We’re David and Lois McBeath. We live in Point Pleasant, WV – a small town along the Ohio River on the western side of the state. We have 2 sons. Austin is 15. He’s a sophomore at Pt. Pleasant High School. Darrell is almost 12. He’s in the 6th grade at Roosevelt Elementary.
We actually began our adoption journey more than 10 years ago. I saw an ad in the newspaper about Chinese babies. We called about it, but it just wasn’t even feasible at that time in our life. All these years, it was always there, stuck somewhere in the back of our minds. I don't know why exactly – it just was. The thought never completely went away.
We also talked off and on about having another child. Our house was only 3 bedrooms, and we know the boys could have been in a room together, but we didn't want to do that if we didn't have to. In the spring of 2006, for some reason (I don't recall exactly what) - it came up again. We started thinking and talking - why not? So we started checking into it more. We did a lot of research online. The more we found out, the more we felt a calling, a desire and even a need to do this.
We started the adoption and added onto the house all at the same time. It took about 6 months to get the paperwork together. Then about another month after we sent it to China for them to translate it and 'log us in' (11/6/06). That's when we started to officially wait.
We finally got "THE CALL" on 7/13/08. It was a Sunday afternoon! After 2 ½ years, we are finally going to get our baby!
Leila Ann McBeath, formally known as Shun Xi Yi, was born on Oct 29, 2007. She had a cleft lip and cleft palate. The lip has been repaired, but not the palate. (We'll have to do that when we get her home.) She's in the Children's Welfare Institute of Shunde District of Foshan City, which is located in the Guangdong Province, in the southern part of China.
Shunde, the hometown of flowers, is one of four cities under the jurisdiction of Foshan City. Covering an area of 806 sq meters and with a population of 1.05 million, Shunde City is situated in the middle of the fertile Pearl River Delta, between Guangzhou and Hong Kong. It was set up as a county in the 3rd year (1452 AD) of the Jintai reign of the Ming Dynasy (1368-1644), and conferred with the administrative status of a city in 1992 by the State Council.
Foshan City is also where the actor Bruce Lee was from.
We've had Leila just a little over a month now. The strides she's made have just been amazing.
I started her on baby food after we got back to the states. For a while there, I was ready to give up. I thought about just continuing with only the bottle until after her surgery and then trying again. It seemed like with what came out her nose, there couldn't be anything going down at all. About the time, I was ready to give quit - she started getting better. It's not good, but it's much better than it was. She's getting better at eating, and I've learned that thicker food works better. She still spits up, but not as much as before.
Developmentally, she's growing by leaps and bounds. When we first got her - she couldn't really sit up. Now, not only does she sit up - she's pulling herself up and standing by herself.
She still sleeps great. (That's such a blessing.) She usually sleeps 11-12 hrs at night, and then takes at least one, sometimes 2 naps a day. I know that's from being in the crib so much at the orphanage. (Hey, there's a silver lining to everything.)
I have her 1st doctor's appt scheduled for Nov 6 - not too long after her 1st birthday, which is the 29th. She'll check her out and then send her on to the specialist, who will then determine when and where she'll have her 1st surgery.
These are the 'welcome home' pictures we had taken.
1 comment:
Hey! I can't view your "Welcome Home" pics... is it just me, or did they not post? Anyhow, it's good to hear Leila is doing so well and eating thicker food! We will be praying for her doctors appointment next month! Happy Birthday Leila a few days early! How is the rest of the family? Kaitlyn is doing well in school and her English is amazing. She has started to talk about her foster mother... sadly, let's just say, it explains a lot of the behaviors we experienced in China! Take Care!
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