March 6

Today was the day for us to go to the US Consulate to finalize our paperwork that is required for in country processing.  What this means is that once we get all of the paperwork back tomorrow along with Tovin’s Visa he will be considered a US citizen by the Chinese government and that we are cleared for travel with him out of China.  Hurrah!  However, there is some paperwork that needs to be completed once we get back to the states in order for him to be a full fledged US citizen: changing his name from his Chinese name to his American name on his birth certificate, social security card, his US passport (his only ID saying he is a US citizen), etc.  It will take some time, but nothing is real quick when it comes to most adoption processes, so we’re used to it.

While we were at the Consulate, the first family we met, that was there for the same reason we were, happens to live about 45 minutes from Tracy, calling Brookings, South Dakota home.  We quickly made a connection with plans to stay in touch once we get settled when we get back home.  Their little girl sure is a cutie, and happens to have the same heart issue that Tovin has: Tetrology of Fallot, she also happens to be the same age.  Doctors over here fixed her heart when she was six months old, the typical age children with this condition have surgery.  This heart condition requires medical care throughout life, so even though Tovin will have surgery when we get home, it is normal for at least one additional surgery in early adulthood, if not further surgeries depending on the initial severity of the condition and or how the body adapts after each surgical procedure.

We spent the late morning into early afternoon at a local city park.  It was nice to be outside for a bit and who could complain with the temperatures in the upper 70’s, maybe the low 80’s…didn’t really mater, is sure was nice.  Guangzhou isn’t a smog-infested place like Nanchang, so it’s actually a pleasure to be outside, which is a place we’ve quickly learned that Tovin enjoys.  We’ve also learned that he is definitely a boy!  He likes to play with cars, likes to be outside, and loves to be on the go…constantly, even though he can’t walk on his own yet.  Jen’s a little worried about when he gets healthy.  Quite literally, he might give us a run for our money!  Oh, Tovin also enjoys making a mess; I think it’s awesome!

Tony the Tiger might become a staple at our house, not that he isn’t already, with Frosted Flakes being one of Addison’s favorite cereals, but they are quickly becoming Tovin’s preferred food when nothing else will do.  Like I’ve said before, he’s quite determined and can be pretty stubborn, so today when he dug into Addison’s cereal for lunch we just went with it. 

We leave for Hong Kong late tomorrow afternoon, via a three hour van ride, once we get Tovin’s Visa and other paperwork.  We’re scheduled to get into Hong Kong around 9 or 10pm, and then we’ll be at the airport waiting for our plane ride home by 8:00am Friday morning. 

Most likely this will be our last post until we get home.  For those of you that have never been to China, it is a magnificent place! There is so much history, so much pride.  There is so much to experience for yourself that my writing about our trip and your reading about it is in no way doing it justice.  Please know that as I write this, I do so humbly, in somewhat of a state of shock.  To be thinking that through this journey, once again, Jen and I are bringing home a child to call our own, and for that we are truly blessed! 

In such a short period of time Tovin’s life has changed so much, as has he.  While getting them ready for bed tonight Tovin was sitting on the bed as he has every night; I gave Jen a kiss goodnight then gave Addison a hug and kiss goodnight as well.  I followed that with what I thought would just be my giving Tovin a goodnight hug.  All three of these things have been the same routine, the same thing, that he has been witness to and a somewhat limp participant in since the day we picked him up.  However, tonight as I picked him up to “give” him a hug, he reached out for me and instead of kind of looking blankly off into space and not really knowing what was going on and or what to do, he looked straight into my eyes, puckered up his lips and was all ready for his goodnight hug and kiss…however, by the time our faces met, all I got was a kiss full of his teeth!  We’ll have to work on that, but not too soon; he doesn’t need to figure out how to be good at kissing until he’s like 40!

We’d like to thank everyone again for your thoughts and prayers; it truly means the world to us.  Thanks again to Jay and Sheila for coming along and being such a big help on this adventure!  Lastly, thanks Kay for posting this stuff these past two weeks, if it wasn’t for you we literally would have fallen off the face of the earth and a lot of people back home would have been wondering what happened and what we were up to everyday, thanks!

Ta Ta for now, see you when we get back,

Jason, Jen, Addison, and Tovin