Our Meifang

Ni Hao.

Checking in at the end of a long day in China.  This momma is struggling with some serious insomina and am about on 70 hours with no sleep.  And yet, I still can't sleep.  Even ambien didn't work.  Sigh.........  hopefully tonight! 

But more importantly- is our girl.  And how she is doing.  

She is doing pretty well considering all she's going through.  The heavy tears came last night at bed.  And today at nap.   They seem to surface at bed. 

But sleep she did, for the most part.  I know, because I watched her all night! :) We discovered she has a mad obsession wtih some Disney Princesses (that's my girl).  Particularly Cinderella and Belle.

She is still overwhelemed & incredibly cautious.   She will not initiate for a toy or anything until you guide her to it.  She will not leave the bed (your lap, the table) unless you pick her up.  She is content (as she can be) playing on the bed with her favorite toys.

After she threw a small fit about changing out of her princess nightgown this morning, we did get some belly laughs.

Her fine and gross motor skills seem to be quite on target.  She can walk, run, jump, stomp, pick up small items.... for the most part.   She does seem to wait for permission to do any of them though.

Language is slow.  But I don't know how much of that is because she's scared or how much of that is from the institution.   When she's in a happier mood we get more words out of her (but we don't know what she's saying).  She tries to repeat all our words. 

We don't think she is potty trained.  And I do believe this is a result of the instituion.  We asked yesterday if she was and the director said 'her age group wear diapers when they go out'.   'They put on toilet every hour'.  However, she has not expressed to us the need to go (and she has gone pee a lot).. I tried to put her on the toilet and she FREAKED OUT.   So if she was trained- it was on a squatty.  Or she wasn't trained.   We decided we'll worry about it when we get home.

The morning was spent all over the city with paperwork.  We went to the Civil Office to sign the official documents and handprint Meifang (and ourselves).  She did not like the inkpad.

From there it was more pictures taken (passport type for paperwork) and an hour at the bank to exchange money.  She was amazing through it all. 

Several times, Chinese people tried to talk to her or touch her and she gave them the stink eye and buried herself in to me.  I think this is a good sign?!

So the downside to this is...she clings.  Well, maybe that's not a downside.  But it is to my arms.  :) Beijing is BIG.   And I am on a whole lot of no sleep. 

We attempted to get a stroller (in a huge expensive department store... 80 US dollars btw...our guide SUCKS!) He could offer no other alternative to me when I said can we get it cheaper at another store.  He is NOT an adoption guide.  He is a city travel guide.   (I did inquire at the front desk of the hotel & they didn't have any to lend out) I could KICK myself for not bringing one.

Didn't matter anyways, because I was gonna buy the $80 at this point.  But she had other ideas.  TERRIFIED.  She screamed bloody murder in the department store till I picked her up again.  We decided to pass for now & figure something out.  I don't know what yet.

It was about 1 & past her '11 o'clock nap' when we got back to the hotel.  The guide quickly ditched us (habit, btw).  And we headed up.  We are even overwhelmed at resturants here.  There is only an expensive buffet at the hotel and everything else is crowded & we had no interperter.  We were not brave...

We went back to the room for cup o' soup.  She liked it- so whatever.

She is sooooo funny when she eats.  She may not be potty trained, but they were training her for domestic skills.  Not a noodle could stray- she picks it up and puts it diligently back into the cup (same for every food she eats).   If she spills, she looks for a napkin and wipes herself up & the table. 

The thing we struggled with since yesterday was the drinking.  She wouldn't take a sippy.  And she wasn't great with a cup of water (which is all she would drink...I tried milk from downstairs, juice...everything).  The water cup was a messy process...and I felt like she wasn't getting enough for the heat....  I didn't know what to do.  I decided we would go back to our favorite supermarket after dinner and I'd try a bottle...

She took her nap after nconsolable crying.  (Screaming..and rocking).  ANd so did Kurt.  I tried.  But no avail.

When she woke up, we played and then ventured out to brave dinner.

Wanna guess?!  Come on.. this was scary enough you guys...

McDonald's in the city is craaaazy.  busy.   But she LOOOVED it.  That's our girl (Notice the princess that comes everywhere with us).

To the supermarket to get a bottle, bags (for if she ever poops) & I found some milk in a juice box- the warm kind.  All in Chinese- it was a crap shoot anyways since she didn't like the milk I got from the hotel- so I grabbed the one with a cute cow.  Was gonna empty into a bottle.

Only, we got back to the hotel- she spied it & it was all over.  THAT is what she was looking for.  A juice box milk. (duh mom & dad!).   She sucked it down (I didn't think she could suck on a straw).  And hasn't let it go till just a few seconds ago.

Tonight was also attempt at a bath.  I figured it would be scary for her (they don't get baths - they get wipedowns).  And it was.  We brought the juice box with us.  She still screamed.

Till I showed her how to splash.  Then it was all good.

And she let me wash her all up- and even helped (quite good at it!)

We ran the bath cold.. splashing and playing.  And lots of smiles ( I even got the juicebox away from her for a bit- she hunted it down after the bath though).

She's a sweet smelling girl and sitting on the bed laying.  Bedtime shortly.  (I Hope for both of us).

Tomorrow is a free day (guide left us again).  I don't know what we are going to do.  It'll depend on the amount of sleep I get and how brave we feel (to attemp a taxi and anywhere without a stroller).

Wish us luck tonight at bedtime.