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Travel Date: 1/16/2009
Subject: Things I Am Thankful For List

What we did today:
1. Christopher is here. There was a time when he wasn’t certain if he would be able to or if we could afford for him to travel with me to China. I’m so glad he is here! He handles money things so I don’t have to worry about them. He is another pair of arms to wrestle, catch, carry, and snuggle our precious girl. He has managed camera, people, and paperwork at times so I could focus on our girl. If he wasn’t here, I’m afraid I would never have eaten, slept, or showered.

2. Hui Dong sleeps soundly through the night! There are some Danish families staying at out hotel that are also here to adopt their children…babies. We often see some of the families at breakfast with dark, sleepy circles under their eyes. Though we toss and turn and wake at odd times, at least we can sleep well.

3. Hui Dong goes to bed easily. She never fusses or cries. She just simply goes to sleep. Okay, she has asked for water several times and lovingly found her way out of bed for one more snuggle. But she is not grieving at bedtime nor does she struggle with sleep.

4. Hui Dong loves bath time. She has never been afraid of the water and loves the bubbles (Thanks for the suggestion, Sharla). She doesn’t mind having her hair washed and can do it by herself (but Mama is using this as bonding time). Water in her eyes doesn’t even bother her, but she does like for Mama or Baba to wipe them dry for her so she can keep playing.

5. Hui Dong has received great personal hygiene training. She washes her hands and brushes her teeth better than our other four kids. She soaps and scrubs both sides of each hand and thoroughly rinses them. She brushes all her teeth and has really enjoyed the electric Dora toothbrush we brought. I think she has started brushing her front teeth even better just so she can watch herself in the mirror.

6. Christopher and I have remained healthy so far. Though we miss fresh fruits and vegetables and long for a salad, we are trying to avoid things that might give us digestive problems. All three of us seem to have the sniffles right now, but we think it is just the city’s pollution (all that haze in the sky is not just fog).

7. We planned and prepared for the worst (while we hoped and prayed for the best), but have had such a blessed time with our new daughter. Though we are having some expected struggles, overall Hui Dong has easily accepted us as her family. On the day we met her, she never cried. She has rejected her Baba a little, but also has easily accepted him back. Right now they are playing with Play-doh together. She even seems excited about her brothers, sister, and even the dogs.

8. She is incredibly SMART and has very good vision. In Hui Dong’s original referral information, she was said to have a mild developmental delay. However, even in the updated information we received about her in September, it noted that she was doing very well in school. She is so bright! She can write Chinese characters, her numbers, and even some English letters (she must have learned to write Pinyin). She knows exactly what elevator buttons to push for breakfast, the lobby and our room. She’s a little parrot and is already leaning some English words. We knew on the first day that she could see very well. She writes and draws very well for her age. She also was able to track and catch the bubbles. So much fun passing bubbles back and forth.

9. We have had wonderful guides in China. They truly take care of everything we need and are at our beck and call. We try not to over use their services and like to adventure out on our own at times, but they are so great.

Photos... (click image to enlarge)