It's 1:45am in Guangzhou and We Are Not Sleeping

I am typing from a little desk overlooking the Pearl River, which is twinkling with colorful lights even in the dead of morning.  We had a fabulous trip out - it was much easier than we expected.  Edie did great on the 16 hour flight from Newark to Hong Kong - which was an hour delayed on the ground in Newark, bringing that grand total to 17 hours!  She slept for a solid 8 hours, and spent much of her free awake time sharing a seat with her new travel buddy, Lindsay.  Lindsay is also 5-years old, and is returning to China with her parents to adopt Lindsay's little sister. Edie and Lindsay have become fast friends!

Here we are leaving our house in Newton on Friday morning:



Edie making good use of her time at the Newark airport:



Edie and her new friend, Lindsay, posing in front of the gate display announcing a Continental Airlines flight that no one really wants to board....



We arrived in Hong Kong at about 9pm on Saturday night, checked in our hotel, and tried to sleep, but Edie was bouncing off the walls - literally - for hours! We finally got about 4 hours sleep, ate breakfast, wandered around the Hong Kong airport hotel grounds until noon, then trudged back from the hotel and into the terminal and flew the quick flight from Hong Kong to Guangzhou. Adding in more airport delays , finding bags, finding our agency's guides, and taking the long bus ride to our hotel, we finally checked in to our rooms around 6:30pm on Sunday night. Edie was so tired that she passed out in our arms at the restaurant, right as her spaghetti was being served! I did the same soon thereafter, only she is still sleeping and Chris and I are not.... Chris and I upgraded to a beautiful suite with an amazing river view, and we have a little crib by our bed, waiting for Gemma to occupy it! We will meet her tomorrow at 2:30pm, while all of you are sleeping....It is so exciting to be here and to be so close to meeting our new daughter.

Checking in at the Regal Airport Hotel in Hong Kong on Saturday after 24 hours of traveling - don't the girls look great?



And, yes, another delay from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, but Lindsay and Edie find a good place to chill out.



Finally, checking into the White Swan hotel! What a trip...



It has taken me so long to figure out how to post from this hotel that I think I am ready to go back to bed!

Love to all.... please keep Gemma in your thoughts for her very difficult day tomorrow.