Hello all. Our internet connection (specifically with blogspot/blogger.com) has been a little shotty since arriving in Nanchang. Anyway, here are our posts for the past couple of days. Our connection should (hopefully) be better when we get to Guangzhou tomorrow.

TUESDAY, 5/6/08

Today was our official day of rest….no plans, just hanging out at the hotel and bonding with Abby “Jin Jin”. We are still calling her by her Chinese name, as this is what she is familiar with. And she is already dealing with so many changes….like a whole new family, for example! We spent most of the day at the hotel, just hanging out, but did manage to venture out onto the streets of Nanchang once by ourselves, heading to a local supermarket (about a 5 minute walk away). Getting there was easy, minus the real-life version of “Frogger” that you play as a pedestrian when crossing/ navigating the streets. The supermarket itself was quite an interesting experience. The grocery stores here are huge! This one is considered a smaller store and is only two stories. Unlike at home where you only have the cashiers and a few workers scattered throughout the store, in China each section of the supermarket (i.e. candy section, baby food aisle, etc) each have several workers manning that “station”. The shopping experience was a bit surreal, and we found ourselves in a dream-like trance, floating through the aisles in a blur of vividly colored packaging, filled with all kinds of goods- some so very different and some very recognizable (i.e. oreos)….all the while listening to “What the world needs now, is love sweet love” sung in Chinese on the store’s overhead “musak” station.

But our exciting shopping trip pales in comparison with what we experienced back at the hotel. As you know from my earlier postings, we adopted our Abby Fu Jin through our agency’s special needs program. She has had some developmental delays, specifically with regards to weakness in her legs/ inability to stand or walk independently. Well, today we had the best surprise when Abigail took her first steps, right before our very eyes. We were walking in the hallway (with Mike holding on to both of her hands), when she decided to break loose from her Daddy’s hands and walk 4 steps by herself. We then put Emily in front of her and asked her to walk to Emily, and she walked 6 steps to Emily. Then she did 12 steps in our room. She is still very unsteady/ weak, but we completely expected that and we knew going into this adoption that she would require extensive physical therapy. We never expected to be able to see her first independent steps while we were still here in China. We are so thrilled and proud of her. Of course, now that her walking is starting to improve, that is all she wants to do (with our help). So we have spent most of the day doing laps with her up and down the hallway and around the room. Now she hates sitting still and fusses when Mommy or Daddy tries to sneak in a break.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Today we explored Nanchang with our guide, Monica. We all hopped in a cab and drove to the Tengwang Pavilion. This pavilion has been built and destroyed and rebuilt many times since 653 AD, when it was first built by Prince Teng. Much famous poetry was written here. The Prince loved the arts, so the top two floors are set aside for the arts…one for performance and another for dancing. We got to see a live performance of traditional Chinese dance. Many of the floors now serve as a museum, with famous murals and other pieces of art.

We then wandered the grounds of the Pavilion, which were very nice and peaceful, with beautifully landscaped greenery and koi ponds. After the pavilion, we then hopped in another cab and went to the August 1st Park. It was a beautifully landscaped park, where people practice their tai chi exercises among the trees and peaceful setting. As we walked through the park, we came to a section with a playground. Emily had a great time trying out all of the playground equipment….no rubberized flooring or wood chips here, by the way- just concrete…so we made sure to stand close by our daredevil of a daughter (and future Olympian gymnist, apparently).

As we ventured further through the park, we came to another section which is a little amusement park, with about 10 rides. Emily and Abby went on the carousel with mommy and daddy. Then I (mom) took Emily on a mini-roller coaster train ride. Emily then went on a solo ride, which looked like a motorized rickshaw, where she was being bounced around and pulled by the monkey king!

We had a fun time, but by the time we left the park, Abby was asleep and Emily was having a major “I’m exhausted” meltdown…she didn’t want to leave the park.

Tomorrow we are heading out with Monica to do some shopping.

Here are some pictures from today:







Abby is adjusting pretty well and seems to be bonding with us well, but we have had a few issues as we try to figure out her likes and dislikes. So far, here is what we know:

Likes:
Food, and lots of it
Movement
Noise
Walking around constantly (with help)
The safety of her crib
Being tickled
Being chased by and/or chasing her big sister around the room

Dislikes:
Sitting still (except for in her crib or high chair, when she is being fed)
Being held while sitting down….she much prefers being held when we are standing up.
Cars/ buses (terrified of these)
Bathtime
Brushing teeth
And the big one….drinking.
Yes, the last one has been a real challenge. In the orphanage, she did not take liquids from either a cup or bottle. Instead, she got all of her liquids via her meals (congee, soups, etc). When we first met her, she was pretty healthy, but her skin and hair was soooo dry. Keeping her hydrated has been a real challenge for us, especially when we are venturing out of the hotel. She pushes all bottles and cups and juiceboxes, etc away…sometimes even with both hands. The jell-o is very watery here, and she likes it and will take a cup of it, via spoon of course. It is so watery that it comes with a straw, but Abby wants no part of drinking it….just eating it like soup, with a spoon. Luckily she loves watermelon, so we have been giving her a lot of it at mealtimes, again to hydrate her. Hopefully, as she continues to feel comfortable with us, she will learn to transition to a bottle or cup. Hopefully.