The Details…

Yesterday I was tying to give you all the details, but my blog program kept crashing. So, instead I just gave you pictures. I thought I would fill you in on how things are going with Lily.

She really is a precious little thing! Yesterday (Gotcha Day ) went so smooth. Our guide Rebecca (the lady taking us around and helping with all the paperwork), got to our hotel about 20 minutes before we were expecting. When she knocked on our door Travis was still getting dressed. After she came in and checked that we had all the correct paperwork, off we went to the Civil Affairs Office to meet Lily. It only took us about 10-15 minutes to get there. On our way she told us that she had called Lily’s orphanage that morning to remind them as to what time to get to the Civil Affairs office.

When we walked in that office there were a few other families waiting in the big lobby area and we sat down with them while Rebecca went to check to see if Lily had arrived. We checked over some paperwork while she was away. When she came back, she said, “Let’s go!” I said, “”Hang on.. give me a second…We’ve got to get our cameras out!” She waited about, oh, 30 seconds and we stood up and I saw Lily through the crack in the curtain to the playroom. I was thrilled I was able to recognize her! I had always wondering if I would be able to pick her out from other children.

Seconds later, there she was walking out in her little blue jeans and pink shirt!! She looked at us and then started to turn back and I picked her up. She didn’t really cry, but we did! She just let us hold her and loved one of the last minute toys I threw in our bag before be left home. She is just a petite little doll! She looks just like her pictures.

She even let Travis hold her! It is not uncommon for little Chinese adopted girls to be frightened by their big hairy American daddies. There aren’t that many men in their orphanages and they are not used to men holding them. We were thankful that she was fine being held by Travis.

Then we spent some time in a small office talking with the person who brought her from the orphanage. It was so helpful to find out basic things about her…her schedule, what she likes to eat, what kind of formula she takes, how she likes to sleep, when she normally goes poop, etc, etc.

One of the things we are most curious about is that she has already had a heart surgery which we weren’t aware of. We knew she had a heart defect but had no idea that she had had an open heart surgery already. When we go to the orphanage to visit on Thursday we hope to get as much info about that as possible. We had been praying that her heart would be healed…not sure if this is the way God had planned to answer that prayer. One of our guides thinks it’s possible that the Civil Affairs granted them the funding to have her surgery done and they went ahead and did it. She said that if the CCAA gives you the money, you have to do it right away or you loose the funding. I asked if that meant her condition had worsened…she quickly said, “No!” She said in China if a child is in really poor condition doctors don’t want to do surgery on them, because they don’t expect that the surgery will help. (This has also been our experience when we were helping our friends, the Li’s, get surgery for their daughter.)

Our first night together went well. She slept good, but Travis and I didn't. She is a cuddly little thing and gets pretty weepy at times. That is a good thing because that means she is greiving. All that she has ever known is different. She is getting to know us, but doesn't know us from any other stranger on the street.

We are enjoying getting to know each other. We are doing a lot of holding and eating. Those are 2 things that help her feel safe and aid in her bonding with us.

Today her adoption was final...and she is ours forever!

Thanks again for sharing this amazingly wonderful journey with us!

(Sorry if this post is all over the place...it keeps crashing and I keep having to pick up in a different place.)