Another medical visit and some laughs...

Another day. Last night I layed in bed counting how many more times I had to go to sleep before we head back home! 9 more sleeps!!!!! Honestly, that feels like an eternity and if I think too hard about how long 9 days is....I get sad, so I try not to think about it too long. Dont get me wrong, it hasnt been pure misery since we have been here. We have had some really fun days and have been able to laugh through most of the hard parts! We have met some really great friends that will be lifelong friends with for sure!! And Jeff and I have grown so much closer through this experience and for that I am so grateful! BUT....I am still ready to go home!! I MISS MY BOYS SO MUCH!!! We have heard that the week in Zhenzhou is the hardest. The city is not as nice and there isnt as much to do. You have JUST received your child and you are still figuring things out. By next week when we head to Guangzhuou, things should get a little easier. We hope! The weather is much warmer (60's and 70's) and hopefully Mayleigh will start to get more comfortable with us and there is much more to do! We are looking forward to it!
Today we headed out to the Zhenzhou Orphanage where we were going to see a nurse from Show Hopes organization. A family in our group's daughter lived at that orphanage so they were going with to visit. It was nice to have the company! After Mayleigh was checked out and screamed through most of it we toured the orphanage. The  nurse confirmed that she did in fact have a UTI. Poor girl! I have never experienced one but have heard they are horribly painful! This is just the beginning, unfortunately for her, we have a long road ahead with her health. Pray these meds (that she hates) start working soon!!
We walked through the orphanage and visited lots of rooms! Some rooms were easier than others! It was so fun to see the babies and see them smile but they also had lot of older kids with pretty severe special needs. That was so tough. Those kids are less likely to be adopted and that was sad. They had classrooms for different grade levels and lots of really nice physical therapy rooms. Most of the orphanage was pretty nice!

Mayleigh is still using sleep as her coping mechanism. She had only been up an hour and was back to sleep before breakfast. 

Zhengzhou Orphanage

This poor sweet boy. I held his hand for awhile and even got him to smile. :)

Not sure about this room. We walked by and there were a few kids screaming but no nannies around. :(

Preschool room. They were making crafts. Such cuties!

The kids are always so excited to wave and smile and interact with the visitors!! 

A classroom 

After we left the orphanage our friends wanted to go by the hospital where their daughter was left. As we headed down the street that it was on, it was full of shops, people outside eating, street vendors, and lots of activity. Not like anything we had seen in ZZ before. Jeff and I decided to go look around at the shops while our friends went into the hospital. So picture a super crowded street with lots of chinese people and this van pulls up and lots of Americans get out with chinese babies. We were stared at worse than any other time so far!!! Jeff and I felt so weird!! But we ignored them and checked out the toy store! We even got Mayleigh to pop her head up to check out a huge bouqet of balloons.

A funny vehicle for my boys to see!! :) 

When we got back we headed to lunch with a few families that we are traveling with. We decided to try a restaurant our guide had recommended. But she failed to mention that no one spoke english and the menu had no pictures or english!! After playing charades with the waiter, we basically just pointed at something and hoped we would like it. :) We asked for a fork (again, charades) but he came with a spoon, then we tried again, he came with a knife. Finally, we got a fork!! :) It was one of our most amusing meals we have had so far. We all had some good laughs and I think we all needed it! On the way home our friends said that when her husband was pushing their little girls stroller, that the chinese men just stared at him! So we got a good laugh when Kevin was pushing Zoe and Jeff was carrying Mayleigh in the Ergo carrier!! Such manly men!! It was a very lighthearted afternoon....so thankful for the great friendships we have made on this trip! 

Our menu today!!! 

Our manly daddies!! 

We dropped Mayleighs hat. Our friend Kevin ran back to get it and some woman was holding it and yelled something in chinese to Kevin and threw it at him. :) The hat was  labor of love from my mom...didnt want to lose it! :) Right mom...that was too much work!! :)

Zhengzou at night

1 more day in Zhehengzhou then off to Guangzhou. Looking forward to warmer weather!