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July 16, 2015

Sick Day

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I woke up around 1 or 2am with aches, chills, and a fever. Not exactly the best way to start off an expedition to the zoo. Jason definitely deserves Trooper of the Day award, because he went ahead with the scheduled zoo trip and took all three big girls. Mia Grace stayed here with me and we spent the day in quiet rest together. She slept on my chest again for her nap for over two hours, we read books, and got to know one another just a little bit more.

I wish you could hear firsthand Jason’s stories from the zoo. In a city of @ 19 million people, he said 10 million of them were at the zoo since today was a public holiday (we did not know that- hah!) and of those ten million at the zoo, at least 5 million wanted their picture with the girls. There is a priceless picture he took on his phone of a guy taking a selfie with his arm around Lillian. Lils was innocently looking at an animal exhibit and had no idea this guy wanted a picture. If there were 100 animal exhibits at the zoo, the girls were the 101st. They saw koala bears, panda bears, twin white tiger cubs, and life-like dinosaur exhibit straight out of Juraissic Park. In Caroline’s words, “It was very neat but very freaky.” I think she needed Sam, Gray, and Seth there to have her back just in case the dinosaurs stepped out of the exhibit!

When everyone trooped in from the zoo, hot and sweaty (weather and temperature here is a lot like Houston, but if it’s even possible, even MORE humid!), Lillian said she wasn’t feeling well and spent the rest of the afternoon/evening on the couch.

So…as if you all haven’t already prayed enough to last a lifetime for the Baker Family, I am humbly asking for more prayer. Please pray that Lillian and I wake up healed, rested and refreshed in the morning and that no one else catches whatever virus or bug we have. Tomorrow is a special day – we get to go see Mia Grace’s orphanage and meet the women who cared for her, so apart from Gotcha Day, this is the day I have been anticipating the most. Thank you, thank you for letting me ask for prayer and for being friends and family who I know will pray.

And speaking of prayer, your prayers for Mia Grace, so beautifully expressed in your comments and emails, have been powerful and effective. As much as I wanted to take her to the zoo today, I think our time hear together was more effective. For the first time, when she was bonked in the head by her sisters (on accident of course), SHE CRIED AND WANTED TO BE COMFORTED! Huge progress! And at meal times, she fed herself a few bites for the first time, picking up a piece of cantaloupe she wanted and taking a huge bite out of it. She also almost, almost gave me a smile. I was singing to her changing her diaper and the edges of her mouth in the faintest way started to turn up. They quickly went back down into her somber expression, but hey, we will take it! One day at a time. God is definitely moving through your prayers.

Last thing: several of you have asked about Caroline. How she’s doing. How she is adjusting. I think she definitely felt like the odd man out for the first couple of days; she was the only one who couldn’t really hold MG while standing or walking around. And she balanced intense interest in her new sister with needing some space and mom time. But today since Lillian and I were sick, Caroline and Lizzie got to do more. Caroline’s got the holding her on her hip stance down, and whenever she comes close to Mia Grace, Mia lifts up her arms to Caroline. I loved watching that today. I didn’t take any new pictures today, so I downloaded the video from Gotcha Day of the first time Caroline attempts to hold MG. I almost drop the phone and Caroline almost drops the baby, but in typical Liney style, she figured it out…enjoy! (I had to put it in two parts.)

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