Medical Exam

As all adoptive parents know, you must do the "medical" exam here in GZ. I use itallics because it is soooo much a show and not a real exam it is almost funny. Of course our princess didn't think it was funny in the least. It all starts with a photo for the passport, a few doors down from the exam, and she started with the fits then. Drew still adamantly refuses to be carr

ied, gets really worked up if she can't walk and HATES to be restrained in any way (Ergo, seat for photo, arms, small rooms like a medical exam room....) So we get thru the photo with some ear splitting screams, and make it to the exam- hurray, the place is empty except for us and the one other family in our agencies "group" whom must do all this fall-da-rall with us everyday. They are troupers and great people and have been very patient and sweet about hanging with our mini-screaming-tornado. Anyway, back to the exam. We have the place to our selves so I'm hoping Drew will get thru this with only a few tears. Nope, nada, nothing doing. She starts her ear-splitting screams, thrashing leg, kicking, flailing, I'm being tortured routine at the get go, and keeps it up for the whole exam, which lasts about an hour due to the entire world coming thru the door for exams 15 mins after we get there. But, I am convinced we sailed thru all the actual exams quickly because of her screams...the look on all the Dr.'s faces was priceless and you didn't need any Mandarin to know what they were saying to me and those around them..."lady, make this kid STOP, please..no? Ok, fine, I'll wave the flashlight once in front of her face, now please GO!!" Perfect. All I wanted was out, which was Drew's intent all along.
We then tried to shop, and check out the local "medical market" but we were too exhausted by the smallest of our bunch to do much, so home we went. The rest of the day was spent at a local noodle place for Kelly's favorite, and playing in the room. Well, really Kelly and the bigs playing, Drew sitting and watching us. Sadly she still was not interacting or relaxing. Still terribly tense and sad. She demonstrates some pretty strong institutional behaviors: stands and rocks for long periods of time, sucking her fingers, and/or with her fingers crossed and clenched. She cried with her teeth gritted, and arms clenched tight to her sides, and doesn't get up and walk the room, just sits where you put her in front of the toys. We are seeing small flashes of loosening up and that elusive smile when running, but after spending a half an hour trying to tickle her, and be silly every way I could, I never got even part of a smile. It'll come, just not yet.