3 / 17 / 2004
We'll things are getting better with Ruby! She only got us up three times last night so at least I (Dan) got a little more sleep. Julie got some but Ruby was still in her bed with her. We started antibiotics for a suspected ear infection and it seems to be helping some. She is still grabbing her ears a little and is a little rashy in spots.
In the morning, I decided to take Ruby for a stroll so Julie could shower and get breakfast in peace. I had planned to walk down around the lake and maybe explore some side streets. When I was approaching the corner of the lake near the hotel I heard loud music and could see a lot of people. We went to investigate. There were hundreds of people, mostly older folks, out dancing, practicing Tai Chi and other forms of exercise. It was wonderful to see. It's too bad we don't have things like that in the states or at least I don't see them. Not only were people getting their exercise there was a sense of community to it as well. Of course Ruby and I were a big curiosity , especially with the older generations. They wanted to come over and check her out. I had a blanket around her so I didn't get scolded about her being too cold. On the contrary, it was humid out and we were both drenched with sweat after an hour. I'm glad we aren't here in the summer.
The rest of our travel group went on a trip today to their daughters orphanage in JinJiang which is about 3 hours south of Fuzhou. It sounds like they had a very interesting and emotional day. There was one couple who got pregnant before getting their referral so they didn't continue their adoption. They did donate a large amount to the orphanage so the JinJiang group was able to donate 3 washing machines,2 TVs , a DVD player and a generator. It's a much larger orphanage than Guangze, there are about 100 kids there. Since our group was gone for the day we took it easy hanging out with Ruby. She seemed to come out of her shell yesterday, especially last night. During the day she would play more just sitting on Julie's lap. This was a big step for us. She would cry before if you sat down with her. It was fun to see her just sitting with her Mama and play with stacking cups or books. After a late morning nap the three of us went out to run errands. I wanted to drop off more film to be developed and we needed more grocery supplies. The water here is not considered potable so all your drinking water is bottled. We go thru a lot of bottled water! We also needed more baby formula and some snacks. It was muggy out so we didn't go too far. That afternoon Ruby had another nap with Julie while I worked on updates to the website.
Dinner was just the three of us instead of the big group dinners we've been having. Ruby got a better high chair and seemed to tolerate it a lot better. Another minor victory!!!! After dinner she decided to unleash her full-on cuteness and fun abilities! We had a 3-4 hr play session that we finally had to bring to a halt as we were too tired to continue. She can't walk on her own but she loves for us to hold her hands so she can walk around the room exploring every little nook and cranny. She was working hard to touch everything in reach and just out of reach. We had to unplug the phone so she wouldn't keep dialing room service. It was very fun to see her open up and start to feel better. The antibiotics seem to be working. We are pretty sure she is teething as well and are trying to help with that. The first crib they brought us had metal bars on the side with no bumper. Ruby moves around a bit so we didn't put her in it. Tonight we exchanged it for one with mesh sides and it's not as deep. Julie had no problem getting her in it.
We are so happy and blessed to call this little one our daughter! Each day will be a new adventure.
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| Above: Ruby being spotted on her first bouldering problem.
She really wanted to get to the shelf with the cookies.
Above right: I was blowing in empty bottles to make the "foghorn" sound. Ruby wasn't quite as successful but it sure was funny. Right: this is how are laundry comes back to us. It's a little expensive but so convenient. |
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