S to the Power Of Six!!!

The Orphanage....(Shelby posting)

What a day! We visited the orphanage today and I am still recovering. The Kunming CWI is incredible. It is clean and well-managed and has a very good feel to it. The Director is a very kind woman who obviously cares about the children in her charge. We toured the orphanage and had the chance to meet a number of children. I met four older cleft-affected and heart children. They ran out of their class room and all wanted to be held. I held each and everyone of them and gave them hugs and love (of course with the permission of the orphanage tour guide). They were so friendly and happy. Next we visited the room that had the children with mental and neurological challenges. I think this room was the hardest because there was a little boy receiving physical therapy and it was very painful for him. Throughout our visit to this room, he cried from the pain of his therapy.

There was one moment that made my day......

Scott was holding Sawyer while I was loving up the cleft/heart children. Sawyer watched the whole thing and when I was done, he cried to be held by me. Well not five minutes later (with Scott totally not paying attention - lol) Sawyer grabbed my face and turned it to him and proceeded to give me a KISS!!!!! Our guide watched the whole thing take place and we both sobbed!!! It was so awesome! After that, all he wanted was Mama.

Next, we went to the Jade Factory. Well, Sawyer took his first digger thanks to me....He grabbed a standing sign that flipped to show a different side....I will let you imagine what happened...Anyways, we bought a beautiful jade buddha for me. As we were paying for it, Sawyer had his first melt down. Well the women at the Jade Factory (there was like 5 of them) knew instantly that he had to go to the bathroom. As background, we were told he was potty trained but have had him in diapers for pee-pee - no poop until today. They showed me how to hold him over the squattie pottie and whistle - once the woman did that, he pee'd bigtime. Scott and I both nearly DIED laughing! Well fast forward to lunchtime and we come back to the hotel room. I was determined to get him to poop, so I held him over the toilet with each leg over each arm and started whistling - Sawyer started grunting and then there was the most god-awful smell imaginable - MY BOY POOPED!!!

Overall, we are bonding incredibly well. We carry him everywhere - not because he can't walk, but because that is a great way to promote bonding. We have yet to perfect the tag-team event that is food, but Sawyer is eating well (the same amount of food that winds up in his tummy, ends up on me and Scott). We always pick up after ourselves - I know I hated parents that were rude enough to leave me a mess, so we always try to be conscientious.

We are visiting a Buddhist Temple this afternoon and the Minority Village tomorrow morning. Will post more later...Scott is watching football with Sawyer and I MUST intervene.....