I can't wait til I'm stronger!

We have a watermelon boy on our hands. Like his PaPa (my Dad), he does not want to wear socks with his shoes, and he loves watermelon in large quantities. Shane and I prepared dinner for the children and ayis tonight - real southern cooking. We went to an international market in the expat village here and bought ingredients to make vegetable soup, pinto beans, and cornbread. Only one catch - no oven, so we had to make corn fritters. We served it with watermelon and rice (just in case) and it was an unequivocal hit. The ayis were scraping the fritter crumbs off the plate--literally--and no pinto beans or watermelon left. Hmmmmmm....

Keep us in your thoughts. I may or may not have said it, but there is a virus (hand foot & mouth) spreading rapidly through China, and it has led the Doctor to cancel our picnic outing for tomorrow--just too much risk. Also, Tian Yo had some blood in his colostomy pouch today. They tell me it happens from time to time... We are currently using care methods which have been compiled between 2 Dutch nurses, an American nurse, a Chinese doctor, an American urologist, etc. Every time we catheterize, it seems the process changes a little! They gave us what is a very spacious apartment by Beijing standards--about 10' x 16'--with a kitchenette and a toilet that is also a walk-in shower. Yes, we wear shower shoes. I just figured out today that the warmed milk (from the microwave) they've served us every morning is unpasteurized--how bout that!

YoYo has taken to us HUGELY. Singing solves tears. He loves to sing, he loves to say "car," and he absolutely adores dogs. Every time a dog barks outside, he stops everything to point to the nearest window and shout, "Gogo!" (dog) Baba (Shane) knows enough Mandarin to play "Where is Gogo?" and that has become a favorite, along with "Baba sleep--wake up wake up wake up!"

I think I told you about the incredible party yesterday. They have showered us with not only all of his medical files and x-rays, but also baby clothes that have been carefully saved, his favorite bedtime book, and some favorite toys. A couple from Singapore loved him so much, and he spent his first 2 birthdays with them. The wife flew to Beijing just to see him off last summer to the States. They sent beautiful little outfits for us to take with him.


His main ayi, who now works with the babies here, Qin Qin, talked to us a long time last night. She told us about how he best falls asleep, that he likes pizza, and that he falls asleep in the car. She had saved a bag of his baby clothes for 2 years, and in her office, his photos are plastered all over the walls. She made us 2 DVDs with photos of him set to several of his favorite little kid songs.

I am overwhelmed. This little guy has been loved so much, and we are so small. That we have such a loving circle of friends and family is, I think, the only way we can stand it. And he is a sweet boy, for all the attention and fuss he has garnered. Tonight, as I was changing him, I tried not to let him see how frightened I was by the sight of blood in his colostomy pouch. He touched my chin gently--I was so overwrought with nerves that a boil came up on my chin as we flew here, and by now it is scabbed over--and he said softly, "Ow." I agreed, "Ow," gently--and then he patted my cheek as if to console me. I have no words for that.

More soon - tomorrow we will travel to the hotel in Beijing, where we will meet up with 3 other CHI families. (and do some laundry! We only brought 3 shirts & 2 pants each--including what we wore here--and sink laundry with air drying needs a vacation, I think!)

Love to all and full hearts
anna & shane