Fun with Isabella!!!

Walking around the house
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

Walking!!! (okay, with a little help…)
Bella’s kooky auntie Carolyn was sooo much fun and so encouraging that she got Bella very excited to walk!! She is now asking constantly to go walking (when she isn’t eating, that is!). She still needs to hold onto Andrea’s hands, though, and it does HAVE to be Andrea’s hands, so mama is getting a bit of a backache, but it will be well worth it to build up Bella’s legs so she can walk on her own. We keep pointing out to her all the fun things she can do (and the mischief she can get into) once she can walk by herself—what are we thinking?!?!?!?!

Andrea is trying to get her to crawl more as well, by showing her how much fun it is and saying it is walking like a doggie. Bella thinks this is fun, because she wants to be like a doggie. She enjoys howling as well! (see photo album for pictures, sooo cute!)

Dancing!!!
She really loves to dance, either sitting, or especially standing. At Danny and Elizabeth’s they put on some rock music and she got very excited and made a special dancing face, with her lower jaw jutted out, seeming very serious and cool. She will wave her arms or bang on the crossbar on her carseat when there is music in the car. She seems to have a real sense of rhythm, too, and react to different types of music differently, but she seems to like all of it, especially tunes with some rhythm.

Words!!!
Isabella is learning lots of words!! Her first English word was while we were still in China, and was “More!” which she pronounces, Mah! It seems to mean, basically, “Gimmee that food!” We were trying to teach her the sign, but kept saying the word as well, so she just learned the word. Now she also has a few more words, including: Dog, Uh-Oh, Yum, Mama and Daddy, Iris (one of the dogs, and flowers (she likes to smell them). Andrea also taught her the Chinese word for Elephant – Da Xiang, but at first Andrea got it wrong and so she changed it, so now poor Bella is confused and looks at her funny. She tries to say lots of other words when we say them, but I’m not counting them unless she repeats them on several occasions, or on her own.

Signing!!!
She also now signs “Finished” or “All Done/Gone,” “Milk,” “Up” and, somewhat surprisingly, “More.” She didn’t want to use “More” at first, and got frustrated when I showed it to her, because she already said the word and we clearly understood her. After a few weeks, however, I guess she realized that she could sign “More” while she still had her mouth full! Today she signed “More Milk” (after a little questioning from mom). She also does the baby sign (not ASL) for dog, which is panting. She made this one up herself, but it is apparently pretty standard baby sign.

Games!!!
She also loves baby games like Peekaboo, Pattycake, “How big is the baby?” “Soooo Big!!!” and Got your Nose! Especially Got your Nose! Our noses both have a few scratches from having been so frequently gotten. Darn those fingernails grow fast!

Meeting Ch’aska! (and Calum, Elizabeth, Danny, Pony, sheep, chickens, etc.)

Bella, Mama, and Ch'aska
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

We went over to visit Danny, Elizabeth, Calum, and especially Ch’aska on our 2nd day back. Ch’aska was SOOO excited to meet Isabella and calls her “Mei Mei” (little sister). For her part, Isabella was a bit quiet at first, but warmed up fairly quickly and was very interested in Ch’aska and the pony, sheep and chickens. We have now visited 5 or 6 times and Isabella is really comfortable there and she and Ch’aska are becoming good friends. Of course, this was also the place with the sweet potatoes!

She eats EVERYTHING!!!!

Oh Boy! Messy!
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

One member of the group we traveled with to China posted a recipe for Chinese egg custard for babies, like they made for us in Nanchang, but we’re not sure we will use it since Bella seems to be turning up her nose at “baby” food. We think she is already used to having a little more flavor, and she likes texture, too. We don’t think she was self-feeding in her foster home, but she sure loves it now, and is getting the hang of using a spoon as well. She still loves watermelon, as in China, and Cheerios are still the best way (other than the dogs) to bring her back from the edge when she is melting down (though once you start it is very hard to stop the constant flow of Cheerios.) The first time she had shrimp she threw it across the room (and in a restaurant, too, but it was a Chinese restaurant, so they cut her a lot of slack), but the second and subsequent times she liked it. She usually seems to especially like new foods, unlike many babies. She will love something one day and then snub it for the new food the next day or even the next meal, but then the next day she will love it again. She wants whatever mama and daddy are having, usually.

Her very favorite food so far seems to be Sweet Potatoes!!! We ate over at Danny and Elizabeth and Ch’aska and Callum’s house, and whenever her supplies of Sweet Potatoes seemed to be dwindling and someone else appeared to have more (or any!) she would scream and reach for them. Ch’aska carefully scraped out the bowl to get every last bit, and finally after we had demonstrated that there was no more orange substance on the table she stopped screaming for it. I swear she ate a pint, though!

Aunt Carolyn!!!!

Aunt Carolyn meeting Isabella
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

Andrea’s sister Carolyn visited for a weekend, too, though she is incredibly busy still doing her medical internship.
She is so kooky and Bella just loved her! She crawled around on the floor being extremely animated and silly and made Isabella just love to practice walking! She fed Bella Cheerios out of her belly button. She, ahem, taught Isabella how to fake a cough by making fun of her. She managed to get Bella to sleep on her chest also, giving Andrea and her back a break.
We can hardly wait to see her again!!!

Grandparents!!!

With Grandparents on the porch
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

Jeff’s parents Ron and Lorrie picked us up at the airport, but Bella was sort of out of it then (not to mention her parents). They have visited several times since then and Bella is warming up to them more every time! Last weekend they met Andrea and Isabella at the Japanese Cultural Fair. Isabella liked the Taiko drumming.

Andrea’s parents Dick and Ellie came to visit for 2 weeks from Kansas City, and rented a cabin by the river. Since they were away from their “real” lives while here, they spent a lot of time with Isabella. Grandma Ellie likes to play baby games a lot, and Granddad Dick played “Got your Nose!” They also went on several nature walks, which Isabella really seemed to like, after the initial screaming at leaving her mama. Granddad took tons of pictures, which is why he’s not in so many. Thanks, Dad!

First Gay Pride Parade!

Gay Pride Parade
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

On June 5th Isabella marched in her first Gay Pride Parade, with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Santa Cruz County. Well, okay, technically she didn’t march, she was strapped onto mama, but she did wave a lot. Okay, that was also mostly assisted by mama, but ever since then she’s been waving to people quite a bit, and using the “Queen’s wave” instead of the usual baby handcurl.
There were many fabulously dressed people at the parade, but Isabella’s favorite was The guy in the Cheerios t-shirt!

First Art Exhibit

Looking at Russell Brutsche's paintings
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

Later that afternoon, Bella went to her first Art Exhibit, and she really liked looking at the paintings and book and wax arts. She seemed to have particular paintings she really liked, one with a wolf or coyote in it, but another I couldn’t tell why. She really wanted to play with the folding books, but I didn’t let her.

She LOVES the Dogs!!!

Isabella reaching for Zima
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

From the first she thought they were the funniest things, and they are sure to get a giggle out of her and often distract her out of an incipient tantrum. We are very relieved and happy about this, because Zima and Iris (60 lb Samoyed/Husky and Lab/Samoyed) are solid members of our family pack, so it would have been awful if she'd been terrified, but right from the beginning she thought they were funny. Iris (the Lab) managed to lick her in the face despite our best efforts within a couple hours, and I laughed and so Isabella laughed, too, and so everything seems to be great! The dogs love her too. They wonder why we didn't get a baby before! These things throw food everywhere!!!!!

First days home

Sleeping with her dolly
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

The first few days back were hard because all 3 of us had colds and were suffering from Jet Lag. Sleeping was the major issue of that first week. After some trial and error and discussion we tried Isabella in the crib we had set up for her in our room, because the double bed is just too small with an athletic sleeper like her! She did cry, but she does that every time she catches on that we want her to sleep (for instance Andrea's singing lullabies usually backfires because she thinks I'm trying to trick her into sleeping--cruel mother that I am), so that didn't seem unusual, and actually she seemed to calm and drift off more easily and quickly in the crib. She also goes to sleep a lot more easily with Jeff putting her to bed, because if Andrea does it, Isabella keeps reaching for her and won't settle, but with Jeff she has her usual struggle with sleeping but less trauma.

Since the end of the first week she has been sleeping pretty much through the night, with a couple self-soothing awakenings and maybe one or two where Jeff goes to comfort her. She currently goes to sleep to Christine Kane (the last few, quieter songs of >Rain and Mud and Wild and Green<), Kate Rusby, Dee Carstensen, and Gregorian Chants! Any suggestions would be welcome.

She struggles against naps as well, so often we resort to driving around with her, which usually does the trick, but leaves us trapped in the car. Yesterday she fell asleep in her highchair and mama got her into the crib to nap--Hooray!

We came home to our Rhododendron blooming!

"Look! There's Daddy!"
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

We were welcomed home by our neglected Rhododendron, blooming for us anyway!








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Coming Home...

Isabella sleeping on the plane
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

The Flight Home was thankfully uneventful! We had a nonstop from Hong Kong to San Francisco on Singapore Air, a wonderful airline. And the winds were with us as the flight only took 11 hours instead of the scheduled 12 (it was 15 going to China). Isabella was given a special baby meal with egg and mashed potatoes and vegetables, which she liked (as always for this girl!) and then she fell asleep and slept pretty much straight through, thanks in large part to Nora’s suggestion and lending of a down pillow to make her a bed. (Thanks, Nora!)

Jeff’s parents picked us up at the airport in our station wagon (so we had our carseat and space for all our luggage), and on the way through the airport we saw our plane and had to take a picture. We obviously weren't as together after the flight as some of our other friends who posed themselves in the picture. (click on the photo for our photo album)

From Guangzhou

From Guangzhou
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

Just a quick note to say we are still here and still having a good time. We are in Guangzhou now, have been since Saturday. It is very hot and humid here, sort of like Kansas City in July, but Andrea's not used to that anymore and Jeff and the little caterpillar girl never were. There is a thunderstorm most days, which helps some. The hotel is very fancy, but not in nearly as convenient or scenic an area as in Nanchang. Also the internet has been giving us a lot of problems here, and unlike in Beijing and Nanchang we have to pay for it, which is aggravating when it doesn't work. So you may not hear much more from us before we get home. Once we are home at the end of this week we will be posting more detailed accounts of what we have done, so check back for updates. We have all had colds. Isabella, we think, came to us with hers, and kindly shared it, so she is doing great now. Andrea is feeling mostly better also, with the help of medicines both ancient and modern. Jeff is still suffering a bit. We have been lying low today, catching up on sleep and watching Isabella play. She is completely adorable most of the time, her sweet and mischievious nature is really coming out now that she is feeling well and getting to know us.

Isabella Youlan (Maomaochong)

Happy mom & slightly confused Isabella
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

We found out that our daughter has been called Maomaochong by her foster family. It means "furry caterpillar", perhaps like the wooly bear caterpillars in the U.S. The way to this girl's heart is definitely through her stomach! (Just like her Dad). The minute we got her we offered her some crackers and she started right in on them. She even fed one to Andrea which was just too cute. After our big meeting we went back up to our room where she drank a bottle of formula and rice flakes, then it was time for our dinner where she ate the entire time too. We were worried that she would be resisting us as we look and smell nothing like her foster family. But she immediately turned to Andrea for comfort and would not tolerate being put down or held by anyone else. Andrea was worried that she had just acquired a new permant appendage that eats a lot, but as we write this she is now sleeping soundly after what had to be a huge and confusing day for her.

The Big Day!!

Happy parents
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

Today, May 9, 2005 was the day we first met our daughter Isabella. We left Guangzhou very early for a short flight to Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi Province. We checked in to our hotel then had the whole middle part of the day to kill (and be nervous) before meeting our babies. The bus bringing them was delayed due to traffic, but finally around 3:30 they arrived. The staff had things really organized and we each had our daughters brought to us one by one. We were second in line out of seven couples. They walked up to us, checked our passports to make sure we were the right parents for the right child, then handed us our baby. She wasn't so sure about it at first and cried a little, but soon settled down. We were able to ask the orphange director some questions about our daughter's history, and he gave us a disposable camera we had sent ahead some weeks ago. He indicated there would be pictures of important sites in Tonggu and we think there will be a picture of the foster mom too. We are lucky enough to have her name and we are encouraged to write to her via the orphanage and send photos of Isabella once a year or so.

Preparing for the big day

First meeting of our adoption group
Originally uploaded by Isabella Youlan.

We flew to Guangzhou from Beijing Saturday afternoon. We were picked up by the "China Team" from our agency and taken to the China Hotel in Guangzhou. Today, Sunday May 8th (Mother's day!) we had the first meeting of everyone in our group. Our group consists of 22 couples, a small group for this agency. We'll be getting children from 7 different Social Welfare Institutes in four different provinces. We all met for an orientation meeting in the late morning over a wonderful dim sum meal. We were introduced to the staff who will be working with us and given a summary of how everything will work.

We are in a group of seven couples going to Jiangxi Province, and we'll all recieve our girls at our hotel in the capital city of Nanchang tomorrow. Tomorrow!!