WE HAVE HER!!

Lillian is here! At 9am we walked a few blocks from our hotel to the registration office, where we waited with 2 other families from our agency and a few other adoptive families from other agencies (and other countries, even). We were all on pins and needles waiting for the babies to arrive. When we heard them coming down the hall from the elevator, we all rushed out into the hallway to see them coming. Lilly was in the lead holding her nanny's hand, followed closely by Janae and another little friend from their orphanage holding hands. When they reached us, they said An Xiao Xue (her Chinese name) which was the only cue I needed to reach down and scoop her up. She cried loud and hard at first, but we all went back into the room and once I pulled out some cheerios she got really quiet really fast. She couldn't eat them fast enough. Praise God for cheerios! She didn't cry any more at the registration office, or when we walked to the passport photo office. She seemed really comfy with me as we walked, and ate everything we had on hand for snacks. Our little group of adoptive families got smiles and waves from many Chinese people on the sidewalks.

After passport photos, we returned to the hotel, and when we passed the restaurant on our way to the room, she said "eat" in Chinese so we knew she was still hungry. Once we got to the room (which is SOOO hot and nothing we do seems to cool it), she started to show some more of her emotion and her spunk.

We ordered some room service for her to eat lunch--chicken and rice congee and a fruit platter--and she gobbled it all down. She is wearing split trousers, and the orphanage caregiver told us what she says when she needs to potty. I took her to the potty once already and she produced! After several attempts to change her clothes (she wanted nothing to do with that!) I finally have her in something a little bit lighter. She seems really attached to her coat however, so it is still on. I held her after lunch as she seemed tired but would cry if I laid her down, so I just held her and rocked till she dozed off. I tried too soon to lie her down, however, so she is now awake again and snuggled with baba (daddy) in her coat. I can tell she is tired but she is fighting it.

She is most definitely grieving, and repeatedly asks for her ayi (nanny) and says zou (let's go) then cries. This will be a hard few days as she grieves and tries to make sense of all that is happening. I feel helpless to comfort her in many ways. With a newborn, the basic needs are pretty easy to meet, but with Lilly, what she wants most immediately--her nannies and familiar surroundings--I can't give her. What she NEEDS, however--God-given patience, grace, and a forever family of love--I can and will by His grace.

The orphanage did bring a very nice photo book of Lilly in her foster family and with her nanny. She was wearing beautiful red boots with bows and a cute pink padded jacket when we received her. They also returned the disposable cameras and other items I had sent in the care packages. Most of the items were unused, but the photo album of our family looks like it got lots of use, and all the exposures on the cameras were nearly used. Can't wait to get those developed!

I have to give huge kudos to Anna and Jared. They did great at gotcha' time, letting me take the lead on holding Lilly, and helping Tom get photos and video. They have each now had chances to hold her, feed her, and talk to her. Tom even got her laughing, when he let her whack a fisher price little person repeatedly with her lollipop and made funny noises...baba is pretty funny.

Oh, there is so much more to say but I need to get the photos pasted and some video. Then off to take care of more paperwork.

Prayer requests: Anna has some travellers diarrhea; we need wisdom and discernment, grace and patience; Lilly needs to do her grieving, may it be quick and may she soon feel comfortable and safe with us.

Thanks for sharing in our joy!