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.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

2nd Gotcha Day

Today was our 2nd Gotcha Day.
We didn't do much to celebrate.
David worked today. The boys had school. I ran some errands.
Austin was off tonight (oh yeah - he got a job a few weeks ago).
Darrell's track practice got cancelled due to rain.
We did all manage to go out to eat together this evening before Leila went on to gymnastics though.
We went for Chinese - of course.

I had a new Chinese dress for her, but she doesn't like it and won't wear it.
The neck comes up high, and it bothers her.
With her - it definitely HAS to feel good, and apparently this just doesn't.
I had even considered putting it on her for Halloween.
I know - it would have been a little bit of a cop-out.
But hey, I thought it would work.
I guess not.
I have no idea what I'm going to do with it now (or what she's going to be either for that matter).


Austin's job?
Well, he got a job at Leila's gymnastics place.
He's working with the girl's team.
So far, he really likes it.
It interferes with his weight lifting schedule - which his wrestling coach wasn't too happy about.
But Austin assured him that he was lifting 'weights' and getting a far better workout at the gym than he'd been getting in the weight room.
He's doing better now, but oh my, was he sore and tired that first week.

2 comments:

Kimberly said...

Happy familiaversary!!! The years are so short, aren't they? We didn't really celebrate today-- Mark had Open House tonight so we will do a family outing on Sat. It'll just stretch the celebrating! We think of you all and miss you!

BTW, I thought of the Chinese dress idea for Halloween too-- but she is dying to be a ballerina so that is probably what she will be (ha!).

September 16, 2010 at 11:13 PM
E said...

Sometimes it is so hard to get everyone together--dinner is always good, though. Happy 2nd Gotcha Day :)

September 17, 2010 at 2:19 PM

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