Day 9 and Sister stories

Finally - some "free" time. We don't have to be anywhere today until 3 PM. Going to apply for Mia's Travel Visa. Then we are supposed to go on a dinner cruise on the Pearl River. Several people were saying they were going to take a cab to the shopping district today - I told them I thought our whole family needed a nap! And that is what we all just did! Today is kinda like a Sabbath for us. Do nothing but rest! Mia took a nap with me and just laying there looking at her...holding her little hand in mine....smelling her sweet skin....listening to her breathe....I was finally able to process some of my emotions. I'm not one to cry in the midst of an emotional moment - I have to process everything and integrate each aspect before it becomes "whole" for me. This was a special nap time for me!

She is starting to "talk" to us with her baby sounds. I don't think I am being proud mama or anything - but I do think she is absolutely beautiful! One of our families commented that they think she looks like Brad. So now I have two beautiful girls that look like their daddy!

Macy is incredible! She has been such a trooper on this long trip and now she is blossoming into such a sweet big sister. I have really worked hard to prepare her for "loving" her sister. I don't want her to be one of those kids that is nice to her sibling b/c she has to be - but b/c she loves her. I know there will be sisterly fights - but I have longed for there to be a special bond between them. And I have already seen God do this. Macy has been helping me change diapers and doing such a GREAT job! She also will lay by her on the bed and play with her. She then tries to pick her up and hold her....it looks more like a wrestling match! Mia is a bit squirmy to try to get sitting up good!

Brad has been calling Mia the spider monkey ....b/c her little legs and arms are so skinny - yet she can spin around on the bed in a split second to get to something that she wants! We have to really watch her or she's going to just leap off one of these times!

ONE really funny and sweet thing was when they were rushing us up after our Gotcha Moment and back to the bus - Macy saw all of the families moving - and she looked up at me with the saddest voice and concerned eyes and asked, "Are we going to get to keep her?" ;) So sweet. I reassured her that Mia was ours forever now and that God had picked us to be her family.

Today I was bragging on Macy to my mom about what a great big sister she has been. And I told Macy that out of all of the little girls in the world that God picked her to be Mia's big sister. And she said -"I know. All the kids were raising their hands saying....'Pick me, pick me'. And I asked her - "but who did God pick?"....to which she replied, "Me - Macy!" Ohhhhh...make my heart melt! We went on to talk about how blessed Mia is b/c Macy is her big sister and Macy can teach her all kinds of things. So Macy is loving this big sister thing.

We switched Mia's bottle over to an Advent last night. We figured something out about her. As long as there is ACTION going on around her - she won't eat. And the next thing you know she is starving to death! So last night Brad fed her in the dim room while I played with Macy in the floor. It took her a few minutes to "get it"....the sucking thing - but when she did she was all business. It was wonderful b/c up until now the milk has been POURING out into her mouth and running all over her clothes....b/c the hole in the orphanage nipple was so big. So we are making progress!

I am not sure when I'll get to post again b/c we are traveling 3 hours tomorrow to visit Mia's orphanage at Yang Xi.

Love you all!