End of the Gotcha Day

You are all probably waking up to these two blog posts. I sent Lori a post with pictures as soon as Ty went down for his nap. We are now at the end of our day and getting ready for bed. We have to back to the adoption office at 8:30am for the official paperwork, and I think we are interviewed.

Today we were given all the things we ever mailed him for care packages. I don't think he ever saw any of it except the photo album. The positive of that is that I was worried I didn't have enough toys, now he has a truck with tools and some toy cars, two stuffed pandas, and his traditional Chinese outfit, so I don't have to buy another one! That worked out pretty well.

Our guide is strictly business, which makes this part really hard. She said she'd take us to Wal Mart today, and instead we ended up at some super market, and my brain was mush from getting Tyson. I'm so mad because I forgot to buy diapers. I only have enough for another day. Tyson came to us in these very bizarre socks, and of course, his socks are at home. How I forgot to pack them, I don't know. So I'm in this Chinese supermarket with a very scared and confused little boy, and I was so frustrated!

Tyson was very clingy for the first part of the day. He would only be held. If we put him down, he cried. Of course, we held him as much as he wanted. He didn't want toys, he wanted nothing to do with Kacie, only me or Dan. I laid him down slowly, and he went down for his nap. His eyes were moving non-stop. He really takes everything in, almost like he's studying it or trying to figure it out. He hates being laid down, especially for a diaper change. While he was laying down, I saw his cleft palate. I think it's pretty wide. But it doesn't stop him from eating anything and everything. I'm a little worried he's not drinking enough. I'm going to try a formula bottle tonight.

After his nap, the clinginess was even worse, and he has a pretty nasty cold and cough. He doesn't cough much, maybe only 4 or 5 times all day, but you can hear it, it's deep. We tried to hand him toys, nope, didn't want them. So we just continued to love on him and give him snacks and treats. Finally I gradually set him on the floor with Kacie and I, and Kacie and I played with the cars. Soon, he grabbed a car and started studying it. Then he had a car in each hand. Then we went for a walk, and Dan put him down, and he walked holding Dan's hand! We went to dinner, and he got soooooo excited when he saw the noodles we ordered. He had a car in his hand and he threw it down and his eyes got really big! He is a clean eater, just slow.

After dinner we walked around the shopping area--it's huge. Back in the room, Kacie and Tyson put on their Sponge Bob PJs, and they are now playing on the bed, parallel play of course (side by side), but at least he's sitting by her. One of the toys is a truck with tools, and I'm not kidding you, he is figuring out how to use the tools on the truck! I can tell just by watching him, he's a problem solver. The city is lit up at night, and Dan took him to the window and he pointed and said, "Oooh Ooooh!"

Basically, the day has gone better than I ever imagined. He is still nervous, no doubt, and it could be a rough night, but right now, I'm just basking in the happiness, watching Kacie and Tyson playing on the bed as he looks back at me to see what I'm doing. He's a very sweet little boy. As Dan says, "He's so awesome!" God sent us halfway around the world to love this little boy, and that's what we're doing. OK, I need to go play with my son!