Traveling through China to Jian!: Clinic Day

Today started out at the crack of dawn, since I didn't sleep much last night, it didn't take much to get me going. It was about 5am when I heard something (besides crying and screaming) and it was the sweet sound of Frere Jacques (French nursery rhyme)! of course Jian was just forming words that don't make sense, but he most assuredly had the rhythm and the correct scale! And he was getting louder and louder. So precious! He came bounding in my room to see me when he finished a few verses.

Actually as sweet as the singing voice is, the crying voice is screeching!! Wowzer! It is very interesting to see how each parent handles the meltdowns. Since they are part of the process, they educate the parents on how to handle them. You are supposed to hold them close and reassure them, all while they are screaming and crying! Jain closes his eyes during his meltdown and goes into another zone! Plus he weighed in today at 33 lbs! A wriggling, screaming 2 year old equates to a lot of work on the part of the parents! Lizzy is crazy strong and crazy in love with Jian, and she makes it look easy. All these parents are "in it, committed, devoted and in love" with their babies. Mary Kay says you can do any unfun thing for a short amount of time! Some moments are so unfun!!! One minute one of them has a meltdown and the next minute their singing Old McDonald and melt your heart and you remember why you are here! I loved watching Josh pick up his little Drama Queen Bella off the floor when she had a meltdown, held her close to his chest, all the while telling her how much he loves her and soothes her till she quiets down! Watching Tina calm down Hollywood Jenna is another sight to take in! These are AMAZING HUMAN BEINGS! God is happy today! Ok.......

We are headed in the little bus designated to our 6 families and Jian has no idea what he is in for!!! He is innocently sitting on Mark's lap singing 'The wheels on the bus'. He knows this tune very well, too!! How cute is he!?! I try to snap pictures when he is giggling, smiling or teasing! When the meltdowns come, they come BIG time!! In between, he is a cut up! Lizzy and I went down to the front desk to exchange money for our trip to the Pearl Market tomorrow. I put my exchange money in my little wallet and (not thinking he could possibly unzip it) and stupidly handed it to Jian. We were walking leisurely through the lobby and the hall where all the little boutiques were, just attempting to wear him out! He gave us this little sly grin (how could a Chinese baby narrow his eyes any more than they are, I do not know) but he does just before he is about to do something he thinks is irresistible! He took off laughing and giggling with Lizzy and I running after him. He was laughing to hard, money spilling out, Lizzy and I (mostly I) out of breathe!!! He is a stinker!!!

So we arrive at the clinic and as we waited in the foyer of this huge building, a truck stopped in front of the building with 4 armed guards, armed with big rifles!!!! I think it was the Chinese version of our Wells Fargo trucks. Seriously I was a little nervous, especially since the boys were running around and they were headed inside the building!!! They were serious faced and scary looking! I just wanted to get OUT!

We headed up to the clinic and all the 2 year olds (just 2 in our group) had to get a blood draw for a tuberculosis test! If God forbid they had it, they were not getting an OK to come home! The parents could not go in for the test, so what do you think Jian did?! Poor baby was all sweaty and sobbing and it only took about 3 minutes. Each baby had to go to 3 more health stations. ENT (ear, nose, and throat), heart/lung check, and weight/height station!

So we found out today that we got a half baked baby! Yes, that's right! Seems like our little Jian, who is not so little at all, had a whole in his heart (unbeknownst to Mark and Lizzy) in addition to his cleft lip and palette and his hypospadias! One of the dads is a Dr. and as we were talking to him he said that some babies have a hole in their heart at birth or cleft palette or hypospadias because they don't finishing 'cooking'! Jian is impatient and was anxious to get on with it! So he came out before he was done!! So there you have it, Jian is half baked!

On another note, they said the hole closed up in his heart (my personal opinion is that that hole was filled with his new family), his cleft palette is closed (so we think they made some of attempt to fix it), and the Dr. who looked at his peepee said he doesn't have the hypospadias!! Jeez! Of course, when they get to UCLA they will have everything thoroughly checked out! He stills needs who knows what, but minor for now! For now is he a singing, half baked, lovable, sweet, irresistible, baby boy!!

All of our kids got a clean bill of health including our miracle baby, Lena! She is like a different baby since she spent a few days in the hospital and her mother giving her constant care! Annalise said the hospital had no air conditioning, no vending machines, no place to get a bite to eat, no place for her to rest her weary body, nothing we are used to in the states! We are a spoiled country! Don't you love being an American!!!

From there we did some local shopping with our band of babies. We get lots of attention everywhere we go and for the most part, the people of China are very gracious! The nurses at the clinic were great with the kids and very excited that we wanted to take their pictures! They loved that! I can't stop saying what a humbling experience this has all been! Cassius has been an amazing kid, he continues to impress everyone. One of the dads was quizzing him on the state capitals. Cash didn't know any, HOWEVER, he asked Mark to download some map game that teaches you these things (I was terrible at it, his dad had to help him cause he got frustrated with me!), and he said he can't wait to show Austin what he knows! Yes, he is an amazing kid!!!

Until the paperwork is complete and we get Visas for all the babies, we will be here!!! I miss my family and my main man so much!!! I can't wait for him and my big fat Italian family to meet him!!