Day 6: Finding Spot, Yellow Crane Tower, Lantern Lights

Day 6 down and we are 1 day away from our hump day!  In some ways we are very ready to get home already and get our normal routine started with Mila but we know how special this time is in Mila's home country and we are trying to take as much in as we can while we are here.  Today was no exception.  Due to a light snow yesterday, the pollution really cleared out and the sun was actually out most of the day today which made it very pleasant to sightsee around Wuhan.  Our first stop was something that we were praying we could do because it is so important to Mila's story but we weren't for sure we could pull off and that was to visit Mila's finding spot, or the spot where she was found.  So we were extremely happy when our guide arranged a tour today which included going to her finding spot.  We really had mixed emotions before going there.  We really wanted to see it but were fully expecting it to be depressing to see the place where someone had to leave this precious girl.  Fortunately, it turned out to be just the opposite.  She was found in a very nice park (the oldest in the city) right next to a Japanese watch tower facility.  We know all this because a flier was written after she was found about the deals of her finding spot.  So after our guide consulted with the park officials, she was able to direct to us to the right spot.  It was almost a spiritual/reverent atmosphere as we approached the pavilion.  The park was very beautiful with winding paths and lots of water with boats tied up used in the summer.  There was Chinese music being played and some elderly people dancing together next to the pavilion.  There were also people practicing writing calligraphy on the walkway pavers using large paintbrushes dipped in water.  It left a very beautiful effect with all of the Chinese writing on the ground.  Baba, Mama, and Didi had some alone time to walk around the pavilion and just think about the circumstances that led he into our lives.  We got some great pictures and videos so that we can show her when she gets older and starts questioning us about her past.  We had also brought with us the note penned by her mother which was with her when she was found.  We had the guide translate it for us and found out that it told us what her birthday was (we had always assumed this was the case before the orphanage knew what day she was born.  Very sad that she was abandoned when she was 1 year old.  We can only image the horrible torment it must have been for the parent that had to leave her there and hope that she would be found, taken in and cared for.  We only wish that someday they will find out that she is in good hands.  We left the park with a very positive feelings and were really glad we got to go.

After the park, our guided stopped us at the Yangtse River to look at the oldest bridge in the city being used.  The river reminded us of the Ohio River running by Kentucky.  After the river, we visited the Yellow Crane Tower.  We learned that it was first built in 223 AD as a look out for a fork but it has been burned and rebuilt many times.  There is a legend associated with the tower about a great warrior which flew from the tower on a great yellow crane.  It was a very pretty place to visit and provided us with a nice expedition that we could spend time with Mila separated from the rest of the group a bit.

After the tower, we were all a bit tired and decided to go back to the hotel for a nap and some dinner. That was very needed and Mila managed to sock in a solid 3 hour nap!  It was nice for Mama and Baba to have a bit to decompress and relax a bit.  After the nap, we headed back out with our guide and the Bieker family to take a boat ride on the 2nd biggest lake in Wuhan and visited a lighted display depicting various scenes from Chinese history.  All added up to a very nice day.  We are so grateful that we got to have a tour day like this because up to this point, we did not have a very good opinion of Wuhan.  Because of the pollution and area that our hotel is located, we were feeling like Wuhan didn't have a very uplifting spirit to it.  But that was all changed once we had this nice day today.

On the bonding front, things went pretty well today.  Mila still prefers mom over dad most of the time, but there were a few precious moments today when Baba got to hold Mila at her finding spot and when she said Baba once to him.  Also on the boat ride, there was some very excellent family time in which we got Mila to play a lot with both of us.  So things are looking good.  Bath time was a bit traumatic again but we got her through it and Baba got to comfort her when it was over.

We just love hearing all of the Mandarin our little girl speaks.   She is constantly talking and sometimes even sings.  It is so precious.  People on the streets and in the hotel are very interactive with her.  And she is able to hold a conversation with them.  Sometimes we worry because we can't understand what she is say but occasionally we are lucky and the person she is talking to knows English and can translate for us.  At breakfast this morning, Mila was very personal with a young waitress serving us.  The waitress kept talking to Mila and then finally told us that Mila kept calling her sister.  We have also learned that Mila is very aware anytime someone is crying.  That includes mama when during one tense moment, Mila saw Mama cry and then told our guide about it the next day.  I guess these little kids are pretty smart.  Anyways, we are really looking forward to when she is speaking to us in English.  She already says "hi" to people she meets and she also said her name "Mila" today which we got on video!  We will post some in a bit.  Thank you all for your kind words and support and being with us on this journey.