Even more fun... Not

Waiting our turn at the social security office. Its been almost an hour. Oy. But Rikki needs her social security card, and we had to wait for the citizenship certificate to come first!

Back together at Music Together

Climber Girl (2)

Climber Girl (1)

Finally we got it...

Today we received the certificate of citizenship for RPB! Now she can get a social security card and a passport.
Panpan became a citizen on June 10, the day we entered the U.S. It is
punishable by U.S. law to photograph the certificate, so here is just
the photo.

It reminded us of the day we took the photo. Our tour bus had gotten
in an accident, and so we had to walk across Shamian Island on a
streamy day to the photo place to get her picture taken. She was just
waking up from a nap when we got there. Fortunately, she is a cute
napper.

On the move...

We went back to Millenium Park today, because it was so much fun. PanPan did not want to get out of the water. I kept walking us toward the edge, and she kept turning around. She was unfazed by all of the older kids plowing through and splashing all of us, and I was prepared with a change of clothes (for her, that is). And she still is fascinated by the mirrored Bean.

Wish I could capture some other things on camera, something new every day. Today it was a new response to food she doesn't want to eat. Instead of pushing it away or turning her head, today, she simply closed her eyes when I offered her a second helping of tomato soup. Then we went to an Asian restaurant and I ordered noodles for her. As I've mentioned before, the girl knows how to eat noodles like a good Jiangxi girl. They were born knowing how to slurp noodles. First off, you have to tilt your head back. Today, when the order came, as soon as she saw it, PanPan started practicing, looking up at the ceiling. Really cute.

Walking pretty

If I am successful in loading this video, you will see a couple of recent shots of Panpan walking. These are about a week old, so she is doing even better now!

Exploring Chicago (2)

She also likes water-play, and the Millenium Park fountain on a hot
day is perfect for that. I promise a better picture next time.

Exploring Chicago (1)

PanPan likes mirrors, and she just loved The Bean, the enormous bean-
shaped mirrored sculpture in Millenium Park where you can see
reflections every which way She didn't quite love my attempts to
photograph the two of us, but she didn't mind too much either ; )

And more riding

Unexpectedly PanPan got to ride a pony who was on his way home from a
birthday party in our neighborhood. Chicago summers seem to have
everything to offer.....

Riding (2)

Riding (1)

Today we tried out Panpan's new bike seat and helmet! Amazingly, she
was not too scared AND she did not try to pull off the helmet. Here
we are next to the Field Museum, which also happens to be where
seagulls flock, much to her amusement.

Do I look tired or what?

Sorry for the blurry pic, but this was the best I could do trying to capture one of PanPan's "naps".  Ever since she's learned to stand herself up, she just loves going down (only to get up again). Even so, she goes to sleep without too much trouble.

Beauty Salons and Butterflies...

Yesterday, PanPan got her hair trimmed for the second time (the orphanage tells us it was cut once before - but I bet she wasn't seated inside of Thomas the Train that time). I was surprised that she stayed pretty calm. It was very fast. She didn't seem altogether sure what was happening to her, but she just said "henene" a couple of times. That's what she says when she's unhappy. Here you can see the process and the product.

Before bedtime, we went with Dad to hear some Columbian music at Pritzker Pavilion, and they laughed while eating cherries.

And today, she joined her friend Lilly at the Nature Museum's butterfly pavilion (sweltering weather forced a last minute switch from our original hope to go to the Lincoln Park zoo). Notice how well PanPan is standing on her own. I call Lilly's parents Phuong and David "the traitors" because they are moving back to Berkeley, but we decided to keep talking to them anyway ; )

Kubla Can

PanPan has been in a great mood lately, and yesterday was quite a day. After Music Together, we stopped at an Italian deli on the way home. For lunch, she ate carrot-fennel soup, arrancini (rice ball stuffed with cheese and spinach) and olives. She loved everything -- I didn't even think to offer her an olive, but she saw me eat one and insisted on trying it. This girl really has an appetite.

Then we went to her physical therapist who says she continues to make progress. The balance between her two sides is greater and her left side is more flexible. She still doesn't have the full strength to crawl (which will help her with all sorts of things) but she's getting there. And just in the past few days, she is able to stand up by herself. She especially likes to do this in her crib when she is supposed to be sleeping. A few times she has slid herself off the couch into a standing position. And now, though she still holds on while standing, she can bend over and pick things up from the floor. The crawling and rolling are supposed to be helpful for her eye-tracking (depth perception) and we've noticed continual improvement there.

Another really cute thing is that when she sleeps, PanPan always rolls over her blanket, and it ends up in a little ball under her. So we've started waiting til she falls asleep to cover her. But she's having none of that. Now she pulls the blanket down from the side of her crib - just another thing to play with, everything is of interest.

But getting down to our PT visit, since were already in Evanston, it was time for the highlight of the day -- PanPan's third date with Kubla. For those who know Paula (Lipton) Domsky, Kubla is her stepson Jon's son. His mom is from Hangzhou and she and Kubla's dad run a Chicago-Hangzhou business called Kidorable. You have probably seen their cute ladybug and frog umbrellas and rain boots. (Now I see how it is that bloggers start monetizing...)

I was pretty much in the dog house for forgetting to photograph the first two dates, so I made sure to position my iPhone this time. Kubla woke up from his nap in time to welcome "meimei" (little sister). The two of them shared a few drinks, had some wontons, and then played some games, including PanPan's favorite mimic game (she makes a sound and then we make it back). Unfortunately my iPhone wasn't out when Kubla gave her a kiss, but I guess even babies deserve some privacy...

Rikki PanPan in her music class

We are taking Music Together together. She loves the percussion
instruments.

Don't they look alike?

PanPan and Olive are wearing their matching T-Shirts, gifts from Nana and Pop Pop Jenkins...  Perhaps PanPan will learn from her sister how to play to the camera (Olive is spending the summer at arts camp and is making a movie....)

Really Big at 16 Months

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PanPan has really blossomed since she first came to us on May 23. First of all, she's gotten bigger -- catching up to her mom, as you see. Her curiosity is voracious - she wants to touch everything, to talk on the phone, use my computer, turn on the lights, walk around in the bath tub or in the train (aka El), roll over while having her diaper changed, push her stroller around, turn on the lights, press the elevator button, etc. She even loves to swim and take baths.

It is amazing to think she had probably never seen most of those things a month ago. Fortunately, that doesn't faze her. She is practically crawling, and we think her eye tracking is improving. Every day she does something new. She seems to love electronics and tries to figure out how everything works (like the latches on her stroller). She goes down the slide, but prefers to walk up it. And she still has a wonderful sense of humor, that fabulous smile, and that cute wiggle whenever a jazzy song comes on.

Her little friend from the playground, Yuanbao (Lizzie in English) no longer cries when we see her, so I managed to snap a picture. The two girls look a little alike (Rikki/PanPan is on the right). Yuanbao's parents are from Suzhou.

Milestones

Today marks one month in the U.S. for Rikki PanPan. Tomorrow is her
16th month birthday. The next day marks Olive's 9 years and 11 month
birthday. We are celebrating at the Folk and Roots Festival, where
Olive made her sister this hat.

Reading with dad

>

> I think she now knows what a book is -not just another toy to drop
> on the floor, it has pages that turn!
>

Graduating from spoons to chopsticks

Good for teething too...

Who does this jokester remind you of?

We didn't name her Rikki Burdman for nothing.... (To those of you who
didn't know him, this looks like vintage Dicky Burdman material. He
must be smiling.)

Living in the moment...

Olive says yesterday's outfit looks like a teenager's.

Sisters in the Park

It was a scorcher, so they found a shady spot.

P.S. And she feels pretty good about it too.

A real American

This Fourth of July weekend we made corn on the cob, and Pan Pan
wasn't content being served kernels of the stuff. She insisted on
eating it straight from the ear. Sorry for the blurry picture - she
is hard to keep up with.

Crawling practice

Okay, now that I can post video (the last ones I tried to post were too long), here is another one of Pan Pan learning to crawl.

Groovin' to the Brazilian Beat

If this posts successfully, you will see how Pan Pan shimmies to the music (though you won't hear the music much). Our cousin Masha came over bearing Disney toys!

Transportation

This is one of Pan Pan's favorite modes of transportation: pointing
to her desired destination in the arms of dad, or mom, or Olive, or
whoever is holding her at the moment.

This morning we went to a nature preserve in Chicago's South Shore
neighborhood. Later in the summer, Olive will have her birthday party
here.

I seem to have found a hat - or should I say bonnet - that she doesn't
ALWAYS pull off.

Fell asleep in the car

Mom can't reach back to her car seat from the front seat (one of the
perils of being short). My new solution to giving her snacks? Put
them in the pocket of her bib.

Maybe Pan Pan won't have this problem. It sounds like she will be
taller than me. She is already at the 15th percentile in height, or so
the doctor says.

P

Pan Pan's progress - forgot to post last week

This is hard to photograph, but the little miss is making lots of
progress with her physical development. Our physical therapist taught
her (and me) a lot last week, and by the time we went back this week,
she was rolling over and back on her own, something she had never
done. She loves it too, giggles every time.

The rolling (and crawling too) is apparently important for muscle
strength in the core and upper trunk. The PT works with lots of
adopted kids, and feels confident that Rikki can catch up. That's why
we are going every week.

Playing with moms's hat at the doctor's office

Would you believe she gained a pound in 11 days? She has been eating
everything in sight, so no wonder. Them there were the two shots.