If you have heard me talking about the adoption over the last couple months, then you would know how important it was to me to be with my daughter for her 5th birthday. I did not want this child to have another birthday without her parents. So with God's blessing, we made it here in time. We tried not to overdo it and keep it simple, but I think she knew. We gave her a little gift this morning and sang to her. Of course she just laughed at our really bad American singing. The hotel then sent a cake to the room this afternoon. We were told that cake is her favorite food, and she definitely loved it. She put up a peace sign symbol which I am not sure what the significance of that is. I'll have to ask someone tomorrow. For dinner, we went to Pizza Hut where she had her first piece of pizza. She eats anything and did like it. She continues to do well, except she was sad again at bedtime. Our guide said this was normal, because in this culture they are taught to be brave during the day and then their emotions come out when they are tired. I'm sure she is just grieving, which is normal. We are visiting the orphanage tomorrow. We had the guide explain to her what we were going to do and Milli was fine with it. We will see. I think it's important to know where our daughter spent the first 5 years of her life. We will also visit the place where she was abandoned. I expect it to be emotional for all of us.
My other child, Gus, picked up a cold and was a little irritable today. He also lost a tooth. The cake was the highlight of his day too. I'm praying he feels better tomorrow and that the rest of us do not get sick. Our guide said you do not want to go to a hospital here. That's scary.
Happy Birthday Milli! Praise God you were there in time to celebrate with her. Your precious family will continue to be in our prayers as you face this emotional day.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like everything is going rather well despite some of the conditions and circumstances you had mentioned. It sounds like Gus is doing very well also. What an experience for everyone. You guys are so brave for embracing this dream, many people could talk about it, but you guys actually did it!!!! What a blessing to have such a precious child and she is so lucky to have you. By the time you get this, you probably would have learned a bit about Milli's last 5 years and I hope it went well. Tell Gus we all said hi! Cannot wait for you to come home.
ReplyDeleteWe're so glad that you were able to spend Milli's 5th birthday with her. What a great way to start your new life together...and a memory to always cherish! I hope the rest of your visit goes well, along with the trip home. We look forward to meeting Milli once she's a bit settled in America.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Milli! Praise God that you made it there to celebrate with her! Amazing.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you don't want to go to the hospital there, if at all possible. Call your pediatrician first if necessary.
I think the peace sign is something that kids do in China when they're having their picture taken. Autumn still does it sometimes and I saw a lot of teenagers doing it when we were there. Hilarious.