July 13 - Forever Day plus

The day is totally indescribable! It was magical and at the end very very exhausting. They have had us on the go since we landed in China. No time for sleep or rest or recovery from our jetlag. It is good for some but for those of us who really need sleep – it can be tough. Our plane was late arriving in the province of Jiangxi so we were not at the hotel until about 11:00 pm. The babies were to arrive at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday and they informed us that they were coming at 10:00 instead. Ok – that is one last hour of preparation time. She then wanted us to be in the room at 9:30 to begin paperwork for the China adoption part of our process. Now ½ hour less time of preparedness. She then said to be there at 9:15 to pray. So – we stayed up till 3:00 a.m. unpacking, organizing and preparing a diaper bag, money and paperwork for our morning. After that we only had 3 hours sleep.

We got in early, at 9:15 – as requested. Then the door opened and about five babies were carried in and then they sent them back out. Every mom in the room was looking and staring and wondering if one of those were hers. They made us finish the paperwork, took our load of money (THANK GOD) and then it was time. (Keckler – you can quit worrying). They brought in the babies one at a time – carried in by Mrs. Xu – the orphanage director. She loves them so much. We were 8^th to receive our babies. My heart was racing and John was snapping pics and going crazy trying to get the perfect photo. They called us by our daughter’s name – Gong Suman. I was stunned – and shocked. It was about to happen – we had planned and prepared for this and it is just too surreal – it is a dream – it is like nothing one can imagine and believe – even at the moment. Mrs. Xu handed her to me and I just did everything in my power to not cry – I did not want to scare her. I took her over and sat down with her and began to give her a bottle. She cried for a few minutes, took her bottle and we both were a little shaky –or maybe it was only me – shaking for the both of us.

She LOVED John immediately. She would not look at me. I tried everything. But she engaged him. He was able to make her laugh. She let me nurture her and feed her though so I thought it could be the glasses – which it probably was, because after a few hours she got full and direct eye contact with me, smile and make noises. Of course John can get the laugh from her. She loves him and she initiates with him if he is nearby and not looking at her. It is cute.

Right now we call her ManMan – which is what they called her. By tomorrow (Friday) we will call her ManMan Lacie and then switch in a few days to Lacie ManMan. She knows her name and she responds to it, so as she is adapting to us it is only fair to her to not do any dramatic switches. ManMan means graceful according to our guide Sissi (CiCi.)

After we finished paperwork and they asked us why we wanted to adopt her, why from China, if we promise to not to harm her or abandon her and what our educational goals are for her, we took her to our room and she passed out. She sleeps holding a blanket over her face and making suckling noises like she has used a pacifier – but she refuses the ones we brought for her.

She came with horrible heat rash on her fore head and cradle cap all over her head. I have had expert moms and a professional nanny (also adopting) promise me that she does not have scabies or lice. None of the babies do at this point and this is of course wonderful.

During her nap – I ran around trying to get things ready for our next leg of the journey at 3:30 p.m. and that was to go to the notary for the final and official part of our China adoption. I got bottles ready and diaper bag and more paperwork, passports, etc. I let John nap with her. Once there, we signed our last documents – and confirmed our occupations. By the way – paralegal is not a word in China. So for our official documents here – I went from paralegal, to assistant to attorney, to lawyer helper. That was acceptable. We got our red book with the adoption certificate – which makes it final and official in China.

We then went shopping at a local market. Needless to say at this point, her heat rash is looking bad again, and we were tired and exhausted. And Shop for What? John and I packed WalMart with us. So – we did not purchase anything – but tissues and bottled water. A young girl – in her teens – came up to me and saw me with Lacie and said, Lovely baby. I showed her the tag that our agency prepared in Chinese telling the locals what we were there for and that she was our daughter. She replied, Lucky baby. I wish I could communicate with her how lucky and blessed we truly are – that we are the ones being totally blessed by our daughter in our lives.

By the time we arrived back at the hotel it was 6:30 and we had dinner and then I began to feel quesy and sick and weak. I was so afraid that I would not be able to take care of her if she woke up. I was afraid she would be awake half the night and I would not get the much needed sleep. Lacie slept all night – waking once for a bottle. Daddy slept and mommy began to obsess – what if I don’t hear her cry? What if she falls out of her make shift crib of two chairs pushed and tied together? What if I am not going to be a good mom? What if she has a need or something that I don’t recognize? What if her rash is not heat and is scabies? What if she does not go NO. 2? By 3:00 a.m. I was very sick. I woke John up and cried and shared my concerns. OH MY GOODNESS – he is going to be such a good dad - already is. Because after I slept for 20 minutes she did wake up needing a bottle and diaper change and he took care of her. I was up too but he did the running, preparing bottles and changed his first diaper. We let her sleep with us after that and he nurtured her the rest of the night as I finally drifted off to sleep – until 7:00 a.m.

So, after 3.5 hours sleep – I am staying back at the room with her while she sleeps and I am of course unable to and now blogging. John is touring with the group to catch more of China on film for our daughter to see down the road. We have already called her adoption pediatrician in Lexington who is just wonderful. She helped me figure out that her heat rash is most likely just that. She told us what to look for for lice – which she apparently does not have, and she told us what to give her and how much for the cough and runny nose and that we can combine that with benedryl for her itchy rash.

She is eating well. She is good natured and only fusses when she is tired. We already know when she is ready to sleep because she puts the blanket up over her face (or shirt as in our photos in our online photoalbum) and begins to suck maybe her tongue. She loves to be cuddled. She loves to be sung to. She loves to be near us. She loves funny made up songs which I am better at then traditional lullabies. John will begin to giggle at her and she giggles back. She likes both of us, which is good so we can both take care of her.

All in all and very sleep deprived, we are so truly blessed with our sweet angel – and that she is. We are still getting to know each other and we are so full of thankfulness to God for His blessings on our life. We are so much in love with Lacie and she is everything we have prayed and hoped for.

Our prayer needs now are that we get the sleep we need, that we stay well and that mommy quits the middle of the night obsessing.

We thank each of our family, friends for your continued support and love for us and for your encouragement in our journey. We love each of you back.

I hope to write more as we continue on – but if not – it is because we have a bundle of love to feed and care for.

Here is a picture of us with the orphanage director and also one of Lacie with her beautiful smile at daddy just about ½ hour after we received her.

Love and hugs to all – Vonda, John and Lacie (ManMan)