Day 5- Taxi! Taxi! (or "Our online therapy session")(LONG post)

Day 5 – Taxi! Taxi! (or "Our online therapy session")
Doug here -
<- this is the photo I referred to yesterday Before I write about our latest adventures in the land of Mao, we have found over the course of the last couple days that we can post to this blogspot, but not view it or your comments. It might be easier (especially if you want us to know something important, or that you’re praying for us, or advice about where to eat, shop, play in Guangzhou) just to email us at our home address

Ok, on with the latest….But first, let me go back to last night… Dinner was amazing, Starbucks – too cool. We tried to take a picture of their "Christmas" blend of coffee poster, all in Mandarin, but we were informed ‘sir, sir, no picture, sir’ – so I told him I’d delete it from my camera (which I did, Mom), but we did keep this one:

When we got back to the room, we found a dozen roses and about 8 carnations wrapped and waiting. At first I thought it was from the hotel because we are adopting. I opened the card, to find it was for my birthday. Very cool. When we asked our Chinese guide, "Sandra", about it she told us, "the hotel knows all your background when you check in". Cue the George Orwell references – but cool nonetheless

Today was a "lazy" day – no planned appointments. The morning was pretty difficult for Maylie and us – she was just all out of sorts and we’re sorta new again at the whole baby stage of parenting. She was pretty fussy and screamy / crying. Janea, we’re right there with you! Everybody, please keep sending up prayers!!

After her bottle and nap, we took a taxi to Shamian Island, where the White Swan hotel is. This part of Guangzhou was called the "shopping paradise" to us by Sandra. Maylie is truly an American girl now as Rachel has introduced her to the fine art of shopping. Bargaining is both accepted and expected in these shops and I found that I’m actually beginning to like it - though I doubt Best Buy will give me a 2/3rds discount if I tell them, "well, I’ll think about it"!
We ate at a place that caters to American families adopting, so Rach got a quesadilla and I opted for fettuccini - comfort food for the American soul! Maylie was so lively and FUNNY! Laughing, smiling, making ‘raspberries’(thbbbbt). We really felt like we were getting to see her personality; that she was coming out of her shell.
Tomorrow we go as a group to tour Guangzhou and then we’re contemplating going to the Hard Rock Café for dinner.

Maylie is screaming again – and boy does she know how to work it. If this little girl is mad, you get an earful. Ai yi yi! She literally goes from giggle to full on mad-as-blazes scream in 2 seconds. No crying, just screaming, complete with BIG crocodile tears. If I could record her, I’d send you an audio link so you share our… uh… joy. We love her to pieces, and ask that you please continue to pray for us all.

This is Rachel now. Wow…. Many, many differenent emotions. Maylie is beautiful and sweet and snuggley. She is fairly quiet- not much babbling, and she has a sweet little giggle but when she’s angry/needs something she has the shrillest, most ear piercing scream. You’ll never believe it when you meet her (unless she’s screaming!) She and cousin Rowan can have contests at Christmas! Although she is ten months, she reminds me more of a seven month old which, I’ve heard, is normal of instituionalized children. She sits and army crawls but is kind of floopy. Her personality is slowly emerging but it’s hard to know what is really "her" and what is due to the huge transition she’s undergoing. She does seem to be interacting with us more, smiling etc. which is rewarding but SCREAMS if I take two steps away from her. We are falling in love with her but have also been hit with the reality of the situation. It’s one thing to read and hear about adoption stories and bonding and the huge transition for all… another thing to be in it. God has blessed us with a beautiful girl and we know he will continue to give us wisdom and PATIENCE. I am very thankful that she has slept in her crib (and not with us) for all of her naps and nights
I feel we haven’t written much about China. It’s seems so different at times from home. The people have been warm for the most part and kind of aggressive and curious about Maylie. Yesterday in an elevator, two business men pointed to her and tried to ask us (we assume) why we had her. I flipped through my English/Chinese cards a friend had made for me to try to find the one that says, "She’s our adopted daughter". After reading it they gave us the thumbs up sign. They often ask what her name is and when we tell them they ask "what’s her American name?" We explain that Maylie is her American name and the story of how we chose it and they approve. They hotel is beautiful. Five star, great breakfast buffet, beautiful garden, huge suite type room. The food in southern China (where we are now) is much closer to American Chinese food (Cantonese), very unlike northern Chinese. We will try to post pictures of the area soon.
Okay, Doug, the great Papa that he is, mananged to get Maylie down after much screaming (mostly by Maylie- ha, ha) and I’ll end my theraputic rambling. Oh, the sweetness of a sleeping baby.
Zaijian, (goodbye)
Rachel