Sunday

(I started this yesterday and lost battery before posting. This is going to be a bit long.)

Everyday we see our Hannah Ruth becoming more and more integrated into our family. She is such a sweetie pie! I think we have such a cute baby and she is also such a good baby. Saturday afternoon, Rick was in a meeting filling out paperwork. The boys, Hannah Ruth, and I walked around for awhile and then came back to our apartment. I needed to do some laundry. (We are one of the lucky ones who have a washer and dryer in our apartment.) Hannah Ruth was completely content playing on the floor with the boys while I did laundry. She even let them pick her up and bring her to me, if she needed me (like for a diaper change.) I think all of us being in one apartment has helped her to warm up to the boys. She is playing with all the toys we brought including the stuffed bassett hound we are calling Sparky.

Yesterday we ate breakfast and have confirmed Hannah Ruth's favorite food: yogurt. She ate rice cereal mixed with apple sauce for supper last night. (She slept through our Japanese dinner.) After that she had yogurt with rice cereal. She ended up eating the whole cup of yogurt. She is developing quite a Buddha belly! Then at breakfast she ate another cup of yogurt and I couldn't spoon it in fast enough! Yesterday morning we realized that our efforts to loosen her stools had been very successful. She pooped in her diaper and it was very loose. For lunch we gave her baby bananas that I had brought from home. (Thanks Sarah.) She has now had two messy diapers, so she will use them if absolutely necessary.

Yesterday morning our whole group went to the Guandong Folk Art Museum (formerly known as the Qin (pronounced Chin) Clan Temple.) There were incredible artists there. We purchased a couple of paintings that were done completely with the artist's hand - no brush. The most amazing art was embroidery that looked exactly like photographs. It was absolutely beautiful, but too expensive for our budget. Ryan disappeared while we were at the museum. I saw him walk off with a Chinese teen age boy and I was a little concerned. Rick, Richmond and I followed at a distance and found him sitting at a table surrounded by no less than 15 Chinese teenage girls and this one boy who was acting as interpreter. The girls were taking turns having their pictures made with Ryan and simply talking and laughing with him. Richmond videotaped it so we have proof. We finally had to tell him it was time to go. He makes friends everywhere he goes. (Right now he and Richmond have gone across the street to a big park with some other families.)

After the Folk Art Museum, we went to a Chinese tea house. As many of you know, I am a sucker for tea. I bought a Chinese clay tea pot and some tea. Richmond and I decided that we really prefer Indian tea more than Chinese tea. Right now, in Starbucks, I am drinking English Breakfast and I admit it tastes pretty good.

We came back to our apartment after the tea house and the three boys went to McDonalds while I fed Hannah Ruth a big lunch of rice cereal and baby bananas and the all important bottle. She went down for a nap and slept for 2+ hours. Rick tried to check his email and Richmond tried to check his fantasy football, so by the time it was my turn, the battery was gone. I miss not having internet in the room, but it is nearly free here. I just buy a cup or glass of tea. The boys tried out the hotel pool. They said it was cold.

After naptime we took a cab ride to Shamian Island, home of the famous White Swan hotel. We walked around. We bought some squeaky shoes and ate supper at Lucy's. We will go back this afternoon with the group and finish our shopping. Hannah Ruth was getting tired so we were using the time to scope out our purchases. Shamian Island is where the prices are cheap. Lucy's has all kinds of food, including American and was a nice change of pace. We survived the taxi ride. If I lived here, I would not drive. I do not like driving in the states - it is crazy here!

Hannah Ruth slept last night from 9:00 until 7:00 this morning. We went to breakfast and now she is having her morning nap. We had to stay in the room while our guides took our paperwork to the U.S. consulate in case there were any problems. This afternoon back to Shamian Island. Tomorrow we pick up Hannah Ruth's US Visa and then we return on Wednesday. The trip has been long, but now that we are nearing the end, it seems to have flown by.

Well, let me post while I have battery! Keep praying for our flights Wednesday. Hannah Ruth loves to move and being confined for that entire time is going to be difficult for her. We love you all!