One less.........it's official!!! Forever Family Day!

We are now officially a family of 6!! Today we went to the Civil Affairs office and gave our red thumb prints and Olivia's red foot print and it's complete (on the China side) she is no longer an orphan, she is Olivia Kate Yuning White!!!  Her nanny and the other lady from the orphanage were there as well.  Her nanny wanted to hold her and she went to her and came back to me with out much reserve.  She did not want the other lady to hold her though.  We were with them most of the morning which was nice because I had many questions that came in those few hours.  They were very nice and said that Olivia has been very loved.  They said she is beautiful and a good baby.  I guess that explains why she likes to be held, she must have been held a lot at the orphanage.  As hard as this time is with her grieving, I know that she was loved and taken well care of and it's actually a good thing that she was able to attach with her caretakers.  

I found out more about her Chinese name, Zhao Yu Ning.  The surname "Zhao" was given to all children that entered the orphanage in 2010.  Yu Ning means "Peaceful Rain", our guide said she is very lucky to have gotten this name, because it is very poetic and a beautiful name.  Rain is very important here, through out ancient times, rain has been prayed for and sacrificed for.  Most children are given random names by orphanage staff but she was given this name by a teacher in the orphanage who just really liked the name "Yu Ning", she was working the afternoon Olivia arrived, so she gave it to her.  They said she is very peaceful and quiet so it suits her well.  This makes me very happy, we had decided to keep this name as a second middle name.  I am so glad that it has a meaning and wasn't just a random name picked from a book.  Another cool thing about her name is, Olivia means "peace".  Some of you know how I was torn between Sarah and Olivia, well we picked Olivia because Mike really liked it more.  How cool is it, that it means the same thing!!

I did get some smiles this morning at breakfast.  She was eating rice and some fell into the highchair, well she picked it up and put it in her mouth before I could stop her.  I was saying "no,no,no", so she opened her mouth to take the rice out, I started laughing and she was smiling and showing some of her personality.  Mike came back to the table and she smiled, then it was over.....I know there are many more to come. I'm so glad I got a little one today!!  

This afternoon has been hard.  I know after seeing her nanny and them leaving again has been so hard on her little heart.  She is so quiet, unless she's hungry, then she's mad, just like her Mama!  Just now she was sitting with Mike playing with her stacking cups and I said "Olivia" and her little mouth turned down and her eyes got red......it breaks my heart to see this pain she has.  Right now she is very content laying on her Baba's tummy, with her ball.  She has really done so well with both of us.  If she is tired she tends to want Mike more but through out the day she has been content with me holding her. 

Adoption is an AMAZING thing, a miracle in itself.  God really works it all out perfectly!! We feel so blessed to have this little girl to now call our daughter.  Only because of God has this been possible, we are so thankful to Him and so in love with this precious gift from Him.  We can't wait to get home and get our life started as a family of 6 and the kids to meet there new little sister.  We did facetime with the kids this morning, they talked to her, she just stared at the phone, I'm sure she has no clue as to what that was.  The nanny did say she has been showing Olivia the pictures I sent of all of us. 

I want to thank everyone for all the comments on here as well as Facebook.  It means more than you know to have all this support.  I'm sorry I haven't replied to all of them.  I try to get on and off once a day.  

 Once you give her something, she will not let go.

 

 

 

 Everytime we were in the car or walking around, she would fall asleep.  No carseats needed in China....I will post about the driving here another time......

 The above picture is with her nanny.  Everytime I take a picture with flash, she blinks!

 The snow here in Jinan is beautiful.

 After our big appointments this morning we walked around a square, right next to our hotel.  Jinan is known for their natural springs. This flower shoots water out and the kids can play in it, when it's warm out....There is an underground shopping mall here that is like a Macy's and Walmart combined.  We were the ONLY American's there and we were holding a Chinese baby, imagine the stares.

 

 Mike had to take a picture of what his chicken sandwich/burger.... Some of the translations here are very funny.

 Olivia loved her chicken nuggets.  Yes after 4 days of nothing but Chinese food, we are craving good ole American junk food!