Monday, July 1, 2013

Gotcha Day!!!!!!






















Gotcha Day was finally here!  We arrived at the civil affairs office with two other families receiving children.  The place was already packed with families meeting their children for the first time.  

After waiting a few minutes, I saw the most precious girl come timidly through the lobby wearing a navy and white tool dress clutching a cookie.  She was escorted by a nanny and an orphanage employee.  I knew this was Sophia, but before I could get to her, she was swept up into one of the offices.  Apparently, they wanted to "freshen up" Sophia a bit and add a white hat to her ensemble so her grand entrance would be perfect.  :)

So, out she came dressed beautifully walking alongside her sweet nanny, and I scooped her up before she could go anywhere else.  She was definitely nervous, reserved, and timid, but I just held her tight and loved on her.  What an incredible gift!

Levi immediately went into big brother mode.  He gave Sophia a glow worm and a baby doll.  He told her, "You don't have to be scared Baby Sophia. Mommy and Daddy are right here."  He went around the room telling each family that he had a sister, and her name is Sophia.  So sweet!  I knew she would be hungry after her long drive from the orphanage so out came my arsenal of snacks, and Levi really enjoyed hand feeding her a banana, Gerber puffs, and yogurt bites.  I know there may be rocky times ahead and sibling rivalry will rear its ugly head, but for today, I could not be prouder
of our son.

We came home and settled into the hotel room.  Adam went out to bring home dinner....pizza for us and congee (rice soup) for our daughter.  While we waited, Levi showed her his trains (of course, she must like trains to fit into this family), and he even let her carry Henry, one of his favorites.  :)   After dinner and a bottle, she fell asleep in my arms and we shared so e quiet moments with our new daughter.

All in all, an incredible day!  She is beautiful, perfect, cherished,, and greatly loved already.  Can't wait to see what is in store!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

11 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful family. I know you are treasuring the moments of this new beginning. When Sophia gets to Big Q, she will be the new "baby" princess on the compound. So much for her explore in what will now be her Palace. So proud of you all. Such big hearts and enough love to share. Love, MA & PA

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am so happy! I am crying tears of joy as I look at these pictures and read about how precious Levi is with his new sis! Praise God through whom all blessings flow. Love y'all, Amie Mc

    ReplyDelete
  3. Praise the Lord! How sweet the ways Levi reached out to Sophia to make her feel welcome; I was just thinking that he might be a real key in helping her adjust - we pray that she is. Love you guys, and are SO happy for your family of FOUR!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. She is adorable awww ya'lls family is beautiful im so.happy for ya'll n im astounded and amazed how Levi welcomed her and how he was so sweet and he even bragged that he had a sister...Wow .. that is great! Love the pics! Hope to mert her soon!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Welcome to your forever family Sophia! Congratulations Brandi. I am so happy to know that she is in your arms. Looks like your son is going to be the perfect big brother for her. Your pictures brought back many memories of our time there. Blessings to all of you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. She is beautiful! Congratulations! And what a great big brother she has.

    ReplyDelete
  7. She's absolutely beautiful, and Sophia and Levi look absolutely precious together! Praying for a smooth transition for everyone. I'll be stalking your blog everyday for updates. Can't wait to meet Sophia!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. COngratulations! She looks so so sweet. ENjoy getting to know your precious new daughter!

    ReplyDelete
  9. So wonderful to see Levi reaching out to her. what a tremendous Blessing- she is beautiful and we love her already- can't wait to see her !

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yay!!! Congratulations! I found your blog via RQ :)
    I love reading these adoption stories, especially as we are preparing to travel to get our little one in 3 weeks! It looks like we might be with the same agency- maybe? Unless they all do the Beijing tour at the beginning and see the acrobat show, etc :)
    Praying for you family and for smooth transitions for all!
    Anne
    www.contantfam.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congratulations ! So glad the day went well! She is darling!

    ReplyDelete