Almost there....

in India, that is. We flew out of Los Angeles on June 17th and arrived in Thailand after 16 hours on the plane. We feel very fortunate that Elijah is turning out to be a great traveler. Paul and I have also learned that there are some privileges that come with having a baby. We don't have to wait in line at the gate for boarding. We even got to walk up to the front of the line for customs at the airport in Thailand! Smiles and kindness from strangers are readily available. It has been fun for me to see people lighten up when Elijah smiles at them. Some appear to be so pleased and I have heard them say, "He smiled at me!" It makes me want to smile at people more....there is something about giving a smile and getting a smile back.


The last two days in Bangkok have been pretty relaxing. We took Elijah to the hospital to get his six months vaccination and we were told that it is still too early to get the shots. So, the doctor prescribed the meds for us to take back to India and in about three weeks, we need to find a nurse administer the shots. We also got stronger meds for Eli's acid reflux because the one we have been using do not seem to be strong enough. Today, he seemed to be doing better than before. He has been able to sleep for longer stretches and not wake up crying in pain. With his food sensitivity, I have to continue watching my diet and slowly reintroduce some things to see if he has any allergic reactions. Unfortunately, because I am pretty certain that he is sensitive to soy, eggs, and dairy, I have not been able to eat Thai food.... I've been craving Thai iced tea! Paul and I were bemoaning the fact that here we are in Thailand and we are eating a Subway sandwich... Oh well. If Eli is allergic to dairy and soy, and if he weans himself, we would need to supply him with goat milk. So, who knows, we might become owners of a goat eventually!

We are leaving for India tomorrow morning. I am eager to return with Paul and Elijah. I have no idea how the transition will go. I expect that the initial week or two will be tough. We will just have to take it one day at a time. We read today that Siliguri has been experiencing severe power cuts for the last couple of days and that it has been sweltering hot.... I am praying that the power comes back on as we return because without it, I can't refrigerate Elijah's vaccines. I guess when I think about all the ways that life just feels unpredictable there, I could feel some anxiety rising up within me. But the reality is that life is challenging in general. Jesus even said it--that each day has enough troubles of its own, so we should not worry about tomorrow. So, that is what I am trying to do. I can anticipate some of the challenges, do my best to prepare for them, but to not spend my energy worrying; ultimately, I have no control over what will happen tomorrow. I am much more aware of this reality living in India and I feel like there is something good and healthy about that....