Medical Exam

Today, we met up with three new adoptive families from our agency (two from Texas and one from Minnesota) and made our way, via bus, to the International Travel Clinic. This facility has a special section just for adoptive families. When we walked into this high-rise building, I was struck by how pretty and open the ground floor was...and empty! Next to the information desk was this vending machine...with full-sized bottles of wine. I found this unique and decided to take a picture of it...then immediately got yelled at by security. Really? I'm not sure what national security was at risk, here, but I politely put my camera away and apologized.

We rode up the elevator and the doors opened to a jam-packed clinic. Literally, wall-to-wall adoptive families and their children. It was hot and a complete mad-house. So, I also found it odd that there were large TV cameras and boom mikes extending over the crowd. Kai and I patiently waited through several lines: one for height and weight, one for ear, nose, and throat, one for general exam, and one for lab work and immunizations. As we approached the front of one of the lines, I could see the the subjects of the film crew. It was the stars of the TLC show, "The Little Couple." Turns out, they have adopted a little Chinese boy and he was a real cutie! The stars were super nice and made a point to wait their turn like everyone else, introducing themselves to the other parents...just like we all do. It was pretty cool! I did get a couple of shots of them (and no one yelled at me).

Kai did great on all of his exams and appears to be a very health boy. At this facility, the nurses stand at the door for the lab and take your child from you, then bring them back to the parents screaming, with band-aids and a couple of pieces of candy. My tough little dude came back to me without a single tear...just happy to have candy! I was so proud. While I was told to bring the operative report from the orphanage, no one would look at it, so it looks like I will have to see about getting it translated another way.

When we got back to the hotel, Jay was ready for a break from school, so we took the other families to our new favorite noodle shop. It was here that we discovered that Kai can use chopsticks pretty well!

We are now back in the room. Kai is down for a much-needed nap and I am fading fast. Last night, Jay and I made a cup of coffee around 7 p.m. in an effort to stay up late enough to Skype with the boys when they woke up, back home. Jay was asleep 30 minutes after he drank his coffee! I, on the other hand, was awake until 10 p.m...a new record for me on this trip. Since I did not want to wake everyone else, up, I ended up just texting with Campbell for about 45 minutes before I fell asleep. Naturally, Jay was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by 0300...therefore, so was I:-) We did have a break-through this morning. I told Kai to stay with Baba and I would be back. While he was not happy, he did not cry!

Tomorrow, we will visit the Chen Family Temple and the Pearl Market. Here's to a good night's sleep tonight!

"Hiking" Day on Baiyun (White Cloud) Mountain

I've put the word in quotes because "hiking" in China is a bit different than in the States...at least with what we experienced, today. Granted, it is "Women's Day" here in China, but this hiking included completely paved trails and about a million people:-) Other than that, the place was gorgeous! The azaleas, and other flowing plants, were in full bloom and the edges of the "trail" were very lush and green and VERY fragrant. The weather was great with low humidity and in the low 80's. Even with that weather, we were the only people in shorts and t-shirts. So we weren't sure if it was our lack of clothing, the Longhorns emblazoned on our shirts, or the fact that Jay had a Chinese boy strapped to his back. No matter, we had a blast. We purchased the child carrier in hopes of avoiding the stroller fumble through the crowds, here in China, as well as giving the contraption a dry run before a trip to Colorado that we have planned, later this summer. Turns out, it works great! Kai was even able to take an hour nap on our walk, thanks to the handy-dandy head hammock that pulls out like a hoodie on a rain jacket.

Along the way, there are various "rest areas" that seem to have all sorts of activities at each stop: ping-pong, hacky-sack, tai chi, ballroom dancing (yes! you read that right), and a multitude of delicious (and not so delicious) smelling concessions. And of course, no national scenic area would be complete without a McDonalds at the summit! There are also several old temples and houses along the way. You could literally spend several days exploring all of the little off-shoots in this area. As it turns out, we only had about 3.5 hours so we were moving out! To that end, we were amazed at the conditioning exhibited by the older generation walking up and down that trail, which has a pretty significant grade.

At the beginning of the trail, there is an "introduction to walking with vigorous steps" sign that tells you how to begin "the health walk" (picture below). Along the way, there are educational signs about how to reduce your cholesterol, "stop the smoking", and decreasing alcohol intake. Ironically, there is nothing about breathing heavy in the smog. At the top, we started to wonder if "White Cloud Mountain" referred to cumulous formations, or the immense pollution blanketing the city. I'm sure that there really are lovely views of Guangzhou, but you can barely make it out through the thick smog.

At the top, we chose to by-pass the McDonalds and keep going toward a second summit (Moxing Peak) and PB&J sandwhiches (which Kai does not like!). We stopped near there for some ice cream. We are not sure if Kai has ever had ice cream, or maybe he just never had one all to himself. However, once he realized it was all his, he put his face right in it!

After racing back to the bottom to meet our guide, we went for an adventure in the leather market. (translation: purses and wallets!) It was a bit overwhelming, and in the end, I could not decide on anything. However, our guide does have a trip back there next week with 3 more adoptive families who due in tonight, so put your orders in if there is anything you want!

Meanwhile, back at the hotel we are settling in for cup o' noodles and lots of bottled water! Tomorrow, we have to visit the clinic for a medical appointment, which usually means lots of immunizations. I also hope to get a translation of the operative report that we picked up from the orphanage, yesterday. I'll be flying solo on this visit, as Jay has another couple of papers due in the next 2 days and this will be a good catch-up day for him.

Thanks to all, for the thoughtful comments and emails! Like we did for Cael, our plan is to print this account of the adoption up for Kai, as a sort of "baby book", and your comments and well-wishes will mean a lot to him, someday.

Good night!

Visit to the Orphanage...AND the Foster Family!!

What a great day!

While the night was short: Kai woke up at 0100 and needed to go potty...and sleep was on and off after that. Since I was up any way, I decided to slip out to the treadmill while Kai and Jay were laughing it up on the bed. Unfortunately, he gets pretty distressed when I leave and though Jay knew he could text me to come back...he decided to take the opportunity to bond with Kai. When I got back to the room, I was greeted by the first picture below...precious!

After breakfast, we met our guide for the 2 hour drive out to Shenzhen where Kai's orphanage and foster home were. Apparently, Shenzhen is one of the fastest growing cities, and up until a few years ago was just a fishing village. Now there are more than 10 million people living there. The area between Guangzhou and Shenzhen has the factories that produce more than 50% of the "made in China" goods that are shipped abroad.

When we arrived at the orphanage, Kai stuck to me like velcro (it was very heartwarming!) The teachers and nannies who had cared for him showered him with hugs and kisses. Every room we walked into were cries of, "KaiQiang! KaiQiang!" Then lots of candy was given and received.

The pictures below are just a few of the many that we took and show his classroom, eating area, and sleeping room. If you look at the picture with the long eating table, there are three boys sitting together at the end of the table. They were laughing and joking. Then turned around and started calling me "Foreigner Mama":-) When we walked out of the room, they asked our guide if they could come to America, too? (GULP. My heart ached and I wanted to scoop them up, then and there!)

Next, we had heard from our guide that Kai's foster mom was willing to meet us and was expected any time to pick up her other charges to take them home for lunch and nap time. As soon as she walked in the room, I knew it was her. Kai actually wiggled out of my arms and ran to her. She was very gracious and invited us back to her home to see where Kai lived for the last 9 months (literally, until Monday when the orphanage brought him to us).

As was our experience when meeting Cael's foster family, we arrived to a spread of candy and nuts. The foster parents were preparing lunch for the children and, despite our attempts to decline, they insisted that we stay for lunch with them (noodles, fish, turnips, something brown and something green...all delicious!). These people are NOT reserved in their outgoing love and care for these kids...all FIVE of which had pretty significant special needs. You'll see in one of the pictures, that Jay has a new fan! This sweet girl (about 12) with Down's Syndrome clung to Jay the entire time. She was so sweet!
Both parents continued to smother him with hugs and kisses...and this explains Kai's outgoing personality. Obviously, I started to worry about departure time and if Kai was going to willingly go with us. But, in the end, he smiled, blew them kisses and waved "bye-bye". WOW! I was a wreck and both his foster mother and I cried and hugged. She thanked Jay and I for providing him a permanent home. We thanked them for caring so very much for Kai until we could get there. They then walked us to the door and stood there until we were out of sight. Every few steps, Kai would turn around and wave, "bye-bye"...it was nothing short of a miracle!

On the drive back with Kelly, we asked again, how rare it is for an adoptive family to meet a foster family...she said it is rare...and now we've done it twice! Thank you, Lord, for that tremendous opportunity.

Tomorrow morning, we are going to hike White Cloud Mountain...then maybe visit the purse market.

I think the pictures below are otherwise self explanatory.

Ferlands Out!

Quiet Day in China

Today was a day for catching up on some much needed rest! We actually slept until 0430, this morning, and it was absolute heaven! After having some in-room coffee and a tag team to the treadmill, we had a leisurely breakfast. Then, while Jay worked on school, Kai and I took advantage of the play area in the hotel. It was a beautiful day in the low 70s and low humidity! Kai had a blast on the slide. We then slipped his shoes off and waded into some very cool water...seemed to have a blast!
After a short nap, we went out to the local passport office to start the paperwork to head out of the country!

This evening, we had dinner with a couple from Waco, TX who are heading home tomorrow! We hated to see them go so soon, but understood that they, too, were anxious to get home to their other 2 children:-)
Tomorrow may be another emotional day, as we head to Kai's orphanage for a visit. We also hope to have an opportunity to meet his foster parents, but are not too optimistic about that.

Meanwhile, this kid is a jewel. Each day, he reveals a little more of his great personality...and some apparent mad skills on the dance floor (thanks to the help of Dora the Explorer on Netflix!) So the prayers are helping! I think the worst is behind us...not counting the "I'm almost 3 and will test my limits" moments that have begun to emerge:-)

Love to all!!

He's Officially a Ferland

Today is the day that we returned to the Civil Affairs office in order to finalize the adoption process. Basically, you pick up your child the day before and despite months (but mostly years) of paperwork...they want you to think about it for less than 24 hours before signing the final document...but I digress.

I told you all, yesterday, about how traumatic the day was for Kai, having been separated from the only caregivers he has ever known. However, by the time he woke up, this morning, you could see his little personality starting to emerge: Cautious smiles and reaching out to hold on to the only somewhat familiar hand, as we heading down to breakfast...it is no less than a miracle, when you consider the resiliency of a child in these circumstances. Breakfast only helped! The kid loves bacon and eggs! So now we have noodles, bacon, and eggs to his food repertoire ...cool...I can make all those! By the time the meal was over, he had started to sing a little bit. This is the moment I knew he was my son...food makes me sing, too!

This transformation came to a screeching halt as soon as we walked back "into that place"...a building that brought such joy to us and such pain for Kai. I could not believe how noticeably withdrawn he became. I think it shows so clearly on his face in the below pictures. The process took about an hour, and Kai stayed pretty much the same...right up until we were back to the hotel and heading out to a local noodle shop for lunch. I have this great video of Kai on Jay's back in the carrier, singing this little ditty that stuck with him (and us) the rest of the day. You'll have to come to our house and watch "the vacation trip" to see that one. Suffice it to say, it was precious and heartwarming!

Though we all desperately needed a nap after the morning's events, we decided to power through and take a tour of a local garden on Biyoun Mountain, with our new Texas Friends. It was really cool...but unfortunately, those pictures are on Jay's camera and he is not here. Where is he? Well let me tell you!

On the bus ride over to the garden, Jay was telling the guys of his adventure to the watch market when we here last. So that turned into an immediate scheduling of another guy adventure out to see what kind of deals they could score. In other words, the women-folk were sent back home to take care of the children. (which was FINE by me!) The picture of the watches below is the only record I have that tells of the boys NOT at the watch market, but down a dark alley and into some guy's private building. He reportedly made some good deals, but have yet to see the goods. I'm sure there will be more to that story!!

Meanwhile, Kai and I came back to the room for baths and more noodles...and M&M's...oh yeah...he loves those, too! (It's like he was made for me:-)

So he has finally crashed and I am not far behind. Tomorrow, we head out to apply for Kai's passport, but will otherwise, walk to the park and lay low.

I believe the pictures will be understood if you read this lengthy post!

Love to all!!

First Night...so far

So dinner showed the little fella starting to loosen up...just ever so slightly...still kept a scowl on his face and, at first, refused to eat anything. He only wanted to sip water.

Let me back up. Our guide invited us to meet with three other families for dinner (all from TEXAS!!). They wanted to try one of the local Cantonese restaurants, so we tagged along, hoping for any break through.
On the walk over, he almost smiled at me (kinda lifted one corner of his mouth) before he realized what he was doing.

During dinner, he refused to eat anything, shaking his head repeatedly at anything we offered...but then the fried noodles came out. BINGO! He's a noodle man! He didn't seem to want to touch it, at first, but you'll note in the pictures below that he was digging in, literally, at the end.

When we got back to the room, he was still in the, "don't take any of my clothes off" mode...until I showed him the bathtub. At first, he wasn't sure what to think, but then willingly let me strip him down and put him in the warm water. He was not at all sure what to think about the bubbles I had put in there and kept trying to shake them off of his hands and feet (Yes! Finally saw the feet and apparently has had some surgery there, too) I think this really relaxed him (may have had something to do with the lavender bubbles). He let me roll him up in a towel and rub him down with lotion.....he smelled so good when I was done with him!

Next a clean set of jammies and he crawled right in our bed (wanted nothing to do with the crib in the room). We allowed it and he was asleep soon after Jay! Eventually, he kicked us both out! So, at 0200, Jay is working on his paper (note Command Central, in the photo) and I'm writing to you!

Later this morning we will return to Civil Affairs to complete the adoption paperwork, then hopefully a trip to the market to pick up a few odds and ends for the rest of our stay. I'm anxious to see how he does at breakfast. The report is that he loves eggs...guess we'll find out!

Brave Little Dude

Oh man! What a day...and so very different from our first meeting with Cael. Kai was VERY upset and wanted absolutely nothing to do with us. As terrible as I felt for him, it actually made me glad to know that he has a real ability to bond with people. He appeared absolutely devoted to the Nanny who brought him and did NOT want to go with us!

Once we got back to the hotel room, he wanted to put all of his clothes on that were sent with him...so we obliged. He finally laid down, but had been reluctant to sleep (having missed his regular nap). He did finally give up a few minutes ago, hence the opportunity for this quick post. The only thing he has taken any interest in, so far, are the pictures that we have of him and our other boys on the iPad.

According to the orphanage workers, he has been very healthy and is mostly potty trained, though he is still prone to a few accidents. He has let me take him to the bathroom twice, already, so that's working for us!

In the car ride back to the hotel, I noticed scars on each hand and it appears the syndactly on his left hand has been released and the cleft in his right hand has been narrowed...hmmm...they did not mention surgery when I asked about any major illness. Guess I will have to be more specific when we head back to Civil Affairs, tomorrow, to finalize the adoption. Since he won't let me remove his shoes, I don't know about his feet, yet.

Obviously, we don't have a lot of pictures but wanted to at least provide a quick update on our first meeting. We are prepared for some more tears in the coming days and we will comfort him as best as we can.

Thanks for your continued prayers...we will most definitely need them!