Update!

We have been home 2 1/2 months now and I know I am due for an update with pictures!  Things have been going great.  Cole has really become a great part of our family and we are so thankful to have him.  We have his surgery scheduled for August 27th and I am a little nervous. 

I need to give a great big praise to God!  From the day we knew we were going to be adopting Cole ,Dan and I, began praying that God would prepare Cole's heart for us and that he would bond with our family.  It is not unheard of people having problems with attachment and attachment disorders that can tear a family apart.  We have had none of those issues and I need to thank God for it.  He does eye contact with us, loves hugs and kisses, and is just as much a part of our family as our bio girls are.  He sleeps through the night and takes naps.  Sure we have had difficult times and difficult days but with God's strength we get through them.  I do believe that God has answered our prayers! 

OK here are some pictures:)

This is Cole on his first hike! He seemed a little confused as what to do. When in the house he was everywhere and into everything so I expected him to run his energy out. I did not take into thought that he never had been in the woods and would be so amazed by everything that he would actually be calm.

He saw we all had hiking sticks and wanted to steal Daddy's.

I don't know why there is a big space here!  I have been having issues with the blog and I am tired of trying to make it look right!!!  :)

He wanted to do what Daddy was doing.

He is just so adorable!

Busy, busy, busy!

I can't believe how I can be so busy and get nothing done!  I have forgotten what it is like to have a two year old in the house who is into everything.  As some of you know we had to visit the ER for Cole's toe.  He smashed his little toe next to his big toe on our heavy mahogony chair.  The best way to describe it is to compare it to a smashed grape.  It would not stop bleeding, and because of this, and the fact that he had been home less than two weeks, and I did not know if he had a blood clotting issue, and the Dr. office was closed, I decided to take him to the ER.  Of course there is nothing they could do other than give me a peace of mind.  I am glad I went because it bled for three days straight (just enough to go through the bandages) and I would not have slept at night if not:) 

We went to his first Dr. apt. May 25 and had blood work done.  He was such a trooper and barely cried.  Of course the sucker in his mouth the whole time helped.  I am also very excited to say that he is a healthy little boy!  No heart problems were detected and he does not have Hep B or Hiv...YEA!!!!  Our pediatrician thinks he is right on level with his peers.  Which is great for being raised in an orphanage, even with a foster family. 

Another bit of news is we went to see his surgical doctor Dr. Sadove and we have a tentative surgury date for his lip!  July 30!  I am very nervous and excited for this next step.  Dr. Sadove said that normaly they like to keep their patients over night but that he could go home that day so that way he would be more comfortable.  I think it was because Cole would not sit still for the whole visit but was running around and yelling:)

Sorry there are no pictures but I am unable to connect my camera right now.  I would love to show the pictures I took this last weekend when we took him to Morgan Monroe State Forest to explore.  It was so much fun but honestly he looked a little confused as to what he should do.  He knows that when he is indoors he can cause trouble and have fun because that is an enviroment he is comfortable with.  But outdoors he is still learning how to have fun.  It is not something he is used to and I know through time he is going to learn real fast:) 

I can't explain how much I love this little guy and how much he has added to our family!  He makes me smile and laugh all day long and his sisters too.  They just adore him even when he does bother them.  I can't promise after seeing what we have seen that our family is complete but for the time being it feels complete with him.  He has added something to the family that was missing!

Sorry I have not posted in awhile!

I am sorry about that.  Life got crazy!  Wednesday night we had a foot massage for a hour and a half for only $15 each.  Dan, the girls and I all had one and it was not only a foot massage but a back, leg, neck and arm massage.  It was awesome!  It might have relaxed me too much or maybe toxins in the body I don't know.  I do know that the guy who was massaging me kept commenting on

how tense I was.  Hmm I wonder whyJ  The girls absolutely loved it!  Anyway the next day I felt nauseas and exhausted and did not want to get out of bed at all. 

We had our American Consulate appointment and everything went great.  He was sworn in and I can’t remember at all what we said.  We went shopping a little but I felt so bad that I just wanted to go back to the hotel room and rest!  And so we did.  I did nothing the rest of the day or night.  Dan went and got Pizza Hut because by this time I was so tired of the food and costs.  Food is not cheaper in China unless you like bone, beak and fat!

Friday we did some shopping and we wanted to get another massage but ran out of time and was up late packing getting ready for our flights the next day. 

 Now by Saturday we were done with China.  We had a great time while there and have some fond memories but we just wanted to get back to America where we have personal space, restrooms that are for the most part clean and not stinky, where there is good food and variety that does not cost a fortune, where we can drive again, where we can see the sunset, and where the air smells great!

 The Beijing airport was very stressful and no fun!  We were very frustrated with several things.  For instance, our stroller that we checked at the gate was sent to baggage claim because we were to slow getting off the plane.  What!?!  We had three kids and I did not think we did that bad of a job.  So not only did we have our carry ons to handle but we had a two year old who wanted to run free in the airportJ  And then we had to go back through security and there was even more security right before we got on the plane. 

 Other than those stresses, the flights were great.  Cole slept most of the long flight so I can thank God for that!  What was really cool was when we were landing in Washington D.C. there was a beautiful sunset!  It was awesome and that is where I realized I had not seen a sunset in 2 and ½ weeks.    

 That is also where Cole became a U.S. citizen.  I wanted to take a moment and weep and enjoy the moment but we only had 2 hours to get through immigration, customs and security to make it to our next flight.  It was a bit harried but we made it.  The last flight was the shortest and hardest.  Cole at this point was done with flying and not being able to run around.  We made it but it was stressful. 

 My Mom was there to greet us with a sign that I absolutely loved.  Because it was midnight when we landed there was not a big welcoming committee but that is ok.  Dan’s parents came and helped us load everything up and get us home.

 I had to stop off at Taco Bell though and it never tasted better!  Mmmmm.  Thanks for all who have prayed for us!  I really appreciate it and we are so thankful to have Cole home!  He is a perfect addition to our family.  I will try to continue to post for those interested in how he is doing and for his upcoming surgeries. 

                                                               This was our first flight.

                                                            On our second flight.

 

                                                          Cole becoming a U.S. citizen.

                                                           He is very happy about it:)

My Mom meeting us! I had mentioned to her that I really enjoyed seeing our name on a sign when we got off a plane and having someone picking us up. I loved her sense of humor:)

Back in the Indiana! Very happy and tired. Our whole trip took about 28 hours!

Cole's very first play date. He had a great time and loves our trampoline!

Dan's a Genius!

Ok so Dan is a genius but we will get back to that:)  Today was the day that Cole's TB was checked.  It was fine and there is no need for anymore testing!  Yay!
We then went to Western Han Nanyue King's Tomb Museum.  It was awesome!  The girls absolutly loved it and did not want to leave.  It is over 2,000 years old.  It was discovered when they were building the China Marriott and the site was being excavated.  It was completly intact with all of its treasures.  We were able to go into the actual tomb!  It is not really big but to be able to step inside somewhere that was made 2,000 years ago, that's awesome!  And again the girls really got a big kick out of it.  I recommend it to people just to check out and the price was great!  It was only 37rmb (around $6) thats all together not per person, the kids were free and we only had to pay for the adults. 

This is front of the medical checkup building where Cole passed his TB test.  We knew he was a smart kid;) 

This is the top part of the tomb that was discovered after moving 65.5 feet of dirt from a large hill. 
The large stones was from over an hour away and they have no idea how it was cut from the mountain or moved here.

This is Donna Rose in the tomb reading something.  Like I said she really liked it!

Dan standing in the doorway exiting the tomb.  That is the original door.  So cool!

One hundred years ago they built something on the hill not knowing what was beneath it.  here we are standing next to it.

Ok and now here it is...Dan is a genius.  He figured out that the hot pot used to heat water for tea, coffee, and , water can be used to boil spaghetti!!!  We had sticker shock when we payed $70 for Italian food that was not that amazing.  So Dan came up this idea and it only cost $7.  Yes that is alot for spaghetti with sauce but it is a lie that everything is cheaper in China!


We had some pretty monumental moments today.  Today a chinese lady at the hotel picked up Cole and he started to cry and reach out for me.  I love to see him want me!  Even though my arms and back are killing me because he is no tiny boy:)  We took him toy shopping for the first time in his life and let him pick out some toys.  He was a tasmania devil and had so much fun until his brain could take no more and he broke down.  Back at the hotel room he was playing with Dan's shoes and trying to put them on.  And then tonight when I went to put him to bed he did not cry but instead he started to suck his fingers and play with his belly button (yes, that is what he does to comfort himself).  But no tears!!!!  He seemed happy and content and went to sleep right away! 

So overall today was a good day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there.  Our Mother's Day is just ending and yours is just beggining.  Crazy to think about.  I am very tired right now and it is not yet 9pm.  We had a fun day shopping on Shamian Island.  During breakfast today, we introduced ourselves to another family who was adopting two girls.  They already have two girls back home, so now they will have four girls.  They are pretty amazing people!  We really liked this family and a family friend, who was awesome enough to join them and help them out.  We found out that we were all going to the same place so we decided to do a dinner date.  We ended up running into them early and doing some shopping together.  It was funny to watch Dan and this guy haggle to get the best prices.  Rose you would have loved it:) 

We had a great time today.  There were some moments that were rough but tomorrow is a new day!   :)  Plus, unfortunatly I feel like I may be starting to get sinus problems.  So please pray that it is just from being tired and not getting sick. 

All the kids are sleeping right now and Dan is out and about on a diaper run.  I just hope he can find some because I think we have only one!

By the way Michelle, Cole loves porridge so if you can add that to the shopping list:)  Thanks for all  you do!!!!

Here is Cali and Dan doing the one, two, three, lift.   Cole loves this!  My arm started hurting so Cali and Donna had to help.

He has really started to bond with BaBa (Daddy in Chinese) and whenever you say Baba Cole looks for Dan.  He also looks for me when we say Mama and the girls when we say tei tei(sp).  It is very cute.  By the way for those wondering right now we call him ColeXiang.  Pronounced ColeShung.  It is close to his original name Chenxiang and he answers to it.  Except when he does not want to listen.  Then all of a sudden he does not know his name, or any other words be it in English or Chinese:)

Yes Dan had to have it!  Chris Coston this just may be your gift!!!   hahaha

Oh Boy!!!

Yesterday was very intersting.  Good news is he is getting used to us and his personality is coming out more.  Bad news is he is getting used to us and his personality is coming out more:)  He is a handful.  Right before we were to get on the plane to come to Guangzhou he had a major tantrum.  His sisters had to potty but he wanted to keep walking.  He did not want to wait for them to come out and started screaming at the top of his lungs.  Now we are already stared at because we are white Americans.  Then we are stared at because we have a Chinese child who is cleft lip and palate.  Imagine the looks I got when he started screaming.  I had to go to the family style bathroom and let him scream away.  I think they could still hear him throught the airport.  At least I know he has good lungs!  :)  He finally calmed down and it was last call for boarding by the time I got back to the plane.  So by the time we were getting on the plane was packed!  Not one seat was next to each other.  So while boarding I think I scared the chinese flight attendants because they wanted to put our carry ons under the plane.  I said no.  They somehow magically figured out a place to put them on the plane.  They tried to sit the girls seperate from each other.  I gave them a look that made them move people around until the girls could sit next to each other and Dan and I was two seats behind with Cole.  I had paid for a seat for him but did not get it!  By that time I was in tears due to stress.  But Donna Rose really stepped up and took care of Cali and became like a little adult in a second.  So that was cool to see.

Going back to Cole's personality.  He is very fiesty and high energy.  He is also very ornery and if you are telling him to not hit (in Chinese) he will smile at you as he goes to hit.  And then laugh when you try to stop him.  I have to admit it is very funny and I try hard to not laugh at him and encourage him but I have failed.  He goes around the hotel room and makes huge messes.  He loves to throw stuff in toilet so you never know what you are going to find.  We have learned to keep the bathroom doors shut. 

This is us right after we arrieved in Guangzhou.  We made it!!!!  It was also a very rough flight because there was really bad turbulence.

I think the girls have really enjoyed the trip thus far:)

Because of his restlessness we have been reprimended by the hotel twice and at the medical checkup.  Dan and I may just be going off on someone in China because how do you tell a two year old little boy who just wants to play, to not run or have fun after you just rocked their world?  Dan said next time he is going to pick Cole up, who will scream because he is being stopped, and just stand next to the person:)  hahaha  we will show them;)

The medical check up was today and everything went great.  Also, before I go I must tell you about our awesome hotel room.  When we got here there was no room with a king size bed avaibable.  We told them we had to have a king size bed in case Cole had to sleep with us (which he has not because I finally have him sleeping in a crib).  The only room open at that time was a suite.  We are having to pay more a night but it is sooo worth it.  It is huge and totally worth the cost.  We did get a great deal though for those wondering! 

This is the living room/ dinning room.  This is where the girls are sleeping.

Please forgive any typos.  I did this as fast as I could while Cole sleeps and Dan took the girls to the pool!!!

Orphanage visit 2

This is a picture hanging up on the wall of the foster parents house.  The look Cole is giving in this picture is a look he gives alot.  He has a very fiery and fiesty personality!  It cracks me up but I know it is going to be a blessing and a curse.  He has no problem giving his thoughts and opinions!  And to be honest, I really like that about him.  He seems like a survivor.

This is the room that the whole family sleeps in including the parents.  I can see now why he is such a deep sleeper:)  They have one sleeping room, one living room, small kitchen and a bathroom for six kids and two adults.  I don't think we Americans sometimes know how blessed we are!

This is in the living room.  We are smiling but inside we were really sad. 

In front of the orphanage.  I know we can't help all of the orphans in the world or even this one orphanage but we can and will help one.  We already love Cole and are very thankful he is in our life.  Everyone talks about how we are blessing him but already he is blessing us!  I thank God for this experience in my life and I pray that I can become a better person and a better Mom through all of this.  I thank the Lord that we have the freedom to have as many kids as we want in America.

Tomorrow we will be leaving the province he was born in and abandoned in.  It is bittersweet in that we are closer to coming home and starting our new family life at home but sad because he is leaving the only life he has ever known.  I really do think the orphanage is a good place or as good of a place it can be.  I think they truelly love and care for the kids the best they can.  I believe the foster parents love the kids and are caring loving people even though I did not meet them.  

I know my kids was affected by this and I pray it is for the better.  I really want them to understand how blessed they are and how blessed we are.  I hope we teach them that to whom much is given, much is expected.