WOW! What can I say about today??? It was amazing!!!! I know you all want to see pictures of Klaire- so go ahead and scroll down to see her and then you can read what I wrote about today!
We left Beijing about 8:45am and flew to Guangzhou with about 13 other families adopting from this same province! We got to our hotel about 1:30- grabbed McDonald's to eat in our room and then headed down to the bus. We headed to the civil affairs office at 3:00pm. When we got there, emotions started flowing! This is the day we have been waiting for! Amy, our guide, told us that the babies were waiting in a room on the 5th floor! We just couldn't believe it was finally going to happen! I immediately started crying!
We walked in and went up to the 5th floor to the Guangdong Adoption Center. We were all in this small waiting area with no air conditioning! It was very stuffy! While we were waiting several families came out with their babies! Not one was crying! They were adorable!
Then, Amy calls for us to come into the main room! Cameras were flashing and videos were taping! Everyone was asking each other to take pictures and video for them! Of course, with the name Wilson- guess who was the last to get their baby! US! So guess who was taking everyone's pictures and videos- US! ha! We loved every minute of it! It was so exciting to see our friends get their babies! They are all so beautiful!!!! It all happened so fast that I just threw my camera at one of the men and he started snapping pictures for us! It was crazy in there for about 5 minutes! That is about how long it took for everyone to get their babies!
Most of the babies were calm when they were handed over to their new parents- there was a few that cried. It was such an overwhelming scene! As soon as the first baby was brought in - Karlee just started bawling! It was so sweet! I don't really think that she thought she would be so overwhelmed with emotion! I was so glad that the girls were here to experience it first hand with us!
When they called the family in front of us- I spotted Klaire outside in the hallway! I yelled at Joe to get someone to take a picture for us! He didn't recognize her, but I did immediately! She looks like her referral pictures, but with a little more hair! Then, they called our name! I just could not believe they were actually handing her over to us! It was priceless! Klaire did not make a whimper! She just looked at all of us!
She went to Joe and I both immediately and to the girls as well! What an answer to prayer!
She is just beautiful!!!!!!!!! She has such a sweet disposition! She just looked around at everyone. One of the nannies came up to her and called her by her nickname "YanYan" and kissed her several times! I think she was very loved in the orphanage! She is smaller than what I had imagined! She is able to wear the 6-9 month clothes I brought for her! ( I think she is the size of William and Xavier)
We were able to interview the orphanage director and ask her questions about Klaire. Karlee and Kassidy took her around and played with her while we were interviewing. I asked them if anything really scared her- they all started laughing and said that she wasn't scared of anything! They told us she was a very happy baby and only cries when someone takes away her toys! ha!
After the interviews with the director-the nannies all waved good bye to her and she waved back at them! It was adorable! They all kissed her and told her bye-bye! I am so thankful to see that she was so loved in the
orphanage!
We brought her back to the hotel on the bus. She was taking in all of the sights! She was so content to sit on my lap and look out the window! We took her to our room and tried to give her a bath, but that was not going to happen! She is very strong willed- I can tell already! She stood up and would not sit in the water- so I just gave her a sponge bath really quick!
The girls picked out her pajamas and we put a bow in her hair. She is just beautiful! Karlee and Kassidy are just in love with her, as we are too!
She finally took a bottle for me and then fussed a little. After a little while, she went off to sleep on my shoulder- snoring! It was so cute! I laid her in the crib and she has been asleep since around 7:00! She will probably be up at 2:00 - I hope and pray she sleeps longer!
This has been such an emotional day! We are so thankful to God for his faithfulness throughout these past 21 months to get us here today! We now have our daughter that God had chosen for us! She is just perfect! Thank you all for your prayers and love! Kristen, you were right when you told me the day we left, that I couldn't even imagine how much I would love her when they put her in my arms! The love just overflowed! We are in awe that God would choose us to raise this beautiful child in our family! I just can't wait to see what God has in store for her life as well as ours!
We love you all! Please keep praying for Klaire -that she will adjust to our family! She is doing great, but we know she will grieve her loss today!
We just give Thanks to our Wonderful Savior for this precious gift that He chose to bless our family with on Labor Day!
With love overflowing from China,
Joe , Julie, Karlee, Kassidy and KLAIRE!!!
