First Airplane Ride

Matthew says:

Mia rode an airplane for the first time today. I wouldn’t say she enjoyed it though, because she screamed until we got her to sleep, and I think some of the other passengers wished they had brought earplugs. We realized that this is a super- huge overload for a 15 month- old little girl, and that just about everything that we do will be new to her. When we landed in the city of Guangzhou, the place where Mia gets her visa, we had to take her to a medical checkup. Lola waited with us boys in the van while our new guide, Miss Lucy, took Mama, Papa, and Mia inside the clinic. When they came back out we asked them how it went, and my dad replied, “Didn’t you hear? We thought the entire country would have heard Mia’s report. That’s why it went so quickly, because the doctor couldn’t wait to get her out of there!” Mia came to life again this afternoon, she has started walking on her own, and even runs a little bit (even though she cheats a little bit), but still can’t crawl. I say she cheats though, because she will take a slow step until she is close to you, then she will start cracking up, and will run a tiny bit and lunge and fall into your arms and give you a hug and start laughing even harder. She has the same mentality about crawling, because she Chinese babies aren’t encouraged to crawl, Mia doesn’t really know how. If you put her on the bed and hold out your arms, she will struggle until she inches close enough to just lunge at you, trusting that you will catch her, and laughing the whole time. We think she is the cutest, funniest thing that has ever walked on two legs, and she knows it. She has become a little fireball and comedian and has started copying other people.




Maria says:
Mia's first airplane ride went relatively smoothly, thanks to the fact that the plan was half empty and Dale had the freedom to walk her in the aisles in the back of the plane, out of earshot of everyone seated at the front of the plane.
On the way to the hotel from the airport, our guide took us to have her picture taken for her visa, and to have her checked by the doctor. According to our guide, the doctor said she passed inspection.

We are staying at The White Swan Hotel, a beautiful hotel right on the river here in Guangzhou. Dale has renamed it the international baby hotel--it seems like everyone on our floor is an adoptive family. This hotel even has a play room which is specially outfitted for adoptive families.