Travel Day, Medical Appointment And Shamain Island

Thursday morning we had to wake Cate up for breakfast so we would be ready in time to catch our van to the airport. I’ve been so surprised at how well she is sleeping - we have yet to have a morning where she wakes up before us - or where we don’t have to wake her up - maybe she can teach my other two how to sleep this well when we get home? She ate breakfast and was excited when we said “alright let’s go!” She really seems to already be picking up on several words that we say. The main one being “no” - and she is [not] thrilled when we say it. 

It was raining - which made our already interesting traffic situation even more interesting. The airport was crowded and I very was thankful our guide took us in, helped us check our bags and made sure we made it all the way to our security point. On our way to our gate - we stopped at Starbucks. I ordered a java chip frappachino - which I haven’t had since college - and when I tell you it was so good and so cold and so much like home it brought me to tears - I am not joking. I will probably have 12 more before we come home. The drinks here are not “cold” like Home - and Diet Coke is not easy to find - and plain Coke Zero is not the same. So basically I’m homesick for those types of things and my kids. I would give a kidney for a 64 oz fountain drink that is the perfect 60 percent ice to 40 percent soda ratio right now. And I would probably give both kidneys if it was a cherry Coke Zero. 

Anyway, back to travel - we sat down at our gate and attempted to FaceTime my mom - after a little while Nate gets up to see why we aren’t boarding yet — all the sudden he is rushing back - he had looked at the seat numbers not gate numbers and we were on the wrong end of the terminal. Wowza. Our real plane at our real gate was delayed - thank goodness! While standing in line to board the plane - past nap and lunch time - Cate decided it would be a fantastic time to put on a real show and make everyone look at her American parents with complete pity [annoyance]. We got the “tell your kid to zip it face from approximately 300 people” to which I sheepishly returned their look with my “I really would love to but she probably only understands 25 percent of what I say, plus she is tired and hungry and we are strangers and she is two so please give us grace” look.  Thankfully we walked to the bathroom and back and the line was moving - we boarded the plane and she fell asleep on the runway. And all the passengers said “amen”. 

Once she did wake up she crushed the airplane rice they delivered for lunch and spent the rest of the plane ride taking things in and out of a plastic bag. Probably an hour of this. It’s the strangest thing to me. Take everything out - put it all back in - hand it all to Mom - put it all back in - hand it all to dad - put it all back in. Hey, whatever keeps her happy at this point. We arrived to our hotel and delivered our luggage to our room after seeing several of the families in the lobby and then headed out for dinner. We ate at a Cantonese Restaurant - which was delicious. (No eel was involved) and we had pork buns which almost tasted like a yeast roll from the states. Everything hit the spot.  After bath and FaceTiming Skylar and Wyatt it was time for bed - which is seemingly harder by the day. Part of me thinks the grief hits hard at night, the other part of me also realizes she has me pegged and knows I will hold her and would probably let her sleep with me if Nate wasn’t my voice of reason. I want her to feel safe - but I also don’t want to start hard habits to break at home. I settled for holding her on a recliner. Thinking she would be asleep quickly -  I sent Nate out for ice cream which I’ve been dying for. She played me like a fiddle and ended up having her first ice cream cone and missing bedtime. Once she was asleep she slept wonderfully. 

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We woke her up the next morning for breakfast and met in the lobby at 8:30 ready to head to the medical appointment. We took a bus - and on the way she was sitting in my lap - but laying back into Nate’s and letting him rub her hair- progress!! 

The appointment itself is a full exam: height, weight, ears, nose, throat, routine physical and a blood draw and TB test. This is required before applying for a US visa and to become a citizen (which she will be when she put her feet on US soil in Chicago when our plane touches down). The first three parts of the exam weren’t terrible - in fact- the worst part was keeping all of the kids in our group wrangled and occupied while they waited their turn. Cate was very patient and compliant with the doctors and really let them do what they needed to do. The blood draw and TB test was a different story. Two ladies with medical masks come out of a room and confirm her name, take her from me - and then close the door. We could hear the screams that followed and was enough to bring me to tears. Thankfully they handed her right back and she settled eventually - not super quick but not as long as I anticipated either. 

We went to a supermarket (much like Walmart) and got snacks (SunChips and M&Ms from the imported section), bottled water, some Chinese snacks and PB&J supplies. Cate did not like the sandwich - but loved the chips and we both took a wonderful nap. 

We met up with my cousin Joy and her husband Ryan and their five kids around 4. We walked through a park near our hotel but cut our walk short to feel all the babies who were hot and hungry. We had dinner at a noodle shop - where Ryan ordered exactly what we wanted in Chinese. I asked if he wanted to stay with us for a week but he politely declined. We had McDonalds ice cream again after dinner but ate it in the hotel lobby. It was so nice to visit with them - Joy and I decided it had been well over ten years since we had seen each other. Crazy! Facebook makes it feel like not that long - but it was so nice to meet all of her babies in person. 

Bathtime has been fun every night and she loves to FaceTime Skylar and Wyatt.  But bedtime brought lots of tears again - and even after Cate was asleep and settled in her crib she cried for several minutes but decided laying down was better than Nate picking her up. She slept all night again and only woke up after we turned all the lights on to get her up in the morning. 

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We visited Shamian Island today. It’s where all the adoptive families used to stay before the hotel on the island needed to be renovated and they began staying at the hotel we are at now. Basically it is like a St. Augustine - sort of? There are several statues, parks, beautiful streets and old trees. We did a little bit of souvenir shopping and then spent some time in a park watching the locals put on a dancing show and play hacky sack.  There is one shop on the island that gives a portion of their proceeds back to help adoptive families. We walked in and Bethel Music was playing - it made me so happy - especially since that has been what has seemed to calm Cate the most at bedtime - worship music.  I looked around and Sarah pointed out that they had scripture written out in Chinese on little plaques. I came over to look and when I flipped it over to see what verses were on the one I had picked up - I could NOT believe it. The verses that Skylar wrote for me to keep in my suitcase from Psalms 121 were on this plaque.  Goosebumps!     This will probably be my favorite thing I purchase on this trip. I shared with the lady working at the shop and she was so surprised! Amazing how God has given us little reassurances all along the way. 

Cate is still napping after our busy morning but I will probably wake her soon so we don’t completely ruin bedtime tonight.  So thankful for how amazing she is doing. I still can’t believe it when I look at her - that she is this calm and happy and smiley with people she has known for five days. It’s incredible to me how brave these babies are. I know I have probably said it a hundred times - but they truly are so so so brave. 

We are so thankful to the Father for taking care of her until we could get here and for watching over us during this trip. We are continuing to pray for her health (and ours) and are anxious to get home to Skylar and Wyatt.  Starting a countdown today - 6 days!