Six months ago today, BJ and I found ourselves waiting
nervously, in this very surreal moment, waiting to meet our little girl for the
first time. Lainey I’m sure had very little awareness of the significance of
that day. I wonder what was going through her mind as she was carried out of
her orphanage baby room, away from all that was familiar to her. Her nannies
had held her in the car, and then once arriving carried her up the same stairs
we just climbed, and into the Hangzhou Civil Affairs boardroom. Just seconds
later we were holding her. It certainly had to be frightening to be put in the
arms of strangers and to have her nannies leave her there with us. And it isn’t
any wonder why this was traumatic for her, and why it took almost a week for
her to come out of the protective cocoon she had built around herself. But
little by little she learned to trust us…
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| Our first glance of Bing Yan. |
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| I'm not so sure about you, lady. |
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| Proud Daddy! |
And now that little girl has our hearts so completely, and
she is the evidence of so many answered prayers. To have her home finally and enjoying life with her is an immeasurable blessing.
A little about our girl, six months home and 2 months shy of age 2...
She is smart. Not
yet even 2 years old, and only having been exposed to English for the last 6
months, and she already can say so many words and a few short sentences. She’s
even picking up on what we’re teaching Ezra, walking around and saying “ABC”.
She is strong-willed.
This may sound like a bad thing, but it’s seriously glorious. She knows that
she CAN have an opinion, and a will, and she knows how to express it. She will not. Will NOT have you put a coat on
her without at least a small battle. She also tries to be patient at first when
she needs/wants something, sweetly saying and signing “please”. But if you’re
not quick enough for her, her “pease” becomes “PEASE!!” and her sign gets more
emphatic. Baby girl can get her point across! And it’s pretty stinkin’ cute.
She is affectionate.
About a week ago BJ and I were out to dinner with the kids and a friend, and
Lainey kept grabbing my face and kissing it over and over. At home she loves to
give hugs at random moments, and blows kisses to the boys at bedtime. She even.
hugs. the dog!
She is a little
momma. Our dining room has in the last couple of years been converted to a
playroom for the kids. We have a few little girl things in there now added to
the mix of trucks and trains and cars. Lainey hardly notices all the boy
things, and the boys never even take a second glance at the baby dolls, but to
Lainey they are her BABIES. She picks them up and carries them with such a
gentleness. She cradles them in her arms, kisses their heads, and feeds them
their bottles. When she’s done playing,
they are very slowly and very carefully given to someone else or laid down on a
soft place. When Lainey’s in mommy-mode, it always makes me think of her China
mom. It gives me the gift of seeing a little part of who this woman was and is.
A gentle, caring mother, who did the hardest thing I could ever imagine to save
her little girl’s life. We can see glimpses of her every day in our sweet girl. She will always be a part of Lainey and so
much of who Lainey is is already being shaped by this woman we’ll never meet.
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| Lainey in her medieval princess costume. |
She’s adorable & hilarious.
The best is when we play “I’m gonna get you!” and she giggles so hard she can’t
run straight. And the little looks she gives us. Oh my goodness I just can’t
get enough of that cute face and her tiny little shoulders!
She sleeps awesome.
We worked so hard to slowly adjust Lainey to sleeping on her own in her crib.
The air mattress in her room that I slept on with her for almost a month had
long since been deflated. Now Lainey is by far my easiest child to put to bed.
She has her little routine, and when I lay her down she smiles, grabs her baby
doll, and pops that thumb in. She’s ready, and feels secure enough to trust
that I’m coming back when naptime or bedtime is done.
She’s ours. And
we are so blessed and thankful for every second we’ve had with her, and we’re
so excited to see her grow and learn and be shown over and over how much we all
love her.
