Leaving tomorrow for Chengdu!!

Actually, I should say leaving tomorrow for Hong Kong.  I am so excited that it is finally here.  All the preparation makes it a little hectic and it certainly doesn't help that I was on the Walk from Thursday to Sunday.  Monday I recovered.  Luckily, I had mostly packed before I left, knowing that I would be a little brain dead.  :)

I keep looking at pictures of Katie and wondering what she will be like.  I have this image in my head of a solemn, quiet little girl.  Perhaps that is just what she looks like and she is actually a wild girl or perhaps a picture is worth a thousand words and she is a quiet little girl.  I look at pics of Jaden at Gotcha and in the days that followed and although he looked pretty happy, it is easy now to see the fear in his eyes.  My heart hurts for what I know Katie is about to go through.  While we know that she will have a much better life than she would have had in the orphanage, at 21 months, all she will know is that she is being taken away from everything and everyone that she has ever known.  In her orphanage, they try to assign a primary caregiver to a set of 4-5 children so that even though they are in a setting much like a daycare, they have a constant set of kids that are around them and a steady adult to (hopefully) attach to.  We know that she will grieve for the children and the nanny but hope that she will allow us to comfort her.  I really hope that having a little big brother with us will help her, too.  

I also worry about my other kiddos.  This will be the first time Jaden will be back in China, I think we have fully prepared him but I know some kids worry in that situation that they are really being "returned."  I think he is so well attached that he won't worry about that but denial is a wonderful thing.  Hopefully, I have a realistic idea of what to expect from him.  My bigs are staying home and while they are certainly adults at 24 and 21, they are still my babies.  It seems that everytime we leave the country without one of them, something yucky happens.  Please, kiddos, no trauma or drama, while I'm gone.  :)

Our basic itinerary is:
Fly out Wednesday 4/9 to HK, fly 4/11 to Chengdu, fly 4/18 to GZ, long van ride 4/23 to HK and stay at Disney for a couple of nights and then the Marriott in HK (It was cheaper by a lot to fly home on a Monday so we're staying a couple of extra days), then fly home 4/28 getting home at about 8 pm. 

I hope to blog while in China and would love for everyone to keep up with us.  Prayers are gratefully accepted.  :)  For now, everyone please pray for Katie's transition, for travel safety for all of us and for Jaden's trip not to cause him undue emotional pain, and no trauma/drama with my big kids. 

Off we go!!  Katie, Mama and Baba and xiao Gege are coming!