Seven years ago today...

Gord and I were in China experiencing the happiest day of our lives!  A beautiful baby by the name of Li Cui was about to join our family and make us one.  We had waited years and years for this day and nothing could have prepared us for it.  We were frightened and nervous at the thought of becoming parents in such a foreign country so far away from home, away from our friends and our family.  Wow!  When I think back to that day, I cry every time.  Such emotions all at one time and so little time to deal with any of it.  We pretty much gave birth to a 16-month old baby in public.  Thankfully, the other families travelling with us were great and they soon became our go-to for help and info.  I will always remember C (another adoptive Mom) asking me how our first night had gone and I just breaking down and crying on her shoulder in the breakfast buffet line.  In fact, I cried for 3 days straight.  Couldn't stop.  It was just too much for me.  And once my tears finally dried up, Gord took over!  We were a mess but on cloud 9!  We had just become parents to the most beautiful and amazing little girl that we were going to love forever and ever.  What could be better? 

At the end of that first full day, C knocked on our door to see how we were doing and because I could not face anyone, only opened it a crack, only to get some cheese and crackers pushed through it on a napkin and a soft voice telling me that it would make me feel better.  Then there was S (another Mom) across the hall. I finally conjured up enough courage to ask her to take a look at Cara-Li's rash.  What do I know about rashes?  I never had a baby before!  All this to say that the entire experience would not have been the same without the wonderful people we shared it with.  And on this very special day, I like to remember them as well.  For they were the ones that were there for us when we were alone.
 
As the days progressed, things got a little better.  We were able to sleep a little and the cloud lifted!  Cara-Li also became more relaxed and we began to see her little character.  I should have known in that very first week that this child had a heart of gold.  Cara-Li would walk around with her Cheerios container and feed all the other girls before eating any herself.  What a sweetheart!  She is still like this today.

We are now 7 years later... 7 glorious years with the perfect daughter.  We could not be more thankful to whoever or whatever put us together.  Life would be imaginable without our precious girl, Cara-Li.  She may not have grown within me but she certainly grew in my heart. 

I love you more than words can say, Cara-Li, to the moon and back!

July 27, 2003

July 27, 2010

Sisters forever!

How I love these girls!

Here is a drawing that Cara-Li made tonight on her placemat at the restaurant.  Bottom half represents our family on Gotcha Day.  Top half represents our family today with the addition of Alexia. 

I think she's pretty happy, don't you?