Present Day -- The Pipsqueak's Getting Better...

Well, the diapers are still nuclear-powered, but things are looking up. Of course, the pediatrician said to give her PediaLyte, so she immediately deemed each and every flavor unacceptable. So whaddayado...? In this case, Grandma called the Jiu Jiu and asked him to swing by the local supermarket and pick up a couple of things.

Of course, that "couple of things" was a much longer list after a couple of in-store cell phone calls. (Bluetooth headsets aren't just for the car, folks -- even if you do look like you're talking to yourself.*) Since we couldn't quite figure out what the Pipsqueak would deem acceptable, I picked up varying sizes of containers of pear juice, apple juice, five flavors of Gatorade (carefully chosen not only according to flavor, but in obviously different colors in case Miri rejected any), and a container of 100% pure coconut water (the label claimed it had more electrolytes than energy drinks).

When I got to my folks' house (AJ had to go to work today), the Pipsqueak seemed glad to see me, but was obviously not her usual rambunctious self. I offered to pick her up, and then she wouldn't let me put her back down. Luckily, back in China I figured out how to do things one-handed while hanging onto the little one. It wasn't long before I was sitting at the table with my niece in my lap, trying to convince her (with some success!) to sip some of the juice while sipping my own coffee over her head -- and then trying to convince her she did want juice but did not want coffee! (I finally broke down & gave her a taste by dipping my finger in the coffee and then putting it up to her mouth, and was "rewarded" by getting bitten!)

I managed to convince her to have some juice and (after rejecting the pale purple flavor) some orange Gatorade. Then I got the "Eh! Eh!" and with one arm pointing to the couch, then the "Down!" to the couch, then the "Eh! Eh! Mine?" pointing at the TV. After a quick discussion among the adults, I got up & picked up the TV remote -- at which point Miri perked right up and even laughed & clapped. She cooed a bit more when she recognized the logo of the nursery rhyme show from the "on demand" channels, and then she surprised me by snuggling down against me to watch.

I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed the next 40-odd minutes (during which we worked through most of the available nursery rhyme sing-alongs); this was the first time since we were in China that I got to spend so much time snuggling with the Pipsqueak, singing along and clapping, stamping & nodding along with her while she was tucked into the crook of my arm. I'm hoping she feels better real soon -- but I'm also hoping I get to spend some time with her like this again before she gets old enough to think it's an uncool thing only for little kids.

Oh, and that asterisk when I mentioned people thinking I was talking to myself? I actually do talk to myself fairly often; my philosophy is that it's perfectly normal for a person to talk to himself -- just make sure you don't lose any arguments!