The Day We Met Our Daughter and The Day She Became Ours Legally

We were trying to get some sleep on Sunday evening before we were to get Faith the next morning.  Trying is the key word.  I'm really struggling sleeping here.  I decided to check my email, and low and behold we had an update on Faith that we asked for weeks ago.  There were a few cute pictures as well as a note about her heart.  They said she wasn't on heart medication anymore, and her heart was doing so much better.  I was so excited I woke Wayne up and FaceTimed our families to tell them.  We couldn't wait to see her.

 

Day and Night from the 30th floor at our hotel in Changsha.

This whole trip has felt so surreal that we couldn't believe we were actually on our way on Monday morning to get her!

Wendy suggested a picture before we went into the Civil Affairs office.  She told us not to worry because the orphanage director was almost always late because of the long drive they had to make to get there.

 

 

When we got upstairs we were blown away to see that she was there.  We were so shocked that we froze for a second.  She warmed up to us quickly, and while I was asking lots of technical questions to the orphanage director, Wayne was doing what dads do best: playing.  She warmed up to playing with him so quickly.  We were both in complete shock.  We had been prepared for a very rough few days and fully expected her to scream any time we came near.  That didn't happen, and we were so relieved!  I asked the orphanage director how she was when she first came back to the orphanage (in November she came back to be closer to the hospital after spending her whole life with a foster family), and she said that Bei Bei (Faith) had a really hard time.  I truly believe she did a lot of her grieving during that time.

 



 



Faith's orphanage really seems like a nice one.  They even send the kids with their new parents with a backpack for their belongings.  At one point she put it on and started waiving like she was ready to go!

We snapped a picture with the orphanage director and the assistant director and they explained that she was about to leave with us.  And she started crying.  :'(  I can't imagine how scared she must be.  She only cried about ten minutes and went to sleep.  They gave her to me and we left.

 

 

On the way downstairs she started opening her eyes.  She had her eyes open the entire way looking at me, scared to death.  She was sweating up a storm and not making a sound.  She completely shut down.

 

 

When we got back to the hotel room, we tried for a while to get her to start playing with us again, but she was almost lethargic.  We also noticed she had a bit of a cold and when she coughed her lips turned blue, and she was soaking wet with sweat.  Our guide called the orphanage doctor, and she was obviously having issues with her heart from the anxiety of the day.  We gave her three different heart medications (THIS MAKES US SO NERVOUS!) and she eventually calmed down.  We haven't had a spell that bad since.

 

 

 

 

She warmed up to us again, and we played with bubbles, stacking cups and her new little puppy.  She also has had fun with FaceTime when we can catch our family at the right time.

 

And boy was I relieved to give her her first bath!  (Well, her first bath with me.  I got this honor because the stinker peed all over me!  :)

And I gave her a bottle.  I know it's weird for us in the States to give bottles at three years old, but they do this here.  She gets two bottles a day, and we are not supposed to stop that any time soon.  We need to change as little as possible with her routine to help her adjust to us.

Now that gets us to today.  Today was a big day.  Today was the day Chen Bei Bei legally became Faithlynn Bei Peoples, although we will be calling her Bei Bei for a while. 

 

We were nervous about going to the Civil Affairs office today.  We knew we would see the orphanage director, and we were so afraid it would set us back to where we were yesterday.  That is the last thing her little heart needs, in more ways than one!

 

Sure enough, the orphanage director reached for her as soon as we got there, and she went straight to her.  I'm afraid there was a flash of panic in both Wayne and I.  We are truthfully so thankful she was loved.  You can really tell this woman loves these children.

 

 



 And then a wonderful thing happen.  I reached my hands out to her and she immediately reached for me!  Wayne and I both wanted to break out the Hallelujah Chorus!

A few legal steps later, and she was officially ours.  China cannot have her back!  :-)

Several people have been talking to our guide since we got her.  Our guide says they all say she is a lucky girl.  Many have even thanked us for "what we are doing for her."  We truly believe it's the other way around.  We are so thankful to have her.  We can't wait for her brothers to meet her in person, and to enjoy raising these three incredible blessings.

We are thankful today that He truly does set the lonely in families.