Where to begin???? The emotion and wonder of yesterday was overwhelming!!! I guess I'll just start typing and see where it goes. After another rough night (the boys slept some...Peter best of all this time and Stan and I slept not at all!), we were up and getting ready to meet our guide at 8am to drive about an hour to the orphanage. I was almost numb to everything, feeling so jet-lagged and just really out of sorts. Not how I wanted to start the day at all and I was really worried about how it was all going to go. By the time we got to the orphanage, I think both Stan and I almost felt sick with anticipation. The orphanage is in a very depressed part of the city but the building itself seemed nice. They ushered us into a large room where we signed and fingerprinted (in red) lots of Chinese adoption documents. Finally, it was time to meet our daughter! Words just can't express the overwhelming love and joy we felt upon seeing her for the first time. She was wearing the outfit we had sent her in a care package and looked so precious and beautiful but at the same time seemed so vulnerable. And she was so tiny!!! As her caretaker pointed to me and told her I was her new Mama, she came right to me and pointed to me and said "Ma ma" so softly and sweetly. It was an incredible moment as I fell in love instantly with this daughter who is more part of me than I could ever have imagined! She also took to Stan and the boys right away giving shy smiles and pointing to us each repeating the Chinese words for us: "Ba ba" for Daddy and "gu gu" for brother. Christopher was so excited he was running laps around the room which she thought was funny :) The whole experience really was so amazing...the beauty and joy of the moment is truly beyond words...a gift from God! I am SO glad we were there as a family. In retrospect, I cannot imagine doing this without us all here to welcome this precious child into our family.
After a short time at the orphanage, we got back in the van to head to the hotel for a short break before going to Civil Affairs for more paperwork. The car ride back was a little rough as Fu Juan became sick...whether from stress or motion sickness we're not sure. Once back at the hotel, she perked right up and ate a little something before we were off to Civil Affairs. All the officials seem so surprised that a family with three boys would be adopting a little girl. Wherever we go, heads turn! Most smile and nod and seem so pleased at our unusual family. After more paperwork we had the rest of the day free as we do today. A much needed break!
Little Catherine Fu Juan is so amazing! She is quick to smile and loves all her toys that we brought. She seems especially enamored with her photo album that we sent in the care package (loves pointing at the pictures...it melts my hear when she points at the pictures of me and says "ma ma"), her little radio that plays classical music and her doll. She slept great last night (all of us finally did too!) and is napping now. I just put her in her little crib and she went right to sleep...Wow! Very different from any of my other kiddos when they were that age :) Tomorrow we are visiting the Great Wall. We are excited but a little worried about how the long bus ride will go. Another surprise was that she is not potty trained...so it is back to diapers for us! We are hoping this is not the result of her Spina Bifida. I am anxious to get home and have her seen by docs in the US. Thank you for your continued prayers! Stay tuned for the Great Wall news soon :)
P.S. Check the gallery page (at the top) for more pictures!
HI Christina~ What joy your pictures and text display! I'm crying along with you! Thanks for sharing your journey w/ us. I'm so glad you all rested better last night! Catherine is simply beautiful; we'll be praying for a safe, comfortable tour for the next couple days! You are loved and being prayed for here earnestly! Enjoy! Grace to you, Shari B in MD
ReplyDeleteHow good it is to hear from you and see photos of the new addition to your family! So much for your plans to be well-rested before meeting Catherine Fu Juan, but your excitement and joy must have carried you along that day. And how wonderful that your new daughter seems to be bonding well with your family.
ReplyDeleteMay God continue to bless you during the biggest adventure of your lives!
Lots of love and prayers,
Maureen
p.s. Colleen wonders why you have adopted a girl since your family already had 3 little girls. ;-) (Do you know who she is including in that count?)
What a joyous day and so long in coming!! Everyone looks great despite the lack of good rest...it will come! We are all rejoicing to see Catherine with all of you. She is so precious and I'm sure she already has a sense of belonging! Agreeing with the others that God will continue to bless your journey in China and that you all will receive much needed rest. We found it much easier to rest after we arrived in Guangzhou and were with other American families---the first week was so busy with paperwork, etc. Praying that the peace of God will guard your minds and hearts!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, the Walrond family
Oh, Christina! She is adorable! And I even see a resemblance to you! (So like the Matching Room to do that.) Makes us wish we were there too! Have a safe trip home. Can't wait to meet her in person.
ReplyDeleteLove,
The Druschels
Congratulations! I'm so excited for you guys. I pray that you all have an easy trip home and settle into your "new normal" without too much trouble.
ReplyDeleteMorgan