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.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

A Doctor A Day

At this point in our lives, I'm getting a little tired of doctors.
In 10 days time, we've had (or will have) 6 doctor appts.
Okay, yes 1 was a shot at the vet, but still - it was a 'doctor'.

This 'run' started last week with Darrell.
He still has that lump on his neck, we discovered in Nov.
Since that time, we've been to the doctor for them to look at it and 'monitor' it twice.
He also had an ultrasound of it in Dec.
I took him back last week, and they did a biopsy on it.
I took him yesterday, and they did another ultrasound (to have it to compare to the first one).
I take him back on Fri to get the results on these last 2 tests.

I took Leila to Columbus today.
She has a cavity in the partial tooth by her cleft.
They discussed it at her annual 'cleft team' check-up in Dec, and decided that something needed to be done with it.
With not having much bone there to begin with, they don't want to risk her losing anymore.
We went to the dental clinic at Children's Hospital today.
They checked it and x-rayed it.
(She was NOT happy about the whole situation.)
We go back in March.
They're going to sedate her and either cap it or pull it then - depending on how bad it is once they get up into it.
There is one catch to this though.
She needs to gain 1/2 a pound between now and then.
1/2 a pound for me, would be one bite of pizza - but for Leila it's a different story.
Although it may sound easy, you've got to remember - she's weighed just about the same amount for the last several months.
(She's gotten a little taller here lately, but not actually any 'bigger'.)
She weighs 22.5 lbs. She needs to weigh 23 lbs for the sedation they plan to use.
Now I could probably feed her nothing but candy from now until then - I doubt she'd mind that.
But since the ultimate purpose is for 'dental' care, that really doesn't sound like such a great idea, does it???

I do know this is all necessary.
And I am so very, very grateful that we have good insurance at times like this - but golly, it's a lot of running.

On a more positive note - Austin had a good tournament last weekend.
He placed 4th in his class (out of 32 teams).
He really needed this win too.
The tournament last week was cancelled due to snow.
And the one before that - well, he didn't do so good. (Actually, he did horrible.)
He did so much better, and had such a great tournament this time, that the seniors and the coaches gave him the team trophy to bring home for the weekend!!!
They pick who they think is the most deserving wrestler that week, and that guy gets to take the trophy home for the weekend, then bring it to school on Mon to give to the principal for placement in the trophy case.

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