Wednesday, November 12, 2008
We're walkin', yes siree!
Every day we do a little walking. Today Quinn really started to get the hang of it. By the time he wore out, he was supporting himself pretty well and mostly all I was doing was helping him balance!
The famous red couch
Today the Little Emperor dressed up in an outfit fit for his status for his red couch photo:
Just about every child adopted from China has been photographed on the famous red couch at the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou, where we're staying.
Yesterday was our day. Not long ago, red couch photos of individual adoption groups included dozens of children. Now, adoptions from China have dwindled significantly because of new restrictions, longer waits, and China's new emphasis on adopting out healthy children domestically and special needs children internationally. Our agency now does about eight adoptions of healthy kids a month, compared with 60 special needs adoptions.
Our adoption group has three kids, but for the photo we teamed up with the other Holt families here in the hotel. Two of them we met at our orientation in Beijing so long ago, and another we met at dinner the other night, so we were among friends.
Predictably, none of the kids cooperated, lots of them cried, one of them tumbled head first off the couch (the one non special-needs kid in the group, mind you) and none of them knew where to look with all the parents calling and all the camera flashes popping. It was utter chaos, but also lots of fun. Afterwards, we all went for tea at the White Swan and had a serious sugar fest.
These are the kids from our adoption group: 17-month-old Quinn, 25-month-old Anna and 6-year-old Malia (plus Malia's big sister, 8-year-old Ari):
And here is our entire Red Couch group:
We survived!
Here is our entire group, plus the fabulous Leah:
And all the Holt families:
Just about every child adopted from China has been photographed on the famous red couch at the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou, where we're staying.Yesterday was our day. Not long ago, red couch photos of individual adoption groups included dozens of children. Now, adoptions from China have dwindled significantly because of new restrictions, longer waits, and China's new emphasis on adopting out healthy children domestically and special needs children internationally. Our agency now does about eight adoptions of healthy kids a month, compared with 60 special needs adoptions.
Our adoption group has three kids, but for the photo we teamed up with the other Holt families here in the hotel. Two of them we met at our orientation in Beijing so long ago, and another we met at dinner the other night, so we were among friends.
Predictably, none of the kids cooperated, lots of them cried, one of them tumbled head first off the couch (the one non special-needs kid in the group, mind you) and none of them knew where to look with all the parents calling and all the camera flashes popping. It was utter chaos, but also lots of fun. Afterwards, we all went for tea at the White Swan and had a serious sugar fest.
These are the kids from our adoption group: 17-month-old Quinn, 25-month-old Anna and 6-year-old Malia (plus Malia's big sister, 8-year-old Ari):
And here is our entire Red Couch group:
We survived!
Here is our entire group, plus the fabulous Leah:
And all the Holt families:
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Babies, babies, everywhere!
We're now in Guangzhou, where every Chinese adoption is processed. Actually, we're on Shamian Island, which is where the consulate used to be and is still is where every adoptive family stays and shops. To me, at least, the place is a little trippy. Everywhere you go, you see adoptive families. We all stay in the same hotel, The White Swan, so on every floor you hear crying babies. And a huge cottage industry serving people like us has sprung up on the island. Little shop after little shop carries traditional Chinese outfits, baby clothes, souvenirs, diapers and all sorts of arts and crafts aimed at adoptive families - get your child's name carved on a "chop" (a signature stamp), get your child's face carved on a stamp, get your child's picture etched in granite, get your child's face painted inside a bottle. Of course we can't resist any of them.
It's fun being here, but I must say that I prefer Beijing. There, we met Chinese people who were truly interested in us and our kids. Here, very few people live on the island so the people you meet are mostly merchants who want to sell you something. Both are fascinating in their own way, but Beijing felt more authentic to me.
Also, it's very difficult not to compare development levels here. What, that kid is 13 months old and already feeding herself? Look at that little baby - her eye contact is way better than Quinn's. Wow, that boy is just a little older than Quinn and he's walking already. Definitely not a good thing to do, at least for me.
On the plus side, it's great fun to meet other adoptive families and hear their stories. Last night at dinner we sat next to a super nice couple from Omaha who is here adopting their seventh (!!) child, a 3-year-old boy with spina bifida. This morning at breakfast we sat next to a couple of Chinese descent with an elementary-school-aged bio son who adopted a baby girl. They're from Phoenix, just a couple hours from us. It really is a small world.
It's fun being here, but I must say that I prefer Beijing. There, we met Chinese people who were truly interested in us and our kids. Here, very few people live on the island so the people you meet are mostly merchants who want to sell you something. Both are fascinating in their own way, but Beijing felt more authentic to me.
Also, it's very difficult not to compare development levels here. What, that kid is 13 months old and already feeding herself? Look at that little baby - her eye contact is way better than Quinn's. Wow, that boy is just a little older than Quinn and he's walking already. Definitely not a good thing to do, at least for me.
On the plus side, it's great fun to meet other adoptive families and hear their stories. Last night at dinner we sat next to a super nice couple from Omaha who is here adopting their seventh (!!) child, a 3-year-old boy with spina bifida. This morning at breakfast we sat next to a couple of Chinese descent with an elementary-school-aged bio son who adopted a baby girl. They're from Phoenix, just a couple hours from us. It really is a small world.
The drama king of Guangzhou
We arrived in Guangzhou, where all Chinese adoptions are processed, on Monday night. Quinn did pretty well on his first flight, although he was fussier than normal and - despite repeated diaper changes - managed to soak both of us in pee.
On Tuesday we went for a mandatory medical check at a nearby clinic for adoptive families. The kids were weighed (Quinn now weighs 10.6 kilograms), measured, their vision and hearing checked, and they underwent a basic physical exam (Quinn's centered on his bad shoulder).
Let's just say the Little Emperor did not enjoy the experience. Screams. Shrieks. The sourest of sourpuss faces. Every time someone did something Quinn didn't like - which was pretty much constantly - he either complained loudly or outright screamed. In short, the baby was a big 'ol baby. All three families in our group couldn't help but laugh at his ridiculous over-reaction.
Granted, the kid is fighting off a cold and just before his appointment we woke him from a three-hour nap...
Malia, the 6-year-old in our group, did great, as she always does. Watching her do an eye exam, following directions (in Mandarin) and moving a wooden spoon over her eyes as directed, it really struck me just how amazing the kid is. She speaks an entirely different language than the rest of us, doesn't understand hardly anything we try to tell her, and yet she always has a beautiful smile on her face and does all she can to please her new parents, who adore her.
Anna, the 2-year-old in our group, also was the perfect angel.
Let's just say nobody is writing on their blog right now about Quinn's lovely behavior...
On Tuesday we went for a mandatory medical check at a nearby clinic for adoptive families. The kids were weighed (Quinn now weighs 10.6 kilograms), measured, their vision and hearing checked, and they underwent a basic physical exam (Quinn's centered on his bad shoulder).
Let's just say the Little Emperor did not enjoy the experience. Screams. Shrieks. The sourest of sourpuss faces. Every time someone did something Quinn didn't like - which was pretty much constantly - he either complained loudly or outright screamed. In short, the baby was a big 'ol baby. All three families in our group couldn't help but laugh at his ridiculous over-reaction.
Granted, the kid is fighting off a cold and just before his appointment we woke him from a three-hour nap...
Malia, the 6-year-old in our group, did great, as she always does. Watching her do an eye exam, following directions (in Mandarin) and moving a wooden spoon over her eyes as directed, it really struck me just how amazing the kid is. She speaks an entirely different language than the rest of us, doesn't understand hardly anything we try to tell her, and yet she always has a beautiful smile on her face and does all she can to please her new parents, who adore her.
Anna, the 2-year-old in our group, also was the perfect angel.
Let's just say nobody is writing on their blog right now about Quinn's lovely behavior...
Sunday, November 9, 2008
A look back at Week One
One week in, it seems like Quinn has always been a part of our lives. But it's still all so new, both to him and to us. He reveals more of himself every day, and it's so much fun to see what we'll learn about him each day.
The boy we have now is not the boy we met last Saturday. Looking back now, I can see that the poor kid was shell-shocked. He just retreated into himself, I think as the only way he knew how to cope. He wasn't ready to acknowledge us, much less look us right in the eyes.
Our first breakthrough was the discovery of the beloved mirror, which remains the can't-miss cheerer-upper. Since then it's been one tiny discovery after another, all of them amazing.
What we see now is a kid who is very mechanically oriented, with a killer sense of humor and near-perfect comic timing. He loves to entertain a crowd, but he's equally happy examining a toy to figure out what it does and how it works. We gave him a little Tonka truck this morning, and he immediately flipped it over and started spinning the wheels. He loves to be outside and wants to be on the go. If we stop to look at something, he starts fussing. He has a monster attention span, and will happily sit and play with his stacking cups - no exaggeration, I swear - for an hour. Getting ready in the morning is a breeze, bless this child. We wake up, snuggle for a while, have a bottle, and then he starts looking around for those stacking cups.
His injured shoulder seems to be fully functional, but he will do everything in his power NOT to use it. Hand him something on the right side, and he'll twist all the way around to grab it with his left hand. Whether it's out of habit or pain, we can't tell. But definitely a good amount of therapy awaits.
In short, my very unbiased opinion is that he's a spectacular, very special little boy. We're lucky to know him, much less to be his parents.
The boy we have now is not the boy we met last Saturday. Looking back now, I can see that the poor kid was shell-shocked. He just retreated into himself, I think as the only way he knew how to cope. He wasn't ready to acknowledge us, much less look us right in the eyes.
Our first breakthrough was the discovery of the beloved mirror, which remains the can't-miss cheerer-upper. Since then it's been one tiny discovery after another, all of them amazing.
What we see now is a kid who is very mechanically oriented, with a killer sense of humor and near-perfect comic timing. He loves to entertain a crowd, but he's equally happy examining a toy to figure out what it does and how it works. We gave him a little Tonka truck this morning, and he immediately flipped it over and started spinning the wheels. He loves to be outside and wants to be on the go. If we stop to look at something, he starts fussing. He has a monster attention span, and will happily sit and play with his stacking cups - no exaggeration, I swear - for an hour. Getting ready in the morning is a breeze, bless this child. We wake up, snuggle for a while, have a bottle, and then he starts looking around for those stacking cups.
His injured shoulder seems to be fully functional, but he will do everything in his power NOT to use it. Hand him something on the right side, and he'll twist all the way around to grab it with his left hand. Whether it's out of habit or pain, we can't tell. But definitely a good amount of therapy awaits.
In short, my very unbiased opinion is that he's a spectacular, very special little boy. We're lucky to know him, much less to be his parents.
A fond farewell to Beijing
In a couple of hours, after the Little Emperor wakes from his nap, we leave Beijing for Guangzhou in the south of China. That's where all international adoptions are processed, and loads of businesses there cater to adoptive families. I'm looking forward to it, but I have LOVED our stay in Beijing. This is, by far, the friendliest big city I've ever visited. And it could not be more baby friendly. On the subway yesterday heading to the Lama Temple, someone always gave me a seat - here, it's babies first. When Quinn got a little fussy, people gathered around to entertain him and laughed heartily when they saw him catch his reflection in the subway window and smile.
This place is huge and loud and the traffic is pretty daunting. But it's really a wonderful place. I'll definitely be back.
This place is huge and loud and the traffic is pretty daunting. But it's really a wonderful place. I'll definitely be back.
Happy feet
This picture made me smile, so I thought I'd share it (it also shows the view from our way-fab hotel room):
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