Suixi Sisters

In July, Jenny and I had the rare and wonderful opportunity to meet Rhonda and her daughter Alexa, who was adopted from the same Social Welfare Institute (SWI) as Jenny, only a year earlier.

Rhonda and Alexa live in Iowa, but have family in town, so Rhonda and her sister very kindly hosted us for a morning playdate. It was our first since coming home.

Jenny is still young enough that play is "parallel"--the kids play next to each other, but not with each other. Still, being with an older kid was a great benefit to Jenny. Watching Alexa eat a mini-muffin finally convinced Jenny to take her first bite of one (then another, and another...). WOW!

Alexa also showed Jenny her skills at sommersaults. Jenny just watched, seemingly not that interested. But when mommy took Jenny to visit the office later that day, low and behold, she showed off for my co-workers by doing 3 sommersaults!! Way Cool!!

It was so very helpful for me, mom. From talking to Rhonda, and from watching Alexa interact with her (she's a great mom), I learned some valuable lessons about motherhood. I also got a bit of a preview of things to come with our daughter. It was so reassuring and comforting to learn that our experiences with Jenny were shared by others, especially things like her aversion to solid or crunchy foods. We have since learned that other families from Suixi SWI have had similar experiences. It was a lovely morning, and we look forward to seeing Rhonda and Alexa (hi guys!) when they next come into town.

Until then, here are a few photos of the Suixi "sisters." Enjoy!

Visiting Chinatown for Dragon Boat Festival

In July we ventured down to Chicago's Chinatown for the annual Dragon Boat races. Dave and I visited for the first time last year, while we were still waiting, and enjoyed watching the friendly rivalry between boat teams. We used the event as our first opportunity to try out the cool backpack from Uncle Erik. It was also a good chance to test-drive our stash of "travel food" for the squeaker.





Jenny had a good time watching boats and working the crowd with her daddy. We were curious to see how she would react to being around many Chinese, and to hearing the sounds of the language. We've heard that sometimes this can be upsetting. No signs of upset, and no real signs of recognition, either.






We also had the good fortune to meet up with our travel companions from our May trip to China, Teena, Autumn and her grandma Vicki. It's amazing how much the kids have both changed since our travels, and it was great to see our friends and to compare experiences since returning. Moms and Dad all agreed, life is completely changed amd we are all verrrrrry tired!

Waterbaby

We reported back in May from Guangzhou that Jenny seemed to love water. That interest has definitely held up since coming home. We live about a mile from the coast of Lake Michigan, with wonderful beaches and lots of sandbox potential. So water plays a big part in our summer fun.

A few weeks in, mom had to pick up a wading pool for the backyard. Jenny approved. Here she is playing with her fabulous beach/pool toys from her Auntie Jaydee and Uncle Jolon in Hawaii.




We also joined the Wilmette Community pool, where Jenny and mom and dad have spent lots of spare time. It is a truly amazing facility, with a toddler wading pool complete with small water features, and a larger kid pool with water slides and the most elaborate water features/fountains I've ever seen. Pool is definite Daddy-Jenny time; Jenny likes to "swim" with Daddy, as illustrated here. Love the shades, dude.



We took Jenny back to the beach front when Grandma Kitty visited recently. She was less keen on the water this time, which surprised us. But she was REALLY into sandplay. Love those beach toys from Hawaii!




The summer is just starting to wind down, and I know we will look back on this time fondly and wistfully. Next year this time, we'll have a very different little girl. She's already such a different little girl than we first met in Guangzhou. The changes--and they happen everyday--are truly remarkable, as you can see.

At Dave's Italian Kitchen

At Dave's Italian Kitchen
Originally uploaded by j david

We all went out for dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. This was our first meal out as a family since coming home. We had a blast! As you can see, Jenny loves pasta! We have learned to order smaller cuts, like rotini, but she does enjoy her spaghetti facials!