Mommy and Chaning Rest Day

Today, I decided just to stay in the room with Chaning after breakfast and the other patzi wanted to go to the Pearl Market.  Chaning and I played for hours.  She talked to me in Mandarin and I replied with face gestures and a little English.  She took a nap and then we met up with our group to travel to the local police station to take her Chinese passport picture.  We then met up again and went to dinner at a Portuguese restaraunt.  Our guide, Simon, ordered for us, which was a very smart move.  The menu looked a little, let's say, animalish of the unidentifiable kind.  It was really good.  The boys and Joan decided to go for a foot massage after dinner and mom and Chaning and myself decided we would venture over to Starbucks.  That's where Chaning decided to tell me in Chinese that she had to go peepee.  I wasn't picking up on what she was putting down.  She finally had to grab herself and jump up and down.  Oh, so that's what those words mean. We made it to the bathroom thanks to an English speaking employee.

 

Tomorrow we will change up our itenarary a little due to orphanage visits.  We have chosen not to travel the five hours one way to visit the orphanage because it would just be too much on Chaning (ten hours in a car).  We were able to give all our donations that we lugged 8k miles to the orphanage director the day we got Chaning.  The six of us will be picked up and taken to several different parks tomorrow. 

 

Chaning is still doing really well.  She calls me mommy and wants me close to her when we go out. She minds really well when told not to do something.  She talks a lot and is very silly.  She is going to fit right in with our crew at home. 8 more days and we will be all together.

 

Okay, so I am typing this up and a man opens my hotel room door and says I have the wrong room and closes the door and goes away.  I am a little freaked out.  How does this happen?  I know it was a mistake but come on.  I just got a floor attendant to come try to explain to me how this can happen.  She then got an English speaking person on the phone and long and short ... his key ( do not know which room he is in) will be replaced and my room is free tonight!  Still do not like the fact someone else could open my door.  Dead bolt is on.  At least this place is classy enough to fix things very quickly. Hmmm, wonder if they are just compensating tonight or the whole 13 nights??

 

First Full Day Together

Last night went very well.  After Chaning grieved herself into sleep at the Civil Affairs Office, we came back to the hotel. On the way back to the hotel, she laid her body on my chest and just stared out the window sucking her two fingers.  She would not let me lift her away from me to look at her. Once we arrived at the hotel, she walked in the room and instantly began to walk around and become more relaxed.  We played for a while and then went to dinner.  She eats tiney tiny bites and chews the recommended 100 chews per bite plus some.  She eats very little but lights up when she sees some chocolate. This is definitely my kind of girl.  We returned to our room and she was excited about her bath because of all her new bath toys.  She played in the tub excitedly for a while.  She layed down and went to sleep very well holding her pictures of her new family.

Today, we had to return to the same exact room at Civil Affairs that we went to pick her up.  It worried me something awful that she would get upset, but she did not.  She was real quiet but did good.  We are now officially her parents according to China but not the USA yet.  We rested in the room for a few hours and then decided to all take a taxi over to Shaimian Island.  I thought I would go the remainder of the trip with Chaning walking beside me holding my hand versus a stroller.  That theory was thrown out the window after walking through 3 shops.  She is the proud owner of a stroller now.. one of which she leaned over and kissed in delight once we started pushing her around.  She is happy and momma is happy.  She has had her bath and is already asleep which I will be right behind her after getting up AGAIN at 4 a.m.  Please just shoot me if I get up that early in the morning again.  Tomorrow we will go to the police station to apply for her Chinese Passport and Visa.  Did I mention that she loves/aggravate Chase and Foster and they like to pick on her as well.

Gotcha Day from Caleb Godfrey on Vimeo.