A Bittersweet Goodbye to Changsha

We are only a few hours from leaving Changsha to head for Guangzhou to finish Liam's adoption process. Am I allowed to say I am homesick one day but to say the next day that I am nostalgic as we say goodbye? I really hope that every one who reads this blog has something happen during their lifetime that they don't have the words to describe. Today I thanked my husband for trusting me and following where I was being lead back in 2007. Ironically it was he who was my rock earlier in this week. How much we have both grown.

Okay, update on the little man. Did we mention he is cute? I think we did. He has amazed us at his physical progress in the course of 4 days. On Monday when I placed him on his belly he was either able to push up on his arms or slightly pull his legs under him. Well yesterday he started to put those skills together and has crawled 2 different times now. Only a few motions each time but you have to start somewhere. The girls were lucky enough to see him his second time while we were on Skype. He has also learned how to get himself from his belly to a seated position. When I think back to being worried about just how little he was I now see it as a little bit of a blessing. He is the typical size of a little guy who would just be learning these skills. Steve and I have decided we will have to make a trip to Disney World before he looks older than 2 and we have to pay for a ticket.

He continues to eat like a bottomless pit which we have learned all the children adopted are doing. I don't ever want to hear my 3 kids complain they don't like what is being served. We admittedly didn't ask Liam to try to Pig Stomach soup or the snake or the chicken feet they were serving but I have a feeling he might just have ate them. We did discover that he didn't like pizza. It isn't exactly what I would call pizza and really none of us liked it so I am not sure we'll count it. A few years ago our family tried out many different pizza places around St. Louis in a quest to find our favorite. We will just have to do it again until we find which one Liam likes the best.

Each morning Liam almost eats a full meal before we even head down to breakfast. He then eats for about 30 minutes at the breakfast buffet. For lunch we have either ordered him room service or gone down to the lunch buffet. Steve and I usually just nibble on snacks we brought while he is napping (both in an effort to save money and to lighten the weight of our luggage for the flight home). We have only dined in the hotel for dinner too. The weather has been really rainy and to be honest we decided it was more about Liam and his needs than us getting to go out an explore different cuisine. (plus I'd rather have a PB&J)

I have 2 questions for the BTDT families: 1) Can we 'unpotty train' him? Here's the scoop-he doesn't ask to go potty and he can't sit himself on the potty as he is so little and it is big so the bottom line is that we are the ones who are potty trained. He can hold it like a camel too. Yesterday we thought he would finally breakdown and use his diaper when we were on the road but he held it ALL DAY LONG. I hope that doesnt' sound cruel. He drank lots but we couldn't see taking him over a squatty potty. I had visions of my husband dropping him in. If we can undo his training how do you suggest we go about it. 2) What exactly is my son drinking when he slurps down his yogurt drink? I may not want to know. Also, can I find anything like it at home?

Enjoy the pics. We are taking requests. If you have any photos you would like to see please let us know in the comment section. Our daughter has already requested a picture of him in the tub. We will try to oblige if he doesn't ruin the camera with all his splashing.
Next post for Guangzhou.
Goodbye from the Hunan province, birthplace of our little miracle.
Love,
Paige, Steve and Liam
P.S. in response to my fashion conscious daughter asking why we brought Liam out on his all important day in his pajamas here is my response. Well if you remember our son is about 8 pounds smaller than we anticipated and almost nothing we brought fit him. Gymboree and Baby Gap were closed and we picked through what we could find that didn't have the bottom cut out for the split pants. We will try to do better.


Can you tell a 2 year old has been here?


"I'll eat anything; even with the wrapper on."


The wheels on the bus even go round and round here in China



FINALLY getting to see my jie jie and ge ge on Skype


Snuggling down for my afternoon nap