Panda Express

I am trying to type one handed because I have Rebekah in my lap and she is facinated with the computer mouse pad...not to mention real wobbily. We went to the Chongqing Zoo yesturday and it was a nice change from the city. I was real impressed with most of the enclosures. They were in the process of up dating several enclosures to make them more habitat frendly. The weather started out nice then gradually became HOT & HUMID. YUK! It was an enjoyable day though. The zoo is built on a mountian side so we did a lot of climbing stairs, UGG. We mainly saw the Pandas and a few other exhibits, but because of the massive construction projects it appeared most of the animals were in temporary housing until their new habitats were completed. After the zoo we went to lunch at this very nice resturant. Madeline is having some difficulty adjusting to the food so we are eating a lot of peanut butter sandwiches. She is also getting use to squatting when going to the bathroom although she has poor control over where it goes, if you know what I mean. Madeline is however getting adjusted to being a big sister and the less attention she is getting. She seems to have turned the corner and that may be also due to she is now use to the time change. Less tears and obstinance - YEAH.

Today we went to the cultural architecual district that has buildings over 1000 years old and smells like it as well. We had fun shopping and taking pictures. The Chongqing people are very friendly and courious, they are constantly coming up to us, well Rebekah that is, and playing with her and caressing her hair and face. Our guides gave us a card that explains that we have adopted her and love her. When we were in Nanchang we did not experience it as much as here. I enjoy it because we get to interact with the people here, even though we have a hard time communicating. There was a deaf 90 year old man who took a liking to Rebekah, I was thankful to have his daughter there to try and translate.

Chongqing Zoo Pictures




Cultural Street

eating bliss and silent shopping

We have great news...rebekah is finally taking her bottle...well sort of. I went out and bought a tippy cup without a no spill plug and vualla the child drinketh. We do not know exactly why but the formula is free flowing and she does not have to suck. We have come to the conclusion that she may have an issue with her "sucking reflex" or she may have a reaction to the plastic nipple. The nanny said she has always been a very slow eater, it may be because she is alergic to what ever the nipple is made out of, who knows, All I know is she is sucking down the formula now and always wants more. YEAH!!

I have experienced silent shopping. When we venture out and about it is usually by ourselves with no translator so that means we have much difficulty communication with the exception of saying thank you and hello. I went to buy the tippy cup today and the whole transaction was done without words but alot of pointing and gesturing. It is really fun. Eating out is also an adventure, we have gone to many a resturant and if we are lucky there will be a picture of what the food is on the menu but most of the times there is not. So what you order can be a suprise. Luckily we have not had pig tail or duck stomach yet (a entre we saw on our cruise for the Mid Autumn Festival). On a side note, pigs tail does not look like what I would say is a pigs tail, quite long and straight.

Rebekah is coming out of her shell. She is babbling a lot more and when you tickle her she actually laughs, which is better than screaming, although sometimes when she screams it sounds like laughter. Madeline is having more and more difficulty adjusting. She is feeling left out and that Rebekah is getting more attention than she. We are trying to do fun stuff just with her like swimming and shoping. Yesturday we went to Toys R Us and bought her a caucasian barbie that sings in Chinese. Tomorrow we will try bowling, she really wants to try ice skating but nobody wants to see me ice skate and my ankles surly do not want me to try it.

We went to Eling Park yesturday and it was beautiful. The sun even came out, something that hasn't happened but once for about 10 minutes since we have been here.

Not much time right now to give you a complete update on our goings on here in Chongqing the last couple of days. We have to get ready for breakfast and then off to the zoo to see the pandas, the Chongqing zoo is said to have the most famous panda in the world. I don't know much about that but Madeline is excited. She wants to bring her stuffed panda along so he can see his friends.

Rebekah's feeding times is not getting better. We are, well at least I am, at our wits end trying to get her to take her bottle. We put a call into the orphanage director and we get a private audience with her nanny today. No she is not coming up (6 hours by train) just for us, they have some more babies to unite with their parents today at a different hotel and they will make a special stop here to give us some pointers. She will eat but only by spoon which is VERY MESSY! There is 1 time a day she will take a bottle and that is in the morning right when she gets up, but it is on her terms! We are hoping that she is just grieving still but it can also be that we are just doing it wrong for her liking.

We are all doing GREAT! We all are in bed sleeping by 8pm though so all of us are getting about 10 hours each night but we all need about a hour and a half nap each day that we usually feel like taking at 10am.

Madeline and Rebekah are watching BOZ on the bed. Rebekah loves all the bright colors and singing. she kicks her feet when they sing and starts making a bunch of noise. Well it is time for breakfast then PANDA TIME. I will post pictures later today when we have some down time. Love you all.

Rebekah Wei Gotcha Day

I wish we had more pictures to share with you but the truth is we have not really been able to get out of the hotel for the last 1 1/2 days because of little ones being sick. Madeline by far has the worst of it. Early this morning (2:30a) she woke up with a fever of 105.4 and we thought that has to be wrong so we took it again and it was 104.4. We then broke out a different thermometer and yet another temp of 103.4registered. By now you can imangine we were pulling our hair out. Being that we were in China and her temp was litterally all over the place we called our pediatrician whose office was closed becasue it was Saturday in TX. We got Cook Children's Hospital and spoke to a nurse who did not understand we could not bring her in to have a rapid strep test done because we are in China, she did not feel it was much after we described her symptoms. I told the nurse we have antibiotics for her just in case but we were not going to use them unless her fever lasts more than 3 days and only after we speak to our pediatrician and she agreed that was a good plan. Other than the fever Madeline is her normal bouncing off the wall self, with a few meltdowns. Rebekah Wei Wei had a fever also but it was not bad. Rebekah Wei Wei is adjusting GREAT!!! She is full of smiles and laughter, although she will let you know it if she is upset. We thought Madeline was strong willed...wait till you see this girl. Our only major issue with her is she is not taking a bottle for us. We are having a difucult time getting fluids in her. The most we have got in her in a day was 2 bottles of 110ml each, but usually it is 1 bottle. We are now resorting to an eye dropper of water which she DOES NOT LIKE but it is the only way we can get fluids into her. We have a call placed to the orphanage director to give us any suggestions. PLEASE PRAY THAT SHE BEGINS TO TAKE HER BOTTLE WE ARE AT A LOSS

Developmentally, Rebakah Wei Wei is right on target. She can roll over and push herself up on her hands, and even get on her hands and knees. She also can camando crawl for short distances. She had difficulty sitting by herself when we got her but she is getting stronger each day at it. She has a pecular way of comforting herself, she will quietly lay on her back with both hands in the air and rock herself back and forth quite rapidly while she alternates putting her hands on her forehead. She can do this for hours until she falls asleep. If she is mad or does not want something she will put a hand on her face and turn away with a loud cry (sometimes her cry sounds like a laugh). She also has the cutes dimples.

Madeline is very happy to be a big sister but is feeling left out when we cannot pay immediate attention to her like she is use to. We had a Mommy - Maddie shopping spree at the local Toys R Us yesturday which she liked but it was cut short because she began to feel bad.

We are hoping Madeline will feel better so we can attend the Mid Autumn Festival Celebration tonight, we are going on a cruise on the Yangze. All in all we are doing good but please pray for Madeline to feel better and for Rebekah Wei Wei to start taking fluids.