Gotcha Day!

What a day!  We managed to get some sleep early this morning, woke up, had breakfast and headed to the orphanage.  The social worker took us to a room where 3 others families were waiting.  One of them happens to be from my hometown of Summerville, SC!  What are the chances?  We had to sign a bunch of papers and right after we finished, Ava's nanny brought her into the room and announced "Feng Ling Xiu" (Xiu pronounced "shoe" so, Jackson, you were right).  The next thing I know, I'm holding our precious daughter!  She has had a tough go of it since then.  She was afraid of Kevin and screamed every time he came near her (that's why he isn't in the pictures).  She cried herself to sleep in the cab on the way back to the hotel and slept for just a few minutes.  She woke up, drank a bottle and ate some rice.  Then she cried, and cried and cried.  Then she called me "mama".  She's scared.  She's grieving.  But it's all normal and we'll get through it.  Together.   Kevin managed to make her laugh by acting goofy and pretending to bump into the walls.  Ava and her Daddy played with a ball, but I had to hold her.  She insists that I hold her all the time, and I'm happy to do it.  She'll warm up to Kevin - Sarah said there aren't any men in the orphanage, so it will just take some time.  Right now, she is napping.  Her sweet little face.  Those chubby, round cheeks.  I can't wait to get her home.  Next week!

The Shanghai Children's Home is huge.  A little more than 1000 children are in its care - including the children in foster homes.  Estimates say there are a million orphans in China.  But, right now, I'm looking at one that is no more.  People have told us how lucky Ava is.  Well, I'm here to tell you Kevin and I are the lucky ones.  You'll understand when you meet her.