5 weeks

5 weeks ago today we were blessed beyond measure when we became the parents of another amazing little boy.  He has filled our life with so much joy.  His smiles are contagious and you can't help but join in when he laughs.  I will never know what made us worthy of two such amazing kids, but we will forever be thankful.  It's not without challenges.  Owen was 18 months old when he came to us.  18 months worth of experiences.  He already has his own little personality and a stubborn streak a mile wide, but we are having such fun learning who he is and what he likes.

Konnor is still doing well being a big brother.  It's not as exciting to him as it first was, but he is still a great helper.  He is constantly asking when we can go back for "another baby Owen."  

Here are some fun facts from the last few weeks: 

-Owen took his first steps on May 28 exactly one week after coming home, and has not stopped walking since.  

-He is still a pretty picky eater, but we are making a few strides here so we will just keep taking it one day at a time.  Rice is still a staple, but today he ate 1 1/2 banana so I count that as a win since he hates fruit.  

-He is soooo a water baby.  Loves bath, and when I tell him it is time to get out and hold out my hands he turns away from me and flattens against the farthest wall to stay in the tub.  We are going swimming about every other day right now and this is right up his alley too. 

-He still prefers to be held, but he is getting better at being down for short periods of time.  We'll get there in time.  Now that he is down a little more he is starting to play a little more.  He LOVES music and the pretend telephone.  He also likes balls and rolling cars.  

-The carseat is growing on him for very short car rides.  I am not looking forward to the 6 hrs each way trip to Cincinnati in a few weeks.  I foresee a lot of stops along the way.  

-He has no fear left of Baxter and in fact has started actively go to him to pet him.  

May 27 we got an email from out in China coordinator.  Owen had a note left with him when he was abandoned.  I was able to have it translated and while the details are for him, I can tell you that it was from a member of his Birth Family and gave us a lot of insight into the circumstances surrounding his abandonment.  I cried.  A LOT!  This is the most precious gift and I can't wait until he is old enough to understand the importance of this note.  I pray for them.  I pray for both our boys birth families.  I can't even begin to imagine the depth of their pain as they had to make the decision that their child would be better off without them. I will never know their names, but I see their faces everytime I hug my boys, kiss them goodnight or wipe their tears.  These people on the other side of the world, that have no names I can call them by, are every bit as important to me as these precious boys.  They choose life for my Sons.  They choose Love and Hope and Mercy.  I have no words I could say to them to that would adequately explain my love for these children that were born to another Mother, but we pray for them.  Every night we pray for their health, happiness and peace.  

Home

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.

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.....

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.

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.

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.

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!

entertaining brother at the Dr.'s appt.