Knox Talks: Missing the Boat A Little

"Daddy, when are we going to take Lakey back to China?"

Long Overdue

It's been one month since Gotcha.  I can't believe it.  It seemed like we would never get to Gotcha Day to begin with, let alone be a month past it.

Lakey is fitting into our family beautifully.  Discovering the wonder of this little girl has been such a joy!  There is so much to tell about her!

She is so beautiful.

She eats a boiled egg every morning.  Sans yolk.  She spits it right out so I don't even try.  She has eaten everything I have put on her plate so far, and I have given her some things that my boys would totally melt down over (i.e. plain steamed carrots and plain steamed broccoli).  I can tell when something isn't her favorite by the way she gags a little, but she will get almost anything down without any real complaint (though her "all done" sign language hands come up pretty fast on carrots, broccoli, and raspberries).

The day Lakey came to us, she was still taking 3-4 bottles of formula and rice cereal a day even though she was also eating solid food and drinking milk.  I cut the formula and rice cereal after two days while we were still in China because I couldn't see any reason for her to be on it since she was eating and drinking milk so well.  I have kept her on two milk bottles a day, however, as a source of comfort and bonding between us.  She holds her own bottle, but I always hold her while she drinks it.  As she eats, she quietly points to objects around the room and waits for me to say its name.  Today, if you ask her where her nose and eyes are and she can point to them.  It is amazing to me what she seems to understand already.

She can say a few words - mommy, puppy, ball, and doggie.  She can hear a dog barking 5 houses away and it frightens her to death.  So she learned to say puppy (what I call all dogs pretty much) right away.  She can also sign the words more and please.

On the fifth day of being home, Jeremy worked with Lakey on standing up from a sitting position.  She picked it up within minutes, and though she was really wobbly at first, she is doing it like a pro now.  Sometimes she even gets herself all the way to a squatting position just to plop back down on her bottom so that she can do it all over again.

Last week we were finally able to submit all of Lakey's stool samples that we've been collecting.  The lab analyzes it for parasites on all internationally adopted children.  It's one of the grossest things I've done in my life.  Disgusting to infinity!  

We had her first doctors visit the week after we got home, and she made the American charts!  50th percentile on height, and 5th on weight.  She weighs a whopping 21 pounds!

The girl is flexible!  I think gymnastics is in her future.

If ever she had a fear of baths before, there is not a single trace of it today.  In fact, she usually sheds tears when it's time to get out.  She would splash water for an hour if I'd let her.

Lakey loves music.  If she hears a note, she stops and pays attention.

She is completely fine with her daddy now unless she needs consoling (during the night or if she's hurt), and then she wants nothing to do with him.  In fact, even a pat from him can send her spiraling off into the depths of despair.

She is my shadow.  Everywhere I go, she goes.  Bathroom, yep.  Shower, always (she stands outside the glass door and says "Mommy" over and over until I come out).

I put her hair in pigtails much of the time because her bedhead is so frightful and fuzzy in the mornings that it's the only real solution unless I wet it.  

We call her Lakey, Jia-Jia, Jodge, and Jodgy so far.  Once in awhile I even call her Ming Jia in some Chinese tonal accent if I think she's not hearing me.  It sounds very authentic to me, but I'm sure she only looks my way because she thinks I'm nuts.

Everyone in our house is in love with Miss Lakey Ming Jia.  She was well worth the wait!

  

Last Appointment

February 27 was our appointment with the American Consulate.  It was the appointment that determined the dates we would be in China in the first place.  We took all of the paperwork that we've been gathering since we've come to China (medical reports, adoption registration, Lakey's passport, etc.) so that they could process her visa overnight.  We also had to take an oath on behalf of Lakey - right hand raised and all.  I really meant to totally listen and remember the gist of what I was promising this great Land of ours, but in my peripheral vision I was watching Miles climb on top of a rickety playhouse in the kids' area, and my focus was thwarted.  Sorry America.  I'm sure I would have meant whatever it was that came out of my mouth.  I think it was some kind of new immigrant oath that adoptive parents must take for their children.  The same one that all immigrants must take before becoming a U.S. citizen.

Overall, it was uneventful really.  But an important step in the process nonetheless.

Later we went to another really cool park just a ten minute walk from our hotel.  

This park was really cool, but in a different way from some of the other ones we've been to here in China.  This park had karaoke, exercise equipment, and ping pong.

Every time we've told Miles we were headed to a park, he always ended up disappointed when there were never any slides.  A park in China isn't the same as the ones we go to in Grapevine.  But thankfully, after question after question about why there weren't any swings or slides, we came across this place.  And the kids had fun.

Later we meandered down to our hotel pool.

Once Lakey got in she had fun. 

And of course so did Miles, shivers, blue lips, and all. 

Shamian Island

Yesterday afternoon we went over to Shamian Island.  It's don't think it's a true island.  It's just on the other side of the Pearl River.  Maybe somehow the river winds its way around it or something.  I should Google it I guess.

Anyway, it's beautiful.  It has a European feel with pretty buildings, quiet streets, and a nice garden.  I saw two or three Chinese wedding photo shoots happening while we were on the island.  I can see why; the backdrop is very pretty.

For some reason, I was determined to get a picture of Lakey in line with these school children.  Don't ask.  I don't know why.

She really wasn't wanting to head off to school just yet; she was tense about it I could tell.

Then Lakey heard that little girl telling the caboose to herd the new girl into a straight line, and she started to crumble.

And when the boy actually put his hand on her shoulder, she totally lost it.  I don't know what it was - the stone faced children?  Yeah, I guess that's kind of creepy.

But, she found the umbrella a few minutes later and she calmed down.  Calm enough even to squat and go potty.  At least, I think this is the gesture when she needs to go.  Some things I'm leaving to figure out when I have home field advantage.

Meanwhile, Miles was getting a kick out of riding on the dog.  He was hesitant at first.  Might've had something to do with the large woman coming up in the passing lane.  She looks pretty solid.

Time to get a few winks.  Only two more days before we are bound for the Homeland!

Yuntai Garden

Yesterday we visited the Yuntai Garden which is situated at the foot of Buntai Mountain.  The garden covers about 120,000 acres, and right now they are in the middle of a month long tulip festival.  Over 300,000 tulips of 20 varieties were imported into Guangzhou from the Netherlands for the festival.

It was gorgeous.  I only wish I could have captured the real beauty of it with my camera.

A fog has settled around the city, and it's been looming every day that we've been here.

The mist and the Chinese instrumental music playing throughout the garden gave it a very romantic feel.  I could have spent all day here I think.

Miles has literally kicked this ball all over China.  I'm glad I stuck it in the bag, and I'm shocked we haven't lost it yet.

We would look quite nice in a painting, don't you think?

Look who's not crying!  Not smiling, but not crying.

Miles loved this red dragon.  They had a green one, but he liked the red.  Power color.

Lakey loves her bear.  Sometimes she just needs him.  

And I love Lakey's sweet little haircut.  Deep down I hoped she would have bangs cut straight across.  Her cute little bob puts her over the edge on the cuteness chart for me.

You could walk yourself away from all the exhibits and up through the foothills where it was especially quiet and beautiful.  Well, relatively quiet.  Miles is a very inquisitive four year old.  

This man is a really good daddy.

Our "secret" bridge.  We were looking for secret treasure.

Lakey loved the tulips.  I had to keep her from picking off the petals.

Tulips are my favorite too. 

I'm really glad we didn't miss this garden.

Some About Lakey

Today we enjoyed a gorgeous park that was home to hundreds of thousands of tulips, but for this post I want to write a little bit about Lakey.  That's the good stuff anyway, right?

She is petite.  But she's sturdy enough.

She walks and sits up, but she can't crawl or get herself into a sitting position from laying down.  Neither can she stand up from a sitting position.  Her core strength needs lots of work.  But in talking with the other families we are with - almost none of the girls can do any of these things.  It's interesting.

Her fine motor skills are very good, considering that I expected her to be really delayed on all levels.  She can feed herself with a spoon, pick up small food with her hands, take off her shoes and socks, walk on her tip toes, catch a rolling ball with her hands, etc.

She rocks a mean pair of pink mouse shoes.  All the shoes I brought for her are too big, so we picked these up at the market down the street.  You cannot find a pair of normal shoes here in the markets - not one.  They either have these goofy animals on them or they have squeakers in them.  Plenty of kids have those around here.  Every.  step.  squeaks.  I see no reason to force myself into early asylum.  Hence, the pink mouse shoes.

Lakey's independent spirit is coming out.  In the beginning, she wanted me to hold her all the time.  She still likes to be held, but now she sometimes wiggles out of my arms so that she can get down to play and walk.  On the bus, she rarely wants to sit in my lap.  She wants to sit in her own seat next to mine.  By the window.  She mostly likes to feed herself.  Today, I noticed that she was attempting a step on her own, so I put my finger out for her to grab.  She decidedly shook her head no and locked her hands behind her back.  Alrighty then.

She might give you one of these looks if she's had enough.  Or if you're daddy.

She plays with one toy at a time.  If she already has something in her hand, and you give her something else, she will take what you're offering and give you what she has.

She loves Miles.  He can make her laugh.  But if something he does doesn't sit well with her, she has no trouble giving him a whack on the arm.  Or in the face.

She is beautiful.  

She sways to music.  

She likes to twirl.  

She loves baths now.  Except when you wash her hair. 

She has a ready smile.

She's a happy girl. 

We love her more than I can describe here.