Today was another lovely, sunny day in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. I'm really getting used to high temps in the 70's (F). It's really going to be a rude awakening returning to the hot and humid Houston summer!
I'm happy to report that James has recovered and was well enough to return to the Baby House this morning to visit Michael. Our visits today were good - surprisingly, no messy diapers for us to change today! However, our soon-to-be Powers #4 - Michael - now has a cold. I had noticed a couple of days ago that he had congestion and a runny nose which is still going on. One of the nurses did come by this morning and gave Michael some medicine during the morning visit, which she then logged into a handwritten notebook (no electronic MARs here). He does seem to be getting a little bit better, though. Since the weather was so nice outside we spent most of our two visits today outdoors. It's interesting - when Michael is in his group's playroom (a familiar environment) he is very active, crawling around and wriggling away from us. However, as soon as we take him outside his demeanor changes dramatically, with him being more clingy, and more serious and quiet.
Also, one of the things we neglected to bring with us is a baby carrier. With as much time as we're spending outside, a carrier would be great because Michael is getting heavier. By the time our visits were over today my biceps were aching! Cindy Kaplan let me borrow her Ergo carrier today, and it's awesome because it actually provides back support. We used the BabyBjörn to bring James home, and I used it a little bit after we came home with him, but there's no way we're going to be able to use it for Michael since he will be so much heavier than James was by the time we bring him home. Fortunately, we actually have an Ergo carrier that we meant to use for James but never did. So, we packed it away; I even considered selling it on eBay a couple of years ago, but I'm so glad I didn't!
Today we went to a restaurant called Taikazan, where we met the Chinns and our interpreter, Juliya, for lunch. They serve several dishes, including some traditional Kazakh dishes. We ate lagman, which is a traditional Kazakh dish made with noodles and meat and broth - very tasty! Even James ate lagman, and he can be a pretty picky eater. I definitely enjoyed it and would like to return there. The decor there is also pretty cool with traditional Kazakh artwork on the walls.
We'll check back in tomorrow - enjoy the pics!
