Monday, April 19, 2010

And Then There Were 5

Well, we have officially met Jaxon and he is with us now. He is very quiet and shy (which is something he is going to have to come out of fast if he is going to survive in our family).

We met him about 2:30 at the Civil Affairs office. We arrived just a little bit before him so we were able to see some of the other families meeting their kids. It brought back memories from when I met Mylee almost 2 years ago in the same office.

Jaxon was escorted by his nanny, the orphanage director, and the orphanage secretary. They all seemed to genuinely care about him and his well being. They are very happy that he is getting a family. Like I said earlier he is very shy so it is taking him some time to get comfortable around us (which we expected).

After we left the Civil Affairs office we went to Wal-Mart to buy a couple of air mattresses for Blake and Jaxon to sleep on. The beds here are quite small and neither Matt nor I got a good nights sleep last night. So, rather than have one of the boys (I love saying that) sleep on the floor and one on the bed, they will both sleep on the floor. Plus, we can take them with us and not have to worry about the extra expense cots. From Wal-Mart we took Jaxon shopping for some clothes and shoes. He came with only the clothes he had on and the two shirts we had sent him. Luckily our guide stuck around to help us communicate so we were able to get him a few things to get him through until we get to our next destination.

Our guide Micheal who is wonderful and speaks perfect English took us to a Chinese restaurant in town. The food was not near as good as what we had in Beijing, but it was still pretty good. I had the Kung Pao chicken and it was VERY spicy. Unfortunately we had to stop for ice cream to cool off my tongue:)

Tomorrow we will go back to the Civil Affairs office and make everything official with Jaxon then we will come back to the hotel to pack before heading off to the airport for Inner Mongolia. This has been such a fast trip as far as being in Nanjing, but in order to get both boys' paperwork done in time, we needed to cut the trips short.

Right now Matt and Blake are translating back and forth with Jaxon through a program Matt downloaded to his phone. It is quite useful and has saved us money on buying a translator here.

We didn't take too many pictures, I didn't want to totally freak him out on the first day. He and Blake are getting along great and we are so glad we brought him. It is amazing that even though neither of them understands the other, they both understand video games. They have been playing games on Blake's I Pod all afternoon.

I will probably not be able to post again until we get to Hohhot so please don't worry if you don't hear anything right away. For now, enjoy the pictures. By the way, Jaxon is even more handsome in person and has insisted we call him by his American name.






26 comments:

Sandy said...

How sweet Mandi....I will pray that the shyness goes quickly for Jaxon.
This is so awesome that God is doing this for you guys.....

Lexilooo said...

This is so wonderful!

Kel said...

Those pics of the boys make my heart leap! I get a knot in my throat.. they are going to be wonderful brothers.

I guess with older kids the language is a real issue to get over! That's part of the shyness... He'll soon show his real self.

Wonderful news

xxxx

Anonymous said...

OK Mandi,
Now I am crying. You are a crazy lady! Crazy Love!! I'm praying for all of you. I love you.
Susan

Lisa said...

So exciting and so scary, I'm sure! We had our music ministers 14 yr old son stay with us for 18 months while his dad was deployed with the national guard. Everyone was a little quite and awkward at first but you'll adjust. That new normal will come trust me. Thank God for the translator app and video games!

Alyson said...

Wow, look at your boys!! I can't help but wonder what it's going to be like when my boy is as tall as yours!! This is so cool to see your story unfold...it seems like just the other day you needed prayer for the financial part and here you are!! God's good! Blessings to you!

Tara Anderson said...

It does my heart good to see your boys together! I have tears in my eyes! I know, what a surprise! :) I am just in awe of how God has worked this all out...and so perfectly! Only HE could do this!!!

Anonymous said...

ok mandi, i just have this HUGE smile on my face!!!! i am in complete excitement and joy for you, blake and Jaxon, and how this all got started! :-)

amazing and crazy!!!!! :-)

i love "crazy love" as susan said!

oh, how i wish we didnt have to wait for more details (you know me with details girl!!!!) so hurry up and get that computer out when you have a chance! ;-)

send us an email if you have too....oh man i cant wait for you to get home too. :-)

hugs and love,
marna

living4him5 said...

He IS so handsome!!! I am praying he starts to relax and open up a bit, I can't imagine what he's feeling, bless his heart. It's amazing to finally see you in China!!!!

Safe travels and God bless,
Amy

Lori at JOY Unspeakable said...

AMAZING, Mandi!! I'm so excited! Your BOYS look so happy together! Can't wait to see all three of them in a pic!

Love you, sweet friend! Praying!

Tami said...

It's just so wonderful to see this all happening:-)!!! Praying everything continues to go smoothly.

Hugs,
Tami

megadog said...

Tears! What an amazing journey! He really is a handsome boy. Congratulations to you. Our prayers are with you for the remainder of your journey to go smoothly!

Shelley said...

So great to see Jaxon with you! He is a very handsome young man! I can't wait to see the next photos with Drew included. Praying for continued safe travel and transitions.

Connie J said...

Mandi, we are lovin the updates! I'm sure Jaxon will come around! Isn't God so very good!!! Your pix remind me of our time almost 6 months ago in that very room!
Blessings

TanyaLea said...

Oh, PTL!! This is such a fun post to see. Jaxon is so handsome. And I'm SO glad you brought Blake with, too. This time together will be a great source of bonding for both 'brothers' and I love seeing them together! What an amazing journey you are on. Even though we've followed you for so long, it is still surreal for me to see. It's a joy to witness and I can't wait until Drew joins the bunch. Praying for some time of refreshing and better sleep, and for safe travels. We will continue lifting everyone up in prayer.

Congratulations to all of you and God bless! <><

love,
Tanya

Gwen said...

Congratulations! Wow, what great pictures! How neat that your son Blake could come with you on this trip!
Can't wait to see pictures of you with both of your new sons!

Chris said...

How wonderful!!

I am so happy for all of you!

Vickie said...

YEAH!! You got your boys:)
So happy for you all.
We got our TA and will be coming for our boys soon as well!!
Vickie
Chloe's momma

Anonymous said...

The picture of the two boys on the couch together with smiles is priceless! So excited for you all!
Kelli

Jean said...

Congratulations a second time!! He is a very handsome boy!! It looks like Blake and Jaxon are getting along great!!

Thank you for sharing your journey!!
It's awesome!!

Orchids and Ladybugs said...

It's been amazing watching Jaxon and Drew's story unfold. Your boys look so happy together. Praying for a continued safe and amazing trip for all of you.

Motherbird said...

What beautiful moments. Thank you for sharing. Sooo happy for you!!

Sheri

The Ferrill's said...

Praying praying praying Mandi! The pictures are so sweet...
May God fill you with His Spirit abundantly as you get to know your two new sons...may He give you much wisdom and discernment each moment!
Your light is shining bright!
Love,
Laine

Brendan and Melissa said...

Blake's dream come true - and what a big dreamer he is! Amazing how things have turned out. This is just awesome to see, Mandi!

TanyaLea said...

Oh, it's "me" again. I'm just stalking your blog for that Drew-day update... no worries!! ;) Can't wait to see BOTH of your boys together with your family!

Hugs,
Tanya

The Ferrill's said...

Okay, I'm with Tanya...stalking to see Drew.
Praying still, Mandi!