Clara YouMei

A longing fulfilled...


She came off the elevator in Jenny's arms around 2:30. She was taken to a separate room with all of the other babies. She had to go potty so we we had to wait longer than any other family. She was handed to us by a stranger (someone from her original orphanage), but Jenny and Katrina (medical director of TCH) were right behind her. She was a little hesitant, but she let me take her out of the strangers arms. She looked at me, then tried to get down until I showed her a sucker. She quickly took it and relaxed. She didn't seem to mind the noise from the other crying babies. She sat on my lap while the boys showed her their gifts. She let Jackson show her all of the pages of the Dora book and she hugged the bear from Carter. She ate Cheerios and Smarties with her sucker while we waited for Aaron to sign some papers. She shared her Cheerios with all of us. She put one in my mouth and let me feed her. She pointed to her brothers and said Guh Guh (big brother). She smiled when Aaron said "all gone" after she dropped a Smartie. She likes my locket that has her picture inside. She left with us and looked around curiously as we got on our bus. She is ticklish under her chin. She was content to be worn in a sling while we shopped at the Carrefoure. She wanted to hold the panties we picked out for her. She pointed to a yogurt drink and we put 2 packages in our shopping cart. She looked at me and said Mama while we waited to pay for our items. She went potty when we got back to the hotel room. She was wearing the pajamas that we sent her under her outfit. She is tinier than I ever imagined. She looked in the mirror with me and repeated "You You" and "MaMa" as we pointed at each other and ourselves. She pointed to the soap and let me help her wash her hands. She laughed and laughed while Carter and Jackson blew up balloons for her and let them fly all over the room. She started repeating lots of words. She repeated me when I said "Mama eye nee" (Mama loves you). She ate some cereal, a yougurt drink, some rice, green pepper, mushroom and bread. She let me give her a bath and played in the water for a long time. She watched Aaron make her a bottle and after her bath she pointed to it. She let me hold her and give her a bottle but she only drank an ounce or so. She pointed to her crib (more like a pack-n-play). She let me lay her down then cried out. She wanted down and began to walk around. She played with the phone a few minutes. She did not get a nap today but did not want to go to sleep. She let me look at a book with her for a few minutes then she walked to the hotel door and tried to open it. She shed her first tears when I picked her up. She cried and cried for 30 minutes and finally fell asleep in my arms.

She has a family now. She is a sister, grandaughter, niece, cousin. She is a daughter to us and a daughter of the King.