Well, today is one of my favorites, so far! Luke and I had the morning off, so we woke up slow and prepared for the day after breakfast! That was a treat! Downstairs we had a lovely meal, and met a lady who is adopting her sixth child. God Bless Her! She is here alone, as well, and we agreed to try and meet up for a play date tomorrow. She is here with a two year old girl with Cerebral Palsy and an older girl who doesn't speak any English. We took a little nap after breakfast, and Luke woke up quite content. In fact, I started noticing he was really showing me more and more of his smile.... Just simple moments, I change his diaper, pick him up, look down at his face... Big silly smile! Today was the first time I saw Luke a bit silly... He is subtle, though. He saves meaningful emotions... Doesn't hand them out frivolously! I respect that in a baby!
We went shopping and sightseeing at the Folk Art Museum with Lucia and the family from Michigan. It was so fun, and Luke was just the greatest of sports for the long, hot afternoon. He didn't fuss, he was observant, and took in every site! He was friendly, but reserved with admirers, and, as always, very loyal to Mommy... Good boy, sweetheart! Lucia held the baby for a while, so that I could use the restroom, and she really fell in love with him while I was gone. She went on about him, and told me that he smelled so good. She said, "Not all babies smell good, you know!". I agreed. Lucia is such a great shopping partner! She points me in the right direction, let's me know what she would do, and always ensures that what I'm bringing home for the baby is something she would purchase for a family member. She has told me several times, "No, not there. I will take you to a better store... Not a store for tourists.". I really appreciate the honesty, and trust that what piece of Luke's culture I bring home is meaningful and authentic.
While we were visiting the Folk Art Museum today, everyone was so welcoming and friendly. There were a group of young ladies pining over Luke, sometimes trying to communicate with me, but mostly speaking with Lucia. They noticed Luke's little feet, and looked at me. I just said, "Doctor...Fix.". I shrugged by shoulders, as if saying, 'not a big deal.'. They double-checked my response with Lucia, and she repeated my response, in Chinese. The ladies were so happy, and seemed pleasantly surprised. Later that afternoon, Lucia told me that those ladies told her that Luke looks like me. A lot of people in China have told us the same. What a kind thing to say!The best for last, I suppose... Today, Luke was the most expressive of any other day. He was very content and peaceful. He and I are doing very well! I've introduced raisins and apple juice... Keeping my eye on the diaper a bit these days. Lucia and I also purchased a children's tea at the grocery market to help with internal balance and digestion. His body has been through a significant amount of change in the last week. I'm really happy to have the tea, and Luke already loves it. My hope is that Luke and I are able to visit the swimming pool tomorrow!
Today was nice and slow for us here in Guangzhou... I think we were both due. Yesterday was a very big day. We went downstairs for breakfast after Luke drank his bottle, and enjoyed a lovely meal. A lot of adoptive families arrived last night from their children's provinces. Luke and I are already in his province, Guangdong Province. Luke had cantaloupe this morning, but was a little less agreeable when trying new foods this morning. I feel like yesterday's trip to the orphanage was just a bit stressful. We both came upstairs and fell asleep for an 11:00am nap. I'm not sure if I've ever taken a nap at 11:00am in my life! I have now! We must have both been ready for a slow day.
Luke has not been quite as adventurous today, wanting me to feed him more from my fingers, hold his sippy cup for him, hold his bottle for him. He participated a little less today in our new little routine... wanted to be independent less, and assisted more. That's okay, baby! You're doing so well! So much in such a short period of time for a young boy! He had a pretty difficult time falling asleep tonight. I don't really know how to explain it, but as he becomes sleepy, he becomes really emotional. Also, as he wakes up from nap, he becomes really emotional. He has a lot going on inside his little body right now, as well as his early developing mind and memory. I won't even begin to specifically label what he's experiencing before and after his sleeps... It's not really my place. I just hold him, and walk with him, and do my best to be with him each time. I believe this too, shall pass. Luke is doing incredibly well, and he and I have such a wonderful, new relationship. All is well in Guangzhou!
I must tell you, before I tell you about our great day... Luke is on such a tremendous learning curve, he truly wakes up every morning with a new skill! It's just that fast! He's a very observant and smart boy... His gifts will take him quite far in his life, I am sure of that!
This morning our wake up call went off at 6:00am, and the phone scared poor Luke... It was quite loud. I gave him his bottle, got ready myself, and gave Luke his bath in the sink! We went downstairs for breakfast, and met Lucia at 8:30am to leave for Luke's orphanage. It was just under 3 hours away by car. Our driver had a very nice van, which really made a difference in the heat! Luke and I were very comfortable... He slept and I enjoyed the transition in scenery from one part of the country to the next. I put him in a little onesie for the trip because it's just that hot and humid. I put a great little outfit in my backpack, to wear when we visited the orphanage, because I just wanted him to look great for this important day! Well, my dear baby, Mommy is now realizing that almost all of your clothes are a bit too big! We're going to have to go back to Ohio and shrink a few things! You are still so handsome, sweetheart!
I was very anxious when we pulled up to the orphanage. We were in the city of YangJiang, located in YangDong County. We were greeted by the Director of the orphanage, led into a large room with a conference table. The room held many display cases of adopted children and families. The room quickly started filling up with professionals from the adoption agency... From memory, it seems maybe there were about 6-8 people, plus Lucia, Luke, and myself. I could tell they started talking about how he looked. Lucia told me that she reassured them that Luke no longer gets carsick, and that his stomach is fine. They said he looks good, they were very nice and gracious, but I must say, I was incredibly intimidated. Luke was a little stressed to have so many eyes on him, combined with the awareness of returning to the orphanage. I never took my eyes off of Luke's eyes, and Lucia's for that matter. Luke was never scared, just watchful. He never fussed, all day... He actually just soaked it in. There were several ladies that wanted to hold Luke and spend a few moments with him. I have to admit, that was very hard for me to do... To let go of him there, at his orphanage. I did it anyway, and quickly realized that we were all safe, and that these ladies love Luke very much. He would not be the kind, attentive, affectionate, and dear boy that he is if these ladies had not facilitated those traits in him. None the less, I was struggling with a touch of fear. We were allowed to enter Luke's room and visit with the other children. The Director told Lucia that Luke had heat inside of him, and that his lips were dry, as a result. Lucia translated for me, and I did my best to reassure him that I would take care of the heat inside of him, making his lips dry! I was just really nervous! We were permitted to take a picture of Luke's crib, and Lucia took pictures of the building and the garden for me. She has been nothing but lovely. Luke and the other children played outside every morning after breakfast, until lunch. Luke was incredibly well cared for by very loving women! I'm incredible glad we visited, and grateful to have the knowledge to tell Luke about his very early childhood in China!
Luke lived on the third floor. YangJiang is very close to the ocean, and as a result, reminded me very much of Florida... Pink buildings and white buildings to reflect the sun, none more than 4-5 stories high, surrounded by tropical foliage and palm trees.
At the end of our visit and tour, Lucia informed me that the Director and staff would like to take us to a very nice lunch. We all nodded, smiled, and returned to our own vehicles. Again, I'm just a bit nervous at this point, and having a difficult time shaking it. Luke is doing so well! We drove to a beautiful hotel, YangJiang ChangJiang International Hotel. We all walked into a private room and sat at a circular table. The staff members were talking to Lucia about Luke's appetite... They all remembered he has a very strong appetite! That was endearing, because he does! Well, sure enough, when the pressure is on, and I want my baby to show them his strong appetite for big boy solids and finger foods, he wants nothing to eat! Luke spits everything out of his mouth that I try to give him! Oh, baby! Now is not the time... Please eat for everyone! Sure enough, as the meal progressed, and everyone was involved in they're own side-conversations, the eyes were slowly less and less on Luke. He really puts the brakes on when all eyes are on him, sometimes even with me. He started eating like a champ after everyone quit watching! He loved the dumplings, red peppers, small pieces of teriyaki beef, and a rice noodle cooked into fried egg. Lunch was lovely, and the orphanage staff was very gracious. They all smiled and nodded at Luke and I on our way out of the restaurant... We all shook hands, thanked each other, and went on our separate ways. I would say the day was stressful and quite a success! What important information I gathered today for Luke. I feel blessed to know so much about his early young life in China. This will undoubtedly be extremely important to him as he grows older, and invaluable to me now and forever! Time to go dance to lullabies with baby Luke! I know you will all just love this baby... He is amazing!
I have to tell you, a bit off topic, but ... We're in the bedroom with the drapes pulled because Luke is so sleepy from the day! He's not sleeping, but just relaxing and letting go of the day. He moves a lot, even when he's relaxing... Fiddles with his blanket, sucks his thumb, wants to hold hands, etc. The reason I mention this, is that he just pinched the top of my knee, a nice, strong pinch, as if saying, "Alright, well, there is her knee!". Right after, he looked up at me, and reached up to hold hands! It actually made me laugh! He's very direct!
Well, this deserves two posts in one day! Today has been our most 'on schedule' day... Luke took a regular nap at about noon, and he's been up since 3:00pm now. He still has a nightmare every day at nap, but i just lie down with him, or walk with him, and we just ride it out together! It typically lasts maybe 45 minutes to an hour. It really breaks my heart, but it's just our fourth day together... Most importantly, when he is upset (almost grieving) he easily let's me comfort him the entire time! Very important! We walked around the hotel a bit while they cleaned our room, took photos of the hotel, and went out to look at the swimming pool. So beautiful! It's very hot, and Luke's eyes are still a bit runny, so we just looked outside quickly, and went back to our room. Luke did well with the crowd, and seemed pretty relaxed. This is the first day that we have had an evening together! Luke woke up at 3:00pm, and he's still going strong at 6pm...another first!
The big news... I saw Luke's first smile (with me)! After our walk, I put him down on the blanket to play, because he is increasingly more interested in each toy, each time he plays. He's really figuring things out! Well, I've been starting to hand him the finger food, and he's been putting small bites into his own mouth. Not long ago, I was putting little bites into his mouth for him, because he didn't know how to do it! I have already noticed that he really likes anything that is in the 'big-boy' department, like the red sippy cup! I decided, while he was playing on the blanket, that I would just fill up his little bowl of Cheerios, and put it down next to him without saying a word. He started eating his Cheerios, and I pretended not to notice. I walked into the bedroom for a second, and when I returned, he had the silliest smile on his face, like ' I am SUCH a big boy!'. Sippy cups ROCK and now, so does your very own bowl of Cheerios! He just finished his third small bowl. Hurray for finger food! Now he's putting a Cheerio in each of his stacking cups! Today has been very special... Each day, Luke evolves a just a bit more! This is really the best! All our love!
We've had a great morning so far, and it's amazing how fast a routine can develop! Luke slept more restfully last night, less tossing and turning, from about 5:00PM until 7:30 this morning. He's becoming more comfortable each day. I, on the other hand, was awake from about 3:00-5:00 AM... I had a terrible nightmare, that someone had taken Luke from my hotel room, put him back in his clothes from the orphanage, and left the clothes I had dressed him in on the bed. He was gone, and in his place was a man telling me maybe I could try to call someone, but that he did not see how anything could help me at this point! It's amazing, we absorb so much stress at different times in our life, and it eventually just presents itself! This has truly been a stressful journey, but I feel we are all so blessed to have Luke in our lives!
We have the entire day off today, no appointments. Lucia is processing Luke's paperwork, but we don't need to accompany her. We went to breakfast this morning, and sat by the window. I caught Luke occasionally looking outside at the waterfall and pond, but for the most part, he couldn't take his eye off of his plate, and mine! Good boy, Luke! This morning he drank his bottle, and at the restaurant he tried a lot of new foods. He likes waffles a lot (and a little butter is such a treat for him, for all of us really!), he likes dumplings, rice noodles with a touch of soy sauce, hard boiled egg whites, and small pieces of teriyaki chicken. His favorite was actually a steamed vegetable with a white bulb and extremely dark green, flat leaves... I thought maybe they were leeks? I combined the vegetable with rice and I could not get them to Luke fast enough! It was so funny, he started lunging forward, to his plate, to my plate! He could not get enough of this vegetable! GOOD BOY, LUKE! I have the boy who loves his veggies! We sat outside on the back patio to watch the waterfall and fish for a bit, but Luke's eyes were starting to become drippy and goopy again, so we went inside. It is so hot and humid in Guangzhou, even in the morning. I notice Luke was got his first mosquito bite while we were sitting out by the pond.
After breakfast, I like to put Luke on a blanket on the floor, in order to see what he does with his toys... A bit more each day. Initially, he just stared at them, he wouldn't even pick them up. Today he squished his ball, and made noise with the noise making toys, and played with his lion (he had been afraid of the little lion not long ago!). Stacking cups still seem to be his favorite. I showed him how to turn the cups upside-down, in order to make a tower. Well, not yet ready for towers, but it won't be long. Lack of exposure in a child is such an amazing thing to witness. What the child needs is typically not much more than exposure to whatever was missing in the child's life in the first place (to put it simply)! In Luke's case, he is on the fastest of all learning curves now! We need to play, play, play! He becomes stronger, more curious, and less apprehensive with each day. Luke is extremely observant, and quite motivated to learn... I can tell already! Luke has unlimited play and exploration in his future! I gave him his second round of antibiotic, a fresh diaper, and put him down for his noon nap. I was excited that he went down for his noon nap today at noon!
Tomorrow is a big day for both of us. We visit Luke's orphanage, 3 hours away by car. Lucia assured me that this car would be quite comfortable, and we both felt confident that Luke would not likely experience the same carsickness as Monday. He is much more relaxed now, eating and drinking nicely, and 2/3 complete with his antibiotic. Not every adoptive parent is invited to visit their child's orphanage, or some families are just too far from their child's orphanage. We are blessed to have the opportunity to visit and take pictures. The baby's birth mother placed him under the tree at the left side of the gate at the orphanage. I've been told that this signifies how deeply she wanted the baby found, quickly and without harm... This was very brave on her part, as she potentially put herself at risk doing so. I'm looking forward to the trip very much, and I will have a far richer childhood history to tell Luke about as a result of tomorrow's visit. Luke fell asleep on my chest for the first time today.
Yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, after our 3 appointments, in combination with the heat, Luke was exhausted! I wanted to just get a bit more water and banana in him before nap, and I'm so grateful I was able to... I put Luke down for his nap at 1:00 yesterday afternoon, and he wasn't fully awake until about 7:30 this morning! I have never seen anything quite like it before! I was laying next to him most of that time, and he was very content and cuddly... Just exhausted. No coughing or runny eyes/nose after we're in the hotel for awhile. I think Luke has seasonal allergies like Mommy... Sorry sweetheart! Did I mention that while at the Notary yesterday, a guide from another adoption agency was visiting with Lucia and I. He was from China, but wearing an OSU Buckeyes shirt! I told Lucia how funny I thought that was! To my point, he told me that Luke looked like me! I said nothing, just smiled. He said "Really, the shape of your face is the same as his, and your cheeks are the same... Lips too, but not nose or hair.". I smiled and nodded. That was sweet!
Well, this morning was a morning of many firsts for Luke and I together! Most importantly, Luke drank his first bottle, and I was so relieved. He just needed a day or two to settle in a bit. I'm not hungry when I'm under tremendous stress, either. Occasionally, he would toss his bottle a bit, as in protest. I suppose he was looking to see how I would react. Well, I just helped him put the bottle back in his mouth. He seemed interested in the whole dance. Now, the funny thing here, is that before I offered him the bottle, I offered him his sippy cup of water... I was not expecting him to want his bottle. He took almost the whole bottle, but rarely let go of that sippy cup! He's not kidding with that red sippy cup!
Today was Luke's first shampoo and first water play, with me. He was just fine with his little sink bath and shampoo... Played with a few cups in the water. The Assistant Director of Luke's orphanage said the children were given baths. I asked him, specifically wanting to know if Luke would be afraid of sitting in water. He's not! He smells just like all the other Johnson & Johnson babies out there, now!
To be quite honest, this morning was a milestone in play for Luke, with me. Today is the first day I saw him really play and show interest/curiosity in his toys. He loves his stacking cups and rings the most, but the comb and brush are interesting, too! After bath and Mommy's shower, Luke and I made the adventure to Breakfast in the Garden Hotel lobby. Mommy wanted to push the envelope, and see if Luke was interested in any solid foods. Luke has his first many bites of waffle and he enjoyed his first bites hash browns as well. He did enjoy a small bite of chicken, but that was just for my future reference. He had already had plenty at that point! The crowd was a bit stressful for him, I could tell. When we returned to our room after breakfast, I gave him his first of three rounds of antibiotic, just for good measure... He's being exposed to so many new environments very, very quickly! What a great morning! We like to watch the Olympics with the sound down, and play soft music when we're in our room. I have to admit, though, Luke and I watched how Land Rovers were made on the Discovery Channel our first night together!
Our trip to the Police Department for Luke's visa was a success. I had to wake Luke at 2:30 to meet Lucia at 3:00 in the lobby. We ran into the guide wearing the OSU shirt that said Luke looked like me. He offered Lucia and I a ride with his family, as he had plenty of room, and we were all going to the same place. It was nice to visit with this family from Illinois on the ride and at the station. The mother told me that Luke and I communicate very well, so early. I thanked her. Lucia told me that Luke looked very good today, that he looked good with me, and that his face was healthy and relaxed. She said, "He drinks so much water!"... This is true, now that he's discovered water, but then so do I! This story is not complete without again mentioning the red sippy cup. He has such pride of ownership with this cup! Today, we took the sippy cup on the road, and so Luke discovered the little blue cap that closes the sippy cup. He loves the blue cap just as much as the sippy cup itself! Sippy cups ROCK! Sometimes it is the small pleasures in life. Luke needs so much sleep and quiet rest right now. After 18 hours of sleep yesterday, I already mentioned I had to wake Luke to make our 3:00 appointment. As soon as we arrived back in our room after the Police Department, I changed his diaper, put him in a little onesie, and off to sleep. I realized today, quite likely, why Luke wakes up crying during daytime naps, but not during the night... I'm not always next to him during the daytime naps, I am at night. Bless his heart... Can you imagine these past 72 hours for a 20 month old baby? He's such a beautiful boy!
