Day 5 - Nanjing - Gotcha Day Part II

Well, the nap lasted about an hour. She woke up @ 2pm. Took a look around the room and started crying again (but not nearly as bad as Bennett used to do when he would start screaming when he woke up next to strange people in a strange place). Bennett really needed to get out of the room so we decided to take a walk around the hotel and see how she did. We are on the 19th floor and I'm pretty sure she is not used to elevators. She held on tight as the elevator started to descend. Makes you realize how much we take for granted as "normal, everday thingsl".

We then took a separate glass elevator that only serves a few floors. Mark and I both remember this being cool as a kid and apparently it still is! The pool is closed for the season, but we did find a rooftop garden. April had stopped crying by this point, but still had not said anything or given us a smile. She was walking a bit oddly.. After further examination we determed that a) her shoes were too small and very tight, b) her pants were too big; and c) she will probably need glasses.

We ventured out of the hotel and over the the Nanjing Normal University campus (2 blocks away). We finally got April to drink some water, but she still would not eat anything (She had refused any food or drink previously. After Mark helped her drink, she then held the bottle herself and took some more - both great steps).  There is a green area and Bennett quickly found another boy to run around with. April was becoming quite attached to Daddy. She sat next to him with her hand on his leg. As soon as he got up, so did she and reached for his hand. We got a hint of a smile, but still not much. But from the start she has been either putting her arms around us or holding our hand, which is terrific.

Back to the hotel room, we turned on the tv. Both Bennett and April sat next to each other and watched. We tried again with the food. Yogurt was a hit!!! We had bought some yogurt at the store yesterday so that was a good call. She drank 2 little cups.. Yes, it was drinkable yogurt (not what we intended to buy, but it worked great); straw included; in what we know as small yogurt cups. She would not look at noodles, tasted an animal cracker and had a bit of croissant. No go on the last 2 items. A little bit of tears, but she was easily soothed.  And taking food from us after we knew she was very hungry (long past lunchtime) was a great sign also.

We finally decided to pull out the beach ball. That was the winner. She and Bennett were throwing it around the hotel room to each other. They included Mark and I in their catch game and we added some word repetition. She was smiling, laughing and giggling as we bounced the ball around. Bennett and her were running after the ball and bumping each other with out any problems.  We moved the game out into the elevator lobby, but were quickly told to cease. The word repetition was getting her to say words like mommy/mama, daddy, Bennett, April, ball, water, more please, all done, potty, etc.  Very promising progress, but we are not sure she associates the words with their meaning. We are knocking on a lot of wood, but this was a huge break through.

The first time she used the toilet, she almost fell in. She is used to a squatty potty. I took her into the bathroom when I went and "demonstrated". She later was able to do her thing and not fall in.

We let her watch as I gave Bennett his bath, and then we said "April's turn". I was prepared for the screaming and crying to start as we began to take her clothes off. She was very compliant and readily got in the tub. She was not so thrilled with the bath itself, and a couple of tears fell. But this was MUCH more then we had expected given most people recommend leaving them in the same clothes sans bath for the first few days to avoid the screaming and sheer terror.

Dinner was takeout from our Chinese restaurant we went to last night, eaten after the kids went to sleep.  The place was a sweatbath but the food is still great.  Okay, the scallion pancakes are but I think the Kung Pao Chicken is not up to par (at all).  Mark is having a beer and we are enjoying our false peace before reality will hit, probably sometime shortly after we get our last few hours of sleep for the next week or two.

Great pix to follow.

Lisa & Mark