October 31, 2006 - From Luoyang to Guangzhou

Happy Halloween!

Today is a day of transit. I am hoping that the change in environment won't be too hard on Maya...but I am SO excited about getting to Guangzhou! I can't wait to meet back up with some of the other CCAI families and meet their little ones.

Since there won't be much excitement today (I hope!)....I'll just share some thoughts about life with Maya.

- She has the greatest smile and giggle...and mama has found her tickle spots. We play a game in the mornings, just after waking up, where she hides her face from me and I ask "Where's Maya?" and she just giggles and smiles the biggest smile! Then, she has to hide my face and I ask "Where's Mama?" and she just giggles and smiles when I reveal myself. So much fun!

- She also exhibits some of the most spectacular meltdowns I've seen. Thrashing, screaming, flailing....oh..it's a site to see! But...she calms down relatlively quickly (once I cave in to her demands, that is!) Yup...we'll be working on that, too, once she's feeling a bit more secure.

- She has a great time imitating. She loves to feed me and yesterday, she even wiped my nose after I got done wiping hers. It was SO cute!

- Maya is really coming out of her shell. I know this because of the meltdowns...and her responding to the name Maya...and the ready smile upon waking...and the laughter and giggles when playing...and most of all...the way she holds on to me when she is unsure of something.

- She is getting better each day with the walking. She's not quite ready to let go of my hands, but she has quickly moved from walking with both hands holding onto mine..to just one hand...and her legs seem to be getting closer together as she walks (she was very bow-legged just 6 short days ago). She has taken a brief step on her own as she moves from one object to hold onto to another.

- She is HILARIOUS! She makes me laugh so hard and so loud with her craziness and her laughter. Tonight, she realized that she could stand up by herself in the crib..with the help of the bars. She was SO pleased with herself....


She has also figured out that the camera coming out means to smile and look my way!

Finally...we ended our day with a spaghetti mess on the floor of Grandpa's hotel room. We have made it to Guangzhou...and Maya was such a trooper on the long bus ride and the 2 hour flight...she didn't have any problems at all! Yay!

Just four more days in China! But I have to say....this is going to be the coolest leg of the trip...lots of shopping and general merriment headed our way! See you all soon!

October 30, 2006 - Luoyang, Henan

This is our last day in Luoyang. We did some more sightseeing...the Shaolin Temples was on tap for today! The bus ride was long, but Maya did manage to get a nice nap on the way there and mostly on the way back. Part of the tour today included this totally cool KongFu show. These guys were AMAZING! The discipline that these boys must posess is awe-inspiring. Very fun to watch!

I have mixed emotions about leaving Luoyang. Foremost, I'm ready for the next and final leg of this trip. It is difficult to live in a hotel with an (almost) 18 month old. Not much for us to do here and it's hard to get out because we don't really have places to go. However...I am about to take Maya away from the only home she has known...and the place of her birth. I cannot describe to you my feelings for Maya's birth-mother. How much sorrow she must feel for having to give up her daughter...and how heart-breaking that action must have been. It is an odd sensation to be walking the streets of Maya's city and wondering where her birth-mom is living. How is she doing? Does she think about Maya and pray for her to have found a family? Her greatest sorrow is indeed my greatest joy, and I will forever remember her and her sacrifice and be thankful for the gift that she has given me.

I've got some packing to do, so here are some photos from today with quick captions!

I love this photo....she did not realize I was taking it, and she looks so content to just be sitting on my lap on the bus!



and then...she DID realize I was taking her picture...but this one is just as cute!

yes...I know...the pictures of Dad behind Maya's stroller are getting a little redundant. All I can say is that Maya is getting closer and closer to letting Grandpa in...I'm praying it happens before the L-O-N-G flight home!!!

just for the record...I tried to get a picture of Dad on a camel....this was apparently a side show at the Shaolin temples...but he just wouldn't go for it!

Incredible! I wish I had brought a video-camera for this..but one of our travel-mates has a bunch of stuff on video that he is willing to share!!!

Ok..I know that's not alot of photos...and I actually had more, but then I realized that I should ask people if they mind me putting their pictures on the blog before I do so....common courtesy and all!

October 29, 2006 - Luoyang, Henan

Let's see....we decided not to take the tour to the orphanage today. I didn't want to terrify Maya by leaving her with anyone while I went in to visit, take photos, and such...so...we skipped it. I was able to get lots of photos and information from other families who went, and another parent will be sharing the video of the Director of the Luoyang SWI talking to all of the parents. I do not regret my decision...I feel it was the right thing to do.

So, instead, we took a walk to a local park. It was a little scary, venturing off on our own for the first time, but it wasn't that far and it became less and less scary as I realized that although it feels a bit like being on parade, the local people here are very friendly...but also very curious!

The funniest thing is when a chinese man came up to us and started asking questions in Mandarin. I know all of two things in Mandarin....and neither were applicable in this case. So...we showed him our name tags that indicate why we are here in hopes that this would answer his questions...but it didn't. We finally had to shrug our shoulders and just walk away. Frustrating, for sure!

Maya loves her rice crackers....and she also enjoys feeding them to me!

This was the coolest thing....they put you into this uninflated plastic ball...blow it up with air...and zip you up in it. Then...they push you out onto the lake and you play inside the plastic bubble....this little girl was falling all over the place and laughing VERY hard....we should try to get this at Forest Park...what a blast it appears to be!

I have finally gotten over my shyness of taking pictures of the people in China. They have NO problem coming right up to us and touching Maya and talking to her.....turnabout is fair play, I say!

Here's Grandpa pretending like he and Maya are just having the best of times...you can see that Maya is still ignoring Grandpa for the most part. We're trying...we're really trying! He did get the slightest upturn of her mouth today....almost a full-fledged smile directed his way! Babysteps...babysteps!

On our way back from the park, we saw a wedding. We heard the band, first and then realized that there was a bride and groom standing on the steps to a restaurant having their pictures taken...very cool!

The park was gorgeous! And very fun! It was a very leisurely Sunday afternoon and there were many families out playing. We saw a ton of girls, amazingly! They were very insterested in us..and many came up to look at Maya a little closer. Who knows what they were saying...but Maya didn't fuss, so it was all good! There are two things that this American mommy are doing wrong in the eyes of the Chinese mommies. One - I do not dress her warm enough (I only have one layer of clothing instead of enough to make her look like the Michelan man), and two - I let her suck on her fingers. Both have been brought to my attention, a few times! Oh well...different cultures, I guess!

We came back to the hotel to have a noodle picnic! Maya was having fun trying to use the plastic fork that came with the ramen style noodles. She didn't get many in her mouth, but had fun in her attempts!

Nap time was up next...she is really an easy baby to put down...a few minutes of fussing in my arms and then I can just lay her down in her crib and off she goes! She also enjoys sleeping right now. Close to 12 hours per night plus a 2 hour nap during the day. I have little faith that these sleeping habits will stay with us back home, but a girl can hope!

Later this afternoon we had a bit of a hall-party. No kegs, just gobs of kids running around and playing, chasing, screaming, giggling! Maya was SUPER content to sit and watch this going on. It seems as if she prefers to be in the thick of things...surrounded by people and kids. Just as long as the "big people" don't attempt to touch her or pick her up, she's happy as a clam!

Tomorrow will be an almost full day of touring and then we will pack up and be ready to travel to our next destination, Guangzhou, on Tuesday! Yay! 5 more days until we come home...we're almost there!

A note for my family.....Grandpa is indeed in China with me...I know that he's not in alot of photos, but that's because he ends up behind the camera most of the time! Sorry - we'll try to be better!!

October 28, 2006 - Luoyang, Henan

It's Saturday! We are just one week from coming home..and we cannot wait! Here's a chronicle of our day:

5:45am - I am WIDE awake. Maya has a cough..and I had my first night of waking frequently to listen to the coughing spell and then for the sound of her breath. The worry thing comes naturally for me!

6:45am - Maya wakes up - pretty happy, too! She greeted me with a huge smile upon waking, which I absolutely adored! I gave her one of her new favorite treats (a rice cracker) while I finished up getting ready and then we started her primping! Maya enjoys bathtime..so she had a bath this morning and was raring to go. We actually had to wait for Grandpa this morning..he's turning into a late sleeper here in China!

So..while we waited..we walked the halls. Here's Maya practicing her walking with our new stroller. She's doing very well!

9:00am - after breakfast, we boarded the bus for a 1/2 day of touring. We were supposed to go to two places, but only had time for one. We arrived at the Longmen Grottoes by 10:00am. It was a beautiful day outside..and the grottos were nice. I can't tell you much about them because I am still very consumed with all things Maya, so if you are interested, just click here

Here are a few pictures from the Grottoes...

Maya's doing the "I can't see you" thing for Grandpa! She's a smart one...she quickly figured out that if I was in front of her...then I could not be pushing the stroller...therefore, someone ELSE must be touching the stroller! Picky...picky!!

One of the grotto carvings....HUGE!

Here we are...enjoying the day outside!

12:30pm - We went to an authentic Luoyang chinese lunch. They called it the "water banquet" because the food just kept on flowing! Tons of food...but it sure is hard to get your fill when you're eating with two sticks and feeding the tiny little mouth sitting on your lap! I am very proud of my chopstick skills, though....I even fed Maya a Cheerio with chopsticks. Impressed? Maya decided to flip out on me half way through lunch, though...so no cutesy photos of that experience, sorry!

What was cool about this place where we ate lunch was that everything they served was grown in their own gardens..and raised (I suppose) on their land. I was ok with this until I saw a cute little kitty cat roaming the gardens after lunch...Hmmmmmm.....I wonder! :)

2:30pm - Back on the bus with some cranky kids....and then back to the hotel. Upon our return, we saw that the Cardinals had indeed won the World Series! Way to go Cardinals! So...for you viewing pleasure, I present our newest Cardinal fan...can you SEE the look of excitement on her face?

The rest of the day is a blur...and a bit boring. Being in this hotel, day after day, is getting on everyone's nerves...but we'll survive. We have two more full days here until we move onto Guangzhou...then just 3 days there until we fly back home. Yipppeeeee!

We'll be spending most of the day tomorrow hanging out here at the hotel...so hopefully, I'll get some great candid shots!

Have a great Saturday, everyone!

October 27, 2006 - Luoyang, Henan

Success!!

Today was an almost "free" day. We had a little bit of work to be done in the morning to finish up some paperwork for the registration of the adoption. That's really the last of the paperwork to be done here in Luoyang...now we wait for the passports to be processed.

Grandpa and Maya update: We're making progress..a little bit. This afternoon, Grandpa and Maya "played" on the floor for a few minutes. By "play" I mean...Grandpa tried and Maya screamed. However...this time, I did not scoop her up right away (heartwrenching!) and let her work it out. She did stop crying...and picked up the coins that Grandpa gave her to put in the water bottle /rattle. And that was that! She will still let him feed her...and today, Grandpa taught Maya about ketchup on french fries. See below for my little dipper.


We took a trip to a local store today for supplies. The taxi ride was interesting...and "fun", if you consider a few 100 near death experiences in the span of 5 minutes, fun! All that and more for the low, low price of 7 yuan...that's roughly less than $1.

While at the store, we picked up some snacks, some essentials, and a stroller. At last...a stroller! This kid is heavy...and she only wants ME to hold her...and she's not steady enough on her feet for long enough to put her down for any any real distance. So...a stroller is a godsend! And the good news is that she didn't mind sitting in it. She also really liked walking behind it and "pushing" it with a little help from mom. This will hopefully help her with her walking. I noticed tonight that she was trying to get from sitting to standing with the help of the ottoman..and she wasn't able to. I'm a bit concerned about this...but I won't freak out until we get back home and I have Dr. O'Neil do a thorough exam. Any mom's out there that would like to comment and assure me that my child will eventually walk on her own one day soon...speak up!! It's a bit distressing to see her so far behind the other kids her age.

Between store time and dinner time, we played a little. And I was able to call for Grandpa to come take a picture of this beautiful smile!!!!


Tomorrow is Day 8 in China...Day 5 with Maya..we will be doing some touring in the morning (yay!) and then back at the hotel for the afternoon. We'll do that same on Sunday and then there is an optional orphanage visit on Monday. I would REALLY like to go, but we'll need to see how Maya is doing with Grandpa, because I won't be taking her back to the orphanage with me.

We are SO ready to come home....have I said that already?

She's mine!!!!

I cannot believe that I forgot to post on Wednesday that Maya legally became mine in the eyes of China on Wednesday afternoon, October 25th. It was a very simple day...go get photos (and hear her scream when the man taking the pictures tried to touch her)..and then wait for a bit until that afternoon when we walked a few blocks to a government office where they handed us a certificate that legally makes the adoption complete. It was very simple...no ceremony...none of us even really knew that was happening until we got to the office. (I mean...I would have at least put some makeup on!) Very odd...but very joyous, nonetheless. Here's a photo of Maya and I and then one of our group with the registration officials....

On Thursday morning...we had a much needed break. No meetings, forms to fill out, or places to be. And it's a good thing, because Maya has been running a bit of a fever. Even after 10 hours of sleep, she ended up taking a 2 hour nap in the morning and then sleeping for a bit on the bus-ride to Luoyang, which is where we landed yesterday afternoon. The pace here is much less hectic and we will have alot of down time to just play and explore the city a bit. We got to the hotel around 4:30pm ... had some dinner and then it was bedtime. I finally caught up on some sleep last night and hopefully Maya is feeling much better today. Here is a photo of our "walker" - she's getting there.....

Here is a series of "just missed the full smile photos"

And finally....the tongue and those gorgeous eyes! Everyone comments on her eyes...the hotel workers, particularly!

We are working on her walking....she does not seem able to go from sitting to standing on her own, and still wants to hold onto me with both hands while walking. Last night, though, she started walking "around" the bed while holding on to it. She did this spontaneously, which was a suprise to me....so far, she's been a pretty limp baby...she would just sit wherever I put her, and not really assist me with things like putting on her shirt or pants. Yesterday, she began to help out a bit more and is taking more initiative with moving around. I'll probably be chasing her down the hall in NO time!

Progress!!

Definite progress was made in the early hours of this morning - 4am, to be exact. I had decided at some point last night to bring Maya into my bed. We will be co-sleeping at home, so I thought we might just give it a try here. She fussed sometime around midnight or so...so I plopped her next to me in this enormous (but hard as a ROCK!) bed of mine and off we went to slumberland. Well...around 4am...my darling girl woke up (I guess I was already awake) and gave me the BIGGEST smile ever! She looked straight at me and just smiled! Oh..did my heart melt! We then had about a 20 minute play-fest of "Where's Maya" with her turning away from me and then back to me and threw in some tickling for good measure!

And that was it. We cuddled up together for a few moments..she put herself back to sleep..and I've been awake ever since!

Oh my goodness....nobody could have explained to me how AWESOME this is!

We'll be moving on to the city of Luoyang later today (2ish)....I will try to take more pictures today and will post later tonight after we're settled into our new hotel room.

Thank you all SO much for your comments..and your prayers..and good wishes. It is such a blessing to be able to share this with all of you...and frankly, the blogging has become addicitve and has kept me sane when I'm awake in the middle of the night!

And now, for a different kind of countdown....

We'll be home in just 10 days - China time! YAY!

The first 24+ hours...

Amazing! It's only been a little over 24 hours, and I feel like I've known Maya for a lifetime. Life really does change THAT quickly when a child enters your world. She is such a GOOD baby girl! She's still not warmed up to Grandpa, they had a little spat earlier when he very innocently tried to move her from sitting on the bed to sitting on the floor. She'll wave at him, but that's about it for now. We'll be working on that relationship over the next few days!

Here are some things I've learned:

She really likes to suck on her fingers - not just at nap/sleep time, but just about all the time - particularly when she is feeling insecure.

She likes to have a leg or two outside of the crib when she sleeps.

She CAN walk - she just prefers not to - we will also be working on this over the next few days - she can get quite heavy and I've not yet perfected the sling. Another family gave me a snugli that their daughter is too big for and Maya LOVED it - that is, after Tom (a Dad in the group) had to help me get her in there which involved MUCH screaming and then a follow up with fingers in the mouth.

She is very helpful - when I went to change her diaper, I had moved around the bed to get the wipes, and she already had the tabs undone.

She SMILES! You have to earn it - but when she deems you worthy, it's a very sweet smile and I think I even heard a giggle or two. (Sorry - not captured on film yet!) More smiles later in the day, also not captured because I was alone with her and did not want to lose the moment...we tried again with Grandpa in the room, but she's very uncertain of him right now. Just a matter of time, he hasn't lost his touch!!

She likes to eat - but she sometimes misses her mouth (remind you of anyone?). We left quite a few noodles on her lap and around her high chair at lunch today.

And....she is the most special girl in the world in her mamma's eyes. I was laying in bed this afternoon pretending to take a nap when a warm sensation flooded my heart just looking at her face.....that MUST be a mother's love!

Oh..and one more thing....she can suck down a bottle like NO ONE's business. Could be because the one I made last night did not make the cut and this would be her first one in 24 hours. But don't worry - she's been fed!

Another picture of the finger-sucking, eyelash stroking, eyeball poking princess (and no, I was not asleep!)

The development of the day would be Maya's clingy-ness to me. She is fine if others come close to her and try to engage her, but if they should want to hold her or pick her up - WATCH OUT! Not happy...at all....lots of ear-piercing screamin' going on! One of our guides explained that this happens very frequently...they start to get a little more comfortable with their main caregiver and will not allow for change of any sort. I believe this is a good step in the bonding/attachment process...but it's certainly not the whole journey. We have a long way to go...but we'll get there!

I'm sorry that I don't have any more pictures of the day.....it's hard to get pictures when I'm with her alone and Grandpa was giving us some space today. I promise to do better tomorrow!

Let sleeping babies sleep!

Well..if only one of us was going to sleep...I'm sure glad it was Maya! Here are some pictures from her first night as Maya HongLi Wobbe.

That can't be comfortable....

fingers in mouth...ready to sleep!

this one would be "Mom, please turn off the flash!!!"

She is sleeping with a bunny that I sent in the orphanage care package and the blanket that Aunt Stephanie knit for her. It's very soft...and just the right size!

I haven't slept much...but I did get a solid 4 hours early in the night...so far, I've raided the mini bar for overpriced pringles and kit-kats because last nights dinner was a bit too questionable looking for me, responded to e-mails, sent e-mails, checked websites, and watched Maya sleep! I sure hope we get to take a nap later!!

October 24, 2006 - ZhengZhou, Henan

It's Maya Day!!!!!!!

Before I dare to describe the day, here are some pictures...

This is Maya with her Nanny..she is quite content to look at us and wave.

She did not look like she was going to cry when they handed her to me, but I think she was just going with the crowd. It only lasted a minute or two..then just silence and looking around.

Here we are together...having a quiet moment away from the crowds...

We shared some Cheerios....

We filled out some paperwork and then came back to the room, where we played some, ate some, and then played some more...here she is expertly stacking her stacking cups!

It was a wonderful day! Maya is a very sweet baby. She has a bit of a cold...and is very quiet. No crying...just a little wimpering. I'm sure it's coming....so I'll take the quiet for now!

More to come....for now, I'm going to take some very good advice, which is to rest when Maya rests! Good night from Zhengzhou!

Thoughts from a soon to be first-time mommy!

Holy Cow!

That about sums it up.

I have been awake since 3am and I've got the under-eye bags to prove it! What an amazing day this is going to be. Scary as all get out for Maya, I'm sure....but she'll get used to me!

The impact of this day hit me very hard at 3am. My brain was flooded with the thoughts that I've been pushing aside since I've arrived here in China. What will today be like? Will Maya scream, cry, push me away? Will she come willing to me at first and THEN freak out later? Or will the day go quite smoothly? Will I be a good enough momma for her? Will we bond? What must she be thinking as they board a bus (probably for the first time) with the nannies and travel to places she's never seen? I then thought about her sleeping. Is she a peaceful sleeper? Does she have night-terrors? Will she smile for me? When? What about grieving? How hard will she grieve..and will I be able to comfort her?

Whew...now that all of that is out of my head, I might be able to sleep. Too bad! It's time to put the luggage out in the hall...pack up the laptop...head to breakfast...and then on the airport!

No matter what today brings (and it is going to bring to me my wonderful baby girl!) - I have peace in my heart that all will be good. That God led me down this path to be Maya's momma and I will do my very best for her.

Ok...now go get some kleenex.....dry up your eyes....and go about your day! Check back here later.....hopefully you'll see our first pics!

Love to all!
Michelle

October 23, 2006 - Beijing

Another fun filled day in Beijing! We started the day with a great breakfast in the hotel. They have a really nice "western" breakfast buffet. Fortified for the morning...our group set out for the day. First up was the Jade Factory. We learned how jade was made into beautiful ornaments, jewelry, home decorations and even "pillows." They looked more like placemats to me, but hey....when in Rome! It was a nice tour. We were instructed on the ways to tell real jade from fake jade..and then sent out to the warehouse/retail store to buy! I picked up a nice yellow jade pendant for myself and a green jade pendant with a chinese symbol for longetivy to give to Maya at some point in the future. Here is a picture of a jade family ball - it symbolizes the harmony of family life. This one has 4 balls - all carved inside of each other. Very cool!

Next up - The GREAT Wall of China. Wow! It is very beautiful..and quite big...and long...over 6,000 kilometers, I'm told. It is interesting to be there. Another adoptive mom-to-be and I were sitting on the steps (because we thought it was just good enough to BE there...we didn't have to be the hero that climbed to the top!) - and we just kept saying over and over in total awe...."We are sitting on the steps of the Great Wall of China - we are getting our babies tomorrow" It is truely the most surreal experience I have had. There is a large part of me that still thinks I'm just on a nice trip to China. The reality of tomorrow has either not set-in or I'm just the calmest person in the history of international adoption and feel like I'm SO ready for this that there's no need to be nervous/anxious/panicky. We'll find out tomorrow morning, I suppose! You all can take a poll in the comments section if you wish. Is Michelle in denial or just ready to be a mommy? Million dollar question!

So...here are a few pictures of The Great Wall of China. The first is Dad and I before the "climb" - check out the steepness of that hill!

Here we are, Mary-Mia and I, cheering on those brave souls who decided to forge ahead. We were "saving" our energy for tomorrow! Can't be all sore and cranky when we meet our babies, now can we?

After the Great Wall, we went to lunch at a Cloisenee factory. We learned how cloisenee merchandise was made and I bought the absolutely most adorable musical cloisenee ladybug for Maya. To think that I was worried about the shopping here in China! I've learned two very important words. Xie-xie (Thank you!) and bu-yo (No!). These are helpful terms...particularly when the street vendors keep following you! Lunch was nice. It was served family style just like yesterday. They have the coolest tables. They are round, with a big lazy susan in the middle. They just put family sized dishes on the lazy susan and everyone helps themselves to what they want. It's a very nice way to dine. I'm thinking Thanksgiving dinner could be alot easier with one of these tables...no more "could you pass the..." twelve thousand times per meal. Very fun!

This picture shows two young girls doing the detailed painting of the cloisenee....looks a bit intense!

After lunch we went to the Ming tombs It was very peaceful. We were told all about the significance of these tombs, but I was daydreaming...sorry!

Here's a picture of Dad and I in front of one of the huge stone sculptures at the Ming Tombs. These were built to protect the tombs.

Now we are back at the hotel and taking a break to relax. We'll have dinner in a little bit - then one more sleep until Maya Day! Pinch me...I must be dreaming!

Oh..one last thing....GO CARDINALS!

Some thoughts...so far (10/23)

I really wish that I had studied some Mandarin - I would love to know what they are saying as they stare at these "strange" people!

I am traveling with a GREAT group of people. We are very diverse...living from Florida to Alaska to New York and California. 3 single women....many couples....all adopting babies in range from 17 months to 4.5 years old. What a site WE will be in the Henan provice, where I suspect international adoption is not as prevalent as it is in some of the other provinces.

I LOVE the World Wide Web and the invention of the laptop. I am sitting at a desk....in a hotel in China....listening to 80's rock on Yahoo! music...keeping touch with our many fans back home :)

I will be meeting my daughter TOMORROW! Just over 24 hours before I finally get to hold Maya. I can hardly contain myself! As much as I am interested in learning about the many sites we've seen...all I really want to do is get to Henan and hold Maya for the first time. It's hard to concentrate...and if you all want information on these sites I've seen you'll just have to google it, because my brain is SO not here!

It's true what they say about the smells...China smells very different than our country. As funny as it might sound....you walk through the neighborhoods of Hutong Alley and it smells like our Chinese restaurants....very comforting for this fan of American Chinese food! But then...there are also distinct "sewer" smells in some places. Kind of like what River Des Peres sometimes smells like. Peeeyeeewww!

I haven't seen the moon yet to check it out. I've been wondering if it might look different on this side of the earth. I'll check that out soon!

Squatty Potties. Um...I'm not really sure what to say about this except....YUCK! As many squats, lunges, and other torturous leg exercises that I was put through at the YMCA, I was still not ready for the squatty potty! Oh...and they don't believe in tp over here. It's a BYOTP society around this joint. It's a good thing that I learned of this before leaving home...I am prepared with my own personal rolls of travel tp! :)

Did I mention that I get Maya tomorrow? OMG! For real! Like totally awesome! Oh..sorry...80's rock got into my head!

Thanks for all the comments...you guys are the best...and it is SO great to see them when I wake up in the mornings! I wish ALL of you were here!!! Love - Michelle

October 22, 2006 - Beijing

We made it! The flight was looooooooonnnnngggggg and not so much fun...but we made it!

After settling in to the hotel room last night, we met up with some blogger friends, Mary-Mia & Rod and Tricia & Jonathan. It was so fabulous to finally meet these ladies in person. Although we are all heading to different provinces on Tuesday morning, we will meet back up on 10/31 for the last leg of our trip. I cannot wait to meet their lovely babies!

Today we spent touring parts of Beijing. We went to Tiananmen Square - which was HUGE!
We saw the famous picture of Chairman Mao, which has been freshly painted for the National Holiday. There were some great decorations up from the holiday and four cute Olympic mascots called the "friendlies".

We then went on to The Forbidden Palace, which was also HUGE! It is made up of 9999.5 rooms. We didn't see quite that many! There are these animals on the rooftops that are interesting. The number of animals on the rooftop indicates the social status of the owner of that building. Oh...and check out the super blue skies! Apparently that does not happen often enough around here. It was a beautiful day!

We then went on to have an authentic Chinese lunch. It was fabulous! Nothing unidentifiable - all very tasty! Of course, we might have eaten anything after 3.5 hours of our walking tour!Even though they brought out forks, Dad and I both held our own with the chopsticks! The picture below shows some of our group!

Next up was a tour of Hutang Alley on a rickshaw! That was nice...we were invited into the home of a retired woman. She talked to us about her life in China and invited questions. She was very warm and thrilled to have us in her home.

We then went to a really cool acrobat show. The things these young boys and girls could do were amazing! The picture below shows this guy jumping through a hoop that is probably 5-6 feet off of the ground - really cool!

We've had a super long day..and although it's only 8:45pm here, I'm going to go crash. We will be up again early tomorrow morning for another day of touring..and THEN.....it will be Maya day! Can you even believe it????