China Trip Part I

We spent the first two weeks of October in Daddy's hometown of Hangzhou, China. We're now home, safe and sound, and I am almost recovered from some pretty severe jetlag/complete day-night reversal. Mommy says we have a bunch of photos, so please anticipate several installments. It's been awhile since we've blogged -- consider us back in action!!

Here I am with Ye-Ye (Grandpa) at O'Hare airport in Chicago getting ready to board the flight to Shanghai. All five of us went to China: me, Mommy, Daddy, Ye-Ye, and Nai Nai (Nana).


Apples are a favorite fruit of mine, but unlike Daddy who eats ALL of the apple (core, seeds, stem), I eat NONE of the apple. I chew it all up and spit it all out. Mommy calls this "charming."

Me and Mommy on the airplane. I was an airplane champion thanks to bulkhead seating, a Boppy and a breast available at all times... I now hold the record, by the way, for consecutive hours nursing on a flight... six!!!

I LOVE my Diego rolling suitcase!

And no, I won't let you have it!!

We were welcomed at the Shanghai airport by my Ayi (auntie), who is Daddy's oldest cousin.

To be followed by a welcome from my Ye-Yes (on the right, my real Ye-Ye, and on the left, two of Ye-Ye's three brothers, whom we will also refer to as "Ye-Ye"). I was fond of the terminology: "Ye-Ye One," "Ye-Ye Two," and "Ye-Ye Three."

After several hours driving in a van, we arrived in Hangzhou to finally meet my Tai-Tai, who is my great-grandmother (Ye-Ye's mother). I am now very good at saying "Tai-Tai" whom I miss alot!

Notice my jumpsuit... this was supposed to be my travel "car seat"/restraint system, but it turned out the taxis (our main mode of travel during the trip) didn't have any seatbelts to which I could even be attached. Stay tuned to see the solution in later installments.
Here's Tai-Tai feeding me breakfast.

We had a really good time together.

Here I am in the beautiful crib that my Ye-Yes had waiting for me upon our arrival. If only I would have let mommy lay me down in this crib during the trip without crying... instead I became a co-sleeper. Mommy and Daddy say that never has their bed felt so small. I get the sense they are trying to break me of this co-sleeping since we've been back home... but I'm fighting it with every 2hour awakenings!
This is my new friend Edward, who is the grandson of one of Nai Nai's good friends...
Ok, so that's not really his name. It's the name Daddy suggested as an English name when Edward was born... Ed? Eddie? Here we are after I strongly suggested that Edward use my sippy cup, to which he did not object. And with me, the coveted Bee-yah.

Edward's family and a beautiful meal.

And an awesome telephone train that I tried to take to bed with me for several nights, but which mommy vetoed due to the loud music and train sounds... Luckily (says Mommy), I played with it so much the batteries died and the music stopped within only a few days.

Here are some photos from inside our new apartment. Tai-Tai will be living here part of the time for now. Then in June, my Ye-Ye will be moving here permanently from Indianapolis. Luckily, my Nai Nai is going to stay here with me for awhile yet.

A view of the river from the dining room.

And yet another view from the dining room window.

This is it for now, but only the beginning. Please stay tuned for more in the days to come!!