Adoption is final

It's 4:30am and I realized if I don't blog now I might not get to! Yesterday morning we went back to the registration office where we got the kids... To get a certificate and hear a speech that means that our adoption to Ian and Jovie are final! They are officially Lekbergs!!!!

As we got on the bus I had such a pit in my stomach for these kids to be going back to the same room... I was so nervous that Ian would go back to looking for his nannies that left him there yesterday. He came in and went right to playing though and it never phased him!

We finished there and had lunch and then we had to take care of Jovie's passport documents in Zhengzhou. So these babies (and us!) slept so very little and had no time for naps! It's amazing how great they were as we shuffled them all around the city taking care of Jovie's passport. Mae stayed with mom and dad and when we got back had started to really be insecure and had a few melt downs. The jealousy has started and who could blame her?? Jovie doesn't want to share me at all so that doesn't help. 

So Ian and Jovie have only been with us for almost 2 days now... Ian isn't crying today and is certainly flashing smiles but doesn't want me and wont eat anything I give him. He lets me touch him breifly or he will let me change his diaper but everything else is all Cody. He really likes my dad and we've had to tell my dad not to pick him up,  although he's terribly hard to resist. It really hard to be rejected ): I know he's not ready to let me in because he's not ready to give up his nannies. It will take time.  

He still won't let his shoes come off and slept in them again. 

Jovie is still not into Cody either... She's a little uneasy when he pays her attention and he tried giving her a bottle and she wasn't too happy it wasn't me. We've seen a lot more of Jovie's personality today... A lot more animated than yesterday and is very expressive even though she doesn't talk. She smiles with her whole mouth open and we got to hear her laugh tonight. She can be stubborn if she wants or doesn't want something and  shakes her little head no emphatically.  It's great to see she is coming out of her shell! She seems much more like a baby than Mae did, even if she is older than Mae was.

Today we have to do Ian's passport documents and that means starting at 8am we will drive 2 1/2 hours to his city of Pingdingshan and then back ): these poor babies have to be dragged all around again and Mae is staying with mom and dad again and it will be very hard on her too. 

Keep praying for all their hearts and that the walls keep coming down and for our health too. I feel like I am getting a bad sore throat from lack of sleep. We all really don't need to get sick on top of this! 

Night of Gotcha

Ian stopped crying out finally in the evening and sat and had a little bit to eat and then we changed his diaper and went to put on his pjs... He cried and fought me to keep his clothes and shoes on. I finally got him in pjs and he sat and pointed to his shoes and cried more. So sad, he just wants to go still and can't let that go. So our little boy slept with his tennis shoes on last night.. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep very quickly.

Jovie on the other hand would not fall asleep. My sweet girl would hold my face and snuggle into me and squirm around... All the time being very quiet. I could tell she was exhausted but I felt like she was staying up to make sure I wasn't  going to leave her. I can't even begin to tell you how amazing it is to hold her and kiss her precious cheeks. 

She is so unbelievably sweet and is starting to show little bits of her personality. She copies what I do and I can tell she is very smart. At little moments I can tell that she has a fiery spirit but in the sweetest way. Jovie finally fell asleep tonight at 1:20. And I did too...

At 3:30 Ian woke up. I am exhausted but I love the one on one time we have gotten because of this. He started off upset and wouldn't let me be near him. He has a terrible cold and coughs like he has the croup (spelling?). ): 

We started playing with the balloons and  saw our first smiles and even heard a few chuckles. Then we got the flash lights that glow - he loves them (both the balloons and the flashlights came from people in our travel group - so we have to tell them thank you in the morning for our night !!) He is beyond precious and all boy. (But still insists on wearing his tennis shoes)

Can you tell we are having fun? 

And if you are wondering about Mae, she has done amazingly well yesterday. She has found every way to help us or love on Ian and Jovie. Towards the end of the night we could tell she was beginning to unravel - needing good sleep and some extra attention. So tonight we thought spending the night in Nonna and Boppy's room would be best. I am so thankful that right next door is my mom and dad ready to jump in and help. 

 I can't wait to see how tomorrow goes, especially Ian and her together now that he is playing and not just crying!  I hope tomorrow will be a good day for all three to get to know each other. 

Gotcha Day

Our family of 3 about to turn 5, in front of the registration office. This is the same place we received Mae too! 

 We walked in and Ian was already there. I couldn't believe how cute he is... and oh so active! He was playing and very happy. He has one dimple and is so handsome.

 Jovie arrived shortly after that and she was very upset. She had gotten car sick on the way to us and threw up. She was completely soaked through all her many layers. Poor baby.

 We started undressing her and getting her cleaned up and Ian walked over with his cheerios and offered Jovie one. Sweet boy didn't even know that this was his Mei Mei.

 Ian's foster mom had brought him a pair of pajamas and she gave them to us to put Jovie in. What a blessing that was. Once she was cleaned up and in Ian's pjs she was quiet. She is very uneasy about everyone else but is very quiet.

 These 2 women with us are Ian's caretakers and they love our boy very much. Both of them were crying and tried to slip out the door but Ian saw them and ran after them and has been so upset since they left. He has not stop crying out for them. He is breaking my heart - he is so very sad.

 He fell asleep on the bus ride but back in the room he was back to crying out for his nanny.

 These pictures do not show how upset Ian is. He is crying out "my nanny didn't come back" and he points to his coat and wants it on and leads us to the door so we can go find his a yi. Please pray for Ian... he is having a really really hard time. He is almost three years old and has spent the whole time with his nanny. It is absolutely heartbreaking. He must be so exhausted from crying so many hours.

 They both ate congee and some bread and then they feel asleep.

Ian and Jovie asleep. This is a precious sight. 

So Ian is very attached to Cody and even though he is very much upset he still holds onto his finger and wants to be close to him. Through his grieving he is bonding with Cody. And Jovie Ming wants me to hold her and will not let me out of her sight. She has a weak little cry when I go to put her down but other than a couple of times she has been very quiet. She is so tiny and her little fingers and toes are purple.

Waiting in the lobby to go!

I just had to post quickly to say we are about to leave. Our group is amazing, there are six families receiving children today. We just got together in a room and prayed together and it was so special - please pray with us as we are about to get these babies. I KNOW YOU ARE!! 

Tomorrow is the day!!

In 12 hours we will be on our way to our son and daughter...

This is the last night they will spend as orphans. Tomorrow they will be forever a Lekberg.