Alive and Well

Sorry it has been a few days since we’ve been in contact.  Thursday and Friday we had to wait in our hotel room most of the day to see if our guide called with any questions about the paperwork for Isaac.  Thursday he called about 4:00 and said everything was good for that day and he’d call us Friday morning around 11:00.  He also told us that we would need to check out by 2:00 but he wouldn’t pick us up until 3:30 to go to the police station to pick up Isaac’s passport.  So, Thursday afternoon we ventured down the street to “what other store is there”… (Walmart) to buy some snacks, diapers and a few other things we would be needing for the next couple of days.  We bought Chinese brand diapers… which was a mistake!!   (Isaac is pretty much potty trained, but since we have had VERY long days without access to potties we decided to put him in diapers until we get home.  It was a good idea!)  While we waited in the hotel we played a lot of “hide and seek” (in the closet) and peek-a-boo (again, in the closet). 

Friday we waited…and waited… and waited.  Finally we went down to the lobby at 2:00 and waited more.  About 3:15 the guide called the lobby and told us that he was at the police station to pick up the passport so he would be a little later to pick us up.  It was challenging trying to corral Isaac for nearly 2 hours in a hotel lobby with breakable EVERYTHING!  But, we made it.  Then it was off to the airport.  As we drove he watched out the window and took in all the sights.  Guille took in the sight of the back of his eyelids.  Poor fella is exhausted, but trying hard to do his best. 

On the airplane, Isaac quickly made friends with all the adults around us.  He’s quite the charmer and chatterbox.  He enjoyed the ride, the food, and the attention… but NOT the seatbelt.  He figured out how to unbuckle it mid-flight.  He fussed a bit when I held it closed for landing.  But, all in all he did great.  Again, Guille checked out the back of his eyelids.  We arrived in Guangzhou and got to our hotel around 10:00PM.  By the time we got to our room it was after 11:00 and we all went to sleep pretty quickly.  We are staying in the same hotel we were in 3 ½ years ago when we got Guille so the area is somewhat familiar.

Saturday morning we had breakfast then met the rest of our group (the ones we met in Beijing) to go for the medical checkups for the kids.  Kids older than 2 years old have to have a TB test, so Isaac and one other little girl in our group had that privilege.  We go back Monday morning to get that checked.  His arm looks good, Praise the Lord!  Saturday afternoon we had our “paperwork party” where one parent took all the paperwork to a room and our guide went over all the things we needed, made sure everything is in the correct order and put each child’s paperwork into a blue folder which we need to take to the American Consulate when we go there for the oath-taking ceremony and the issuing of their visas. 

I have been very light-headed since we were at the Great Wall and it has been getting worse.  On the flight from Zhengzhou to Guangzhou I picked up a sore throat and by Saturday after the paperwork party I felt pretty miserable.  Our guide and I walked to a pharmacy and I was able to get some cough syrup and some antibiotic.  I went to sleep around 4:30PM and woke up this morning around 5:30.  I have to say I have the best husband in the world!  While I was feeling miserable and sleeping, he took both boys to the McDonald’s next to the hotel, got food to bring back to the hotel, and took care of the boys and put them to bed.  What a guy!!   I’m feeling a bit better today, though I would appreciate your prayers that my head would get feeling cleared up soon. (OK, you know what I mean

I’m going to send this post now and send today’s events as a separate post, probably tomorrow.  It’s a sweet one!  Check back!  For now, it’s getting late and the boys are all sleeping.  Tomorrow will be another big day for us.  We go back to get Isaac’s TB test checked in the morning and in the afternoon… we get JENNAI!!  We are all very excited about that.  Even Isaac started saying today that he is the “ge-ge” (big brother).  I don’t suppose he really understands it, but… we’ll see.