Sorry we haven't updated Leslie's blog in so long. Once our trip to China was over, we fell out of the blogging habit, but since then Leslie has made *so much* progress; we really should let y'all know (as our friend Brandi would say) that things couldn't be going better. Leslie can now crawl all over the place, can walk while leaning against tables, chairs, etc. and can say a lot of words. She learns more each day. We added "razor" and "floss" this morning. She has boundless energy, enthusiasm about everything, and hardly ever is in a bad mood. She even sleeps through the night! We have nothing to complain about at all.

Well, we could complain about one thing -- that Leslie will not keep her shoes and socks on! Here she is playing with her feet again.

Home in Castro Valley

The trip home from China wasn't easy just because it's such a long flight, but thanks to Elise's planning and insistence at the ticket counter, we got one of the only bassinets available on our China Southern flight from Guangzhou to Los Angeles. Leslie was able to sleep most of the twelve hours of our night flight, which was her normal sleeping time anyway. If you're planning to adopt from China, don't forget the bassinet on your way home!


After our long flight across the Pacific, we spent a night at a Travel Lodge near LAX and then went to Denny's the following morning. Here's the newest U.S. citizen enjoying her first visit to Denny's! (No, we didn't order her a Grand Slam or anything like that, don't worry.)

Together with Leslie's new grandpa, our friends Kahn and Veronica welcomed Leslie to her new home with colorful balloons and a banner. We had made it all the way home from Guangzhou, driving up the I-5 from L.A. after staying the night there. (Leslie adjusted pretty easily to her car seat. She had never used one in China, where babies are carried in the car on laps.)

And here's Leslie, sleeping off the jet lag in a beautiful crib from our neighbors Amy and Ed.

Flouting the White Swan

We've reached our final day in China. Tonight we fly from Guangzhou to Los Angeles, but there was one final piece of work that needed to be accomplished this afternoon. A little background is called for here. It is tradition for adopting American parents to take a picture of their daughter in a Chinese Cheongsam (dress) on one of the red velvet couches at the White Swan Hotel. The White Swan knows this and posts conspicuous signs stating that only registered guests may use the red couches. Leslie wasn't having any of that. She isn't a rule follower (as we've learned already). Leslie wore her Cheongsam proudly in her dirty and slightly broken down (and not very "White Swan") stroller, ready to flaunt the rules.

Yes, she owned that couch. Did everything but pee on it. Even spilled cracker crumbs all over the couch. Clean those up, White Swan!

Afterwards Leslie celebrated her victory on a plush Starbucks sofa, once again eating her favorite food, the cracker. Just look at that smug look on her face.

Guangzhou: White Swan Hotel and Local Park

We ate at a Thai restaurant near our hotel. It was filled with local people, with just a peppering of tourists like us, so we expected the food to be good. And it was. Leslie had to make a poop during the meal, which was a challenge for us to deal with in the midst of so many other people. We found a back room and managed to do the diaper change without much trouble.

Earlier in the day we visited the White Swan Hotel, which has beautiful indoor fountains, a pagoda and waterfall. White Swan was the first five star hotel in China and is very impressive.




In the early afternoon we visited a local park, where we saw people learning to salsa. Parks in China are full of retired people, kids, and groups doing particular activities like the salsa dancing. Unfortunately a rain storm interrupted the fun and we had to run for our van. Later in the day, we went to the American consulate for Leslie's swearing-in ceremony. (Cameras are not allowed in the consulate.)

Guangzhou: "Up-Down Nine" Shopping District

Today our guide and the hotel van took us to the "up-down nine" shopping district, named after the street where these shops are located. The area is undergoing renovations in preparation for the Asia Games. There's a countdown clock to the games (81 days remaining) and people are working feverishly everywhere, refacing store fronts, fixing sidewalks, etc. This district is a combination of outdoor street shopping and very large air conditioned indoor malls.

This is one of the indoor malls we visited, and it's devoted to jewelry. Imagine a mall, five storeys tall, filled with jade, pearls, other precious stones. And just next to this there's a similar mall selling clothing. There are also department stores that would remind you of Macy's or Nordstrom. We ran into some other American families shopping for baby clothes at one of the department stores and bought a cute outfit for Leslie while we were there.

This store was selling heavy globes made of precious stone. These could easily put us over our weight limit on the flight back!

We visited a jade shop in the jewelry mall. Elise bought a bracelet for herself and another for Leslie. Elise also found a nice jade stone that she'll have mounted onto a ring once we get home.

The shopkeeper didn't smile much until he had made his sale. (-:

Guangzhou: Visit to Yuntai Garden

We started with another large buffet breakfast at the Victory Hotel, where we are staying. Leslie likes the congee better at some other places we've tried, like Lucy's Restaurant down the street, but breakfast is really good and they have a self-service espresso machine.

We visited Yuntai Garden with our guide, Aron. The hotel van took us there. It was about a twenty minute drive from our hotel on the elevated freeways, which cut through some busy areas of town. Yuntai Garden is a water park with a greenhouse, man-made lake, many fountains, and lots of cartoon-inspired statues for the little ones to enjoy.

This is the view as you enter Yuntai Garden.

We had to keep Leslie's eyes covered in the areas that weren't shaded. She is very sensitive to light and will block it with her hands if we don't get her hat on fast enough.

Elise, Leslie and our guide, Aron, in the greenhouse.

Standing under the shade of a rock house that looks like it was inspired by The Flintstones.

Next we visited a Buddhist temple. It had been located in the same spot for 1,400 years. Two trees near the temple were over 500 years old, which left us wondering what California looked like 500 years ago, as those trees were being planted.

Exploring the Island in Guangzhou

Leslie started her day in a colorful outfit that was a gift from her grandmother. I bet grandma will be happy to see this jumper being put to good use on our trip.


Our first stop, other than an excellent breakfast at the Victory Hotel, was Leslie's medical check-up, which is required by the American government. This Chinese clinic works with the American consulate and all the American families who are adopting. It was pretty crowded when we arrived at 10:30, but the lines moved fast and we were probably out the door 45 minutes later. Everyone was easy going and it wasn't stressful at all.

Next we had to visit Starbucks for a latte, a Frapachino, and other reminders of home. The prices were a little high, and a cup of coffee cost the same as a latte, so we went with the more expensive drinks that we'd usually avoid.



We spent some time walking around the man-made island where the Victory and White Swan hotels are located. It was hot and humid and Leslie was uncomfortable, so we didn't stay out very long. There are many baby clothing shops, souvenir stores, restaurants, places to have your laundry done, and there are also many beautiful flower beds and statues. The people will stop you, ask if you're American, and want to talk. Some people have stores and want to direct you to do some shopping, but others just want to chat. It's pleasant walking around, other than the heat, but we've experienced worse heat and humidity in Mexico and in the southern U.S.

Guangzhou

On our way to the Nanchang airport, leaving the Jin Feng hotel and our borrowed stroller behind.

Leslie was very good on the plane, partly because we kept her busy with cheerios and distracting toys. She didn't cry at all but did babble a lot. It was hard carrying her, as she squirmed, through the security checkpoints in Nanchang and Guangzhou. Strollers are very good. We have to find one here in Guangzhou today.

Blessed

We've had Hua for 3.5 days now and everything is going very well. She is coming out of her shell now. She is a bright, intelligent child. Each day she demonstrates more of her capabilities. For instance, on the first day when she didn't want to eat, she would just turn her head away. Now, she uses her hand to push the spoon away and she makes a face at us. She has showed us a range of emotions, just like a normal child would. She gets cranky when we are late with her nap because of official paperwork we are taking care of. When she likes a certain food, she readily opens her mouth and waits anxiously for the spoonful. Last evening, we opened a Gerber's green beans. It was so funny when she tasted it for the first time. The expression on her face was priceless. She was surprised it wasn't the peach or apple Gerber's, made a face, and in no uncertain terms, expressed facially how she disliked the green beans. It was hilarious, a Kodak Moment.

Hua very much enjoys it when we play games with her. She clasps her hands together and wiggles her feet and legs when she is happy, and gives a big smile. At first she was very reluctant to give up her snack packages, but now she is more than happy to give them to us because she knows they will come back to her -- whether from finding them from playing hide-and-seek, or having them "fly" back to her like an airplane would. She has a very good sense of physical space and remembers where she put her snack packages down, and returns to them when she is ready to take them back.

When we met her with the orphanage director, she had two snack packages, one of which was opened. Bill sealed it back up with a rubber band, not wanting her to be eating sweets. When Hua was given the snack package back, she quickly noticed the rubber band and proceeded to try to remove it. She is such a smart girl!

Here are some photos taken during our playtime yesterday evening. Enjoy!

Teng Wang Pavilion

Here's a picture of our tour from yesterday. This 2,000 year old pavilion has been rebuilt many times, most recently in 1989. In commemoration of the construction date, there are 89 steps leading to the first level.

There are many murals inside because the pavilion was used for artistic performances and they set the mood.

View from above

View of the "new city," built since 1999 and almost complete, featuring modern condos, shopping, and wide avenues. And we can't even extend the BART line to San Jose! Wonder why our economy is stagnant and China's continues to grow? They are getting the job done.

Smart Girl

Our little Leslie is such a smart cookie. On the first day, she'd try to open her snack packages from either end. Clearly she's seen people open them that way. Later, she decided to try another approach by breaking apart the seam that runs down the center back of the package. The next day, she tried to shake the package, hoping contents would drop out and making sure there was a treat inside. When that didn't work, she resorted to pretending the snacks were readily in her reach, would take a "piece" of the snack and move her fingers to her open mouth, drop her pretend treat into her mouth, and pretend she was chewing on the delicious snack, making lip smacking sounds and smiling. Good imagination and so smart at play!

Tips IV

• There is some "hardware" work being done on the Jin Feng Hotel currently. There's an apology note in the hotel room. We hear some hammering, but it's not too bothersome.

• Blogger is banned in China. If you're planning to use it for your adoption travel blog, be sure you (1) enable the function allowing you to email posts directly to your blog, (2) have a friend ready to post entries for you, (3) use an SSH tunnel, or (4) try using a VPN tunnel if your work doesn't mind.
  

• The Jin Feng Hotel provides toothpaste, 2 tooth brushes, 2 combs, a shaving kit, and vanity kit including Q-tips and cotton balls. There are also a hair dryer, shower cap, shower soap, and shampoo. You can recharge electric razors directly in the wall socket, too!

• Our room has free Internet through an ethernet connection, not wireless.
  

Potty

Our little Leslie has pottied in the toilet twice already! Here in China, it's common for children to learn how to potty in the toilet at an early age. They actually do not wear diapers but instead have a split in the back of their pants and the caretakers take them to the toilet very often. Of course, we do have her wearing diapers but take her to the toilet when we can and have her try to "shee shee."

Nap Time

Bill has been an awesome new Daddy. He's been quite the doting father. He was the first to make her smile and babble. He helps with the diaper changing and dresses her. He encourages her to touch his face and play with his glasses. He got her to say her name and she mimics him like when he touches her foot, she tries to touch them too. I am very proud of Bill!! They are bonding well!!

Toy Room

We had a lot of fun in the hotel's play room yesterday.

Leslie learned to exchange balls with us and to throw the balls, too. She was used to fighting for her toys at the orphanage, so giving up toys voluntarily was a big change. (According to the orphanage director, she was pretty good at fending off other babies and hoarding toys. She would also go through her nanny's bag looking for snacks.)

Leslie got into the spirit of giving away balls until she got down to abut two, at which point her face took on a very worried look. You could see her re-evaluating the idea of giving stuff away. (-:

Ate Her Lotus Seed Rice Cereal

Yay, she finally ate her lotus seed flavored rice cereal that we bought at WalMart. Apparently she's not used to the Gerber brand. She does like the Gerber's baby jars of food though -- apple/banana and apple/prune.

Tips III

• When converting money to pay the various fees, Bill said the bank was very impressed and pleased with our crisp US dollars. When we got them from Bank of America, the manager told us the selection process. She said not only should they be crisp, but they should not have any writing on them, no small stamped ink marks (banks will stamp the bills as identifiers in blue ink), no tears, and the crease in the middle should only be a fold (it should not distort the face on the front of the bill).

• When you go to Civil Affairs the day after you receive your child, you wll meet with not only the orphanage director for the 2nd time, you will also have an interview with the Civil Affairs director. At the conclusion of the interview, she will give you a gift. So, you could have a gift ready for her and the orphanage director. (and the orphanage director's assistant, if present).

• By the way, the Civil Affairs building is not an abandoned building as we have heard from some. Our building was on a busy street, full of life outside and in the lobby. The floor we were on was quiet, but not abandoned.
• When we went to WalMart, we saw the two other families from our hotel and their guide shopping, too. I guess Tuesday is the day for WalMart.
  

WalMart and Shopping District

We took a trip to WalMart after the Civil Affairs Office. It was an gigantic store, with all the usual stuff plus a fish market, meat counter, and full grocery section. The Chinese people haven't yet been trained, like Americans, to eat strictly fast food containing corn syrup. (-:

So Sleepy

We all needed a nap after flagging down taxis and fighting the heat. She was so good the whole time, didn't complain at all.

Still snack-oriented!