Learning

Abby is learning a lot, especially about her new family. Today we did a little shopping at the stores surrounding the hotel. She saw the doll above and got all excited, pointing and calling me "Mama, Mama". When I looked up she said "Cy-Cy"!!!!!!!!!!! (that's her baby brother). And you know what, that scary little doll actually DOES look like Cy. James and I couldn't stop laughing. Tonight we were eating some french fries, and she found a tiny little one and showed it to me, cracking up. I told her "Cy-Cy", and she thought that was the funniest thing. Every little french fry she found in her basket from then on she called "Cy-Cy". Then she started calling the bigger ones "Jacob" and "Lanie".

And let me tell you about why we were eating french fries. After eating a good sized brunch this morning at our hotel, and then indulging in Starbucks frappucinos later this afternoon, James and I were really not all that hungry for dinner. We decided we'd just have some snacks in the room, and we have a ton of noodles for Abby and we thought that'd be plenty. Well, we came up to our room and she had a few snacks (crackers, cereal bars). She then asked me for a pack of noodles. I made those for her and she ate the entire thing. Immediately after getting done she comes to me and starts chattering away in Cantonese. She was really trying to get something across, and she finally points downstairs and motions with her hand as if she's eating. I said "Oh, you want to down to eat???" She says "yes, yes". So James and I figured if she was still hungry we could all go down and get some fries or something. She then takes me to the closet and points at the traditional Chinese outfit I bought her today, which I bought for her to wear to the red couch photo all of the families in our travel group will be taking together before we leave (and maybe to daddy's promotion when we get back home). When I told her she couldn't wear it, she was not pleased. She hasn't thrown a fit or anything yet, but she has pouted a few times today when I told her "no". Well, we found another pretty dress for her to wear and she was happy. We all head downstairs, and to get outside to Lucy's (a restaurant down the street that serves American food) we have to walk past the Coffee Shop, where the breakfast buffet is served. Well, apparently little miss thought we were headed there, as she started pouting again when we walked right past it. She did cheer up when I whispered "french fries" to her, though.

Oh - another sign of progress and her desire to communicate: Tonight she found this headband I had brought and not given her yet. She asked me to open it and I put it on her. A few minutes later she took it off and went to put it in her drawer, and as she put it away, she motioned as if putting it back on and said "Good Morning" - telling me she would put it on in the morning!!!!
I'm telling you, she's a smart one, and she will get her point across!!

As far as adoption business, we had the medical exam today and all went well. She was supposed to get five shots, but we also had to go down somewhere else to do some more paperwork and the clinic was kind of crowded. Since she had to go back anyways in a couple of days to get her TB test read, Wenxi decided we should postpone the shots until Friday when she gets that done.

Tomorrow, we will attempt to dodge the rain and hit the zoo. It is a paperwork free day!!!!