Medical Update

While in China we were very anxious to get Audra home and have her evaluated by our physicians here.  Now that we are home we have been busy visiting doctors...

Thursday, April 25th:
Audra saw the International Adoption doctor and her team at CHOP.  The doctor was quite impressed by Audra's small size...even though she had already seen all of Audra's medical records with measurements from China.  I was a little shocked at what I saw on the scale as well.  She was 9.9kg, which is 21 pounds.  When we took her to the medical exam in China they said she was 11kg, or 24 pounds.  (now, I know she has NOT lost any weight since being with us...not with the way she was eating everything in China!  Must have been those 4 layers of clothing plus shoes that she was wearing when they weighed her in China.)  She would like Audra to see an Endocrinologist, in case she has vitamin or hormonal deficiencies that are causing her to be so small.  She also wants her to see a nutritionist to help us determine to the most efficient (and safest) way to improve her nutritional status.  After the appointment Audra had to have some blood drawn....ALOT of blood drawn!  8 large vials from my tiny little girl.  She was such a trooper, really!  She only cried a little bit when the needle went in, then she just sat still for about 5 minutes while they filled all the tubes.  They are checking many things: 
blood counts (because her records indicate that she is anemic),
electrolytes, vitamin levels, liver and kidney function (due to her malnutrition),
vaccine titers to see if the vaccines she received in China are actually protecting her (or maybe she needs boosters)
Lead level
Celiac panel (in case that is the cause of her poor growth)
And then the standard: TB, HIV, and Hepatitis

Exhausted after a long day at CHOP...

 

 

Friday, April 26th:

Audra went to the pediatrician today.  Maura wanted to come with to "help Audra be brave".  She weighed exactly the same today, 9.9kg.  She had a PPD skin test placed to check for tuberculosis...again.  One more PPD six months from now, then they will officially declare her TB free.  It was a pretty uneventful appointment...all the eventfulness will happen at home this weekend....we need to collect 3 stool samples to check for parasites and treat her skin for scabies, just to be safe.   

 

Monday, April 29th:

Audra woke up Saturday morning with a high fever (104).  Tylenol would bring it down some (100-101) but it would shoot back up as soon as the medicine wore off.  We spent most of the weekend with a hot girl asleep on our laps.  Once I walked into the family room to find her like this:

 

 

Poor baby, she really felt terrible!  It broke my heart to think about what happened when she was this sick in the orphanage...were the nannies able to sit and hold her and comfort her?  Is she used to being comforted and cared for?  She has been open to our comfort while she feels so terrible and we are happy to give her that...and hold her all day long!

 

Today I took her back to the pediatrician...she has strep throat.  She probably picked it up at one of her appointments the end of last week.  After a couple days of antibiotics she should be back to her "tornado" little self!  Love snuggling with her, but hate to see her so uncomfortable and actually do miss her crazy little personality. 

Getting adjusted...getting settled

Today we have been home with Audra for one week! 

The first 3-4 days home were rough.  The jet lag flying home (from west to east) was not fun.  Audra would wake up between 2:00-3:00am and think it was time to get up.  Usually I could get her back to sleep after an hour or so in the dark with her Cantonese songs playing...but then I couldn't get back to sleep.  Which meant by 4:00pm I was good for nothing!  On Thursday we managed to push Audra's nap back a few hours in the afternoon, then we kept her up until about 10:00pm and voila...she slept all night!  Problem is...mama still gets up everyday between 3:00-4:00am no matter what time I go to bed the night before. 

From day one Audra's adjustment to all the new changes she has faced every.single.day has been amazing.  She hasn't shut down, lashed out or been overly emotional....all things we were prepared for.  Each of the past seven days have been full of change, with many new experiences for her.  So much, too much even, for one little girl to understand and adjust to.  On Monday she cried when the kids left for school.  She probably feared that they were leaving forever.  And there was no way for us to reassure her (in English) that they would be home in the afternoon.  By the middle of the week she "got it".  After a couple days of watching them leave in the morning and return in the afternoon she had figured out the routine.  On Thursday she had an appointment with the International Adoption team at CHOP.  There was an interpreter there as well.  The first time she heard the interpreter speak to her in Cantonese she stopped in her tracks, had a very serious face and then searched to room for me.  I can't even imagine what was going through her little head when she heard her native language so suddenly after not hearing it all for 4 days. 

She is a smart, observant little girl.  She imitates everything we do...facial expressions, gestures, you name it.  It is a fun game to play with her, she is so darn cute!  She doesn't really use any English words yet besides mama (but mama is Cantonese for mom, so that doesn't really count).  She does sign a few words independently (more, please and eat) so we are teaching her a few more.  She is very friendly...maybe too friendly.  We need to teach her stranger danger, something she doesn't have just yet.  But she definitely knows who mama and baba are and she seeks us out.  This is a very good sign.  We are working very hard at "teaching" her what a family is, what parents are, and helping her to bond and attach to us, and that it is okay for her to rely on us for help.  Children from orphanages are usually very independent, which isn't necessarily a good thing.  We need to take a few steps back with her, baby her, and teach her it is okay for us to take care of her and do things FOR her.

So in love with this little beauty!

Home Sweet Home

 

After a 16 hour flight, and 24 hours after leaving our hotel in Hong Kong...we are HOME!  We were welcomed home by lots of family members with balloons, banners and even a cake.  Everyone was so anxious to meet Audra, and we were so anxious to hug our kiddos at home!  We were only gone 2.5 weeks but it seems as though they grew like weeds while we were gone.  I can't believe how big and grown up them seem. 

 

Our family was blessed by the generosity of so many people while we were gone:

~extended family pitched in to keep our kids at home on schedule with school and sports

~friends offered our kids rides to and from activities and had them over for play dates

~neighbors baked for us

~so many people prayed for our safety as we traveled and an easy transition for Audra

 



It almost seems unbelievable that we have been to China and back...have Audra with us now...and our new forever starts today!  Thank you for joining us on this journey.  We have been so comforted by your thoughts, prayers and well wishes at every step along this amazing journey.  We are looking forward to sharing Audra with all of you (once this crazy jet lag passes!).

Homeward bound...

Sunday, April 21st

Finally, the day has come to bring Audra home forever.  It was a long, incredible 2.5 weeks in China, and home has never sounded so good.  We can't wait to drink tap water without fear, have ice in our beverages, and eat a fresh, crisp lettuce salad!  But most of all, we can't wait to hug our kiddos at home and have our entire family in one place at the same time.  We have missed them so.very.much!  FaceTime has been an amazing tool in keeping connected with our kids at home, and very helpful in introducing Audra to her family waiting at home.  Technology can be such a blessing.  Here is a glimpse of our travel day in pictures...

 

 Waiting to board the plane in Hong Kong

Ready for take off

Watching some movies

Lunch time!

Nap time

 

Dinner time

 

 

Are we there yet?

Flying over NY

Landing!!!



 

2 brand new U.S. citizens!

 

 

Hong Kong Disneyland

 

 

 

Day 1:  April 19th

After a four hour ride from Guangzhou to Hong Kong in a mini van packed with 4 adults, 2 children, 9 suitcases and 4 backpacks...with a 45 minute wait to get through customs at the border...we made it to the Disney Hollywood Hotel!  We quickly checked in and dropped off our things in the hotel room so we could head to the park for a few hours of magical memories.  We ended the day watching the fireworks from our hotel room. Audra LOVED the fireworks! 

 

 

 

 

 Day 2:  April 20th
We were quite the spectacle today...two American couples with adorable Asian little girls wondering around in matching yellow Disney shirts!  Everywhere we went people looked, stared,  pointed and took our picture.  At first it bothered us a little bit, but then we decided that we would just take their picture when they were taking our picture!  When we had the Disney photographer take our family pictures at the castle there was a group of "paparazzi" behind him taking our picture as well.
Other people seemed genuinely interested in our beautiful girls and our story...and that didn't bother us at all.  If they asked us questions we were happy to answer.

 

 

 

We had dinner at Chef Mickey, which was right in our hotel.  We were a little bummed that they served mostly international dishes.  We have definitely had our fill of rice, noodles and dumplings.  We are craving some good old American comfort food!  We are drooling at the thought of our first meal at home. 

 

Our last day in China

Our time here in China has been incredible...not only because we finally have Audra with us forever...but also because we have tried to absorb and embrace so much of China's fascinating culture so we can share it with Audra as she gets older. 

China is a beautiful country with very rich, deep traditions.

 

We spent our last day here shopping at our favorite stores and eating at our favorite restaurant.

Then packing, packing and more packing!

 

I found this adorable shirt for Audra at a children's boutique across the street from our hotel...and  it was a MUST buy!!!

 

 

 

At 4:30pm our guide met us in the lobby of our hotel to give us Audra's passport with her visa to enter the United States as an immigrant.  What an awesome sight, and a bit overwhelming to actually hold in my hand! 

 

 

 

Tomorrow we leave China and head to Hong Kong.  It is common for US families to travel from Guangzhou to Hong Kong by train or van and then stay overnight to catch a non-stop flight home.  We are adding one additional night in Hong Kong so we can give the girls an experience like nothing they have ever had...we are spending a day at Hong Kong Disneyland!

 

Leaving China tomorrow will be bittersweet...

 

My heart is a little heavy for Audra as she will be leaving her birthplace, her homeland, her country...

a place where she looks just like everyone around her, understands the language,

 and the foods, sounds and scents are familiar.

 

And at the same time my heart is rejoicing for Audra and the opportunities that lie ahead for her...

becoming a US citizen,

joining her entire forever family,

access to medical care that will be able to properly diagnose and treat her,

and services that will help her reach developmental milestones and fullest potential

She deserves all of this and more...

Her future is so bright!

  



Interesting signs & sights

At any given time, while out and about in China, we have seen some very interesting things!  Here are just a few for your enjoyment...

a wine vending machine in the building we went to for Audra's passport picture...

you can borrow an umbrella on the subway platform...

 

a true waterboy...

 

people put their empty drink bottles in the back window of the bus...

 

a double deck parking space at a shopping mall garage...

(I don't know what happens when the top car is ready to leave before the bottom car?!)

 

 

Sometimes the English translation on signs sounds a bit funny:

 

 

 

 

Parents allow their children to do things we could never imagine:

Standing with their head out of the sunroof in a moving car...

Audra has been a lap rider while in vehicles here in China, as carseats are basically unheard of...but she will be straped into a 5 point harness carseat the minute we hop in a car in the US

Peeing anywhere, anytime: sidewalk, bush, side of the rode...
(sorry...just couldn't bring myself to post a picture of this)
 

One time while we were out shopping Audra started pulling her pants down.  Without a restroom in sight I asked the store owner if the shop had a restroom...she led me to a back room with hole in the floor, literally!  That was to closest I ever got to letting her pee in public.

While I still prefer a western toilet to the traditional Chinese squatty potty for myself, I must say that I have perfected the art of assisting Audra in using a sqatty potty and actually prefer it over a toilet when using public restrooms. 

(this is a sparkling clean squatty...believe me, most look much worse than this one!)

Some of the very interesting things for sale on the streets of China:

fresh sugar cane juice...

animal fur of your choice...

Bicycle loads are HUGE and delivery of just about anything is possible:

  

 

Pizza Hut, McDonald's and Burger King all  have bicycle delivery!

 

Steaming hot cake for sale...