Guangzhou Day 17

Today we went to the Guangzhou XiangJiang Safari Park and Zoo.  What a great place!  They have so many animals, including half of all the white tigers now alive in the world.  On our way in we stopped to look at the beautiful black swans.  I realized that pretty much everything Zoe saw today would be new to her.  She loved it!

The first part was a drive through the Safari Park, where they had all sorts of exotic animals.  The boys took hundreds of pictures.

Then we went and saw the regular zoo part - again, amazing animals. 


Zoe said her first real word at the zoo.  It was Koala - while we were at the Koala Exhibit.

She also said Panda at the Pandas.

There was a panda character that took a liking to The Artist - freaked him out a little :')

We found an awesome platypus bench, just perfect for No. 1 Son to pose on.

There was a station where you could feed the giraffes.  Even Zoe wanted to try.  She is definitely an adventurous girl!

Caden and Zander feeding giraffes

On a more sober note - today The Man showed me the pictures from his trip to Xinyu, where Zoe is from.  When we put up a picture of her orphanage, she had an immediate and strong reaction.  She sort of stiffened and froze and looked scared.   I did not expect that at all - I didn't figure she had been outside enough to recognize the building.  But she certainly recognized something.
 
We closed the computer and went on with our day, but when bedtime came she cried and cried.  I believe she is grieving her old life.  Good, bad or in between, it was her life, and she had caregivers and friends she was close to.  So I held her and let her cry, and sang to her and prayed for her.  Please pray for her transition - as it is really hitting her now.  Pray that I know how to comfort her, and when to let her grieve.

Guangzhou Day 16

Today was a lazy day.  We went to church at the Christ Church on Shamian Island.  It was Zoe's first church service, appropriate that it was given in both Mandarin and English.  She was not particularly impressed, though she did like the choir.

We went to lunch and then shopping for a bit, and then hung around the hotel.  It was a nice, uneventful day.  We did discover that Zoe is ticklish:

Adorable is the word of the day!

Guangzhou Day 15

A bit of a geography lesson:  almost all the foreign embassies in China are located in Guangzhou because for a long time Shamian Island (an island just off the city of Guangzhou) was the only place in China that foreigners were allowed to work and live.  Since each adopted child must receive a visa from their new country's consulate, the vast majority of Chinese adoptions are processed through Guangzhou.  Traditionally, adoptive families stay at the White Swan Hotel on the island, but it is being renovated, so the China Hotel Marriott is the current place to be.  There are adoptive families everywhere - 4 from our agency, 18 from Holt, etc.  They are all doing what we are doing - jumping through the hoops necessary to bring our child home, and exploring the are in the meantime.

Today was the day for Zoe's medical exam.

waiting area

This is what it looks like when lots of families try to process their kids exams at the same time:

It's nice to be around other families - but that was a bit chaotic.  Our guide led us through the steps.  That God for her.  Zoe wasn't fond of the exam, even though it only involved a cursory look-over and some measurements.  She's under 2, so didn't have to have the tuberculosis test, and we signed an agreement to have her vaccinations checked out with our own pediatrician within 30 days of getting home.  We confirmed that Zoe tends to clench her teeth when she's nervous - gave the doctor a bit of a hard time looking in her mouth.

But she was soon all better - feeding Baba the goodies we brought.

Once we were done with the exams, we were free to explore the island.  It is just beautiful - full of beautiful buildings and gardens.

No. 1 Son found out that Zoe loves speed - he went running with her stroller down the sidewalk, and she grinned so big!

One more good thing about the island - it has a Starbucks.  Such a smart company - putting a Starbucks right in the middle of the place.

After a nap, we finished the day with a trip to the outdoor play area at the hotel, and a bath.

There were several milestones we noticed today.  Zoe had been mostly silent for the last 6 days, and today she started to babble.  A lot.  The boys are getting her to repeat some sounds - it's fun to watch!

Also, she was able to get herself from laying on her back to sitting by propping herself sideways and pushing up.  Now she's mobile from sitting and from laying down - watch out world!

Oh yeah, and she cut four teeth in the last 6 days - two top and two bottom.  It's been quite a week for Zoe!

Nanchang Day 14 and Travel

Today was our last day in Nanchang, and in Zoe's home province of Jiangxi.  She dressed up extra special in her pink tutu for the occasion.

We headed over to Dio Coffee for our breakfast.  They have Western food and good fresh juice.  And coffee.

The Man has figured out that the way to Zoe's heart is to feed her and be fed by her.  It's working well - she's warming up to him nicely.

In fact, she's changing and growing rapidly in many ways.  She is spending much less time closed down, and as of today she is officially mobile.  She scooted a couple of feet across the playroom to get a toy.  There's no stopping her now!

Also - she loves shoes!

Another thing she learned to do today is drink from a straw - a very important skill in our world.

Zoe has also begun to show off her skill in pointing at things she wants, which usually brings a brother running with whatever it is she is pointing at.

It's really so much fun watching her learn and bloom.  Tonight we leave Jiangxi Province and being her adventure far from home.  I think she's ready for it.

Nanchang Day 13

Today was a fun day for the boys.  We went to a local park and walked around for a while.  There was an exercise area the boys got a kick out of.

There were quite a few people in the park exercising, but exercise in China looks different that in the US.  They believe exercise should be gentle, so they move and dance and yell at the lake (seriously) and draw calligraphy on the sidewalk with water.  And play with spinning tops.

I think I could get behind this philosophy of exercise.

Z-Man enjoyed pushing Zoe around the park.

It was a chilly day so she was well bundled.

After walking around for a while, the boys found an amusement park.  They had some great rides you don't find in the US - like Bumper Boats

The very best one looked like a spinning ride at first, but when they got on it they found that is spun slowly and rocked violently - sending them flying around.  They absolutely loved it!

I can only imagine the lawsuits if this one came to the US.

We pretty much wore Zoe out - it was good to get back to the hotel for a nap.

Nanchang Day 12

Today we went and visited a local historical site - Tengwang Pavilion.  It showcases the history and culture of Jiangxi Province. 

The buildings in China - especially the historical ones - are so full of detail and beauty.  It's hard to take it all in.  Here is the ceiling on the top level.

Zoe wasn't particularly impressed.

This is the view from the Pavilion across the Gan River to the New City, a whole new area built in the last 8 years.  And yes, that is smog.

We hung out in the playroom after naptime waiting for our laundry to be returned.  Zoe can spend hours sitting and playing with toys.

Time for a banana break.

Getting her ready for bed I discovered she can do the splits.  Amazing flexibility!

That just looks so uncomfortable to me!