Beijing and Genny

Beijing, Jan. 21 10:40am

I'm finally on a computer today after a bit of a break...in Nanning it was in the hotel room so I could access whenever...but in Beijing I have to come down to the business center and use their machine.

This morning Debbie took the Old Town tour with the rest of our group and I'm doing some down time and banking with Genny. She has a mouthful of teeth and at the moment is teething up a storm. Another day on a bus with a cranky puss was not my desire this morning. So we hit the fresh air, gave her a dose of tylenol and teething gel for her gums and she was asleep before we hit the first set of lights.

Now I'm taking the opportunity to do a bit of blogging...

So what is Genny like?

Her reports from the orphanage said extrovert, naughty and curious. I can attest to the the last two, but the first is a bit suspect. She is quiet and watchful, much like Madeleine was and is. Marilyn also says Genny reminds her of Madeleine, so it's not just me that sees the introvert in her. But she has a mischievous personality...clearing the hotel room tables and suitcases of everything that isn't tied down...all the while with a grin on her face and twinkle in her eyes. Keeping her out of the bathroom and garbage pails is proving a challenge.

We had our medical Saturday morning here and the doctor says she is on track developmentally (thanks to a charity Half the Sky that was working in her orphanage, providing training and support to the nannies and bringing grannies in to play with the children) but is mildly malnourished. She is under the zero percentile in weight, and in the 50 percentile for height. So we need to get her eating a bit more. She has no butt to speak of and everything (except what my friend Peggy, mom to another Guangxi gal) leant me is dangling around her knees.

She loves congee, kind of a rice porridge that we have at every meal, and peaches, banana and noodles and dumplings. I've started her on the North American formula without much trouble with some prunes to keep the constipation at bay.

She is walking around like a drunken sailor, but loves to watch people and scenery pass by on the bus. She's a good sleeper and once I figured out she was missing a midnight bottle, has slept through the night once that is provided. She goes down around 8pm snuggled on my chest like a little cuddle bunny. Then after a few minutes I can transfer her to the crib. The crib in Nanning was too small, but here it's big enough for her to move around which she does traveling up and down the sides in her sleep.

Yesterday we climbed the Great Wall. Debbie did more than me. Visited a Jade factory too and lunched at a Friendship Store. Tomorrow is the Forbidden City and a banquet of Beijing Duck!

I'm counting the days to Thursday and our departure.
Love,
Michelle