8 months home, and another 1st!

I have been meaning to post all weekend as Saturday marked our 8 months together as a family.  I will sound like a broken record each month we look back on that very emotional, special, life changing, love filled day for our family.  Some things in life you will NEVER forget..  Seeing my little boy walk through that door to us is one of those. So much fear and uncertainty in his little face.  It amazed us both how quickly he seemed to attach and bond to us while we were in China.  As I look at him and see how much he has grown and changed in these 8 months I have to wonder what his birth parents were like.  Does he favor his mother or father?  Does he look like his grand father? Does he have any biological siblings?  These are questions we may never get answers to so we can only be thankful that they cared enough to give them the chance at a wonderful life, even one that might take him far away from their home.  God knew this child was for us and we find comfort in knowing he watched over our precious Nian, and we know he gave what comfort he could to that family and the decision they had to make.  I don't doubt it was a very emotional and difficult one to make.  

To be honest I didn't really think much about it until a few months ago.  My sister and I have a monthly "sister date" where we go get a pedicure.  The salon is owned by 3 sister, and along with a 4th sister and niece they are open 6 days a week.  They are also from Vietnam so we have many interesting conversation during our pedi's.  Earlier this summer I got a call that our appointment was cancelled due to a family emergency.  Imagine having to book a flight last minute across the world.  Yeah, I know how that feels!  It's awesome and scary at the same time.  Upon their return we were able to get another appointment.  It was nothing less of an eye opener.  There are many reasons there are so many children orphaned in China. One of them is due to all medical procedures having to be PRE PAID...  Yes I said PRE PAID... When was the last time you had to pre pay to go to the Dr. and I'm not talking "co pays"!   Kathy proceeded to tell the story of BOTH her parents who were sick and were at 2 separate hospitals, next to each other at least.  It was amazing and heart breaking to hear her tell the story of how the Dr's said this is what's wrong, this is how much it will cost, you have 15 mins to decide what your going to do.  NO MONEY=NO TREATMENT  You go home.   There was more she shared with us but I won't get into that. It hurts my heart too much to imagine that our son could have had the same conditions when he had his lip operation. As you know Nian had his big palate surgery a few months ago.  We just started getting our Explanation of Benefits, which shows the cost of everything, our ins discount, and THANK GOD the fact that it was paid in full.  I can't imagine having to pay that amount upfront, and I'm sure it's more in china than it is here!  

We are truly blessed here in America, with everything. Kind of puts a lot of bullshit drama stuff into perspective. You think you have it bad!?  Think again.   I don't say that to make little of whatever you may be dealing with in your life.  I try not to judge people, as I know I have in the past. I'm a sinner like the next person.   I can't judge that mother and/or father for the choice they made either.  I can only Thank God for the touch choice they made, and that he let us be Nian parents.   This is just one of many reasons children in China are orphaned.  Parents may or may not know why, where or when. As a side note - if they don't tell you, please don't ask.  Some parts of our adoption and Nian's like are our/his.  We try to be as open as we can but please respect that some things just aren't for all to know.

On to another 1st for the Buss family....   Hives..  Ya gotta love em right!?  Our 1st trip to urgent care came Friday evening when we were getting him ready for Pj's.  Joe said he had something on his stomach earlier that morning and it looked like he was really scratching again.  This was much worse. Nian didn't seem too concerned or bothered by any of it, until I tried to take pictures in the room at urgent care.  He wasn't a big fan of picture taking.  He was pretty good for our impromptu visit to the room with the paper covered bed, and arm squeezer.  They should have special classes for how the medical team should handle kids... Cuz both the nurse and the Dr sucked at it. And no I'm not judging here that's the honest to God's truth! I could have seriously bitch slapped the Dr as he was a total mick to Nian thinking that he wasn't "talking" to him.  Dumb ass he's 2, doesn't like Dr offices, it's freaking 9 pm and the lady just stuck that thing under his arm to get his temp cuz your too cheap to get the wand over the forehead which makes TOO much sense to have for kids, NO he doesn't want to talk to your non happy ass. The man seriously stunned me the way he said that to him I could only stare (ok i just deleted the rest of this sentence cuz it was very bleep able). Then we got happy happy joy joy nurse back to administer a nasty doze of meds. Gee lets give him a little taste, then when Nian makes a nasty face say, "oh yeah it doesn't taste good". Which of course is why you only gave him a hint of the nastiness of it.  Then she gets frustrated when he won't open up for the rest of it. Mom to the rescue.  God bless Joe, he was picture of calmness in my world of rising steam! Although I think I am mellowing in my mom hood.  That man of mine says, well it's almost quitting time they were probably tired.  The lady that checked us out was awesome though, even Nian talked to her!  That was priceless!

Someone said kids are like dogs, they can sense things about people we'll never be able to see right away.  AMEN to that sista!!!!  Both of my kids do that, and I LOVE it!

So sorry you got a combo downer/complaining for this post.  That's how our weekend went and like the good you also get the bad.  Life is a journey and you gotta learn what you can while your traveling!  

We hope that you will continue to pray for our family, and also for those families/children waiting to be untied. We hope God blesses you and ministers to your needs.

Thanks for stopping by...