2004-06-07 - 8:38 a.m.

well, we're in Beijing! Much fancier hotel, but somewhat less suited for living with baby.... they frown upon ahllway parties and don't have instant hot water bottles.... kettles are great during the day, but for that middle of the night feeding, not so much!

Dumpling was a plane champ! she cried for 10 minutes, and it was because of the giant gift she had left me in her diaper. Then she slept and woke up just in time to down a bottle of milk for the landing. no crying. She waved at all the chineese ladies and giggled her head off....

I should have known I would pay for it later. As soons as we got to the hotel, she had a major breakdown. Probably a combo of the new enviroment and a tooth coming out. Screaming fits, biting, kicking. I have marks on my face from the biting and scatching. I called my husband in tears, at my wits end. It lasted the whole night. But yesterday, I left her with the chineese nannies while I went to the great wall. A break for me (body and spirit) and a giant leap for Dumpling (and the other babies who stayed behind as weel). She'e really changed in taht one day. Happy, giggleing, moving about on her own (on her butt, she's rufusing the walk even though whe's fully capable, 'cause she walks when she thinks I'm not looking!!!)

After we got back from the Great Wall and tons of shopping: pearls, jade and cloisonne), we tried a belgium restaurant up the street. Steak Frites and belgium beer in Beijing served by a chineese man who's never left the country but speaks french like he was trained in Paris, no chineese accent!!!! It was a surrreal and fabulous dinner, at which the star of the evening, the newly awaken Dumpling, entertained us by eating her shoes, sticking both her feet behind her head to find her butt on several occasions and screaming mamamamama at the top of her lungs!!! So proud!!!!

Internet access much more expensive here, and not so convenient, but will try to post again tomorrow or the day after. This morning, doctor's appointment, then Silk alley for, guess what, more shopping!!!!

Anything to add? 0

2004-06-07 - 8:38 a.m.

well, we're in Beijing! Much fancier hotel, but somewhat less suited for living with baby.... they frown upon ahllway parties and don't have instant hot water bottles.... kettles are great during the day, but for that middle of the night feeding, not so much!

Dumpling was a plane champ! she cried for 10 minutes, and it was because of the giant gift she had left me in her diaper. Then she slept and woke up just in time to down a bottle of milk for the landing. no crying. She waved at all the chineese ladies and giggled her head off....

I should have known I would pay for it later. As soons as we got to hte hotel, she had a major breakdown. Probably a combo of the new enviroment and a tooth coming out. Screaming fits, biting, kickcing. I have marks on my face from the biting and scatching. I called my husband in tears, at my wits end. It lasted the whole night. But yesterday, I left her with the chineese nannies while I went to the great wall. A break for me (body and spirit) and a giant leap for Dumpling (and the other babies who stayed behind as weel). She'e really changed in taht one day. Happy, giggleing, moving about on her own (on her butt, she's rufusing the walk even though whe's fully capable, 'cause she walks when she thinks I'm not looking!!!)

After we got back from teh great wall and tons of shopping: pearls, jade and cloisonne), we tried a belgium restaurant up the street. Steak Frites and belgium beer in Beijing served by a chineese man who's never left the country but speaks french like he was trained in Paris, no chineese accent!!!! It was a surrreal and fabulous dinner, at which the star of the evening, the newly awaken Dumpling, entertained uys by eating her shows, sticking both her feet behind her head to find her butt on several occasions and screaming mamamamama at the top of her lungs!!! So proud!!!!

Internet access much more expensive here, and not so convenient, but will try to post again tomorrow or the day after. This morning, doctor's appointment, then Silk alley for, guess what, more shopping!!!!

Anything to add? 5

2001-01-03 - 9:59 p.m.

her daddy will be proud, she likes apple juice! We were in a rice paddy (well, we were in the bus, it was a bit too much for us) and we had a picnic of apple juice and cheerios on the seat of the bus.

on the way back, she gave me my first blow out, knock down, sreaming match. She was absolutely unconslable for 15 minutes, jut yelling at the top of her lungs. I think it was teething, becasue a few minutes after the Oragle, she calmed right down. But now the other parents won't hate me quite as much, 'cause I've had my fit too.

It's our last day in Nanning and it's pooring rain. hopefully it will clear up to go swimming this afternoon, otherwise it'll be another day of playdates in front the the 11th floor elevator.... It's a strange parallele universe we are living in right now....

She continues to be a fabulous baby. She didn't sleep through the night last night, but I didn't mind one bit. I cuddled with her till she fell back asleep. It cost me my sleep, but I couldn't care less!

Anything to add? 0

2001-01-03 - 2:29 a.m.

last night, we had a tiny breakthrough. At dinner, for no reason, she started sticking eher pacifier in my mouth and yanking it out and laughing her head off. She thought it wsa the funniest thing ever. It was all I could do to keep from crying! OF course, not one person had their camera with them.

HEr other talent is typing on the computer. I cna't send email or blog with her on my lap, because it all turns into jibberish, as she pouces away on th keyboard!!!!!

I know this is short, but I've got a baby to take care of..... Oh my G-d!!!!!!

Anything to add? 4

2001-01-01 - 6:28 p.m.

my dad coulnd't ftp the pics on her web site, but he created a yahoo group.

groups.yahoo.com/group/fuf_mai_2004

(that's mai, in french!). No idea how that will work out for you guys, but here's hoping! PS: I just checked it out, seems to work for me. Just join the group. BTW, there are pictures of all the babies there, but obviously, the I'm the one with the most!!! (my dad wanted to help out the other families by putting up some of their pics too...)

Anything to add? 12

2001-01-01 - 1:01 a.m.

This is not a post per-say, but an excerpt form an email I just sent my hubby. I know you are missing the email from yesterday that details how I met my daughter, I'll have to get to it later. but for now, here is how the first day and night went.....

well, it's been 23 hours since Dumpling and I met.

after we got to the hotel yesterday, she was a champ expect for a tiny bit of fussing when I tried to speak on the phone.

Dinner was a bit of an experience, because at first she wouldn't sit in the stroller. But by the end of dinner, she was content enough to not scream if she sat in the stroller, which was a big victory. She wouldn't take any food or drinks, and went to bed at 9:15 wouldn't eating or drinking anything since I got her. But we both fell asleep quickly. She didn't like the crib at first, but honestly, she was exhausted and it didn't take more than 5 mintues for her to settle down and go to sleep. I woke up at 11:30 and then again at 3 am, but I couldn't get back to sleep that second time so I made so ramen noodles and watched her sleep till she woke up at 6:30. That's right. A full night's sleep without fussing.

I forgot to say, we took a stroll in the hallway before bed. She can't walk on her own, but she holds onto one finger in each hand and she'll walk like a champ!

This morning, she took half a sippy cup of water but that was it. I ran into a fellow parent from the US group in the hallway who told me their daughter would only drink from a straw. I tried it and voila! She likes to drink from a straw. She wouldn't eat bfast though.

We spent the morning doing paper work at the civil affairs office and the notary, she ate 11 cheerios. That's it. I was getting worried, but at lunch time, my new best friend M-C got her to eat soup and mushrooms. What educated and advanced taste she has! once thedoor was opened to food, we got her to eat congee and a banana cookie.

Now I'm in my dad's room, he's going to try his best to upload pictures for you to see today or tomorrow.

Anything to add? 10

2004-05-30 - 10:29 a.m.

I got about three hours of sleep, work up at 3:30 am. Put on bad HBO movie and thankfully got another 3 hours of sleep, til 6:30. Lounged about, took another shower, then headed for bfast at 8:00 am, only to find out everyone else had also been up for hours, had eaten and most were already walking about!!! I should have know I wouldn't be the only off-schedule one!

LEt's call this the Great Hair Experiment of 2004. I've been in China about 12 hours and I've already lost my battle against the humidity. I've taken pics but can't upload from here: think Monica in that vacation episode of Friends! It's growing by the hour!!!!

so far pretty stress free. We've more or less agreed to not talk about the babies today. Try to enjoy the day and relax till tomorrow. Of course, we'll all be basket cases when we check in tonight in Nanning, where we will meet the babies tomorrow.

I'm quite surprised at how wrong I was about my picture of China. I knew Beijing would be quite mordern, but I had no idea it would be like that everywhere. Guangzhou rivals any huge north american city. Super huge buildings, nice cars, ver clean. Of course, we are in downtown and I'm sure there's a lot of poverty on the sides of the city, but from here, it looks like quite the metropolis.

I think I'll take one more shower before we check out... you can never be too clean, and the humidity from the hour I spent walking around had made me less than fresh!

Anything to add? 7

2004-05-29 - 11:31 p.m.

Saturday night, 11:30 pm, Guangshou, China

Man, I left home 30 hours ago.... First class made this much easier, but it's still a grueling trip. I've been on 3 planes, ate about 7 meals (including ice cream and chocolate chip cookies! yeah 1st class!). The hong Kong airport, where we spent 3 hours, is the fanciest mall I've ever seen! Gucci, Chanel, Celine, a huge Dior store. Not like airport counters, full blown, huge, expensive retail stores of every brand you can imagine! It's dripping money in hong kong!

Finally, about hald an hour ago, we checked into the Ramada in Guangzhou. I had pictured a smaller city.... or course, by chineese standards... they have 10 million people here! The hotel is the size of a condo compound in south florida!

I did get some sleep on the plane, so now, when I'm supposed to be resting, I'm totally wired. I'll have some tea and watch Six feet under on HBO (last season) and hopefully fall asleep.

Tomorrow, we thought we were leaving at 8 am, but thankfully, our flight isn't until 3, so we can sleep in, have breakfast, and they'll drive us around the city before we go on the last plane ride before the babies.... Schedule calls for baby ceremony Monday afternon....

Anything to add? 6

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