Sunday, August 9, 2009
Blog Updating on China Trip
Just a quick note to confirm that I have added to the blog all the daily emails I sent out while on our adoption trip to China. I have not yet added all the pictures, as that will also take a bit of time, but will do so ASAP as time allows. Tomorrow is return to work day, so I'm getting ready to shake the rust off after 3+ weeks. Angie will begin acclimating Cammo to a home routine at the same time. I'll update the blog with a post later this week or next weekend.
China Update - The Return Home
Hello from Claremore, Oklahoma! We have now been back for 4 full days and we are continuing to recover from our jetlag. It’s no fun to wake up at about 0100 or 0200 and to be unable to fall back asleep, knowing you will be utterly drained the next day as a result. Nevertheless, it is slowly starting to improve and by this weekend we ought to be back to normal, or nearly so. Cameron seems to be dealing with it better than us…..you wouldn’t know he has been on such a long journey just by watching him. All continues to go remarkably well on the homefront, as I will expand on in a moment.
Our return flights home went fairly well, although with lots of turbulence from Beijing to Chicago and Chicago to Tulsa. Our flight from Chicago to Tulsa ended up being delayed for about an hour due to weather surrounding Chicago. However, we didn’t really know it would be delayed…..until it was actually delayed. So…..we were nearly an hour late arriving to Tulsa but were unable to alert our well-wishers at that point. However, they were all troopers about it and still awaited our arrival…..a bigger contingent of family and friends than we were expecting. Many thanks to all who met us including 2 other adoptive families who we have befriended (Burnett’s and Peak’s), friends (Cohea clan, Delk’s) and family (Angie’s parents and sister/family). There was a nice welcome home sign and balloons. We greatly appreciated their warm welcome. Cammo was very shy upon our arrival (totally not like him, except when around unique people or situations) and I don’t think he said a thing between our arrival and when we left the parking lot. Angie, one of the two adoptive daughters of the Peak’s, walked up to Cammo and exclaimed, “I’m from China too!” Very cute. Cammo is great around other kids, both older and younger, so we look forward to spending time in the future with both of these wonderful families with whom we share the international adoption experience. You guys are awesome and we cherish all you have done for us.
Cammo is doing remarkably well so far. One of our big concerns was getting him acclimated (and vice versa) to our two German Shepherds. He was terrified of them at first, but by the end of the weekend was their best buddy. This took quite a bit of effort on our part…….they spent quite a bit of time in their outside kennel and behind closed doors in the house before he slowly began to warm to them. Now he enjoys giving them treats, taking them to potty and helping Angie groom them. We continue to supervise this closely, though, to ensure the safety of both Cammo and the dogs.
We are slowly working into normal family routines…..bathing and hygiene, meals, bedtime, etc. When we first met Cameron he was used to showering ~2x per week and was fairly resistant to any change to this. He now takes a shower every 1-2 days depending on our activities, and is agreeable to doing so without resistance. He continues to turn the shower on and off during the process……get wet, turn off shower and soap up, turn on shower and rinse, turn off shower and wash hair, etc. Once out of the shower, he makes sure to have us smell his hair to show us that he did a good job. He has also started using a kids mouthwash….saw dad using mouthwash so he had to try it, but didn’t care for the apparently strong “taste”. We got him some kids mouthwash and now he’s great about using it. However, the first time he tried it he ended up having an overflowing mouthful of bubbles that were going everywhere. After a few belly laughs at this sight he has since mastered the process. He has also gotten better about changing his underclothes…..very resistant at first (and we didn’t push the issue too much) but is now much better. He tends to wear mostly size 7 clothes, but some 8’s are okay.
We have kept his bedtime about what it seemed to be in Beijing, and he readily goes to bed without protest. We got a set of nightlights for him, but he prefers to have the bedside light on. We turn it off when he goes to sleep and, between the two nightlights in his room and one each in the hallway and bathroom, he has no problem waking up to this. The first night he was home he slept with us. The following night we gave him the option, and he chose to sleep alone in his bedroom. We told him it was fine if he awoke and wanted to come in with us, but he has done just fine on his own, and has not felt the need to do so, apparently. He readily sleeps throughout the night…..no waking that we are aware of. He does tend to grind his teeth a lot when sleeping, and is also prone to talk in his sleep a bit.
Cammo’s eating habits are evolving. He continues to prefer lots of fruit for breakfast, but has yet to develop an affinity for our yogurt (which tastes a good bit different than what we got in China). We initially kept to foods that we knew he liked in China but have begun to branch out. Believe it or not, he doesn’t really care for rice! He is beginning to like certain foods that, when he looked at them before trying them, he rejected. For example, we had some frozen seasoned fries that he said he did not want. However, after they were cooked, he tried one, liked it, and proceeded to have a small plateful. We also grilled some Italian sausages last night with sautéed onions and green peppers, and he had three of these in buns! Quite an appetite! He does not like mustard yet, though. We also keep a ready stock of Ramen noodles on hand, and we will put some shrimp or chicken chunks in with it to make more of a meal of it. Needless to say, I don’t think finding foods he likes will be a problem, although I’m sure we will have both hits and misses. We also have plenty of snacks for him available…..lots of fruit, trail mix, hard-boiled eggs, etc. He has quite an affinity for ice, now, and is mesmerized by the icemaker built into our refrigerator. Of course, he also likes to get small pieces of ice to give to the dogs, which has made him a big hit with them!
He has been spending some time playing with his cousins, and we also went to a family friend’s birthday party on Sunday and he had a great time playing with all the other kids, especially on the monkey bars. He is quite helpful with the other kids and there was no hitting, outbursts, etc. for the nearly 2 hours we were there. He is very enjoyable to be around. He is very happy most of the time, and on those rare occasions when something is bothering him (usually with something around the house or with us as he gets acclimated), he gets over it quickly and moves on…..no lingering resentment. Having said that, Angie and I have spent tons of time going back over all we learned through both Dillon International and Christian World Adoption, as well as through the Social Worker’s and support staff to make sure we are approaching each issue with sensitivity to his background and what will work best for both he and us. Needless to say, we “pick our battles” carefully, and Cammo has been awesome in adapting to his new environment (and us as well). Many thanks to those who have helped us prepare for this over the past 18 months…..Julie and Rebecca with Dillon, Mei and Jane with CWA, the Peaks and Burnetts, and the many books and courses we took…..we have needed all of it. Even as I write this, he is helping Angie with cleaning around the house…..vacuuming, dusting, etc. He loves to help out with things like this.
Communicating is still quite fragmented. We use the translator to communicate to him, but this is one-sided. Nevertheless, we have a system of gestures and words that allow for fairly effective, albeit crude, communication until he learns more language. Frustration on his part with this appears to be at a minimum.
We were able to call and get him his first dentist appointment for tomorrow morning. We also have his first doctor’s appointment for next Wednesday. We took him by the doctor’s office yesterday to get the paperwork we would need to fill out, but also to give him a chance to more gradually get comfortable with going to the doctor. This gradual acclimation is also how we’re approaching swimming…..he was quite scared of the water at first and would not go near a pool unless in the kiddie area (since he cannot swim yet, this is a good thing). I took him by where I work to show him the YMCA pool and youth area so he could visualize this. Then yesterday we took him to the Y’s splashpad and he had a great time. We stopped by the youth area in the indoor pool again, and he was much more agreeable to going in, and has even asked to go back. We think that after a couple sessions there he will be asking to take (or at least agreeable to) swim lessons.
As you can see, we could go on and on in this message about all that is going on in our family right now. Suffice it to say that Cammo is proving to be an even bigger blessing than we had ever envisioned, and we feel truly honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to be called his parents. We simply cannot imagine our lives without him now.
This will be the last post I will be sending out to this distribution list. As mentioned previously, we have created a blog which I will plan to update at least on a weekly basis, and anyone interested in following our ongoing journey can bookmark, subscribe to it, or otherwise check it on a regular basis. The address is okie-ramblins.blogspot.com Please note that it has not been updated in a couple months, but this will change over the next few days and weeks.
Over the next week or so I will attempt to go back over the emails I sent while in China and add them to the blog as well. We hope you all have enjoyed following our journey and, seeing as how a number of our followers are in the process of adopting themselves (most from the Hope Project), we look forward to following your own journeys. If we can help you in any way as you prepare for your trips, stay in China or whatever, do not hesitate to email me/us. May your lives be as blessed and enriched through this process as ours have been.
Our return flights home went fairly well, although with lots of turbulence from Beijing to Chicago and Chicago to Tulsa. Our flight from Chicago to Tulsa ended up being delayed for about an hour due to weather surrounding Chicago. However, we didn’t really know it would be delayed…..until it was actually delayed. So…..we were nearly an hour late arriving to Tulsa but were unable to alert our well-wishers at that point. However, they were all troopers about it and still awaited our arrival…..a bigger contingent of family and friends than we were expecting. Many thanks to all who met us including 2 other adoptive families who we have befriended (Burnett’s and Peak’s), friends (Cohea clan, Delk’s) and family (Angie’s parents and sister/family). There was a nice welcome home sign and balloons. We greatly appreciated their warm welcome. Cammo was very shy upon our arrival (totally not like him, except when around unique people or situations) and I don’t think he said a thing between our arrival and when we left the parking lot. Angie, one of the two adoptive daughters of the Peak’s, walked up to Cammo and exclaimed, “I’m from China too!” Very cute. Cammo is great around other kids, both older and younger, so we look forward to spending time in the future with both of these wonderful families with whom we share the international adoption experience. You guys are awesome and we cherish all you have done for us.
Cammo is doing remarkably well so far. One of our big concerns was getting him acclimated (and vice versa) to our two German Shepherds. He was terrified of them at first, but by the end of the weekend was their best buddy. This took quite a bit of effort on our part…….they spent quite a bit of time in their outside kennel and behind closed doors in the house before he slowly began to warm to them. Now he enjoys giving them treats, taking them to potty and helping Angie groom them. We continue to supervise this closely, though, to ensure the safety of both Cammo and the dogs.
We are slowly working into normal family routines…..bathing and hygiene, meals, bedtime, etc. When we first met Cameron he was used to showering ~2x per week and was fairly resistant to any change to this. He now takes a shower every 1-2 days depending on our activities, and is agreeable to doing so without resistance. He continues to turn the shower on and off during the process……get wet, turn off shower and soap up, turn on shower and rinse, turn off shower and wash hair, etc. Once out of the shower, he makes sure to have us smell his hair to show us that he did a good job. He has also started using a kids mouthwash….saw dad using mouthwash so he had to try it, but didn’t care for the apparently strong “taste”. We got him some kids mouthwash and now he’s great about using it. However, the first time he tried it he ended up having an overflowing mouthful of bubbles that were going everywhere. After a few belly laughs at this sight he has since mastered the process. He has also gotten better about changing his underclothes…..very resistant at first (and we didn’t push the issue too much) but is now much better. He tends to wear mostly size 7 clothes, but some 8’s are okay.
We have kept his bedtime about what it seemed to be in Beijing, and he readily goes to bed without protest. We got a set of nightlights for him, but he prefers to have the bedside light on. We turn it off when he goes to sleep and, between the two nightlights in his room and one each in the hallway and bathroom, he has no problem waking up to this. The first night he was home he slept with us. The following night we gave him the option, and he chose to sleep alone in his bedroom. We told him it was fine if he awoke and wanted to come in with us, but he has done just fine on his own, and has not felt the need to do so, apparently. He readily sleeps throughout the night…..no waking that we are aware of. He does tend to grind his teeth a lot when sleeping, and is also prone to talk in his sleep a bit.
Cammo’s eating habits are evolving. He continues to prefer lots of fruit for breakfast, but has yet to develop an affinity for our yogurt (which tastes a good bit different than what we got in China). We initially kept to foods that we knew he liked in China but have begun to branch out. Believe it or not, he doesn’t really care for rice! He is beginning to like certain foods that, when he looked at them before trying them, he rejected. For example, we had some frozen seasoned fries that he said he did not want. However, after they were cooked, he tried one, liked it, and proceeded to have a small plateful. We also grilled some Italian sausages last night with sautéed onions and green peppers, and he had three of these in buns! Quite an appetite! He does not like mustard yet, though. We also keep a ready stock of Ramen noodles on hand, and we will put some shrimp or chicken chunks in with it to make more of a meal of it. Needless to say, I don’t think finding foods he likes will be a problem, although I’m sure we will have both hits and misses. We also have plenty of snacks for him available…..lots of fruit, trail mix, hard-boiled eggs, etc. He has quite an affinity for ice, now, and is mesmerized by the icemaker built into our refrigerator. Of course, he also likes to get small pieces of ice to give to the dogs, which has made him a big hit with them!
He has been spending some time playing with his cousins, and we also went to a family friend’s birthday party on Sunday and he had a great time playing with all the other kids, especially on the monkey bars. He is quite helpful with the other kids and there was no hitting, outbursts, etc. for the nearly 2 hours we were there. He is very enjoyable to be around. He is very happy most of the time, and on those rare occasions when something is bothering him (usually with something around the house or with us as he gets acclimated), he gets over it quickly and moves on…..no lingering resentment. Having said that, Angie and I have spent tons of time going back over all we learned through both Dillon International and Christian World Adoption, as well as through the Social Worker’s and support staff to make sure we are approaching each issue with sensitivity to his background and what will work best for both he and us. Needless to say, we “pick our battles” carefully, and Cammo has been awesome in adapting to his new environment (and us as well). Many thanks to those who have helped us prepare for this over the past 18 months…..Julie and Rebecca with Dillon, Mei and Jane with CWA, the Peaks and Burnetts, and the many books and courses we took…..we have needed all of it. Even as I write this, he is helping Angie with cleaning around the house…..vacuuming, dusting, etc. He loves to help out with things like this.
Communicating is still quite fragmented. We use the translator to communicate to him, but this is one-sided. Nevertheless, we have a system of gestures and words that allow for fairly effective, albeit crude, communication until he learns more language. Frustration on his part with this appears to be at a minimum.
We were able to call and get him his first dentist appointment for tomorrow morning. We also have his first doctor’s appointment for next Wednesday. We took him by the doctor’s office yesterday to get the paperwork we would need to fill out, but also to give him a chance to more gradually get comfortable with going to the doctor. This gradual acclimation is also how we’re approaching swimming…..he was quite scared of the water at first and would not go near a pool unless in the kiddie area (since he cannot swim yet, this is a good thing). I took him by where I work to show him the YMCA pool and youth area so he could visualize this. Then yesterday we took him to the Y’s splashpad and he had a great time. We stopped by the youth area in the indoor pool again, and he was much more agreeable to going in, and has even asked to go back. We think that after a couple sessions there he will be asking to take (or at least agreeable to) swim lessons.
As you can see, we could go on and on in this message about all that is going on in our family right now. Suffice it to say that Cammo is proving to be an even bigger blessing than we had ever envisioned, and we feel truly honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to be called his parents. We simply cannot imagine our lives without him now.
This will be the last post I will be sending out to this distribution list. As mentioned previously, we have created a blog which I will plan to update at least on a weekly basis, and anyone interested in following our ongoing journey can bookmark, subscribe to it, or otherwise check it on a regular basis. The address is okie-ramblins.blogspot.com Please note that it has not been updated in a couple months, but this will change over the next few days and weeks.
Over the next week or so I will attempt to go back over the emails I sent while in China and add them to the blog as well. We hope you all have enjoyed following our journey and, seeing as how a number of our followers are in the process of adopting themselves (most from the Hope Project), we look forward to following your own journeys. If we can help you in any way as you prepare for your trips, stay in China or whatever, do not hesitate to email me/us. May your lives be as blessed and enriched through this process as ours have been.
China Update - July 29 PM
Hello again from Guangzhou! This time tomorrow we will be somewhere over northern China at about 35,000 feet, heading toward Siberia. It has been an awesome trip, but we are quite ready to return home. We are heading out to dinner shortly, so just a quick note to update you all before we eat and pack for departure.
Yesterday afternoon we went to the Chen Family Temple. It was built in the 1890’s by three wealthy and influential members of the Chen family to honor their deceased relatives, as is customary in this culture if one achieves a measure of stature and/or fortune. It has also been made into a Chinese Folk Museum, so there were some interesting artifacts included. Following this, we traveled to the Pearl Market. It was an interesting place to visit, but seeing as how we were not in the market for any pearls, we merely people-watched and observed the surroundings.
Today was our big appointment at the U.S. Consulate. No pictures to show, as they did not allow any cameras to be taken into the building. The adoptive families as a group repeat and oath of truthfulness in the documents they have prepared. There were about 20 or 30 families competing their adoptions and taking the oath today. At the completion of the oath, we were given a sealed brown envelope that contains the documents that we have to present at U.S. Customs and Immigration upon arriving in Chicago and, upon perusing these documents and stamping their approval, Cammo will officially be a U.S. citizen.
As I write, Angie has taken Cammo downstairs to take some pictures of him on the well-known Red Couch, as well as some other pictures around the premises. He is wearing his new outfit, so these should be interesting and more traditional looking.
Tomorrow will be an extremely long day for us. We waken at 0500 Guangzhou time (1600 Tulsa time on Wednesday) to get ready for our first flight, an Air China flight at 1000 from Guangzhou to Beijing. We then have a 3 hour layover before taking a United Airlines flight at 1600 (0300 Tulsa time on Thursday) for the nearly 14 hour flight to Chicago. In Chicago we go through U.S. Customs and Immigration Service as part of a 4 hour layover before boarding a United Express flight to Tulsa which departs at 2000 and arrives in Tulsa at 2155. I will check my email first thing tomorrow morning and will also check it in Chicago on my cell phone. I will probably send a blurb out when we arrive in Chicago to confirm our departure to Tulsa is on time. We arrive a bit later in the evening, but would love to meet anyone who would like to venture to the airport at that time.
Once back home, I will probably continue to use this distribution list for a few days, then will convert back to blog’ing on our site for those interested in continuing to follow our journey. We look forward to introducing you all to our little man on our return! He is very excited about leaving, although I don’t think he’s looking forward to all the plane rides to get there.
Yesterday afternoon we went to the Chen Family Temple. It was built in the 1890’s by three wealthy and influential members of the Chen family to honor their deceased relatives, as is customary in this culture if one achieves a measure of stature and/or fortune. It has also been made into a Chinese Folk Museum, so there were some interesting artifacts included. Following this, we traveled to the Pearl Market. It was an interesting place to visit, but seeing as how we were not in the market for any pearls, we merely people-watched and observed the surroundings.
Today was our big appointment at the U.S. Consulate. No pictures to show, as they did not allow any cameras to be taken into the building. The adoptive families as a group repeat and oath of truthfulness in the documents they have prepared. There were about 20 or 30 families competing their adoptions and taking the oath today. At the completion of the oath, we were given a sealed brown envelope that contains the documents that we have to present at U.S. Customs and Immigration upon arriving in Chicago and, upon perusing these documents and stamping their approval, Cammo will officially be a U.S. citizen.
As I write, Angie has taken Cammo downstairs to take some pictures of him on the well-known Red Couch, as well as some other pictures around the premises. He is wearing his new outfit, so these should be interesting and more traditional looking.
Tomorrow will be an extremely long day for us. We waken at 0500 Guangzhou time (1600 Tulsa time on Wednesday) to get ready for our first flight, an Air China flight at 1000 from Guangzhou to Beijing. We then have a 3 hour layover before taking a United Airlines flight at 1600 (0300 Tulsa time on Thursday) for the nearly 14 hour flight to Chicago. In Chicago we go through U.S. Customs and Immigration Service as part of a 4 hour layover before boarding a United Express flight to Tulsa which departs at 2000 and arrives in Tulsa at 2155. I will check my email first thing tomorrow morning and will also check it in Chicago on my cell phone. I will probably send a blurb out when we arrive in Chicago to confirm our departure to Tulsa is on time. We arrive a bit later in the evening, but would love to meet anyone who would like to venture to the airport at that time.
Once back home, I will probably continue to use this distribution list for a few days, then will convert back to blog’ing on our site for those interested in continuing to follow our journey. We look forward to introducing you all to our little man on our return! He is very excited about leaving, although I don’t think he’s looking forward to all the plane rides to get there.
China Update - July 28 PM
Hello again from Guangzhou! Our day of departure draws near, and we are focused on completing the necessary steps to finalize the adoption. It has been a wonderful journey, but we are all (Cammo included) ready to continue our travels toward home.
Last night we went on a dinner cruise on the Pearl River. The Pearl River is the third longest river in China after the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, and is navigable from Guangzhou to the South China Sea. The city itself has a census population of 10 million, but some estimates place the actual population at over 15 million. Having driven around the city on various tours and adoption business over the last few days, we can confirm that this city goes on and on for miles. Guangzhou was formerly known as Canton and is renowned for its spicy Cantonese cuisine. The city also lies about 75 miles northwest of Hong Kong. The buildings along the river as well as the bridges are lit up at night and quite beautiful. The skyline goes on an on, and is also quite impressive at night. The food was satisfactory; however, the unsuspecting tourist needs to get used to how the Chinese often prepare various types of meat. Whereas we have sections with a complete bone (e.g., rib, chicken leg, etc.), they will often cut this all up into the dishes, so you really have to pick apart your food to get out the bones, tendons, etc. It takes a bit of getting used to.
Yesterday we took a stroll on the island and along the river and encountered a number of people seeming to take naps everywhere we looked – benches, against trees, in parks, etc. Also, a number of people were swimming in the river, some in the middle of the channel where large boats travel. They seem to do this in some cases for exercise and sometimes even for bathing. A few had handmade life preservers with them made of plastic soda bottles tied together and capped on top. Primitive, but effective. One thing you can’t miss when walking around on the island are the old banyan trees which are everywhere; quite majestic and beautiful.
Although there are buildings everywhere, with many appearing to be apartment-type buildings, Elvin told us that only the wealthiest people could afford them. The going rate for a 100 square meter (~330 square feet?) apartment costs about $2 million U.S. dollars. Most workers in the city either come in from the suburbs, rent a much cheaper apartment, or live in the much poorer areas. We drove through some of these areas on our way to the U.S. Consulate today, and it was quite eye-opening. Once again, we had to go through the local traffic. Words cannot describe what it’s like. The lane lines, I am convinced, are placed there largely for aesthetic effect, as nobody seems to use them very much, nor do they use blinkers much either. “Lane changing” has no rhyme or reason, but rather people just cut in front of each other within inches, and I am not exaggerating! And nobody ever gets upset! I have never once seen a finger or hand gesture, cursing, or anything. It seems to be the normal course of things here. Likewise, “lines” in general aren’t really adhered to much here. People cut in front of you or barge in like it’s nothing…..no acknowledgement or anything. In the States, we would find this incredibly rude and cause for a spoken word or confrontation. Not here. It seems to be the norm; a culturally accepted and expected practice. We continue to be amazed by it but, once you realize it’s nothing personal, you just go with the flow, so to speak.
I drove with Elvin and one other family representative to the U.S. Consulate this morning to complete the paperwork on Cammo’s passport. No problem. Now the only thing we have left is our Consulate appointment tomorrow afternoon for the swearing-in ceremony. We took a taxi back to the hotel from the Consulate. The fare for 3 passengers to go 17 miles, which took about 40 minutes, was 52 yuan altogether. That’s about $8! Try that in NYC!
This afternoon we are going to a local historical park (can’t remember the name), followed by a stop at the Pearl Market. It rained earlier today…..pretty much a daily occurrence here, so hopefully the weather will hold up this afternoon. Cammo continues to do remarkably well, and is anxious to get to his new home. Although we are anxious to return home as well, Angie and I also have lots of emotions about taking Cammo from his native country and know that, although he seems quite adventurous and adaptable, the adjustment to his new surroundings and culture will not be an easy one.
Last night we went on a dinner cruise on the Pearl River. The Pearl River is the third longest river in China after the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, and is navigable from Guangzhou to the South China Sea. The city itself has a census population of 10 million, but some estimates place the actual population at over 15 million. Having driven around the city on various tours and adoption business over the last few days, we can confirm that this city goes on and on for miles. Guangzhou was formerly known as Canton and is renowned for its spicy Cantonese cuisine. The city also lies about 75 miles northwest of Hong Kong. The buildings along the river as well as the bridges are lit up at night and quite beautiful. The skyline goes on an on, and is also quite impressive at night. The food was satisfactory; however, the unsuspecting tourist needs to get used to how the Chinese often prepare various types of meat. Whereas we have sections with a complete bone (e.g., rib, chicken leg, etc.), they will often cut this all up into the dishes, so you really have to pick apart your food to get out the bones, tendons, etc. It takes a bit of getting used to.
Yesterday we took a stroll on the island and along the river and encountered a number of people seeming to take naps everywhere we looked – benches, against trees, in parks, etc. Also, a number of people were swimming in the river, some in the middle of the channel where large boats travel. They seem to do this in some cases for exercise and sometimes even for bathing. A few had handmade life preservers with them made of plastic soda bottles tied together and capped on top. Primitive, but effective. One thing you can’t miss when walking around on the island are the old banyan trees which are everywhere; quite majestic and beautiful.
Although there are buildings everywhere, with many appearing to be apartment-type buildings, Elvin told us that only the wealthiest people could afford them. The going rate for a 100 square meter (~330 square feet?) apartment costs about $2 million U.S. dollars. Most workers in the city either come in from the suburbs, rent a much cheaper apartment, or live in the much poorer areas. We drove through some of these areas on our way to the U.S. Consulate today, and it was quite eye-opening. Once again, we had to go through the local traffic. Words cannot describe what it’s like. The lane lines, I am convinced, are placed there largely for aesthetic effect, as nobody seems to use them very much, nor do they use blinkers much either. “Lane changing” has no rhyme or reason, but rather people just cut in front of each other within inches, and I am not exaggerating! And nobody ever gets upset! I have never once seen a finger or hand gesture, cursing, or anything. It seems to be the normal course of things here. Likewise, “lines” in general aren’t really adhered to much here. People cut in front of you or barge in like it’s nothing…..no acknowledgement or anything. In the States, we would find this incredibly rude and cause for a spoken word or confrontation. Not here. It seems to be the norm; a culturally accepted and expected practice. We continue to be amazed by it but, once you realize it’s nothing personal, you just go with the flow, so to speak.
I drove with Elvin and one other family representative to the U.S. Consulate this morning to complete the paperwork on Cammo’s passport. No problem. Now the only thing we have left is our Consulate appointment tomorrow afternoon for the swearing-in ceremony. We took a taxi back to the hotel from the Consulate. The fare for 3 passengers to go 17 miles, which took about 40 minutes, was 52 yuan altogether. That’s about $8! Try that in NYC!
This afternoon we are going to a local historical park (can’t remember the name), followed by a stop at the Pearl Market. It rained earlier today…..pretty much a daily occurrence here, so hopefully the weather will hold up this afternoon. Cammo continues to do remarkably well, and is anxious to get to his new home. Although we are anxious to return home as well, Angie and I also have lots of emotions about taking Cammo from his native country and know that, although he seems quite adventurous and adaptable, the adjustment to his new surroundings and culture will not be an easy one.
China Update - July 27 PM
Hello again from Guangzhou! It is noon on Monday here in China. Three days from now we will be on the first leg of our lengthy return trip to the States. All continues to go remarkably well. We are loving our stay here and soaking up as much of the culture, cuisine and history as possible. Nevertheless, we are about ready to return home with our wonderful new addition, and we can sense that Cameron is ready as well.
Last night was fairly uneventful. We welcomed several new families to our group who had adopted with CWA from another province, and had now joined us in Guangzhou for the finalization. Following another nice dinner we stopped by a local store similar to a Wal Mart called Callefour Hypermarket (a French company). This was an interesting experience. I will never complain about the crowd at a Wal Mart again…..this place was packed with folks, and I mean packed! The prices were roughly comparable to the States given the current exchange rate. The store was 3 stories, and you took an escalator to each floor. The escalators did not have steps, though, but rather were a moving incline. The carts also had all four wheels turnable rather than just the front two like in the States…..these things really could turn on a dime! And at the entrance was a chicken feet kiosk, with different types of this popular cooked snack available for shoppers. Needless to say, we were the only Westerners in the store, so the stares were aplenty! At one point in the evening, Jane was introducing the new families to those of us who had arrived earlier. She introduced him as Dang Niu to one family and he jumped in with, “My American name is Cameron!” Then, he proceeded to correct her pronunciation of his name. Needless to say, she has retold this story a number of times today she was so tickled by it.
This mornings breakfast was typical fare. Cammo tried his first piece of bacon and decided he did not care for it. Unfortunately, he had decided to put about five slices on his plate, so mom and dad are now bacon’ed out for awhile! Once again, Cammo opted for two full plates of fruit, a boiled egg, and 2 containers of yogurt. At one point while eating, his egg disappeared. I asked Angie about it and she said he probably put it in his pocket. Sure enough, when we got back to the room he opened his pocket to show us the egg. Oops! Turns out it was a soft boiled egg, and was now a soupy mess in his pockets! We hurriedly got him to change shorts so we wouldn’t be late for the zoo tour. I also showed him how to use a knife more effectively this morning. He tends to hold it in his fist and tries to cut, but this does not work very well. I showed him how to use his index finger to apply pressure and guide the knife. He tried this method on a sliced peach and it worked awesomely, but he still decided to use his own method. If that works for him right now, so be it!
We were pleasantly surprised this morning by a call from our Owasso, Oklahoma friends, the Burnetts. Angie was beside herself as this was a quite unexpected, but delightful surprise. Cammo had to get in on the action and jabbered away on the phone as well. He is certainly a social butterfly!
The Guangzhou Zoo was an interesting experience. Quite a bit different from an American zoo. Some of the animal enclosures were quite nice, while others were fairly small (tigers, leopards, etc.). As seems typical by now, the landscaping was impeccable. My attention was immediately drawn at the entrance to the entry fee sign which noted that children were charged based on size (height) rather than age. I have never seen that before. Of course, we had to see the panda display where, due to the heat, he was lounging on a block of ice! We were particularly enthralled by the enclosures of several apparently rare and endangered species: the chipmunk and squirrel enclosure, as well as that of the milk cow. Not sure I’ve seen these animals in zoos before! Please note the attached picture of Angie posing next to another…..ummmm…..rather interesting animal enclosure! We were only at the zoo for an hour, but were absolutely drenched with sweat from the insane humidity. Nevertheless, we enjoyed it immensely.
Tonight we are going on a dinner cruise on the Pearl River. Tomorrow Elvin, our guide, will take the American part of the paperwork to the U.S. Consulate to issue Cameron a visa for his passport to be able to enter the States. Wednesday is the visa appointment and swearing in ceremony at the U.S. Consulate.
Angie here. I just had my first Mother meltdown. I know all mothers can sympathize here. I was washing a pair of Cameron’s shorts in the sink. Thought I checked the pockets but apparently not enough. I washed his MP3 player. I feel absolutely awful. He bought this with his own money and has his Chinese music on it. How do we explain this to him? This child does not have much and I accidentally did this. I’m crying and Scott explains it as best he could on the translator; that if it was broken we would replace it and that we would need his help in putting his music on the new one. We could tell he was a little bit upset but was more concerned that I was upset and kept giving us gestures that it was OK. I held his face and told him I was very sorry and that I loved him. Thirty seconds later he was onto something else. Right after that he is blowing me kisses. What a wonderful kid. Lesson learned for me. Oh, this was Cameron’s first time to the zoo. It was neat experiencing this with him, but hard because of the language barrier. He had so many questions. Luckily Jane and her friend, also with CWA, explained things to him but we could not understand his reactions. We will take him back to the zoo in Tulsa. Till tomorrow.
Last night was fairly uneventful. We welcomed several new families to our group who had adopted with CWA from another province, and had now joined us in Guangzhou for the finalization. Following another nice dinner we stopped by a local store similar to a Wal Mart called Callefour Hypermarket (a French company). This was an interesting experience. I will never complain about the crowd at a Wal Mart again…..this place was packed with folks, and I mean packed! The prices were roughly comparable to the States given the current exchange rate. The store was 3 stories, and you took an escalator to each floor. The escalators did not have steps, though, but rather were a moving incline. The carts also had all four wheels turnable rather than just the front two like in the States…..these things really could turn on a dime! And at the entrance was a chicken feet kiosk, with different types of this popular cooked snack available for shoppers. Needless to say, we were the only Westerners in the store, so the stares were aplenty! At one point in the evening, Jane was introducing the new families to those of us who had arrived earlier. She introduced him as Dang Niu to one family and he jumped in with, “My American name is Cameron!” Then, he proceeded to correct her pronunciation of his name. Needless to say, she has retold this story a number of times today she was so tickled by it.
This mornings breakfast was typical fare. Cammo tried his first piece of bacon and decided he did not care for it. Unfortunately, he had decided to put about five slices on his plate, so mom and dad are now bacon’ed out for awhile! Once again, Cammo opted for two full plates of fruit, a boiled egg, and 2 containers of yogurt. At one point while eating, his egg disappeared. I asked Angie about it and she said he probably put it in his pocket. Sure enough, when we got back to the room he opened his pocket to show us the egg. Oops! Turns out it was a soft boiled egg, and was now a soupy mess in his pockets! We hurriedly got him to change shorts so we wouldn’t be late for the zoo tour. I also showed him how to use a knife more effectively this morning. He tends to hold it in his fist and tries to cut, but this does not work very well. I showed him how to use his index finger to apply pressure and guide the knife. He tried this method on a sliced peach and it worked awesomely, but he still decided to use his own method. If that works for him right now, so be it!
We were pleasantly surprised this morning by a call from our Owasso, Oklahoma friends, the Burnetts. Angie was beside herself as this was a quite unexpected, but delightful surprise. Cammo had to get in on the action and jabbered away on the phone as well. He is certainly a social butterfly!
The Guangzhou Zoo was an interesting experience. Quite a bit different from an American zoo. Some of the animal enclosures were quite nice, while others were fairly small (tigers, leopards, etc.). As seems typical by now, the landscaping was impeccable. My attention was immediately drawn at the entrance to the entry fee sign which noted that children were charged based on size (height) rather than age. I have never seen that before. Of course, we had to see the panda display where, due to the heat, he was lounging on a block of ice! We were particularly enthralled by the enclosures of several apparently rare and endangered species: the chipmunk and squirrel enclosure, as well as that of the milk cow. Not sure I’ve seen these animals in zoos before! Please note the attached picture of Angie posing next to another…..ummmm…..rather interesting animal enclosure! We were only at the zoo for an hour, but were absolutely drenched with sweat from the insane humidity. Nevertheless, we enjoyed it immensely.
Tonight we are going on a dinner cruise on the Pearl River. Tomorrow Elvin, our guide, will take the American part of the paperwork to the U.S. Consulate to issue Cameron a visa for his passport to be able to enter the States. Wednesday is the visa appointment and swearing in ceremony at the U.S. Consulate.
Angie here. I just had my first Mother meltdown. I know all mothers can sympathize here. I was washing a pair of Cameron’s shorts in the sink. Thought I checked the pockets but apparently not enough. I washed his MP3 player. I feel absolutely awful. He bought this with his own money and has his Chinese music on it. How do we explain this to him? This child does not have much and I accidentally did this. I’m crying and Scott explains it as best he could on the translator; that if it was broken we would replace it and that we would need his help in putting his music on the new one. We could tell he was a little bit upset but was more concerned that I was upset and kept giving us gestures that it was OK. I held his face and told him I was very sorry and that I loved him. Thirty seconds later he was onto something else. Right after that he is blowing me kisses. What a wonderful kid. Lesson learned for me. Oh, this was Cameron’s first time to the zoo. It was neat experiencing this with him, but hard because of the language barrier. He had so many questions. Luckily Jane and her friend, also with CWA, explained things to him but we could not understand his reactions. We will take him back to the zoo in Tulsa. Till tomorrow.
China Update - July 26 PM
Hello again from Guangzhou! Today is our rest and relaxation day, and we’ve been taking full advantage of this. Other than meeting for dinner at 1800, we had no set plans.
Once again, we had a big breakfast in one of the hotel restaurants. Cammo loves fruit of almost any type. Today’s breakfast for him consisted of two large plates of fruit and 2 containers of yogurt. Nobody around here drinks milk, but they do like lots of yogurt, and the yogurt quality at the hotels has been very good. The yogurt even comes with a folded spoon on the inside. Angie likens it to what she was served in England years ago. Cammo is quite messy when he eats, but is meticulous about washing his face and hands with soap and water afterwards.
While I was typing away, Cammo and Angie went across the street to 7-Eleven to get a bite to eat. Cammo made sure when they got back to the room that both parents also had something to eat. Very considerate of him; he’s constantly doing things like that.
After breakfast and a bit of lounging in the room, we ventured out for a walk. Shamian Island is neat place to hang out. From the mid-18th to the 19th century, Shamian was the only place where foreign merchants were allowed to live in Guangzhou. It was conceded to the British and French following the Second Opium War in 1859. It was a center of trade for these countries from that point until the early 20th century, and you can clearly see this influence in the architecture and layout of the island. Various bronze statues are scattered around the island which depict life as it was during earlier periods on the island, as well as from more recent times. Guangzhou is known as the Flower City, and this is evident on Shamian Island as well. Cammo took a number of pictures with these bronzes, played in the park again, and stopped for a snack of cold water and chicken feet. We were once again approached several times by folks wanting to talk to us about America, adoption, what we were doing here, and to just practice their English. There seemingly are also a number of people doing photo shoots on the island all the time whether for weddings, tourism or whatever, but they seem to be all over. Also, you see many middle-aged and older folks who are out exercising in some form, including badminton and a game which seems similar to hackey sack.
I forgot to mention in yesterday’s email that we had stopped by a local shop and purchased a New Year’s outfit for Cammo, and one for Angie as well. Angie was able to pick out the fabric style and was custom fitted, so we go back to pick it up tomorrow evening. Needless to say, she is quite excited about it. Hers is red coloring with a design on it, while Cammo’s is dark blue. Angie preferred a red outfit for him, but he definitely preferred the blue, so that is what we got. We got it just a tad big for him so that it will fit for at least a season. It is a custom here at the White Swan to take a last day picture on “the Red Couch” dressed in your new outfits, so we are definitely prepared. I think they are both going to look adorable in them.
I also forgot to mention something that Cammo brought from the orphanage that I thought was neat and which we will keep in good condition for him as he gets older. It was a small memory-type book with what appeared to have a page for each of his classmates to write down some thoughts for the recipient. Each page prompts them for such things as: My First Impression of You, Our Sweetest Memory Together, My Dream, etc. There were also a couple nice cards that I suspect the staff, teachers and/or “ayi’s” gave him before he left.
The White Swan is a very nice and historic hotel. The hotel was built during the early stages of China’s adoption of the policy of Reform and Opening Up, and its opening ceremony was held on February 6th, 1983. Among its distinguished guests are: Mr. Deng Xiaoping, former U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon and George Bush, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Cuban Chairman Fidel Castro, French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac, German Chancellors Helmut Kohl and Helmut Schmidt, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, and many others. It borders the Pearl River and has wonderful views of the river and city of Guangzhou, as well as beautifully landscaped lawns and gardens.
That’s all for now…..hope we’re not boring you to death with the minutiae of our trip! Cammo has been an absolute delight today and is anxious to get to his new home. We miss you all!
Once again, we had a big breakfast in one of the hotel restaurants. Cammo loves fruit of almost any type. Today’s breakfast for him consisted of two large plates of fruit and 2 containers of yogurt. Nobody around here drinks milk, but they do like lots of yogurt, and the yogurt quality at the hotels has been very good. The yogurt even comes with a folded spoon on the inside. Angie likens it to what she was served in England years ago. Cammo is quite messy when he eats, but is meticulous about washing his face and hands with soap and water afterwards.
While I was typing away, Cammo and Angie went across the street to 7-Eleven to get a bite to eat. Cammo made sure when they got back to the room that both parents also had something to eat. Very considerate of him; he’s constantly doing things like that.
After breakfast and a bit of lounging in the room, we ventured out for a walk. Shamian Island is neat place to hang out. From the mid-18th to the 19th century, Shamian was the only place where foreign merchants were allowed to live in Guangzhou. It was conceded to the British and French following the Second Opium War in 1859. It was a center of trade for these countries from that point until the early 20th century, and you can clearly see this influence in the architecture and layout of the island. Various bronze statues are scattered around the island which depict life as it was during earlier periods on the island, as well as from more recent times. Guangzhou is known as the Flower City, and this is evident on Shamian Island as well. Cammo took a number of pictures with these bronzes, played in the park again, and stopped for a snack of cold water and chicken feet. We were once again approached several times by folks wanting to talk to us about America, adoption, what we were doing here, and to just practice their English. There seemingly are also a number of people doing photo shoots on the island all the time whether for weddings, tourism or whatever, but they seem to be all over. Also, you see many middle-aged and older folks who are out exercising in some form, including badminton and a game which seems similar to hackey sack.
I forgot to mention in yesterday’s email that we had stopped by a local shop and purchased a New Year’s outfit for Cammo, and one for Angie as well. Angie was able to pick out the fabric style and was custom fitted, so we go back to pick it up tomorrow evening. Needless to say, she is quite excited about it. Hers is red coloring with a design on it, while Cammo’s is dark blue. Angie preferred a red outfit for him, but he definitely preferred the blue, so that is what we got. We got it just a tad big for him so that it will fit for at least a season. It is a custom here at the White Swan to take a last day picture on “the Red Couch” dressed in your new outfits, so we are definitely prepared. I think they are both going to look adorable in them.
I also forgot to mention something that Cammo brought from the orphanage that I thought was neat and which we will keep in good condition for him as he gets older. It was a small memory-type book with what appeared to have a page for each of his classmates to write down some thoughts for the recipient. Each page prompts them for such things as: My First Impression of You, Our Sweetest Memory Together, My Dream, etc. There were also a couple nice cards that I suspect the staff, teachers and/or “ayi’s” gave him before he left.
The White Swan is a very nice and historic hotel. The hotel was built during the early stages of China’s adoption of the policy of Reform and Opening Up, and its opening ceremony was held on February 6th, 1983. Among its distinguished guests are: Mr. Deng Xiaoping, former U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon and George Bush, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Cuban Chairman Fidel Castro, French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac, German Chancellors Helmut Kohl and Helmut Schmidt, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, and many others. It borders the Pearl River and has wonderful views of the river and city of Guangzhou, as well as beautifully landscaped lawns and gardens.
That’s all for now…..hope we’re not boring you to death with the minutiae of our trip! Cammo has been an absolute delight today and is anxious to get to his new home. We miss you all!
China Update - July 26 AM
Hello again from Guangzhou. I feel like I’m stuck in a sauna. No, really. It is unbelievably humid here. Of course, our trip coincides with the hottest part of summer but, nevertheless, the humidity is just crazy here. To our friends back home in Oklahoma, you have no idea what real humidity is. However, Guangzhou is also quite beautiful and has a rich history (especially Shamian Island), so it makes it easier to overlook the weather.
Today (Saturday) was medical exam day. There is a clinic about a 10 minute walk from the hotel where these are conducted for the adopted children. All went well here. We thought that they might not accept Cameron’s TB test result from the prior week, but would instead make us take it again. However, this did not occur. He did have to take 2 shots. I took a number of pictures in the clinic in order to document this part of the process, but Cameron did not like me doing so. You may see his disgust come through in the pictures. I explained to him that I was taking them partly for him to have many years from now, and he seemed to take it a little better after that. He did not care for the shots, one in each arm, but allowed them to be done without major protest.
On the way back to the hotel we met up with Jane, our CWA worker from Beijing. It was great to chat with her again. She and Mei had just completed their interviews of the children from the local orphanage that will be part of Hope Project 3. Hope 1 had primarily older children and Hope 2 had younger children, while Hope 3 is also older children. Angie had a chance to talk to them at length in the afternoon but, unfortunately, I did not as they had only one parent from each family meet with the guide when they were present. Mei is returning to the States today. Both Mei and Jane truly have a passion for these children and advocate for them tirelessly, and this was quite evident in our interactions with them. We will miss them both, and hope to visit with them again in the future.
We had lunch at a restaurant across the road from the hotel. I can’t remember the name of it, but the food was awesome…..we cleaned our plates! One interesting cuisine note that I don’t think I’ve mentioned is that after every meal they put a bunch of slices of watermelon on the sousan for everyone to eat. I think this was done at virtually every meal in Beijing as well. It’s almost like a light dessert. I’ll have to inquire about it.
In the afternoon, Angie met with our guide to go over paperwork. It is amazing how many documents are involved in the adoption process, and they all have to be done exactly right. This went smoothly, so we are ready to apply for Cameron’s visa and then have our Consulate appointment.
While Angie was going over paperwork, Cameron and I decided to go swimming. He does not yet know how to swim, so he stayed in the very shallow area set aside from the main body of the pool. After this we went to a local park and he tested out all the equipment while I chatted with a local who spoke broken English and was going to be in the States later this year. We had a number of people take our pictures here. Once again, they were quite polite, so we were not put off by this at all.
The White Swan is a very nice hotel located on Shamian Island, a sandbar island in the Pearl River. The rooms here are nice, although we have 2 much smaller beds than in Beijing. Nevertheless, we make it work just fine. The beds are firmer here than in the States, so they take a bit of getting used to. Our room overlooks the mainland rather than the river, and the old US Consulate is directly below. The buffet here is pretty good, so we load up in the morning.
Cameron is adjusting well. The relatively minor behavioral issues we’ve seen are rapidly improving as he learns to trust us. Bonding is going extremely well. He has no problem talking to us; however, the language barrier is pretty big. We communicate through the handheld translator just fine, and he is learning new words every day. He is extremely helpful and thoughtful and will readily share whatever he has with us. He thrives on close contact, and loves to sit on our laps while watching television or when on the computer. He hugs us quite a bit and kisses Angie on the cheek. He is prone to pouting a bit when he doesn’t get his way, but this is improving as well. He is quite happy, and is always jabbering away or singing. He is always trying to figure out how things work. When we first arrived at this hotel, he had to go through every closet and drawer, push every button, and figure out how everything worked. It’s great…..now we just ask him through gestures what we want, and he gladly knows which button or switch to push to do it. He knows it better than we do! Needless to say, he is quite inquisitive, but can get frustrated if he cannot figure something out or if it does not work the way he thinks it should. He is quite playful, but doesn’t always adjust the “volume”, so to speak, on the physicality of play. He seems to be quite adept at adjusting to his environment after the initial shock wears off, and we think this bodes very well for him as he enters his new life. Hopefully this gives you some insight into the remarkable little guy we’ve been given the opportunity to parent.
Today is an off day, so we’ll probably take it easy. Maybe walk the island a bit. Ciao for now!
Today (Saturday) was medical exam day. There is a clinic about a 10 minute walk from the hotel where these are conducted for the adopted children. All went well here. We thought that they might not accept Cameron’s TB test result from the prior week, but would instead make us take it again. However, this did not occur. He did have to take 2 shots. I took a number of pictures in the clinic in order to document this part of the process, but Cameron did not like me doing so. You may see his disgust come through in the pictures. I explained to him that I was taking them partly for him to have many years from now, and he seemed to take it a little better after that. He did not care for the shots, one in each arm, but allowed them to be done without major protest.
On the way back to the hotel we met up with Jane, our CWA worker from Beijing. It was great to chat with her again. She and Mei had just completed their interviews of the children from the local orphanage that will be part of Hope Project 3. Hope 1 had primarily older children and Hope 2 had younger children, while Hope 3 is also older children. Angie had a chance to talk to them at length in the afternoon but, unfortunately, I did not as they had only one parent from each family meet with the guide when they were present. Mei is returning to the States today. Both Mei and Jane truly have a passion for these children and advocate for them tirelessly, and this was quite evident in our interactions with them. We will miss them both, and hope to visit with them again in the future.
We had lunch at a restaurant across the road from the hotel. I can’t remember the name of it, but the food was awesome…..we cleaned our plates! One interesting cuisine note that I don’t think I’ve mentioned is that after every meal they put a bunch of slices of watermelon on the sousan for everyone to eat. I think this was done at virtually every meal in Beijing as well. It’s almost like a light dessert. I’ll have to inquire about it.
In the afternoon, Angie met with our guide to go over paperwork. It is amazing how many documents are involved in the adoption process, and they all have to be done exactly right. This went smoothly, so we are ready to apply for Cameron’s visa and then have our Consulate appointment.
While Angie was going over paperwork, Cameron and I decided to go swimming. He does not yet know how to swim, so he stayed in the very shallow area set aside from the main body of the pool. After this we went to a local park and he tested out all the equipment while I chatted with a local who spoke broken English and was going to be in the States later this year. We had a number of people take our pictures here. Once again, they were quite polite, so we were not put off by this at all.
The White Swan is a very nice hotel located on Shamian Island, a sandbar island in the Pearl River. The rooms here are nice, although we have 2 much smaller beds than in Beijing. Nevertheless, we make it work just fine. The beds are firmer here than in the States, so they take a bit of getting used to. Our room overlooks the mainland rather than the river, and the old US Consulate is directly below. The buffet here is pretty good, so we load up in the morning.
Cameron is adjusting well. The relatively minor behavioral issues we’ve seen are rapidly improving as he learns to trust us. Bonding is going extremely well. He has no problem talking to us; however, the language barrier is pretty big. We communicate through the handheld translator just fine, and he is learning new words every day. He is extremely helpful and thoughtful and will readily share whatever he has with us. He thrives on close contact, and loves to sit on our laps while watching television or when on the computer. He hugs us quite a bit and kisses Angie on the cheek. He is prone to pouting a bit when he doesn’t get his way, but this is improving as well. He is quite happy, and is always jabbering away or singing. He is always trying to figure out how things work. When we first arrived at this hotel, he had to go through every closet and drawer, push every button, and figure out how everything worked. It’s great…..now we just ask him through gestures what we want, and he gladly knows which button or switch to push to do it. He knows it better than we do! Needless to say, he is quite inquisitive, but can get frustrated if he cannot figure something out or if it does not work the way he thinks it should. He is quite playful, but doesn’t always adjust the “volume”, so to speak, on the physicality of play. He seems to be quite adept at adjusting to his environment after the initial shock wears off, and we think this bodes very well for him as he enters his new life. Hopefully this gives you some insight into the remarkable little guy we’ve been given the opportunity to parent.
Today is an off day, so we’ll probably take it easy. Maybe walk the island a bit. Ciao for now!
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