Another Good Day

Yes, it does keep getting better.  Ivy is such a joy to me.  Today started out great, but too early at 6:30 am.  Rather, 3:00 am for me.  I asked to switch rooms because there seems to be trucks always unloading/loading things between 2:30 and 6:00 am.  Now our room faces no street.  I hope for better sleep tonight.

Ivy, watching a movie while waiting for Mom to get dressed.

We met our guide at 9:30 to go to the medical office.  I had already told her we had to go to the doctor, then Daniel told her about the shots.  She just stared off and then the tears started.  She was so quiet about it all. (Ivy weighed in a whopping 41 pounds!)  Once we entered the vaccination area, the tears started again.  Before that, she was having a good time going room to room, checking hearing, eyesight and such.  Ivy needed only 4 shots,  plus oral polio and TB test.  I held her closely, and felt her flinch with each shot they gave her.  I felt so badly for her.  But, afterward, she was just fine and has been the rest of the day.

 

Looking quite stylish on the way to the doctor.

Taking pictures of the teddy bears on the floor at the medical exam.

Today was rainy, so we just piddled around the island and sat in the room way too long watching that never-ending super-hero TV show.  We did the usual coloring and playing, but I was so sleepy.  We met another family for dinner and had pizza at the Italian place.  Yang Yi is from the same orphanage as Ivy Xue, but just a bit younger.  They smiled when they saw each other, but Ivy didn't talk to her at all.  Ivy is extremely shy.  I noticed she is more shy around men.  At the medical office, they had to force her to speak (doctor was male) to make sure she could.  When we are around other people, Ivy just smiles, but does not talk.  She is starting to say "OK" when I tell her to do things.  She calls my name when she is finished in the tub.  Other than that, I have to ask her to speak to me.  She read me a story from her book, and I heard her singing a song.  So, now I have 2 non-talkers in the family.  Maybe she and Jack should share a room?

Lacing Cards

Ivy put this sticker on me!

*I notice Ivy's grip on my hand is tighter than it was yesterday.

*She giggles whenever I roll down the top of her pants.  She's very ticklish.

*Some man off the street walked up to her and gave her a box of colorful popcorn.  I didn't know what to do.  So, she ate it and she's still alive.

*When Ivy rinses her mouth after brushing her teeth, she shakes her head back and forth to swish the water around.  It is very funny.

*Ivy's medical was wrong.  Her front gums are affected by her cleft.  Her front tooth is in sideways.  Poor thing.  No apples for her.  No wonder she wanted me to cut the corn off the cob.
*Ivy is a gigglebox tonight.

Besides my story here in China, Mike is back home with his own stories to tell.  Apparently, Eva is going to be a beautician one day.  She's already getting her practice in on the left side of her head.  Mike said he caught Joy walking down the hall with a handful of hair that Eva had cut off.  So, it took Eva 4 years to grow the hair she has and only minutes to lose it.  Eva also cut some off Joy, but not as badly.  Eva also went into the pantry to help herself, cutting open bags of cereal and crackers.  My, she's become quite independent since I've been away!