We traveled to Congo with four large suitcases: two filled with donations, one for Bobby and me, and one for Addy. And let me tell you, that girl had a LOT of clothes! We had packed extra outfits in anticipation of the stomach issues we'd been warned about, which unfortunately turned out to be a very accurate prediction. We'd also been told that Addy was wearing size 2T at just eight months old! I certainly hadn't been prepared for that, considering I already had all these adorable little 12-month outfits washed and ready for her. So, just to be safe, I brought clothing ranging from nine months all the way up to 24 months.
One of the outfits I packed was the very first matching outfit Ayla had picked out for her little sister. Unfortunately, it was a size 12 months! I was determined to see Addy wear it anyway, so I squeezed her into it despite the rather obvious size problem. Not exactly my brightest idea, and the outfit lasted all of a couple of hours! But at least I got to see her wearing something her big sister had lovingly picked out for her.
After our usual breakfast buffet with A and Josee, we headed back to the room for a quick snooze. Well, at least Bobby and Addy did. I watched a movie while the two of them slept, and judging by the amount of sleeping they did that week, I think Daddy got in more than his fair share of cuddles! ;)
I had also come to Congo with a brilliant plan regarding Addy's hair: I simply wasn't going to touch it until we got home. The nannies had arranged it into the cutest little puffs, and since I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, I figured it was best to leave well enough alone. Surely, her hair could survive a few more days without any help from me.
Well, that plan didn't last long!
The thread holding her little puffs together began breaking, and before I knew it, several sections were coming loose. I decided that rather than letting the whole thing fall apart, I had better figure out how to take care of her hair. Somehow!
So off to the bathtub we went again. This time, I blew up the little inflatable bathtub we had brought along (thanks, Mary!!!), and Addy LOVED it! What a difference from our first attempt at bathing her! I let her sit and splash for a while before tackling the shampoo and conditioner.
The one thing I knew before traveling to Congo was CONDITION, CONDITION, CONDITION! So I lathered her sweet skin with lotion and generously applied leave-in conditioner to her hair. Much to my surprise, combing through her curls was incredibly easy, and she seemed to thoroughly enjoy the little head massage.
I decided to leave her hair alone for a while and let her sport a cute little fro. Of course, that only lasted until after lunch, when I couldn't resist getting my hands back into it and arranging it into a few little puffs. I still had plenty to learn, but I was having so much fun figuring it out!
After another nap, we headed downstairs to wait for D, who was supposed to pick us up for an afternoon outing. Our plan was to visit a fabric store and, hopefully, a local market. D had told us to expect him around 2:00, so we were downstairs right on time, although by now we knew better than to expect that everything would happen according to schedule!
After waiting about half an hour, we decided to order a Coke. Naturally, just as our drinks arrived, so did D. But unfortunately, he wasn't there to take us shopping.
The one major hurdle we still needed to clear before leaving Congo was obtaining Addy's exit letter. We had been told to expect the letter within four working days of our arrival in the country, and we were hoping it would be ready that afternoon. Once we had it in hand, we could finally relax a little and know we could leave on Sunday as planned.
Unfortunately, D arrived with some disappointing news. The DGM, Congo's migration officials, would not release Addy's and Josee's exit letters unless we paid an additional fee. So we handed over the money and settled in for another round of waiting while D went to take care of the paperwork. He promised to return afterward and, if there was still enough time, take us on our outing.
About an hour later, D and M, our driver, returned, and we were FINALLY off to do a little Congolese shopping!
The fabric store was only a few blocks away, so it wasn't long before we were out of the hotel and walking among the hustle and bustle of the city. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to experience a little more of Kinshasa beyond the walls of our hotel.
The store itself was rather small, but there were at least twenty people inside, all searching for the perfect fabric. And WOW, were there choices! From floor to ceiling, the shop was filled with rows upon rows of beautiful, colorful African prints. There were so many patterns that I hardly knew where to begin!
We spent about forty minutes taking it all in and deciding which fabrics to buy. Every time I thought I had found my favorite, another pattern would catch my eye. In the end, I simply couldn't choose, so I bought six yards each of four different prints!
While we shopped, M happily held Addy. It was so sweet to see how much love the ALBB in-country staff had for her and all the other children. The moment we stepped out of the vehicle, M asked if he could hold her, and he spent the entire time walking around with her, smiling from ear to ear.
Once we finished shopping, we climbed back into the Jeep and began another bumpy drive through the city. Unfortunately, D told us that we wouldn't be visiting the market after all. He still needed to get back to the embassy, and the afternoon was quickly slipping away. He promised to try to take us another day if our schedule allowed.
I was definitely a little disappointed. Visiting a local market had been something I was really looking forward to, and I knew our time in Congo was limited. Still, even this short outing was a wonderful opportunity to get out of the hotel and experience another little piece of the country.
We returned to the hotel for another nap, followed by a wonderful dinner and some time Skyping with our family back home. Before we knew it, another day in Congo had come to an end.
Our week was going by so quickly! We were enjoying every moment with our sweet girl, but that exit letter was still hanging over our heads. I was praying that everything would come together in time for us to make our flight home.
And, of course, I was still hoping we'd have another chance to visit the market before we left!
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