Day 4: Civil Affairs Office, Notary, Passport Reg.

Today was our last day of appointments in Beijing!! We met our guide, Shirley, (LOVE HER!) at 8:30 a.m. and headed to the Civil Affairs Office to pick up our adoption certificate.

We then went to have all of our documents notarized. Unexpectedly, the notary indicated the documents wouldn't be ready for a few hours....so, we decided to go shopping and eat lunch.

Pizza Hut....wouldn't have been our first choice but it was convenient and time was a factor. Shirley said Pizza Hut is the most popular pizza in China and it was excellent!!! Sam had a personal pan pepperoni and Ben, Greg and I split a cheese pizza. Shirley ordered spaghetti with meatballs and shared with Ben too. He loved it all! He also ate from a high chair and I was very excited about that!!!

Benjamin eats just the right amount of food....he doesn't overeat like a lot of children from orphanages. He definitely knows when he's finished and knows what he likes. He uses a fork very well and likes to do things for himself....but again, not fond of messes or dirty hands. I'll be packin' lots of hand wipes and sanitizer.

From there Shirley took us to a French grocery/super Wal Mart type chain called Carrefour. It was very busy and smelled awful!! Shirley said it was the exotic durian fruit (aka "stinky fruit"). It's called the "King of Fruits" in Southeast Asia, but Westerners usually don't care much for its mild oniony flavor. Once cut open, the durian gives off such a strong and foul odor that it's banned on Singaporean subways. Look for it in an Asian market near you!

Benjamin sat in his first grocery cart and did great! He loved being pushed around the store and taking in all the sounds, smells and sites. We pushed him up a ramp (in the cart) to the 2nd floor to look for a stroller to purchase. We were hoping Shirley may be able to help talk him into trying it. The strollers were more expensive than we'd hoped but we settled on a nice black/pink one with a sun shade (the least expensive option). Luckily, Ben looks good in pink! :) We'll be able to bring the stroller with us to Guangzhou too. We also purchased Benjamin some mini pancake type snacks that our guide thought he'd enjoy, a toddler spoon/spork set and XL Pampers! Benjamin is "potty training" according to the orphanage. He lets us know when he goes poop (does NOT like messy diapers) and even pee'd for Greg on the potty this morning! :)

We returned to the notary to pick up our documents then headed to the Passport Registration office. We met the orphanage director there (from Gotcha Day) and then applied for his passport. She took Benjamin and I to a passport photo booth for his photo. She placed Benjamin on a chair in a standing position and was speaking to him in Mandarin. I stepped behind him - out of the booth - so the picture could be taken. Benjamin started screaming and crying "Maaamaaaa". I had to enter the photo booth and sit on the floor in front of him and hold his hand for the photo. He was so scared I was leaving. Later, Shirley told me the orphanage director was amazed how quickly Benjamin had bonded with us and this made her very happy. 

Shirley then dropped us off at the hotel. Benjamin and Sam are napping and Greg and I are on the computers. Sam is still struggling a bit. I think he's missing home and not that interested in what we're doing. Hopefully the tours this weekend will be more interesting for him. We'll be touring with 3 other families (I believe) from our agency...and one of the families has 2 boys around Sam's age. That will help a lot!

Tomorrow is another free day. Greg's stepmom's niece is studying in Beijing and we plan to meet her here at the hotel at 10 a.m., but otherwise no plans. Friday we will meet Shirley around 12:30 p.m. for a full day of touring (with the other families) and an acrobatic show in the evening. The other families will be touring before heading to their provinces to meet their children. We aren't sure how Benjamin will do on the long day of touring, but we're going to give it a try. He's definitely a kid that needs his naps...and luckily, he's a great sleeper!! Perhaps he'll sleep in the stroller...

Ok, so that's what happened so far today......but how are things going? Honestly, I would say great!! This kid is amazing. He is so smart and funny and playful and happy (95% of the time). Everyone comments how happy he seems. He charms everyone he meets....like a little rockstar everywhere he goes!

He has attached to us remarkably well. Shirley feels he is very apprehensive around Mandarin people because he associates the orphanage and his prior life with the language. He rarely, if ever, speaks Mandarin to us. When spoken to in Mandarin he leans his head down, shrugs his shoulders and won't look at the person.  

We witnessed numerous times today how language is causing most, if not all, of his crying episodes. For example, he wanted to get off my lap in the van (no seatbelts so I have to hold him tightly). He started to arch his back and cry....Shirley spoke to him in Mandarin and explained that he needed to stay in my lap and why. He then sat back and was fine. He will listen to her and responds appropriately...the problem is, we can't explain to him. It will come with time and he's doing better every day.

I LOVE sleeping with him!!! He hangs his chubby little leg over my side and snuggles under my neck. He moves around a lot but always ends up near us. He woke up with a huge smile on his face this morning. It was soooo sweet. He seems to feel very secure and comfortable with us. I can't wait to have him home with Ellie and Jack. It's going to be so fun to watch him grow and flourish in a family....a big family -- including lots of friends.

He is truly a joy to be around. Watching his little mind and wondering what he must be thinking! My favorite is when he is sitting on my lap and turns his head to look at me, smiles and then puckers up for a big kiss!!! Seriously!!! How cute is he?! He's going to give Jack a run for his money in the "he works it" department!!!!

After spending the day with us, Shirley noted that Benjamin may have been "spoiled" at the orphanage...ya don't say?!!! She commented, "in China, we would say, he's showing his tails"....but, she also said she'd love to take him home with her! She has 2 boys, ages 4 and 2 and is absolutely smitten with Ben. She stated his ear lobes are shaped like dumplings which indicates he is very determined. Yep, this we know...and love!!!