Just facts no pics (for now)

Thought I would take this post to remember things that have happened over the last few days. Hope I can remember everything!
First, Laura Beth reminded me of the Snoopy connection! The van we have had all week has Snoopy seat covers! We could not believe it when we opened the door to the van and saw them. I want them for my van!!! I just knew we were in the right place at the right time! I love those God moments!!

We received several bags of stuff from Ryan David's foster mom and from the orphanage. We had sent a journal for the foster parents to write in. They returned the journal in the bag and they had made several entries. Our guide read and translated the entries to me today. The foster dad made most of the entries. He spoke of how proud he was on Zheng Pu and how they treated him as their son. It spoke of how they were very happy he was coming to America and having the opportunities he would have. They have been showing him the album we sent him and told him he would be riding in a plane, train, ship, and subway to get to America.
They also said he was very spoiled and he would get mad if he didn't get his way. This was mentioned numerous times in the journal! (side note....like we hadn't figured out yet, boy is he strong willed!) I will write more about the journal later, RD is asleep and it is dark in the room. I need my notes!

The director of the orphanage gave us a photo album of RD from when he was a baby to present. It is a very precious gift. He loves looking at the pictures. We will make copies when we get home so he can have them to look through. We received our film back today from the two cameras we sent. It looks like they were taken at the orphanage on two different occasions. There is one little girl in a picture and our guide said she was adopted last month from a family in America. I will post to the Wuhan group to see if anyone knows her.

Oh, for the adoption community, you will realize the importance of this next section!!! He made poop!!! Sorry but it is a big thing for your child to be regular!! At breakfast Tuesday morning he grabbed his rear in! I told J. he has to go and he took him to our room!! He is so funny! He does great with going to the bathroom. Oh, that was one of the things from the journal, the foster mom said we will need to train him on the western potty! We didn't know he didn't know and he has been using it sooooo we did good training him!!! LOL!

We went to McDonalds yesterday for ice cream and I wish I had brought my camera! RD was so funny eating his cone. I think it may have been his first ice cream cone! He loved it and wore it and I did too!!!

We did go to a huge store yesterday too and bought a stroller! Let me say AMEN to strollers!!! He loves getting in it and going for a ride. He does really well and doesn't try to get out of it at all. Now if he is lose somewhere, he is like the Tasmanian devil! So everyone watch out!!!

I think he is getting really frustrated with the rules of the Lowe gang. Everyone wants to push buttons to the elevator and open the door to the room. He does not get taking turns and boy can he have a fit! He was trying to get under the table at the restaurant we ate at today and he had a little meltdown. On the elevator this morning, there were a lot of people and I didn't let him push the buttons. He had a meltdown all the way to the room. Then he wanted to open the door but it was Lyla's turn. She was going to let him do it but I told her it was her turn and he has to learn or he will be expecting it his way all of the time. He has already learned so many things in such a few days, I don't think this will be a issue for long. I am not the mom that can let stuff slide because a child cries. Even if he is new to the family. It will make it harder on him and us if we are not up front with the rules. He has already stopped hitting for the most part! The good thing is his meltdowns only last for about 3 minutes and he is done. He can be in a full cry with tears and yelling to laughing. I always hug him and tell him he is a good boy!

We went to the orphanage today. It is huge! There are 600 children with 200 staff. Half of the children are in foster care. The children in the orphanage are special need children. There is one entire floor that is set up like a hospital. Most of the children we saw today were mentally handicapped. They have two large rooms that are sponsored by Half the Sky. There are 3 children per staff member and they keep that nanny their entire time they are in that room.

The orphanage was heartbreaking....there were so many children who will not be able to be adopted. They are so precious and it just breaks my heart.

I will end for now. Thanks again for the comments and emails. We are so happy that RD is in our family and we are able to share our journey with you!!! We are ready to go to Guangzhou and then home!!!!