Loving Tate

Tate has totally captured my heart.  He has a shy little smile that is so sweet.  I know that sometimes parents say that it took awhile before they felt any bond with their children, that it didn’t click until later.  For me, like in all our previous adoptions, it was immediate.  I know, I know, I can bond with a baby squirrel, but this little guy is something special and precious.  You would have to be seriously lacking not to adore him.

So far, since the first day of crying, he has been quiet except to cry when things upset him.  He had to be changed in a unisex restroom on a corner of the sink (stinky diaper so no putting it off) at the Registration Office.  I almost cried when I had to go in there so I can’t blame him for being upset.  Other than that, he has not uttered a sound.  He responds to sound so I know he can hear.  Hopefully, he is just being shy and will feel more comfortable with us soon.  He is “coming out” a little more each day and we see little glimmers of his personality.  He is very much a baby, developmentally around a year old to a year and a half.  He cries in the morning before he opens his eyes and quits when he has his milk. His gait is that of a baby who hasn’t been walking long and his fine motor skills are that of a one-year old.  The stacking cups we brought were his favorite toy until we found him a toy phone at Wal-Mart.  He sucks his fingers on his left hand in his sleep and when he is awake and upset he puts that hand over his little mouth.  He is so cute when he does that.  He is also very tiny.  He weighs 25 pounds and the 24 month clothes I brought are big for him.

Yesterday we spent the day going back and forth between the Registration Office, the Notary Office and the Police Station (for his passport application—we weren’t arrested).   All the paperwork necessary to complete his adoption is done.  He is officially our son.  By Thursday, I should have his registration certificate and his passport on Friday.  We gave a gift (not a bribe) to help make sure the passport would be ready by Friday.  To accomplish all these appointments, which included going to the police office twice, we took harrowing rides in cabs back and forth across the city.  I’m still not sure how the cab drivers managed not to run over anyone or anything during our wild rides.

Hand print at the Registration Office

Today, we had a free day.  We slept in and almost missed the breakfast buffet.  Tara will be posting pictures of the buffet on her blog, allhisblessings.blogspot.com, so if you haven’t experienced breakfast at a 5-star hotel in China, check it out.  We then took a leisurely walk to Wal-Mart.  I’m very proud of us for finding it on Google maps and walking there and back without getting lost.  We bought a nice stroller for Tate, some toys, and a few food items, including bread, peanut butter, and jelly!  Wal-Mart was fun, much more fun than at home.  The food selections are soooo different.  The Wal-Mart workers even assembled the stroller for us!  We then went to the McDonalds we spotted on our way and had mild chicken wings and French fries and Mcflurries.  Tate had his first chicken nuggets and fries.  Sadly, there were no Happy Meals.  We had fun trying to communicate with the workers behind the counter and surprisingly they got our order right (unlike in America where it is always wrong, even speaking the same language).  Amazing.  

I'm playing here

Chicken nugget stuffed cheeks

Wal-Mart was exhausting

Tomorrow, we will go to visit the orphanage.  I hope that this visit goes well for Tate and doesn’t upset him.  It will give us a chance to talk to his Nanny and gain some insight into his life prior to us.  The woman who brought him to us was not involved in his care and could not answer any questions.