Zen and now

Makena and the rest of the babies were all blessed by Budhist monks, yesterday. We were taken to a beautiful 600 year old temple somewhere in the middle of Guangzhou and spent about an hour there melting in the heat. We were ushered into a pavillion and all knelt before a large copper budha. It was rather awesome and the monks said a prayer and we all bowed three times. Then another monk walked around the room splashing the babies with holy water and then we bowed three times more and that was it. The prayer was to protect our daughters and wish them health, happiness and prosperity.

I went alone with Makena today to her medical health check up, which is required by the US embassy in order to process her citizenship application. I found out that she is about a half pound heavier than she was 3 months ago and two inches longer. She weighs about 16 pounds (which is about 2 pounds heavier than last week) and stands 27 inches tall. I think that puts her in the 5th to 10th percentile, maybe more. All I know is that I have her in 3-6 month clothes and they fit her loosely.
But what she lacks for in size, she makes up for in personality. This little bundle of joy is a very determined person. She sets goals in her sights and rarely gives up, or cries in frustration, until she reaches them.

Makena loves to video chat with our friends who are house-sitting for us. We've made them put our dog on camera a) to prove that he is still alive and b) to get her used to him. If she sees him enough she may not be terrified by him when she finally meets him in person. I'm also trying to get them to put our tortoise on camera but he weighs close to forty pounds and I don't want to have them risk dropping it. I may make them take a picture of it next to the day's newspaper. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Makena is definitely feeling more comfortable expressing her likes and dislikes and she saves her best smiles and giggles for Jack and her dad. She is fearless and loves to be thrown and caught. We are working on 2.5 revolution and back flip. I give her a 5.9 for agility and a 5.7 for artistic impression. We haven't decided whether to apply that to diving or gymnastics. We'll have to take her lead on that...

She has started to smile freely with us but is still guarded around strangers. She really studies people and things, seriously. She is almost ready to crawl and she watches you like a hawk when you eat. I prepared a little too well to be "unprepared" and I realize that the house is not baby-proofed. So we'll be doing that the second we return.

I'm posting a couple of pictures of adoption veterans. People who have gone back for a second child. Pictured below left is, Alissa, the oldest girl in our group to be adopted. She is posing with her dad and big sister, Aimee. She is almost 3. The last picture is of Olivia, one of the Chongqing Spice Girls, being held by her mom.



I can't believe we have five more nights here. I've hardly shopped but I did splurge today and I purchased a $25 stroller. It's an eye-popping yellow and should give the Bugaboo pushers a run for their money.

That's all I have for now. I'm sick and tired and I need a foot massage.


Isabelle