Jitterbugs

In our last week in Shanghai we finally made it to a Jitterbugs class: singing and dancing with lots of other little kids.  We joined Breanne and Joshua, and had a blast playing with scarves, shakers, balls, and of course bubbles.  It didn't take long before Nina followed Joshua's lead and went exploring around the room to find other mommies and the mirror.  We'll be joining a class like this in Cincinnati for sure!

Hangin' with Joshua

Nina has had a great playmate in Joshua, our neighbor who is just 2 weeks younger than Nina (so actually about 3 weeks older than she should be).

They always have fun together in the playroom, going for walks in the park, and recently dancing in a Jitterbugs class.  Of course Joshua and Nina are great friends because the moms are the ones who really want to hang out, but I hope they can meet up again some day and still be buddies.

Happy Halloween

Oops... Halloween was a bit anti-climatic this year since Nina was in the midst of her first cold.  She was super cute in her Monkey costume, but only got to stay home and greet the trick-or-treaters from our building as they came by.  Let's hope that next year she gets to go out and get some candy of her own!

Time to be Tourists

Before we leave Shanghai I decided we need to do some sightseeing, so today's stop was the iconic Pearl Tower.

I always love going up in observation decks, and apparently Nina does too! She also was not bothered by the Chinese paparazzi taking photos of this blue-eyed baby.

More Crawling

Nina just can't sit still - she loves any excuse to crawl!  She'll follow us from one room to another, go examine the zippers on her backpack, or push a ball around just so she can chase after it.  Here are two videos of Nina getting around, full of curiosity and determination.


Nina Crawling: Baby's Eye View

Nina Crawling: In Her Diaper

Great Wall

Nina told us she really wanted to get out of town and go see the Great Wall.  Who are we to deny our sweet baby?  We took the high-speed train up to Beijing (5 hours) and then drove 2 hours to a quieter section of the wall.  It's a good thing Nina can nap on our laps and loves riding in her carseat.

When we got to the wall the sun was out and the pollution was worsening, so we headed straight to the top for the best possible photo op.  Poor thing was a little tired, but she was a trooper and stayed cozy in the carrier until we got back to the car... and a bottle of milk.

It was a long/short trip, with the added bonus of her getting to practice crawling in the hotel room!

Flowers at the Park

Nina now has the ability to roam around and discover all the flowers, grass, and dirt that she can when we are at the park. And no, the sunglasses are not just a fashionable accessory; she only wears them when it's really sunny, otherwise she pulls them off.

And in case you didn't already know, in China you just get used to the fact that other people are going to touch your baby, pick up your baby, and play with your baby. Yep, that's some random - friendly - grandma holding Nina. At least Nina is quick to make friends.