Take a book they said.....

When you are preparing for an adoption trip, and self-respecting parent writes lists…and hunts out other people’s lists on the internet, and then makes lists of their lists, and checks their lists against other people’s lists…packing lists are pretty high on the lists of lists that are needed before heading off to meet your baby…and let’s just say, I was the queen of packing lists. I have lists of my packing lists.

But have the lists been useful?

Yes, and no….

Many BTDT (been there done that) China adoptive parents listed books on their packing lists, with the rationale that once your darling angel is fast asleep at night, there will be many, many hours of Chinese TV time…and once your bore of CNN, you will want a good book to help pass the hours and hours of boredom you are sure to have to endure.

Obviously, these people were all on drugs.

Free time? Hours and hours to watch TV? Hours of boredom? Not in my hotel room baby!!

Our TV is currently being used as a drying rack for bibs, muslins that have been puked on, and various items of baby-fied clothing. The second Oliver is eventually asleep we are cleaning up, washing dishes and clothes, and getting ready for tomorrow's onslaught before dropping dead tired into bed...

There has been no need for a book…unless you can hang washing on it, eat it or change a nappy on it, it’s just not necessary!

So packing lists have their place....but not books...

We have had a quiet day today, we’re all still feeling quite under the weather so it has been goof not to have any commitments at all today.

Our batch all went home yesterday, and there were a few tears when saying goodbye to our darling friends. We are so blessed to have shared the past few weeks with a few couples that we are so lucky to be able to call our friends. Some existing friendships have deepened over the last few weeks, and another has developed…we are grateful for all of them. It’s going to be lovely for Oliver to have such gorgeous Aunties and Uncles and China-cousins when we get home.

So we are now on our own in China. The plan is to stay in Shanghai for a few more days and then head back to Oliver’s province for a week. We’re not sightseeing, just hanging out as a family and learning more about Oliver’s life before we met him.

As I type this, my little munchkin is sitting on the couch next to his Dad and I, playing with daddy’s thermometer (first the stethoscope, now the thermometer…is there a pattern here?) and looking absolutely adorable in his Bonds light blue fluffy onesie (thanks Nanna!). Honestly, he gets more and more beautiful every day…he really does.

Tomorrow’s plan revolves around following Oliver’s needs for sleep and food (we are letting him dictate the family routine at the moment) and having lunch in the park with a fellow adoptive parent of two China babies who is now loving in Shanghai. We’re looking forward to it immensely.

I’ll leave you with some photos of my little emperor playing on the couch right now, and sucking on his toy cow earlier today – isn’t he beautiful?

T xxxx