Dec. 22nd - I'm a citizen!!! (Kaeli)

I'm a US citizen!!!

Mama and Laurie and I met the others in the "chicken" (check-in) lobby at 9:30am and we walked over to the US embassy. Laurie had to sit outside and watch our strollers and knit while Mama and I and the others went through security and into the actual US embassy. There were a lot of Chinese people waiting outside hoping to get visas to go to America, but we bypassed them all and followed the signs to the adoption center. We went up several floors and waited in a small crowded room with a lot of other mamas and daddys and babies of all ages. I entertained everyone as usual, and ran around and danced and waved and smiled big at people.

Then a very tall man came out (another big nose person, like Mama and Laurie and Madison and Alex's mommies and daddies) who spoke loud and asked everyone to raise their right hands. Us babies didn't have to - some of us even started to cry in the quiet, but I just giggled and squirmed in Mama's arms. Then the tall man asked if everyone had told the truth on the papers they had submitted, and the mommies and daddies all said yes, and the tall man said "that's it, your proud parents of American citizens!" Some of the mommies and daddies (including my own Mama) got wet eyes for some reason.

Then we walked back to the hotel and did some shopping on the way, and I took a nap. Becoming a citizen is quite exhausting. Then at 3pm we met in Dr. Susan's room and Grace delivered our visas from the US embassy and we got our instructions about taking a train to Hong Kong. We said goodbye to David and Amy and Madison, who left on a train to Hong Kong right after the meeting. Then Mama and Laurie and I went back to our room.

Mama disappeared (she came back with bags, so I think she went shopping) and while she was gone Alex came to play while her parents went shopping. Laurie had her hands full and had a lot of fun with Alex and I!!! I don't see what the big deal was, but Laurie looked stressed when Mama returned! And we even waited until Mama got home for both Alex and I to do major stinkies in our diapers at the same time!

I do NOT like sharing Mama - everytime Mama played with Alex instead of me I cried and let her know that wasn't right. I didn't even like Mama changing Alex's diaper -she shouldn't be changing anybody's but mine!!!

That baby Alex's parents finally came back to get her (I was worried I was going to have to share Mama more!) and we all went out to dinner at a Thai restaurant. Mama and Laurie bought another suitcase to pack stuff into and I helped them pack the rest of the night. And I was a BIG help!!! Then we all went to sleep, and I slept ALL night and didn't wake up crying once!!! (well, I did wail once or twice but I took pity on Mama and went right back to sleep so she didn't have to get up!).