Countdown to Home Begins

Only 1 more night in China before they begin their journey home. The night before last Constantin was trying to get Katerina to sleep at around 8:30pm. At 10:30pm he called me and said he had given up and they were having a party. They were all sitting on the floor, eating, drinking and watching TV. She was very wound up. (I found out later he had given her some cheesecake in the afternoon. I bet she's never had sugar before. Joseph recognized the sugar high immediately!) I could hear her laughing and singing in the background. Constantin held the phone to her ear so that I could talk to her and she did the RCA dog head tilt move. I doubt that she's ever experienced a telephone before. The first time she saw TV, she went behind the box to look for the people.

Last night Emma and Joseph went out for dinner with the group while Constantin and Katerina stayed in the hotel room eating grilled cheese and french fries - yes, french fries again! I think Constantin continues to order french fries because he enjoys her ritual of dipping the fries in ketchup and feeding them to him. She was unusually happy in the crib last night and was singing/talking up a storm for about an hour before going to sleep. She also for the first time took and hugged a small teddy bear that Emma bought her. She's beginning to feel much more comfortable and at home with them.
Yesterday they went to the cultural center for 2 hours of folk singing and dancing. During the performance of a highly respected singer, Katerina burst into song at the top of her lungs and the audience laughed.

Genius child alert: This morning, after Constantin put her socks on, she ran, got her shoes and brought them to him.

I last spoke to them about an hour ago (11am their time on Tuesday) and they were out for a stroll and shopping. Katerina becomes U.S. citizen today. At 2:30am our time, she will be sworn in. Wouldn't it be great if starts belting out "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy!"
Well, they leave Guangzhou tomorrow morning (Wednesday) and will make a connection in Beijing for Newark. All told (I verified it's told not tolled) they will be traveling for 22 hours to reach home. Hope they have lots of things to amuse Katerina. The balloons are losing some of their perkiness. I don't know if they'll make it. But the room and crib are ready. I spent this evening ironing the crib skirt, the window valence, washing sheets, etc. Bring her on - I'm ready.


She's apparently a picky eater and will enjoy something one day and not the next. At first, she loved congee and it was all she would eat. Then it was porridge. Constantin says she communicates what she wants by pointing. He takes her around the breakfast buffet and she points to what she wants. Lately, she's been eating cereal with soy milk, bananas, and orange juice. Unfortunately, there's no breakfast buffet at 38 Gordon Avenue so we'll have to come up with another system.