Day 16 - Visa Photo & Medical Check

Day 16 – Visa photo, Medical check, 5 shots, Cow & Bridge Restaurant (short version)
~Great breakfast
~Visa photo
~Medical Check
~5 shots, one little baby!
~Very sad Butterfly
~Adverse Reaction to shots
~Dinner, Thai

Day 16 – Visa photo, Medical check, 5 shots, Cow & Bridge Restaurant (long version)
After getting in so late last night, we were hoping that we could get a couple extra minutes of shut-eye, but we had a morning appointment for the Butterfly’s visa photo, so we had to get up nice and early. We did make it down though, for the buffet breakfast the hotel serves. The breakfast is huge, again offering both western and Chinese favorites, with the best French toast every morning.


Following breakfast we and several other families met the Holt representative in the lobby. This is really the first glimpse that we have had of everyone else’s children, and boy are they adorable. Eventually we made our way over to the visa photo place where we were moved through rather quickly. One person takes the photo while another one is on the computer quickly altering the digital images to whiten the background so that they will pass the official inspection from the visa officials.




When everyone was finished with they visa photos, we all headed over to the international medical clinic to have the children checked by doctors for any other medical problems. There are three different stations the children go through, the height, weight, and temperature section, the medical history and all over check section, and the hearing, vision, sensory perception, and ENT section. The Butterfly sailed through each station with flying colors, keeping a smile on her face most of the time throughout the process (she was a bit fussy, but only because she was being poked and prodded here and there).





We waited a while after the medical check was completed because it was determined that the baby Butterfly needed some shots before she would be able to come home with us because she is what is called a “Hague” baby… a baby who is under the I-800 system. When we were here the last time with the Ladybug, she was under the old I-600 system and immigrant children who were adopted internationally were waived of needed shots to enter the United States. Unfortunately, when the powers that be reworked the law which became “Hague,” they accidentally left out that clause and now all of the children are forced to get several shots before they can step on U.S. soil. Many adoptive parents are upset about this and have been contacting their legislators to have that portion of the law changed to the way it was, but change takes time, so we did have to get some shots.


Most children need somewhere around three to eight shots. Unfortunately, the baby Butterfly needed to have five. However, because she is under two years old she didn’t need to get a TB test, which is required for all children over two years of age. Apparently one child in our group missed that cut-off by one day. Poor thing. I was prepared for the extra stress involved with this new “Hague” process and knew what to expect. However, many families did not know about this new law and were very upset about the additional stress and expense that the shots bring.




While we waited, daddy did his best to keep the baby occupied and entertained. She was actually enjoying herself, completely unaware that she was going to be poked by five different needles. When her name was called we walked into the room. I asked for the boxes that the serums came in (a suggestion by another adoptive mother) so that I could take the information back to our pediatrician so that she won’t have to receive a double dose of any vaccines. The nurses prepped the baby’s shoulders and legs with alcohol swabs while daddy held her tight, keeping her laughing throughout the preparation process. Then… it began. The nurses moved at lightening speed from one area to the next, first her left shoulder, then her left leg, then her right leg twice, and finally her right shoulder. The Butterfly had no clue what was happening when the nurses started, but she quickly realized that she was going to be receiving a lot of pain. She screamed with that first shot of pain as tears rolled down her face. She was terrified and her new parents could do very little to comfort her. We don’t know her language and we were holding her down allowing the pain to happen. Definitely not an event which allows for a good bonding experience between child and parents.




As quickly as it started, the shots were competed. Daddy quickly whisked her away out of the room and gave her a bottle which I had sneakily prepared beforehand. Note to all adoptive parents who need to go through this, make sure you have a warm bottle ready, it really helps. The Butterfly took the bottle and calmed down quickly, with tears still in her eyes. It was still a difficult moment for all of us because the trust that we had built over the last few days between us was lessened by these silly shots.


We stayed at the clinic for about thirty minutes where the baby was monitored for any adverse reactions. She did have a slight reaction at the sight of her first shot, a little swelling and redness. The nurses looked at it, pushed at the site to disperse the vaccine more throughout the leg. Unfortunately, with the tenderness of the area, the baby started crying again. Eventually a doctor saw the baby and determined that she would be just fine, but informed us to watch the site for any further swelling or redness. Fortunately there was none, and within a few hours the redness was gone all together.

Daddy, the Ladybug, the Butterfly and I wandered around a bit after the medical check. We looked at the architecture of the island, very French colonial and beautiful. We passed by several ladies and married couples who were being photographed. It seems that Shaiman Island (where the White Swan Hotel is located) is a frequented place by locals for photography, especially glamour and wedding. It does seem the perfect place since the architecture is so vastly different from the rest of China.


After wandering and then resting a little bit, we decided to go to dinner with some other families. The place of choice… The Cow and Bridge Restaurant, which specialized in Thai cuisine. We all ordered a few different dishes and shared with each other. The food was wonderful. My favorite is always the Pad Thai. The Butterfly loved the rice and some noodles. She even started making some silly faces, something similar to what we call the Ladybug’s Klingon face. It seemed that despite the trauma of the shots from earlier in the day, she was still bonding and enjoying her time with her new family.



We eventually came back to the room and enjoyed the view of the river from the 25th floor. Wow, the lights around the river are spectacular at night with buildings surrounding the river lighting up with various colors, as well as boats that travel the river doing the same. Even the bridge is in of the fun providing a laser light show throughout the evening. Lots of fun to see, especially after a rather stressful day for all of us.



Shopping for jade and pearls tomorrow!

~~Aloha!