Tomorrow Jianada!

Hi all!

Another couple crazy days have gone by, this seems to be the normal now! After my last post we had 2 really rough days with HannahJuan (We are slowing introducing her Canadian name, so sometimes call her HannahJuan, but mostly we use her child nickname that was used at the orphanage and with her foster family which is JuanJuan).

We think that the reality of what is happening finally started to sink in for her. She has become very definant and basically refused to leave the hotel room for 2 days. We felt that all the trapzing around for hours on end sightseeing and shopping that was planned was not a good idea for her. What she really needs is stability and a SCHEDULE. She still has afternoon naps, which she wasn't getting with the sightseeing too. Just having those has dramatically helped her. So one day just Josh and Dad went to visit the Summer Palace and the next day we all stayed basically in the hotel room all day with her, playing together and just hanging out. That night she still refused to leave the room even though Yulin (our Agency's director) came to talk to her in Mandarin about going to see the Beijing Acrobacts show. She actually agreed that it was ok for me to leave with Josh and she stayed with Dad! (a BIG breakthrough as until then she basically refused to leave my side most of the time). So Josh and I saw the show which was fabulous!

She has not had so many greiving sessions as before, however she has now become very definant to anything we ask her to do... doesn't matter what. For example, I asked her to wash her hands after going to the washroom at the hotel restaurant (a task she has always gladly done) and she had a complete meltdown which lasted 15 mins. Luckily a very nice hotel cleaning lady and a bilingual guest helped me to calm her down. She needed to wash her hands before we could go eat since she had used the toilet. Tonight Daddy told her 'no' when she tried to grab our camera from him. She knows she has her own camera and that this camera is not for her or Josh. We have meltdowns when we ask her to wash her face, brush her teeth, get dressed or ask her if she wants to eat.... basically anything. We believe that she is trying to exert some of her control over the situation she is in at the moment, which is basically a very chaotic time with people who are still basically strangers (us).

In the last 2 days too she has refused to wear any of the clothes we've brought or bought and wants to wear her orphanage clothes. This is fine as it makes her feel better and comforted. Sweet pea. Tonight she did agree and was excited to wear a top we bought in Nanning that she'd worn before when we went to the "Good Bye Party" for all the families.

All that being said, she is generally a very happy, funny and silly girl! We love her to bits!!!!!!!! I can't imagine life without her! Every day she amazes us!! Yesterday Robin wrote some simple math equations out for her (1+1= 8+1= etc) amd she gleefully answered them all! Tonight before bed she was making the funniest faces and we were all killing ourselves laughing! Then her and Josh were trading funny faces. It was so nice to see! Josh is becoming a good big brother and has started to try and give her hugs (which she pushes all away... its too early for any of our hugs yet for her but it is important we still try. It is very hard to want to hug your child with all your heart and they are stiff as boards, arching away from you.. but for adoption, especially at this age, it is very normal and could take 6-12 months to come).

Her and Dad have had lots of good playing time together. Today Daddy was giving her "FeiJi" rides (airplane rides) which she just LOVED! It allowed them to cuddle and giggle together. She calls for DIDIA! very loudly and quite often now too... to show him her funny face or to play HIDE! But I am still the only one whose hand she will hold when out, and who's lap she will sometimes sit in.

Tomorrow our flight is at 7:00pm, but our bus is taking us to the airport at 2:00pm... blech. Robin is going to the Silk Market for some shopping in the morning as we've missed all the shopping trips so far.... the last time we tried with JuanJuan she kept running off and grabbing things from the stalls and then screaming her head off, hitting and refusing to leave. It was just too much stimulation for her.

oh - we were able to visit Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City this morning though. That was very interesting!

OK I gotta go. They hotel is extremely expensive with the computer time.. my last update was 144yuan ($28.80 for about an hour!).

I will update again when we get home... and I promise pictures... promise!