know this until over a year into this process and are only getting to know them on this trip), 2 families are from Louisiana, 1 from Ohio, 1 from Michigan and 1 from Florida. We are all different in a lot of ways but everyone gets along well and seems to have things in common - most of all that we will all have little girls from Hunan who have spent the first year of their lives together! Today has been nice getting to know everyone better. The mood is one of anticipation and maybe a little nervous anxiety? After so long, it is really surreal that we are here and in less than 18 hours, we'll meet our daughter. I kind of feel like I am living it but at the same time I feel like I am eavesdropping on someone else's experience. I felt the same way as I was watching Jackson's birth and as we were bringing him home from the hospital and getting to know him in the first few days. So I know this is normal.   We are going to be parents again - this time to a sweet little girl that has been chosen especially for us. I am praying for a smooth transition for her as they hand her to us tomorrow and continuing over the next days, weeks and months. She doesn't know that we are about to become her Mommy and Daddy and that we have been waiting for her for so long. She will be leaving the only way of life she has ever known and will be put into something that his totally new and unfamiliar. Her whole world is getting ready to turn upside down and although she'll know something is going on and is different, she won't know why. I pray for wisdom and guidance that Chris and I will do and say the right things at the right times and will be able to comfort her and begin bonding with her. And I pray for her health. She has a 3 hour van ride tomorrow morning from her orphanage to get to us. We were told that before then, it is likely she has never been outside. She definitely has never been in a car and has never come so far away from all that she knows. We were told that this often causes a lot of anxiety for the babies and sometimes makes them sick, so not to be alarmed if this happens to our baby. My hope and prayer is that all of the babies will be healthy and will remain so. I know she will at the very least be scared. But I hope in some way we can convey to her that we already love her and will take care of her. This is just the beginning of what I hope is a wonderful life for her and what I know will be one of love and security. She will never be left alone again. I'll hopefully be able to post pictures of her tomorrow afternoon so check back in if you want to see! By the way, we meet the babies at 11am tomorrow!! (We are  12 hours ahead of EST). We leave at 10:30am to go to the Civil Affairs office, which is where Lia will be handed to us.  So around 11pm on Sunday night, think of us! Much love!