After getting ready and getting breakfast, BJ and I headed down to our hotel lobby to meet Cathy (our Holt guide) and drive to the Civil Affairs office. We were expecting a long drive, but just 5 minutes after leaving, we were surprised that we were already there. We all (our guide, Kevin, Julie (our new friends who are adopting an adorable little boy, and us) all got out and headed through the lobby, up some stairs, down a hallway and into the board room of the civil affairs. We were immediately had to start working on paperwork, which we were trying to do feverishly because we knew that the babies would be arriving any minute.
Sure enough, as I was signing another document, we looked up and there she was in the doorway, being carried by her nanny. It was just Lainey and our friends' son, so we both immediately recognized our children and went over the meet them. She was so timid in her nanny's arms. Her nanny handed her to me, and she just looked a little shell-shocked for a while.
There were some tears, but very few. Thank the Lord for Cheerios! Every time she started to cry we'd give her a Cheerio and she'd be okay again. :) The worst part for her was when she had to have her footprint done for the documentation, she cried hard then!
She wasn't too happy to be handed off to BJ at first, but after only about a half hour she was willing to go to him, and he was even able to get her to smile for the first time!
We spent about 2 1/2 hours at the civil affairs office completing the paperwork. As we were there, three other families came to meet their children who were arriving from different orphanages. One of the children, a little girl who looked to be about 5 years old, just grinned and grinned, it was so precious seeing her so happy to have a family.
After the civil affairs, we went to have our family photo done for the consulate paperwork, and then crossed a very large, very busy street with our children to shop for supplies at Walmart. The kids did so awesome, and were both especially pumped when we found the box of little cookies that they had been given at the orphanage. They both instantly recognized the box and wanted to hold it. :)
She's got such sweet beautiful eyes, and she's constantly looking around and taking everything in. She's very likely not been outside the orphanage (except for a couple of doctors visits) just about her entire life, so this big city and all the people are a lot to take in!
Back in the car, I could feel Lainey's body grow heavy as she started falling asleep in my arms. It was already past her regular naptime, and she had had a very long day already.
I know this blog post is a few years old, but I just came across it. I have to comment on the second picture you posted. You are holding little Lainey, just beaming with happiness (even though it appears that tears of joy are just under the surface). Lainey definitely looks as if she wonders what is going on. But --- her perfectly beautiful face!! She is just stunning. Those dark eyes, pouty lips and rosy, kissable cheeks, oh my goodness! I hope everyone is doing well. It would be wonderful to see some current pictures and read a blog update. Do you have a different blog now? If so, I'd love to read it.
ReplyDeleteHello Gwen, you are so very sweet, thank you for that. Yes, we do have a new blog at http://alifelivedlittle.blogspot.com -- the third post down is our celebration of Lainey being home for three years! :) And we agree, she's incredibly beautiful, and also so very smart and a talented little artist! We've been so blessed to have her in our family, and we're now waiting to bring home another little one from China - hopefully sometime next spring - and we'll be journaling that in our new blog. God bless :)
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