As of today....our little Chen, Yan Xiu is now known in China as Graycn Kuaile Godshall.....she is no longer abandoned...she has a home...a mom, dad.....brothers......a sister......a family ~ a chance to leave a legacy........ a life touched by the "grayce" of God.
I am so emotional as I type this....I wish I could put words to what my heart is feeling....I am absolutely overwhelmed by such a gift ~ something so tenderly hand-made by God for our family.
Wade and I woke up early today.....not yesterday (our "gotcha" day), but today (our first morning with our daughter! Ohhhhhh..........just the reality of that is so intense! Anyway, I rolled over and saw our sweet Graycn snuggled safe and sound between Wade and me....I couldn't help but take a picture of her so content~ so unaware of her "new' surroundings......the flash went off and then her eyes opened and met mine.......
Graycn just laid there quiet....relaxed....not a sound. It was as if she was taking me in just as much as I was taking her in. Her eyes seemed to slowly "sparkle"....
Wade was now awake, and we found ourselves just watching her as we had our other "newborns"...we both said to each other, "we don't even feel like we have missed out on any time with her at all....it is as if we have just missed the hard part of a newborn and got to jump right into the fun part of infancy"!
We could have gone back to sleep, but instead, we just turned on the over bed light and found ourselves just playing. Graycn can't sit alone yet, so we propped her up with some pillows and watched her go to town with toys, chewing and studying photos in her photo album, cooing, wiggling and kicking.....
How did we get so lucky? We just keep asking ourselves....how did we get chosen to go down this road.....adoption is the most amazing thing we have ever experienced!!!! I just can't wait for you all to meet our doll.....she is (as Wade puts it......) a little princess :)
Graycn is currently in her crib...cooing and kicking away....she is wearing a hot pink pair of those adorable "Ramsey" socks!!!! (they were a HUGE hit today! ~ and they fit her perfectly!) she rolls side to side but can't quite get her arm out from underneath her to totally flip over. I would look at her size and development and put her at 5 months, but she is sooooooooooooo alert and playful....so content and, well, did I say she is PERFECT!!!?????!!!!! ~ she is!!!!
Blayne is the only "Godshall" that has gotten to see her, yet. We are hoping to skype with the Paytn and Haydn soon......thanks to Aunt Shea~Shea....they have been able to see their little sister!!!! Yeah!!!! Thank you again, Shea, for taping that for us!!! It will be so cherished! :)
Love to each of you......I'll try to download more photos..... the snapfish album of gotcha day is a little out of order, some how...I am trying to fix it b/f I send you all an invite :)
We are loving your emails....the skype phonecalls......your love and prayers!!!! Graycn is a BLAST and you will want to "eat her up!" :)
*we are off to take a nap........
w&h
*ps......she had her first "poopy" today.....yee-hawwww!!!! (you should hear her right now...she is soooooo talkative!!!!!) ~ oh, she is just like her mama! :)
The Godshall Girls...
"gg" is sooooo kissable!
The World's Cutest Kids!
Pumpkin Shopping!
Graycn was just itching for Haydn to let go of her....she was ready to just "squeak" (squeaky shoes) her way from one pumpkin to another!
The BIG chair at the pumpkin patch
The poor people in line behind us thought we would NEVER get all 4 people to stop moving and to look at the camera at the same time!
Soooooo big!!!!!!
Graycn loves to twirl in circles and then runs at you with her arms down and back :)
One of Mommy's favorite photos!
All dressed up for church.....Paytn LOVES the "job" of getting sissy ready :)
Surrounded by LOVE!
Oh my goodness.....Wade and I walked into our house (excited and exhausted) ....we were met by the most overwhelming sight we have ever experienced! Our home was filled with "love letters" from our friends, our co-workers, our neighbors.....I remember feeling so confused when I walked in and saw faces of people all over my house.....and then all of a sudden I realized who they were ..... and why they were there ~ we have never felt so loved!
Welcome Home!
Jenny, Kathy, Karen and Rachel....THIS was AWESOME!!!!!!!
Love that kept going...and going....and going!
I found "love letters" in my cabinets, drawers, pantry....I had "surprises" for days!!!!! We had no idea we could be loved so much...WOW!!!!!
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Our Beautiful Chinese Princess
Look at this gorgeous outfit from "Aunt" Sha-nay-nay and "Aunt" Ramsey!!! My heart was so full as I put her in that special outfit! I just loved telling her about the "hug" she was wearing!
Our little "exclamation point"!
We refer to Graycn as being the "exclamation point" to an already AWESOME family!!! We are so excited to bring her home so we can all be together!
"Sisters"
It is said that girls from the same province call themselve "sisters" regardless of whether they have a friendship connection or not. Our Graycn and her sweet Gracey have such a tender bond. They seem to respond to each other differently than with the other "sisters" :)
"Red Couch" ~ brings such "emotion" to the girls!
Doesn't Graycn look concerned about her Gracey?
Dominos.....
"It's all fun and games until one baby cries and slides"
"Chenzhou Girls"
Graycn's China family! :)
"High-Tech" hearing test!
read the blog entry to get more info on this photo :)
2/3 of Daddy's Girls :)
Graycn is the talk of the travel group ~ she seems to have the best "seat" when touring her land of birth!
Mama's Girl
Graycn is just "chillin" in her "mom-made" carseat!
Oh No..... Another "Kissing Bandit"
When you say "kiss, kiss" Graycn will lean in to kiss you :)
So Tiny~ So Exhausted!
Graycn is so funny! She likes to fall asleep all snuggled up in a "nest" of things :) Look at how little she is in comparison to the little snuggly blanket next to her! the jammies she has on are 6-12 (she is 8.5 mo) ~ they are baggy on her :)
Sealed with a kiss.....
as far as we were concerned....the adoption was complete before we even laid eyes on Graycn! (a fellow adoptee caugh this on camera, we had not seen Graycn, but knew she was in the building!)
You just can't get much more comfortable than this!
we are in "hog heaven"!!!! EEEEeeeeeee!!!!!
~Settled in~
Graycn is clean....full.....warm and absolutely AMAZING!!!
Graycn and one of her Chezhou girlfriends~ Grace Lynn
we have become so close to these families already! We are loving getting to know the Harts!
Bringing our Graycn home to our "home away from home"...
getting her off the bus and taking her into our room to independently take care of her was an AWESOME feeling! She will be "officially" ours tomorrow....
Mama's snuggle bug!
Graycn is so touchy-feely and huggy....I am just loving that!
Daddy's newest little girl!
Pay~Pay.....do you think you can share your daddy with this little bundle? :)
The wait is over!
And it was well worth it!
Home away from Home......
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! Doesn't g~g's "first" night at the Godshall look promising for "sweet dreams!" :) ~ it's been "ruffle-ized"!!!
Getting ready for Graycn's "delivery" :)
looks so sweet....but a little lonely.....
Graycn's "stash"
bottles...formula....cheerios....toys.....books....and lots more!
a "baby bed"!!!!
notice Graycn's sweet crib right by our "Lucy & Desi" beds! :)
Our 2nd Gas Mask found on our 1st night in Changsha!
We were at a "Western Style" chinese restaurant for dinner tonight, and we look up and see a gas mask on the wall of the room that the 30 of us were eating in.....hmmmmmm.....1 gas mask/30 people??? The odds are NOT in our favor! I told the table not to worry...I had my "inhaler"! :)
Gas Mask.....that's right.....I said "gas mask"!!!!
oh my word! We opened up the closet to put our things in the safe, and look what was "waiting" for us.... a genuine "chinese gas mask"!!! We both looked at each other and said, "I think China might be a little more dangerous than Memphis, TN!!!!!" (Sorry Gambrells!) - notice there is only 1.....wonder who can run the fastest to the closet?? hmmmmm!!! :)
LUGGAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it seems to just keep multiplying! ;)
our chinese cuisine on the flight
notice the "pork" sticker in the right corner......poor Dr. Rauf would be STARVING in China!!!! ha! :)
Chenzhou Girls' mamas & babas
the "intimate" 11 families leaving from Hong Kong to Changsha (the capital city of Graycn's Hunan Province)
Jumbo Floating Restaurant
This is the largest floating restaurant in the world. It is capable of seating 3,100 people! That would be a lot of food!!!!!!
HK Skyline
the building in the back on the left is still being built and will be the tallest building in the world! The building to the right of that (with a "chopstick" on top) was apparently in the most recent Batman movie.
Overlooking Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
There are 9 islands behind us, but you cannot see it with the haze from the weather.
the Regal Hong Kong Hotel
You know it is a nice hotel when you turn on the tv and it is has a personalized message for you!
CCAI guides for Hong Kong
Patrick (the tall one) will lead our tours
our personal "United Airlines extra ammenities" historian
This is the family we traveled 15 1/2 hours with. Read the blog for some fun details of how they made the LONG trip seem shorter!
One of Wade's "carry~on" items!
we had so many people ask us where our baby was....we had fun answering them with "she is in China!"
"Flat Stacy" ~ on her way to China......
Poor "Uncle Freshy" had no idea he was taking Flat Stacy to the airport too.....Flat Stacy is a school project for Paytn...you may see her popping up periodically throughout our journey :)
"It's Hot Time" ~
a "Childer's family" tradition! ~ Yee haw!
Dropping off the kiddos....
First Stop: Nanny and Papa
American "Chinese Food"
eating our last chinese dinner without our little china doll at our side!
Graycn's stuff ~ way too much for such a little bundle
1/3 of our 500lbs to stuff into our (2) 40lb suitcases.
Sitting all by herself!!!!!!
We are so grateful for the orphange God has placed her in... Graycn appears to be right on schedule!
Oh......couldn't you just eat her?
Our hearts are just leaping for joy!!!! As Paytn would say...."we just couldn't imagine loving her any more than we already do!"
Our "nosey" little g~g.........
She look so strong and healthy!
"Hi Guys!"
Looks like Graycn will fit right into our "social" family!
Graycn is getting so big!
updated photo taken on 1/5/09. Her hair is growing and look at how strong she is!
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