*** UPDATE ***Our visit to Boston was quick, but worth the trip. We were picked up from the hotel in the morning by two wonderful Shriners - Robert Goodwin and Irwin Daub. They brought us to the Shriners Hospital for Children where we got badged and escorted up to the 6th floor. We met with a nurse who worked with us to fill out paperwork and update Jack's medical information. I sent the referral medicial information when we applied, so there were a few new things.
After we completed the paperwork our good friends Robert and Irwin showed us to the cafeteria. On the way there they showed us a wall with photos of the construction of the Shriners Hospital. In 1999, they built the new structure over the old building, so they never had to turn away any children. Once they finished the 5th through the 9th floors they knocked down the building below and completed construction.
The cafeteria, which is in the shot above, is decorated with canvases decorated by children who've been cared for at the hospital. The food was tasty too. I got an awesome salad and beverage for only $2. This place is about doing the right thing, not about profits. Imagine that in healthcare today.
With full bellies the boys napped in the waiting area on the 6th floor. You can see all the awesome toys in the background. Doll houses, play forts, matchbox cars and books galore made the two hour wait between paperwork and doctor visit very easy.
We were assigned two nurses who will assist with Jack's surgery. He did great with them, playing with their keys and shaking hands. But, when Dr. Michael Lewis started his exam Jack began to cry. He really didn't stop until Dr. Lewis left. We learned that Jack will need two surgeries to repair his palate. The first will close the hard palate, but he doesn't want to work on the soft palate yet. (
To find your hard palate, put your tough to the roof of your mouth right behind your teeth. Drag your tongue backward when it changes texture and gets softer then you have reached the soft palate.)
He feels that the severity of the cleft will require the hard palate to heal before he can address the soft. He said that if Jack's lip were still open it would be easier to do all together, but his access is restricted now. He told us that the soft palate is important in formation of clear sounds, so he didn't want to push it.
We were lucky enough to take a surgery spot on May 9th. We have to be back to the hospital by May 8th. He will have his surgery early in the morning. He will stay in the hospital for about three nights. We were given a huge package of information to read though and prepare. Its overwhelming to consider in less than a month our baby will be in such pain, but we know its well worth it in the long run.
Jack must think we live in airport lounges. He's right at home with all the businessmen with his preppy little outfit. He's Daddy's little fashion plate.
He has learned how to say airplane and spent the entire time watching out the window - except when he was eating bannanas.
Here is his airplane re-enactment showing us how the planes land. He stayed spunky and happy during the wait. He fell asleep as soon as the plane took off. He is the best traveler.
Here is a picture of Dikika derived from an Ethiopian fossil which came from a 3.3-million-year-old human ancestor that belongs to the same species as the famous Lucy skeleton. Tonight, Craig told me that Jack was included in the National Geographic...do you see any resemblance?
"WOW! Hunter let's me play with his Star Wars guys in the tub. I love it!"
"What?! Who has my Star Wars guys?"
Hunter loves to make the bubble beard.
Big brother Hunter teaches his brother about the careful application of the bubble beard.
Bearded brothers forever!
Karyn, our wonderful friend and mother to Olivia, is a talented scrapbooker. She made this special page for Jack. Her daughter Olivia lived with Jack at Rong Xian Social Welfare Institute in Rongxian. They were very close and despite Olivia the fact that she was four years old, she called him her big brother. By adding "goh" to the end of his name Nong Goh, she was calling him older brother Nong.
The cafeteria, which is in the shot above, is decorated with canvases decorated by children who've been cared for at the hospital. The food was tasty too. I got an awesome salad and beverage for only $2. This place is about doing the right thing, not about profits. Imagine that in healthcare today.
With full bellies the boys napped in the waiting area on the 6th floor. You can see all the awesome toys in the background. Doll houses, play forts, matchbox cars and books galore made the two hour wait between paperwork and doctor visit very easy.
Jack must think we live in airport lounges. He's right at home with all the businessmen with his preppy little outfit. He's Daddy's little fashion plate.
Here is his airplane re-enactment showing us how the planes land. He stayed spunky and happy during the wait. He fell asleep as soon as the plane took off. He is the best traveler.
We made it to Boston this afternoon despite some delays. Jack was his usual good traveling self. I had a hard time finishing work. Jack was getting frustrated with Mommy sending emails on the plane.
Jack won and Mommy played with his little animals. He makes the elephant trumpet. The monkey says ooo, oooo. The lion meows, but the panda just gets cuddled. Its so cute to see him snuggle up with the little plastic panda.
Jack wants to say, "Thank you, Uncle Eddie, Aunt Carol and Tyler!" Jack absolutely loves his new rocker. He really enjoyed a plastic rocking horse when we were in China, but we had a hard time finding one in the US. We got lucky at Bloomingdales to find this plush rocking elephant. He plays classical music when he rocks.
Happy Easter from Hunter and Jack!
This morning after the boys discovered the goodies from the Easter bunny, we geared up for Jack's first mass. The debate about whether or not we should take two cars turned out to be unnecessary. We should have known that if Jack could flight from Guangzhou to LA without incident that he could certainly behave through the Easter Mass. He was quiet and sat on Craig's lap the whole time. The steady stream of Cheerios didn't hurt either.
After Mass, my parents joined us for our traditonal brunch of Eggs Florentine, scrambled eggs for the kids, hash browns, fruit salad, meatless sausages, asparagas, muffins, and memosas. Brunch was followed by Jack's first egg hunt. He picks things up so quickly with the help of his role model Hunter. He carried his basket of eggs around despite its apparent weigh. He has the persistance and drive to accomplish anything (its just incredible).
Here's Jack opening the gift of Thomas the Tank Engine from Auntie Chris, the sister of his maternal grandmother. She lives in Boston. Each year she makes a few trips down to visit. Jack took to her easily. He could tell she knows how to have fun with little ones. Considering she had five of her own and now has six grandchildren - she's a pro. Her family and my father's family in Massachusetts will be a huge support for us when we head there for Jack's palate surgery.
As a child, I loved a rocking horse on springs. It was one of those that rocked back and forth suspended in the air with heavy metal springs. This weekend we looked for a rocking horse or soemthing similar to what Jack enjoyed at the Civil Affairs office in Nanning. We had no luck in ToysRus, but he let us know tonight that he had all he needed to ride a horse. This is a stuffed animal Craig bought about two years ago. Technically its the first thing we bought after we decided to adopt. Craig had everyone pose for Christmas pictures in 2005 with this horse. We will had to dig them up.
Jack's spirit is filled with laughter and joy. Every activity holds a belly full of giggles. Riding his stuffed horse is no exception. He hopped onto the horse after his bath tonight and bounced up and down.
The biggest irony about these pictures is that when Craig edited them (he shoots everything in a file size large enough for a billboard) he labeled them "Mr. Godiva". He had no idea that my baby book contains a photo of me riding my favorite springing horse in the buff sporting only an odd bathing cap. My mother labeled that photo "Lady Godiva". Ah, my little boy continues the tradition!
