it's been a whilrwind 24 hours for Eli. First, we got to take a cruise along the Pearl River. He really enjoyed watching the other boats on the river with us. It wasn't too windy or cold that evening and the rain held off long enough for us and the other adoptive families that we have met to enjoy our last full evening together since once the consulate appointment is over, you are free to leave the country.

Eli was so wired from the boat trip and subsequent bus ride, he didn't settle down for bed until 9:30. This made for a grouchy morning as we had to get up early for an appointment at the U.S Consulate office here. This is the last step necessary before we can bring Eli home to Hastings. Here, the U.S. government double-checks the paperwork to make sure that we have the right child and then he is issued a Chinese passport for travel abroad. If everything checks out at this meeting, then Eli is considered a U.S. citizen and is given a social security number.

When we arrived we were marshalled through a series of checkpoints courtesy of the Chinese government (not wanting to waste this last opportunity to make things complicated I guess) and then brought onto legal U.S. soil. There were probably about a dozen adoptive families that were in a small room who had the same 9 a.m. appointment time. Promptly at 9, a gentleman appeared to make an announcement about what was going to happen. Families were called up individually to submit all of the required documentation for final approval at this point.

Our turn and first the secretary had to match Eli to the face on the Chinese visa and temporary in-country travel passport. A slight error on my part since I had put his American name as Elijah John on all of the documents instead of Elijah John Shelhamer. So I had to make a couple of quick corrections. The Chinese like everything to be word for word on each document. Then a couple more stamps on paper as appears to be standard in this country and we were granted approval to bring him home.

In other words, Eli is now officially ours and by virtue of his adoptive mother and father a citizen of the U.S. He will get paperwork saying as much along with his social security number within 30 days of today.

He was such a trooper throughout this entire process and not just today. I think he sensed the anxiety and in addition to his late bedtime last night crashed on the ride home. We and the other family from our agency that had the same appointment time as us today felt a huge sense of relief once everything was official and were punch-drunk on the ride back to the hotel.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Goungzhou as we have to wait 24 hours to pick up his China passport with visa. We have lots to do to get ready for our trip home. I got a jumpstart on that process by getting a trim at a local barbershop (I was looking a little haggard). One of our guides took me to a local shop for the "Chinese style haircut" as he called it. He negotiated the price for me (equivalent of $2 U.S. dollars) and then told her what I wanted done. She replied and during this exchange my guide leaned to me and said "She speaks Cantonese so I don't understand what she say." Oh great. Next I sat down and sitting in the chair I was taller than my barber. This caused much giggling and at one point a fellow barber tried to bring over a step stool for her but she chased him away. I said in English that I wanted it short and to trim my sideburns. I even referenced Joe Mauer but she must not be a baseball fan as she proceeded to shave them off. After buzzing my back and sides, she took out a pair of rusty sissors (can you get salmonella in your hair?) and proceeded to trip my top. It actually turned out good and for the price it looks fine to me.