Monday- Adoption day and Temple

Oh my, what a day!! This post is not for people with weak stomachs. So just stop reading now. We woke up at 6 am to a bed full of poop. The poor girl, the sheets and the comforter were covered in it. Her colostomy bag stayed on, but the adhesive came loose from her skin and it oozed out. It was a great wake up call. So, we woke her up and stuck her in the shower which led to a lot of screaming. We decided to go back to the diaper method the ayis use. The bag is not the right size, and although it is easier to change, it is not working out so well. We managed to keep her clean all day today... until about 5:45 tonight. We went out to eat and when we got back to the room, I picked her up to put her in my lap, and her entire shirt and jacket were covered. Back in the shower.... more screaming baby. Rick and I are over it, and so ready to get her back home to have this taken care of. I am hoping we made the right decision to not do this surgery in China. It is not fair to her to have to live like this, but I am hoping in the end it will all be worth it.

 

After our little incident this morning, we had breakfast in the hotel. It was pretty good! Hannah ate a ton. She had a bowl of congee, a bowl of fried rice, a yogurt and a bowl of watermelon. She is so independent. I was trying to feed her because the congee was hot. She took the bowl and spoon from me and shook her head no. Then she picked up the spoon, felt the bottom of it, blew on it, then took a bite. Hmmmm, guess she has done this before. She is an excellent eater. She even takes the spoon to get the leftovers off her face.

 

Rick met our guide at 9 to exchange money for the adoption and Hannah and I hung out and took pictures. We met the orphanage people at 10 to get our family picture taken. Then we signed all of the paperwork in our room. A little different experience compared to Emma's adoption! Tomorrow we meet with everyone again, but I am not sure of the purpose of that meeting.

 

We found a grocery store and picked up a few things. That is always an adventure! It is not so fun to be the center of attention everywhere we go. I know we look like a bunch of idiots trying to figure out what to buy. We just got enough stuff for lunch today and then hung out in the hotel for several hours. We met our guide at 3:00 to go to a temple. It was interesting, but once you have seen one temple you have seen them all. Especially when you are a Christian, the whole idea of worshipping buddhas seems so strange. Thankfully that visit did not take long. Our guide told us that the Hot Pot restaurant next to our hotel was excellent and they speak a little English so we decided to check it out. We found out that they don't speak any English and it was pretty entertaining trying to figure out what to order and how to cook the food. Hannah and Rick loved it, but I was not a fan. I needed a Big Mac after that meal.

 

Hannah's evening explosion led to another shower. When she got out, I just held her in the towel to give her skin a break from all of the bandages. She fell asleep in my arms. I was able to get her diaper on and put her in bed without her waking up. I plan on getting up 2 times tonight to change her. If we wake up with a poopy bed again, I don't think I will be able to hold my head up when I walk through the lobby. They will probably say... "There is the poopy American family!" 

 

 

I am trying to let Hannah explore and be curious because I know she has not had many opportunities. She was really quiet in the corner (she always gets quiet when she is doing something naughty) and I noticed she was pulling all the wipes out of the bag. I told her NO and took them away and she pouted. I had to take the "first pout" picture. She kept looking up to see if I was paying attention.

Today was her adoption day. She looked so pretty!

I let Hannah hold the desitin bottle when I was changing her. She put it on her face like lotion. Earlier I caught her with the cortizone cream rubbing it on her hands like lotion.

This was a sweet moment. She loves this kitty we brought her. She kisses her and likes to make her walk. She was rocking her back and forth in this picture.

Making it official!

We had peanut butter for lunch. She didn't like the sandwich, so I put it on a cracker and she liked to lick it off.

Our hot pot meal... the raw meat is lamb and beef. We didn't know what to do, so the lady was explaining it to us in Chinese. We looked at her like she was crazy, so she picked up the meat and veggies and threw it in. I guess we did it right, but who knows. Rick and Hannah were full when finished but not me!

Hannah did not let me feed her this meal either. I gave her the bowl and she asked for the chopsticks. She used them to test how hot the food was. When she knew it was OK, she gave me the chopsticks and ate with her hands. When she finished everything in the bowl, she said mama, mama and handed it to me for more. She had 4 bowls of food (which is maybe why she exploded everywhere!) We have noticed Hannah has a hard time understanding when to stop eating. If it is there, she wants to eat it. I know this is normal orphan behavior. She was obviously well fed at SF, but I also know they run on a tight schedule. You eat at certain times and you eat what is in front of you. If you don't, you wait until the next feeding time. Hannah needs to learn that food will be available at all times with us and you should stop eating when you are full. I know this will come with time and it is a different way of thinking for her.

She loved her food!

Here she is at the end of a long day. I feel like she is starting to trust me more. In the middle of the night she reached for me to cuddle her which she has not done yet. I am noticing that when I hold her, she is leaning into me a little more and not staying so tense. She was perfectly content to cuddle in my arms tonight after her shower and she fell right to sleep. I hope this is a turning point for her!

 

She likes it when I push her stroller, not Rick. Also, she calls me mama all the time now to get my attention. It is the cutest thing ever! This sweet girl has waited so long for a mama. I am glad that it is me!!