Post Gotcha Day 3: Full of JOY!

Today was a fantastic day full of great progress! Jesiah is a great kid and is full of potential. His smiles really are contagious. Today we went to Shamian Island where most of the adoptive families in China generally stay (until recently when the hotel on the island most often used shut down). It's a SUPER cool island and I really wish we were staying on it (Richard and Stacey- I'm so jealous you get to!!).

The medical exam went well and Jesiah screamed like a champ. I'm pretty certain that they tip off the kids as to what is going to happen when you walk in and they are all wearing hospital garb. You'd think, for the sake of the kids (and the parents :), that they'd put on some fun scrubs or something a little more light hearted. Nonetheless, we made it through it. Jesiah is a whooping 33 lbs. and 27 inches. He doesn't look big but he certainly is heavy after carrying him all day. We are VERY thankful to Johnna for letting us borrow the Ergo (my arms and legs thank you a thousand times over).

Over the last few days...we have learned the joys of having an Asian son meltdown in public and have a thousand Asians stare at you. It feels so much more awkward than I imagined. I'm pretty sure they were wondering what I had done to make him scream, kick and cry. Ahhh..... it takes me back to Kaylee and days of meltdowns. :) Great memories..!!! I  figure "this too shall pass" and I think that he was pretty spoiled by his foster parents. He definitely can convey what he wants and generally he needs it prior to telling me so by the time he tells us, he's mad. Strong willed children are great, we just need to keep with him and remember that if we focus all that determination in the right direction, it will work out amazingly well. (sigh :).

I don't mean to paint a terrible picture. He really is amazing. He definitely tells us what he wants very clearly, including when he needs to go to the bathroom (Chinese potty training of a boy before three? WOW! I need that secret!). The language barrier hasn't been the problem we thought it might be and he is already picking up on quite a bit of English. Thankfully, we are starting to learn some Cantonese sayings and are beginning to decipher what he is saying. He speaks so well and it helps when we understand what he wants/needs at points. My Chinese is definitely something I'm sure he (and other Chinese people) laugh at, but we are trying. It's the thought that counts, right?! One thing we have noticed is that he will not use his English skills with other Chinese people. I'm not sure if he is afraid or just knows they won't understand. The minute he sees a caucasian person, he uses his English.

Jesiah is a master when it comes to chopsticks. No really, he is. He is better than me and although that isn't really saying much, I am amazed. :) 

Let's see.. I digressed. Sorry. I tend to blog in a "stream of conscious" fashion. It helps my thoughts flow easier and besides, most of you that talk to me often understand this is just like having a conversation with me. I jump around from topic to topic. Keeps everyone on their toes. Back to the island :). Such a cool island. We meet a Christian shopkeeper whose name was Jordan and we had a great time getting to know him. Anyone visiting Shamian Island needs to go visit him. His store was one of the only ones that I was given some breathing room as I shopped. I don't do well when I have someone breathing down my neck, trying to push me to buy things. We found some awesome things and I probably enjoyed shopping (especially for Kaylee and my beautiful niece Madison a little too much :). We spent the day with Susan, Erik, Gabriel, and their new beautiful daughter Liana. Such a blessing that God has provided us with good friends on this trip. I'm ever so thankful for their support and understanding.




Adoption is amazing but it's not easy. It is definitely a journey and a choice to love and be open to learning, as parenthood is in general. I'm learning more every day to allow God to show me Jesiah through His eyes. It's a lesson in loving and opening my heart up beyond what I thought was essential. It's definitely not something I can explain unless you have experienced adoption. To all my friends and family that have adopted, I understand. I now understand the labor of love that it takes and know that I will continue to understand. Such a blessing, even through the trials and tears.

He is definitely his own little man. So big :). 

I did forget a VERY important milestone today. This one is one for the books. Today, Jesiah Paul Bao Sherer tasted his VERY first McDonald's. He is a HUGE fan of french fries and showed Nathan that it is not okay to take them from him, under any circumstances. We are glad he has officially tasted and now loves real American food :). As a side note (for Christina Sinclair)- in his Happy Meal he got a toy and it happened to be my favorite character (rolling eyes) Sponge Bob Squarepants. You will be happy to know that when I asked him who it was, he proudly told me "Bob". We have our work cut out for us! :)