Survivor: China

Outwit the baby.

Outplay the airlines who can't understand the stinking oxygen situation.

Outlast the jetlag.

Welcome to survivor: China.

That's what this is so far. Survival. Today, after a rough night for Grace with noisy breathing and frequent coughing, we headed to the hospital. The first one we went to was very busy and crowded so our guide suggested we try the children's hospital. Once there we checked in. Then we took an elevator to a different floor where we needed to check in again.

Q:How many people can fit into an elevator in China?

A: more than you could even imagine. Like 30. I'm not kidding. Maybe 40. Same size elevator as America. It was like clowns in a Volkswagen coming out of there. For real. No personal bubble here. At all.

I digress...

After the second floor check in we learned that Grace would need a "sleepy injection so that she no cry for exam". I asked for a sleepy injection too. I think they thought I was kidding. I was not.

We went to the third floor for the sleepy injection. We took the stairs. Yup. Sure did.

Then, we went outside to wait for the sleepy injection to work. It took a long time to work. I was getting sleepy before Grace for goodness sake and I didn't get an injection. Bummer.

Finally, it worked so we went back in to check in. Again.

Forth floor. Stairs please, thank you.

We only waited a short time and then our guide and I (with sleeping Grace) entered a little curtained room like something out of M.A.S.H. Next thing I know they are doing an ultrasound of her heart. They're talking amongst themselves in Chinese and I'm looking back and forth like I'm at a tennis match. Finally I ask the guide what they're saying: "oh they're just checking".

Sigh.

They finished and we went back outside to wait. Then we went back to the second floor and checked in. Again.

Our guide went in to talk to the doctor and came out with a piece of paper, the magic golden ticket to present to the airlines saying that Grace will need oxygen on board the flight and that we must travel with the machine in cabin. Diagnosis: heart defect causing poor oxygenation.

Sigh.

They didn't even check her oxygen levels. I was actually hoping for that. Maybe an ear check while we were there. Nope. We came for her heart and that's it. No add ons.

And then we left, singing hallelujah.

I tell you this because this is one of the things I will never again take for granted in America. Our healthcare. Our hygienic, sanitary, personalized healthcare. Children's hospital where we live will seem like "The Plaza" after today.

After the hospital we had lunch. Thank the Lord for KFC -although I think it might be KFD (for duck). Then went to a bazaar in the city that Urumqi is known for. We bought Grace some little things hand made from her province to give her on special days: birthdays, graduation, wedding etc. it was a nice end to the day.

Now Robert and the older kids are playing pingpong in the game room on our last night in Urumqi. Tomorrow at 10:30 we will leave for the airport and at 1:30 board our 4.5 hour flight to Guangzhou. We are hoping that our time there will allow for some skyping with family and friends, wifi again (blogging from an iPhone stinks but it's better than nothing). AND we are looking forward to connecting with other adoptive families and sharing stories. It will be a good final leg of our trip. Our next hotel has a medical clinic in it (somebody say GLORY!) and all in all I think we will feel a little less homesick.

You might ask what I'm doing? I'm blogging while Grace sleeps on my chest. I'm pretty content and so is she. You will not believe how tiny she is. Her little feet are miniature. I don't know how she walks on such tiny feet. She's just a little sweet pea. We have so many little pet names for her. She's a little miracle, that's for sure.

And- she is not easy to outwit. It takes all four of us. She is very very clever and being as adorable as she is, she has us all wrapped around her little bluish fingers.

We love her so much. I can hardly wait until she rests in our love. She's making progress...

Little tiny baby steps.