A visit to Guangdong and a dip in the pool

Well, the visit to the orphanage was very emotional for us. Not only did we meet some of the nannies that took care of Hannah, but we also got a tour of the facility and saw her old crib and roommates. There were lots of babies there and also older girls about age 8-12 and it was very hard not to try to smuggle them all back onto the bus with us. It was a heart wrenching day. On the positive side, we did get 2 small toys that help Hannah to go to sleep at night and she got to say goodbye to her old home with us which should help to ease the transition a lot for her. The nannies described her as being active, of strong character(a polite way of saying that she's most likely as stubborn as our Irish lass at home, Riley) and is afraid of nothing! Sounds like we've got our hands full alright. The "honeymoon period" is ending and last night we got a 2 1/2 hour grieving and teething fest starting at 2AM. So, you want to parent a toddler, eh? Let the games begin! She's also losing her inhibitions and getting really comfortable around us which has resulted in our hotel room getting trashed. She really enjoys clearing things off which is nice if you're into minimalist upper surfaces and nothing but clutter on your floors. She is mischievous on a level we never had with Riley so this should be very interesting. It is entertaining for now but then again, we have maids at the hotel... In other news, we took Hannah for her first swim in the pool here at the White Swan. She was ambivalent about it but we were just glad that she didn't hate it as it gives us a respite from the crazy heat and humidity. She loved splashing Mommy, of course. I finally got to do a bit of shopping while Riley napped and I was thrilled to find a shop whose proceeds go to benefit Chinese orphans. I had a long conversation with the owner, a British woman who actively works to help older special needs kids that live in orphanages here in China. She blew me away particularly after my experience this morning at Hannah's orphanage. Inspirational. Needless to say, I will be doing pretty much all my souvenir shopping in her store. I found gorgeous traditional silk jackets for both Hannah and Riley to wear for the next Chinese New Year celebration and I have my eye on a beautiful Chinese silk christening dress there as well. She also carries lots of handmade gifts because she believes strongly in employing the local poor from the rural areas as opposed to just stocking factory made junk. Everything in the store is just beautiful. I was very impressed. Tomorrow we are doing some sightseeing in the countryside and checking out some Ming Dynasty temples. Should be cool. Enjoy the pix!