Catching up today...

(Guest Blogger) Below is the contents of a recent email.  They aren't able to access the blog, so I'm posting from their email, complete with PICTURES! 
---------------------------------

(From Sandra)  Hi - we've figured out that internet works in my room in the a.m., but not the evening, it's about 5am here and I'm going to try to send photos because I can't access blogger.  Hopefully will be able to when we get to Guangzhou on Fri evening.

This is a very quick synopsis...
Sun evening - Plane landed in Nanchang, as our bus was taking us to the hotel they said the babies were nearby, then at the hotel "they were here," so they told us to grab our luggage, and meet downstairs "quickly."  She came to us wide-eyed. Her nights are the hardest for all of us. 

Mon a.m. - We went to Civil Affairs Office and Notary, both places she was the ham of the group and nicknamed "party girl." The driving here is crazy, to watch is better than any movie!  When we all had to the cross a street, we were like ducks rushing behind the leader.  Yun-Yun giggled and loved it.  (GB note:  Yun-Yun is her familiar Chinese nickname.)  She giggled alot.  Almost all the babies took a nap at the Civil Affairs Office since we were there awhile.  Not this girl, she finally broke out of that orphanage and was going to let people know!

How odd it was to celebrate the official completion of the adoption with a trip to WalMart.  Yes, she loved that too.  Then she got overtired and as we arrived back to the hotel on Mon afternoon, the grieving set in and we were in for a very long day and evening.  She could only be consoled by walking her, and walking and walking some more.  (We are going to have some serious biceps as this baby girl is chunky!)  Once we could no longer feel our arms because of the numbness from holding her, we finally devised a chair with pillows to take turns rocking her.  Karen dubbed the chair as the cockpit, and now it is known as mission control.  Grandma says if feels like sitting on a throne.  :)  Especially when holding her. 

Tues a.m. - We went on an outing to a park and porcelain store, and Yun-Yun was so much more reserved than before.  After a long nap, we met our travel partners Roberta and John with their precious Audrey for dinner.  Turns out Yun-Yun loves table food.  Ok, I am such a rookie parent to not realize that!  Her personality came out again as we sat down for a buffet.  She skipped the baby stuff of steamed egg and congee and went for a roll, potatoes, rice, and especially watermelon.  She let us know how happy she was by dancing her way through dinner.  Of course this was while standing in our laps because the high chair is useless in her mind.  Why sit when you can be held with a bit of a cry?  (Uhm, if we let her sit longer than 15 seconds the cry turns to a scream which stops immediately when you start to pick her up.  It's amazing how she can turn it off and on so quickly.) 

We had another major breakthrough after dinner by actually getting her to sit in the stroller.  It was quite a production and we had to be quite animated for it but for that moment it worked and we spent quite awhile pushing her around the hotel.

Last night was another production in getting her to try the crib, but she slept from 10pm till 4:30am in the crib, woke for a diaper change and bottle and is going back to sleep as I write (being rocked, no more crib for now!). 

Also, the one pacifier I brought is turning out to be a lifesaver.  It was a last minute addition to our packing, and a wonderful thing to have!  Speaking of which, the first night , she did a lot of self soothing and banging in the crib so from that moment on we've been holding her to let her know she doesn't need to do that any more.

Our travel group is wonderful and these are the most precious babies.  They are all gorgeous and sweet.  The other parents are so wonderful to be around.  It's only been one week into this journey.  China is an incredible experience and later I will transfer some of my hand journaling to the blogger to catch up on the experiences.  Meanwhile, love to you all!

Ok, here's the pictures because that's what you really want anyway.  And, uhm, yes, she does enjoy her picture taken!

Sandra