May 27, 2004

Today is Thursday, May 27, 2004 around 4 P.M. (China time) and you are sleeping (because it is 4 AM (US Eastern time). I really love it here. It's really hot here, a lot like Florida. Can't wait to show you all the pictures. Linda and Rachel (Creative Memories consultants) will laugh that I have taken about 7 rolls of film already. Hope I don't run out. We received notarized adoption documents today. Happy day.

Alaina is rolling over very easily now. She plops over and bumps her head on the firm crib mattress. She enjoyed her nesting cups today. She laughed more with us today and was so animated.

She is so precious. She is still connected to my hip at all times. She is just now allowing me to put her down for a nap. Joel continues to kiss her but she prefers me. She is realizing that he is not going anywhere so she is slowly coming around. We took the stroller today to see some sites and ended up carrying her. I'm so tired from holding her all the time but I am loving every minute of it.

We visited the Tengwang Pavilion. It has been ruined an rebuilt more than 28 times. It did not have an elevator so we climbed many steps with Alaina. Glad that I have been working out before this trip. We bought Alaina a teaset in the Pavilion. We found large gold coins and had them engraved for the kids. On one side, it has the Pavilion and the other side was the Chinese animal of each child. James was impressed that I knew exactly when their birthdays fell and what animal they needed.

For lunch, James took us to a very nice restaurant. Everything is so tasty and they always serve us so much that we can't eat all of it. They serve the food on a lazy-susan so you spin the food around. Before you are seated, you look at the menu basically on a shelf and pick the things you want.

Notice eyes and head and other parts.

Later that evening, after we had Pizza Hut pizza in our rooms (yes, Pizza Hut...it taste a little different but good), we went for a walk. We stopped by a shop called Tiffany's Place and met a guy named Jack. His English was very good. We laughed at trying to explain that we wanted to buy a Chinese doll for our baby. He didn't understand at all what we were talking about.

It's so funny when we are out and Chinese people speak to her. She laughs out loud. We have gotten her to laugh a few times. I think she is going to be like Zachary thinking that since she can't understand us, why should she waste her time trying. Today she waved bye-bye and looked at Joel and said DaDa. We are slowly getting to know each other. Her eyes get so big when Chinese music plays and she sort of dances. She's not walking yet. I think because she was in a walker so much that she has not been given much time to practice balance. Some of the babies started walking just this week. This gives me some time to get the house childproofed.

We get lots of attention on the streets. I feel like a celebrity. Everyone looks at us and ask if she is our baby. After explaining that "yes, she is Chinese" and "yes, she is ours," then they add how beautiful she is. One lady said that she is very pretty and her skin is very white. I guess Chinese people think that is a good thing. (Much of the advertising in China is done using caucasian models. That is especially noteworthy in Nanchang because it is not a tourist destination and virtually no Americans are seen in the public street.) I think she is going to have a beautiful tan this summer just like her sister.

Happy Anniversary today to Mom and Dad (51 years and counting)!

Next Day...

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