We're back!

We're back home after the most amazing journey we've ever made! China is a fantastic country with fantastic people. We have seen just a tiny fraction of the country but have met a lot friendly and warm people, our guide Julie and local guide Monica were terrific!

On Dec 13th we met our little FuQi for the first time. Our daughter was the last to arrive to the hotel after all the other 9 girls had met their forever-families. We were told she had had 5 hours by train and was a bit delayed so we went down to grab some dinner in the hotel restaurant. Our guide came to get us after 6 PM and told us she had arrived. We went up to 11th floor and there she was with her nanny and the SWI director outside the elevators. The walk back to our room seemed to last for ages but once we got in there they handed her over to me. She looked at me curiously and then at DH who was recording. She had been a bit carsick in the taxi to the hotel but who bothered?? We exchanged gifts and then they all left. That same evening there were some paper work to be done so we washed her off and put on some clean clothes. She sat in my lap quitely and played with my necklace and leaned against my chest during the following hours, some of our new friend's babies cried loudly but she just sat there looking at me and her new dad and the other people. The next day we went to Civil Affairs and the Notary office and after that we were legally parents in China.

She is the most adoring baby girl! She smiles a lot, laughs out loud when we are too silly or tickles her tummy and she eats like a horse, just show her a spoon and she opens her mouth widely. She drinks Swedish formula and eats Swedish porridge and food as she had always done. She is very fond of both of us and loves to play with her new toys in her room or in the kitchen. She crawls fast and stands up against a chair or a bed or against our legs. She walks holding our hands and has taken a step or two by herself. Perhaps she'll be walking for her birthday in two weeks!

We brought a BabyBjörn to China and she just loved to sit in it! The Chinese people looked at all of us long-nosed Swedes where most dads carried their babies in these strange harnesses. When putting a formula bottle in her mouth while walking around they couldn't believe their eyes!

The city of Nanchang is like any medium big city. There was a supermarket not far from the hotel where we could buy all necessities like water and diapers. We went on some day trips to a park, to the Teng Wang Ge pagoda and to a porcelain store. After a week we went back to Beijing.

Beijing is a very big city and a very crowded city. Lots and lots of cars, congestions at any time of the day, extremely dry air and weather like we are used to at this time of the year. We visited the Summer Palace, the Tianmen Square and of course the Great Wall, on the most memorable Christmas Eve you can ever have! The weather this day was sunny and clear and the view was lovely! In the evening we gathered in the hotel restaurant to have some dinner all together, we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve in Sweden and one of our new friend's daughter turned 1 year this day. In the hotel there were also another group from Sweden, they had been in Guangdong to meet their babies. All Swedes sat next to each other and it was the best party ever!

The flight back home to Europe was quiet and calm. Our daughter slept 7 of th 10 hours it took us to get to Copenhagen. Then we had to transfer to a flight to Stockholm and she fell a sleep again, so did I.

We are still a bit jet-lagged but are coping quite well. She sleeps from about 8 PM to 4 AM but hopefully we will get her to wake up a bit later further on...

Her Swedish name will be Linnea, which also is the name of the province flower (Linnea Borealis) of my home province. Her middle name will be Qi, which means "unbelievable happiness".

We are so happy for her and think we have been perfectly matched! Thank you CCAA!

We wish you all a Happy New Year!