Thursday,
August 12, 2010
A DAY IN THE PARK
Well after yesterday's deep thoughts I don't think I will have
as much to say today! Harper is doing very well and Todd and I
and are so happy we went yesterday. It provided us all closure.
We just wish we could see her foster mom every week. She feels
like a grandma to Harper and us. We are still shocked how well
Harper did after yesterday's visit and although it was a walk in
the park for her we are still left wanting one more stroll with
the foster mom. I just hope we get to see her again at some
point in our lifetime.
Harper is bonding very well with us. Even though right know she
prefers me, Todd can at least hold her and play without a fight.
She no longer gives him that serious face. She is also much
better when she wakes up. Earlier in the week she would cry and
be so disoriented. Now she is such a delight upon awakening! I
have been waking up at 3 am and staying awake from that point on
so we get ourselves ready and I will work on this blog. By 7:00
am she will start to fuss and then we see her pop herself right
up and give us a smile. We say, "Hello, baby!" and she will just
start laughing! She looks like she was out all night partying!
Her smile and laughter is just contagious. We are also starting
to see her true colors -- she is one spoiled little girl! Todd
gave her the nickname "Miss Prissy Panties". I guess she feels
very comfortable with us now and she will make all sorts of
nosies when she has had enough of something. I have also taught
her the word "up" which she kind of gets out! We have heard that
some kids do great in China but when they go to the states they
regress quite a bit. Sometimes they go silent for a month or two
since they aren't hearing any of the sounds and words they are
use to. Harper also sings to herself at night and has these
little bird noises during the day. She is going to be a talker!
Poor Todd -- now he is going to have two females telling him
what to do ! Harper loves Asian women and just wants to follow
them around. She makes sure people see her and then she will
keep smiling until they say something back to her! She will go
up to strangers and listen to them talk and then will try to
chime in. Luckily, everyone is so nice here and they touch her
cheeks and say how sweet she is! Apparently, according to the
Chinese culture since she has soft thin hair she will grow up to
be sweet :)
Today will be our last day out and about in Nanchang. I am
already feeling anxiety about leaving. We have absolutely loved
our time here and Todd is also feeling anxious but about the
packing...ha! Every province is known for something special and
Jiangxi's trademark is porcelain. Today our guide will be taking
us to a porcelain store to buy some things for Harper and
ourselves. I was very excited as this was our first real day
shopping! The store we were going to only carries porcelain from
Jingdezhen, which is the "Capital of Porcelain" in China.
Porcelains were produced here as early as 1,800 years ago in the
Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD). Jingdezhen porcelain has its
own four special features, that is, white like jade, bright as a
mirror, thin as paper, and sound like a chime. Using the same
materials, the same artistic techniques, in some cases, the same
kilns, porcelain from Jingdezhen is prized for its artistic
qualities and function around the world. The stores again are
just open storefronts and you there are items everywhere. You
can barely move and everything is so delicate! Of course Harper
needed a nap and she was so rambunctious there! She was
literally a bull in a China shop! We picked up some beautiful
things for Harper for when she gets married (yes I like to plan
far ahead), a necklace for me and some souvenirs. The
workmanship and prices of this porcelain were unbelievable! I
just wish I could just fit more in my luggage!
One thing we did not know Harper could do was hold our hand and
walk. We just didn't really think about it and were carrying her
most of the time. I am so glad her foster mom mentioned it to
us. We decided to put her down more today. It also helps when
she is done shopping and just wants to play outside and see
people! She was up and down outside of the store but always came
running back to me laughing and screaming her head off. She is
too funny! We are just amazed and what she can do. Tonight we
gave her crayons, showed her how to use them and she began to
draw away! I am almost running out of ideas on things to do with
her. She is so active and Todd and I are so exhausted! We feel
so beat up! We feel like we aged 10 years in one week! Yet when
she naps we keep doing things. There are just so many things to
keep track of and then we are cleaning up or preparing for the
next event! I have no clue how people handle more then one child
or two toddlers at once! I am guessing it will get a tad easier
when we are home and not worrying about adoption paperwork,
appointments or the tap water!
After the porcelain store our guide took us to People's Park in
Nanchang. It was 100 degrees out but it was 112 on the heat
index! Oh what a day for a walk! I have never sweated so much in
my life! Harper sweats easily due to her heart condition and the
heat wasn't helping matters. It is really hard to get liquids
into her, but we are trying. Lately, she has been taking the
water from our water bottles! She hung in there good today
considering she walked most of the park just holding our hands.
Her big eyes focus in on everything and she is so curious. She
loves the flowers and the leaves. It is funny because we had
sent a disposable camera to the orphanage which we got back last
night and all the pictures where of her and her foster mom
walking the orphanage gardens one day. It was so nice for us to
be having the same sensory experience with her now knowing that
she has enjoyed it in the past with her. Harper found a little
trail and ventured off by herself for a split second and then
looked to me to grab her hand and help her along the pebbled
path. We made our way through little shrubs and shaded trees.
Everything is so tiny here even the walkways! I just was
thinking it doesn't get better then this - exploring nature with
a child that is mine! The park was so beautiful. They had little
boats you could ride and there were all different age groups
enjoying the afternoon in the sun. We saw one beautiful couple
that was about twenty just sitting and snuggling together by the
water. I was thinking how things are so similar yet so different
here. Back in the US this young, love-struck couple would get
married and have children and not give it a second thought...but
here, in China, this couple will get married and then have to
ask their government if they can have children. How different
our societies are!
After our walk we went to lunch with our guide and the other
Madison family traveling. Their daughter has been so sick all
week, in an out of the hospital, and now she is finally turning
a corner. She is so cute and it's sad to see how some of these
children hives been neglected in the orphanage. I just wish all
of them were subject to the same care and standards. There is
just not much regulation here on anything! It is funny how we
complain in the states about the different presidents and over
regulation but really we are all so lucky to have such high
standards on food, cars, etc. After being here I don't think I
could ever gripe about anything little again.
Harper has been taking a long nap in the afternoons and by the
time we got back to the hotel she is more then ready to go to
bed even though she fights it. My arms hurt so bad because now
she has to be rocked for like 30 minutes before we can lay her
down basically on top of us! After nap time we spend some time
playing. She likes to play with all our plastic bags (closed of
course -- she can't figure out how to open them!) I know not the
best toy! We went to dinner again downstairs and Harper enjoyed
her time chatting away with the hostesses instead of eating! I
never would have guessed we would love Nanchang as much as we
have. Tonight's dinner was a far cry to how our first night's
dinner was here. Now instead of having in depth conversations
with each other we are trying to shovel food in our mouths and
hers before she starts squirming. After dinner it didn't matter
that Todd and I wanted to go to bed because now Harper was
cranky so we walked little Miss Fussy Panties around the hotel
instead. Oh the joys of a toddler! Parenthood is definitely no
walk in the park but all the good overwhelmingly out weighs the
crying and crankiness. We love her to pieces and wouldn't change
our life with her for the world! |
The beautiful red sun rising above
Nanchang City at 6:00 am
She is letting mommy give her kisses now in the morning!
Harper's bedhead! She is so use to the camera in her face now
that when it drops she hands it to me to take a pic of her!
Harper and I in the porcelain store.
She was getting very
cranky!
Mommy's little China doll running around!
Taking a peek in the bag to see what we bought her
Side street..they sell watermelon everywhere!
All of the
children seem to love it!
A haunted house in the middle of the People's park! It was so
random! The guide said, "You pay them and they will scare you"!
The three of us at the park!
The Dragon boat rides! |
