We have our Ivy!!!

As I write these words, my incredibly brave baby girl lays next to me, sleeping. We met her at 2:30 this afternoon in the Nanning Civil Affairs office. When we first arrived, we were told to wait in the lobby waiting room until the room was ready for us. After a few minutes, BJ, Canaan, and I were brought into a small office, where we signed a few documents before spotting Ivy in the door way. She peered in, somewhat curiously, and when the time came for the orphanage workers to pass her into my arms, she was completely terrified. She pushed us both away and sobbed in a barely-taking-breaths sort of way.

We were brought into the photo room next door and brought out all of our goodies in an effort to console her - a sucker, a baby doll, and other toys that she shook her head to and tried with all her might to look through the doorway to find a familiar face. We had our family photo taken with her continuing to sob, and afterwards we were asked if we would like to purchase a copy of the photo etched in glass. We declined.

Her cries continued all the way back to our hotel room, where, after trying once more to console her, we decided to try the Mandarin cartoons we had brought. This slowly started to calm her, and over the course of the next hour we all began slowly turning down the volume of the show and presenting her once again with the toys and sucker. BJ and Canaan started in on the silliness, which coaxed her further out of her shell.  Even with the small progress, at that moment never would I have guessed how quickly she would begin to trust us - not one hour later she was play and laughing. It's just so clear we have a completely adorable, happy little girl!

She still has some bit of reservation - she wants only mama to hold her and hold her hand, and she has no interest in taking off her pink dress (she's sleeping in it now), but we were able to teach her how to pee on a western toilet, wash her hands afterwards, and later to brush her teeth. She did both so proudly it made my mama heart just melt! She is so smart and observant! I just love her so so much already, and I can't believe she's ours!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow, we will head back to the Civil Affairs office to finalize the adoption and make our promises to love her, care for her, and never to abuse or abandon her. This is the part where last time I sobbed! I'm already just so emotional about sayin those words and just the significance of the moment where she will officially become our child!

Such a brave brave girl.

This went on for so long, and we were gearing up for a long few days of a very scared and upset kiddo (very understandably so and not at all unexpected).

But not two hours later this girl began to come out of her shell and even giggle at baba (BJ) and gege (Canaan) who were doing all the could to her her laughing!

Seriously, isn't she just SO adorable? I can't even handle this sweet face right now!

More giggles as she played ball / peekabo (she kept hiding behind the bed and popping out) with gege and baba. :)