Merry Christmas!

We flew to Guangzhou Friday and just getting a chance to update- its been crazy. Medical checks, more appointments for pictures for his Visa, a new Guide, and more and more paperwork gathering making sure everything is just right for our Consulate appointment on December 30th. We will go tomorrow again to the Medical Clinic to get the TB tests checked. Today, we had a free day since it was Christmas and went with another family shopping on Shaiman Island. Its a pretty touristy place, and Guangzhou weather is perfect, high 60s today. Ao Zhen went on probably his very first visit to a park. The laughter he had going down the slide was priceless. Getting him to leave however was another story...but its typical. Everytime you hear a screaming child here, you can be sure its another family with an adopted child. Tantrums constantly with these kids! But Ao Zhen is getting better about going to sleep and has stopped screaming for 45 minutes- which is nice. And he is now letting me eat without stealing the food off my plate.
So, back in Shanghai, the incredibley emotional day for us was the day we visited his orphanage and his abandonment place (an infusion room inside a hospital which we went in to see with our own eyes). The orphanage that I had such high expectations of which is beautiful on the outside, and not at all on the inside....was just rooms of children. Thats all I can say. Dark, dreary. Sad. And this is a GOOD orphanage. Ao Zhen was told by our interpreter that he was only going for a visit to his friends and that he was going home with mama, that he was not staying there. They assured him of that. He would NOT go into his room. All the aunties were so excited to see him...but he absolutely clung to me in fear and would not go in. He did go in the other little girl's room whose family was with us, still clinging to me but he went in. I sat on the floor with him in my lap and just played and played with the other kids as much as I could. They were high-fiving me, even the shy ones. But Ao Zhen started getting upset and apparently screaming "Don't hit my mama" in Chinese. He had it at that point. I will never forget what I saw there- I will never forget those little faces all just so terribly craving attention. And the fact that my son spent 3 1/2 years there is just almost too much to imagine.

Then, we went to his "Finding Place". We went inside the hospital where he was left in the infusion room. I can't describe it- thats how bad it was. I will NEVER complain about our hospitals again, thats all I can say really. I can't believe someone left my little boy there...I just can't wrap my head around it. That whole day was so emotional and draining...I am glad I saw those places- I think its something everyone should see whether in China or back at home...so maybe more people would do something to save these children. I will forever be changed after this experience.

So, we have our typical "moments" that you know you are going to have with institutionalized kids. The food hoarding, toy hoarding, fear of being undressed and bathed, the grown up and doing things for themselves that kids this age should not be doing...cleaning every spill while freaking out in fear, picking up every piece of trash, so many things its hard to even begin. He is very wise for his tender 4 years of age. And we also have the typical issues of sort of being attached...I cannot leave his sight without him going crazy. Yet, if I don't let him have something he literally will NOT look at me for about an hour or more and he will go to Alexis for everything. And vice versa when he gets mad at her. And when he was mad at both of us one day, he decided he would only walk with the father in another family. I will be posting a picture of him in an elevator..I call it our Elevator Standoff. He was mad at everything and would NOT come out of the elevator. So, we stayed there for a while...then once he got off he laid on the ground and would not get up. So I just sat there with him, waiting for him to simmer down. I don't always let him get away with it...usually I pick him up kicking and screaming but I thought I'd wait it out that day and see how long he sat there- it was a good half hour.

He has had an off and on nosebleed for 3 days...and that is a nightmare with Hemophilia. His nose was so crusty and stuffed up when we got him, and its so dry It just happened. I think its on the mend. But, let me just say this. We get stared at constantly be the Chinese people anyway...they are always looking at us I think disapprovingly, with one of "their" kids. Not all are probably disapproving stares but it sure feels like it. And I have a very healthy looking boy so I am sure there is a lot of thoughts on their part. Anyway, so try walking down the street with a tantruming, screaming child...held sideways, fighting me the whole way down the street, AND add the bloody nose to it. We really have gotten some looks! Now, Alexis, Miss Supermodel...has actually had people approach her and ask to have her picture taken with them like she is famous. Its hysterical!

So, enough talk...here's some pics! First the orphanage and hospital: