Our Girl Grace

WE HAVE OUR GIRL AND SHE FITS HER NAME PERFECTLY, SHE IS A TREASURE!! WE ARE SO IN LOVE AND SO IN AWE OF THIS SWEET CHILD GOD HAS PLACED IN OUR ARMS. WE RECEIVED GRACE ON TUESDAY MORNING ABOUT 11AM, HER NANNY CAME INTO THE ROOM HOLDING THE FAMILY PHOTO ALBUM I HAD SENT AND GRACE WAS CLINGING TO THE RATTLE WE SENT HER! SHE CAME RIGHT TO ME AND EVEN WENT TO PAUL!! WE ARE SO BLESSED. YESTERDAY WAS A LONG, TIRING AND STRESSFUL DAY FOR ALL OF US!! GRACE HAS DONE BEAUTIFULLY FOR HAVING HER ENTIRE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. WE CAN TELL SHE WAS VERY LOVED AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF!! WHEN HER NANNY HANDED HER TO ME, THE NANNY CRIED, SHE WAS VERY ATTACHED TO GRACE AND TOOK EXCELLENT CARE OF HER. SHE IS THE YOUNGEST IN OUR GROUP AND SHE IS THE BIGGEST. I WOULD GUESS SHE IS 20-21 POUNDS. VERY HEALTHY!! ALL OF THE CLOTHES I BROUGHT FOR HER ARE TOO SMALL. WE ARE MAKING DUE!! I WOULD GUESS SHE IS IN 12 TO 18 MONTH OR 18 MONTH.

AFTER WE RECEIVED THE BABIES WE WERE ALLOWED TO GO BACK TO THE HOTEL FOR A FEW HOURS. GRACE WAS BUNDLED IN LOTS OF LAYERS AND THE CLOTHES WERE BRAND NEW. THE SHIRT WAS SO TIGHT I HAD TO CUT IT OFF HER!! WE RETURNED LATER THAT AFTERNOON TO DO PAPERWORK. AND THEN SPENT THE EVENING IN OUR ROOM WITH 3 OF THE OTHER FAMILIES LETTING OUR GIRLS PLAY. GRACE IS BY FAR THE STRONGEST AND LIKES HER TOYS! WE WILL HAVE TO WORK ON THE SHARING!! SHE USES BOTH HANDS AND HAS EXCELLENT STRENGTH AND EYE HAND COORDINATION!! SHE CAN ALMOST SIT UP BY HERSELF AND LOVES HER FINGERS AND TOES. IT IS LIKE YESTERDAY WAS THE FIRST TIME SHE HAD EVER SEEN THEM!! SHE DIDN’T TAKE A BOTTLE YESTERDAY AT ALL, DID EAT A BIT OF RICE CEREAL, PRUNES AND PEARS. I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT MORE FOOD!! SHE DID HAVE ONE CRYING EPISODE LAST NIGHT ABOUT 8PM AND KEPT CALLING MAMA, I KNOW IT WASN’T ME SHE WAS CALLING OUT FOR!! SHE BONDED WELL TO HER NANNY. SHE AWOKE ONLY ONCE DURING THE NIGHT AND I ROCKED HER FOR A BIT AND PUT HER BACK IN THE CRIB, NO PROBLEM!! WE DID HAVE TWO POO-POO’S LAST NIGHT WHICH MAKES US VERY HAPPY! SHE IS A BIT CONGESTED AND TEETHING. SHE HAS TWO TEETH ON THE BOTTOM ALMOST THROUGH AND IT FEELS LIKE THE TOP AREN’T TOO FAR BEHIND.
TODAY SHE WOKE UP ABOUT 730 AM QUITE HAPPY, BUT WITH A DRY DIAPER. NOT GOOD. WE FIGURED OUT SHE LIKES THE AMERICAN FORMULA BETTER. SHE TOOK 8 OZ THIS MORNING AND THEN 6 MORE OUNCES JUST BEFORE HER NAP AT ONE TODAY. WE WENT TO THE NOTARY TODAY TO MAKE THE ADOPTION OFFICIAL. THEY ASKED PAUL AND I IF WE LIKE OUR BABY? AFTER THE NOTARY WE WENT TO WALMART, THAT WAS A TRIP. ANIMALS ALL OVER THE PLACE, VERY DISTINCT SMELLS, BUSY, LOUD AND SMOKEY!! AND MOST OF ALL HOT!! IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE!!

THE WEATHER HERE HAS BEEN RAINING OFF AND ON SINCE WE ARRIVED. PAUL AND THE OTHER DADS HAVE VENTURED OUT TO THE LOCAL MART AND MCDONALDS. I THINK THEY ARE NEEDING A BABY BREAK! WE ARE BLESSED TO BE TRAVELING WITH SUCH A GREAT GROUP!!

WELL MY LITTLE MISS JUST WOKE UP SO I MUST GO, CAN’T GET PICTURES UP YET, THANKS FOR ALL THE LOVE AND PRAYERS!!

We spent the day today touring the Great Wall and were able to see the Olympic areas, which included the bird nest! It has been raining most of the day. We also toured the jade factory and picked up a few nice things. We flew out of Beijing and arrived in Nanchang just about an hour ago! When we walked into the room tonight there was a white crib with pink sheets waiting for us! The crib has Winnie the Pooh on it, they must have known Grace’s Aunt Maryann was a Disney Fan!!We have great internet service so far and hope we are able to post more!!

Tomorrow is Grace Day!! We will meet the babies at 11 am and then we must go back later in the day for more paper work!! Please keep Grace and us in your prayers!!

We are off to sleep!!

Hello to all, we slept well again last night after our first full day of touring! We visited Tianneman Square, the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, an authentic Chinese acrobat show and a real Chinese restaurant complete with lots of animals to pick from to add to your dishes!! Very fragrant place!!

We are off for our second day of touring, the Great Wall, the Olympic area and then onto Nanchang. We may meet our daughters later tonight or first thing tomorrow!! We are so excited!!

No shopping as of yet! Having a hard time getting photos onto the site, will try in Nanchang where hopefully the internet is better!!

Love from China, Terri and Paul

HELLO TO ALL, WE ARRIVED IN BEIJING LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON!! THE FLIGHT AND THE DAY WERE THE LONGEST THING I  HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. I WAS SO TIRED WHEN WE FINALLY GOT TO THE HOTEL, I PUT MY HEAD DOWN AND I WAS OUT!! WE ARE UP AND AT IT AND FINALLY GOT THE COMPUTER TO WORK. IT IS 5 AM CHINA TIME AND WE ARE SHOWERING AND GETTING READY FOR A FULL DAY OF TOURING. YOSHI OUR GUIDE IS YOUNG AND GREAT!! WE MISS HOME AND EVERYONE ALREADY!! WILL POST MORE AND HOPEFULLY PHOTOS. NO ONE HERE SPEAKS ENGLISH AND WE JUST GOT OUR COMPUTER UP!! CHEERS FROM CHINA!