Thanks for the Prayers!

We learned after breakfast this morning WHY Joshua GuanYan (yes - I think we need to adjust his name as he ALWAYS refers to himself as Guan Yan, and never as just Yan) felt cranky and had a bad night's sleep, and then didn't eat much breakfast. He was breaking out with hives on his leg and abdomen!! :-O

PTL another family suggested maybe it was a reaction to the cute Chinese costume he had been wearing for a few hours the night before for a Holt photo shoot? Maybe? Or the Chinese jeans he had been wearing before and after the photo shoot? Or?? I say PTL because I found out the only pediatrician Holt trusted a child to see was some 30 minutes away in downtown Guangzhou. Phil and I quickly searched the internet to see what we could rule in and out on our own first.

Also PTL I had boughten some skin rash medicine with Tea Tree Oil in it (in case of lice - a non-poison first try). We bathed him, spread the Oil on, gave him a dose of allergy med... and within the hour he was looking and feeling lots better :-). The hives haven't come back yet tonight, and he's back to his active, happy self :-). Whew!

We're all SO ready to come home! Two more sleeps in China and hopefully we can take that train to Hong Kong and head home!

Thanks for the prayers. I put a few new pictures on shutterfly. The bulk are on a different camera that needs charging first.

Counting Down the Days

We're finally down to our last few days here (we hope!). Today we did the followup TB skin test on Joshua. PTL it was negative, because they strongly suggest getting the TB treatment here (whatever THAT is) versus applying for treatment back home and having to spend an extra week here waiting for the approval :-O. Soooo glad we're past this hurdle!

Tomorrow all of our paperwork gets turned in to the US Consulate by Holt while we go off to the Safari Park. Hopefully we can manage the Park okay - it sounds wonderful (pandas and white tigers) but it's supposed to involve LOTS of walking. Joshua didn't seem to be feeling very well today :-(. He's been grumpy and weepy off and on since waking up! Please help pray he's healthy for the rest of this trip?

After an Oath Taking Ceremony Wednesday, we will hopefully gain the all important US Visa for Joshua on Thursday afternoon, because we are booked to take the train to Hong Kong at 6pm that day :-}. That will be 3am Thursday Montana time. :-) Hopefully we'll be able to leave China then and start home!!

Orphanage Visit

At last! We actually got to travel to Dongguan today! :-)

And it went even better than I had ever hoped for! PTL!!

Our WONDERFUL adoption agency, Holt International, hired a van and driver and sent along one of their interpretters. They wanted us to go on a Sunday morning to hopefully have lots less traffic, since we weren't to be allowed into the orphanage anyway. Phil and I and Joshua went -- Ryan went on a jade and pearl tour instead.

What was predicted to be a 1.75 hour drive there barely took over one hour, there was so little traffic :-).

And the caretaker that had dropped off Joshua with us was walking by the gate when we drove up, so of all the people working there, she knew us! :-) She graciously gave us permission to walk around the outside of the entire compound, which is quite large. And when a delivery of toy basketballs arrived right then for the orphanage, she generously gave one to Joshua. :-) That helped distract HIM from the emotions probably going on for him, and throwing the ball back and forth to various people
was a great interaction tool.

When the little guy was first told where we were going, he acted sad and scared until he was quickly reassured it was only a visit. When we met the caretaker at the gate, he chatted well with her, but refused to go into her arms, and clung to Phil's neck ;-D.

It turns out Guan Yan was a VERY popular little guy at this orphanage! :-) As we walked around the building, various "aunts" and even a foster dad greeted him happily and briefly played ball with him :-). As we finally left and drove around Dongguan before heading back to Guangzhou, he was waving and saying in Mandarin "Bye Bye, Dongguan", over and over again ;-D. I feel in my heart this was a very good trip for him :-).

There was a disposable camera in the bag that came with Joshua that I just got developed. Precious. Foster mom had taken a bunch of photos in various places of herself and Joshua's siblings (foster or otherwise). She also wrote him/us a letter that we're having translated. Joshua was dressed in the Chinese version of snowpants and a winter coat when when got him ;-). He said his aunt had bought them for him? He also had a nice toy car. He also said his foster mom had made rice and fish and cake for him before he left. It sounds like the two were very close, which bodes well for his future attachment :-).

A great day if a steamy, extra smoggy one! Now if he would JUST take a nap ;-D.

THANKS yet again for your continued prayers!

Let's talk Chinese food

I wonder if the Chinese are THE most experimetal and exploratory when it
comes to food??

Roadside stands contain things I wouldn't even want to touch my lips to, LOL, let alone bite. Seahorses, snakes on a stick, lizards, pig intestines, goose liver, silkworms, locusts, starfish, octopus - tentacles and all, baked pigeon - whole (includes the head and feet - all minus the feathers!), etc!

There are open markets EVERYWHERE in this city... every sidestreet, every main street. There is absolutely no end to the shopping possibilities here. One mall we walked into today contained possibly 200 tiny stores! And many of the shops sell food, of course. Live chickens, live turtles, live snakes. Many dried meats, mushrooms, fish, unidentifiable items. Bags of nuts. Wagons offering to strip sugar cane on the spot for little ones with a sweet tooth. Many, many roadside carts offering hot items. And many of the foods are transported to these little markets via bicycle. How the bicyclists survive the insane drivers in this city amaze me!

One day we were passed by a bicycle carrying some 20 live hens tied to a board behind the seat! Another bike had a tub of water strapped on...full of turtles. Others are piled quite high with many bags of items.

We ate (sort of) one night at a full-blown Chinese restaurant. The ordered turtle dish included mostly shell and bones :-}. The stirfry vegetable dish (surely a safe bet, right??) contained all kinds of odd mushrooms, something from the broccoli family, 2 things that may have been seaweed, and some gelatinous item. Not my idea of vegetables! ;-D And the waitress had recommended a bean dish for Joshua. It was fried tofu with a little meat added. He and Ryan both gagged on it ;-D. We left
that restaurant mostly hungry!

But dragon fruit...... YUM! I wish we could get that at home :-).

And Joshua's preferences? We had bad luck giving him milk (said to be one of his faves) until we tried HOT milk. Voila! He LOVES steaming hot milk to drink. :-) And he loves congee... a watery rice cereal dish you can top with various items. And he likes vegetables, fruits and soups. And he REALLY likes cake, LOL. We're learning!

Off to his home town of Dongguan in the morning.

No Dongguan today :-(

Even though Phil and I and Ryan have all been vaccinated for H1N1, and have the paperwork to prove it, the Orphanage Director will not allow a visit by us :-(. We are tentatively planning to go to Dongguan anyways on Sunday, just to see the city and drive past the orphanage, but we may cancel it if a friend who's been there, done that advises that? The trip would be 3.5 hours of driving and cost $300, so we need to decide fast!

Today, Joshua had his medical appt. I think every doctor in the place descended on the poor boy at one point or another. Port Wine Stains as extensive as his as probably rarely seen!

Because of the newer I800 adoption process (we're the first family in MT to be have to do it for China), we have to follow new NUTSO vaccination laws. :-( Before, parents simply had to sign an official agreement that they would bring a child up to date on vaccinations once home. Now, they don't trust you apparently, and so they pile on however many shots THEY think a child must have. JOSHUA HAD TO HAVE SEVEN VACCINATIONS TODAY!! :-( The poor, poor kiddos. Definitely another area of advocacy for me to tackle once I get home!

Thanks for all the continuing prayers!

Try this

I think I got it (finally)! Please try
http://calledtoadopt.shutterfly.com and password guanyan to see photos.
Thanks for your patience! :-)

A Tough Trip looming

Tomorrow (Friday) if permission is granted, the four of us plan to travel 1.5 to 2 hours southeast of here to the city of Dongguan, where Joshua is from. Please help pray for travel and health safety for us? I don't feel like I can freely comment on the driving and air pollution levels here right now, but Phil and Ryan and I are really being affected health wise. :-( If I can upload some more pictures to shutterfly later, they can do the talking.

But this trip will also be emotionally hard on Joshua, we assume. He already hates having just Phil or I with the other one of us gone for a short time? And he tenses up terrifically when we first enter official buildings. He has told our interpreter that he's going to a foreign country with his new mama. I think our not leaving right away is concerning him? (Much as I'm ready to head home!!) I'm sure returning to his hometown will concern him lots, despite reassurances, until that van
turns around and heads back to the hotel. Please keep his emotions in prayer also? THANKS!