Zoo Day and Evening Walking Around Plaza

We're really not sure what day of the week that it is. Weekdays and weekends seem to merge into one here in China. The wee one is running around with glee ... carrying pink teddy and delivering her to mommy and daddy as a present. Willow loves to share ... giving us things and feeding us (including insisting on feeding herself; what a mess). One of her favorite pasttimes is playing peek-a-boo (and here she is, trying to hide and peek around the corner).



It was off to the zoo by mid-morning today. Mommy and daddy had some initial reluctance visiting the zoo (as many of you know, Willow's parents do not like to see intelligent beings locked behind cages), but ... it wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. Some of the cages were too small ... but, then again, isn't any cage too small?
In fact, the grounds were extremely well cared for (about the best we've seen in a zoo anywhere).






This was an occasion to wear her zoo shirt. Look at those precious chubby fingers (with dimples on her knuckles)!

Willow was awake for half the time and enjoyed seeing some of the larger animals (like the bears and elephants). There were numerous species of bear (including the Sun Bear species, endemic to Asia).




And, of course, the fish. Willow seems to love fish ... just like her mommy. This zoo had a special area called "The Goldfish Garden", where all types of uniquely-bred goldfish were on display (example: the kind with huge googly bug eyes).






Willow (when awake) was VERY quiet; she just quietly watched the animals (stared at them, actually). Here, she is looking at a Brown (Grizzly) Bear. She slept through quite a bit of the zoo (she had a reaction to strawberries this morning--broke out in hives all over her neck, tummy, and back--so we gave her benedryl). The medicine got rid of the reaction in about 15-30 minutes, but she did get cranky and tired before conking out in the papoose for a long nap in the sun.

We were dropped off at the hotel and said goodbye to guide/translator Sara for the day. After the zoo, we spent some "run around" time in the hotel room and hotel hallway -- also attempting to get Willow used to the idea of using a stroller instead of someone's back, so -- we'll see how the afternoon jaunt goes? The BIG question for the day is, "Will the wee one use a stroller today" so we can venture far and wide off of Shamian Island? Meryl's hips are much better, miraculously ... but it would be nice to at least try a stroller.



After about an hour of no real success in trying to persuade Willow to be interested in riding in a stroller (we do this by putting Willow's teddy bears in the stroller and showing her how much fun they are having), we decided to venture off Shamian Island with Willow on mommy's back. Oh well. We walked to the very active commercial district about a 15 minute walk from the east end of Shamian Island (the same commercial area that has the statue of the horse on a globe). The walk to the shopping district was as much fun as the shopping district itself. Frankly, the shops never seem to end. Daddy is in pursuit of another suitcase because "the parents" have purchased so much stuff for the precious one that they can not fit everything in the suitcases that they brought with them. He thinks he found one that will work. We'll plan on returning in a vehicle.
So, we make it to the swarming commercial district and who does mommy run in to??? -- Aunt Sara (our guide). In a city of eight+ million people where we know exactly one person ... Sara ... who do we run in to? Sara! Unbelievable. Sara takes mommy to look for a jade bracelet for The Little One (it will be bestowed on her on the anniversary of her adoption, when she is older). Of course, it isn't very expensive (only about 3 or 4 dollars), so Mommy buys a bracelet for Willow and herself. Daddy takes photos, especially of a nearby historic structure that served the Silk Guild in the Ching Dynasty (sometime in the 1700s). After saying goodbye to Sara (after all, she's not "on duty" anymore and we do not want to make her suffer through the doting parents anymore than she has to...actually, we can tell that Sara really likes Willow!), we are hungry so we venture back to the Mall in the commercial district where we ate a couple of days before, execpt this time we try a different restaurant. Willow acts like a natural restaurant goer ... tries new things and eats everything we give her. Again, not a fluke, she really likes broccoli.





Fried rice (chicken, egg, and vegetable) and baked broccoli with cheese. Delicious! Dad had a steak (which Willow relished as well).
Since it is getting dark outside (the neon lights have been turned on), we finish dinner and walk home. Neon. Neon. Neon, everywhere. On our way, we pass by a koi pond where kids are feeding the fish with baby bottles (see below)! We make it back to Shamian Island and end the day with a nice bath for the wee one.



Children line up to feed the koi with baby bottles (not sure what is in the bottle; there is a woman who has a small cart where she provides the bottles and liquid for a small fee). The kids "LOVE" it (the koi pool is in the middle of the shopping plaza).


After the evening bath, we wind down by playing a little on the bed. She wriggles and giggles now, as I attempt to put on corn starch and her diaper. She made a beeline for my reading glasses and tried to put them on. She also put them on teddy, and me. She is such a great little girl ... she is so much fun to be with. Now its off to bed, after her bottle. Goodnight, sleep tight.

This child ROCKS our world.

The full blog for today is below (but I've posted quite a few pictures, for preview enticement).


Watching our "Signing Times" video. While sitting on her potty, Willow is making the sign for "more" (finger tips of both hands together). Aunt Katy says she is brilliant. No argument here.


Teddy tries on a silk tiger hat. Willow is starting to attach to teddy a little bit (only at night, in the crib ... she hugs and kisses her).


Koi: White Swan hotel.

I think we forgot to mention (below, in today's blog) that Willow also started to insist on trying to feed herself today; but she wants to do it in the mirror (I think it helps her see what she is doing). She's so flipping cute.

Standing in the lobby of the Victory Hotel (where we are staying).

These two pictures were taken of me and Chris (this is what we look like when we wake up).

Goodnight!

Walking to the Physical Examination (see sign). We are with another mother and adopted daughter (who are with the same adoption agency, World Association for Children and Parents). They just arrived in Guangzhou, from another province, and we have just met.


You can see Willow is still nervous ... she doesn't know what is about to happen, or does she?


Ears, nose, and throat (the doctor said her palate was perfect).


Weight and height. Yes, still crying.


Internal medicine: you can't see her face, but she is crying (the doctor is trying to cajole her with a squeaky toy, so he can attempt to listen to her heart). We LOVE our little bubelah.

Turn your back for one nanosecond and she is into mischief.

Today was a VERY BIG day for our precious Little One. Today started out by Miss Willow Noelle "Chun Qi" Stein deciding that skittering about on two legs was much more convenient and fun than whining to be carried around (she really didn't crawl, that we were a witness to; maybe in the orphanage). Once she got started, there was no turning back. We had assumed that Willow knew how to walk because that's how the orphanage officials proudly brought her to us the day we received her (check out the photo on 12/29); yet, they were holding her hands and she was very unsteady. We also assumed that Willow shut down her walking skills for the past week+ because that's often what orphanage babies do (i.e., shut down doing things they are quite capable of doing because of the whole new world they have been thrust into). Anyway, during the incredible time we have spent with Willow in Guangzhou, she has been revealing her true self to us day by day. She makes cute little sounds, smiles, laughs, goes potty on the potty, feeds herself, signs a few words or at least recognizes those signs (mommy, daddy, dog, milk, water, fish, more, etc.), comes running to us when we hold out our arms for her, initiates peek-a-boo, throws kisses, and hugs pink teddy. We couldn't be more pleased with the great progress she has made in such a short amount of time.

Today, two other BIG things that happened to Willow were her medical appointment with Chinese doctors right here on Shamian Island (just a couple of blocks from our hotel) AND we completed the paperwork to apply for her visa (almost the last step in "the process") to enter the United States. As soon as our plane touches down in Portland (our first landing in the US) on Friday, 1/16, wee Willow will become a citizen of the United States of America. Although we love it here in China, we also can't wait to return home.

China will never be far away in our minds and our hearts because we plan to teach Willow about her heritage. It is very important to us that Willow fully understand where she comes from., and all about China's deep culture (3,000 years plus, compared to our EuroAmerican 500 years in the US). Hopefully, Willow will return to her homeland many times in the years ahead, especially as an adult. We've tortured the boys, over the years, by bringing them back to their heritage (national parks), and so will continue our pilgrimage lifestyle. Jeremy, our oldest, also loves to share nature with Nicholas and Tyler (the grandboys).

As far as we can tell, Willow checked out OK with the doctors. She visited three different "stations" (ENT; height, weight, and head circumference; internal medicine) and screamed her lungs out at each one. Willow has a head circumference of 45.7 cm (18 inches), weighs 20.7 pounds, and is 78 cm tall (30.7 inches). She's tiny, and skinny ... but seems big and heavy when carrying her (though my hips and arms are getting stronger, bolstered by ibuprofen and tylenol #3).

Sara (our adoption guide) did another incredible job making sure we filled out all the visa paperwork comprehensively (she is organization in the extreme!). On Tuesday, we have an appointment with the American Consulate. That is the last official thing we have to do before flying home. After the Tuesday appointment, we will spend a few more days doing more adjusting, then we will begin the long journey home. Our hope is that the plane rides (3 of them) home go a little easier because we have spent this extra adjustment time in China. That's the theory, at least. Either way, this extra time has been invaluable and we highly recommend that parents adopting spend this extra time with their adoptee in their own homeland.

After doing all these BIG things, we spent the rest of the day walking and looking for a few traditional outfits for the wee one! We have to get ready for an upcoming photo session on the infamous Red Couch at the White Swan hotel (almost all adopted children get their pictures taken on the red couch, wearing a traditional Chinese silk outfit). We've got some special photos planned (why stop at one). Tomorrow, we are off to the zoo (with our guide and another WACAP family who adopted a lovely 6 year old girl). For the little one, it will be an opportunity to learn more about the other inhabitants of our world.

She's starting to get nervous ... there are lots of other families lined up, all waiting at the photograph location to have official photos taken for their child's visa.


The crying never stopped (except the second she was off the chair and back in the safety of my arms). I've read it many times: and it does seem as if the children are afraid they are going to be abandoned, especially if the place might remind them of an orphanage situation; guess we will never know. Regardless, her visa photo won't be her most becoming.

Willowing At the South China Botanical Garden

My cousin Leslie wrote an email; within it, she mentioned that she had better stop asking me questions about The Little One so that I could get back to "Willowing"! I thought the expression was so clever that I plan on using it all the time (thus the name of today's post). Thanks Leslie :)

Today, we needed to get back to nature, so our extraordinary guide/translator, Sara, took us to a botanical garden on the northeast side of Guangzhou. The garden was everything we hoped it would be -- green, uncrowded, with beautiful weather (a bit breezy at times, but occasional strolls into greenhouses and a magnificent rainforest conservatory kept us warm). The precious little one was in perfect form and enjoyed seeing the plants -- she resisted when her dad tried to cover her head with the ergo babycarrier hood -- she wanted to see everything. We saw bromeliads, orchids, cycads, bamboo, ginger, etc., etc. Wee Willow enjoyed the whole garden without one fuss...perhaps she's a nature girl?

We did catch a glimpse of the rare and elusive pink panda in the Bamboo garden.

Afterwards, Sara took us to a great traditional style Chinese restaurant where we had fried rice, greens, lotus-flower root (yum!), spicy beef, and the best tofu ever! (though you might notice that Willow didn't like it too much). The shopping district where the restaurant is located was a buzz with people...thousands out and about shopping at around 5pm on a Friday night (remember, for most of you reading this, we're writing this from tomorrow). In the center of all this shopping is a square containing a statue of a horse on top of a globe. Quite beautiful, especially in the setting sun.

Tonight, Willow decided she wanted to stand up and try to walk ... she stood up in the tub (uh oh!); she stood up on the bed (uh oh!), and she stood up behind Mom, then up onto tippy-toes to see if she could grab anything off the computer table (life is going to get interesting ....). P.S. For you clever readers, please let us know how we could determine that the dinosaur in the photo was female? Until tomorrow, enjoy the pictures below, goodnight, and sleep tight.

This is a man-made railing inside the rainforest exhibit at the Botanical Garden ... isn't is beautiful.

This one is real.

Willow's honorary Uncle Tod told us that Willow would love water; he was right (baths, ponds, lakes, and waterfalls).

"Bamboo Hugger's" (note Willow's hand).

The elusive pink panda.

A patch of Croton plants (Croton is the town where Meryl is from).

Some of us loved the tofu, others not so much.

So tiny; so proud of herself.

On "tippy toes" (literally!)