Gotcha Day

So far, soooo good. Beyond all our expectations, Zane has been amazing and the process has been smooth. Shannon went to the orphanage this morning at 10:00 to get a chance to see Zane and get a tour of the orphanage from him. We wanted Shannon to get some alone time with him since I have visited him twice before and he would likely remember me. Also, we wanted Mary Grace to arrive a bit later with me, just in case the orphanage scene would be traumatic for her.

Shannon took a small suitcase for Zane, and he immediately took it and said, "let's go". We were shocked with his mental and emotional readiness for leaving the only world he's ever known. We expect him to grieve in some form later, but it's nice that so far, he thinks we're the best things ever.

One thing to pray for is his platelet count. His current level is 11,000, which is extrememly low. He's quite bruised, and if we were in the states, he would be hospitalized. Now we get the task of touring around China and trying not to get him more bruised, and more importantly, to protect him from potential head injuries. We've got a doctor's appointment with a hematologist scheduled for the day after we get back to Hong Kong.

Mary Grace is doing great. We're all scrambling to use whatever Mandarin words we can come up with, and his is already repeating things we say in English. He's a sharp kid, and will learn the language in no time.

We all just woke up from a "family nap", which was glorious. (When is last time you and your family all took a nap together?) We're all pretty tired from travel, and the emotional stress of this whole thing.

Zane is really sweet. He initiates hugs and kisses, says "I love you" and "thank you" without prompting.

As Steven Curtis Chapman sings, "When love takes you in, everything changes". What a joy to be a part of the process of this great change in his life.

Abby, he is still as cute and sweet as he was a year ago when you and I met him and named him.
Hudson, you are going to love laughing and playing with Zane. You're going to be an awesome big brother!
Grandma Mary Beth, you're going to love feeding this guy. He can eat! We thought all the pudginess was due to the steroids, but now we're not so sure....

Thanks to all for praying and walking through this process with us. More to come