My goofy girl....

Here's that goofy picture I was trying to post the other day. This was in Beijing after one of her baths that she just loves so much. She now loves getting her hair combed and when I do it, she just stares at herself in the mirror and smiles. I guess vanity can be learned at a very early age!!

Happy 1st Birthday Baby Girl!!!

Today our Jenna is officially 1. I can't believe we've been home for only 12 days. It feels like months! I think I can honestly say that we're all over our jet lag and are finally getting into some routine at home. There were a few days last week that I thought I would pull my hair out as Jenna showed us how badly she hated sleeping in her crib. She was fine for a couple of days and actually slept quite soundly, but all of a sudden, she was not having it. We tried everything to console her after she woke up just hours after being put to bed but nothing seemed to work. This went on for a couple of days. We finally caved and let her sleep in our bed and now she goes to bed at 8:00pm, gets up between 6:00am - 7:00am, down for her morning nap at 9:00, sleeps for 2 hours and down again around 2:00 and down for 2 1/2 hours. It certainly can't get any better than that. Also, at the advice of a friend with 3 of her own, I started giving Jenna a bottle before every nap and bedtime. This has worked like a charm and when she sees that bottle, she knows it's time for a sleep. She had her first appointment with her adoption practitioner on Monday and she really had some great comments and advice. I value her opinion as she has adopted internationally herself and knows first hand what we're going through. She asked if Jenna was sleeping in our bed and when I said yes, she said that it's a good thing as these babies are most likely use to co-sleeping. Also, she said that this is a very crucial time in the bonding and attaching process and Jenna needs to feel safe with us, and if that means losing a few hours of sleep because our baby girl likes to spread eagle and hog our whole king size bed, so be it. Over the last few days, her personality is really starting to come out. She likes to babble to herself and sometimes it really sounds like she's telling us a story complete with hand gestures and the different tones in her voice. Her doctor says that her developmental age is about 9-10 months, which is completely normal and she suspects that when we go to see in her in 2 months, that she'll be caught right up. This parenting gig is alot harder than I thought it was ever going to be. In China, I had Gary with me 24/7 so it was easier to get things done, but now that I'm home with her during the day by myself, I can't seem to get anything done. She's slowly starting to be able to play by herself on the floor but not for long periods of time. She needs to be able to see and hear me at all times or the whining starts. I know this is a good thing and I have to remind myself of this, but it can be trying at times. Other than my house being turned upside down and my laundry not getting done in a timely manner, I love spending my days with her. Whether it's going out shopping, running errands, or just sitting at home playing, I can't imagine my life any other way. As hard as it is, the good definitely outweighs the bad and I love her to pieces! This weekend we're having our family come out and celebrate her birthday with us. My sister and her family are coming in from California on Friday so they, as well as my aunts and uncles, will be meeting Miss Jenna for the first time. It should be alot of fun!

I'll post her birthday pictures on the weekend, but until then, here is a picture I love that we took in China after her bath. She's got some crazy hair and her mommy can't wait for it to grow out so that we could put some pretty bows and clips in it!!!

(Okay, blogger doesn't want to post pictures right now....I'll try again later!)

We made it home!!!

We’re home!!!! I’m so happy to be able to post from my own computer, from my own computer room, sitting on my own chair! You take for granted the comforts of home until you’re in a different country with a new baby, confined to a small hotel room and are reduced to doing dishes with boiling water as well as bottled water!!! Needless to say, there’s no place like home.

Let’s back up to where I left off in China. Our last full day in China included a Rickshaw Tour of Old Beijing. Riding in a covered Rickshaw sure beat walking in the heat, we really quite enjoyed it And Jenna loved it as well, when she was awake!! The scenery was beautiful and the people, as always, interesting. There were a few scary moments as our Rickshaw driver weaved in and out of the other Rickshaws in our convoy and really knew how close he could get to another one without tipping us over….very talented young man!! And some of the alley ways were quite narrow so that made it even scarier, although, as always, Gary enjoyed the adventure. We were privileged enough to be able to visit the house of a lovely couple, Mr. & Mrs. Quing, who let us take pictures and ask questions about their house and their lives. A very nice couple. The house was actually one of the nicer residences we’ve seen in our travels.

After the tour, we headed back out to the silk market to get some more goodies including a new suitcase to take back all the goodies we bought….and we bought a lot! Later that evening, the group went out for a Peking Duck dinner. It was a quick walk from our hotel and we were all ushered up to the second floor (a little difficult with all the strollers) and we got a big room all to ourselves. Gary picked a great place to sit…right by the air conditioning box so it was a little more comfortable for us. The dinner was great, a few dishes that I stayed away from, but all in all, a great dinner. One of the highlights of the evening was getting all the babies to pose for a picture. Well this turned out to be a gong show! Our guide had all the babies from Wanzai (that’s Jenna’s group) to pose first and before the last baby was placed on the bench; the crying started and continued while the pictures were being taken. It was a spectacle to say the least, but as the babies were crying, us parents, who were frantically taking pictures, were finding this quite humorous. Poor babies. Then the Le Ping group of babies sat for their pictures and of course, they showed up the Wanzai group as they all sat there happily with no tears shed. Oh well, it’s just one more story to tell right?

After dinner, we just headed back to the room and put Jenna to bed and Gary and I tackled the job of packing. We actually did quite well and didn’t even need one of the carry-ons we came with. In the morning, we had our breakfast, said goodbye to some of our travel mates and then headed off to the Silk Market AGAIN!!!! Since we didn’t have to leave the hotel until 1:20pm, we had a bit of time to kill. We came back, got everything packed and had our bags sitting outside our door at noon, then went and had some lunch before heading out to the airport. Again, Gary pointed out to me that we had more bags than anyone else around us as we had to load our bags onto a trolley once we got to the airport. I think he was probably right as we got a lot of stares as we maneuvered our way through the airport. Our flight to Vancouver was pretty uneventful. Jenna pretty much slept for the first 2 hours, woke up to play a little and went back to sleep for another 5-6 hours. Gary was even able to watch a couple of movies while she slept, it couldn’t have turned out any better. Since we were in Business Class, we made a bed for her on the floor in front of us and she looked quite comfortable. As we were going down the escalator towards Customs once we were in Vancouver, the line up was the longest I’ve ever seen and I thought for sure we would miss our connection, but it actually was a breeze as we, and the other 4 families in the group, got ushered through all the line ups. The last leg home she was a bit whiney but it was expected. We fed her a little and she slept a little, and then all of a sudden, we were just about ready to land. We were met by close friends and family and it was so great to be able to see everyone and finally be home. The only casualty was the loss of one of our bags, which turned out to be the one full of our dirty clothes so I wasn’t really in that much of a hurry to get it back since it just meant I had to wash them all. We did end up getting it delivered to us the next day.

When we got Jenna home, I walked her all over the house and she just looked around with wide eyes just soaking it all in. Everyone kept saying how much she was going to love our salt water tank but her interest in it didn’t last very long. I really think she thought we were just in another hotel.

We’ve now been home for 4 days and slowly getting into a routine. The first couple of nights home, she slept quite well. A little whimper here and there but nothing that a few minutes of back stroking and bum patting couldn’t cure. We thought we were in the clear with all this jet-lag nonsense and in only a matter of days to boot….until last night when she had a complete melt down. The day started out with her not wanting to get up until 10:00am, at which point I physically had to wake her myself, then she didn’t have an afternoon nap, then we put her to bed late because she had lots of visitors and didn’t want to have an afternoon nap until 6:00pm and then she didn’t end up going to bed until 10:30. Then she got up at 11:30 and decided to just scream on the top of her lungs. I tried calming her and then Daddy tried calming her and nothing seemed to work. Finally, we plunked her on our bed sitting up, put some toys in front of her to play and she finally conked out at around 3:30am. This gave Daddy a whole 2 hours to sleep before he had to go to work! Needless to say, I got a few phone calls today to make sure she didn’t nap for too long so she’d be good and tired by the night time. It’s now 10:00pm and she’s been sound asleep for the past ½ hour. Here’s hoping she sleeps through the night! I do have to remind myself that she has really only been home for 4 days and her little body needs more than that to get use to everything but being the good baby that she has been for us, I guess I just expect her to adjust in no time at all. Bad mommy.

Other than last night, she seems to be adjusting quite well to her new surroundings. We get a lot of comments on how good natured Jenna is, and we quite agree. We are still amazed everyday at how fantastic she’s been handling everything that has gone on in her short little time on this earth. I sometimes watch her playing with her toys or watch her with her Daddy and I just can’t believe that she’s finally home with us. After so many months of paperwork, waiting, preparing and waiting some more, our family of two has now become three. My heart is fuller than I ever imagined it would be. I think of my life before her and it’s hard for me to remember because it really does seem like she’s been with me forever. I guess in a way she has because the thought of her has been in my heart years before ever laying eyes on that sweet, beautiful face. The waiting and the tears and the longing for a family are no longer, and it truly just doesn’t get any better than this!

Thank you to all the people who commented on the blog and emailed us while we were in China. I was able to read them all and was humbled that we were thought of so much. We’ll never forget our China Journey. It was an amazing trip to a future full of joy, until of course she grows up and becomes a teenager…..stay tuned!

Here are just a few more pictures of the last few days of our trip and our first few days home. I seem to have reached my maximum amount of pictures today so I'll try again tomorrow.



Jenna's first limo ride (Gary looks a little stunned to finally be on his way home)















Jenna with Tita Erica














Jenna with Grandpa














Jenna's welcoming committee (Tita Kelly, Meghan and Sophie)















Some more friends (Auntie Terri, Auntie Lynne, Meghan, Sophie & Tita Kelly)














Ms. Jenna enjoying the long flight from Beijing














Ms. Jenna sitting so pretty














The 'Wanzai Walers'














The 'Le Ping Ladies'

Pictures...cont'd

Peking Duck restaurant














Peking Duck dinner

















Rickshaw Tour














Following the convoy of Rickshaws














Mrs. Qing and her house















Need I say more?















Fruit Stand














Our fearless Rickshaw driver















A happy Jenna on the Rickshaw

And what else......more shopping!

Today seemed to be a repeat of the past few days here, filled with more shopping. We ended up skipping the Silk Factory tour in the morning but instead, went with a few other families back to the silk market. Let’s just say that Jenna will have enough shoes and silk dresses until she’s about 5. After spending a couple of hours there, we headed over to Pizza Hut for lunch with T & H before walking back to the hotel to catch another bus to yet another market. They’re all starting to look the same to me. Our guide Marui did take us to a little jewelry shop that sold Chinese pendants so that was really cool. After that shopping trip, we went out for dinner with a bunch of families to a Chinese restaurant across the street from our hotel. One of the families had our guide write down some dishes in Chinese so that it would be easier for us to order…things like Lemon Chicken and Sweet & Sour Pork but we were told they didn’t have it. Good thing they had pictures for some of the dishes so we just used the point and order method and hoped for the best. It ended up being really tasty. There were 4 families at our table and the bill came to $10 per family for about 7 or 8 dishes! You can’t beat that price. After dinner, we started walking back to our hotel and when we got out from the under ground tunnel, the rain storm was just ready to hit so we made a run for it. Jenna started crying because she was flailing around her stroller as Gary ran for shelter so he had to take her out and run while carrying her. We got into the hotel just in time as once we got up to our room, we heard the rain and the thunder. I think we’re going to get a repeat of last night….the loudest thunder I’ve ever heard in my life. The one good thing about this weather is that it only seems to rain at night and during the day is actually quite beautiful.

Tomorrow will be our last full day here in China as all the families are leaving on Friday…some earlier to get to Toronto, and about 4 or 5 families heading to Vancouver a few hours later. I can’t believe our trip is finally coming to an end. I know that in one of my earlier posts I wrote that we’re eager to get home but it’s also bittersweet to be leaving the country who gave us the family we’ve been dreaming of for years. Jenna continues to amaze us everyday with her personality and her resilience. She’s quite simply the most perfect child for us and I will be forever grateful to this country for making that happen. It’s just so hard to imagine that she’s ours to love for the rest of her life; it chokes me up every time I look at her. This whole adventure has been just so emotional. Now that our China journey is coming to and end, I hope that her transition to Canada will be as smooth as when we first got her. At least here, she still recognizes the language somewhat and the sights and sounds are still what she’s use to, but, once again, things are going to change for this little girl, and goodness knows that she’s been through enough. I’m counting on that resiliency to shine through. I’m just attaching a few shots of our girl in one of many of her happy moments….enjoy!


(Okay, I can't seem to post any pictures.....I'll try again tomorrow, I'm too tired to keep fighting with blogger tonight!)

Forbidden City & Tiananmen Square

So yesterday we didn’t end up going out for dinner with the group as Jenna had barely napped during the day and she was a bit whiny so we settled on just having dinner with T & H and then walked over the supermarket and Starbucks before calling it a night. Jenna was in bed by about 8:00 and didn’t wake up until just before 8:00am. Again I had to wake her as we had to have breakfast and hop on the bus for 9:30. This little girl loves her sleep!

Today we went to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. It was a very hot day and the grounds were very crowded. I don’t know that it was the best outing to have taken with the baby today but she survived it….she’s our little trooper. I can’t say that much for Gary and myself as we were feeling pretty closter phobic at times. I’m not quite sure where the Square ended and the Forbidden City started but, like the Great Wall, it was absolutely exquisite. It’s very hard to describe the beauty of it all and the pictures will hardly show the shear magnitude of the grounds. Our whole group, minus maybe one family who stayed behind, all got their picture taken in front of Chairman Mao’s picture. It was quite a spectacle trying to get 17 or so families to all pose for a picture, with all the strollers lined up, but what was even more magnificent was how the cameramen managed to usher the people to stop or walk around us so as not to ruin the shot. You have to imagine thousands of people in this square, practically on top of each other, and not one person walked between the cameraman and all of us for a good 10 minutes while we all got settled. And there must have been a good 60-70ft between us and the camerman. We all must have caused quite a scene because as our picture was being taken, everyone around us was also snapping pictures of all of us. It was really quite bizarre. I could try to tell you the whole story behind the Square and the City but I only know the bits and pieces that our guide told us on the bus ride there, and quite frankly, I don’t have the energy to type it all out even if I did remember it all. I knew there was a reason I brought a tape recorder with me, but I never seem to remember to bring it with me and my memory on good days is really no good so sorry about skipping the history lesson….you’ll have to just google it!!!

After the tour, we ended up having to wait a good 45 minutes to an hour for our bus to come and pick us up. Imagine, we all left the hotel at 9:30 and didn’t get back until 2:00pm. That made for pretty hungry, grumpy babies! And the heat, the noise, and the crowds surely didn’t help any of us. Jenna had some lunch and crashed for a good nap. Then the bus came to pick us up again to make a trip to the Pearl Market. Gary thinks I’m helping the Chinese economy with all my spending. I bought myself a few things and also got Jenna some earings and a necklace for when she’s older (I’ll have to see how long I can hold out on giving them to her!). They also had a few floors similar to the silk market by our hotel full of clothes, shoes, purses and, well, pretty much everything so I put my best bargaining foot forward and came out with some really great deals. Bartering has become a dance that I do quite gracefully and I love it! It must be the cheap Pilipino in me oozing out. Gary is just so happy to watch and when approached by one of the sales ladies, he points to me and says “She’s he boss”. Smart man.

For dinner we went to TGI Friday’s. WHO KNEW!! It was really good. Gary and I got our chicken wing fix and except for the fact that our baby decided to poop her pants right as my meal was coming, it was great! They played loud English music and Jenna was just jamming. We’ve never seen her dance so much, swaying back and forth. It was just the cutest thing ever. And of course, who forgets the camera….ME!

Tomorrow is a shopping day (like every other day here) but we’re not going to partake in the Silk Factory tour in the morning, because I’m just not all that interested in how silk is made. I’m sure it’s fascinating and all, but we’re just going to let Jenna sleep in and wake up on her own but we will be going to a market in the afternoon where there will be more bartering and great deals to be had I’m sure.


The Forbidden City














Chairman Mao















A sea of goofy hats we all bought for less than $1















The papparazzi taking our photos while ours were being taken














Olympic Games site
















The countdown















Young school girls who asked to take Jenna's picture















All of us waiting for our bus....not happy campers.
















But this face makes up for any bad day!

Day 11.....

Well today Jenna had her first physical exam and she did remarkably well. They weighed her and measured her and it seems that with all the food we’ve been giving this little girl, she still weighs the same as when we got her. She sat there so nicely for the nurses and the doctor as they poked and prodded at her. Some of the babies did not like it one bit and that was evident from the screaming we heard from outside the exam rooms. She seems to be measuring on target with weight and a little under in the height category. Not to worry though, we don’t want her being taller than her parents anyway so it all works out good in the end. The doctor and nurses spoke English and were very nice. The clinic was also very clean with lots of toys for the kids to play with, unlike the hospital that some of the babies had to go to in Nanchang. After hearing the conditions of the hospital, I was a little scared about what the clinic was going to look like, but I was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of a Medicentre back home and it was in a mall so we were able to do a bit of shopping after the physicals….which for me was a bonus. After her nap, we’ll take her down for some lunch and then maybe out for a walk and a little more shopping. Tonight we have a dinner planned with our guide and Jenna, one of the staff from Children’s Bridge who accompanied us on our journey. It will be nice to have some authentic Chinese dinner with someone who knows what to order!!! Gary and I are really ready to come home though. Eating out everyday and living out of a suitcase in a cramped hotel room has definitely run its course. And I’m sure Gary has had enough shopping to last him 2 lifetimes. Can’t wait to get home!!



The Vista Clinia















Jenna sitting on a box all by herself!















Jenna standing against a wall all by herself!!















Hanging out, checking out the toys















With the nurses, being so good















Measuring her big noggin















I think she likes being poked at















This doctor must have thought I was crazy taking all these pictures.















"Breeze in....breeze out......"

Jade Factory and The Great Wall

Today felt like such a full day but really, it’s only 4:00pm!!! Yesterday, we finally let Jenna wake up all on her own. We usually have to wake her as we always seem to have to be somewhere all the time. We had a pretty relaxing day. We did start the paperwork rolling for the Canadian Embassy and we got the babies’ Visa photos taken. That was pretty quick, although I’m sure people walking by were probably wondering what we were doing since we just set up in one of the lobbies. Everyone helped get each baby to look and smile over at the camera. Jenna doesn’t need a lot of coaxing though, she’s just a happy baby by nature. We have found out though that when she’s not tired and we want to put her to bed or when she’s over tired, the whining becomes a little more intense. Nothing major, but because she’s such a happy baby, the little bit of whining concerns us. (New parent syndrome….I know!!). After a little nap in the room, we went out to the grocery store across the street to stock up on some baby supplies. We did stop off at McDonald’s though before we did our shopping. It tasted pretty much the same as home. I’m sure Gary appreciated the fact that he didn’t have to eat fried rice or spaghetti for lunch!! Although I thought I ordered him a McChicken when in fact I ordered him a Spicy Chicken Sandwich. Not only was he sweating from the heat and humidity, but I had to add to it by feeding him a spicy sandwich! Poor guy. After that, we went to the Silk Market again with another couple (from Edmonton) and again got some really good deals. I bought some jackets for my sister and brother-in-law and they started the price out at 5000Yuan….that’s $700US!!! She was off her rocker if she really thought I was going to pay her that much. I ended up walking away with both North Face jackets for 450Yuan, which works out to about $30US per jacket! It kinda makes me wonder if people really pay the first price the're given!!! I would have bargained to a lower price but by this time, I was exhausted and Jenna had a poopy bum and there was no where to change her so we headed over the Pizza Hut for dinner. When we got there, they didn’t have a rest room in the restaurant so I laid her down on a bench with Gary and Tracey shielding us and changed her diaper. It was against a glass window and there must have been about 3 or 4 men staring through the window while I changed her! I was appalled! I don’t think they’re use to how us Westerners do things as we saw a baby at the silk market about the same age as Jenna, if not younger, in split pants….meaning no diaper, no panties….nothing! I don’t think babies here wear diapers for very long. In any case, I got the deed done, but not without sweating myself to death (I know you’re laughing right now Erica……okay, I get it, new mom’s sweat under pressure!!!) Dinner was actually one of the best meals I’ve had here so far! We might even go back one more time before leaving. We didn’t finish dinner until around 7:00 and as we were walking back to the hotel, Jenna fell asleep….again! So needless to say, last night was pretty rough. We were hoping to all be in bed early as we had to get up at 6:30 this morning. She didn’t want to go to bed….end of story. Gary ended up putting her in the stroller, going downstairs to the lobby and walking laps until 11:00 before she finally went to sleep. I think he wore out the wheels on the stroller! And then when he got into the room, she woke up so then I had to rock her for another half hour. We were so exhausted. I’m surprised we even got up this morning.
The tour of the Jade Factory and Great Wall was very interesting. The Jade factory was an expensive trip for us as I ended up buying some really great things. I told Gary that since I hadn’t used my Visa for the past week, it was itching for some action….and some action it got! The Great Wall was amazing….how much of it I saw. Gary had Jenna in the sling and he walked all the way to the top….with my baby dangling in front of him! By the time he got down to where I was waiting for him, he was soaked with sweat and Jenna was too….with Daddy’s sweat all down her back! She looked pretty happy to have taken the journey with him though. I made it up to the first landing…if you could call it that so at least I can say I climbed it! The steps were so steep and all uneven. There would have no way I could have done it without a little complaining so Gary was happy when I told him he could go on ahead. I think he’ll sleep well tonight! After that, we finally went for lunch where our guide pre-ordered our lunch for us. It was pretty tame, some fish, some chicken and some beef. They even brought out French fries as one of the entrees.

We’re now back at the hotel and Jenna is finally having a good nap in her crib. She just woke up whimpering a second ago and went right back to sleep….Gary said it was because she didn’t like the song he was playing on the IPod….Fat Bottom Girls by Queen, because as soon as he turned it off, she fell back asleep. I guess she’s not a big Queen fan!

As soon as she gets up from her nap, we’re meeting T & H for dinner and I think we’re going to call it a night. Tomorrow we have the babies’ physicals in the morning so we’re going to rest Jenna up really good so she’ll handle the poking and prodding a little better….we hope. And I’m hoping to finally get something for the rash that she still has all over her arms and legs.


Jade Factory































Our group listening to the tour guide
















It was a little overcast today but if you enlarge this picture, it's really quite amazing! The wall spans 6000km....Gary says he walked he walked most of that (yah right!). It probably felt like it to him.















The tower you see at the top is not actually the top. Gary says he went to one more tower (pictured below)

More pictures....

Preparing for the great hike....

















Jenna.....pre-hike















Gary coming down...never mind the pictures, hold on to my baby!!!!
















looking up....

We’re now back in Beijing and I’m so glad for the change of scenery. Yesterday morning we picked up Jenna’s passport and her picture is just too cute! Then we just hung around the hotel yesterday and did a whole lotta nothing! Last night was a gong show! We got to airport okay but once there, we found out our flight was delayed for an hour….JOY. Jenna actually did really well. We sat at a restaurant and Gary fed her rice with chopsticks, I think she liked it! Although I had my first experience of a child throwing up in my hands as Gary thought it was a good idea to feed a 1 year old a huge chunk of rice that barely fit into her little mouth so she gagged and threw up. Silly Daddy! It was a really late night as we didn’t get into the hotel room until around 11:00pm. And on top of all that, I’ve managed to catch a cold so yesterday was not a good day.

Oh, I forgot to mention that the other day, a group of us ventured out to the local Walmart Supercenter (it’s too bad cameras were not aloud). It was so hot, crowded and loud that we didn’t end up staying very long. Same look and feel as our Walmart but their food department was a little more extensive and included things like fish and chicken and other Chinese delicacies (we didn’t stay long enough to have a look). The cab ride their and back was actually more interesting than the actual shopping. We saw a guy on a moped get hit by a car! Not hard, as they don’t really drive fast here, but hard enough to knock him over. On the way there, Jenna was asleep in my arms and I had to close my eyes because driving here is just absolutely crazy. The painted lines on the street, we found, are really just ornamental. Although, you have to give people here who drive credit, because aside from the guy on the moped, you don’t really see a lot of accidents. It’s like chaotic harmony.

Today we have more paperwork to complete to get ready for our Embassy appointment. Then there are a few tours booked this week like to climbing of the Great Wall, visit the Jade factory, Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.

(Sorry, there are no pictures from yesterday.....I'll take lots today to make up for it!)

Thursday events......

Yesterday we went to a local porcelain store and bought a really nice tea pot set for us and a set of 4 little container type things for Jenna. Then we went to the People’s Park and walked around there for about 40 minutes. I love being around the people. I think I get a kick out of them just as much as they enjoy watching us. I took a picture of a little boy who came to say hello to Jenna and he was wearing what a lot of the children wear here….split pants. They have no underwear under these pants, just an opening for them to squat and do their business. Again, it was really hot and Gary and I were drenched. We’re starting to get used to feeling that way around here. Hopefully in Beijing the weather won’t be so hot. Jenna doesn’t seem to do well in the heat as she gets a heat rash all over her face and legs….poor thing. Our guide sent us to the store to get some sort of spray that we’re suppose to use but as of yet, it’s still not helping all that much. I don’t know if it’s a combination of the heat, the soap I use to bath her, the laundry detergent I used back home to wash her clothes or the sunscreen I put on her. I’m clueless here!!! We’ll probably still see that doctor in Beijing and hopefully he’ll have a remedy for it.

Anyway, I should start getting all of our stuff packed and get Jenna up for breakfast. She always has such a hard time waking herself up. Yesterday we had to be downstairs by 9:30 and she was still sleeping at 7:30 (had to have time for breakfast and that’s a long ordeal for us), so we woke her up. Are you suppose to wake a sleeping baby….probably not. Well she did not like it one bit! When she finally stopped whining and rubbing her eyes, she opened her eyes a happy baby! She is such a good baby. She’s teething right now so the poor thing is a little cranky but she still manages to giggle and be happy. Gary taught her a bad game yesterday where she stands holding the edge of the bed and then she just pushes herself back. Gary is always behind her to catch her and I think she knows this but one of these times he won’t be and my baby will crack her head open of something…..she has no fear this little one! We love her to pieces!

Porcelain Store (I had another picture up here but it's not showing up????)
















The 'Tidal Wave' at the People's Park














Children painting pottery
































Could it be love....?















The 'sweaty' family....














Daddy loves teaching Jenna how to walk.














Ladies in the hotel lobby greeting guests for some convention happening yesterday morning. The hotel lobby was so crowded!