Friday, February 15, 2013

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!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

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!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

One Year Ago - GOTCHA DAY!

Today is the first anniversary of Dawson's Gotcha Day!  My, how he's changed!

One end of the civil affairs office.
 
Play area on the other end.
 
Some of the CCAI folks have received their children.
 
 
It's our turn!  There he is!
 
Tony took this as he was being handed to me.
 
 
First family pictures.
 
 
 
 
With one of the orphanage staff.  She looks like she's had a hard day already.  It must be so hard for them who know these kids!
 
 
In the van on the way to the hotel.
 
 
New clothes!
 
 
Joking around with Daddy!
 
Bonding!
 
Layers and layers of clothes....
 
...with this on top!
 
Showing us he likes to put everything in his mouth!
 
I mean EVERYTHING!
 
He hasn't stopped eating!
 
Tony put both our kids to sleep the first night.
 
 
And here he is now!  He's made LOTS of progress!