Full Day #1

Yesterday was an emotional day for me. I think it just comes with the territory. It is really hard to adopt a child. It is hard to bring another child into your life who can walk and talk and who you have no inkling of what to expect from one moment to the next. This child was not born to you. They do not have your genes. They are complete strangers. And Kingston is just that, a stranger. He is to us as we are to him. However, I tend to believe he is quite taken with us strangers. Luckily Ryan felt exactly the same but just didn't cry continuously about it like I did. Really though, last night really went off without a hitch. The boys ate noodles in our room and they were asleep by 6:00. Everest in bed with me and Kingston in bed (until he fell asleep and moved horizontally) with Ryan. By 6:02 Ryan and I were ordering pizza (I know, shocking). I love ordering pizza in China because you never know what you are going to get. All you say is, "meat pizza" and you will get "meat pizza." The first time it was canadian bacon (I think) this last time it was pepperoni and sausage. The sausage looked like rabbit poop so I declined to partake. Ryan said the rabbit poop was good. I was asleep before Ryan finished up the poop.

We all got up around 5:30 in the morning and went down for breakfast. Breakfast is a bit different now. Meaning simply that I don't think I sat down until everybody was almost done eating. I managed to pour myself three cups of coffee none of which I drank because as I came back I had yet another request. More potato pancakes, more orange juice, another milk please (at least there are pleases). Ryan was on Kingston feeding duty leaving me to run circles around the buffet line.

Then there was the diaper damage. We smelled it a-comin'. Ryan and I are not equipped to deal with bio-hazards of this nature. I mean, seriously. Whoah. We ran into the bathroom, kid squealing, Everest (love him) going to grab diapers without being asked. We was unleashed cannot be described. Then I have Ryan telling me, "Melissa, these wipes have to be flushed. You can't get the big clumps with the wipes!!" Excuse me but when did you become diaper-changing guru and if you have become one since our nuptials, you can gladly take said diaper-changing guru title! Kingston went straight into the bath, which he was less than pleased about.

I know I said this before but the kid is small. I cannot even put the word small into capital letters to stress how small he is because the word small would then be bigger. He has on 24 moth old pants today and they are adjusted to about the smallest waistline and cuffed. He is doing better with the shirts - a 2T or 3T will do for all those grandmas shopping.

Everest has been nothing short of amazing. I continue to be amazed by his ability to adapt all the while not losing his ability to laugh and play. Kingston did something (I don't remember what but it was naughty and annoying and Everest said to me, "Mom, it takes time." Smart words from a smart boy.

Now for the other Lentz. Wow, he is something and I am not sure what. He is a goofy looking thing with his hair cut (or not cut) the way it is. Everest came with a tail so I can't complain, however Ryan wants this new Lentz's hair cut asap so it's pretty goofy. The Beaver, as I've taken to calling him occassionally has a habit of biting his lower lip. The kid has some ginormous chompers in the front. I think it is a stress reliever for him and a way of self-soothing. He comes with the extra bonus of sucking on his bottom lip when he goes to sleep. We have also taken to calling him Teradactyl because of this (don't ask me why) and because he has a high-pitched squeal of a hyena (why we don't call him that I don't know...)

We hadn't been planning on doing the Forbidden City and Tiennamen Square tour but we decided to just for the ability to interact with others. We are happy we decided to do so. One family we met has two older boys who Everest has boy-crushes on. They have been wonderful. We got about as much out of the tour this time as we did last time, nothing, because we chased and corralled boys the whole time. We are headed to the grocery store for the second time today and are heading out for dinner with one of the families in our group. I am looking forward to that but it means changing out of my pajama pants. Yes, I am in the business center with my pajama pants on and yes I sat on the ground numerous times in Beijing and yes my second born child ate dirt, not once but twice off of the ground in the Forbidden City. He is adjusting, we are adjusting and I will get some pictures up. Just have not downloaded them yet.

Love, The Leave it to Beaver Crew