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.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Gymnastics

Leila started gymnastics last week.
The boys went for years and loved it.
Austin went more for upper body strength to stay in shape for wrestling. Darrell actually competed on the boys' team.
In reality, they both did more playing than anything though.
Although both boys would love to go back, they're not going to. Too much money and time.
I've been saying for months however, that I needed to call to see about taking Leila.
Well, I finally got around to making that call. She can go to the 'Mommy/Buddy and Me' class. It's for 2-3 year olds and only meets 1/2 hr each week.
When I called, Betty told me that at that point, they were full, but she'd let me know if/when a spot opened up. As luck would have it - a mere 2 days later, she called back. A child had dropped out, and she offered us the spot. Did we want to start that week?!
Leila's going to be starting preschool sometime in the fall. We thought that with that in mind, not only would she probably love gymnastics (once she gets used to it), but the socialization would be a good thing for her too to help prepare her for that.
We went. With her fear of new things, we really expected a 2-3 week adjustment period.
For about 10 minutes the first week, she wasn't too sure. She wanted to watch rather than do. After that, she start to join in. She even let the intructor (Amanda) pick her up, flip her, etc.
We went back last Thurs (the 2nd week). I was expecting that same 10 minute 'warm-up' period. Nope! Out on the floor she went!
She is taking to it and LOVING it!


The boys took her swimming this week too.
It's so strange.
Some of the most 'common' things scare her so much (using a different potty, touching sand, etc).
And yet, being thrown up 3-4 feet in the air and landing in the water or going completely under the water - great fun.

Although one of the dogs is missing from this picture - I liked this one.
(Obviously, animals certainly don't scare her either.)

2 comments:

E said...

Glad to hear that she's having so much fun! I bet she's becoming a real tumble-bug :)

Susan said...

How funny! Katie has those same unexpected phobias. I have been thinking that I will put the girls in possibly in gymnastics in the fall - Hallie seems to be a natural on the trampoline & tumbling.