July 15, 1997:
It is a normal day here in Guangzhou, China. Hot, humid. Kristina had a good night. As did her parents. The breakfast buffet was fabulous. I'm counting down the days we get that treat: 1 to go.
We are trying to get in Kristina's naps. But there's not much room, she's so tiny. Just kidding. Really, though, she does much better when she isn't sleepy and overwhelmed with all the new sights and sounds and emotions.
It is nearly noon as I write this. Kristina is on the tail end of her morning nap. She seems very curious and is into everything. That is very good. I stayed with Kristina while Linda did some shopping. She bought a huge fan with lotus flowers (Man Lian -- Kristina's original Chinese name -- means "Pretty Lotus") and cranes which represent long life. She felt that would be a good gift for her father but then realized it would be great for us to have one also. It only costs under $8.00 US dollars but is very expensive if purchased in the US.
She also bought a letter opener, Chinese Dragon balls that hang in your car for luck, and a pretty box to put a special gift in for Kristina at sometime in the years ahead when she has her birthday. Kristina is waking so I will shut this down for now. Today we go to the Consulate to pick up Kristina's paperwork which gets her home to live her life with us and grow up a US citizen. We are having one landmark day right after another!
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