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.
I want Leila to be a girly-girl, but not a sissy. For the most part, I think I've got that.
She's definitely not afraid to try new things. It doesn't scare her a bit when Austin throws her a good 3 feet up in the air in the pool. She jumps off the edge without hesitation. She thinks it's hilarious when Darrell carries her upside down over his shoulder.
And yet, she'll let me paint her toenails. Most of the time, she'll let me fix her hair. She absolutely loves jewelry and purses.
She does not however, see any point in stuffed animals. And baby dolls - well, she doesn't have much interest in those either. She is starting to show a little tiny bit of interest here lately, but not much - I still have hope though.
Now most of the time, the boys are really wonderful with Leila. You would think with 11 and 15 years between them, that they wouldn't fight. I guess sometimes though, the urge to pick and aggravate her is just too much.
Leila has a doll stroller that she really likes. It's not the doll in it that she likes so much - it's the stroller. I know this because the boys took the doll and put in a football - that was okay. Then they replaced the football with a shoe - that was okay too. Then they took the stroller and started pushing it themselves - that was NOT okay. She started yelling, MaMaMaMaMa. That of course, earned her the title of 'Tattletale' for the night.
2 comments:
LOL! It is so good to catch up with what's going on with ur family! I've been the worst at checking and updating blogs! I guess I spend too much time on facebook and my "farm"!! We miss u guys so much! I'm glad our boys have remained in contact! Sure wish we lived in the same state! Leila is getting sooooo big! What a cutie pie!!! Wow!
That is so funny! Katey is terrified of dolls. Still jealous of the walking...maybe by the picnic she will be up & going. Can't wait to see everyone in July!
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