Medical Exam

This morning we had our medical exam for the babies... I'm not really sure why this is a mandatory part of the process but it is. ): The children go through an ENT test, get weighed and measured, temperature taken and then they have to strip down naked and thoroughly looked over. Sadly because our babies are over 2 years old they also had to have blood drawn to test for TB. If they test positive we have to go back for a chest X-Ray. We will find out the results tomorrow. We are just days away from being home and I hate all this unnecessary poking! What does it matter if they do have TB? 

They take the kids away from you and you can not go with them when they get their blood drawn. I had the special yogurt drinks ready for them when they came out and both of them cried and broke my heart. I cried too when Jovie got done because I have never heard her cry so loudly. 

After the medical exam we went to the "pearl market". This was a shopping center we'd been to before. There's no telling how many shops are in this HUGE, six story mall. Everything was closed for Chinese New Year though.

We bought a nice strand of pearls for Ian's future wife (: I love that!! We are already praying for his future spouse! We bought pearls for Mae and Jovie (we knew we'd be coming back for her future sister) last time we were in China, so they have matching ones waiting for them for their wedding day.

After we got back we just enjoyed playing in our room. Ian seems to act pretty good with me when we are here... 

The girls are so cute... Mae was putting on my shoes and Jovie keeps putting on Mae's and clomping all around. 

Ian's a little stud, isn't he??!? He loves a bath! 

McDonalds for lunch again! There's one right across the street (o: and all the kids like chicken nuggets. Ian likes his so much he wanted to save them in his special backpack. 

Mae and Ian have really bonded and you should hear the squeals and giggles coming from our room... I'm sure everyone on this hall hears us.

We bought the kids blocks at the Walmart and it's been the best purchase. They are really great quality and it's been something they all like and can play with together. Ian built his tall and then lined them all up. With each one he would squeal LOUDLY. He was very proud of himself. 

He's not all that into sharing and took all the blocks he could to the corner to play. His update we received did say he prefered playing by himself. He'll learn to have fun with his sisters soon, I think he already is figuring out he's got a pretty great big sister. 

Dinner was papa john's and it's just not the same pizza as back home (not worth going back to at least). The kids had noodles and seemed to like them though. We have to eat picnic style in our room but it seems to work! 

I wanted to make sure to say THANK YOU to all who are commenting and emailing!! It means so so much to hear for all of you at home. We are very home sick and counting down the days until we return! It feels nonstop with bonding and getting to know these babies, paying enough attention to Mae, someone getting into something, needing a diaper changed or nose wiped or whatever, and repeat — once we put them to bed we turn off the lights and are asleep when they are. I got to say this is EXHAUSTING! 

But we are happy with each days progress and absolutely loving each opportunty we get to know our babies better.  

Fly to Guangzhou

I'm slow to get this post up because we headed to the airport first thing in the morning and flew to a new city yesterday. We are now in Guangzhou, in southern China. It took us a little bit to get set up with internet... plus traveling wore everyone out yesterday.

We worried how the babies would do on the plane - this is a good trial run for the very long trip we will take home. Ian stood at the line to check our luggage and I asked our guide to tell him we are flying today on an airplane. He very coolly said "I've flown before."

He was fine with everything right up to getting on the plane but when we stepped foot on the plane, he had a mini melt-down. He was saying something in Chinese loudly over and over. We don't know what, but everyone else on the flight knew whatever he was saying. 

Our seats were not together, Mae was in front of us with mom and dad, Ian and Cody were together and Jovie Ming and I were together. Ian and Mae slept the whole trip but not our tiger baby. She was happy but very much a little handful... Throwing things on the floor over and over that the poor man sitting next to us would retrieve for her. She stood up and charmed the people all around us. She's so stinking cute but much more of a rascal than Mae was.

Mae is consistently sweet and aggreeable. 

Ian is still not happy with me. He will hold my hand if Cody tells him to, but not willingly. He knows he's being a stinker and will smile at me as he bites me or pinches me or stomps on my foot. 

Cody and I have tried to give him some time because we know he's having an especially hard time. He still wakes up 2- 3 times in the night sobbing and crying out for his a yi but we will have to start to force him to go with me more and more. 

We have found that Ian and Jovie have probably never been told no before - the good thing is that it is evident they were loved very much. 

One huge success is for the first time last night BOTH babies slept in their cribs. Ian went straight to his crib at bed time and Jovie started off in our bed. She cried until 1:30 until I finally figured out that she wanted socks on and after that she was good to go to the crib... Probably because she was so exhausted at that point! 

Friday Free Day!!!

Today was our first day with nothing on the agenda... and it was a relief! Since these babies came to us on Monday they have had to be so off schedule, without naps, they are eating new foods, and add being sick to it and you'd think they'd be pretty upset.  

Breakfast is our favorite meal. Our hotel has an amazing selection and it's been good for us to be able try a whole bunch of things to find what Ian and Jovie like. Ian is much more picky and would prefer to eat just noodles but I also think he's really not very hungry since he's not feeling well. Jovie is liking most things and will eat and eat and eat and still not get enough.  I just know her body is having to work extra hard. Mae fed her yogurt this morning and it is precious to see how she is helping. 

So this morning we walked to a near by park. I took pictures all the way there.  I feel very sentimental about Zhengzhou and really hate the thought of leaving here tomorrow. This is the city of our girls' origin and we love it. Scooters and bikes ride along the sidewalk... bunches of them and they zip around you.  

Today was especially cold and foggy. (Cody got fussed at by a woman that Ian wasn't bundled up enough) You could hardly see the sun through the clouds.

This is the park near our hotel.

We got our first chance to skype with Uncle Jon and Aunt Mer!

It's crossed my mind quite a few times how I will make things work with three when it's just me! I hope Ian likes his momma before Cody has to go back to work. It will be very hard on Ian when he does. I told Ian yesterday that Momma's do a lot more than just give you candy. (I've been bribing him to like me!) I think he is warming up little by little but I also think its really hard when he sees me always with Jovie. 

My dad told me yesterday that we might not do anything again until the kids are fourteen. Life is certainly different going from 1 to 3. 

Ian took a long nap this afternoon so Cody stayed with him and the rest of us walked to the McDonalds. Mae was so excited about chicken nuggets! The McDonalds is about a 10 minute long walk but feels a little longer if you are holding a 33 lb Maebelle. (: I had the lightest child - I'm curious how much Jovie weighs, not much I can tell you that. 

 

       

The McDonalds is in a tall building and is three levels. You can order on the main level but there are three levels of tables. Everything seemed pretty much the same on the menu except the red bean pie. 

Mae is amazing with them both and is enjoying playing with them but is also really struggling with the lack of attention we can give her. She holds no resentment for the babies and is constantly saying how much she loves them. She is saying things like, "I want to sleep with mommy all by myself," or "I want my picture taken all by myself." She's doing the absolute best that we could expect from her.

zhengzhou orphanage

Yesterday we visited the zhougzhou civil welfare institute. This is where Mae was and we learned yesterday that Jovie was here a good bit too. When the orphanage director came with Jovie on gotcha day he saw Mae and immediately knew who she was and remembered how she would get high fevers. He had a ton of pictures of her on his phone and took more of her now. He told us he wanted to share these pictures with her foster mom. He did and she was so happy to see her so big now and doing so well. She said this is the first child that she's fostered that she's gotten to hear about since they left her care. Later he called our guide and asked if her foster mom could meet us at the orphanage. 

I was very torn, I wanted to meet the woman that cared for Mae but I was afraid it would scare Mae. She doesn't remember anything about her to our knowledge. We didn't want to make it a big deal with her but I thought she might try to pick her up and I was bracing myself to be momma bear if anything upset her. 

Sadly, but maybe fortunately the foster mom could not make it there and we did not get the opportunity to meet her. We believe Mae was with her in her home for 5 months before we got her. 

The orphanage has a whole new building than when we were there before- making it twice as big. The new part is decorated really cool with big trees in the foyer, bright colors and has tons of classrooms and activities. The old part is just concrete and sterile looking to me with a few painted pictures on the wall.

This woman was Jovie's preschool teacher and she loved Jovie and walked with us and told us about her.

We went to the old building and visited the Lily Orphan room where Mae was and learned that Jovie spent the first 7 months of her life here as well. Jovie's past has been unknown to us and we are sure glad to put the pieces together. How incredible that the same nannies took care of both of my girls!!! They all knew Ding Juan (Mae) and were happy we brought her to show them. We didn't tell Mae anything about why we were there and immediately she walked into the room and totally unphased said "this is where I lived when I was a baby". The only thing that had changed were the beds were pink and blue, instead of the wooden.

The next thing that happened I was NOT prepared for... I thought Jovie had been with Show Hope the whole time and honestly I wouldn't have even gone to orphanage if it wasn't for the other families already going. They took us outside and around the back of the orphanage and there were tall buildings full of apartments. They said Jovie has been living with a family here. I never pictured anything like this the whole time I dreamed of her. We walked into the home and were met by a woman who immediately started sobbing when she saw Jovie. She starting pulling her out of the carrier... There was no arguing with her! She held Jovie and cried and wouldn't make eye contact with me for a while.

She said she hadn't slept since they took her on Monday. The guide told her not to hold her for long time and so she gave her back to me. Jovie didn't cry while we were there she just looked scared.

Jovie has lived with her for last 3 months. It was great to meet her and thank her for loving her. She said she would sleep tonight knowing she was okay. We went to leave and her foster mom asked Jovie if she could hold her again and Jovie shook her head no (she still took her again) but I was so glad to see Jovie has bonded with me.

Here's all the families in our group that also have zhengzhou babies.

And here is the orphanage director that brought both Mae and Jovie to us on Gotcha Day.

Both of my girls want my lap... You can see here how Jovie doesn't like to share me. There's a little competition here.

Our boy sucks his thumb to fall asleep. And I'm so happy to say he did NOT sleep in his shoes last night!!! And Cody hid them so today when he dressed him he just put on different shoes that we had brought, and he hasn't asked for them back.

Passports done!

I am really trying to blog everyday but it looks like the best time to do it is the following morning. Cody, Mae and I all wake up really early because our bodies are still not used to the time change... and we have to go to bed early with the babies too. 

Ian is only 1 centimeter taller than Jovie but they feel very different when you pick them up. They are both in 18 month cloths for height but Jovie is so bitty around the waist even leggings don't stay up. 

 

Yesterday we started our day driving out to Ian's city of Pingdingshan. It was a really long time to be in the car. Ian has been sick with a terrible chest cold and yesterday it was worse. You could hear every breath he took. He ended up sleeping the entire drive up and back, and he needed it. Jovie showed us more of her little self... she is a little tiger. She can act so quiet and bashful and then get wound up and laugh and be so silly and get this boldness that reminds us of a tiger. When she is in this mood she is into everything and if you tell her no, she laughs and shakes her head no and does it again. She was saying a word so emphatically yesterday and forceful and then laughing and laughing. I couldn't figure out what it was at first but it was "no" in chinese... she's a little tiger, like I said. 

This is at the passport office in Pingdingshan. We had everyone's attention in the room. I don't think they had ever seen American's with Chinese children. They were taking our picture and a few of them were asking our guide... "why do their children look Chinese". ha! They are Chinese! They thought I looked a tiny bit Chinese in the face but were very confused to see us with them. Adoption didn't even occur to them. 

The babies loved these fun yogurt drinks while we waited on Ian's passport documents to be done. I'm going to have to see if I can get some of these from the asian market when we get home. 

So while we were gone, Mae stayed with Mom and Dad and the went to Walmart. Mae is so great. I just can't get over how agreeable she is to everything and how she is just so happy.  I don't think I've heard her whine a single time this whole trip.  

Ian was sick enough that we thought we better take him to the doctor. So Cody strapped him to the carrier and walked down to the hospital with our guide. I hope he will start to get well now that he's on some antibiotics.

Jovie and Mae stayed back with me and Jovie got a bath!!!

She loved it! Her update from the orphanage said she loved baths. She splashed like crazy and even would put her face in the water. She is so funny. 

And when Cody and Ian got back, Ian got his bath! They said he didn't like baths but he loved his too. And I thought Jovie splashed; this little man was splashing so hard everything in the whole bathroom was wet. I can't wait until it's summer time and we can bring him to the pool. 

Aren't my two boys the cutest??? 

So Ian slept in his shoes again... night 3.