Strong Will

Right before bed.

Grace standing by an incense burner.

West Lake which is in front of our hotel.

Mosaic wall of a Kindergarten.

Things are always on William's terms with me. He flirts, I flirt back. He pulls me in and pushes me away. When I think it's okay and engage him, sometimes it's okay and sometimes it's not. I've read many books about toddler adoption and now I'm smack in the middle of it all. Bonding and attachment is a dance and I'm not the one taking the lead. There are times that I'm sad that he's attaching first to Dan but I can wait, I'm a patient person. I know from visiting his foster home and meeting his family there that he was firmly attached to at least 2 women, the first one Deena when he was a baby and the second one Sha Yu the young woman who was his primary caregiver for the last year.
Today we packed because we are leaving for Guangzhou tomorrow morning, picked up William Michael's passport and did a little shopping. Fujian province is known for it's tea. I will be very sad tomorrow leaving Fuzhou, the place where our little boy was born. We will be back someday and take both Grace and William to the cities where they were born, but I know it will be quite awhile before that happens.

Saying goodbye to those who loved him first

William and primary caregiver, Sha Yu.

William Michael has lived for the past 2 years in the Hidden Treasures Foster Home, in a tiny village outside of Fuzhou. Today we had the great pleasure of visiting this place. I can't really describe what I just saw but I will try. Outside of Fuzhou is an area that is so poor there are no addresses - people just exist - in simple old buildings among spots of land no bigger than 100 ft x 100 ft where six people were "farming" vegetables to feed their families. I have seen poor but these were way beyond that. A concrete road about 1-2 ft wider than our car serpentined through this village. Our driver asked directions from locals to find our way to the "oasis". Imagine 2 people with 3 young children of their own relocating from Florida 4 years ago, to Fuzhou with no real destination other than to help the sickest and neediest children. I'm crying as I write this because there is so much emotion there - love and acceptance beyond belief or description. Children with cleft palates, cerebral palsy, heart conditions, it doesn't matter... all are loved and nurtured as Mike and Deena's own. It is simply beautiful. Mike and Deena Van't Hul started as volunteers at the Fuzhou Welfare Institute just helping get food or help the care givers (they weren't even allowed to hold the babies) and have ended up buying an old school which they have rehabbed magnificently into a structure that anyone in the USA would wish was their child's preschool or school. All with no government funding - only donations from individuals like you and I. Mike and Deena go to the Welfare Institutes and take the sickest babies - the ones with no hope who will likely die if they stay where they are - and bring them into their home. They have over 20 of these children and now they have one less because we have been blessed with William Michael.

The Hidden Treasures Foster Home

http://loavesandfishesintl.com/

On their website William Michael is called 'Michael.'

Wednesday

Playing with Daddy's hat.

Miss Grace standing by a small lake near the pagoda.

Sleeping Buddha.

Walkway to pagoda.

Beautiful pagoda.

Today we had a day all to ourselves, no official appointments. William Michael was up very early today. We went for a long walk after breakfast and found this beautiful pagoda, walked around a park that's just across from our hotel and took many pictures. The heat is oppressive and that is how it is in China in the summer. After that we took both kiddos swimming which they loved! I'll tell you some things about Will: he loves watermelon, bread, noodles, broccoli, and meat, he can count to 12!, speaks in 3-4 word sentences, is quite self confident, loves to swim, adores Grace and is now letting me pick him up if he falls down. Grace, Will and I have been playing a lot of 'chase' in the hallway...they chase me and I chase them. :) He's come so far in the 3 days we've been together.

Much progress

Brother and sister!

1000 year old Banyan tree.

Many fish.

Feeding those fish.

Grace and Echo our social worker, on a ride at the Bird Park. Grace adores her and so do we!


(It's Tuesday here)

First of all thank you for the comments, emails, thoughts and prayers for our family. We've had a good day. Some testing with Dan but that's to be expected. This AM we were in the lobby of the hotel waiting for the van to arrive because we were going to do some local sightseeing. William looked right at me(Dan was holding him), put his arms out and asked for me to hold him...I can't even describe what it felt like to hold him for the first time! He was so sweet and relaxed. When the van arrived he let me sit next to him for 45 minutes-I gave him some little crackers to eat and he seemed quite content. We arrived at the Fuzhou Botanical Gardens, saw a 1000 year old Banyan tree, fed many fish(Grace and William loved this!), and went to a Bird Park and saw all kinds of tropical birds. Many local people came up very close to us. I felt like a celebrity because 4 different families asked to take my picture with their children, our social worker told us they don't see many Western people in that part of Fuzhou. It was very sweet and the people so kind. William let me sit next to him on the return back to the hotel. Later after lunch and back in our rooms, he initiated 'hide and seek' with me over and over, probably 5 times. he let me tickle him(he is very ticklish), and engaging me more and more, making eye contact and playing when I ask him to. He's flirting with me. It's what I've been praying for and it's still on his terms and will be for a long time. I'm proud of our brave little boy, we've only had him for about 48 hours. I know I keep thanking everyone for your prayers and I can't say that enough, we so feel them at work.

And Miss Grace has been a shining star and amazing big sister!

Busy day and many changes

Today William Michael's adoption was registered and notarized in Fuzhou. We got in and out of both offices very quickly. After that we went to the police department to apply for his passport. We completed the morning with a trip to Walmart. It's been 5 years since I was in China and it's much more modern and westernized. If you haven't been to China before it's so different from the U.S. I think of it in a way as sensory overload- distinct smells, sights(many signs), sounds, so many people, cars, bikes and scooters.
Lots of changes, Grace has had a bit of jealousy sharing her daddy. William is doing some major testing which I fully expected. He's had some tantrums, pinching of Dan and me and saying no! loudly when he doesn't like something. Things are definitely on 'his terms' with us. Dan is the man still--he can carry him and console him (not me). I am allowed to change his diapers, and he accepts food and drinks from me, he does speak to me but ignores me at times when I speak to him. At the last 2 meals together as a family he 'fed' me watermelon off his fork many times. He initiated that himself. He does smile at me and engage me when he wants to. Hey at least he's not screaming every time I look at him...strong little boy with a strong personality. He's had so many changes in the last 24 hours and his world has turned completely upside down.
He's calling Dan 'Ba Ba' now or Daddy, me 'Mommy' still and said Grace's name for the first time. Our social worker has been immensely helpful with the challenging times and given us some great hints. Again thank you for your prayers, we are needing them right now and always appreciate them.

Introducing...

our son, William Michael Yousheng.

Well, it was a bit rough at the start with many tears on William's part when we first met him. When we walked in the conference room the little guy was already lying on the floor crying very hard. With the help of a small Lightning McQueen car I had with me and some M & M's the tears stopped. William bonded with Dan right away, which I wasn't surprised about. After only 3 hours with him we are seeing his personality already immerge, he's all boy, he's very polite...says 'please' and 'thank you.' He calls us Mommy and Daddy and is quite facinated with Grace. I'm so proud of Grace, all the attention has been on William and she's been patient and so sweet to her little brother. I would have more pictures but we've been pretty busy. All I can say is thank you for your prayers, I feel them at work. We are so grateful that he's part of our family now.

some thoughts

pics from Hong Kong

We arrived safely yesterday in Fuzhou. Fuzhou is a city with a population of about 2 million and is in Fujian province, near the East China Sea across from Taiwan. It is modern and prosperous, people here drive a lot of expensive cars. China does seem to be changing in many ways, at least it seems that way right now to me. Not the summers though, it's hot and humid, like a sauna outside. Jet lag seems to be kicking in for Grace and I. Dan never seems affected much by it. Today (Sunday am) I woke up at 2:30 am wide awake and ready to start the day! Yikes. I dozed on and off and thought about our day today until I got up at 6am. We meet our social worker at noon and meet our son at 3:30pm in the conference room of our hotel(the Lakeside). So far everything has gone quite smoothly, thank you for your continued prayers and thoughts for William. Next post will be pics of our little boy!

Hong Kong

Us right before takeoff.

We are here! After a long flight that was even longer after the flight was diverted to Anchorage, Alaska to let off a passenger with some psych issues (I'm not making this up). We arrived in Hong Kong about 7pm. With a 13 hour time difference that was about 23 hours of travel. Grace was a trooper on the flight and slept about 6 hours. This morning we've been up playing outside with Grace on a playground and are now ready for breakfast. As soon as we arrived here I could tell we were in China by the smells (different smells), the beautiful mountains and the friendly Chinese people. We fly to Fuzhou today and meet little William tomorrow afternoon!