Wuhan

We are currently in Wuhan and will be here waiting for Huihui's passport until Friday.  Wuhan is a city of 9 million.  It is an industrial city and a business hub.  We have not seen any children in our hotel--only business men and women.  There is no touristy places to visit, souvenir shops to buy things in, or western food to eat.  We've eaten a lot of Chinese food.  We tried Pizza Hut a couple nights ago and I almost vomited.  I'm pretty sure they added fish sauce or oyster sauce to the pizza sauce.  It was terrible.  Our guide took us to one of her favorite restaurants yesterday and though the menu scared me--tripe, chicken feet, knee cartilage, seahorse (it went on for pages)--it was the best meal we've had here.  I've never enjoyed tofu, but she ordered some for us and it was excellent.  Spicy tofu is what she called it.  It was thinly sliced and cooked in onions, jalapenos, and a spicy sauce.  We also had a pork and a beef dish.  We fed our guide, driver, and our family for just $20.  If you eat outside of the hotel, food is very cheap here.  You can see from our pictures that Wuhan also has a major pollution problem.  We did see a little hazy blue sky and a few clouds on the first day we were here though, so better than Beijing. 

Wuhan is situated on a major river, which is right across the street from the hotel.  There is also a park on the river's edge.  The next two days are free days for us--the first since we've been in China.  We went to the park this morning and walked around.  Unfortunately, there was not a playground, but they did have these little "work out" areas in a couple places.  They also play traditional Chinese music throughout the park through speakers on the ground made to look like rocks.  It was pretty funny.  Staring is not rude in China like it is in the states.  Many people blocked our path to stop, point, and talk about us.  Between CJ's height and our little man, we were a spectacle, I guess. 

Huihui took his first independent steps last night and today took as many as ten steps on his own.  The pictures I took of him walking are blurry, but you can see how proud he is of himself.  :)  He's so close to just taking off.  He's just a chicken and doesn't want to fall.  We've convinced him to hold his own bottle and feed himself, too.  He was pretty fussy this morning, but nothing terrible.  He seems to be cheering up this afternoon.  He LOVES snuggles, kisses and being held.  He reaches for CJ and I often and does his version of babbling pretty constantly.  He's very easy to make smile.  He's also a good sleeper and eater.  Drinking has been an issue.  We are a little scared to buy milk here due to lack of appropriate refrigeration and our guide said he's never had it anyway.  He doesn't like the formula we bought and they don't sell the kind he was used to.  He also doesn't like juice or water.  Luckily, his foster mom sent him with two giant bags of snacks and a package of this "yogurt sugar milk".  It's all he'll drink.  It's nothing I'd choose to give my kids, but it's what we've got right now that he'll drink.  We bought a ton of it today.  It's not refrigerated and it smells like pure sugar. 

Wuhan City

Walking on my own!

In the river park

Carter "working out" in the park.

                                         Morning nap on mom while dad watches the Spurs.

Loading up on "milk".