ShiYang, Here we come!!!



Bags are Packed (4 suitcases; 4 carry-ons)



Phew!  Finally, we are packed (and I'm not up until 2am this time)!  It was very tricky to stay within the 44lb/bag limit as the suitcases themselves weigh 10lbs apiece!  We have been instructed to stay within the 44lb limit since inter-country flights in China are very restrictive with what you can bring.  We are allowed one suitcase per person and one carry-on.  When you're traveling with 4 people and picking up a baby (whom you have to pack for as well) for a 3 week trip, it gets tricky.  I felt bad for the kids last night.  When I asked each of them to go to their rooms to choose some books to bring along, they each chose a book that was a hardcover only to be sent back to their room since hardcover books are too heavy!  I'm even looking at Emily's electric toothbrush and thinking...hmmm, how much does that weigh?  It was pretty funny last night when Mike packed his clothes and kept standing on the scale with a pile of clothes in his hand exclaiming "Damn!  These clothes weigh 5lbs!!!"  Never thought I'd see the day that even Mike felt he was over-packing! 

We have had to pack an interesting variety of items such as:

• documents (panicked I'm forgetting something important)
• lice shampoo
• clothes for ShiYang (as he only comes with the clothes on his back)
• donations for the orphanage
• over-the-counter drugs (Imodium being the most important)
• formula, diapers, bottles, pacifiers, blankets, toys
• snacks for us (since the kids are a bit worried about what they'll be forced to eat)
• band-aids, neosporin, ace bandages
• travel books
• translator (cool device which will speak Mandarin for us...phew)
• sunscreen (it will be in the high 80s in middle and southern China)
• gifts for orphanage/officials

The "gifts" have caused me much grief.  We were told it is expected that when we meet ShiYang, we are supposed to replace the clothes he came to us in with new clothing, provide gifts for 3 caregivers and the orphanage director.  These gifts are not to be made in China and they are supposed to be something that is unique to Chicago or the US.  Oh, and don't give anything that is a clock (they believe that signifies your impending death) or anything that has a #4 on it (their character for death looks similar to the number 4).  Hmmm...what to bring?  Cosmetics are desirable as most cosmetics are made in the US and are cheaper here, but something seems strange as they had over our son to us, we thank them with lip gloss???  Odd.  So, we decided to give gifts of Frango mints from Marshall Fields (Chicago tradition and yummy - but they are heavy, unfortunately), lotions, Chicago t-shirts and cosmetics.  In addition, we were told to bring two gifts for the official magistrates who will finalize our adoption.  While I had NO problem giving gifts to the orphanage workers as they were the ones who have diapered, fed, hugged (hopefully) our son over the past 20months, giving gifts to two people who simply rubber stamp our documentation gives me a funny feeling.  We have been told that it is less about what you give and more about the presentation of a gift that matters.  All I'm thinking, as I pack these strange items in my suitcase is...how much do they weigh???  (:

Either way, at 5:30am, Mike's parents (very nicely) will be taking us to the airport and sending us on our way...to China.  Walking Emily home from school yesterday, I asked her if she knew what continent we were going to and she said "China!".  After I explained that China is a country in Asia, she exclaimed "That's why they call them Asians!"  I giggled but am sure at the age of 7, I couldn't have told you what continent China was on either. (This is the same child who, after discovering that we need to be extra careful not to swallow any water from the shower while we're in China, announced, "That's OK Mommy, I just won't take a shower for 3 weeks!"  Ummm....NO!)   Every now and then I announce to my family "We're going to China!  Can you believe it?  We're going to China and coming home with a son!"  After I endure the numerous eye rolls from my children and snickering from my husband, we all agree this is going to be an adventure, one we will never forget.

ShiYang's New Bedroom (newly painted)



This is probably the cleanest it will ever be...

Our Little Starfish

I sat down to write this evening planning on sharing our recent stress over a worrisome hearing exam which told us he has moderate amounts of fluid in his middle ear possibly putting him at risk for significant hearing loss.  Both Mike and I went into our well-oiled emergency mode of contacting several pediatricians, our ENT, the adoption agency etc. to accurately decipher the meaning behind these test results (thankful to discover that with tubes, normal hearing will most-likely be restored and all is well).  However, after an interesting discussion I had today, I decided to switch direction...

Throughout this 2 year long adoption process we have encountered a variety of reactions to our news of adoption.  We have heard comments such as:
"That's wonderful!"
"We think you're nuts.  You're great parents and he's a lucky child, but you're nuts."
"Why would you want to do that?"
"Oh.  Interesting."
"You are so busy, are you sure you have the time to devote to another child?"
"How will this adoption affect Owen?"
"How FANTASTIC!  I've always wanted to adopt but never actually got the ball rolling."
"What a lucky little boy!"

Today I was sharing our news with someone I had just met and this person asked "Pardon me for being so bold, but may I ask how you came to the decision to adopt?"  This person was not being rude at all, and was simply curious.  I was happy to share our reasons for adopting and what led us to this point. This person's response at first was to say "I understand why people adopt if they cannot have children of their own but I do not understand why people adopt if they already have children of their own."  I neglected to point out that our new son, though adopted, will be as much "our own" as our other 3 children and decided to share Mike's take on people's reactions to our adoption.  Many times, I have returned home anywhere between elated and in tears to share with him a recent response to our adoption news.  Mike (who is very Zen on this topic) has often replied with the following (which we both firmly believe to be true):

"People's reactions to our adoption are directly related to what THEY can handle and what THEIR experiences have been in childhood, relationships, child bearing etc. and not what WE can handle or OUR experiences.  The person who reacts with "why would you want to do that" is someone who would never consider adoption in their life.  Obviously, hearing their reaction to our news of adoption may sting if it is a negative one, but it doesn't mean that what we're doing is crazy or wrong.  It just means it isn't the right thing for them and that's fine."

This blog entry today is not just a venting one, in fact it is quite the opposite.  This discussion with this person I had today ended on a very sweet note when this person shared this starfish story with me (one I had not heard before):

Starfish Story

Two men were walking down the beach and saw tons of starfish washed upon the shore.  It was clear that in the hot sun, the starfish would not live long without the water.  They were drying out rapidly.  One of the men bent down occasionally and began to throw some back into the water.  The other man stopped him and said "What are you doing?  There are so many of them, you're wasting your time.  More will wash up on the shore each minute, it doesn't matter."  The first man stopped and looked at the other while holding up the starfish he had just picked up and said "It matters to this one!" as he threw it back into the water.

At first I thought I was talking to a person who, once again, didn't "get it" and then this starfish story came out of left field, proving me wrong.  This person certainly did understand why we were adopting, it just wasn't something this person would choose to do - and that's OK.

I love the starfish story and plan to share it with ShiYang one day when I tell him about the wonderful, stressful, enlightening, nerve-wracking moment in our life when we flew to China to bring our little starfish home.


Taken March 1, 2010
(yes he's a boy - just a boy in a pink sweater)





SO MUCH TO PACK!!!

one of the first photos we received of ShiYang Wei

Here I go...blogging! 

As I sit here in my cozy family room, with 3 children and 2 dogs sound asleep I think to myself "I better enjoy this quiet now...it's about to get turned upside down!"  Adopting a child is the same as giving birth to a child in that all of the same craziness you go through before birth, I'm going through.  I'm officially "nesting" (as I decided on a whim 3 days ago to paint ShiYang's bedroom - much to my husband's chagrin), I'm worrying about everything and anything there is to worry about, I'm excited and terrified all wrapped into one.  However, where it differs from giving birth (apart from the obvious) is there is an extremely exciting yet daunting trip ahead of us.  No one in either of our families have ever been to China and though we've traveled extensively both with and without our children, China is different from anywhere we've ever been.  Americans typically stick out anywhere outside of the US, but in China we've been told we will draw a crowd (and Emily will especially be an attraction with her blonde hair).  Jack and Emily's main concern is the food (not missing school for 3 weeks, not missing their little brother, not sitting still for 14hrs on the plane).  Of course, our very heartfelt, nurturing parental response has been "suck it up, you'll be fine"!  However, I do have an arsenal of snack items packed just in case.

Speaking of packing, the sea of Target bags in my bedroom are multiplying and I wonder how (being the notorious over-packer that I am) I will fit everything into 4 small suitcases!  We have been told to pack everything from formula to lice shampoo.  I have post-it notes galore all over my bedroom and get excited when I can check something off the "to do" list.  We are 9 days away from our departure and I know it will all get done.  We are all excited and having a difficult time focusing on anything else (other than the fact we will miss Owen terribly while we are away - though I know he'll have fun with our sitter and at school).

About a month ago, we sent a small photo album to ShiYang with photos of all of us and our house.  I know they have been showing it to him, so hopefully he won't be too terrified when he meets us.  At this point, it is all so surreal, yet I cannot stop staring at the photos of our cute little new McKenzie (19mos old now) and wonder if he has any idea of how dramatically his life will change on October 11th (our "gotcha" day)!