Officially ours!

Today we went and signed papers with the Chinese government that made our adoption of Ella Grace official. It was quite unusual. We had to promise to never abandon or abuse her and to treat her like one of our own children. Then we had our picture taken on a podium with flowers.




Michael was instructed on exactly where to stand and how to hold the official document.




Last night we tried out a bath and she loved it!








Ready for bed!








Finally out.
This morning getting ready to leave for official appointments.












So far everything is going so well. She is happy and content. Eating is not an issue. She eats constantly and pretty much anything she can get her hands on. I am very pleased at the care that she received at the orphanage. She is obviously used to getting her diaper changed quickly when it is needed because as soon as she is wet she lets me know and wants a new diaper. She has no diaper rash and very few insect bites (which is good this time of year).
She is a funny little girl with lots of personality. She likes to stay clean and will hold her hands out to be wiped. She is independent and wants to do things herself. She has something in at least one hand at all times. It doesn't matter what she is holding as long as she is holding something. Sharing is going to be an issue because once she has something, giving it up doesn't come easy. That's probably the only way to really survive in an orphanage.
I was worried last night that she would wake up frightened or sad this morning. Thankfully, she slept well and woke up with a smile. Because I know she was cared for and loved her nanny, I am expecting her to grieve at some point. She had a hard time leaving her nanny yesterday, and I could tell her nanny cared for her too. It was one of the most heart wrenching moments of my life. I can't imagine how scared she must have been. Please continue to pray for her. She looks happy in the pictures, and she seems happy to us. However, deep within her are hurts and losses that she will deal with for the rest of her life. My prayer is that whether it is tomorrow or 20 years from now, God will give me the wisdom to know how to comfort her.
The next few days will be spent sightseeing and spending time together. We did not get approval to visit the orphanage. As much as I would have liked to see it first hand, I am somewhat relieved that we didn't have to make the decision about whether to go. I think it would have been hard on Ella Grace and selfishly, very hard for me. We will fly out of Shanghai on Friday for Guangzhou.
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