Well.....

I'm sure you don't want to hear how it took me over an hour at the Bank of China to exchange money and how I had to make a friend and have them exchange some money for me.  Apparently, there is a limit to the amount you can exchange in one day per adopting parent.  You probably also don't want to hear that I slept horribly and my neck and head ached from the soft pillows.  You probably also don't want to hear how the morning slowly ticked away from the time I woke up until Daniel and I left at 2:00 to go the civil affairs office.  I can guess what you'd like to hear....

Well, Ivy had a horrible time.  I saw her sitting in the room with the nanny and she was quietly crying and wiping away her tears.  She was quite pitiful.  When she was brought out to me, she barely looked me in the eyes, but she did the token gestures to mama and said my name.  I tried being friendly, but it was like she did not want anything to do with me.  After a bit of paperwork, we started to leave.  Ivy cried even harder.  We ended up staying so long at the Civil Affairs Office because Ivy did not want to go with me.  She stomped her feet saying she wanted to go back to the orphanage.  People on the street were talking to her telling her to go with her mama.  It was very terrible.  So many things were going through my mind and I wondered what I had done.  The nanny ended up going to the hotel with us and talking to Ivy even longer.  In my mind it just prolonged everything.  Finally, my guide told the nanny to just leave.  Ivy threw a fit screaming, shoving, and running for the door, trying to fling it open.

After a couple of minutes of fitting, I picked her up and held her like a baby and sang to her,  told her I loved her.  She sobbed about 10 more minutes, got down and went to color.  Daniel and I did paperwork for about 20 minutes.  He left, Ivy and I went to the Deli and had noodles for dinner.  Afterwards she had ice cream.  We walked around the White Swan hotel looking at the fish and birds.  She started repeating my words and even smiled at me.

Back at the hotel room, we colored, did a puzzle and eventually, she took a bubble bath.  She let me bathe her and wash her hair and brush her teeth.  I was relieved.  She's a very busy person right now.  She seems happy at the moment and content to be with mama.  I'll share more later, but it is getting late, she needs to go to bed, and I need to get some sleep also.  Thanks for your prayers.