Day 11, 10-22-2016 - Flying to Guangzhou

Today we are leaving behind Ayla's home.   We are saying Good-bye to Zhengzhou!!

B'Elanna excited to get on the plane, Ayla wondering what is happening this time!
Pictures in the Zhengzhou Hilton with me and my girls, and then us with Yisha!!

 We arrived at the airport all in one piece.  Yisha got us all checked in and through the gate.   We made it with plenty of time for Grammy to walk slowly to the terminal gate.  At first Ayla was curious about the airport...then she just buried her face to get away from all the activity.   She did GREAT on the plane.   I was prepared for psycho baby to come out... similar to B'Elanna... but nope... she was Miss Calm, Cool and Collected as long as she had her food.  Hahahahaha!!!

I'm twisted in a knot... I'm comfortable!!

WE HAVE ARRIVED AT
GUANGZHOU - CHINA HOTEL!!

Day 9 & Day 10, 10/20 & 10/21 - FREE DAYS!!

So we have had a couple of down days waiting to receive our notary documents and our children's passports.   We decided to take a couple of down days to give Grammy's knees a break (so she is ready for more touring in Guangzhou) and just to do some bonding with Ayla.   We have gone out to get meals, Starbucks and to do a little shopping at Walmart.  We had to go to the mall to get some new shoes for Ayla... She is wearing Infant size 2!!!

Ayla's adoption journey is very different than B'Elanna's.   

* She is quiet.  

* She basically doesn't walk... and when she does it is unsteady and with assistance.

* She will eat and eat and eat, until her stomach is bloated... and then when we are back in the room, she points to the snacks and wants more food!

* She has something going on with her gastrointestinal system.   Whenever she eats... no matter how much or how little... she has stomach pain.  I am avoiding all milk, but she is still having stomach pain.

* She only wants Mommy, tolerates B'Elanna and is still giving stink-eye to Grammy.

* She doesn't/won't talk... she grunts and points.  Our guide had the orphanage check with the Foster Parents and she supposedly DOES talk.

* She doesn't have muscle tone and tires easily... but has a barrel chest and bloated stomach.

* She LOVES Bacon and Bean Spouts!

* She was a grey color when we got her... but after just a couple days of eating, eating, eating... her color is already getting better.

Happy!  She has Food!

Playing and building things with B'Elanna

This is our evening grieving and nightly
stomach pain face.

This lounge is where B'Elanna slept the first night.
After Gotcha Day... it's where she took her "alone time"!

Big Sister/Little Sister... still no smiles from Ayla!!

Swimming!!!

Here is a video that shows how "infantile" some of Ayla's behaviors are.   She will only plant her feet when forced, and then only for about a minute.  Then she lifts her feet and floats.

And... of course... B'Elanna was LOVING swimming with her arm floaties.   The Zhengzhou Hilton has a really nice hot/warm tub that was Perfect for the kids (and us) to have fun it.

Day 8, 10-19-2016 - Orphanage Visit Day!!

Today we visited Ayla's orphanage, Zhengzhou CWI in Henan Province.    The irony of ironies is... it was also B'Elanna's orphanage.

But let's start with last night.  I put Ayla in her crib to go to sleep and B'Elanna climbed into my bed to get ready to sleep.  I gave B'Elanna a hug and kiss, then turned to give Ayla a hug and kiss and found her silently crying BIG, Crocodile Tears.   So, of course, I pulled her out of the crib, gave her some cuddles to calm down and then put her int

Cuddling on Mommy and Big sister, B'Elanna

And now for the important story!!  Our visit back to Ayla's orphanage, Zhengzhou CWI.  Grammy and I were hoping to get some answers to Ayla's story... and BOY DID WE!!!

Give me food and I am happy...
Even on the drive back to her CWI!!

Part of the Entrance to the Zhengzhou CWI

The first thing we saw was this AMAZING track and field.   Some of the children from the CWI proper were out getting sun and running the track.   As we were leaving, we saw the construction where they are building another track on-site.

My Mom (aka Grammy) had asked our guide, Yisha, if it would be possible to see a woman from the ZZ CWI Adoption unit that she had met and bonded with this summer.    Her name is Sonny.  She is Wonderful.  She was very excited to see my Mom again and to see B'Elanna and Ayla!

Then we headed to the Show Hope/LOCC building.   I thought we were heading straight to the LOCC, but instead we headed to the Show Hope floor.   We got a piece of Ayla's puzzle!!!   She was in the Show Hope Specialty Care Center for most of 2015!  I'm going to take that as Fate.   While I was on Deployment and not able to do much for an adoption process, she was in Show Hope getting stronger and healthier!!!

Mural in Hallway

Nice bathing, cleaning and procedure area

Door and Hallway outside of Show Hope.
You can see the Laundry drying on the porch area.

This was a Ayi on the Show Hope Floor.   Yisha said she wasn't one of Ayla (aka Li Dan's) care givers, but she was still excited to see her.

We were able to see the cribs and see the murals in the room.   It was a nice stimulating unit with nice cribs for the babies.

Then as we were getting ready to move to the LOCC, some of the Nurses came in to see Li Dan.  They got a bit emotional to see her with a family.  It was WONDERFUL to see that they remembered and cared about her and how she was doing.   They did comment to Yisha that she was still really skinny and tiny.  HAHAHAHAHA!!



And then it was on to the LOCC.  One of the little boys in our group had come straight from the LOCC to his parents.  Additionally, B'Elanna and I had made a gift and a picture book for her old Ayi's.   B'Elanna claims not to remember her time in the orphanage or the LOCC, but when we got the rooms (which have been renovated since she was there) and she saw the Ayi's... she... shut... down.  She gave the gift, let them give her hugs and take pictures... but no big smiles or laughter!   I shouldn't have been... but I was actually surprised.  She acted EXACTLY as she did the day we had Her Orphanage visit four years ago.

But she cheered up a bit when Sonny let her hold Ayla... something she has been wanting to do for DAYS!!   B'Elanna LOVES picking up little kids!!



This is a random play area and a big kids room in the CWI that we saw quickly before heading to the Xinhe Foster Homes.

Heading to the Ayla and one other's Foster Home!!

AYLA'S XINHE FOSTER FAMILY!!!

AYLA WITH HER FOSTER MOM AND DAD!!
They both gave her a kiss and hug as we were leaving!!
The group picture is of the children that are currently in the home.

AYLA'S OLD AND NEW FAMILY'S TOGETHER

This is the crib Ayla slept in...

These are the other kids beds.   The parents had their own room.

The living area...


The kitchen area...

There was also, the parents bedroom and a study room that we didn't see or get pictures of.

Random play areas on the CWI grounds.


This is the Administration Building, on-site school wing and the therapy/medical wing.   Also the clock tower at the entrance/exit.


Compared to B'Elanna, Ayla handled the Orphanage visit pretty well.   We didn't see any new behaviours... she has been shutdown since Gotcha Day, she still isn't talking.  She continues to just want to cuddle and make guttural sounds.


B'Elanna on the other hand, was back to normal after the visit and enjoyed playing with Brook in the back of the bus.

When we got back to the room, Mommy and Grammy were EXHAUSTED from all the emotions of the day.   So we all took a nap!!!