Missing Home

Hi everybody. I have been thinking about everyone back home a lot – at times it seems unbelievable to think that the life that I think of as “normal” is continuing on just as before. I am really missing Benjamin, Johnathan, and Rebecca. Hi guys! Mommy loves you very much!

Chloe seems to be doing well. She is very content – looks around a lot, and smiles. She isn’t making many noises, she does laugh (especially when her big sister is playing with her) but she doesn’t babble or coo – not even simple Chinese sounds. I don’t know if she is just being very quiet because she is still trying to figure out what has happened or if she just has not developed in that area. She is able to sit up by herself, but I would not leave her anywhere in this position except in the middle of the bed because she falls over frequently. She is definitely not standing – her referral paperwork said that she was pulling up and “cruising” holding on to things. This just doesn’t seem possible. When you hold her up she sticks her legs out in a spread-eagle position and doesn’t want to even touch them to the ground. Her legs are very bowlegged, you can straighten them out but on her own this seems to be the position that feels right to her. Her skin is very rough and dry in several places – but we are putting hydrocortisone cream on it and this seems to be helping a lot. She has two teeth on the bottom and three on the top with one more coming in on the top. When she arrived two days ago she was really congested and this seems to be getting better every day. We did not give her any antibiotics because we didn’t want to risk upsetting her system unless it seemed really necessary. She has only cried a few times. She doesn’t like laying down to be changed, and she has cried a few times about that. The back of her head is really flat, as if she’s been laying on it for long periods of time. She has also whimpered a few times when Melissa has left the room. But that is all. The one exception to this is when she wakes up. She will wake and lay in her crib dozing and then when she is fully awake she cries. It sounds like the sad sound she made the first day and even when you pick her up you need to hold her tight for a few minutes before she relaxes. I hope that she feels more secure each day.

We are having lots of runny diapers – we are going through baby clothes like there is no tomorrow. We didn’t bring enough to wear 3 a day! We have done some laundry – but were shocked when we got it back. 5 days of clothes for Dave, Melissa, and me cost almost $75 dollars US. When you can get your haircut for $1 – laundry for $75 doesn’t seem quite right!

Two days ago we completed the Chinese side of all of the adoption paperwork. So now we have the American side to go. This involves a medical exam and visa paperwork at the American consulate. We will begin to work on these things in a few days when the rest of our group arrives here in Guangzhou. In some ways I wish that we could speed up the process because I am so ready to come home and see my family. In another way I am glad because I do think it is important to try to understand at least a little about where she came from. Life here is obviously very different in many ways that I don’t understand. When we went out shopping yesterday on our own it was difficult to imagine what it would be like to live here. The area of town within walking distance of our hotel is a relatively nice area of town – but there were still many beggars and people who were struggling. Mixed right on top of this are some modern shops that are similar to those we see in America. One street is dirty, the next is clean. Culturally the preparation and storage of food is VERY different. There are stores with tanks of fish and other things lined up and the shop owner just reaches right in and takes out what people want and puts it in a basket. Food with heads etc. still attached is normal here – much different than in America!

Back to the process of finishing the adoption. The first thing we had to do was have a family picture taken. Then we waited in a waiting room for our adoption “interview”. The lady asked us how old we were, how long we had been married, our income, how many children we had now, if we promised never to abuse or abandon Chloe, and finally if everything we said was true. I wondered what she would think about Chloe being our 5^th child – if she would think it was strange or bad because of course that would be illegal in China. But she laughed and asked again and then she said that Dave was a very good father. I thought it was interesting that she would think that just because he had many children he was a good father – especially when that is so different than her own culture. Next we went to the Chinese notary who asked us the same questions and stamped our papers. Finally we had to go to the local police station and show our passports and adoption paperwork. At this point we were given our adoption decree and everything was complete! A wonderful moment! I did ask our guide if the police station was were he left any group members that he didn’t like. He thought that was very funny.

Have to go now – Chloe needs to be fed. We miss you all and can’t wait to get home and hug everyone!

Angie