Woooooooooooooooooo~Hoooooooooooooooooo!!!! The "Red Couch" photos are "official"!!!!! What a cool feeling to have gotten our sweet baby Graycn dressed in her EXTRA SPECIAL Chinese outfit for her most memorable "post~adoption photograph"!
The beautiful pink outfit she wore was soooooo precious to her mama! Some of you know, but there are MANY that do not know how that outfit came about........back in Spring 2007, one of my dear friends at Children's Mercy South ("Sha-nay-nay") told me about this sweet outfit she had bought for her sister's daughter and that she would ask her sister to save it for me for our little china bundle! Well................approximately 2 years later, it was "delivery" time at the Godshall houshold :) She was able to get her hands back on that outfit, but it had been a little worn (better known as "chewed up by the washing machine") ~ ha!!!! :) :) :) Anyway, another dear friend of mine at CMH~South ("Ramsey") saw this as a "challenge" and took the 'sad' little outfit home to provide some TLC ~ lo and behold........she performed a miracle!!!!! Graycn's outfit was the talk of the "Red Couch Fashion Pre~Show"!!!!! (Thank you girls for making this day even more special than it already would have been! ~ I love you all soooo much and can't wait for you to meet your Graycn! She has so many "Aunts" waiting for her arrival!)
We also had so much fun just walking the town of Guangzhou ~ it is such a quaint province. The people are so nice and seem very excited about their "girls" going to America. You will hear the older ladies telling you "good, good" as they give you a thumbs up. You can also hear them saying "happy baby, happy mama and baba" as they clap their hands.
We had been commenting on how there are NO obese people in China....I don't think there has been one! Today, I think we figured out why......for those of you receiving the snapfish albums, look for the photos of the park and you will see what age group is taking over the playground "equipment" and who is encompassing the majority of "free space". We were just blown away! I think each of us are making plans to retire in Guangzhou! It is as if time stands still! You feel so safe to walk around at any time of day/night ~ even by yourself (Don't worry, my UCC friends....I was ready to practice my "self-defense" moves!!!!!) ha!
We also had Graycn's physical exam today. She did so good! She was 6.1kg (definitely smaller than they measured with ALL her clothes on before she became a "Godshall"). They did actually use an otoscope to check the babies ears~ however, we did find it "funny" that all the people in the clinic (today was National Ear Day - EVERYBODY in Guangzhou was getting their ears checked today) "shared" the same disposable otoscope tip! (yummy!!!!) Dr. Rauf~ be assured that I am finding HUMOR in this.....not JUDGING the socialism of Graycn's 3rd world country!!!!! ha!!!! Also, on that note: I am so proud to tell you that Graycn passed her "hearing test"!!!!!! They held a brightly colored "squeak" toy by her right side of her face (she could see it) and then they "squeaked" the toy! Guess what????? eventually, Graycn looked at the toy as if to say "Are you going to hold it closer? I can't reach it!" She had the same response with her left ear :) ~ good thing I wasn't worried about "if" her ears were working :) ha!!!
Okay....off to get some pictures downloaded for ya...and then off to bed!
love to each of you!!!!!
w&h
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!
Hey!
ReplyDeleteya'll look like your in love with that little girl! <3
I know you are too! :)
Glad to hear the kiddos are better! now mine are sick!
sorry about the accidental skype this morning. saw you on, but then realized how late it was so stopped it! :0
cant wait to see ya'll and meet her!
love ya
kathy