Day 2: Baby Steps

Whew...she's asleep.  Before midnight this time!  Woo hoo!  Maybe Mom and Dad can eat something and get some shut eye!
As expected, today was one step forward, two steps back.  E is sad when she whenever she wakes up.  She clearly misses her foster mama so much, and she was definitely very attached to her.  We found out today that her foster mother is young, and that E was her first and only foster daughter so this was very hard for her.  She also has another foster child, a son, who [ATTENTION THAL YAHOO GROUP COMPADRES!!!] has the same SN as E, thalassemia.  He is a little older than E, and we were told that his thalassemia has made him a little weak right now, which is why they are waiting a bit to get his papers together to make him available for adoption.  Trust me, this boy is getting wonderful care and love in E's foster family.

E was very sad at first at breakfast, but then we got her to eat some watermelon (what would I do without all of the RQ tips I've collected over the past 7 months!?!?!) and she perked up.  We had a busy morning with a very long van ride and at the Civil Affairs office and E was a total trooper!  She snacked and played and cooperated when we got her little footprint.  She even dozed in the van on the way home.

Later we embarked on Noodlefest 2012.  This little girl can really eat noodles, but she sort of refuses to eat anything without feeding it to me first.  Which is OK, because I'm getting fed, but Baba is going a little hungry.

The rest of the day was split between Driving Miss Emmie around in the stroller which she seems to love.  We walked outside until she passed out (Praise the Lord!!) and Mama and Baba took load off and drank a coffee (or ten...remember, we only slept about 3 hours last night).  We did a lot of playing in the room and bonding and we saw quite a few smiles that were just priceless.  It is amazing how the smile of a little tiny girl can power us through no sleep and pretty much no food all day.  We took E for dinner in the Executive Lounge (have I mentioned what a life saver the Executive Lounge has been?!  Never ending bottled water and snacks...just what we need!).  She pigged out on some sort of meatball and again watermelon.

We had a few heartbreakingly sad moments where E cried for her foster mama and put her coat on to leave.  We just sat by her side and comforted her until she trusted us again.  I know this is what must happen for us to become a family.  It hurts us deeply to see her suffer, but it reassures us to know that she is capable of loving someone so much, and being part of a family.

The rest of our night was playing, watching the Wiggles and Baby Einstein, taking a bath, and Driving Miss Emmie up and down the halls.

P finally went out to get us some food so we could eat a bite before bed.  This is tiring and draining and definitely pushes you to your very limits, but it is the most rewarding thing either of us have ever done.

I can't say enough thank yous to everyone for your support and love and well wishes.  It really strengthens us during the excruciatingly difficult moments.  Luckily, those are few and far between, and what we get most of the time is an adorable, sweet, giggling, noodle-eating daughter.

Off to finish our midnight fried rice dinner....

xoxo,
T + P + E