Only three more days, but who’s counting?!

March 17, 2013

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from China!  I hope you all are wearing your green today.  My boys had on their green and Evie had some green polka dots on her pants.   We’ll make sure she has more green next year!

Yesterday, Saturday, we braved the travel healthcare facility of Guangzhou along with all other families from the U.S. who are adopting this week in China.  Also joining us were some China families who are applying for visas.  Needless to say there were 120+ children in this public healthcare-like system and believe it or not, we were in and out in less than 1.5 hours!  Bryan made a point to say that if we were in the U.S., the process would have gone all day, but some how they were organized AND gentle.  Our first stop was the room to get Evie J’s visa photo.  Then they printed off her photo and gave us paperwork with her information.  We took this packet of information to each station with us.  The stations were “general exam” which meant listening to her heart, lungs and abdomen.  He also did a thorough check for scabies because she has been scratching.  Thank goodness for no scabies!  Just very dry skin, which has improved so much over the last six days because I have been coating her with Cereve daily.  The next station was weight, height and temperature.  Evie is a petite little three-year old weighing just 11kg or about 24lbs.  She’s 34.5 inches tall.  The third station was a TB test taken by a blood draw.  They wisped her in this room and shut the door quickly.  Parents were not allowed in this room because they said it made the procedure more difficult to do with the parents.  Evie was in and out in 2 minutes or less, and all tears were gone within in a minute.  Evie J is a tough little girl.  Last station, the ENT room where they checked her ears, nose and throat.  She did great but they said she has a mild common cold, which we already knew, and to treat her with water.  Overall, we were pleased with the experience and especially to be finished!

Yesterday in the late afternoon, we took a walk in a local park.  It was so nice to see green!  Green trees, flowers and water!  Through this park we walked, took lots of pictures and of course lots of people took pictures of us.   I can only imagine how many Chinese Facebook pages my sons’ pictures have been on in the past ten days!  Through the park, Brycen made Evie J smile and even giggle by teasing her.  He would try to grab her hand to hold it and she would hide it from him.  I can tell she really is bonding with her brothers.  One final stop before we left the park was to watch men fish in a manmade little pool-like pond.  The fish were huge and the water looked really dirty.  We did not tell Brycen that he could rent a rod and fish with these men.  He would have done it in a skinny minute and I did not want him touching the water, let alone the fish!  Oh, I must mention that just as my mom, Evie J and I were standing back and watching the boys and Bryan with the “fishermen”, a rat ran next to us!  If you know my mother, you know that the presence of rodents is her biggest fear.  We quickly got away, and the rat did too! J  Just after the walk in the park, we went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants yet.  Or so we thought.  It’s an Australian café across from our hotel with western sorts of foods.  After a nice casual dinner, just next to us behind the bar, one the female employees screamed.  She then started to unload the cabinets and with her male co-workers looking on, and we knew she had either seen a rat or mouse!  Our boys rushed to watch the excitement hanging over the bar.  Oh, the entertainment!  I’m not sure I can get my mom to go back there this week for dinner.

Today was a full day.  Went to the Shamian Island of Guangzhou to do some souvenir shopping.  Unfortunately, we left our stroller in the cab that took us over.  Argh!  It was not one that I invested much in, but it was invaluable with all of the walking and sightseeing that we are doing.  I will try to find another one on Tuesday, but tomorrow is another busy day with no shopping in the plan.  This afternoon, Mom, Brycen, Evie J and I went shopping for jade and pearl.  It was enjoyable to get some nice pieces, but we I admit, we are losing steam.  Evie J is fighting a cold so she slept all afternoon.  I hope she sleeps well tonight.

Tomorrow is a milestone.  Bryan leaves us in the early morning to go back to the U.S.  Ugh!  This makes me sad to think about, but my focus is on the fact that we leave just three days later (Thursday).  I believe we may join our group for a safari to see pandas and other animals.  This will help the day pass, but it’s going to be a long one.  We’ll be gone from 8:30am to 5:30pm, and do I need to remind you that we will have NO stroller.  I was told we could rent one at the safari park, but I have a feeling I’m not going to approve of the cleanliness of the stroller.  I’ll take a look, but I’m planning on carrying kids all day.  Only three more days!  Who’s counting??

Some have asked how Evie J is doing with Bryan and others have sent me encouraging emails telling their experiences with bonding, or lake thereof.  Everything Evie J is doing is textbook adoption attachment.  She is still mourning the loss of her foster family, but she is showing great progress.  Each day is something new!  Today, although she does not like Bryan or my mother to hold her (she screams continuously), she will let Bryan be near her and sleep next to her.  She will also take food from his hands and let him kiss her on the cheeks.  BIG progress compared to early last week. 

Evie J loves the boys!  I have a super sweet story.  I’m not sure if Shannon (my loving and helpful cousin who is updating my blog) posted the picture of this, but yesterday morning I had left for the hotel fitness center before anyone woke up.  Apparently, Evie awoke while I was gone and quietly crawled out of bed, walked through our adjoining hotel rooms and found where Finn and Bennett were sleeping.  She laid her head down on a pillow next to them and stood there silently until I got back from the gym.  Bryan and my mom watched her do this and Bryan snapped a picture.  She loves them and finds security in her brothers! Precious.

Since Bryan is leaving tomorrow, I will not have a computer to send lengthy updates.  I will send short updates from my iPad.  Thank you so much for your continued support, thoughts and prayers!  Seriously!  Knowing that we have so many friends and family loving us makes this challenging process so much easier.  We miss you all tons!!!  XOXOXO

Note from Shannon:  I don't have any pictures of what Summerson mentions above.  But, once I get them, I promise to post!