Wednesday in Chengdu

I am so amazed by this little guy of mine. He is so happy and hasn't really cried since our first meeting on Gotcha Day. He had one small crying spell the following day and none since. He genuinely seems content. His smile can melt any heart and has this mama falling more and more in love with him!

Today was a scheduled free day but we ended up having to go back to the civil affairs and notary offices for a third time. Mei needed to pick up the adoption certificate and the notary books, but then they requested that I come along too because they forgot to ask me the questions they were supposed to. No big deal, Josiah took it all in stride!

He wakes up slowly and likes to be cuddled in the morning. I love that sweet time. He slept really well and didn't wake until 7am! Yea!! I finally got some much needed sleep and felt a ton better. He did too. At breakfast, he continued to inhale his fruit and has a funny way of mixing all of his food up onto one plate. He then points to whatever he'd like a bite of and allows me to put it on the spoon before he "helps" guide it to his mouth. He doesn't have a huge appetite and once he's finished, he starts playing with his food which is a very messy proposition!! I won't be able to recycle many clothes this trip, good thing I packed plenty and paid the extra weight fee!!

Today he wanted to go, go, go. When I took him back to the room after breakfast he started pulling on my arm to take me to the door. He'd had enough of the hotel room, me too! So off we went, shopping and walking the streets of ChengDu. He was fascinated by the huge panda mural/waterfall in the hotel's entrance. Poor kid, my limited Mandarin can't be very engaging! I have several phrases and a dozen words in my repertoire so I kept saying, "Shu Mao! Shui!"(Panda!Water!). He'd laugh and laugh! He loves cars, absolutely loves them. Anytime he saw an empty one, he'd pull me towards it and want to go! Once again, I've had to ignore the many stares we attract and not all are friendly, more often than not they do not look happy about the fact that Josiah is with me and calling me mama. It's okay, I know it probably wouldn't be received well in the U.S. for a Chinese couple to adopt an American baby. It's just awkward to say the least! I've noticed that the only people who are nice about it are the ones either paid to be or those standing to make a sale from us!! No kidding!:) So we walked and walked with heads turning and all the while Josiah wanted me to hold him. My initial thought was to wear him out, but it was clear that I was the only one getting worn out on this excursion! We went back to the hotel and did some shopping in the gifts shops. That was a lot of fun. Josiah was in rare form and having a ball entertaining the girls in the shop! He kept saying, "I want that one!" over and over again in Mandarin. The girls all knew right away that he was from Sichuan because of his dialect.

After some lunch and a video call home, we headed back to the civil affairs. While we were waiting for a taxi, Josiah saw a BMW and said, "That car! I want to go in that one!". I said to him, "You have good taste. That's a BMW!". Later when we got to the CA office, he began talking to the man representing another group of adoptive parents and as they were conversing in Mandarin, Josiah said, "I want to ride in the Bao Ma.". The man laughed and told us what he'd said, then he asked Josiah where he saw the Bao Ma. Josiah replied, "outside.". By the way, Bao Ma is Mandarin for BMW! I just thought Mei had told him the Mandarin for BMW, but she said no, that she wouldn't tell him that, it was too much detail for a baby! Ha! Not for Josiah!! So he either converted my English into Mandarin or he knows the decal for BMW from someone at the orphanage telling him about it! Either way, WOW!

We had fun waiting at the CA office. We got to chat with a group of two adoptive families from the Netherlands. They were very sweet and had beautiful kids. Each couple had an older Chinese daughter and were back in Chengdu adopting sons. Coincidentally, they are staying at our hotel!

We had another fun experience in the taxi going to the notary office. Our driver was very curious about international adoption and kept asking Mei questions. He said Josiah looked "foreign". I heard the Mandarin for American and knew what that discussion was all about! Josiah got in on the action and was having a lot of fun talking to the driver. At one point I think he was giving him driving tips!!Haha! When we came to an intersection, Josiah said, "Oh my god!". My sentiments exactly given the traffic here! Did I mention that he has a huge personality and is a total crack up?! Later when we got into another taxi, he thought the driver should talk to him as the last guy did, so he began tapping his head to get his attention. This guy wasn't interested though. All the while we're driving, Josiah sings and talks so excitedly. He just loves to be in a car taking it all in.

We opted for Pizza Hut for dinner and it required leaving the security of the immediate surrounds of the hotel. It also required playing frogger in the very busy, very huge intersections! Josiah decided that the stroller wasn't a bad thing and allowed us to push him in it! Whew! My biceps have been getting the workout! This boy is big! Bigger than Kaia. He weighs 33 lbs.. Pizza Hut was delicious! We had the "American Special" which was peperoni and cheese. We were feeling adventurous after dinner and decided to walk some more. We headed into an electronics shop, five stories high. Josiah loved the escalators! Everywhere we go he smiles and laughs! We enjoyed taking in the sights of ChengDu and seeing so many new and interesting things. On the way back to the hotel, we passed a couple of boys trying to earn money. The littlest boy was about 7, maybe younger. He had a tripod fitted with a pad that he put in his mouth and then he proceeded to contort his body so that he made a "C" shape. He did this over and over again, spinning around. His older brother stood behind him twirling a basketball on his finger. It was so sad. These boys were filthy and the younger one's body was misshapen due to doing this over and over again. When he'd pop off of his stand, his whole body was bent. I can't imagine how long he's been doing that. I just couldn't stand to pass them by. It broke my heart. What a horrible life for a child. I couldn't believe that some people would point and talk about him, but wouldn't dig in their pockets for anything to give him. It was just sad. Poor baby. That made me shed a few tears and think of how Josiah will have a good life. It's sad for him to be taken away from China and I know he was very loved, but he will have a good life with a family who loves and adores him. He has hope and a future and will have the knowledge of the Savior who loves him dearly.

We ended our evening with a bath for Josiah, which he loved! He splashed and splashed and laughed and laughed! His laughter is contagious! I fixed him a bottle and put him to bed. There were no complaints from him at all. He called out mama one time when he needed his blanket adjusted in the night but slept so soundly. He is still sleeping as I type! He's beautiful! Thank you for all of your prayers! We have sure felt them here. Today we're off to the Panda Research and Breeding Center and then off to try and track down Josiah's finding spot at a local hospital ob/gyn ward!

Luke, I'll get your real sword, I promise!! Noah, still looking in electronics shops for your gift. Jack, I'll get your sword too! Kaia, mama will get you lots of princess dresses! I love you all and miss you tons!!! Talk to you in a little while!

Love,
Mommy (Lisa to everyone else!):)