First thing today was a private MD appointment for all the girls. The MD said Carlie was the biggest girl he had ever seen for her age to be adopted. She is the youngest of all 13 girls in our group - but the biggest!! I do not have a definite weight on her yet, but I think it is about 30 lbs. I really think that whenever she cried in the orphanage, they just fed her, and she still expects it. We have already had a few little fits that you can tell is just temper coming out when she doesn't get her way, but this was expected and Roger and I just deal with it the best we can. Anyway, the MD also said she has eczema which is pretty much what I thought it was on her face and scalp. Her face already looks 100% better and the 4 areas on her scalp are loking better, also.

The last thing we did today was go to a public park. Most large cities in each province have numerous public parks. All the parks we have been to through Catie's adoption, and now this adoption, have been absolutely beautiful.

There are ponds, all types of exercise equipment and a lot of the elderly are playing Mah Jong at tables or doing Tai Chi or some type of exercise. All 13 couples went to this outing with all the babies either being carried in carriers or in strollers, and then there were Catie and Lauren (the 3.5-year-old along with her parents to get a little sister... we "introduced" her to you yesterday).

Some people here have never seen an American, much less an American with a Chinese baby. But everyone is so nice - they all give you the "thumbs up" sign and say, "pretty baby" and with Carlie they pinch her cheeks because she has such big, round cheeks. Also, the weather here was nice today, in the low to mid 60s, but we were all "scolded" many times because we didn't have enough clothes on the babies. The Chinese people keep themselves and the kids dressed with multiple layers of clothes on all the time. I saw little children out today that could barely walk because of all the layers of clothes on. Their arms were sticking straight out, they were walking around like the letter "T".

After walking around in the park for about 2 hours, we all had a group dinner, and now we have called it a night.

Both girls have just had their baths, and both are sacked out for the night.

I can only send 7 pictures a day so here are a few, with LOTS more to show when we get home.

Until tomorrow evening...

Denise