Day 13 - Countdown to Leaving China!

Hi Everyone, Steve has been posting the last few nights. I've been so sick with a cold. When I wake up in the morning I feel like my ears are on fire. I rolled out of bed today to go to breakfast because Steve needs me there to watch Sheehan because it's a buffet. I slumped in my chair most of the time, but managed to get down some of the yummy french toast and tater tots and OJ. Then I came back to the room and went back to bed. I'm up again, showered and somewhat ready to go now, at noon. Steve is watching Monday night football. That's pretty funny because it's Tuesday here.

I'm hoping I'll feel better by our plane ride. This morning was probably the worst I've felt the past two weeks.

The one thing I want to comment on is how awesome this hotel is. We're on the 11th floor overlooking the island we're on, which is part of the city. There is a 3-story waterfall that falls into a pool of water that contains many huge goldfish. They also have a very large gold bird cage that houses about a dozen love birds...I think they're love birds. They're very pretty and Sheehan loves to watch them. The hotel has giant Chinese artwork for sale all over the first floor. Big dragons and ships and horses and frogs carved out of wood, jade, ivory, etc. Every night at around 8:30 housekeeping comes to our room and turns down our beds and leaves us a little container of chocolates. They also have attendants on each floor who will call the elevator for us and helps us with anything we need. They have two big swimming pools (it's been a little too chilly to swim though) and the hotel is right on the river. The buffet for breakfast is HUGE!!!! We thought the first hotel was the best, but this place is by far one of the best hotels we've ever stayed in.

The waterfall in our hotel...

By the way, Mattel made a special Barbie doll that is for adoptive parents staying at the White Swan Hotel here. It's a blonde Barbie with a little Asian baby. At first I thought it was supposed to be for Sheehan, but then we realized that it's a Collector's Item and they give them to everyone. It's kind of amusing, but a nice gesture.

View from our hotel room...

To end our day, we had dinner with our group as a farewell, then we bought some souveneirs on the way home. And now we're ready for bed. Sheehan is crying himself to sleep as I type. Tomorrow is our last full day here! Woo-hoo!!!!

Sheehan looking at the fish...

Answers/comments to questions on comments:
Kim: I can't believe the Redskins lost. We saw the highlights with those field goals at the end. I was sad. Sheehan would LOVE to have a Redskins t-shirt (don't tell Steve I said that).

Mandie: We are dying to come home. My cold is making me want to come home all the more. If I weren't so sick, I don't think it would be so bad because our hotel is SOOO accomodating to adoptive parents. I would love to get together so Anna Leigh and Sheehan can play. We are still looking into moving to LZ. That would be so cool!

Dave: Steve was very excited that the Bears won. He was going to call his dad to rub it in, but we can't find our pin # for the calling card. And, I don't think we've really complained much other than my being sick. I am seeing it as a time for Steve and Sheehan to bond though. :-)

Colleen: Can't wait to bring Sheehan out to lunch with us at Portillo's. I wonder if they serve Congee?

Cindi: The middle photo was the side of a building that had some kind of video showing on it. It's hard to tell in the photo, but it's pretty cool from the boat and our hotel room.

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