What I've Been Up To

I've been trying to get a mish mosh of things crossed off our list this week. One of the things we are planning on doing for Kai is using alternative means of communication to help him out while he learns English and as he awaits palate surgery. We bought and laminated a series of baby sign language flash cards (which I am un-enthusiastically cutting out...there are 100 cards). It is easier having cards than a bound book; they can be laid out around the house as we learn/teach them to Kai. We are also creating a "communication book". This tool is often used with nonverbal students, those affected by Autism, etc. Most communication books are developed using a standard database of pictograms, however I'm just going to cut/paste/print different pictures off the web. Basically, a communication board is a series of pictures (with Velcro backings) that represent foods, activities, routines, people, etc. The pictures are often organized within pages of a 3 ring binder. On the cover of the binder are Velcro strips. The adult can present the child with choices or a sequence of events to help the child anticipate "what comes next". Both the sign language and the communication book are designed to encourage speech, not replace it. We want Kai to feel that his and our efforts to communicate will be rewarded with comprehension, not frustration and misunderstanding.

I also made a few book purchases (Amazon.com saw me coming this month). I picked up a book with Chinese phrases for our trip. It is VERY important to be able to find a bathroom when you need one :) . I also ordered a recently published book by an adoptive parent and fellow blogger. I'll let you know how it is after I've read it.

I also scheduled Kai's consult with the surgeon at Boston Children's Hospital. We set it for mid/late April to give him a bit of time to adjust. He will see our pediatrician a few days after we get home, but I've heard that the initial visit at Children's can take a while to book so I didn't want to wait until we returned to make those arrangements.

Lastly, our Visa's came in this week. I was a nervous wreck last month when I needed to send them out. To get your Visa, you need to FedEx your passports to some woman in NY. Passports can go for $50,000 on the black market - it was unnerving to hand them over to some random guy and trust that we would get them back in time. Trust me, all the other parents feel that way too - I'm not just being a control freak (not about this at least). Anyway, the Visa Department has mailed us the same THREE confirmation letters claiming that the American Consulate has been notified of our need for a Visa for Kai. I would assume that 3 letters means we are all set in the Visa department.

Well, I should go. I need to go pack for an INSANELY cold day of snowmobiling. Yup, I'm expecting it to be quite chilly. Oh well, at this point it's now or never - I'm gonna be a Momma soon!

Anatomy of a Care Package

Last night, three minutes before the post office closed, I was able to mail Kai's care package to him. We expect it to reach his orphanage by Friday. Many families send care packages in the hopes that they can introduce themselves to their child through photos and familiar smells. Some families send a set of questions for their child's nannies in hopes of learning a little bit more of their life story. I was limited to ten questions, anymore and we risk not getting any answers because the staff are too busy in their care taking roles. Our fingers are crossed that they will find the time to respond to these questions. If you look to the back row of the photo, you'll notice a small white notebook with Kai's picture. I figured that we have a better shot at getting a response if the paper is conveniently provided. We also sent two disposable cameras. We included a letter asking the staff to photograph Kai and the adults and children with whom he has developed relationships. I labeled his cameras with his name in his Chinese characters front/back. I also used the first picture in each camera to photograph a paper with our name/address/number/email in the event that our camera goes home with the wrong baby. We also sent Kai a couple of small toys. In the picture you'll see some stacking cups, a soft monkey rattle, a lion teether, and mesh ball. On the right, is our favorite item. We found a photo album for babies. It is soft, with crinkle sounding pages and has a handle with little sliding pieces. The fabric pages have brightly colored pictures and pockets for our photos. We put his picture on the front and ours inside. In the front row is a bag of chocolate with a note for the nannies to help themselves. Lastly, underneath all of these things, is a small flannel blanket that we have been sleeping with to help him recognize us. We bought duplicates of these items in the event that we don't get them back, but many families are fortunate enough to bring them home with their children.

Our fingers are crossed that when we pick up Kai, we will also be bringing home a set of these preserved memories to share with him as he gets older.

More Photos

Little Baby KAI

Here's our boy! We know that his cleft lip was repaired when he was 4 months old, so he was likely somewhere between 5-6 months old at the time these photos were taken. Despite a very runny nose, he is too cute.
We love his facial expressions. What are your thoughts on the cat-pig toy he is holding?

Sorry for the "vertical look". I couldn't get them to rotate.

Still Waiting...

Yup, I know I haven't posted in a long while. The thing is, waiting is the pits. It is rough watching the calendar days pass so slowly. Our hearts ache for Kai and there are days where is just feels that our Travel Approval will never come. We continue to keep busy, picking up things we will need for China and Kai. It helps to keep busy.

Kai's 1st birthday was this past Thursday. This day carries a lot of weight for us. January 14th will forever be a day of joy and thanksgiving for this beautiful little boy that we have been fortunate to call our son. This day also reminds us that many thousands of miles away, a mother and father mourn the loss of a child for which they could not parent. We therefore keep both Kai and his birth family in our hearts and minds each day. We send our loving thoughts to them across a vast ocean and mountainous terrain to the city of Nanjing. We wait for the son that we love so earnestly. We wait. What else can we do?

On a lighter note, we were very happy to receive some older photos of Kai this week. We suspect that he was likely 5 - 6 months old at the time. He looks cute as a button. We will post them as soon as we are able. They were sent to us in a different format and cannot be posted into the blog at the moment. We are hoping to scan the prints and upload them that way. He is positively precious.