The drama king of Guangzhou

We arrived in Guangzhou, where all Chinese adoptions are processed, on Monday night. Quinn did pretty well on his first flight, although he was fussier than normal and - despite repeated diaper changes - managed to soak both of us in pee.

On Tuesday we went for a mandatory medical check at a nearby clinic for adoptive families. The kids were weighed (Quinn now weighs 10.6 kilograms), measured, their vision and hearing checked, and they underwent a basic physical exam (Quinn's centered on his bad shoulder).


Let's just say the Little Emperor did not enjoy the experience. Screams. Shrieks. The sourest of sourpuss faces. Every time someone did something Quinn didn't like - which was pretty much constantly - he either complained loudly or outright screamed. In short, the baby was a big 'ol baby. All three families in our group couldn't help but laugh at his ridiculous over-reaction.

Granted, the kid is fighting off a cold and just before his appointment we woke him from a three-hour nap...









Malia, the 6-year-old in our group, did great, as she always does. Watching her do an eye exam, following directions (in Mandarin) and moving a wooden spoon over her eyes as directed, it really struck me just how amazing the kid is. She speaks an entirely different language than the rest of us, doesn't understand hardly anything we try to tell her, and yet she always has a beautiful smile on her face and does all she can to please her new parents, who adore her.

Anna, the 2-year-old in our group, also was the perfect angel.

Let's just say nobody is writing on their blog right now about Quinn's lovely behavior...