11/7/2012
We arrived in Zhangzhou without any issues. It was a very much needed relief. The weather we left was some slushy snow and
much smog now we are in nicer weather of mid to upper 50's and 60's and a
little less smog. Monday the 5th we
traveled a mere 15 minutes to where we finally met our son for the first
time. Last time we traveled about the
same but was our group of four families including us where this time we traveled
to the province alone to meet up with our guide. Although we traveled alone to our son's
province of Henan, City of Zhengzhou we had approximately seventeen families
from other agencies including us all at the same place at the same time in a
small room (approx 40x15). It was a very
loud emotional room. Joshua was handed
to me right away and for a short moment cried....I think more because all the
other kids were crying and he felt he should more so then because of how scary
I probably was to him. When I handed him
to Daddy it was the same brief bout of crying.
With Mikayla such an angel and a breeze being prepared for a demon seed
as I would say, Joshua did what I hoped and prayed, he proved my prediction wrong.
Mikayla was totally unattached willing to be with anyone in the
beginning where Joshua takes short moments to show an attachment to each of us
which shortens each time. Already in
just three short days he does not want to be with anyone other than us. He's a
happy little boy, a ham, who loves to laugh, run, play and is becoming quite
the momma's boy. He sleeps well and
sound, he goes down in his crib calmly and without a fuss. When he wakes he sings and plays by himself
while waiting for someone to get him. He
loves shoes, maybe he'll be a shoe salesman, I hope not but he does have a
thing for shoes. He loves his stacking
cups just as Mikayla still does hers and he is definitely a deep down big belly
jolly little guy, he loves belly tickles so much he asks for them ....he lays
down and points to his belly. All worked
well on clothes sizes too. Twelve
months are perfect where 18 months are a bit long in the arm and leg still work
also. We brought mostly 12 months so we
did well.
The adoption process this time is also a bit different. We signed papers quickly there right when we
got him we also did the fingerprinting and such all that same day. Right after getting him was our shopping
journey for diapers and the like. The
very next day at 9 am we finalized the process with a less ceremonial process
then last time since most everything was done except to get the official papers
and take the official family picture which took all of maybe 2 minutes. Also the same morning we also headed to the Notary
on the 3rd floor up 6 flights of stairs with a new infant in tow and a 4 year
old not quite sure of many steps yet along with not so in shape parents...the
gym visits helped I am sure. Later the
same day without a break back to the hotel we set out for a 2 1/2 hour drive
with both kids squashed up in a van.
This journey was better than could be expected but definitely not
fun. All for a trip to McDonalds that
lasted about 2 hours since we had time to waste (they did have a play area for
Mikayla, Joshua just enjoyed being in the fishbowl and pretending he was
outside of it)*. After the long lunch we
applied for Joshua's Passport which took all of maybe 15 minutes if that. Then back in the van for another long 2 1/2
hour journey back to the hotel arriving back to our room approximately 6:30 pm
giving us a running day of approx. 9 1/2 hours.
This day, today, is a FREE day a much needed one not just to recover
from all the running the day before but to hopefully recover more from what
started out as a very dry nose in Beijing to what I think has turned into a
major sinus infection which as of today has left me speechless....ha me
speechless ....no just without a voice.
I just hope and pray no one else shares it with me and also that I
recover a bit before Friday and our next flight.
Now at about 9 pm our room I think is trying to kill us....the room is
hotter than.... well you know. So here I
sit at 10:30 everyone asleep but me and I saw some hotel workers across the
hall and asked them to help but to shhhh (this is the 3rd attempt
since here already without resolve). They came and did whatever which I think
will work as the room did drop one degree in the last 30 min...heat wave. Ok, I was wrong the temp went up another 2
degrees now more visitors....grrrr. Ok
here's what the final outcome is for this craziness....it's China and for China
it is winter after all so all rooms are heated and there is no air
conditioner. We started out at 69.8
degrees which was great (they go by Celsius my reason for the odd degree) then
all of a sudden now we are at 78.8. I am
going to roast. They say since winter
and no air we can turn off heat but we might get too cold when sleeping....ok
outside it is maybe 50's I don’t think we will freeze especially with down
comforters on each bed. So off with the
thermostat, open the window and room door for now and when I am done the door
will close and the window will remain open...so far I already feel much
better...hmm lets check the temp...it states we are back down to 69.8 but I
don’t feel like it is quite that cool.
Tomorrow we head out to the Henan Museum of History and I will let you
know how it all goes. I will also let
you know if we have penguins skating around our room when we return. Friday we should receive Joshua's Passport in
time to head out to our flight to our last leg of the journey in Guangzhou at
about 10 - 11 pm. Saturday in Guangzhou
in the AM we are to do his Medical.
Until then and for our entire journey all Prayers for wellness and safe
travels are totally accepted. Zài Jiàn
*When you’re an American in China with not just one child but two, and
not just two but with two and one being a so called special needs child and
Daddy is helping with childcare you will feel like you are in a Fish Bowl as
everyone not just walks by and stares but goes out of there way to get to look
at you. We laugh and when we see the
people coming our way with that look in their eyes we just say FISH BOWL. We did meet a Christian Chinese woman who was
quite friendly and I began to talk to her with Mikayla telling her Jesus is in
her heart. I found she was not just
looking at us as in a fish bowl but as family.
Being in China and a Chinese woman and topping it off with being a Christian
is rare to find she has adopted herself a boy.
She talked in length of his story and how God is bringing them
through. Her son only 4 has brain issues
and lung problems. They say he would
never move or talk or do very much. She
told me all this as we watch him and Mikayla play in the playground. He played like a normal little boy and says
one word MA…this is more than the woman ever dreamed possible and she keeps the
faith and prays God will continue to be with them and give him a Strong Body….I
left her there with smile on her face as I told her I pray many blessings for
her and her family but I think I was more blessed to have had the chance to
have the short but meaningful conversation with her and to have our guide there
to help translate our conversations to each other.
No comments:
Post a Comment