Pre-Flight Physical day

This morning I was up bright and early. I played on the computer and finally went back to bed around 7. We decided to have an easy morning, so I slept till about 8:30 and then we hit the breakfast in the hotel (yep, rice for Nick again!).

We came back to the room and just kinda laid around and then got ready and headed to Holt for Bates' pre-flight physical around 12. We packed the cell phone he liked, two balls, and a Pororo musical microphone we bought at the EMart. His physical was at 1. We walked out of the subway station and to the left was Bates in the car with his foster mom and dad! He was riding in the middle of the truck in his car seat. They had two other babies with them, one we know for sure was their other foster child.
We met them on the steps of Holt and his foster mom ushered me down the steps to go get him at the car! I was trying to get Nick to get the camera out so we could get some pictures and not be all frantic like we were the last time. I told him "quick, get a picture before he cries!"We went inside and ended up hanging in the lobby for like 45 minutes with him. His foster mom and dad went in another room (his foster mom went upstairs with another baby), so we had him to ourselves.

About that time another family walked in. They are from Franklin, right down the road from us! Small world huh? They were there for their first meeting with their daughter. We wished them luck as they headed upstairs!

Bates did better. He didn't scream, but he did cry off and on. He was pitiful. He was just turning and looking and trying to look in the other room for his foster mom! Broke my heart. At one point he saw her and then he screamed. The rest of the time he did this fake cry, with BIG OLE CROCODILE tears! I'm telling you, this guy can TURN IT ON. He makes his little jaw quiver and these big ole tears just pool in his eyes. So sad! His foster mom gave us a bottle and some little snacks for him. He certainly didn't want the bottle and made that very clear! He would eat one or two of the snacks, but lets just say, the kid isn't an eater- AT ALL!
We did ok with him. We were a two man entertainment show. We played ball, we took video (he likes the video camera!), we took pictures, we sang, we played with the microphone (which I think he really liked!) we bounced, we rocked, we walked. I felt like everyone was staring at us, Bates was the only one of about 15 babies in the room crying. Sweet little foster moms would walk by and say something to him. I felt like a failure as a parent... but I'm sure they are used to it!

We were sitting next to the foster mom who had a little guy with her. This little guy was BUSY! He could walk and he was into everything. He would adjust the thermostat, pull clothes out of the little store, throw a ball across the room. His forever mom and dad better be resting up!!

After about 30 minutes DJ came down stairs and she ushered us into the Sick Baby Clinic. I told her my concerns about Acid Reflux. She said she would ask the doctor when we saw him.

DJ was so sweet. She said she emailed all the Holt Staff and asked them to pray for us. She told me for our next adoption to email her and she will make sure to match us with an easy, laid back child! I think she is concerned about us. She wanted to know what airline we were flying, to make sure we would have some help on the flight. She was just looking at me, and I looked back at her, and she said "you are just so pretty!!" Sure did make me feel good, holding a crying baby with hair that's a little wacky without my straighter, and she thinks I'm pretty- makes a girl feel good.

I had Nick take my picture with Bates and DJ. I told him to act nice and be sweet to DJ cause she worked very hard to help bring him home. He didn't seem to care!
We went into the doctor. He looked Bates over, took his temp, check his stomach and breathing. They showed us his monogolian spots on his back. Let's just say Bates' wasn't a fan of the exam. He was crying and this time it was legit crying. He cried so hard he gagged. I looked at Nick and said "we almost had throw up!" He was crying so hard we just let the doctor work as quickly as possible and just stayed out of the way. The doctor wasn't too concerned about his eating and sleeping, he looked back in his file and said he has been getting better so he's not sure it's Acid Reflux. DJ translated that for us, but then she added to follow up with our Ped at home- I think she thinks something is a little off too.

Bates was crying so hard his foster mom came in the room and got him. This time, unlike every other time, he didn't just stop crying when she picked him up, he just kept crying. DJ asked me if we would like to take him for a walk in the stroller. I said, sure. His foster mom put him in the stroller and left to get a blanket.

We were just kinda standing there and DJ went and got the cutest little baby girl. She is 6 mths old and has been matched with a family in Philly. She was the sweetest baby and would just smile and giggle at you. Nick and I both held her and played with her. I ended up going to Bates who was strapped in a stroller and having a FIT! His foster mom still hadn't returned. I didn't want to get him out of the stroller, so I leaned down and tried to soothe him, but he was having NONE of it. He was crying so loud and hard that his Foster Dad came and got him out. His foster dad took him over to a seat and soothed him and ended up feeding him a bottle. DJ went and talked to the foster dad and came and told us that he didn't want us to take him on a walk, he was afraid he was too upset and didn't want him to get sick. We were totally fine with that- his foster mom had told us he doesn't like the stroller cause he can't see her, so I'm not sure the walk would have gone well anyway! DJ told me she thought it was really hard for the foster father because she thought he was very attached to Bates. She said it was breaking his heart for him to be so upset.Nick and I were just kinda standing there - we were talking and playing with the sweet little baby who actually liked us! DJ told me again to make sure to email her before our next adoption- I think she is serious!

About that time DJ said, oh hold on. She walked out to the lobby and the elevator and came back in with MOLLY HOLT! Molly is the daughter of Harry and Bertha Holt, the founders of Holt International. Holt actually was the first adoption agency in South Korea and they laid the political ground work for allowing US adoptions from South Korea. How neat to actually get to meet Molly. She was sweet and came over and met Bates. Such a neat thing to get to meet the legacy of the founder of the agency that helped us find our son!
Bates' foster mom never showed back up with the blanket... not sure where she went. We ended up figuring it was time to go, so we told Bates bye (I kinda teared up). Nick asked DJ where we could get some of those snacks and she said "Oh, I will get you some!" I think she wants to help us in anyway possible!

We headed out the door, leaving Bates with his foster father, and waved bye. Bates was playing with the microphone, so we left it with him. I didn't have the heart to take it away from him!

I teared up the whole way back to the subway. Just such an emotional thing to say bye to him. I was proud of myself for keeping it together the whole visit, though!

I told Nick we should go get another Pororo microphone, just in case the one doesn't come back with him tomorrow.

To be continued with the rest of the afternoon....