We then went to the Buddhist Temple where we were able to have the babies blessed by the monks. A few families got off to witness the blessing, but Olivia was the only baby who received the blessing. No other family wanted to participate. We felt that it was an important thing as it was part of the heritage of her homeland. She was wonderful during the five minute blessing! Several times she reached out to the monk as he prayed, chanted, and sang to the beat of a hollow wooden shaped symbol that he tapped with a mallet. She smiled each time he made eye contact with her. It was an amazing experience that we will have to share with her when she is older.
Then it was back to the room for a half hour nap, then off to another store to purchase some beautiful jade pieces.
After returning we went to dinner with two other families whose girls were roommates with Olivia at the orphanage. It is very interesting to watch the three of them interact when their strollers are close or when they make eye contact with each other. They will turn away from each other or just plain ignore the others. We had to leave dinner early as someone had a very stinky diaper! But we are not going to complain as it is only the third one we have had in five days!
Olivia is asleep for now and we are hoping that we do not have a repeat of last night.
Prayers are really needed for the parents of our group. Each of the eight families has something ailing them. The worst is my friend Ellen's husband. He was taken to the in-hotel medical clinic, given a shot, and three different pills to take (only three pills not three prescriptions). He had a sore throat and a temperature 102. They told him it was strep. Another mother has a major sinus infection. I woke up this morning with sneezing and a runny nose which will not stop and Roger has a sore throat. Neither of us have fevers! Pray that we can hold on for two more days!
Tomorrow our guide (Veronica) will take all of the families' paperwork to the U.S. Consulate to apply for the babies' U.S. Visa. If all goes well we will have the Visas by Tuesday and be on a plane bound for home on Wednesday (China time) .
Must get to bed as it is almost 10:00pm and we can use all the sleep we can get.
Love from China,
R.R. and O
Looks like she is reaching right for Daddy!
