Here we are in Guanghzou...we arrived last night around 9:30 PM. It was dark and the city looked like Las Vegas - tons of neon and there was still a lot going on outside our window when we went to bed a few hours later. Our hotel is really nice...this is one of the 2 main hotels where adoptive families are booked. So, there are a lot of families that look like ours here. We are grouped with 5 other families who took a bus with us this morning to get the children's medicals completed. Turns out that most of them are from the South - it's nice to hear some Southern accents. We'll be with them a lot this week.
Elita did great at her check up! She is 20 # 8oz and 31.5 inches long...80%ile height/age and 45%ile wgt for ht. What a big girl!
I feel like I should stop here, as I don't want to mis-represent the norm to our readers. So, first, a little 411 on adoptive children... In China, the government has money alloted for their orphanages, so it's safe to imagine they may have better care overall than many poorer countries. In the past day or 2, we have met several families with newly adopted children who are much more typical orphans, and more like what we have been preparing ourselves for: initially expressionless, tearless, fearful, unable to make eye contact, docile, without fight or charisma, developmentally delayed, undernourished (sometimes still only bottle fed as toddlers) and only minimally handled. Most of them do well with the love, attention and nutrition given by the families and within a short time are caught up to other kids their age, though often still more petite than Chinese kids their age. I must give God glory here - He answered our prayers so faithfully. Tom and I, our loved ones, and especially our boys have prayed many times a day for over a year for her to be daily held, kissed, hugged, rocked, sang to, comforted, kept warm, fed, and all the things a baby needs to thrive. I don't know if it was the Lord himself who personally met these needs, or if he used the orphanage staff to, as we have not met others from this orphanage. What I do know is that the prayers were answered in full! We have had so many suprised comments as to how bright, engaged, attached, fast, big and smart she is. Another Mom said today after watching her in the waiting room, "she seems further along than even our typical 15 month olds in America!" Our love from across the world was delivered to her! She received all the love and prayers we have been sending her way from her life's beginning and is thriving beautifully! She has a TREMENDOUS amount of spunk and charisma and knows exactly what she wants and does not hold back in love or dismay. We taught her the sign language for "more" and "all done," and she learned both in 1 day each (she gets her smarts from her Daddy :). When we put her down, jaws drop around us as she darts around quickly on foot, squealing and hoping we'll chase her (wonder who she gets her energy from? :). She learned yesterday how to give a "squeeezzzee" around our necks. It is breathtaking! She even goes "mmmm" when she does it! A woman from Cyprus came to me at breakfast this morning and asked how long we've had her. When we told her just this week, she got teary and said in broken English "it was so touching to see her hug you that way." Isn't that what God wants us to do when He adopts us so lovinging and unreservedly...for us to return the embrace with a "mmmmm" squeeze and not to wait until someday when we are "more mature in our faith?" I am saying all this not to brag about my child, or to make others who are considering adopting wonder if their baby will be this atypcial, but to brag on the Lord! He is able to do ALL things...immeasurably more than we would even think to ask or imagine. He is the one who says in his word that He is mighty to save, who quiets us with his love and rejoices over us with singing...the perfect Father who stood in the gap for us in every way as we awaited the chance to join him in embracing this little gift, Elita. His son Jesus similarly stands in the gap for us, providing for us as He waits for us to reach out and embrace our heavenly Father.
Elita did great at her check up! She is 20 # 8oz and 31.5 inches long...80%ile height/age and 45%ile wgt for ht. What a big girl!
I feel like I should stop here, as I don't want to mis-represent the norm to our readers. So, first, a little 411 on adoptive children... In China, the government has money alloted for their orphanages, so it's safe to imagine they may have better care overall than many poorer countries. In the past day or 2, we have met several families with newly adopted children who are much more typical orphans, and more like what we have been preparing ourselves for: initially expressionless, tearless, fearful, unable to make eye contact, docile, without fight or charisma, developmentally delayed, undernourished (sometimes still only bottle fed as toddlers) and only minimally handled. Most of them do well with the love, attention and nutrition given by the families and within a short time are caught up to other kids their age, though often still more petite than Chinese kids their age. I must give God glory here - He answered our prayers so faithfully. Tom and I, our loved ones, and especially our boys have prayed many times a day for over a year for her to be daily held, kissed, hugged, rocked, sang to, comforted, kept warm, fed, and all the things a baby needs to thrive. I don't know if it was the Lord himself who personally met these needs, or if he used the orphanage staff to, as we have not met others from this orphanage. What I do know is that the prayers were answered in full! We have had so many suprised comments as to how bright, engaged, attached, fast, big and smart she is. Another Mom said today after watching her in the waiting room, "she seems further along than even our typical 15 month olds in America!" Our love from across the world was delivered to her! She received all the love and prayers we have been sending her way from her life's beginning and is thriving beautifully! She has a TREMENDOUS amount of spunk and charisma and knows exactly what she wants and does not hold back in love or dismay. We taught her the sign language for "more" and "all done," and she learned both in 1 day each (she gets her smarts from her Daddy :). When we put her down, jaws drop around us as she darts around quickly on foot, squealing and hoping we'll chase her (wonder who she gets her energy from? :). She learned yesterday how to give a "squeeezzzee" around our necks. It is breathtaking! She even goes "mmmm" when she does it! A woman from Cyprus came to me at breakfast this morning and asked how long we've had her. When we told her just this week, she got teary and said in broken English "it was so touching to see her hug you that way." Isn't that what God wants us to do when He adopts us so lovinging and unreservedly...for us to return the embrace with a "mmmmm" squeeze and not to wait until someday when we are "more mature in our faith?" I am saying all this not to brag about my child, or to make others who are considering adopting wonder if their baby will be this atypcial, but to brag on the Lord! He is able to do ALL things...immeasurably more than we would even think to ask or imagine. He is the one who says in his word that He is mighty to save, who quiets us with his love and rejoices over us with singing...the perfect Father who stood in the gap for us in every way as we awaited the chance to join him in embracing this little gift, Elita. His son Jesus similarly stands in the gap for us, providing for us as He waits for us to reach out and embrace our heavenly Father.
