Our plane left on time from Beijing at 7:45 this morning. It was an uneventful ride and we ate breakfast on the flight. We arrived in Fuzhou at 10:15 AM and were met at the airport by our guide, Amy. Amy just arrived in Fuzhou yesterday afternoon and it's her first time in the city, so we will figure out things together! It was about an hour drive to our hotel. We have about 4 hours to rest and then we will be going to CAB (Civil Affairs Bureau) and getting Tyler!! I know he will be upset about leaving familiar people and places but I sure hope he isn't too sad!
My cold is worse and I'm losing my voice. My nose is red and stuffy. Just when I want to feel my best and I come down with a cold - wouldn't you know it!! We are going to go walk around a bit. I will write more when we get back from the CAB.
Back again!! We walked around a bit and saw several shops in the area around the hotel. We stopped at the hotel restaurant and had the lunch buffet. The food here is definitely different than that in Beijing! Then it was time to meet Amy. We made sure I had all my paperwork - I thought I had lost some but we found it! It only took about 10 minutes to get to the CAB office but Tyler, his orphanage director, and a nanny were already there. I think Tyler recognized me when we walked in (probably from the photo albums we had sent to him) because he averted his eyes and started to pucker up to cry. (The orphanage director later said when they were ready to leave for the meeting, she had told him "We are going to meet your Ma-Ma." And he responded "No, I don't want to go be a Yankee!")
He is used to being called JianShe so that is what we will call him unless he wants to change to Tyler - especially while he is adapting to us. While I was trying to fill out paperwork, Ryan tried to play with JianShe a bit, but he would have nothing to do with us. I also tried showing him the toys we had brought, but he still stayed right beside the orphanage director and wouldn't even look at us. When the paperwork was filled out and it was time to leave, JianShe was very upset. When I picked him up, he cried and tried to hold on to the door frame to he wouldn't have to go. In the van heading back to the hotel, he was sobbing quietly. He never did throw a tantrum or scream - just a quiet crying.
In our room JianShe would stand by the door and sob. He refused to look at or talk to anyone, even Amy, our guide. 
JianShe speaks a local dialect but the director said he had been learning a little bit of Mandarin, so he should be able to understand Amy somewhat. We went outside and walked around and he seemed to calm down a bit. Then we went to the 3rd floor in our hotel and had our picture taken. Back to our room and JianShe was upset again. He finally did speak to Amy, saying "I want to go home". So we went for a walk with Amy and found a small supermarket where we purchased some juice, water, cookies, and bananas. The bananas were the only thing that caught JianShe's attention! Everything else he shook his head "no" at. Then it was back to the hotel.
JianShe had a little sack of "belongings" with him. He had the teddy bear and photo albums that we had sent, as well as 3 bowls of instant noodles, 2 bags of dried fruit, 3 cartons of milk, and 2 bags of a dried fruit type wafers. Their was also one of the disposable cameras that we had sent (we sent 2 different cameras at different times so the nannies could take pictures of JianShe during his normal day). The other items we had sent didn't make it back with him, but I don't mind. I hope the other kids in the CWI can enjoy them.
It was getting dark so we couldn't walk around much more, but JianShe still stood at the door and quietly sobbed. We tried getting JianShe to eat some banana but he only took 1 bite and started crying. He had been drinking a carton of milk all afternoon though. We finally turned on the TV and cartoons captured his interest. I held him on my lap for a while and then he wanted down to look out the window. About 7:30 he was falling asleep in the chair, so I took his shoes off and put him to bed. He woke up during this but soon fell asleep again while watching cartoons in bed.
We meet Amy at 8:00 in the morning to go back to the CAB for more paperwork. I hope JianShe is feeling just a bit better about us tomorrow!
May 15
JianShe woke up once during the night needing to go to the bathroom, but otherwise slept well last night. He has some congestion and a cough. Today he seems to have a small fever. I ran bath water for him but he seemed very upset by it, so we just had a spongebath. He also refused new clothes, so we put his old clothes back on him. We ate breakfast at the buffet in the hotel. JianShe ate very well. 
At first I had to feed him but Amy stopped by our table and talked to him. She made him feed himself and he did so after that. He ate an almost full bowl of congee, a boiled egg, and about 1/2 of a banana!! He needed to use the restroom while we were eating and we were able to understand his need. That makes me feel a bit better - when needed we can understand.
We went to the CAB again this morning. The director there is a very nice man. We had a bit of trouble. Our address on all our paperwork is Rt. 1 Box 117 because our area had no street addresses until a couple months ago. When filling out paperwork last night I put our new 911 address that the county just gave us. Today we were a long time trying to explain that we had not moved, just our address had changed. It was finally straightened out, but the paperwork from yesterday had to be redone with the old address on it. I talked to our Guangzhou guide, XiXi, and she wanted to know if we could receive mail at our old address. I was flustered and did not understand what she was trying to say. Talk about feeling dumb when it was explained to me!! Anyway everything was straightened out and we were able to go on our way.
JianShe had a bit of a hard time at the CAB because his nanny and orphanage director were there again. He was happy to see them but even more upset about having to leave them again. And they seemed very concerned that he had a fever. (He also told the director that his stomach hurt.) It was a very hard time having to leave there today.
Our next stop was the notary, where we answered the same questions that we had just answered at the CAB. 
Why did you choose to adopt from China? What can you give this child in America? Do you have any other children and how many? Do you promise to never abuse or abandon this child? Did you sign the adoption paperwork of your own free will? Do you understand the responsibility you are taking on to care for this child?
A couple from Spain was also at the notary while we were there. They were adopting a little girl about a year old. Talk about a language barrier!! Their guide was Chinese with English as a second language and the couple were Spanish with English as a second language! We were able to help a little in rewording their answers so the guide understood what they were trying to say. Their little girl also had a bad cold with coughing and congestion.
After we finished with the official work, we stopped at Wal-Mart to shop. It was so fascinating!! And while it is a bit the same as a US Wal-Mart, it is also very very different! We got JianShe a couple new outfits, some sneakers, and some toys. We also got some more snacks and drinks. We had intended to pick up some luggage there also since we won't be able to fit everything into carry-on now, but forgot. Maybe we can go back sometime this week.
Tomorrow we are planning to go see the Shoushan stone carving that is unique to this province. We are also planning to stop at a tea shop and taste the different teas in the next few days. Fujian province is known for it's teas. Sometime this week we also want to visit the park across the lake from our hotel and also see the Panda Zoo. We have an appointment to see the orphanage on Saturday. It is a 3 hour drive one way. I am really wondering if that is a good thing to do after JianShe was so miserable today. It is so hard on him to see his nanny and orphanage director - should we submit him to that again?? But I have heard others say that while they are upset at the time, it helps them to say good-by a last time.
Back at our hotel, we rested in our room and I gave JianShe some medicine I had with me for his fever and congestion. 
I thought I had some cough medicine but I can't find it. We also gave him a bath and he did very well with it. He did not like having his hair washed but he just cried a little - didn't fight it at all. We did put new clothes on him this time and he didn't fuss, so perhaps he is doing better. Amy collected our clothes for the laundry as the one in the hotel is more expensive than one down the street.
A major breakthrough today was getting JianShe to interact with us. Ryan and I played with his Legos and he watched. Then Ryan built windmills and vehicles with the Legos and gave them to JianShe. After a bit, JianShe would set the constructions beside him in a row. Then he watched Ryan, Danni and I play ball with his little soccer ball. Ryan finally got him to play catch with him a little bit. Then JianShe took all the constructions apart (with my help since the Legos fit together really tightly) and layed them in rows in the Lego case. He was very organized and neat. 
For lunch we went to the hotel buffet again. We ordered from the Western menu this time. We ordered a hot dog and french fries for JianShe. He loved the french fries, but seemed to tolerate the hot dog and bread. It seems that he has been taught to clean his plate as he would eat whatever we put on the plate. I wanted to be sure he had enough to eat so kept putting food on his plate. Finally he shook his head no when I put more fries on his plate. Now I worry that he may eat too much and get a stomach ache because of this. He had a piece of bread still on his plate when we left the table and he grabbed it and brought it along to eat.
While we were waiting for our food, JianShe fell asleep at the table. So when we went back to our room I put him down for a nap. Ryan and Danni went down to the 4th floor of the hotel to check out the game room. JianShe was upset that they left and he was laid down on the bed. He fussed and cried and I laid beside him and rubbed his back but he did finally fall asleep.
So I am taking advantage of this time to update the page! After JianShe wakes up we are hoping to explore the Lakeside Park on the other side of the lake from the hotel.
JianShe slept for about 2 hours, then we went for a walk in the Lakeside Park. 
It is very beautiful with lots of trees and landscaping. It started to sprinkle while we were there so we turned back. I tried to cross a little stone "bridge" that was about 1' wide and 2' long. When I stepped off of it, I stepped wrong on a stone and fell to my right knee. I heard a "crack" or "pop" when I hit and it is very sore and swollen on the outside now. I scraped my shin a bit also - but it will all heal with time.
We came back to the hotel and stayed in the room the rest of the night. JianShe seems very unsure - he stays where ever we put him. If we set him on the bed, he stays there unless we move him. 
JianShe fell asleep again for the night about 7:30. I read a book for awhile and Ryan worked on his pictures. Danni watched a movie on TV. I was tired so went to sleep about 8:00.
Go back to Main Page or Day 3 to 5 in Fuzhou.