We Have Her!!!!!

 

Sunday, June 16, 2013

 

Today was another busy day,  but so worth the energy and effort it took to keep moving!  We all slept incredibly well last night and have had no problem switching over time zones yet!  HUGE blessing since we have been constantly on the go since we arrived in China! 

 

So, last night we decided to skip dinner and head to bed early.  The girls we out by 7:00 and Rob and I were out by 8:30.  We both woke up for the first time around 3:30 but quickly went back to sleep until 6:00 am!  Very refreshing!  We had to leave the hotel by 7:00am to catch our flight to Lanzhou, Gansu, so the alarm actually woke us all up at 6 for a shower, quick breakfast and last minute packing for the ride.

 

Our 2 hour flight was delayed an hour while we were in the plane on the runway, which meant we would only have about an hour to unpack and prepare to meet Baby Girl! Our flight landed at 12:00 noon and we quickly moved through to baggage claim and found our guide. We had an hour long drive through the mountains to the hotel and enjoyed seeing a little bit of our daughter's province.  It reminded us of the southwest areas in USA and was really very pretty!

 

Robbie and girls with luggage

 

drive to Lanzhou 

 

 

We had a little bit of a room issue here, with only a king bed, one roll away bed and a crib in the room.  That means one girl is sleeping with us this week in the king bed.  Could be worse, so we decided to just roll with after they tried to get us to pay $50 extra per night for another roll away bed! Praying we have a little better room situation when we get to Guangzhou!

 

So, after a quick unload of luggage, a quick wrapping of nanny and orphanage director gifts, a quick exchanging of currency, we then waited about 15 minutes before our guide called to say she was coming up to our room with our baby girl! We decide to let the girls take pictures and video while talked to the nanny and tried to get as much info as we could! Needless to say, the girls need some photography classes when they get back! But, they did manage to capture a few sweet moments!

 

 Mom getting to hold Baby Girl for the first time!!!

 

Mom getting first smiles!!

 

 

 

When the guide, nanny and orphanage director (a lady) came in the room the nanny was carrying Baby Girl.  She passed her off to the orphanage director so that she could get out a few items from the orphanage. Once she did, she took Baby Girl back and then carefully placed her in my arms!  When the nanny started to place her in my arms, BG started to cry but once I had her she immediately stopped crying and laid her head on my shoulder!  This was such a sweet moment and one I will always remember! 

 

Baby Girl with Daddy!!

We asked a few questions and were so thankful to see that the nanny had brought back the red journal and photo album that we sent in the care package!  She also returned the camera and it looks like it is full of pictures!  Most  special for us was a photo album that they made for us of pictures we had never seen of BG!  They really seemed to love her and kept wanting to hold her while I had her!  I think the nanny took her back once and the orphanage director took her back twice!

 

Baby Girl with Nanny, orphanage director, and Mom and Dad!

 

Baby Girl with Nanny

After they left, we had about 30 minutes alone before we had to meet in the lobby to drive to the passport photo office.  We quickly realized that Baby Girl does not like to be put down! She cried if I sat down wrong or tried to play with her on the floor but was completely happy if she was being help by anyone! She cried the whole time she had her picture made at the passport place because I had to put her in a chair to sit!  That was hard knowing that she just wanted to be held and having to watch her cry so early in our time together. 

 

We came back the hotel where she fell asleep in my arms for a few minutes.  I tried to lay her down in the crib and she cried so we tried to give her some food.  Normally, her dinner consist of noodles, vegetables and crackers (according to our notes),but all we had was Cheerios and applesauce! She loved the Cheerios and wasn't too fond of the applesauce.  Robbie took the girls to go get KFC with the other couple who is here while I stayed back with baby. 

 

Baby Girl with Hambone!

 

Baby girl with MV!

This was my first chance to really look her over, change her diaper and see her size!  She is longer than I expected, but very thin and week in her muscles. I have to keep an arm behind her back and neck for support while carrying her though I can tell she can hold herself up, just not for long.  She sucks her pinky finger when she sleeps and has a little sore on it from the sucking! I can also tell that she has a cold and some chest congestion.  Nothing too bad, but I know the stress of change and the upcoming flying my not be the best thing for her immune system.  Please pray that she stays healthy and rested so that her little body doesn't have to fight anything while she transitions to our family!

Once she was happy with a full belly, she did play on the floor with.  Only for a few minutes before we decided to have her first bottle as a Masonite! She was pooped from a long day of travel and change (she left this morning at 6:00 amand drove straight here, arriving at 3:00pm) and went to sleep around 6:30(normal for her is 8).  She whimpered a few times when I put her in her crib, but is sleeping soundly now!  Thanks for all of your prayers along the journey!  We can't believe she is finally with us and are prepared to give her lots of holding, hugging and kissing which her nanny says she loves!