The first 6 days
We have kept the first week home pretty low key. Essentially survival mode due to jet lag. I am happy to say everyone has been fed, bathed and slept (even if it is at unusual times and intervals).
Overall things are going beautifully. Both boys are adjusting really well other than sleep. The first couple nights we saw 2 and 3 a wake ups, but today we saw a 4 and 5 am wake up so Yahooo!!! We are headed in the right direction. Konnor started back to school on Tuesday which I think helped. He got to venture to his Konnor's soccer game Tuesday night and he is really not sure about the whole grass thing. Essentially he wants no part of that green stuff. I hate to break it to him, but most of our summer is outside so we have some work to do : )
We haven't had any visitors since Friday morning when my Mom left. Owen had started to pull away from Mark a little bit so we needed to really buckle down and reinforce their bond. This morning though he got up with Mark, had breakfast and played all while Konnor and I slept another hour so we are moving in the right direction. We did have a prompt care visit Sunday for Konnor (splinters from a stick--see I told you outside time was a must), which then lead to a Target visit for some much needed necessities. Thankfully we went late a night and Target was very quiet so Owen did well.
Owen really is doing wonderfully. He is such a joy. I suspicion that his Foster Mom held him A LOT so he doesn't like to be put down, but we are making some strides in this area. For the most part we don't mind holding him right now because it reaffirms our bond with him, but let's be honest, there are just some things you can't do with an 18 month old on your hip. Although I am getting very proficient at getting things done with an ERGO on. Some things are tricky, but for the most part it can be done.
Owen is quite the stinker. He loves to smile and has an adorable laugh that you just can't help but join in on. He is a very picky eater and I suspicion has the spine of a cat based on the way he can twist to get away from the spoon. Mostly oatmeal, rice and formula keeping him going right now. We are trying new foods daily and finding that for the most part he will eat about anything (except fruits) if you dice it small enough and mix it with rice. I have gotten homemade sausage gravy in him a couple times and he likes to pick up cheerios and shredded cheese off his plate. Other than those few things we are lucky to get a few bites of anything else in him.
We didn't leave the house until Tuesday. It is going to take awhile for Owen to realize this is Home and not another hotel. He is having great fun exploring and getting to know his new surroundings. Tuesday we took Konnor to school and I have never seen a little boy so excited to show off a new sibling. He couldn't wait to tell the Principal, his Teachers, the Bus driver and anyone else who would listen about his trip and his new baby brother. He is so proud. In the afternoon Owen had his first physical with the Pediatrician. He is 20 lbs and 29.5 inches (4% and 1%). Basically he is a little dude, but we already knew that so no biggie. Overall the Pediatrician said that considering he looks really good and is much further along than she would have anticipated. We still have a long way to go, but given time we will get caught up to where we need to be. Unfortunately he also got 6 shots and blood work. Boo!!! He is handling it well, but a little fussy.
Siblings: I honestly never in a million years could have anticipated how well Konnor has adjusted to being a big brother. He loves Owen and constantly wants to know where he is and what he is doing. Mark and I have had to readjust our parenting a little and make our first sentence to Konnor "what/why are you doing that." He is constantly trying to help (seriously love this kiddo) and sometimes it just doesn't come across as helping so we are working on him asking to help first so we can direct a little bit. Otherwise it is so sweet how much he wants to do for Owen. If Owen fusses he instantly runs to get whatever it is he thinks Owen needs. He will tell me "Owen's not gonna like that, Owen may cry." (Let's just say diaper changes and carseats are not Owen's favorite things : ) There have been a couple little pushes or pulls, but nothing major and nothing out of the ordinary for the age. We have also started to tell Konnor that if he needs some Mama/Papa time he just needs to tell us. We were working on recognizing emotions prior to becoming a Big Brother so this has really given him an opportunity to blossom and work on this skill. The truth is he is an amazing brother and we couldn't be prouder of how he has reacted to all this change. Owen just watches Konnor and laughs. These two are going to give me so many gray hairs, but I will love every single minute of it.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Headed Home!!!!
Wed. May 20, 2015
We boarded our plane to come home. It was almost 13 hours and the boys did awesome. A little meltdown from Owen in the beginning and a little one from Konnor in the end, but let's be honest, Mommy wanted a meltdown to after sitting on a plane that long. Owen slept 8 hours of the flight and Konnor a good 6 so it really wasn't all that bad.
We landed in LA and raced through customs. I may or may not have burst into tears when the customs officer handed us back our passports, looked at Owen and said "Welcome Home." Maybe just a few tears. We opted to stay the night in LA since it was 9 by the time we got done with customs. We headed to the hotel, grabbed some expensive hotel food, calmed our soooo done with it boys down and headed to bed. The next morning we boarded the plane that would bring us to St. Louis. Both boys slept the entire flight (maybe b/c they got up at 2). My Mom met us at the airport, my friend/fellow adoptive Mama Karrie took homecoming pictures for us and we headed home. Mark's parents met us at the house and we all got to visit for a little bit before crashing hard.
More to come.....
We boarded our plane to come home. It was almost 13 hours and the boys did awesome. A little meltdown from Owen in the beginning and a little one from Konnor in the end, but let's be honest, Mommy wanted a meltdown to after sitting on a plane that long. Owen slept 8 hours of the flight and Konnor a good 6 so it really wasn't all that bad.
We landed in LA and raced through customs. I may or may not have burst into tears when the customs officer handed us back our passports, looked at Owen and said "Welcome Home." Maybe just a few tears. We opted to stay the night in LA since it was 9 by the time we got done with customs. We headed to the hotel, grabbed some expensive hotel food, calmed our soooo done with it boys down and headed to bed. The next morning we boarded the plane that would bring us to St. Louis. Both boys slept the entire flight (maybe b/c they got up at 2). My Mom met us at the airport, my friend/fellow adoptive Mama Karrie took homecoming pictures for us and we headed home. Mark's parents met us at the house and we all got to visit for a little bit before crashing hard.
More to come.....
Chill Day
Tuesday, May 19
The only thing we had to do today was meet our guide in the lobby in the afternoon to collect Owen's visa. It was great! Unfortunately it did rain most of the day so we couldn't go to the local park like we wanted, but Mark and Konnor did squeeze in a swim in the afternoon and we ventured out for dinner in the evening. The rest of the day was just relax and pack. We played and snuggled and tried to rest in preparation for our long journey home.
A few randomness things from China:
-Our guide also helped with Konnor's adoption and at one point he looked at my wild and crazy, active, talks nonstop, but couldn't be cuter kiddo and said "He looks like he is doing great. I remember him being a very quiet boy though" : )
-One night Mark grabbed dinner at the store. He comes in and says do you want chicken or beef. I was craving red meat so I said Beef as it looked pretty harmless. As I went to take the first bite there was something white sticking out. Upon further inspection there was A LOT of little bones mixed in with the meat/sauce and let's just say those were NOT cow bones so dry white rice ended up being my food of choice that night. It was either that or the bone in, skin on, I think that is hair sticking off the chicken chicken. I am not a super picky eater, but there are just some things that do not pass my mouth and meat that is either rat or a little dog is one of them.
-we rode escalators until standing still seemed weird, but Hey, you do whatever it takes to keep little ones happy in any given situation.
-Squatty Potties--no need to expand upon this
-Personal space, there is non, no matter how bad you smell or how much you glare
-Starbucks is good anywhere
-Despite all the craziness of this trip (rough adjustments, constructions, sick kiddo, etc...) WE LOVE CHINA. The people are great and there is just so much history. But most importantly, this is our boys birth country/culture. We may not always understand the beliefs or customs, but we will always cherish them and the precious gifts we now have. I can't wait to go back.
Wed., May 20
Today we packed. We played and relaxed and packed some more, and at 4 pm we headed to the lobby for one last escalator ride and a trip to the airport. There were a lot of emotions. We do love this place and couldn't wait to be home, but there is always a sadness as we take these sweet boys home with us. This is their last night in their birth country for the forseeable future. I don't know when or why we will be back, but we will make sure we go back. Until then we will try to keep this part of their lives alive for them in the small things we do at home. Goodbye China. Until we meet again.
The only thing we had to do today was meet our guide in the lobby in the afternoon to collect Owen's visa. It was great! Unfortunately it did rain most of the day so we couldn't go to the local park like we wanted, but Mark and Konnor did squeeze in a swim in the afternoon and we ventured out for dinner in the evening. The rest of the day was just relax and pack. We played and snuggled and tried to rest in preparation for our long journey home.
A few randomness things from China:
-Our guide also helped with Konnor's adoption and at one point he looked at my wild and crazy, active, talks nonstop, but couldn't be cuter kiddo and said "He looks like he is doing great. I remember him being a very quiet boy though" : )
-One night Mark grabbed dinner at the store. He comes in and says do you want chicken or beef. I was craving red meat so I said Beef as it looked pretty harmless. As I went to take the first bite there was something white sticking out. Upon further inspection there was A LOT of little bones mixed in with the meat/sauce and let's just say those were NOT cow bones so dry white rice ended up being my food of choice that night. It was either that or the bone in, skin on, I think that is hair sticking off the chicken chicken. I am not a super picky eater, but there are just some things that do not pass my mouth and meat that is either rat or a little dog is one of them.
-we rode escalators until standing still seemed weird, but Hey, you do whatever it takes to keep little ones happy in any given situation.
-Squatty Potties--no need to expand upon this
-Personal space, there is non, no matter how bad you smell or how much you glare
-Starbucks is good anywhere
-Despite all the craziness of this trip (rough adjustments, constructions, sick kiddo, etc...) WE LOVE CHINA. The people are great and there is just so much history. But most importantly, this is our boys birth country/culture. We may not always understand the beliefs or customs, but we will always cherish them and the precious gifts we now have. I can't wait to go back.
Wed., May 20
Today we packed. We played and relaxed and packed some more, and at 4 pm we headed to the lobby for one last escalator ride and a trip to the airport. There were a lot of emotions. We do love this place and couldn't wait to be home, but there is always a sadness as we take these sweet boys home with us. This is their last night in their birth country for the forseeable future. I don't know when or why we will be back, but we will make sure we go back. Until then we will try to keep this part of their lives alive for them in the small things we do at home. Goodbye China. Until we meet again.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Catch up
It's been a long few days so I will try to catch everyone up here.
Friday, May 15
This morning we went with the group to do some local sightseeing. We saw the Chen Family museum. This is dedicated to all members of the Chen family which is the most common surname in China. The architecture is so detailed and beautiful. There were courtyard areas with trees that you could sit and just enjoy everything. Of course I was playing Monster Jam on the walking ramps with a certain 4 year old I know so I didn't do any of that quiet reflecting : ). Konnor discovered my favorite summertime childhood past time today--- standing close to a fan and making funny sounds to distort your voice.
We also visited the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Auditorium. This was a quickly visit and though it is a very nice area I couldn't tell you anything else, because it was so hot all the kids were starting to meltdown.
We headed back to the room. Konnor took a nap, but the crazy construction had started again above us and Owen couldn't sleep. We walked around the hotel and ran into the hotel manager who had us moved to the blessedly quiet apartment on the other side of the hotel. Unfortunately during all of this we noticed that Owen had a temp. About 100.5. He had stopped eating or drinking and was hitting his left ear. We were going to take him to the medical clinic here, but fortunately a family that was leaving the next day had some unused amoxicillin so we started him on that and dosed him up with Tylenol/Motrin. We got moved into the new apartment and as Konnor said "it's not to loud here Mommy."
Saturday, May 16
We never left the room. Owens temp.s were up to 102 and he was a total fussy butt. Unfortunately it rained all day too so we snuggled in with Monster trucks and movies and just tried to keep Owen hydrated since he was on a total strike for all good/drink.
Sunday, May 17
Konnor and I geared up to go shopping. Mark stayed at the hotel with Owen since his temp was still up to 102. We went to the Pearl market and picked up some pearls and Jade. I had a single strand necklace made for Owen to give his wife or daughter one day. We ventured to Shamain island, ate at Lucy's where I had the best burger of my life, dodged the rain and got some other keepsakes. It was great to have some one on one time with Konnor. Unfortunately for Mark Owen screamed for 3 hrs straight. We stayed in the rest of the night since Owens temp. Showed up again, but he did start eating so it was a small victory.
Monday, May 18
Thankfully Owen woke up smiling and cool as a cucumber. Yay! We had our consulate appointment in the morning and they approved our request for a visa for Owen to enter the country. Hooray!!! We came back to the hotel for lunch and naps. Both boys passed out cold. Owen still woke up with no temp. And an eating machine, so we loaded in the bus for the part of the trip Konnor has been looking forward to--- the Safari Park. The boys had so much fun. The animals are so close. To top it off he got to ride a train through the park to see the animals which just made his day. Konnor got to feed the Giraffes and the Elephants which he LOVED! It was overall such a great day. It was hot, humid, rainy and long, but just overall a wonderful day of memories for our little family.
Friday, May 15
This morning we went with the group to do some local sightseeing. We saw the Chen Family museum. This is dedicated to all members of the Chen family which is the most common surname in China. The architecture is so detailed and beautiful. There were courtyard areas with trees that you could sit and just enjoy everything. Of course I was playing Monster Jam on the walking ramps with a certain 4 year old I know so I didn't do any of that quiet reflecting : ). Konnor discovered my favorite summertime childhood past time today--- standing close to a fan and making funny sounds to distort your voice.
We also visited the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Auditorium. This was a quickly visit and though it is a very nice area I couldn't tell you anything else, because it was so hot all the kids were starting to meltdown.
We headed back to the room. Konnor took a nap, but the crazy construction had started again above us and Owen couldn't sleep. We walked around the hotel and ran into the hotel manager who had us moved to the blessedly quiet apartment on the other side of the hotel. Unfortunately during all of this we noticed that Owen had a temp. About 100.5. He had stopped eating or drinking and was hitting his left ear. We were going to take him to the medical clinic here, but fortunately a family that was leaving the next day had some unused amoxicillin so we started him on that and dosed him up with Tylenol/Motrin. We got moved into the new apartment and as Konnor said "it's not to loud here Mommy."
Saturday, May 16
We never left the room. Owens temp.s were up to 102 and he was a total fussy butt. Unfortunately it rained all day too so we snuggled in with Monster trucks and movies and just tried to keep Owen hydrated since he was on a total strike for all good/drink.
Sunday, May 17
Konnor and I geared up to go shopping. Mark stayed at the hotel with Owen since his temp was still up to 102. We went to the Pearl market and picked up some pearls and Jade. I had a single strand necklace made for Owen to give his wife or daughter one day. We ventured to Shamain island, ate at Lucy's where I had the best burger of my life, dodged the rain and got some other keepsakes. It was great to have some one on one time with Konnor. Unfortunately for Mark Owen screamed for 3 hrs straight. We stayed in the rest of the night since Owens temp. Showed up again, but he did start eating so it was a small victory.
Monday, May 18
Thankfully Owen woke up smiling and cool as a cucumber. Yay! We had our consulate appointment in the morning and they approved our request for a visa for Owen to enter the country. Hooray!!! We came back to the hotel for lunch and naps. Both boys passed out cold. Owen still woke up with no temp. And an eating machine, so we loaded in the bus for the part of the trip Konnor has been looking forward to--- the Safari Park. The boys had so much fun. The animals are so close. To top it off he got to ride a train through the park to see the animals which just made his day. Konnor got to feed the Giraffes and the Elephants which he LOVED! It was overall such a great day. It was hot, humid, rainy and long, but just overall a wonderful day of memories for our little family.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Orphanage Visit
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Today Mark ventured with several other families to visit Owen's orphanage, finding spot and his Foster Family. We decided to have me and the boys stay at the hotel, because we could tell Owen was not feeling well, and a 10 hr day was going to be to much for both boys. As I am sure you can imagine I was heartbroken over not going. There is so little of our boys pasts that we can give them, and every detail we can save is important. I was sad for the Foster Mom that she would not get to see Owen again and see how well he is doing. I was sad that I wouldn't get to meet her and thank this woman who has taken care of my baby for the last 7 months. There were just a lot of emotions flying around.
The boys and I had a wonderful day just hanging out. We made a couple trips to the playground at the hotel, and just played in the room. The boys naps were short due to construction above our room, but they handled it well. Today was Konnors 3 year Forever Family Day anniversary so when Mark got back we took him to get Mexican and he picked out a special dessert. Overall a wonderful day.
Mark said they went first to the orphanage. This is one of the better orphanages, and has a large playground, school and medical facility on premises. They ate a great lunch and got to tour the facility. He was able to meet with Owens Foster Mom for a few minutes. She is so remorseful about his burns, but Mark reassured her that we do not blame her because accidents happen and that we are grateful for the care her family has provided. She confirmed a few things we have already figured out: Owen likes rice, veggies and porridge, but not fruits or sweets. He is not a big on snacks. He does not walk independently, but can walk holding on to things or holding fingers. But let me tell you this little guy can put on some speed crawling when he sees something he wants. Our big uh oh is that apparently he LOVES cars. Konnor has already decreed his monster trucks are off limits to Owen so we are going to have to stock up on some more cars since Owen is a car lover too. Mark visited his finding spot and made sure he took a million pictures for me. Overall it went well. There are more details, but we save some of that for Owen to decide who knows the specifics.
We are so in love with the little guy. He is just a doll. His laugh is contagious and just lights up his face.
Today Mark ventured with several other families to visit Owen's orphanage, finding spot and his Foster Family. We decided to have me and the boys stay at the hotel, because we could tell Owen was not feeling well, and a 10 hr day was going to be to much for both boys. As I am sure you can imagine I was heartbroken over not going. There is so little of our boys pasts that we can give them, and every detail we can save is important. I was sad for the Foster Mom that she would not get to see Owen again and see how well he is doing. I was sad that I wouldn't get to meet her and thank this woman who has taken care of my baby for the last 7 months. There were just a lot of emotions flying around.
The boys and I had a wonderful day just hanging out. We made a couple trips to the playground at the hotel, and just played in the room. The boys naps were short due to construction above our room, but they handled it well. Today was Konnors 3 year Forever Family Day anniversary so when Mark got back we took him to get Mexican and he picked out a special dessert. Overall a wonderful day.
Mark said they went first to the orphanage. This is one of the better orphanages, and has a large playground, school and medical facility on premises. They ate a great lunch and got to tour the facility. He was able to meet with Owens Foster Mom for a few minutes. She is so remorseful about his burns, but Mark reassured her that we do not blame her because accidents happen and that we are grateful for the care her family has provided. She confirmed a few things we have already figured out: Owen likes rice, veggies and porridge, but not fruits or sweets. He is not a big on snacks. He does not walk independently, but can walk holding on to things or holding fingers. But let me tell you this little guy can put on some speed crawling when he sees something he wants. Our big uh oh is that apparently he LOVES cars. Konnor has already decreed his monster trucks are off limits to Owen so we are going to have to stock up on some more cars since Owen is a car lover too. Mark visited his finding spot and made sure he took a million pictures for me. Overall it went well. There are more details, but we save some of that for Owen to decide who knows the specifics.
We are so in love with the little guy. He is just a doll. His laugh is contagious and just lights up his face.
Medical Appt
Wed. May 13, 2015
This morning we all loaded into the bus and headed downtown. First each child had their picture taken for their passports. Then we all headed upstairs for the medical exam. This is pretty much a lookie loo to make sure the child's special needs match what is in the file and is otherwise healthy with no obvious illness that would prevent travel to the U.S.
Owen is roughly 20 lbs and REALLY does not like the Doctor. I can't really blame him. After all his hospitalizations, poking and prodding I wouldn't like the Dr. either. Unfortunately for him we have a lot of appointments coming this summer. This was a long day. Each child had to do all of this and it is just time consuming. Konnor was a real champ through all of it. Thankfully their are a couple other siblings here that are just a couple years older than him so they all sit and play cars endlessly.
The rest of the day was just relaxing. So here is what we know about Owen so far. He really likes to be held. Loves rice, porridge, veggie based toddler pouches, stacking blocks, dancing and snuggles. He is not a fan of fruit, but will tolerate banana. He sleeps like a champ at night-- I'm talking 10-12 hrs straight people with nary a peep! AND it's rubbing off on Konnor who has slept 11 hrs the last 3 night!!!!! Can I get a Hallelujuah!!!!!!! Praying this continues when we get home. I forgot to mention the other day that on Gotcha Day we realized Owen is getting 4 teeth, two of which are molars. He tolerates it pretty well, but is a drooling little fussy butt sometimes too. He likes to watch what Konnor is doing and LOVES to be tickled. Konnor is such a great Big Brother. He helps me feed Owen, helps me give him Tylenol, if Owen fusses he runs to get whatever he thinks Owen needs at the time. He is really so sweet. He has asked that Owen not be allowed to play with his monster trucks which we said was fine since he has been so giving in every other aspect. We worked out a place at home that he can store his monster trucks. Konnor has been a little more defiant since Owen arrived, but we are working on him telling us when he wants alone time with one of us and so far that is working. Five more days until we head home!
This morning we all loaded into the bus and headed downtown. First each child had their picture taken for their passports. Then we all headed upstairs for the medical exam. This is pretty much a lookie loo to make sure the child's special needs match what is in the file and is otherwise healthy with no obvious illness that would prevent travel to the U.S.
Owen is roughly 20 lbs and REALLY does not like the Doctor. I can't really blame him. After all his hospitalizations, poking and prodding I wouldn't like the Dr. either. Unfortunately for him we have a lot of appointments coming this summer. This was a long day. Each child had to do all of this and it is just time consuming. Konnor was a real champ through all of it. Thankfully their are a couple other siblings here that are just a couple years older than him so they all sit and play cars endlessly.
The rest of the day was just relaxing. So here is what we know about Owen so far. He really likes to be held. Loves rice, porridge, veggie based toddler pouches, stacking blocks, dancing and snuggles. He is not a fan of fruit, but will tolerate banana. He sleeps like a champ at night-- I'm talking 10-12 hrs straight people with nary a peep! AND it's rubbing off on Konnor who has slept 11 hrs the last 3 night!!!!! Can I get a Hallelujuah!!!!!!! Praying this continues when we get home. I forgot to mention the other day that on Gotcha Day we realized Owen is getting 4 teeth, two of which are molars. He tolerates it pretty well, but is a drooling little fussy butt sometimes too. He likes to watch what Konnor is doing and LOVES to be tickled. Konnor is such a great Big Brother. He helps me feed Owen, helps me give him Tylenol, if Owen fusses he runs to get whatever he thinks Owen needs at the time. He is really so sweet. He has asked that Owen not be allowed to play with his monster trucks which we said was fine since he has been so giving in every other aspect. We worked out a place at home that he can store his monster trucks. Konnor has been a little more defiant since Owen arrived, but we are working on him telling us when he wants alone time with one of us and so far that is working. Five more days until we head home!
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| entertaining brother at the Dr.'s appt. |
Thursday, May 14, 2015
One Less
Tuesday, May 12, 2014
We went back to the Civil Affairs office to finalize the adoption. We were interviewed by two people and basically had to say why we wanted to adopt, if we were happy with the child and that we will never abandon or abuse him. When we walked out of that office a few hours later in the eyes of China everything was final and there was one less orphan in the world.
The rest of the day was pretty chill. Mark and Konnor went swimming and we just stuck to the room. The rest of the day. Despite what all the reports said Owen is an eater. He is eating about every 2-3 hrs at this point. I will try to finish getting updated later. My VPN is hit or miss so Internet is questionable.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Gotcha Day!!!
Monday, May 11, 2015
Sorry it's a few days late, but exhaustion has been kicking everyone's butt around here. Monday we met 6 other families in the lobby at 145 to head to the Civil Affairs office. When we travelled for Konnor we were the only family here for our agency so having a lot of families to travel with is a new experience. Several of the families I have spoken to frequently online so it's great to meet them and see their families growing.
When we got to the Civil Affairs office it was crowded and noisey. Many other families had already received their children. We sat in a back corner and waited for the green light that it was our turn. Six of the families in our group all had children coming from the same orphanage. They brought them out from behind the curtain one at a time, and we were blessed with the opportunity to see 6 other families meet their children. Owen was last and the person holding him just made a B-line straight for me. It happened so fast. One second I was telling Konnor, "look they are going to bring Owen soon," and the next she was putting a baby in my arms. I mean seriously, after all the months of waiting, delays, and such there should be a parade or at least streamers or something. At first he resisted, but once I held him he was fine. When he first started fussing my sweet sweet little Konnor reached up and started rubbing his leg. Then once we got back to our corner he immediately got some puffs to give Owen. Let's just say that there might have been a few tears from Mama by this point.
We had a little time to get to know each other then I took Konnor back to finish some paperwork. By this point everyone was dripping sweat (no exaggeration). It was hot anyway, but add in the number of people in that small room with the thunderstorm that started and we were all smelling AWESOME when we got back. It was still pouring down rain on the way back to the bus. Mark was holding Konnor and they slipped on some stairs and fell. They are both okay, just bumps and bruises.
By the time we got back it was almost 430. We settled for a little bit, ordered some room service and just set about getting to know each other. Konnor was asleep by 6 and the rest of us by 8. Konnor is still really struggling with the time change so he was up at 2, but Owen slept a solid 10 hrs.
Truthfully, it was perfect. My boys are together and regardless of how it came to be, that is all that really matters. Working on getting caught up on blogging, but we have a medical appt. for Owen in a little bit so it's time to get moving.
Sorry it's a few days late, but exhaustion has been kicking everyone's butt around here. Monday we met 6 other families in the lobby at 145 to head to the Civil Affairs office. When we travelled for Konnor we were the only family here for our agency so having a lot of families to travel with is a new experience. Several of the families I have spoken to frequently online so it's great to meet them and see their families growing.
When we got to the Civil Affairs office it was crowded and noisey. Many other families had already received their children. We sat in a back corner and waited for the green light that it was our turn. Six of the families in our group all had children coming from the same orphanage. They brought them out from behind the curtain one at a time, and we were blessed with the opportunity to see 6 other families meet their children. Owen was last and the person holding him just made a B-line straight for me. It happened so fast. One second I was telling Konnor, "look they are going to bring Owen soon," and the next she was putting a baby in my arms. I mean seriously, after all the months of waiting, delays, and such there should be a parade or at least streamers or something. At first he resisted, but once I held him he was fine. When he first started fussing my sweet sweet little Konnor reached up and started rubbing his leg. Then once we got back to our corner he immediately got some puffs to give Owen. Let's just say that there might have been a few tears from Mama by this point.
We had a little time to get to know each other then I took Konnor back to finish some paperwork. By this point everyone was dripping sweat (no exaggeration). It was hot anyway, but add in the number of people in that small room with the thunderstorm that started and we were all smelling AWESOME when we got back. It was still pouring down rain on the way back to the bus. Mark was holding Konnor and they slipped on some stairs and fell. They are both okay, just bumps and bruises.
By the time we got back it was almost 430. We settled for a little bit, ordered some room service and just set about getting to know each other. Konnor was asleep by 6 and the rest of us by 8. Konnor is still really struggling with the time change so he was up at 2, but Owen slept a solid 10 hrs.
Truthfully, it was perfect. My boys are together and regardless of how it came to be, that is all that really matters. Working on getting caught up on blogging, but we have a medical appt. for Owen in a little bit so it's time to get moving.
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| Last picture ever as a family of 3 |
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| First glimpse of our little man |
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| Add caption |
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| big brother Konnor trying to console Owen (one of my favorites!) |
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| First picture as a family of 4!! |
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Happy Mother's Day
today is Mother's Day, and my last one as a Mommy to 1. By this time tomorrow I will be the Mother of 2 very special little boys. This morning we walked a few blocks to a local park. We didn't stay because it was starting to rain, but Richard (our totally awesome guide) showed us around so that we could come back and enjoy another day. Then it was Pizza Hut for lunch, which was awesome, and a long nap for everyone. We had dinner (and ate some questionable fish) with another family from our area who will have Gotcha Day tomorrow as well. Then we hit up the local store for some baby essentials and snacks. WOW! That store was so loud, crowded and overwhelming that even I was uncomfortable. I totally forgot that here it is socially acceptable to just stare at people. I mean I know it is hard not to stare at a blonde bombshell with a handsome guy and worlds cutest kid, but sometimes it's just creepy. For the most part everyone here has been incredibly nice, and we have had a great experience.
Tonight is Owen's last night in the orphanage. His last night in clothes that feel comforting, food that tastes familiar and smells that he knows. He already went through this recently with the removal from his Foster family and my heart aches that he will experience this yet again. Our excitement must be tempered with the knowledge that for him this is not exciting or fun. For Owen the next few days will be scary, confusing and uncomfortable. Everything that is familiar and comforting in his life is being ripped from him in one fell swoop. We can only pray that his Foster family prepared him as best as possible for his age.
For us it is different. There is excitement, worry, joy and fear. There will be a new normal for our little family, and being a planner, I want to already be at the "new normal." I know that tonight, this day, this moment is all part of God's plan for us. It will be beautiful and perfect, but not easy. However, if the last 5years have taught me anything it is that sometimes the most precious gifts are wrapped up in struggle. To quote Shrek, "onions have layers," and while hopefully we aren't stinky, we will continue to peel back each layer until we find our own beautiful new normal. Please keep all of us in your prayers in the coming days as we all start to adjust to life as a family of 4.
Guess what...........one more sleep and Gotcha Day is here!!!!!!!!!!
Tonight is Owen's last night in the orphanage. His last night in clothes that feel comforting, food that tastes familiar and smells that he knows. He already went through this recently with the removal from his Foster family and my heart aches that he will experience this yet again. Our excitement must be tempered with the knowledge that for him this is not exciting or fun. For Owen the next few days will be scary, confusing and uncomfortable. Everything that is familiar and comforting in his life is being ripped from him in one fell swoop. We can only pray that his Foster family prepared him as best as possible for his age.
For us it is different. There is excitement, worry, joy and fear. There will be a new normal for our little family, and being a planner, I want to already be at the "new normal." I know that tonight, this day, this moment is all part of God's plan for us. It will be beautiful and perfect, but not easy. However, if the last 5years have taught me anything it is that sometimes the most precious gifts are wrapped up in struggle. To quote Shrek, "onions have layers," and while hopefully we aren't stinky, we will continue to peel back each layer until we find our own beautiful new normal. Please keep all of us in your prayers in the coming days as we all start to adjust to life as a family of 4.
Guess what...........one more sleep and Gotcha Day is here!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, May 9, 2015
We are here!!!
So let me just start by saying Konnor is a freaking rockstar! I mean we couldn't have asked for him to do any better with all this travel. Wednesday we stayed the night in San Fransisco. Our second flight was delayed, then we got stuck on their version of the Metro for about 1 1/2 hr. By the time we got to the hotel we were done. We grabbed a cab to the wharf, got some seafood, konnor got a much deserved ice cream and we headed back to the hotel. The next morning Konnor and I grabbed some food and swam while Mark finished up some school work. Next stop was the airport!
This is where it gets kind of hairy. Our initial flight was 1 1/2 hr delayed due to weather issues in China (lots of rain here the last few days). That got us to Wuhan late (thankfully it was the same plane we were taking to Guangzhou so no worries about a missed flight). Then once we cleared customs, checked back in for our connection and then they boarded us only for us to sit on the plane for 2 hrs before takeoff : (. It was 86 degrees when we got here at 2am. Yuck! Needless to say it was almost 4 am before we got to the hotel. Konnor was awesome the whole trip with only one meltdown while waiting to clear customs in Wuhan. Pretty sure they all wanted to know what kind of torture I was inflicting on the poor child because he was soooo over it. He only slept on and off for a few hrs here and there on the plane. He was also less than impressed with plane food and survived on my massive snack stash (we already had to go snack shopping today). After about 26 hrs of nonstop travel we were all cranky so I don't blame him at all. He only slept about 2 1/2 hrs before getting up for breakfast. We walked to 7-11 to get snacks and then the last two days really caught up to Konnor. I finally got him to sleep and we all took a much needed 4hr nap. The rest of the day was just chill day. Everyone felt better after nap. Konnor and I swam for about an hour while Mark took a final and then we explored the hotel. All my sensory parents will understand why we walked the stairs and escalators about a hundred times. Matching games, coloring and books before our little guy passed out cold. I am still in awe of how well he travelled the last few days.
We are getting the room arranged, and then tomorrow we are going to a local park. I feel surprising good despite the jet lag. Hoping we all sleep good tonight. Only 2 more sleeps until we meet Owen!
This is where it gets kind of hairy. Our initial flight was 1 1/2 hr delayed due to weather issues in China (lots of rain here the last few days). That got us to Wuhan late (thankfully it was the same plane we were taking to Guangzhou so no worries about a missed flight). Then once we cleared customs, checked back in for our connection and then they boarded us only for us to sit on the plane for 2 hrs before takeoff : (. It was 86 degrees when we got here at 2am. Yuck! Needless to say it was almost 4 am before we got to the hotel. Konnor was awesome the whole trip with only one meltdown while waiting to clear customs in Wuhan. Pretty sure they all wanted to know what kind of torture I was inflicting on the poor child because he was soooo over it. He only slept on and off for a few hrs here and there on the plane. He was also less than impressed with plane food and survived on my massive snack stash (we already had to go snack shopping today). After about 26 hrs of nonstop travel we were all cranky so I don't blame him at all. He only slept about 2 1/2 hrs before getting up for breakfast. We walked to 7-11 to get snacks and then the last two days really caught up to Konnor. I finally got him to sleep and we all took a much needed 4hr nap. The rest of the day was just chill day. Everyone felt better after nap. Konnor and I swam for about an hour while Mark took a final and then we explored the hotel. All my sensory parents will understand why we walked the stairs and escalators about a hundred times. Matching games, coloring and books before our little guy passed out cold. I am still in awe of how well he travelled the last few days.
We are getting the room arranged, and then tomorrow we are going to a local park. I feel surprising good despite the jet lag. Hoping we all sleep good tonight. Only 2 more sleeps until we meet Owen!
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| The plane getting ready to take off |
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| San Fransisco, Mark and Konnor with Alcatraz in the back ground |
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| Getting settled in the hotel room |
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| Room view |
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Leaving On A Jet Plane
It's almost midnight. The alarm is set for 430 and by 530 we will be in the car and headed to St. Louis for the first leg of our journey. The bags are packed including carry on's with only early morning essentials to throw in the bag.
Wow. It's here. I mean it's really here. It feels like we have waited forever, 16 months, but all of a sudden the world started spinning faster and in a blink the last 2 months have flown by. I am excited, scared, nervous, anxious and a million other things, but overall, I mean the real honest truth is that I feel a great calmness right now. Right this minute all I have left to do is get on a plane. The paperwork has been triple checked and it's time to go. In 5 days I will be the Mother of 2, and while I know we have some tough days ahead, I know it's time. God's time is always right. So soon I will head to bed and get maybe a little sleep, but I wanted to touch on a few things first.
Nesting. I wanted to talk about this in great detail and before midnight the night before we leave, but the last week has been a crazy, awesome mess : ) So here is a run down with some great sources to check into. If you are family and plan on spending any time with us I HIGHLY recommend you review these sources. If you are friends that plan on spending time with us please also do a quick run through to get an idea what we are talking about. Owen has suffered great loss and trauma in his short life and the things we do to help him heal may seem out of the ordinary to you, but are essential to him. We also have to assume that this adoption will trigger some issues with Konnor as well. He is a very sensitive little guy, and we have to think ahead of ways to help him through this transition as well.
-We will be nesting when we get home. No we will not be shut in our house 24/7, but we will limit our activities for at least the first few weeks to help everyone adjust to their new surroundings and schedules.
-We will not be allowing anyone to hold Owen for the immediate future. There is no exact timeline on this as it is all dependent on his adjustment, but this is not negotiable. He has had significant trauma with the loss of his birth family, multiple hospitalizations, multiple caregivers and being taken from the only home he has ever known. Konnor took to us right away, but there is no guarantee that Owen will react the same way so until such time as he shows signs of bonding to BOTH Mark and I we will not allow holding or self care to be done by anyone but us (feeding, diapers, baths, etc...). You are welcome to talk to him, give fives, make silly faces, etc..., but please refrain from trying to take him from us and if he does reach for you please do not try to take him from our arms. This is not meant to cause distress to anyone and it is not personal, but we have to do what is best for Owen and ultimately our family. Please address questions to Mark or I regarding this issue.
Please please please read this article. It is about perfect in explaining what I am talking about here.
www.https://thesweetfamilylife.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/a-letter-for-the-family-and-friends-of-those-adopting-a-little-one/
-Owen has burns on his right arm that are significant. They don't hurt him and over time will get somewhat better, but will never completely heal. It is ok to talk about or ask questions about his burns. It is a part of his history, but we don't want it to become the center of conversation everytime he meets someone so please try to plan ahead and talk to your children about what questions they may have and we are happy to help answer questions. The Phoenix Society http://www.phoenix-society.org has some wonderful information about burns if anyone is interested in learning more.
Alright everyone. I know there is more, but honestly my alarm is going off in 4 hours and that is only if a 4 year old doesn't wake me up sooner. Let me know if you have any questions and we will try to update as much as possible from China.
Wow. It's here. I mean it's really here. It feels like we have waited forever, 16 months, but all of a sudden the world started spinning faster and in a blink the last 2 months have flown by. I am excited, scared, nervous, anxious and a million other things, but overall, I mean the real honest truth is that I feel a great calmness right now. Right this minute all I have left to do is get on a plane. The paperwork has been triple checked and it's time to go. In 5 days I will be the Mother of 2, and while I know we have some tough days ahead, I know it's time. God's time is always right. So soon I will head to bed and get maybe a little sleep, but I wanted to touch on a few things first.
Nesting. I wanted to talk about this in great detail and before midnight the night before we leave, but the last week has been a crazy, awesome mess : ) So here is a run down with some great sources to check into. If you are family and plan on spending any time with us I HIGHLY recommend you review these sources. If you are friends that plan on spending time with us please also do a quick run through to get an idea what we are talking about. Owen has suffered great loss and trauma in his short life and the things we do to help him heal may seem out of the ordinary to you, but are essential to him. We also have to assume that this adoption will trigger some issues with Konnor as well. He is a very sensitive little guy, and we have to think ahead of ways to help him through this transition as well.
-We will be nesting when we get home. No we will not be shut in our house 24/7, but we will limit our activities for at least the first few weeks to help everyone adjust to their new surroundings and schedules.
-We will not be allowing anyone to hold Owen for the immediate future. There is no exact timeline on this as it is all dependent on his adjustment, but this is not negotiable. He has had significant trauma with the loss of his birth family, multiple hospitalizations, multiple caregivers and being taken from the only home he has ever known. Konnor took to us right away, but there is no guarantee that Owen will react the same way so until such time as he shows signs of bonding to BOTH Mark and I we will not allow holding or self care to be done by anyone but us (feeding, diapers, baths, etc...). You are welcome to talk to him, give fives, make silly faces, etc..., but please refrain from trying to take him from us and if he does reach for you please do not try to take him from our arms. This is not meant to cause distress to anyone and it is not personal, but we have to do what is best for Owen and ultimately our family. Please address questions to Mark or I regarding this issue.
Please please please read this article. It is about perfect in explaining what I am talking about here.
www.https://thesweetfamilylife.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/a-letter-for-the-family-and-friends-of-those-adopting-a-little-one/
-Owen has burns on his right arm that are significant. They don't hurt him and over time will get somewhat better, but will never completely heal. It is ok to talk about or ask questions about his burns. It is a part of his history, but we don't want it to become the center of conversation everytime he meets someone so please try to plan ahead and talk to your children about what questions they may have and we are happy to help answer questions. The Phoenix Society http://www.phoenix-society.org has some wonderful information about burns if anyone is interested in learning more.
Alright everyone. I know there is more, but honestly my alarm is going off in 4 hours and that is only if a 4 year old doesn't wake me up sooner. Let me know if you have any questions and we will try to update as much as possible from China.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Mixed Emotions
We are only 5 days away from leaving and my emotions are all over the place. Don't get me wrong, I am crazy excited, but there is more to it than just adding a little one to our family. You see, the orphanage will already have been notified of Owen's impending adoption and his Gotcha Day. This is huge in his world. Any day now, if they haven't already, they will remove Owen from his Foster Family and place him back in the orphanage. We have requested that they only do this a week prior, but truthfully we have no control over this and typically they do this about 2 weeks before Gotcha Day. The reasoning is to create some distance between the child and the Foster Family so that they are more accepting of their Forever Family, but also they want the Nanny's to be the "bad guys" that remove the child versus the new family taking on that role.
My concerns are multiple on this issue:
I completely understand why they are doing this, but I hate hate hate to the core of my being that he will be back in the orphanage. Firstly, he was moved to Foster Care due to the fact that he was failing to thrive in the orphanage. This is one of the better orphanages, but still it is not a home with a Mommy to attend to all of his needs. I worry about his eating (they have repeatedly told us he is not a good eater), I worry about his burns being taken care of, and on and on.
Mostly though my heart is breaking because I know his heart is breaking. He has spent 8 months with this family. They stayed with him during his hospitalization, burn care, etc... and from all accounts from parents whose children have fostered with them, they are amazing and love their foster children fiercely. He is so little and has no way of knowing that this home is temporary. In his mind this is Mama and Baba. I can only imagine how scared and confused he must be right now. To then be in the orphanage and suddenly be handed to these people who look nothing like him, smell funny and talk funny is going to be just another trauma in his life.
So right now I ask that you say prayers for him. That he will feel God's love surrounding him until we can be with him. That his heart will be open to us and that our hearts and minds will be in tune to his needs during this upcoming transition.
Thank You
My concerns are multiple on this issue:
I completely understand why they are doing this, but I hate hate hate to the core of my being that he will be back in the orphanage. Firstly, he was moved to Foster Care due to the fact that he was failing to thrive in the orphanage. This is one of the better orphanages, but still it is not a home with a Mommy to attend to all of his needs. I worry about his eating (they have repeatedly told us he is not a good eater), I worry about his burns being taken care of, and on and on.
Mostly though my heart is breaking because I know his heart is breaking. He has spent 8 months with this family. They stayed with him during his hospitalization, burn care, etc... and from all accounts from parents whose children have fostered with them, they are amazing and love their foster children fiercely. He is so little and has no way of knowing that this home is temporary. In his mind this is Mama and Baba. I can only imagine how scared and confused he must be right now. To then be in the orphanage and suddenly be handed to these people who look nothing like him, smell funny and talk funny is going to be just another trauma in his life.
So right now I ask that you say prayers for him. That he will feel God's love surrounding him until we can be with him. That his heart will be open to us and that our hearts and minds will be in tune to his needs during this upcoming transition.
Thank You
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