June 30th ~ What we expected we now know is true...

Since today is a Free Day for us ~ so far we really have not done anything too exciting! We started off our morning with a walk around our hotel's grounds and toured the other hotels in the surrounding area. The hotels around here are amazing and all top of the line! And don't even get me started about the shops! I said I wasn't going to shop this trip but I just can't help myself ~ you just can't bet China's prices!

{now for an update on Benjamin's health}

All is not what it seems here for us with our precious Benjamin. Our concerns have been confirmed and we now know why he is not potty trained and that all the medical reports and updates we have received on him have not been correct. It seems the surgeries we were told he had done and were a success ~ were not. Our poor little boy is still pooping through his pee-pee and it is not looking good. It all started the day we received our little man. We noticed his belly swollen and that he was wearing a diaper (and it smelled terrible). Since we know the signs of server bowel issues, we kept a watch on him. As the days passed, and he wasn't truly pooping (more like leakage) and the laxatives were not working ~ we knew what we had to do today. That is give him a Fleet enema. Now last night when Keith was bathing him, he noticed some fecal matter come out of his penis. Keith immediately called me into the bathroom. The minute I saw what was happening I knew in my heart, our little Benjamin is not well.

So this morning after limiting his breakfast to yogurt & fruit, we decided to take a walk around the hotel grounds. After returning to our room at about 11:30AM, and he still didn't have a full bowel movement, we decided to give the Fleet enema. It was at this time we knew for sure he is once again/or always has been pooping through his pee-pee. From what I can tell from his bowel movement {after the Fleet enema} is that he is pooping from both his rectum and penis. While this is so difficult to watch him go through this, I feel a bit at peace that we know what to do - giving what we have experienced with Francesca and Annabelle. We are limiting his diet to soup, soft pastas, yogurt, and fruit for he can't have anything that has the possibility of causing a bowel obstruction. We are also giving him a low dosage of liquid laxative two times a day ~ to help break up what food he does eat. All in all it is just truly amazing to me that this little boy's spirit has not been broken and what he is doing in order to survive.

I truly did not what this post to be a downer but I wanted to let our family & friends know what has been going on and to please pray for our little boy. I have been in contact with our doctor in the states and they confirmed that what we are doing is all we can do for now. We also have an appointment set up for the Friday after we arrive home.

The only good thing I see that will come from all this is that his belly button, his testicles, his pooping & pee-pee lines and his circumcision can all be corrected at the same time.

Other than this (which I know is no small issue) all is going extremely well. Benjamin is such a happy camper and truly one sweet little boy! Francesca and I enjoyed a girl's lunch today which I think she and I both needed! And we girls are headed out to the Spa this afternoon for some pampering (again you just can't bet the prices here)!

Here are a few photos from last nights bath! They are all I have. I think you'll be able to tell from the photos he is just not feeling that well but to us he is just too handsome for words!!! Tomorrow we are headed to Zhengzhou's Provincial Museum (which we have visited before) but seeing how it is going to be close to 100 degrees here tomorrow ~ the air condition museum works for us! As soon as our little man awakes (he is still sleeping so peacefully) we are headed to the pool! I promise tomorrow I'll have more exciting photos!

xxxooo