Last night was a doozy. It took Cate well over an hour maybe even two to settle last night - lots and lots of crying. Every time I thought she was asleep I would slowly lift my fingers off her back one by one and without fail I would get to the last finger and she would sling her arm around her back and flatten my hand back down. At one point I even felt myself doze off sitting on the bed hanging over the pack-n-play. My back was killing me and I thought I was in the clear and just as I laid down she started crying all over again. As a last stitch effort I put my pillow I had brought from home in her bed and she laid back down and settled. Can you guess who is getting to keep my pillow?
Once she gets to sleep - she really does sleep much better than I anticipated - and for that I am very very thankful. It’s just so difficult at this point - to balance triggering grief and fear and also setting our entire family up for success at home by not starting a habit we don’t intend to keep. I would LOVE to snuggle and sleep with her - but I know going home (a) I work at night when my kids go down and (b) I do not intend to share my bed with three kids - which would only be fair - so - for now we are working on sleeping close - but separate. I give all the co-sleeping parents two big fat thumbs up - because I like my own space and I like my sleep to not include baby limbs all over me. That is saved for vacation only over here.
Anyway, thank you for praying for our bedtime routine as we work out all the kinks now and when we get home. Lots of change for this tiny little person in a short about of time.
Today we went to the Guangzhou Zoo. The only thing I really wanted to see was a panda. The heat index was 111 degrees before we even got off the bus at 9:30 am. I wish I could explain the heat. It’s basically what I imagine it would feel like if you heated up your grill to max temperature - turned it off - climbed on top of it and shut the lid. The first several exhibits didn’t have animals (or maybe they all just decided to stay inside because they didn’t want to fry). And the exhibits they did have made me really sad. Maybe we are just spoiled with a zoo in Jacksonville that really gives the animals space and realistic enclosures - oh, and water?? - not so much the case here. We saw the pandas about an hour in to our excursion - Nate literally was sweating so bad one of the little girls in our group asked him if he poured water on his face. We found mango popsicles and then sent a group text asking our bus driver and Shiyan (our Bethany rep in China) to come get us and shortened our zoo trip to only two hours. We headed back to the hotel, ate. PB&J (which Cate again rejected - girlfriend is going to have to get over that!) and then took naps. We went to the pool around 3. This time we took an inflatable ring for Cate and she LOVED it. All the kids on the trip with their families are truly the sweetest. They all play so nicely together and are constantly checking on all the new babies. Cate made several friends - and her sweet friend Tessa decided after a few minutes of coaxing that she loved the pool too! Hooray!!!
We swam until it was time to meet for dinner. We walked to a nearby family style Chinese restaurant where our guide ordered several dishes for each table (served family style). Cate once again surprised us by eating cauliflower! The cooked veggies here are amazing - but I cannot wait to devour a bowl of salad and raw veggies as big as my body when I get home!
We walked around a sporting goods store after dinner and then came back to the hotel to start bedtime early. Cate got a bath - the tub here sounds really loud when the water goes down the drain and we have found she does not like that. After a quick FaceTime with Skylar and Wyatt, I snuggled her, prayed with her and sang to her and then just held her for a while before putting her in her bed. She did cry, but just a few minutes. I asked Nate to try to soothe her tonight, because I know this is something we need to work on — and they have really turned a corner today I think — he laid by the pack-n-play on the bed and she settled right down. She has never been alone in a room - so I think that is a very foreign feeling for her.
So thankful she went to bed early so I could send Nate downstairs for ice cream and not have to share! Ha! We have an early morning tomorrow for her consulate appointment to apply for her visa!
I woke up this morning really homesick (honestly, I’m surprised it took this long to hit). I am praying that a good night of sleep can help me power through the next couple of days. I am so ready to get into our new routine and hug my babies! We are really enjoying our time with the other families here who are so likeminded and truly get everything we are feeling - but I am antsy to get home! We are so thankful for all the messages and prayers - can’t wait to introduce Cate to you all!
No comments:
Post a Comment