Travel Approval......we are going to China!!!!

The past few days have passed in a blur for me and if you have seen me in this time I might even be a tad distracted:) On Wednesday I received the call that I have been waiting for for a decade.......it is finally time to meet my daughter.  When you are adopting from China, the last approval you need is called your Travel Approval which just means you can come to China to complete the adoption. 

I have spent my days for the past 20-ish months waiting, doing paperwork, waiting for approvals, making phone calls, begging and waiting.  And then with one phone call everything changes, I am no longer waiting for an approval or an email or an update, all I do now is make travel arrangements to fly across the world and get my beautiful Ellie.  So our flights have been arranged and bought, our itinerary is set...............................

We will fly out of Rochester on Friday, January 27th into Newark and then Beijing.  Ellie is currently in foster care in Jiangxi province so we will then catch a flight to Nanchang, Jiangxi and finally arrive very late Saturday night and will be staying at the Peace Hotel.  Sunday will be a day of rest but I cannot imagine I will be doing much resting while waiting to meet my daughter on Monday.  Ellie will be brought to my hotel room on Monday morning at 11 and then we begin our life as mother and daughter.  We will spend the remainder of that week in Nanchang doing paperwork and bonding.  On Friday, February 3rd we will fly to Guangzhou, which is the yellow province below in Southeast China (Guangdong).  We will be staying at the Victory Hotel in GZ and that week have various medical appointments and paperwork to do while seeing the sights and bonding some more.  On February 8th we have our consulate appointment and then on the 9th we will receive Ellie's visa to travel back home.  We will then take a train from GZ to Hong Kong and stay overnight there before flying out Friday morning and will be back in Rochester 9:30 Friday night.  So many of you have asked what our itinerary will look like so there it is in brief form:)

When I think too much about the transitions my little 3-year old will be making in the next week I could just weep, and I have.  I pray her little heart is open to her new family and I hope our attachment goes well.  She has been with the same foster family for 2.5 years so she will surely be experiencing grief as she leaves the only home she has ever known.  My heart breaks for her foster mother as well because I can tell she loves her very much and how do I thank a person who has taken such excellent care of my girl?  The only way to thank her is to do my very best for Ellie, which I will do even though it won't always be easy......what part of parenting is ever easy?

I am lucky enough to have my sister traveling with me for this trip and my husband will be home holding down the fort with the boys, with a little help from my mom.  I have been so blessed on this journey will so many supportive friends and my family..............Ellie is coming home to a lot of love and I just CANNOT WAIT!