Beginning to Bond

Claire wrote and sent the following, I'll post pictures as I get them. --Bart

sorry that it has taken me sooo long to sit down and tell you all about this amazing little girl that we are so blessed to have. the few times our internet was connected, i was not able to sit and post. hopefully it will stay on until i finish this.

we are getting to know sophia more and more each day. she does not answer much by the chinese name we were told she is called, so we started to call her mei mei, and it she seems to like it. we will go with that for awhile before we start with sophia.

she seems to be doing great health wise. has a lot of energy and eats pretty good. she just had a transfusion the day before gotcha day, and they are done about every month. so we will get things all straight when we get home. no other medical issues, and she is pretty smart too. likes to draw circles with her orange crayon, and is already repeating a few words.

she is very comfortable with me and my dad, and seems to feel really safe with michael. she lets me hold her hand and do all things for her, but michael is who she wants to carry her when we are outside of the hotel.

a few adoptions ago, i would have taken her want for michael personally, but i have come to realize that this is not about me or any of my wants. what ever makes her feel safe is what matters most. she seems to be pretty social and out going. we went to the play area yesterday, and she had a blast.

we can tell that she was very loved and well cared for. she is very trusting and easy to smile and laugh. becomes more outgoing every day. her foster family sent a back pack with her. it was filled with treats, and a few of her outfits and a photo album. i looked at it when she was sleeping, and can see why she is so very home sick for them.

despite this total upheaval of her little life, she is really sweet. slightly cautious when doing something new, but once she sees it is ok..she is ready to go. she has a mind of her own, but isn't hard headed...

so far (:

she sleeps ALL NIGHT!!! and takes a long afternoon nap. and, she is a complete bed hog like mia. talks A LOT, even in her sleep. it doesn't seem to bother her that we can not understand her, she keeps on going.

she sleeps with a little red sippy bottle/cup. and actually drinks from it in her sleep! no wonder she is not dry at night. i was told to wake her up at 12 and 3 am to go potty. uuhhh sure...she can have her water bottle, but this mama brought pull ups. the LAST thing i am going to do is wake a sleeping kid 2 times a night to go pee!

gotcha day went really well. i had no set expectations, but she came over to us and hung out. she was very quiet and shy, but did not cry until we were headed to the van, she put it all together..and broke down. the type of crying that breaks your heart. she was calling out for her foster parents over and over and looking around.

once we got to the hotel, she was a little more calm. but as it became time for bed, she became really upset. we had our guide come and talk with her because she had cried so hard, so threw up a few times. she was carrying her little back pack and asking to go home.

it was heart breaking. i cried too. not sure it helped, but you could just see how lost she was. but, our guide is fantastic and was able to help me get her a bath and settled for bed. sophia did let me lay down with her, and she feel fast asleep.

she woke up the next morning very stoic, and was crying very quietly. unfortunately, we had to be back at the adoption building at 9 am, so there wasn't much time for just letting her relax and get ready slowly.

going back to where gotcha day was, and seeing the nannies again was not easy. she seemed to be really confused, and went between us and them.

after we had our interview, sophia became officially ours!! we took a few pictures, but basically snuck out while the nannies weren't there.

last night's bed time was better. she stilled cried that quiet, heart breaking cry, but didn't throw up. she let michael hold her while i rubbed her back for awhile. then we laid down and she faded off to sleep.

no tears this morning. but still confused. we got dressed and headed to bkfast. she ate much better today. then we headed out on a tour of the city and went to a new museum the area . i am not a big museum person, but i really enjoyed this one. the expeditions were about the different minority groups in china. showed their housing, costumes and way of life.

we headed to pizza hut for lunch, then visited with a family in the lobby from canada. they are adopting their first child, and a little bit over whelmed. seems their little guy has no use for the mama...only wants daddy. mom is taking this pretty hard and dad is worried that the kids will never leave him.

so wish i had some advice for them, but just can't relate (: we talked for awhile and tried to assure them it would be ok in time. seriously handsome little man! he didn't want anything to do with me either, but i'd still take him!

so, sophia is napping right now and when she gets up we will do a little exploring. found a sweet dress shop where the dresses are hand made form sophia's home town. can not leave with out a few of those for the girls!

she resembles mia a little in the forehead and nose area, and they have the same type of thin..light colored hair. they will be taken as bio sisters i think, but not twins. they are not built alike. sophia is pale, more solid in build, and has bigger hands and feet. she is shorter then mia, but really just stinkin beautiful!

she has tiny ears and hardly any chin. under her eyes get puffy when she is tired.a really cute smile and a lot of very straight teeth. our guide even commented on how nice her teeth are.

we have come to know one of her "looks" when she thinks that she is getting away with something, she will put her bottom teeth out. kind of a half smile, half yikes look. pretty cute.

safe to say that we are in love. am looking forward to getting some smooches on those lips. they are to die for. she has no problem being kissed on the cheek and head, just looks at us like we have 3 heads. probably won't appreciate a lip smooch for awhile.

so that is about it from here. things are really going well, but we are really missing everyone back home. not bringing everyone has its pros and cons. have to see how it weighs out when all is said and done.

take care!

claire