GOTCHA DAY!!!! OUR LIVES WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN....

Our day started quite early today. We were all wide awake at 5 A.M. and SO ready to go get our girl!!! I can't begin to explain the emotions on Gotcha Day. It's a day that one's life changes forever. Having experienced this day three times before, Roger and I knew it was going to be a good day. It is not always a bed of roses, but there are no words to describe when a child from half way around the world is placed in one's arms for the first time......

Our group left the hotel at 9:30 this morning to go to the Registration Office to meet our children for the first time. It wasn't a very impressive looking place. We actually had to walk through a whole floor of construction to get to the steps to go to a room upstairs where they would bring our children.

When we reached the room, the officer from Ansley Grace's orphanage was already there with her. OH, what a cutie she is!!!! She was a little shy around us at first, but still offered us smiles. She had a photo album with her that the orphanage had sent with several pictures of her in it. She was pretty possessive of her book at first.....she didn't want it our of her sight However, she didn't mind letting Roger and me look at it. Other than the clothes she had on, it was the only thing she had with her. 

GOTCHA!

It didn't take her long to warm up to us a little more, though, and we got lots of smiles and giggles. We found out right off that she loves a cell phone. She had mine taking selfies like crazy! We asked her if she wanted to go play with the toys in the room. At first she shook her head no, but then later she went and played with Molly Kate and Callie Beth. It was like they had an instant connection. 

We were at the Registration Office for almost three hours. A couple of families in our group had to wait longer than expected for their babies to arrive. We finally got all of today's paperwork and payments completed, and headed back to the hotel. Ansley Grace took Molly Kate's and Callie Beth's hands and got on the bus, just like it was something she did every day. 

We spent the entire afternoon in our room. All three girls played with their Mobigos, drew pictures, and played with toys we brought. The room we are staying in is VERY warm. In fact, even though the high termperature the past two days has been in the low 50's, we have had our window open. Ansley Grace came to us in the thickest sweater pants that I have ever seen, and it was obvious her top was layered. In addition to that, she had come in a heavy coat. I noticed her cheeks were getting rosy.

 I had an outfit laid out for her that matched what Molly Kate and Callie Beth had on. I asked her if she wanted to put it on, and she nodded yes. SO I helped her get those bulky clothes off and put the matching outfit on. She grinned from ear to ear. I asked her if she wanted a bow, and she shook her head, so I wasn't going to press that issue......YET!!!!
 

SISTERS!

Tonight we decided to walk to the Holiday Inn Express and eat noodles for supper. We have eaten there many times before when we stayed at the Crowne Plaza next door. We started walking from our hotel, and we just hadn't stopped to realize just how far it was. The sidewalks here are very uneven, and they are not just for people walking. People ride their mopeds on the sidewalks, too. It really is dangerous. Ansley Grace tripped and fell, she got up without any problem. Then she tripped and fell again. This time when it happened, she cried. She let me comfort her by putting my arms around her and kissing her on the head. Roger carried her for a while, but it was almost like she was shutting down when he was carrying her, so he put her down to walk again. I think it was probably farther than she has walked in her entire life. She was really quiet the rest of the way to the restaurant, and even though she was holding my hand, we were afraid she was shutting down on us. But once we got there, she was her happy, smiling, giggly self again. She ate noodles and rice until she was full. We decided it might be best to get a taxi back to our hotel rather than trying the long walk again. Molly Kate and Callie Beth both fell asleep during supper, so we were afraid we might end up having to pack all three of them before we made it back. The taxi was the best $3 we've spent since we got here.

When we got back to the room, I intended for the girls to take a bath. I didn't even have to tell Ansley Grace. She immediately started stripping down. I had rub-a-dub-dub, the three cutest China girls in a tub!!! After their bath, they got out and I helped her dry off. I had new PJ's laid out for all three girls to wear. When Ansley Grace saw hers, her face lit up like a Christmas tree. This girl likes clothes!!! She got dressed, brushed her teeth, and was all giggly again when I gave her vitamins. I fixed her bed, and she obediently climbed in when I told her it was bedtime. It took her a little while to go to sleep. I turned the TV on to a cartoon channel, and she watched it for awhile, but finally fell asleep.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but we couldn't have asked for our GOTCHA DAY to have gone any better. She is a perfect fit for our family, just like our other three girls were from the beginning. The only thing that kept this day from being perfect was the absence of Eiley Joy. Somehow, though, I just know she was smiling down from Heaven.......