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Thursday-Friday,
September 6-7, 2007
We are combining two days of updates into one as I keep falling
asleep every night putting Luke to bed. I knew two kids would be
harder than one, but it is especially more difficult doing it
out of a small hotel room, freaking about not getting water into
Luke’s mouth when shampooing his hair.
Thursday morning we walked over to take visa photos and get the
cursory medical checks done on our kids to allow them to enter
the USA. The medical check involves three stations, and the
final doctor to look at Lilia gave us a thumbs up. Good thing
she missed the heat rash all over Lilia’s tummy. The afternoon
was spent doing paperwork for the U.S. side of the adoption
process.
At 4pm Lance, Lilia and I met Cici for the exciting taxi ride
over to CanAm for Lilias’s follow up medical check. The staff
drew blood from Lilia to do a comparison CBC. Dr. Friendly came
in to give us the results and was actually friendly! He said
Lilia’s tonsillitis is better, but he can still hear congestion
and a wheeze in her chest. Her iron level has gone up slightly,
but he strongly suggested we have full blood work done when we
get home to rule out any kind of inherited anemia. He then told
us about a recent patient, an 11 year-old boy adopted by a
family from Australia that needed to be airlifted to Hong Kong
for treatment. Dr. Friendly can be very dramatic (recall the
coma story from Monday?) He also mentioned that he has not seen
one adoptive Chinese child with an iron level above 100 (Lilia’s
is now 93).
We then chatted with Dr. Friendly a bit. He and his wife have
been in China two years. He said they went home to Jordan for a
three-week vacation and both he and his wife yearned to return
to China. He said the “Far East Magic” has ensnared them. He
mentioned diplomats and others who decided to stay in China
after their tours of duty were completed. Cici later told us
that made her feel very good.
Friday we visited the Chen Clan Family Temple and the Guangxiao
Buddhist temple. We had a leisurely afternoon then met our group
for a great Cantonese dinner. While touring today, I asked Cici
what Guangdong province was famous for (others are renowned for
porcelain, embroidery, etc.). Guess what Steve J. – Guangdong is
known for FOOD. Lilia even grunts like ladies in the Cantonese
restaurants we are used to at home. She also scolds us in a very
Cantonese way when we don’t get the food to her fast enough.
On the attachment front, Lilia is waking up smiling and seeking
comfort. She makes good eye contact, and her appetite is
increasing. Luke is struggling a bit at times, but for a two
year old, we feel he is adjusting as well as can be expected. |
This is the ENT station, one of three at the medical check
required for international adoptees. See the sophisticated
equipment?
Sign in the waiting room at the medical check center. You can
see Luke Kaleo`okalani’s expression of disdain for the sign.
Cici held Lilia when she had her blood drawn at Can Am. Lilia
used Cici’s jade bracelet as a teething ring. The girl has
already got expensive taste.
Dolores entertained Luke in the Swan Room here at the hotel
while we took Lilia off to her medical follow-up appointment.
Dontcha love the Mattel sign above Luke’s head? We noted that
the toy selection seems pretty sparse in comparison to previous
photos we have seen of this room. Hmmmm. |
