Here's another e-mail I received from Lisa.
~ Posted by Andrea ~
Hi Andrea!!! It’s Lisa...oh my WORD...I finally have a free moment to write!!! Xi Yi is taking her first nap!!!!! Yeah!! Ok, here’s my little update of the past week. Le Hai is BEYOOOOONNNNDDDD cute!!! He is mischievous. His laugh is so cute. He has a big head on a tiny body...so funny. I keep thinking his head should be on the ground from it weighing so much. And it’s hard as a rock; I should know, on the 2nd day we had him, he jumped up and hit my lip...it rang my bell big time, thank God I still have my front tooth after that, no lie.
Here’s a heartbreaking first impression of him: the first time I cried in China...I took his clothes off the first night we got him to give him a bath....he was severely malnourished in my opinion. I’ve never seen anything like this in real life, only in pictures, and not from China. He looked like a little Ethiopian child, like you see on the commercials. He was so skinny and his belly was bloated, just exactly like on tv. I was so shocked because he was under 3 layers of clothing so you couldn’t tell. I cried and held him and told him I loved him, and that he would never be without food ever again. And he hasn’t...he has already put on weight, you can no longer see his ribs...after less than a week!!! Want to know why? Because he’s a human garbage disposal!!! He eats, and eats, and eats....everything...milk, fruit, pizza, cheeseburgers...everyone’s leftovers!!!
He has bonded with all of us, and cuddles with all of us. His first word in English was Josiah. He said it three times while laughing. He gets an absolute kick out of his big brother!!! They wrestle and laugh.
Now Xi Yi...she’s another story. To say she’s a princess is an absolute understatement. She is very clingy to me and only wants me right now. I used to read about this and think it was no big deal, but it actually does take a lot out of you. She came to us sick, so she has been crying a lot. Most nights I’ve gotten about 2 hours of sleep. One night I got 5 and last night I got about 5, but other than that it’s been 1 or 2 since being in China. We have medicine in her now, so tonight should be better.
Some fun things about her, she loves to play with my hair. When she was brought to us on the first day, when I was holding her, she played with my hair a bit, but I had no idea how much she likes it. Today, while Le Hai watched cartoons and Pastor slept, she played with my hair for more than an hour, putting hair clips in it, etc. I was in Heaven. What’s funny is God has given me absolutely everything I prayed for in these kiddos. Something no one knows about me is that I LOOOOOVVVVE for my hair to be played with and every night when I read the Bible to Josiah and Brianna I would beg Brianna to play with my hair while I read. Well, the older she’s gotten, the more she doesn’t want to do it. I told Brianna just one week before we left for China that I hoped our little girl would play with my hair so she could retire!!
Xi Yi has a strong personality and throws tantrums. When we get back home that is one of the first things I’ll be working on (actually, I’m working on it now). She is used to life revolving around her as she was the only one in her foster home and she wore the pants in the family, as I have been told (and you can tell anyway.) Did you even know there was such a thing as a spoiled orphan???? Ha, ha.
I’m not sure if Pastor wrote about Xi Yi’s Gotcha Day...it’s actually kind of funny. We were sitting in a room waiting with other adoptive families, and they were calling us one by one when our kiddos came in the door. Le Hai got a bloody nose (the air is really dry) so I began attending to him, they called “Philpott”, I thought they wanted us to sign something, so I said, “My son has a bloody nose” and ignored them. They called “Philpott” again and waived me over frantically, I was thinking “JUST WAIT WOMAN!!” I turned around to say something, and there was the little girl from all those pictures: Xi Yi was standing there pouting. She looked like a Chinese Stay-Puffed Marshmallow Man. She started to cry. I walked up to her and she was having a melt down. She looked up at one of the women and said something in Chinese. They said, “Oh, she needs to go potty.” Well, I’m the Mom, so I picked her and took her to the bathroom!! That was it, she has been glued to my side ever since!!! She calmed right down for me.
SERIOUS CHEEKS!!! She looks like Droopy from the cartoons...droopy eyes and fat cheeks. When I took her to the bathroom, it was a squatty potty and I thought she’d fall in...she’s sooooo tiny (but plump). Le Hai is about the size of a 4 1/2 year old and she is about the size of a 2 1/2 – 3 year old, which I had expected. It’s typical of adopted Chinese kiddos.
I’m trying to remember everything, as I don’t know when I’ll get to write again. I can’t wait to get home...there really is no place like home. I am so appreciative of our nation and our church family. This is a perspective like you wouldn’t believe...it’s hard to even describe. Every day the song “Proud to be an American” goes around in my head...you have no idea. I love you guys!!! We miss you all!! Josiah is going through xbox withdrawl and he misses his friends bad!!! Brianna is happy that we will still be able to go to restaraunts when we get home, as Le Hai and Xi Yi are so well behaved. To be honest, they blend in so well to our family, other than jet-lag when we return, I’m not sure we’ll miss a beat. I think Le Hai will want to go to Children’s Church very soon, as he is extremely social and playful...Xi Yi...we’ll see!!! If I can get her to unglue from my hip, maybe!!!!! Take care, Love you all...Lisa
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