Mike & Titus

Michael --- 24 weeks

He's due on July 14ish. I can only tell you that he seems to be doing well -- moving a lot, looking fine on the ultrasound and other tests.

Last week Drew and I realized that I'm already over half way through my pregnancy, and been to the doctor only twice. So I went to our local Changsha Women & Children's Hospital for a check. Yes, it is a stretch for me to communicate with the nurses and doctors in Chinese, but I enjoy the challenge.


Differences between prenatal care in the US and China?

• The facility is grimy, but that's to be expected.
• It's illegal for the ultrasound techs to reveal the sex of the baby. China has a one-child-only policy, so if a family discovers that they're having the un-desired gender (likely a girl), they may abort the baby.
• Privacy isn't such a big deal. As I'm going into an exam room, the pregnant lady before me is still getting dressed. As I'm getting dressed, the next big belly is coming in. We're all in this together!
• During an ultrasound, the mother cannot see the screen. Last week I walked into the room while the lady before me was still on the table. I said, "Oh look, Your baby is so cute." She gasps, "You can understand the picture?" I'm like, "It's very clear. There's his face, eyes, nose, and mouth." She had no idea that lay people could understand what was being seen! By contrast, in the US the ultrasound tech puts a huge TV screen in front of the mother's face and guides you on a tour of baby parts you've never even heard of.
  
• Machines, not people, touch me. They like to run tests. In the US, practitioners wanted to care for me in a gentle, hands-on way...read my pulse, measure my uterus, help Drew to feel the baby's spine, listen to my heart, etc.
  
• There are no appointments. You just show up and wait in line.

Here we are! Mom, Titus (18 months) and Mikey (23 weeks). The yellow building below is our hospital.




Titus 艾泰德 (Ai Taide) --- 18 months







Drew says Titus is getting more and more fun to play with. Titus hides behind curtains, jumps off of coffee tables, drives toys cars, asks to be tickled, and likes to be chased. He's got a great sense of humor.

Titus' favorite toys are still books and puzzles.

He is getting more involved in hygiene -- loves to wash his tummy while in the tub, washes his hands, tries to brush his teeth, asks to have his cloth diaper changed.

He's still using sign language, and starting to say more.
English: hi, Dad, ball, out, go, Mom, huh? isseh? (where is it?), oose (shoes).
Chinese: gou-gou, (dog), Mama (Mom), Baba (Dad), Ge-ge (older brother), Mei-mei (younger sister).

Titus tries to dress himself and others.

His eats whatever we eat and drinks lots of cow's milk. [Titus was finally weaned about two weeks ago. It happened remarkably easily and naturally. I had hoped to nurse longer, but felt that my body needed a break before Michael is born.]

Titus asks to go outside every morning and afternoon. He loves to play with other kids out on the campus grass or on the playground. The big red slide is his favorite.

He's getting more "helpful" with chores -- putting dishes away, trying to hang laundry, putting trash in the garbage can.

Sorry, I have no idea how much he weighs, how tall he is, or what percentile he may be. All I can tell you is that he seems to be growing well and never gets sick.

He started preschool this week. More on that later.



I hope you enjoyed getting up-to-speed on our little boys! We miss you, and wish we could spend time with you so you could know them from your own experience. But the pictures and stories help, don't they?

Rach


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