Update-Home 4 Days.

After being in airports for approximately 25 hours we were surprised to see our daughter, Hannah, waiting for us at the end of customs. Once we saw her it was all over. Her eyes got real big and the tears were running down her cheeks faster than her legs could run to us. We hugged and cried together right there in the middle O'Hare airport, which was very busy. With her was Kevin's Mom and Dad, who helped us with our luggage to the door where we saw the biggest white stretch limo we have ever seen!!! The ride from the airport to home was filled with excitement and awe over a new child as well as seeing Hannah after a very long 2 weeks. In the limo Kevin's Mom and Dad talk about a real nice couple they met at the airport that was also waiting to see their new grand-daughter. They said she was almost 10 years old and was from Nanning Province in China. This has to be the Gross family that we met 3 years ago at an adoption reunion for our Hannah. This is also the same Gross family that by a miracle was in our travel group and brought home their almost 10 year old, Hannah. What a wonderful red thread that was woven between this family and ours. At home we were greeted shortly by some very special friends. Emily had NO problem buddying up with them. During this visit she noticed, on her own, her referral picture on the table in a frame and went straight to it, picked it up, pointed at herself in the picture and grinned at us. It was amazing to see. It was almost as if she was saying to us and herself "this is where I belong".

Emily's first night at home seemed to go well. She fell asleep after some needed fussing and cuddling. The dolls in the pictures were given to her on her trip home. The baby doll was from Busia and Dzia Dzia (Kevin's Mom and Dad) and the Glow-Bug was given to her from Hannah. Hannah had a harder time sleeping this evening than Emily did. Hannah was up several times to "check on her" and then in the mornig we found her laying in Emily's bed "cuddling" with her (or using her as a pillow-we are not real sure) Both of them slept just 5 hours that night and were ready to get up and play the next morning!!! We let Hannah stay home Friday from school.

The morning after we arrived home (Friday)we look in our refrigerator and realized we really didn't have much food in the house for Emily and Hannah to eat breakfast so we decided to venture out to TopNotch restaurant. This also meant we were exposing Emily to her first ride with a carseat as in China they do not use them. Needless to say, she did not really like being strapped down in a chair that she could not move from.

Busia (Kevin's Mom)giving Emily a little loving at the restaurant.

The rest of the weekend seemed to go pretty well. We pretty much just stayed home and

enjoyed the company of our 2 girls. What a beautiful thing to say "Our 2 girls". Hannah has
been a wonderful big sister all weekend and everything seems to be working out well. Hannah

and Emily have been inseperatable. They are playing together and getting along as if they have been sisters all their lives. There have been a couple of times where Hannah feels she is being "ignored" due to Emily getting ALL the attention because she "is new", but she just seems to take a small break to get some alone snuggle time with one of us and then goes right back to playing with Emily. Emily has done good as well. In the evenings she seems to be running a low-grade fever almost as if her body needs to "shut itself down". She doesn't like to stop playing to go to bed and this may be her body telling her to slow herself down. We have been cuddling her to bed at these times and when she wakes up-no fever or issues related from the fever.

Sunday night we ran out of food that others had made for us and the time had come for Rusti to make the first big family meal. Hannah could not wait to feed Emily her meal. She grabbed that spoon and just dug right at it as if she feeds little ones every day. And Emily did not mind.

Then it was time for Emily's first bath. She did not receive a bath in China because she had a cut on her hand and due to the bacteria count in the water there, our guide told us to just give sponge baths in China and wait until we get home for the full bath. Hannah wanted to take the bath with her to "help" her. She proceed to pour water on Emily's head to wash her hair and Emily did not like this one bit. Needless to say-this bath lasted about 30 seconds!!!

Monday 4/6/09-Hannah is on Spring Break so we decided to venture out with some of Hannah and Emily's cousins to do something fun. About 8 mile away there is the South Bend Chocolate Factory and we decided to go do the "Inside Scoop" tour on how they make their chocolate. It was very informative but the best part was when we got to make chocolate spoons. Hannah done Emily and mine as the chocolate was too hot for Emily and I could not do it because Emily had decided at that point to be a permanent fixture on my hip by refusing to get down and walk. I think Hannah was okay with this though as she got to dunk 3 spoons in the chocolate instead of just her one. When shopping for other chocolate items, Hannah shared one of her chocolate spoons with her little sissy, Emily, who took a rather large bite off hte spoon, smiled and wanted MORE. Hannah ate the rest of the spoons. They are definately their mother's daughter!!!

After the tour Hannah and her cousins decided to go to Burger King for lunch and played some in the playroom. Emily's high chair had wheels so her cousin, Taylor was pushing her around in the high chair as if it was a car which she really seemed to enjoy. She smiled and laughed most of time we were there. I think Taylor may have some babysitting in his future-hmmmm.

***After the chocolate tour we got a good discount on the other chocolate we bought so Mom and Dad ended up with a treat after the kiddos went to bed :-)