Pictures of Our Visit to the Orphanage

We were able to go visit the orphanage on the Thursday of the week we were in Zhengzhou.  Xuchang Social Welfare Institute was where Dawson spent most of his first 18 months of life.  On Gotcha Day we also found out that he had spent some time (Oct 2011 - Jan 2012) at a place called Kaifeng Rehabilitation Center.  We hadn't known he was there.  We asked what he was there for and really didn't get much of an answer.  We assume they were working with him trying to get him caught up development-wise.  We don't really think they did much, though, because he was almost 18 months when we met him and he wasn't really walking.  At the 12-month update that we received they said he was starting to walk holding onto things.  He was still doing that almost 6 months later.  We think we saw him take his first steps by himself a couple days after we met him, just because we encouraged him to do so.  We also made him walk from one of us to the other to get a bite of ice cream!  Food is a GREAT motivator for him!

So we took the 2-hour trip to Xuchang.  The driver had trouble finding it but our guide called and we found our way there.  We were shown various rooms (kitchen, music, therapy) and then were taken to the room where Dawson spent his time.  I had 3 names of other boys to ask about and take pictures of and they were ALL in that same room!  I took pictures with both my camera and the iPad.  I was able to email the iPad pictures to their moms that night and sent the camera photos later on when we got home.  I know pictures of your children are very precious to receive before you meet your child.

The shoes we got for him at a baby/children's store on Gotcha Day.  He came to us with just socks!

 

He fell asleep on the ride to the orphanage.

 

 

Kitchen at the orphanage

 

Play room

 

Play/therapy/music room

 

This is the little guy that we THOUGHT was Dawson when we saw pictures of him on a Yahoo Group!  Come to find out that Dawson was at Kaifeng when those pictures were taken.  I held this little guy and he was quite heavy like Dawson!

 

I took some pictures of this little guy for his mom.  He was Xu Le Tian.  He is now Lee.

 

This was Xu Xin.  He is now Henry and he has the absolute BEST smile!

 

I also found out that these two were cribmates and was able to tell their moms that!

 

This was Xu Peng Hao.  He is now Connor!

I keep in touch with these 3 boys' moms and it's so wonderful to see them all THRIVING with their forever families!

 

 

 

This little guy fell asleep before we left the room.  He was given a blanket and was completely OUT!

 

This little gal was the only girl in the room.  I have since "met" her mom online as well!

 

This was the name label on the crib that was Dawson's.

It says "Xu Le An".

 

We also got to see another part of the SWI.  While there we recognized the lady on the left as the one who was in the video update that we got of Dawson.  She was trying to get him to hold onto some rattles and things.  The lady in the center is the Director of the orphanage.  And the one on the right always seems to be around for important events.

 

The sign in front of the orphanage.

 

Notice the big gloves on the handle bars to keep hands warm!

 

The director took us out for lunch.

 

The front of the building/maternity area of the hospital where Dawson was born.

 

The maternity floor.  The people are waiting for the birth of a baby(ies).

 

The main entrance of the hospital.  The maternity part is a building behind this one.

 

The traffic in China.  You see this ALL DAY in EVERY CITY!  No one goes very fast!

 

 

With Echo, our Holt guide.

 

Two other kids that were adopted by other families.  The girl holding Dawson lived at the same orphanage as Dawson.

 

Sleeping peacefully.  The "An" part of his Chinese name means "peace."

 

 

 

 

 

A Special Free Day

The day after Adoption Day was a free day.  Our guide had offered and then made arrangements for us to visit an elementary school class of ages 3-4 (same age as Meighan was) that her friend teaches.  Our guide actually LIVES in Zhengzhou so it was very interesting to see regular people doing regular things.  Here was our day in pictures.

 

This is the same orphanage staff person that was in the picture on Gotcha Day.  She was at the hotel for some reason today and recognized Dawson and called out his name (Xu Le An).  Tony put him down on the floor and she knelt down and just looked at him.  I got this picture and then realized she was crying.  This is one of my favorite pictures because it tells me he was very much loved and would be missed.  I gave her a hug and told her we would take very good care of him (although she doesn't speak English).  She also gave one of the CCAI guides a plastic bag and told them to give it to us and what it was.  It was some keys that were left with him by his birth mother.

 

On the way to the elementary school.

 

Fresh fruit, vegetables and other foods.

 

 

EGGS!  Can you imagine having to carry a BAG of eggs like is in this picture above the crated eggs?

 

Root vegetables and (it looks like) garlic

 

 

Wow!  If I had been in a position to buy and store a few of these, I might have bought some!  They look so good!

 

 

The slide at the elementary school.

 

Listening to a story and then talking about it.

 

 

 

Kind of blurry but it looks like they have pretty nice beds to sleep on for nap time!

 

"Hand chairs"!  LOL!

 

Back out on the playground.

 

We walked through a park on the way back to the hotel.

 

First bath!

It's Official in China!

Today, Valentine's Day, was the day we got to finalize Dawson's adoption in China!  We all went back to the place we met our kids and they gave us the Certificate of Adoption in a little ceremony.  Then we, since we were the only Holt family, went to get everything notarized and translated.  The CCAI group had to all go together so this was a good time to be in our own little group.  We didn't have to wait for anyone.  After we got done at the notary, we asked our guide if there was a place to get something to put on Dawson's hands.  They were all scabby and itchy.  (We later found out that it was eczema.)  She found a pharmacy and told the gal what we needed.  She gave us a tube of something.  Of course it was all in Chinese so we weren't sure what it was.  I believe we had the rest of the day free.

Practicing walking

 

So THIS is what I look like!

 

We didn't get copies of today's paperwork so our guide let me take pictures of them.

 

I had to write that we would take care of him and never abandon him and then she quick translated it.

 

Little Dude fell asleep on the way to the Civil Affairs office!

 

With the notary.

 

Building where we had everything notarized.

 

Playing with the iPad.

 

 

This is what they gave us at the pharmacy.  Notice the blonde-haired, blue-eyed child on the package!  I had to laugh at that!

 

I'm standing by myself!