Day 2 with Elle - Monday 1/13/14

After having a good night sleep and breakfast, today was going to be A VERY BIG DAY.  It was the day we go to the Civil Affairs office to confirm we did in deed wish to complete our adoption of Elle.  Once you have your baby placed with you and after an overnight stay, you must confirm that you wish to proceed with the adoption.  We met two other families who were also at the Civil Affairs office completing there adoptions.

Here we are signing the paperwork and true to the wonderful Chinese tradition, you must put a stamp on it and for us that was putting our fingerprints on the paperwork:

 

 

And for Elle, the meant using her footprint (as you can see, she was so tired that she slept through most of the process):

 



 

After a couple of hours, it was official - Elle was the latest Lady in the Newsome home.  I think the photo of Elle sums it up best: Happiness for all

 

 

 

The last picture to post for today is that of Dawn, Elle and I along with the Director and Assistant Director of Elle's orphanage.  Meeting these ladies yesterday and working with them today to complete the paperwork, it was very evident that they truly loved Elle and cared for her.  Today was hard and emotional for everyone: Elle, Dawn, me as well as these two wonderful ladies who so selflessly cared, loved, nurtured our beautiful Elle when we couldn't.  Before they left, the gave Elle a beautiful hardback book about her province.  They told us that it was so she could always remember where she was from and have a way to look into her past to see photos of her homeland.  All I can say is thank God that he blessed our little lady with these two wonderful people: