June 30, 2012

GUANGZHOU!!!!

WE ARE IN GUANGZHOU!!!!

We are in the beautiful city of Guangzhou!!!!  I really do like it here.  Our hotel is GREAT, and it is located in a much nicer and CLEANER area that our hotels were in Beijing and Zhengzhou. 


We were supposed to fly out of Zhengzhou at 12:20 today, but our flight was delayed for an hour, so it was almost 1:30 before our plane took off.  Molly Kate fell asleep almost immediately. 

Our Guide


 There was a really nice indoor playground at the airport, so she climbed and slid down slides for over an hour.  I couldn't get Callie Beth to play on the playground---I'm not sure she has ever played on a playground before.  She sat good as gold in her stroller the whole time. 
 



On the plane, Callie Beth did pretty well at first.  She looked at a book, ate some snacks, and then she fell asleep, too, and slept for around 30 minutes.  HOWEVER, when she woke up, things changed.  For the remainder of the trip, she spent most of it SCREAMING her head off.  I have no clue what she wanted or needed.  I tried everything I knew to do, and then finally, I just totally ignored her.  Occasionally, she would stop, and I would tickle her or tease her and she would smile and giggle, but then it would all start over again.  I continued to ignore her until the last 10 minutes or so when tears began to come with the screaming.  I was able to fasten her in my seatbelt in my lap.  This helped some, but it was moments of grieving for her, and when that happens, there is simply nothing to do.  I don't think the people sitting around us enjoyed their trip very much.  In fact, one of the girls sitting in the seats in front of us, had her fingers in her ears the majority of the trip.  Callie Beth's scream is pretty shrill, so I'm sure it was hurting her ears.  When we landed I apologized to her.  She didn't speak English, but I was able to make her understand that we had only had Callie Beth for 5 days, and that she was from an orphanage and that her adoption was still very traumatic for her.  The girl was really sweet and let me know it was okay.  
 




Once we arrived in Guangzhou, we were greeted at the airport by our guides, Jason and Grace.  We boarded the bus for the hotel, and I'm pleased to say that Callie Beth was happy the entire 45 minute ride!!!  We are staying at the China Hotel Marriott.  It is REALLY nice.  The thing I love the best about the room is that the bathroom is glassed in, meaning we can watch the girls from the bedroom while they are taking a bath.  AND, there is a shower in front of the tub in the glassed in area, which means that Callie Beth, who is the biggest bath splasher I have ever seen, can splash all she wants, and it won't get water on the floor.  Of course, she just about drowns Molly Kate when she does this!!!   Both girls had had MULTIPLE poopy and pee diapers on the trip, and I decided I would get them in the tub as soon as we got to our room.  They LOVED the glassed in tub, and Molly Kate didn't even mind Callie Beth's splashing.  I am including a picture---I don't think it's too revealing!!!


 

After freshening up (I felt like I had been peed and pooped on!!!),we went for a walk tonight, in search of somewhere to eat.  We saw lots of places, but ended up coming back to the room and ordering room service.  Both of the girls LOVE stroller walks.  Callie Beth is ALWAYS happy when she is in the stroller.  In fact, she fell asleep before we got back to the room.  I let her sleep in the stroller for quite a while, but then I woke her up so I could feed her something.  That was a mistake.  It was obvious that she was sad when she woke up.  I held her for a long time, but then, Molly Kate started climbing in my lap, too, and I don't know if that is what triggered the screaming/crying spell.  I knew there was no reason to battle with her, so I changed her diaper, put her PJ's on her, and laid her in her bed.  She screamed and cried for maybe 3 minutes, but as soon as we turned out the lights on that side of the room, she stopped.  I know she was absolutely exhausted from the day.


SO, the plane ride wasn't too great---but then, it sparked the memory that Molly Kate cried on the plane ride all the way from Nanchang to Guangzhou when we adopted her.  She is so well-adjusted now that I think Roger and I both have almost forgotten that it has taken months for her to get to where she is now.  We know this whole transition is harder on Callie Beth because she's older than Molly Kate was when we adopted her, but then, she will probably learn more quickly than Molly Kate did.  She certainly has a GREAT role model.  I can't say enough about how WONDERFUL Molly Kate has been this whole trip.  Everybody in our travel group LOVES her, and she loves them, too!!!  She has gone from being the little girl who would say, "LONE!!!" if anyone got in her personal space, to a little girl who will hug and blow kisses to anyone.  She is very comfortable with everyone in our group, especially Joey and Tasha Robichaux, the couple we have spent most of our time with. 


Our Travel Group

She has actually been a little social butterfly on this entire trip!!  I can't begin to tell you how many older Chinese people have come up to her and touched her and talked to her, and she has appeared comfortable with all of them.  If this trip has sparked any memories of her past life in the orphanage, she has shown no negative signs of it.  In fact, when we visited Callie Beth's orphanage on Wednesday, Molly Kate made her way, on her own, from room to room and seemed quite comfortable, making her self right at home.  Roger and I are SO proud of her for the little girl she has become.

Tomorrow we are visiting the Buddhist Temple (don't worry---we aren't planning to switch from Southern Baptist!!!), the Old Chen House, and the Provincial Arts and Crafts shopping center----WOO HOO!!!!  I haven't been shopping in almost TWO weeks!!!!  Tomorrow night we will eat at a Portuguese restaurant----NO CHINESE FOOD---YIPPEE!!!!!  We have met back up with three other couples, who adopted from the non-special needs program, so there will be eight couples and NINE babies dining together!!!!  Sounds like a winner to me!!!


Until tomorrow....


Vicki :)