Today and the rest of the week should be a leisurely week of half days rest and half day touring. So today we went to a park. It was just a bit overcast and spitting rain, so it wasn’t hot. We have only seen the sun one time since arriving China.
First let me say HOW FUN IT IS to dress her up and do her hair. I never really played dolls growing up, so to have one that moves around (even moves away from the attention, LOL) is quite fun! I have learned the easiest way to do Savanah's hair is to have her in the baby carrier attached to me, she can’t go away and I have a bird's eye view! Plus she is so danged adorable when it is all said and done.
So the first picture is just as we begin our tour. When Savanah is tired, she just knocks out. No bargaining, no discussion....just sleep. She loves to be on the go, and will take a few cat naps during the day just to keep up. Love the hat, huh?
Savanah loves to touch things now. I guess for so many winter months she was so bundled up she didn’t even know she had hands and feet. Well, she found them. She loves to push things away and pull things toward her using her feet. She doesn’t really put things in her mouth yet; I saw a hint of this beginning toward the end of the evening with stacking cups.
Everywhere we all go, the babies stop the crowd. Savanah is no different. The picture below shows the locals coming up and asking questions and touching. They like to practice any English, and speak Chinese to you, as if you understand. I wish I did, but that's why we have Michael. Later in the afternoon, Auntie Lisa, Dawson and I walked down the street of our hotel to a park in the middle of some busy roads where people gather to play poker and talk. Once there, the locals surrounded us from behind, in front and on the sides. They were so curious and wanted to see her. They tried to tell us something about the lack of bridge in her nose, and then would point to her ear. I wondered if the man was telling me he hoped she'd never need glasses, because she couldn’t hold them up without a nose bridge? LOL It was all intensely in Chinese, so I was lost. Everyone says, "Beautiful Baby" and comments on her hair. Several parents brought their little boys over to see the girl baby. One little boy, munching on corn on the cob, was sooooooo adorable and his dad insisted he see the baby. He motioned something I interpreted as "they could get married some day!" UH-NO! I have had her less than 72 hours and I ain't talking about an arranged marriage yet! Hee hee
On the bus from today, Savanah had a few firsts...She let me change her diaper without much fuss. She just looked at me and let me do my thing. Then she sat alone on the seat. Anytime we put our babies down, they cry! They have not been held too much, and when they get held, it is all they crave. So I tried letting her sit on the seat and she agreed with that. She looked around, played with her toes, smiled constantly to Lisa and Me. She sat there for the 10 minute bus ride back to the hotel.
Savanah is smiling more readily, more and more. She is quicker to smile and show off that Shirley Temple dimple to the right side of her mouth. (I just loooove that). She is not picky about her milk temperature, the bottle or nipple, she doesn’t know her name yet, but guess what she DOES respond to? (only my family is going to appreciate this...) If I sing "La la!" she looks and smiles. Great! Now she is going to be calling me La La or think it is HER name!
Savanah is wearing a 6mos size for sure. Her 6-9 mos was too big, but we managed. We keep trying to guess how much she weighs. I say 14-15 lbs. Lisa thinks more. I can’t wait to find out. She is petite in height of all the babies.
We are going to try a stroller today at the park, because we have a surprise perhaps. Thursday we are going to try and go to her actual village and hire a bus. We may not actually be able to go inside the orphanage, but we are going to go see the other parts of the city. We all want to take pictures of actual JENGXI province, for our daughters' sakes. Pictures that day ought to be pretty awesome.
I did get my package back from the orphanage and had put in two disposable cameras. I am getting the pictures back today. I don’t know that they will have a cd disk with pix, so I will just tell you about them on the next post.
Friday afternoon, after getting her passport, we head to GUANGZHOU to the White Swan and the end of our journey before coming home. Here is where we will take the famous Red Couch photos. I am trying to get her ready and not have her cry in the picture. I am also going to have some Chinese dresses made up today for her and Brianna. I understand you can get them done for 3 bucks! It is a dress, a hat and matching shoes for that price! I will buy a few squeaky shoes here for when she starts walking. Lisa is already starting with her, and I keep saying, "no Lisa no!" Auntie Lisa is wicked! LOL
I hope you all are enjoying the pictures. We as a group have had so fun spending time together. I just love this travel group! They are all so very awesome! I enjoy letting our babies sit together and play, blowing raspberries and climbing on each other. It can be quite humorous. The incidental hair pulling, the "oh yeah, I guess I WILL taste you since I fell on you and can’t get up" shots, and many of the babies sing! We have a large open area where we sit and let the babies sit on the floor near each other. It is sweet.
Savanah has a bit of a cold, nothing big right now...so pray for her health and the others too. And until tomorrow, Blessings to each of you!
Kenadee and Brianna, We love you girls and miss you.
