More Jemma!

Aaah, what an amazing time it has been since we got Jemma at 10am yesterday. Yes, she is grieving but we feel God's peace in it all and I know the He will heal her heart completely. Her healing has already begun. We know this because we have little break through moments where she will laugh and smile for a few minutes at a time. This morning she thought it was hilarious to throw stacking cups on her bears head and for Patrick to say "OUCH!". After we brought her home yesterday she cried for quite a while in my arms and then drifted off to sleep and slept on my chest for about 1.5 hours. We then took her for some lunch at the hotel and she showed us some of her sweet personality. She repeated english words to me, babbled in Chinese and smiled and laughed until she remembered that this is not what she is used to and then she became quite sad again. We expected that though and we know with time she'll learn to trust us and feel comfortable around us.

This morning we returned to the Civil Affairs Office to complete the adoption. I was worried that when she saw the orphanage director she would freak out and jump out of my arms and go running back to her but when we walked in she burst into tears and clung to me!! Praise God that she has already started forming an attachment to me! She stayed in my lap for the entire time, quietly watching what was going on around her. After the formalities were complete and she was declared our daughter in the eyes of China (YAY!!!!!!) we left, came home and she had a quick snack and is now sound asleep in our bed. I'm going to write point form about what we have learned about her in the last day and a half..

• She is sweet as pie. She is very shy and quiet but has a very sweet disposition.
• She is chubby! If you know me, you know I love me some chubby babies, so she is just perfect for me!
• I worried that I would never see her smile because she didn't smile in any pictures we got of her while we waited, but when she smiles, oh my, it is a huge, happy, joyful smile that makes my heart sing!!!
• Like most people in the world she doesn't leave home without her cell phone! Just, she likes her securely attached around her neck. This is actually the toy cell phone we sent her at the orphanage and apparently she has been carrying it around ever since she got it.
• When we put her jacket on, she holds her cell phone up out of the way.
• She likes to walk her self when we go places but has a death grip on my finger the entire time!
• She loves her daddy already! Yes, she prefers me at times, but she has figured out that daddy is very nice for certain things, he is a comfy place to eat snacks, he builds wonderful towers, he is awful at drawing on a magnadoodle, but that's okay because magnadoodles aren't for drawing on anyway, they were made for erasing those terrible pictures daddy draws. 
• Her hair is soft and perfect. 
• She smells just like my biological kids! No coincidence there, just another way God has confirmed that she was meant for us.
• She says sheh-sheh(thank you) in the sweetest little voice.
• She sleeps soundly and looks like an angel when she sleeps!
• She only owns a few things but she treasures what she has.
• She is open to trying new foods, such as french fries.
• She is not open to trying a carrot.
• Watermelon is a drink. You suck the juice out and spit out the rest.
• Sometimes her soft belly pokes out of her shirt. That is not allowed. Her shirt must be pulled down all the way. Also, she hates when her pant legs creep up. If she's wearing a jacket, the zipper must be up.
• Opening up an umbrella is hilarious! Try it some time!
• Squatty potty?? No problem!

Okay, I'm going to go ahead and post this now as it's taken me a few hours to write it! A few interruptions. I'll attempt another blog update later tonight but first I want to thank everyone for the sweet comments they have left for us. It is so encouraging to read your comments. We feel the love from half way around the world. Also, thank you, thank you for all the prayers lifted up for Jemma, Patrick and I. I can't even begin to explain the peace that has surrounded us! Love you all so much!!!

PS. I am so missing Facebook!!

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