Nothing like being taken down a notch by your 7 year old.
Anyway, I got a full eight hours last night and then ate an enormous breakfast this morning, so today has been much better. We met up with our group and headed over to the church on Shamian Island. It was a lovely service in both Mandarin and English, so we got to understand what was going on. Some of the songs were in English, but honestly, it was such a beautiful thing to listen to praise songs in Mandarin that I didn't mind at all not to understand all of the words. The congregation has been there for twenty years, and it was standing room only - probably 250 people.
I
haven't said much about Jack lately either. He and I are still
figuring each other out, which I am sure will be a life long process.
But I know that he is super-sweet. He loves hugs and kisses. Loves to
put his feet in my face. He has a crazy appetite and will eat until you
leave the table. Today he prefered his Daddy, but still let me hug and
kiss on him. If he is happiest when he is eating, then he is second
happiest when he is running. He is already getting more steady on his
feet, and he ran around the playground like a mad man today, full steam
ahead. He is going to keep me on my toes.
His cleft lip repair looks great, and the cleft does not appear to go all the way through the gumline. The cleft palate is pretty wide though. He has some trouble hearing us in a crowd, but seems to hear us in the hotel room ok. We are still trying to watch him and figure out exactly the extent of his hearing loss. I am eager to get him to an audiologist.
He has spent the last couple days unhappy. I'm not sure if it was the lack of sleep, or if he is finally grieving a bit, or a combination of the two, but he seems better today. Which I am very thankful for. He has a pretty happy disposition, so to hear him cry and not be able to offer a snack or drink or toy to make it all better is hard. But that is part of parenting, right? Mom and Dad can't always fix everything, but we do the best we can to love and to guide.
Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us. Today was so much better than yesterday. Tomorrow is the consulate appointment. If the paperwork is all in order, they will process his visa by Tuesday.
Night:)
4 comments:
If he loves running, he and Emery will keep each other busy and they will surely get into EVERYTHING! Love you and can't wait to see you :)
I remember how exhausting it all was - and our trip went much smoother than yours! Hang in there, it sounds like you are all doing a wonderful job under crazy circumstances. Here's to a couple of quiet days before the big trip home.
Tia, I was thinking the EXACT same thing! -Kandi
I had been meaning to follow your travels, but life has been hectic. I had some slow gaps at work today, so I caught up with you in Guangzhou! Seems like just a short while ago you announced the decision to adopt again... evidently the time goes much faster when watching from a distance as opposed to being the one waiting! Was disappointed to hear that there is not as much activity on Shamian Island as there used to be. My daughter was from that province, so Lily and I spent our whole time in China on the island (Victory Hotel). Your pics brought back fond memories. We worshipped in the same church on the island, and I resonate with the thoughts of the worship in Chinese... I had the same sentiment when I was there. I have a friend who is just beginning the process to adopt a special needs son from China... not sure if she left any comments, but her family of four have been following your blog daily! Hope things go smoothly as Jack transitions home!
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