Five years ago today......
Here we were in China waiting in a conference type room at the Lottery Hotel for someone to bring us our daughter. It is a surreal feeling to have bonded 3 months before to 3 photos and a name. We waited patiently that morning for them to come in and bring the girls to us. I have never in my life felt so nervous and excited and scared all at the same time. Rong Fu Pei was the youngest and smallest of all the 9 girls. She was the last of the girls to be brought in (of course). The beautiful chinese women dressed in green & grey handed me the most beautiful little girl. Unlike most of the other little girls that day, Clara did not cry when she was placed in my arms. At one year old I held her like a baby. She did not look or feel like a one year old. Her hair was in two pig tails pulled tight on either side of the top of her head. She wore a red tank top with a gold Egyptian emblem on it. She had on black cotton short and plastic pink "jellies".
With her in my arms I felt so much joy. I also could not help but feel sadness for another mother. The mother that was unable to keep this precious gift.
On the bus ride back to the hotel I stuffed a bottle in her mouth. I gave her cheerios. I still had not let Jason hold her. She looked around at us both. She had no expression on her tiny little face. She did not seem sad or happy. Her face was covered in bug bites.
Back at the Hotel in Nanning China we sat her on the bed. She fell right over. I realized then that this little peanut could not sit up by herself. We propped her up with a pillow and looked at her. She looked at us. She was absolutely wonderful! She ate when I gave her cheerios and she held a toy if we gave it too her. Still expressionless. I was amazed at how much love I could feel for her. She was just perfect.
We played peekaboo and I tickled her and I kissed her little hand. We brought way more toys than she needed. Her favorite thing to play with was a plastic water bottle.
That night Jason gave her a bath. I took out her tight pig tales. As I took all her clothes off I began my motherly search..... checking every single inch of her. I rubbed my hands over her small back, her legs, arms and bottom. I kissed her face and head. I held her naked body. She was perfect. I was in love! As Jason put her in the bath she screamed. That was her 1st time in a bath tub.
The next morning we woke up not knowing if she was awake or still sleeping. She had taken her bottle before bed and not made a sound as we laid her in a crib she had never seen before. In a hotel with air conditioning (something she probably did not have in the orphanage). We sneaked up to the crib & she lay just where we left her on her back looking up at us.
Days went by with no smiles or cries. We played with the other girls in the hotel lobby and took field trips as a group. Then one night as Jason laid on the bed with her.... kissing and tickling her...she smiled. She smiled a bight warm amazing smile. He tickled under her chin again and again. She laughed and laughed.
For 5 years Clara has been a bright warm amazing smiling girl. She has the most incredible laugh. She is purely & deeply loved by everyone in our family. We each hold a special place in our heart for her. She is such a part of our family. We just love this girl!
Gottcha day is like no other day!
1st photo we got of Clara
2 more photo's we were sent from the orphanage.
Clara's American passport photo
In the lobby of the Lottery Hotel, Nanning China
All 9 girls with their nannies!
When she was handed over to us!
1st night sleep!
1st day with mom and dad
The director of the orphanage and his wife. Clara won over the heart of the directors wife.
Clara smiles!
Clara and her Chinese friends that she spent her 1st year with: Sam, Eden, Gigi, Clara, Kristen, Hope, Faye, Rebekah and Emme (and her older sister Katie)
Our dear friends who we will always be bonded with Travel Group 780!