Part 4--Announcing the Arrival of Sarah Grace AiYe...

into her Mommy & Daddy's arms! I spoke with Angie tonight. She e-mailed me after they took custody but the e-mail got bounced back to her (oh, the joys of technology!). She didn't realize it had was sent back but when I logged into her account to get a copy of the e-mail, I found the message. She apologizes for the lack of pictures...the hotel computers are having problems with the cameras and they need to find someplace else to download the pictures. They are REALLY sorry and know it must be torture for all of us (she's right!!). They are going to try hard to get them sent today (their time). Below is a copy of the mail. I will do another post with more details on the newest family member.

We have Sarah Grace!!! We left Beijing this morning and flew to Chongqing. Chongqing is the largest city in China and it has beautiful mountainous scenery all around it. After landing, we were taken to the hotel to do paperwork and were told to wait in our rooms until we got the call that the babies had arrived. The anticpation was too much so I kept looking in the hallway to watch for them. Finally, I heard crying in the hall and when I went into the hallway, the nannies were carrying all 10 beautiful babies down the hallway. I recognized Sarah Grace immediately. She was crying and we had already seen one picture of her crying so I knew that face! The were all dressed in matching pink dresses.

We then had to wait in our room until we got the call to come get her. When we got the call and rushed to the room, there were 10 families, 10 crying babies and several nannies. It was a chaotic environment for the babies.

Sarah Grace cried when she was handed to us but it was still one of the best moments in our lives! We got her out of the room fairly quickly so she could get to a quiet place. When we got to our room, she continued to cry (actually scream loudly) for about 10-15 minutes. She has strong lungs. Then, our guide brought us a warm bottle that the orphange had sent with her. This calmed her immediately! After the bottle, she sat on a blanket on the floor and played peacfully. After about 45 mintues, we had to leave to go to a government office for paperwork. The office was loud and hot but Sarah Grace did pretty well. She was still hungry, even after drinking a full bottle, and we quickly found that she loves Cheerios. She kept sticking our her little tongue to ask for more.

When we returned to the room, she played for a couple hours, took a bottle and is now sleeping hard in her crib. Daddy is with her while I type the e-mail.

We have learned a lot about her personality already. She is a very inquisitive baby. She is constantly looking at everything and doesn't miss a move. The bonding seems to be going well. She follows both Andy and I around the room with her eyes at all times. We have seen her smile a few times now and it's a beautiful smile. She has her two bottom teeth. She is a solid baby -- bigger than her cousin Elizabeth. I still cannot tell if the clothes that I brought will fit her. I guess we'll find out tomorrow. She loves all of the toys that we gave her and she studies them intently. She imitates us frequently and has learned how to make all sorts of noises with her lips and tongue by watching us. Clearly a very smart baby! When she is held, she rubs the arm of whoever has her.

She likes both of us equally. We have both fed and changed her and she doen't fuss. She reaches out for both of us. I'll brag on my husband a bit since he isn't here right now -- He is a natural father. He is so calm with her when she is upset and he loves to play with her. She adores him.

God is so good. His blessings to us overflow. We love this little girl and we are so grateful to be her parents. After so long, it is a miracle to have her in our arms. We are so happy.

The only bad news is that our hotel computer will not upload photos. I know that this is very dissappointing. Tomorrow, I will find another way to access the internet so that all of her anxious family members and friends can see her. I'll try to do it ASAP.

Thank you for all of your continued prayers. We wish we could bring her home tomorrow.

All our love -

Andy & Angie