According to China... 8/25/2009

Something to laugh about: As we were walking along the sidewalk yesterday there was a whole where it looked like someone was going to fix a pipe or something. I said to Todd, "I've heard of digging to China" and his reply was "Looks like somebody made it!"

We started the day Skyping with the kids at home. FuJiao was just waking up and was a little shy. We headed to breakfast, and she wasn't very excited to eat with the other families. I think she remembered yesterdays crying and got to feeling a little sad. We ate and she wanted to go right back to the room. Once we got there the tears started. She finally hit a point of being overwhelmed, and we can't speak enough to ask her what is making her sad the most, although we have a pretty good idea. A hug seemed so inadequate for what she was feeling at the moment.

Not long after that, it was time to meet the orphanage workers (not the greatest of timing). This just brought tears all around. Her nanny hugged her while they cried and were able to share a few more moments. This lady has become her Chinese mom, taking FuJiao home with her on the weekends. You could tell how much she loves FuJiao, and we will always, always be grateful for her loving our daughter the past 5 years. It gave me such a greater appreciation for the women of China who feel they must leave their children to the care of (hopefully) a loving stranger as her nanny left with tears rolling down her cheeks, after encouraging FuJiao to be with her mom and dad, telling her to be happy because now she has a family. The word sacrafice can carry much more meaning than many of us will ever know.

We met with the Civil Affairs director and finalized our papers, finishing by signing our name and then putting our thumb print on top of each signature in red ink. Very symbolic, very final, and very exciting. Then we traveled to the notary office to finish the paperwork. Our adoption is official according to China!

When we got back we skyped with Grandma and Grandpa Reeder. FuJiao was enjoying waving, blowing kisses and sharing her cute smile. It was lunch time--we order 3 or 4 dishes which costs $15-20 and usually end up liking all of them. Todd said he never would have imagined this day when we were dating...here sits Nikki with an adopted child, in China, eating Chinese food willingly with chopsticks! FuJiao wanted a chicken foot and I just couldn't bring myself to order one! The thought of that on the table was more of an adventure than I was up for! She loves all the vegetables, eats most everything and has a pretty good appetite inspite of her tiny frame. The food is really quite good here. We were most excited to try steamed buns since they are one of FuJiao's favorites, and were happy to find out how good they are. FuJiao is obviously our girl as she likes ALL the treats we've offered her.

When we got back to our room the happy version of our girl returned and we've had fun just playing toys (thank you Sara for sharing), coloring, listening to her sing songs in Chinese, and copying whatever we say in English. At the rate she copies us, she'll be speaking English in no time.

Another day almost done and so far we know FuJiao is kind, sharing, loves hugs, happy, likes to sing, is looking cute in Sara's clothes (which thankfully we brought since she came with the clothes she was wearing), is a monkey that likes jumping from bed to bed and around the furniture, is mastering how to use a western style toilet quite well, loves tickling her dad's feet, likes to trace pictures, likes to copy whatever her moms says,and is a very, very brave little girl!