Way back, the first news

I think it's funny that Bill started this Blog, and then stopped after our first bit of news and didn't even write anything about that. Maybe it was because I wasn't hugely enthusiastic about the idea of blogging. You certainly can't tell that from the number of posts I've done lately. But back to the day we heard our first big news, January 17th 2006.

We'd mailed off our application for adoption to our local chapter of our agency, in Chicago. Bill Had sent it certified mail so that we could track it, but I still wasn't prepared for a phone call at work. I didn't even think the letter had arrived there yet, and here Mary House from Children's Hope was calling me at EG. I was so stunned, and excited, I guess I was a little more worried about their accepting our initial application than I realized. So, I made it thru the phone call as she explained what my next steps should be.

I never thought the news would hit me so hard, I thought it would be something I could take in stride. Instead here I am running through the store to find a shoulder to happily blubber on. I thought Wendy was close, but she'd moved off somewhere out of sight and so I ran into Matt. Fortunately Matt's pretty cool about most things, all he did was tell me to breath, and hand me a tissue and listen to my hyperventilating story.

I had to run thru the store to get something, everyone was concerned, but soon were reassured when they learned it was good news not bad. I calmed down enough to call Bill and he said 'no crying' and I said 'too late'. I told him I was sorry I couldn't tell him first, because I had to calm down. He just said that everybody at work just counted as one person, and at least the was second.

it was an odd day at work, I was so excited, something would set me off and there I'd go, snivelling again. Oh well, the customers seemed to understand at least. Probably they were just relieved I wasn't sniffing because of a cold.

I still have a hard time believing how emotional I became, but it was a good feeling. When I found out I was pregnant with the son I placed into an open adoption, all I felt was a sad bunch of emotions. This was definitely a good feeling.

The welfare agency in charge of JSC

I've discovered a webpage dealing with adoption from the province our potential guy is in and actually from his city. Interesting. He's been fostered with a lady since they day they found him, so he's not actually stayed in the orphanage, but they oversee his care
www.gurrad.com/china/jingdezhen.htm

After the Dr's visit

I feel blessed to have made the connection to the Dr we have. I met her thru work and have known her for a few years as a customer. She's older, actually was a nurse before med school and very enthusiastic. She's already going to talk to an opthamologist she did a rotation with and get us an appointment for Jan. She feels everything is on track with the little guy and the only thing, other than the eyes, she was concerned with was his '05 blood work platelet count was low. So I emailed the agency to see if they have any other news or information available.

Why aren't the pictures better

It seems like I've spent my free time pouring over the paperwork, the English part at least. I've even stared at the Chinese script trying to discern meaning. So far I've ascertained little, only that he had 0 teeth at 6 months and has 10 teeth at 18 months. The pictures are the worst though, I know there's detail there, in that grainy faxed & re faxed & Re faxed picture, maybe if I stare at them long enough they'll magically reveal more detail. oh well

Deciphering Chinese med speak

Our paperwork finally arrived, along with 2 blurry much copied, much faxed pictures. All we can really tell is that he is sitting, maybe on a bench, and that he is riding a rocking horse. They must have examined his eyes sometime, yet there seems to be no record of it. His height seems normal and his weight high normal, which means his foster mother is feeding him well. All that cod liver oil must do some good, it states right in the records that he gets some every day. Poor kid, my mom forced that stuff on us, bleech. It says he loves to play outside, maybe our dog Lobelia will finally have someone who will play endless games of catch with her outside instead of down the hallway. The rest of the paperwork seems to skim the surface, things like he has 10 teeth at 18 months.
Good things about the Boy
1) His age, He's 20 months old, not a baby. I'm not a huge baby person, I like little ones with personality.
2) He's a boy. We figured that going the Chinese adoption route we'd have to take a girl, but I was nervous about caring for a little girl's up bringing, could I do her hair and make sure her clothes were fashionable, appropriate and flattering and teach her girlie things if she's a girlie girl? With a boy, I know I have the skills.
3) He's available sooner.
4) he's been in a foster home since the day they found him. Very Good developmentally & emotionally - he hasn't had to spend time in the welfare institute fighting for attention and maybe just being forced to sit and do nothing.
5) he probably likes spicy food, it seems the state of Jianxi is noted for spicy or Pickled food. Bill will like that.
The Down Side
1) his age, we'll have missed the first steps, the first words etc.
2) his vision. Thankfully my Dr knows the premier pediatric opthamologist in the area and he's world renown. If anyone can do something for the little guy, she says he can.
3) He's not a girl. We have been prepping for a girl, not much, we just have this really cool rug and a bright rose chenille throw. I feel a little guilty that we may be abandoning a little girl over there. I guess right now I feel that if we get a boy now, we'll go back for the girl later. Of course we'll have to see what next year brings before we make that decision.
and to me these seem like the only problems, but Bill has to go over the paperwork himself & then we'll have to TALK & PRAY.

What to do?

Nervous, I guess, After 7 months of assembling paperwork and getting the correct bits of information here and there, we've decided to express an interest in a 20 month old boy with vision problems. I think he'll be legally blind but he's able to see some stuff. When you adopt, you come to realize that there are some special needs that you personally don't want to deal with. For me, one of those needs is a cleft lip or palate, but I could deal with a near blind child. Of course this means that 'Calliandra" will be on hold and 'Acer' will take her place. We hadn't really counted on being able to adopt a boy from China, so most of our plans were for a girl. There are many good things about this particular boy, but we'll have to see if there are any other health problems. That would be the kicker. I don't think we could handle others stacked on top of the vision. I try to balance between selfish and realistic and hopeful.
Here's hoping