Tuesday & Wednesday update

I've started to write a couple times, but I'm so tired by the time I sit down.......and Phil keeps stealing the puter to upload pics. ;0)  Thank you everyone for keeping up with our journey!  I cannot even begin to tell you the overwhelming joy GiGi has already brought to our family!  She is sooooo amazing!!!!  She is already responding to GiGi as her name & has said (in this order) DaDa, Bubba, Sissy, & Mama!  I honestly thought Monday that Dada meant something else in Chinese or that she didn't understand who Dada was to her.  However, that is absolutely not the case at all!  If Phil isn't paying attention to her she starts yelling DaDa!  When he turns to look at her, she gets so tickled & teased that she will laugh her huge laugh & cover her eyes & put her head down!  This is a game she loves to play & needless to say DaDa loves it too!

Yesterday was a hard day! We had to return to the notary where we first got GiGi.  She definitely realized it & was so uneasy!  She would not let anyone hold her but me.  We could not comfort her in any way.  When we let her down, she would grab my hand & run to the door.  It was just heart wrenching to see her so scared of abandonment!  I cannot imagine all she has endured in her short 31months of life!  After we got back to Crowne Plaza & she woke up from her nap she was better but much clingier all day. 

We went to KFC to eat & it was so good! Why?  Well, try to eat out of a snack machine for 3 days & then you might know! Lol  There are not many places non-Chinese to eat close.  We went to Wal-Mart (Yes, we are in China & still going to the American places.).  When we got back, Macy taught GiGi how to write with markers & that was so much fun!  GiGI got a little bit of marker on herself which she did not like at first!  Suddenly she was fond of tattooing herself with the marker.  Well, it was so funny to her & when she laughs & shows her teeth & dimples she does about whatever she wants! Lol  (When Phil downloads those pics, I’ll post her tat job!)  Then, it was bath time which is one of GiGi’s favorite things!  After she & Macy Jade took a bath, it was lotion time.  GiGi remembered lotion time from the night before & Miss Independent thought she had to do it all herself & then she lotioned Macy too! Well, they had a lotion bath after the water bath but who could complain???  Macy had been taking care of GiGi for days & it was the sweetest thing to see GIGi returning care to Macy.  I know Macy wasn’t a big fan of layers of lotion but she just let GiGi cover her however she pleased!  Toe nails painted for all girls before bed & GiGI was unsure but when Macy got her nails painted, GiGi thought it was great!

Today, when GiGi woke up, Colt got her out of the crib so we told him to take her to the bathroom.  He wasn’t so sure at all & started telling us he didn’t know how to get her on the potty (she has her own child potty).  He was such a trooper & took her in there as we told him we had faith in him.  Well, Colt had to do nothing else because Miss Independent took care of everything once he walked her in there!

I have to brag!  GiGi might have said Mama last, but I got the first kiss today! ;0))))

I can now ask her for a kiss & she will pucker & lean toward me……talking about melting this mama’s heart!!!!!!  However, I have no doubt she would steal any heart because she is so sweet & silly!  She has not appeared to have any problems with adjusting to our family & seems to be so smart & friendly!  She will say “Hi” & “Bye” while she waves at anyone.   She tries to mimic any & everything that we do!  If she does something one time, she remembers it even if it is the next day!  She is potty trained, feeds herself, reaches to hold your hand when we walk, brushes her own teeth, & has a smile that will make you love her in a second!  I cannot wait for each of you to meet her! 

I’m equally as proud of Colt & Macy Jade at how they take care of her.  Love her so so very much!  And has adapted as if GiGi has always been with us!  Our completeness after a year wait has been far more than I could have ever dreamed!  I know we are all doing so super well, but please continue to pray for us!  I pray & thank God for each of you daily!

Words cannot explain the happiness we have in our hearts - everyone of us........ALL 5 members of our family!  I feel bad that I've not blogged more often but I'm so taken away by our completeness that I'm just trying to absorb it all!  Phil & I keep saying that we are waiting for that “strange” place where we are like what……we just adopted an orphan from China.  However, it just isn’t happening!  GiGi is just part of our family; she is our daughter/sister & nothing else!  I wish I could in words describe the harmony we feel having her with us & she appears every bit as happy!

Thank you so much to everyone that has supported us! We read every comment & are over-joyed at every "like" we have because that lets us know so many of you are following us!  Please know this journey is also your journey because we couldn't have done it without you!  Thank You!