Adoption Registry Day

We had an amazingly good night last night! Beibei slept through the night. I woke up at 3:30 and only dozed until 6. I heard Beibei stirring and looked in the crib and she was upside down to where we put her last night! She's a restless sleeper!

I got up and got ready and then decided it was time to get Beibei up to check her diaper. She did not want to wake up! We got her diaper changed and put her clothes on for today -- one of the outfits we got last night.

We went down to breakfast and she didn't really wake up until we got down there! I got my food and Tony held her. Then I took her and ate my first one-handed breakfast. I decided to see if she'd take a bottle and gave her water. She took it right away and worked hard at the nipple. She eventually figured it out (smaller hole than she's used to) and drank over half the bottle! We also gave her some oatmeal which Tony shoveled (!) into her mouth until she was done.

We met Phoebe in the Holt office and she took us in a taxi to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Today we got our picture taken and we had to wake her up again for that. Next we had an interview with the Adoption Registration person and then an interview with the Notary. They both asked us similar questions and then we got to return to the hotel. Phoebe got us some milk formula since the 7-11 was sold out of it.

Beibei was asleep again in the taxi and slept while Tony went and exchanged some money. When she woke up I decided to try the formula I'd brought and mixed up earlier. She saw that bottle and gulped it down! She wouldn't let go of the bottle till it was gone! I'm sure this is learned behavior from the orphanage. We have a plan to help her not eat so much at a time.

We went out shopping in the afternoon. All the shops and vendors are pretty competitive in prices and all cater to the adoption community. We found some more outfits in Beibei's size, got some T-shirts, and posted yesterday's blog -- all in the same shop. Most, if not all, of the shops have free internet because they want you to shop in their store. Actually, this particular shop has more things that we'll probably go back and get.

Later today I tried the Moby Wrap that I'd gotten. It works pretty slick! I just have to work on getting it tighter. We stopped at Starbucks and had sandwiches for a late lunch. Beibei grabbed for my snadwich so I took some chicken out and tore it up real small. She ate the pieces so fast I could hardly keep up with her! Then we stopped and got some congee. She pretty much decides when she's had enough.

We rested in the late afternoon and then walked around in the lobby and saw the birds, flowers and waterfall. Beibei blows kisses and waves goodbye. She learned that at the orphanage and actually did it when we were meeting her but we thought it was a "surprise" motion. We've noticed a pattern of when she does it, too. When we walk into a shop and the workers offer to help us, she starts blowing kisses and waving goodbye. It's actually really cute and the Chinese people love it and laugh and give her attention. So, we're not sure she'll do it when we get back to Omaha but she did it when she briefly woke up this morning.

Beibei just LOVES to be held. She will go to both of us equally. We just haven't gotten that spontaneous smile yet. She will smile briefly when she blows kisses and waves goodbye but it's so brief that we haven't gotten a picture yet.

We went down to the play room in the hotel this afternoon. It's sponsored by Mattel and they have all kinds of toys there. Beibei liked one that was Fisher Price Sesame Street and it made all kinds of sounds with different buttons. Then we found a cool piano that had different modes and the keys lit up. Beibei liked "turning the pages" on it. Mama liked that one!

Another aspect of the playroom is Mattel gives all adoptees a Barbie. This Barbie is an adoptive mom with a Chinese baby. It's really kind of neat!

We are currently relaxing and having quiet time before bedtime. I'm writing all the posts in a notebook so I can type them quickly when we do find free internet access. And since we're using free internet, I would assume we won't be able to post pictures. You only have to wait another week and a half to see her!

We can sleep till we wake up tomorrow because we don't have to be anywhere till 3 pm tomorrow!

Loved all the comments from yesterday! Thank you!