This is what happens when your big brother finds the stickers...
Today was Sam's medical appointment. We drove down to the medical center for adopted children. We went through all the paperwork and the lines of children waiting to be seen by doctors. Since we were here last, they have moved this to a new building in town...itused to be on Shamian Island. Also, Sam didn't get any vaccines! Because many adoptive parents petitioned against this, the US now gives you the option to have vaccinations done here, or you can sign a waiver stating that you will have them done when you get home. We signed the waiver.....
Also, when the doctor checked Sam's heart, he didn't act like he heard anything strange at all....So, I asked Rebecca our guide if the doctor said anything or wrote anything, and she said that he didn't hear anything....he described Sam as a normal baby. Now, I am fully aware that the medicals done here are not the most in-depth. HOWEVER, I have to say that I am so glad he didn't hear anything strange.....It seems to me that if there was a MAJOR hole, he would hear something, right? Maybe I am just wishful thinking, but I am going to continue my wishful thinking until someone tells me differently!!

Weight and Length

Ears, Nose and Throat

Heart and everything else!

This one is for Riley and Mimi- " JUST ONE!!!"

Rebecca ordered nooodles with fish-skin for lunch. She offered to share, but I declined...

Hotel Garden

SUBWAY!!

Sam and the Pleasant Goat- a very popular chinese cartoon here...

The biggest granola bar I have ever seen....seriously, that is what it looked like.

Granola. On a cart. In the middle of the street.

Jackson got some new tennis shoes for a deal...Riley and Lily- Don't worry, we got you some shoes too! (But girly ones!)

Tonight we are just hanging around the hotel. There is one other family here with our agency. Actually, the dad flew back yesterday, but the mom and little girl are here. They are from Prattville, AL, and the little girl is 4 years old....and so sweet! We were joking on the way here that we could tell people that we actually have 9 children and Sam is number 10....So it was pretty funny when the lady with us said this was their first adoption, but they have 9 biological children! Anyway, that makes 4 seem like nothing.....and I actually feel a little lazy!

We may walk down the street to Pizza Hut in a bit. Tomorrow we are going to the local mall- which has the jade and pearl market. Missing my girls bunches! How many more days, Riley? We must be getting close to home now!

Blessings-

Meredith

Gotcha #2 Video

I think we finally got the second part of gotcha day on youtube.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO3l6LzhNnA


Also, a tidbit into the meat department at the local Walmart.


http://youtu.be/U5sJpbenH8g

Hope it works!

My Favorite Hotel in the World!

Just a quick post tonight. We made it to THE GARDEN HOTEL in Guangzhou after a 1.5 hour flight delay in Changsha. And yes, we waited the extra 1.5 hours on the airplane. On the runway. While they explained why we were waiting in Chinese. And we had a baby...and no hot water for a bottle....you get the picture.

So, we are super glad that one of our guides from the last time we were here was there to meet us. Rickivicki. Ok. So her name is either Ricki, or Vicki. We have never been sure. Chinese folk say their r's like v's. so we will likely never know. We just call her RICKIVICKI. Either way, she is great, and it was nice to see a familiar face when we got off of that airplane.

Now we are at the hotel, Sam is sleeping in his crib, Jackson has fallen asleep on the sofa, and we are hoping to be asleep soon as well.

Tomorrow we have Sam's medical that is required by the US before he can be issued a Visa. I know he will have to have a number of imunizations, but they also do a physical. The biggest worry is TB. All kiddos have to come back in 3 days for the TB test results. Pray everything turns up clear so we can move on to the next step!

Night Night from China!!

Blessings-

Meredith

Not sure if this will work....

We tried to upload our gotcha day video to youtube.


Hopefully this link will work!! If it doesn't, I think you can cut and paste it into your browser and it will work that way.

http://youtu.be/dh4377TGw4g

On the way to the airport now! Next post- Guangzhou!

Blessings-

Meredith

Thursday, March 29, 2012

The spot where we first saw Sam
Our Friends from Holland with their new little boy

The Oath/Adoption Ceremony

Being Presented with the Adoption Certificate

Sam couldn't stay awake for the whole thing...

This is not a photograh it's an embroidery of FDR!

More embroidery...I think it is interesting that they used caucasian models...

John wanted to purchase this one....it was $8000. All he got was this picture I took!

A cute dalmation embroidery...and a cute boy!

Riding back to the hotel in the van

Lobby of the Hotel

Lunch!

Sam loves his bottles!

Today was a good day. We were so tired from the orphanage visit yesterday, that we went to sleep early and then slept in this morning. We went downstairs to eat and met Amy at breakfast. Then we went back to the CAB (China Adotion Bureau) to take the official oath of adoption. Our understanding is that this is a new step in the process just implemented a few weeks ago. It was nice, though- just us and the other couple from the Netherlands. We were presented with our official adoption certificate at the ceremony.

Since it was raining, we skipped the park and went to the embriodery factory. Hunan province is known for its fine embroidery, and the works we saw there were just amazing. Some of the embroidery is even double-sided. On the super fancy ones, it is a different picture on each side! I cannot even comprehend how they do that! The factory is government run, and there were lots of women working there. It was interesting to see a Chinese factory at work and the patience that these women have. There was one embroidery that had 14 women working on it at the same time!

After the factory, we came back to the room and talked quite a bit with Amy about chinese culture and tradition. Then she took us to a traditional chinese restaurant. It was SO GOOD! We had eggplant, some vegetables we hadn't heard of, beef with garlic and onions, and then Amy ordered some chicken blood soup for herself. I think it had some liver in it, but I really didn't get close enough to check for sure!

This afternoon we all took naps and started packing up our things. We are flying out tomorrow afternoon at 5 to go to Guangzhou. We will check out of the hotel at 2:30 to pick up Sam's visa and then go to the airport. I am sad to leave Changsha as it is a really nice town, but this hotel room is beginning to get a little small....and the Garden Hotel is calling my name. It is WONDERFUL!

That's all for now. By the way...so far, Sam is still taking 2-3 hour naps and sleeping through the night.... Perfect baby??? probably...

Blessings-

Meredith

More Orphanage Visit/Finding Spot Pictures

These are the cribs that were in Sam's room- closest one was his
From the other side of his room...

A little girl in one of the cribs in Sam's room

They insisted on showing me how Sam drinks his bottle....with no help...all by himself. I had to grab him back up very quickly. The little boy to the left was so super sweet- he just wanted to be around usSam and one of his friends

Sam's room was on the 2nd floor...where you see the nanny sticking her head out to tell us goodbye

Front of the orphanage

Sam- Happy at Lunch!This is Sam's finding spot- a very busy area. He was found in front of the ATM at the Bank of China - just to the right of the red sign under the 24

A very strange feeling indeed to know that I was in the same spot where someone left Sam to be found almost 14 months ago...

Orphanage Visit

Amy and Jackson on the High Speed Train
Sam's crib- the one on the left by the doorThe Nanny Sam was closest to

Both of the Nannies that took care of him the most

Sam's Best Friend In the OrphanageSam, Meredith, the orphanage doctor and the assistant director

Sam's Physical Therapist in the Therapy Room

Front Gate of Hengyang City Social Welfare Institute

At Lunch With Orphanage StaffOutside the Restaurant

Wow. We just have returned from visiting Sam's orphanage and hometown. We took the bullet train to Hengyang City and then took a van out to the orphanage. I don't even know where to begin, as I know I haven't even begun to process all that I have seen and learned today. I do know that I am thankful that we had the opportunity to visit. I am so happy that we were able to meet the nannies who cared for Sam, and see the place where he lived from the age of 4 months until almost 18 months. I am thankful that we have his finding spot recorded for him. However, today was no doubt the most difficult day of my life in many ways. I already have tears just thinking about it again. Orphanages vary quite a bit around the world, I am sure. We did get to visit Lily's orphanage in 2010, but we were not allowed to see many of the children, and we were not allowed in the rooms where the children slept. So, it is hard to compare, but after walking all through Sam's orphanage, being allowed to pretty much walk anywhere we wanted to, meeting the children, holding them, watching them- I can say that Lily's orphanage was close to Disney World. After being in Sam's orphanage for only 2 or 3 minutes, I could not contain my tears. Tears for Sam that he will be going home with us, tears for the children who are left there. It's not that the nannies don't love these kiddos or do their best for them. It's just that they simply do not have the resources that are needed to meet the kids' needs, -300 of them- and they do not have the training necessary to work with the resources they do have. Sam is very delayed- yes, but now I understand better. I simply cannot compare him to Lily. But he is lucky. God has been watching over him. Although I know he will struggle to catch up, and it will take time for sure, he has a fighting chance. Some of the children I saw today broke my heart. I want to advocate for each and every one of them. They need to be held. They need to be loved. They need their basic needs met on a daily basis. I am confident that the 4 months Sam spent with a family before being abandoned help him immeasurably. The doctor of the orphanage walked around with us, and from time to time she would ask me about a child "Do you think this child is adoptable?" How do you even answer that? Of course I want to scream- yes! Fill out the paperwork so this child can have a chance...but at the same time I am aware that there may not be a family waiting for a 5 year old boy from China who has no joints in his arms. Or a 2 year old girl who has Downs Syndrome. Each child that I met today, I prayed for very specifically, that God would keep them safe, that He would give them hope and a future...hopefully with their very own family included in that future. I am sharing a few pictures of our day. I am reminded again how blessed I am...but for the Grace of God.

Blessings-

Meredith