I'm getting a little behind on the blog but did finally get to sleep all night last night. That is the first time I have not woke up around 3 a.m. and not gone back to sleep. Julia has been wonderful. She has gone to bed around 8 p.m. and this morning we had to wake her up around 8 a.m.
To catch up on yesterday - I was afraid when she woke up that she would be scared or crying and she was not at all. She ate an entire breakfast bar and then ate some Congee at the breakfast bar. We had to have our picture taken for the adoption certificate and then shortly after we boarded a bus to go to the notary office where I was briefly interviewed and then back to the Civil Affairs Office to go through another interview. We then had a brief ceremony where they presented us with our adoption certificates and then we had an opportunity to exchange gifts with the orphanage director. It was really neat that they gave her a box with her baby picture, some dirt from the orphanage ground and some pictures of the orphanage. The parents sent back the things that we sent her earlier in the year in the care package. You could tell that she really used the bear and the blanket. I had an opportunity to ask the director questions and was not really surprised by the answers that I received. Julia only went to the orphanage once a month which is a requirement so that they can receive vaccines, medical check-ups, etc. She is fully potty trained but not on a western commode (this has been a huge obstical for us). We just had a pee pee in the potty party. YEAH! She was literally spoon fed since the foster parents have had her. She looked at me like I was crazy when I tried a bottle and sippy cup. I think we have met a mutual ground this morning and she is using a straw.
They asked Lily why she did not have shoes on when we were talking to them. I had her explain that her foot was too little for everything that I had brought and we were going shoe shopping after the meeting. All the kids needed shoes so we all directed the bus to the department store after the ceremony. Well, let me tell you that Nanning is famous for their shoes and their cheap prices. It was way too cool. Some of her shoes were cheaper than the coke that Matthew drank in the restaurant this morning. I have posted a picture so that you can see what bargains we got. I paid about $38 to $40 for all eight pairs of shoes. The leather is real and the shoes are adorable. Her feet are so dry as is her whole body. She would just look at the shoes like this is kind of neat.
We then returned to the hotel where just about everyone ended up in the infamous Chinese restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel. Our whole meal usually ends up running around $5 to $6 at the most and you do not tip. I have seen three different times where the waitress has ran us or someone in our group down trying to return the tip. When we got back to our room Julia had a temperature of around 102. I quickly tried getting it down and started her on antibiotics and let her sleep. I still feel that is the stress and the change in temperature with the air conditioner. She is not used to being in air conditioning at all thus resulting in such dry skin. We ate dinner in Grandma's room which was some oatmeal and a pbj. We also were given a metal bowl and silver spoon that she used with the family. She refused to drink yesterday afternoon until I spoon fed her the sprite in her bowl. She was extremely spoiled.
She slept really well last night and has not had anything but a very low grade fever today. She and I decided to just stay in the hotel today and sent the others out shopping. It gave us an opportunity to just be by ourselves and she actually starting mumbling some words at lunch. Yes, she and I went by ourselves to the downstairs Chinese restaurant, a whole 25 yuan...$2.75. We bonded with a little $1 toy from Wal-Mart. It is a doodle board. One of those things that you can draw on and then erase. I would draw her a picture and hand it to her and she would look at it and laugh and then draw over it and hand it back waiting for me to laugh. Her personality is slowly starting to come through and I mean slowly. She has been through a lot in the past 48 hours but everything she has done is to be expected.
I warned Tim this morning that we have a huge problem. She can give a look with her eyes that just melts your heart. I mean the whole hang her head and throw those eyes up in the air at you...very manipulative. We are going to have some very trying times ahead of us as far as laying the law down and making sure she follows it. I was told that the foster families know that they are not going to stay with them so that they spoil them just so they will like them while they are in their care. I hope Cindy wrote a manual when she was walking the line with Olivia. I would pay a high price for that book.:)
Please continue to pray for the children in our group. Some are having a hard time because of the severity of the grieving that their children are doing. There is a younger child in our group that has been running fever and might have to see the doctor today. I know that in a couple of more days the kids will be better adjusted and us to them. Think about it, we are handed a child that we know very little about and have to learn them as they do our western ways. Julia is taking a nap right now and holding her little picture ring that we made her of her family. She got to here her Baba's (Tim's) voice this morning on the phone and just smiled. We hope that hearing him everyday will help when she sees him. She has bonded to me very will and likes Matthew. I am making Nancy do all the dirty work when someone has to hold her for her medicine, etc. Anything bad, I just blame it on her. Grandma Susan is having a fit to get her hands around her but we are having to take that slowly.
Today three of the couples went to visit the orphanage so we are having some down time. We will probably go sightseeing tomorrow and then Friday prepare to fly to Guangzhou where we will meet up with the other couples from all over China. I cannot wait to see the other children and get some more westernized food. I am hoping that changing hotels will not make her digress as far as her progress is concerned. I will also get to see your comments on our blog site and see how badly what I have posted looks since I cannot see it from here.
Picture #1 - Civil Affairs Office - Lily, China Facilitator, David, Our Guide and SWI of Yulin Orphanage Director (man with blue stripe down front of shirt)
Picture #2 -Shoe shopping
Picture #3 - She's officially ours - adoption certificate
Picture #4 - My first hug - She held her arms at for me while we were at the CAO
Picture #5 - Nap time
Picture #6 - All dress up and ready to go!
2 comments:
what a wonderful post! she is amazing! you are doing an amazing job with her! thanks for allowing us to journey with you! she is beautiful!
BUY MORE SHOES! You will not be sorry!!
Sonya
Post a Comment