One year ago today - October 17, 2007

One year ago today we visited beautiful East Lake in Wuhan. While we were there we saw adults doing morning exercises, 1,000* primary school children attending an outing to the park and its amusement park due to their good behavior, were asked by some very curious mothers as to where we got the very comfortable looking baby carrier, saw a huge koi pond and the spenders of the area.

While walking through the park our guide, Grant, learned that we were very interested in plants, which called for a trip to the Wuhan Botanical Garden. These gardens housed the largest aquatic plant research area in Asia** which was working on finding plants to help clean up their water systems. So cool! Along with the aquatic plants they had desert plants in a conservatory, large ponds with gigantic lilypads, many walking paths and beauty all around.

Again there was a very large group of primary school children who were facinated with CiBaby. However, when they got too close she began to cry. We were like celebrities there, and were asked by some people if they could have their picture taken with us. What a riot.

After walking around for hours we found ourselves starving. We caught the bus (very cool) back to town and found a wonderful restaurant for lunch. Of course, CiBaby not knowing her manners decided that putting her feet up on the table was a really good idea!

I also believe this was the day that our sweet baby began NOT sleeping through the night. We got cocky and told people she slept great, which she did for the first 2 nights...must have been due to stress. It wouldn't be a good couple of months until she slept through the night once again...and that was only once!

Two years ago today our adoption Dossier was logged into the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) system!

Today we had a very busy day. We met up with friends at the library in the morning and then we attended our second prospective adoptive parents panel that afternoon. We met a very nice couple that was planning on going with the China program as well.

After the panel we raced home, got changed, gathered our things and raced off for a photo shoot. I had decided that due to CiBaby's shyness around strangers that we wouldn't be able to capture the real CiBaby, so we rented a photo studio to take our own pictures. T-Daddy, G-Mama and I wrangled and herded the wild CiBaby during the photo session while Bopa took the pictures. Here are a couple that I got with my camera before craziness completely ensued.

After a very exhausting photo session (by the end CiBaby was rolling on the floor) we headed out for some dinner that included a lot of dip! And cocktails for CzaMama.

*Had all the children from that school been there it would have been about 3,000 young children in the park!

**If I'm remembering my facts correctly.