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Monday, February 25, 2013

Child of my dreams

I don't even know where to start. Thalia has been with us mere hours, and I feel like she's always been with us. I don't really know what I was expecting, but who she is is not what I was expecting! When she first came out of a side room at the civil affairs office, she came right up to us with the mother and baby panda we'd sent her for Christmas and handed it to me. I thought she looked scared, but then someone told her we were Mama and Baba, and a big smile broke out on her face. Within seconds she was grinning ear-to-ear, making silly faces, giggling, posing, and sporting Curtis' sunglasses. She did classic "rapper" poses wearing those sunglasses, and we all just laughed and laughed. She was so FUNNY, and she totally got that she was being funny. There were screaming babies all around us, but here was this smiling, charming, trusting, engaging little angel that we got to call ours! It was seriously amazing.

Now, we've done this a few times, and I know all about honeymoon periods, but there is something completely different about this whole experience. This little person looks us in the eye. When the camera comes out, she grabs onto the people next to her and wraps her little arms around them and smiles. She stays with us when we walk through the hotel and on the street. She seems to understand already that we're her people, that she is safe, that we will meet her needs, and that she is loved.

She is so sweet and affectionate - not overly so, but just the right amount. She doesn't talk a lot (but she does talk a little, and she imitates quite a bit. She also has very mandarin-sounding jargon!). She gestures like crazy and she gets her intent known without much difficulty. Just watching her figure things out so quickly on the iPad has me floored. She is smart!

Tonight we took her out for dinner. She could have been cruising all over the restaurant, but she sat on her stool and ate everything we gave her (with chopsticks!) and behaved like an angel. She ate a little ice cream for dessert back at the hotel. She had a bath, during which she petty much bathed herself, she dressed and undressed herself, used the bathroom independently, and took care of putting her toys and clothes away.

Right now she's sitting next to me, playing with the iPad and making her little toy dog kiss me repeatedly. She's absolutely amazing and I'm overwhelmed with gratitude. I'm one lucky mom. <3




















14 comments:

  1. Tears of joy and happiness for your family!

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  2. Oh, she's just darling! I love that big smile in the last picture. She couldn't look any more at home. What a sweetie.

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  3. We are all in love with our newest niece/cousin...we echo the "tears of joy and happiness." Can't wait to hear more about her.
    -mandie and girls

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  4. So happy for you and you family! What a perfect addition you are to each other. It sounds like she was well loved and taken care of before you met.

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  5. Praise God! Love it! -Brooke and Rick (Bao Sha Hao's mom and dad)

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  6. This is a huge blessing!! You are all just beyond darling but that new daughter of yours...DIVINE.

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  7. What a blessing she is for you and your family for her:). I am thrilled for all of you that it is going so well .
    God bless,
    Lee Ann

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  8. Incredible! She is so adorable and you are soooo blessed!

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  9. So happy that she is excited to be with you. Best wishes for a safe journey home with your new little one.

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  10. no words xcept that God tends to the orphaned in amazing ways.... ((tears))

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  11. Found your blog through WC advocates yahoo group. We are an LDS family too. We are just starting our first adoption.
    I read back a little, I'm so sorry for your loss. What grace you have had! Thanks for being a wonderful example to me.
    Congrats to you and you new little girl! She is gorgeous! What a wonderful blessing for you, your family, and Thalia!

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  12. How wonderful! I bet your mom has been right there with you all during this transition and helping Thalia to feel at peace. ;-)

    I cannot believe how much Lilly looks like Sahara! Wild.

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