The Last Couple of Days

Saturday and, so far, Sunday have been much better.  Yesterday we made it through with no melt-downs and none so far today.  We're definitely giving in on things more than we will later but, for now, it's like carrying a bomb around, hoping it doesn't go off.  So, we're being more lenient than we will later.

The biggest issue is the language barrier.  She never gets upset when someone is there who can calm her down by speaking to her in the language she understands.  We knew it was going to be a problem but there are so many times when you calm a kid down by explaining to them why they need to do something.  We can't do that.  And she IS a five year old and they are sort of like ticking time bombs in general.  But at least the diffusion instructions are in English for other kids.  Our's are in Chinese.

We did some touring around Guangzhou today and tomorrow morning we're going back to the clinic to get the results of the TB test and then more touring.  The trip is winding down and we are ready to get our little monster on our turf where she can blow up if she wants to and it won't matter.  This different hotel every few days and eating every meal out needs to go away in favor of the routine of being at home.

Friday was not good

screaming tantrums 3 times. They lasted about 30 minutes each time. Once because we went back to our room for an hour after breakfast before leaving. Once because we didn't let her push the elevator buttons. Once because we didn't let her shove her way past everyone to get off the plane. Definitely testing our patience....The orphanage said she gets upset when she doesn't get her way and we think they must have given in all the time to make it easier. Sure hope this doesn't last. We have given in on the small stuff to prevent an episode, but it's definitely not easy when she is kicking, hitting, and screaming and we have to stand firm for the more important stuff.

Day 3 and 4

Woohoo!!!!!!!!! No tears! Such a cute and happy little girl. There have been some moments when we thought we might get a tantrum when she didn't get her way, but she always backs down and moves on to something else. Now if we could just get her to drink liquids....

She has decided she really likes the strawberry toothpaste we brought with us. She's been brushing her teeth for about 20 minutes now....with repeated requests for more toothpaste. This is a good thing as we just taught her she needs to brush her top teeth, not just the bottom ones.

Day 2 update and Day 3

Well it happened again, as we expected. Around 4:30 pm she was done playing with us and decided she was ready to go back to the orphanage. 30 minutes of crying later, she calmed down after we resorted to desperate measures (aka M&Ms). We played the rest of the day and at 7:00 pm she took off the backpack and her shoes, got in bed, and went to sleep.

Here are a couple cute pictures.

This morning things went well and we toured the Bund area of Shanghai and went to a silk factory. She seemed to enjoy her stroller ride, and the rest of the afternoon she chatted away non-stop. She put herself to bed for a nap at 4:45 and we just got her up at 6:00 and are playing now. Hoping tonight goes as well as last night.

Update on Gotcha Day and Day 2

Well, last night was interesting. Around 6:00 pm Kaia packed up her backpack and decided it was time to return to the orphanage. We were able to distract her for a couple of hours, but when she realized she was staying, she wailed and cried and screamed for an hour. She would not let us remove her backpack or shoes. We felt so bad for her knowing how scared she is. But she finally cried herself to sleep around 9:00pm. She slept with her backpack on and shoes. We were too afraid of waking her to remove them. We anticipated more tears and frustration from her this morning when she woke and realized she was still with us, but amazingly, she was smiling and playful. She would not let us bathe her except with a washcloth so we decided that was a battle for another day. They don't use tubs and showers at the orphanage from what we can tell.

We had 2 appointments today to finalize the adoption. She started to get car sick, but thankfully, our driver made an effort to lessen the stop and start motion as much as possible and she didn't throw up. If you have ever been to China and seen the traffic, you know how hard this must have been. Picture cars, bicycles, and motorcycles all heading toward each other at the same time with complete disregard for traffic lanes and rules.

We took her shopping for some sneakers and a pair of sandals which she seemed pretty pleased with. Our guide came back to the room with us and helped us communicate with her on taking a bath and we were able to give her one. She now knows what is expected. Our guide also explained to her that she doesn't need to carry around all her toys at all times in the backpack. We think she wanted them with her in case she went back to the orphanage they would not get left behind. Tomorrow will be filled with sightseeing and I am glad I packed children's Dramamine.

Gotcha Day

We met Kaia at 9:30 in the morning and though shy, she seemed happy to have a family. We found out she has known about us since we sent the first gift about 5 months ago. We gave her a Barbie this morning which was a big hit. We also gave her a little purse with some snacks and a lollipop in it and she had the goldfish snack bag opened and empty in no time! She smiled at us in the car ride to the hotel, but as soon as we got there and she realized she would be alone with us, she started to look visibly upset. Once in the room, she cried and cried for about 30 minutes while trying to get out of the room. Finally, she calmed down and decided that she wanted to color in a Disney coloring book we brought. From there it was on to other toys. She seems happy and laughing and has played with us all afternoon. We hope it lasts.

We have also noticed she is very precise. A crayon is not taken out until the one she is using has been put away. All garbage goes in the trash. The fork is put away before the spoon is used. If she takes a sticker and decides not to use it, it goes back in the precise location it came from. Her little cloth purse is kept folded when not in use.

We were a little wary of leaving the hotel today due to her wanting to leave so badly this morning, so we will just hang out here and play. Hopefully when she wakes up in the morning she won't be upset at realizing she is still here and not at the orphanage.

Beijing, Day 2

Well, after sleeping away the second half of day 1, day 2 was much more ambitious.  We started out by stopping at a jade factory on the way to the Great Wall.  It's amazing how similar our cultures can be.  There was some cool stuff here but it was mostly a short talk about jade carving and then high-pressure sales trying to get us to buy jade.  Just like being in the States.  The coolest thing here was a big ship carved from jade.  It's the big draw for slack-jawed tourists (like us).  Kristin did end up buying a "happy family" ball and a glass ball with Kaia's name painted on the inside.

From there, it was off to the Great Wall.  Kristin had been there before and had no intention of repeating her feat of climbing to the first tower on the Wall.  She hung out at the bottom with the wife of another adopting couple we were matched up with.  I decided to see how far I could get.  Surprisingly, my knees and wind held up and I made it to Beacon Tower no. 9.  What does that mean, it means that I climbed up pretty high. The following picture is of me in front of the marker with Chairman Mao's words about the higher you climb, the bigger hero you are.  I went up to the highest tower you can see in the picture.

I went to the one to the upper right of the corner of the sign.

The view from the top.

From the Wall, we went to the Summer Palace.  This is where the Emperor's family hung out in the summer. It was a nice place but chock full of tourists and kind of dirty.  Oh well, I'm sure they kept it cleaner back in the Emperor's day..

The Marble Boat

The on-site Buddhist Temple.  (Beijing is pretty hazy)

Today is the Forbidden City and then flying to Shanghai around 4:00 p.m.  Sometime tomorrow is "Gotcha Day."  And then we'll get what we really came for!