Nov 12-13

After a blitz of paperwork on Tuesday, we had a scheduled 'free day' to allow us to bond with our babies. In the short time we've had Bella, she's already grown in some many ways. First and foremost, she's gained a permananet foothold in our hearts. She's brought out the nurturer and protector in all of us, including her brother. Luke's been asking to feed her, and today, he finally got his wish. Bonding-wise, she continues to grow more and more comfortable with us. On the first day, we had to coax her into eating anything. Now, she's proven herself to be an eager eater. Physically, she sits more upright and can walk a lot steadier now. I think that she'll be walking by herself within a couple of weeks.

One of the good things we've seen with Bella is that she does have a very healthy appetite. There's no doubt when she's hungry as she's learned to say "uMMMMM." At dinner last night, she was grabbing at any food in sight. After grabbing at everything, she "settled" for a small bowl of porridge/congee, two slices of watermelon, a few bites of egg, and some soup. It's bittersweet to see her healthy eating habits as I can't help to wonder why she's so small.

On Wednesday, our guide took us to a local park, "Green Mountain Park." It's not hard to see why it's called Green Mountain and why Nanning's nickname is "Green City." You can find out more about the park here: . We had a wonderful time running around and taking pictures. One of the highlights was a climb up a nine-story pagoda which sits on top of a hill. From the top, you get a panoramic view of Nanning. Even with the haze and fog, we had a beautiful view of the city. All the girls in the group have shown a marked improvement in their bonding.