If you didn't see the pictures yet, look at the next post down first! What a beautiful day! When I woke up to the sunshine, I knew it was a good sign! Our translator also told us she had a dream about light and sunshine and she thought that it was a good sign for our adoption process!
Curlie Girlie really is Curly! She is about 18 pounds!!!! For only being 14 months old she is a very good size and appears to look older-maybe because she is so healthy (other than this awful congestion she has going on currently). No known heart issues or other diagnoses. Even though this is our third time hearing "nobody ever visited, nobody ever asked about the child, nobody ever cared" it still is like getting punched in the gut.
We are here with another family adopting two little angels. It is such a blessing to share this experience with them! We all sat in the director's office learning some details about our children and then they took us to the therapy room where our girls were waiting for us! When I laid eyes on our angel girl she seriously took my breath away. Shawn got to hold her and snuggle her first and I just stood in awe, almost in disbelief that we were there in that moment physically holding, touching, seeing our daughter for the first time. As I took her into my arms with tears in my eyes I knew in that instant that God created this moment long before I could have ever imagined it to be. I hugged her tight as she rested her head on my shoulder. It was hard to believe I was really finally holding her. I told her I was her mama and Shawn was her papa and we were going to be her family forever. I kissed her cheeks and her head and her fingers and stroked her hair. I felt so undeserving, yet so grateful for such a blessing!
I started singing to her and within moments she was sound asleep, safe in her mama's arms. I just stared at her beautiful doll-like face, kissed her forehead and touched her adorable rain-drop shaped chin. Her hair has a hint of strawberry blonde and her eyebrows and eyelashes are very light in color. Her hair is really curly in the back! She has the longest fingers and feet. She has at least her top front and bottom teeth and possibly some more. Her little mouth is shaped like a heart and she is just precious.
We got to go back again tonight and visit her (this morning's visit was only about 20 minutes). We can visit her any time other than nap time as many times a day as we want! She was more awake tonight although very snugly and cuddly...I won't complain one bit!!!! We did get a smile out of her and lots of dancing when we turned on the iPod! She's definitely checking us out and trying to figure out what is happening. She liked the toys we brought and seems to love music (just like her sisters!). She didn't love the textured carpet we were on but they said she can crawl and she was up on all fours and moving a bit. As we sat and played with her tonight, so many thoughts ran through my mind. So many things about her remind me a lot of Zoya, and so many other things about her remind me a lot of Mila. They will make wonderful sisters! She seemed a bit reserved with us at first during our visit tonight (just like Zoya was) but when we took her back to her groupa (2 hours later) the nanny reached for her and she clung to me. The nanny said, "NO? Hmmph Mama!" And she let me hold her a few minutes longer. It was already so so hard to hand her back over and walk out. That part has been terribly hard each time and as we get to know her better and our bond grows it will become even harder!
I can't emphasize enough that this is NOT about us doing a good deed or being wonderful people. This is about seeing how the Lord is redeeming a child's life AND blessing a family. I hope you read our story and look at our pictures and say "wow what a blessed family" and "they are SO lucky" and "their new daughter will bring them so much joy" instead of, "you guys are amazing" because it's simply not true! We are no more amazing than the rest of you, I promise you that! Thank you for walking beside us for this amazing journey. We are beyond grateful and so very thankful for all of the blessings in our life! Today, I'm still pinching myself wondering, "Is this really real? Can this kind of beauty truly exist and can we truly be the recipient of such a beautiful gift?"
We are here with another family adopting two little angels. It is such a blessing to share this experience with them! We all sat in the director's office learning some details about our children and then they took us to the therapy room where our girls were waiting for us! When I laid eyes on our angel girl she seriously took my breath away. Shawn got to hold her and snuggle her first and I just stood in awe, almost in disbelief that we were there in that moment physically holding, touching, seeing our daughter for the first time. As I took her into my arms with tears in my eyes I knew in that instant that God created this moment long before I could have ever imagined it to be. I hugged her tight as she rested her head on my shoulder. It was hard to believe I was really finally holding her. I told her I was her mama and Shawn was her papa and we were going to be her family forever. I kissed her cheeks and her head and her fingers and stroked her hair. I felt so undeserving, yet so grateful for such a blessing!
I started singing to her and within moments she was sound asleep, safe in her mama's arms. I just stared at her beautiful doll-like face, kissed her forehead and touched her adorable rain-drop shaped chin. Her hair has a hint of strawberry blonde and her eyebrows and eyelashes are very light in color. Her hair is really curly in the back! She has the longest fingers and feet. She has at least her top front and bottom teeth and possibly some more. Her little mouth is shaped like a heart and she is just precious.
We got to go back again tonight and visit her (this morning's visit was only about 20 minutes). We can visit her any time other than nap time as many times a day as we want! She was more awake tonight although very snugly and cuddly...I won't complain one bit!!!! We did get a smile out of her and lots of dancing when we turned on the iPod! She's definitely checking us out and trying to figure out what is happening. She liked the toys we brought and seems to love music (just like her sisters!). She didn't love the textured carpet we were on but they said she can crawl and she was up on all fours and moving a bit. As we sat and played with her tonight, so many thoughts ran through my mind. So many things about her remind me a lot of Zoya, and so many other things about her remind me a lot of Mila. They will make wonderful sisters! She seemed a bit reserved with us at first during our visit tonight (just like Zoya was) but when we took her back to her groupa (2 hours later) the nanny reached for her and she clung to me. The nanny said, "NO? Hmmph Mama!" And she let me hold her a few minutes longer. It was already so so hard to hand her back over and walk out. That part has been terribly hard each time and as we get to know her better and our bond grows it will become even harder!
I can't emphasize enough that this is NOT about us doing a good deed or being wonderful people. This is about seeing how the Lord is redeeming a child's life AND blessing a family. I hope you read our story and look at our pictures and say "wow what a blessed family" and "they are SO lucky" and "their new daughter will bring them so much joy" instead of, "you guys are amazing" because it's simply not true! We are no more amazing than the rest of you, I promise you that! Thank you for walking beside us for this amazing journey. We are beyond grateful and so very thankful for all of the blessings in our life! Today, I'm still pinching myself wondering, "Is this really real? Can this kind of beauty truly exist and can we truly be the recipient of such a beautiful gift?"
These picture are even more adorable than the first!! How is that possible? You guys must feel like you are one cloud 9:)
ReplyDeleteSending a warm hug to Curlie Girlie from Boston....
Susan
She is SO beautiful! She looks like a Gerber baby! This post -- absolutely perfect. Just wonderful. Your family is amazing.
ReplyDeleteWow - she is adorable!!!
ReplyDeletehaha I stand corrected, she has quite a cute bunch of loose little curls back there now doesn't she! I wonder if they will stay as her hair grows out. She really is precious. As I said before, it is a relief to see that at the very least she seems to be well fed and the fact that she can crawl means, to me, at least (I hope I am right) that they give the babies at this babyhome time out of their cribs and on the floor and to play. I do hate to hate to hear the same words though that nobody called or visited. But that will soon be over!!!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you and your husband sharing your hearts for these orphans and showing how every one of us, if called to adopt, can do this. Every one of us, is of course called to help the orphan. If adoption isn't for our situation, there are so many other ways. Stories like yours help it feel REAL to people considering this and who are apprehensive or doubtful.
Its amazing how many times I've tried to share and all I get are "Is that real? Are you sure its not a scam. How do you know your money is going to that for real? No way. They don't let babies live like that, etc etc" Being able to sit people down and show them these blogs, and they can see tangibly that these are real every day people with real babes being transformed by LOVE and the acceptance of God's call is soooooooo valuable to changing hearts.
Another little questions, is this whole trip going to be the one where you bring her home? Or do you have to go back and wait a spell before she is yours? Every timeline for adoptions I follow seems to be different. Either in that people are only sharing the last leg, or some who have been working at it for a few years. So I'm always curious about timelines.
Thanks a bunch Basile family.
Beautiful family! So glad you get to add another little girl to your family! I love her curls! I agree about it being you are a blessed family - we have heard too many times how lucky our little one was that we adopted her - I totally disagree as I feel I am the lucky one to be her mom and to care for her and her daddy is just as smitten, so we are indeed a blessed family too!
ReplyDeleteShe is so beautiful!! What an amazing experiance!!! She looks a lot like her momma in the eyes for sure!! :)
ReplyDeleteSarah she is beautiful. ive been reading you since Zoya and you are truly I just keep in awww with your family, you are so blessed and blessing to my life.
ReplyDeleteYep, she's right where she belongs with you guys for sure! I can't wait to see her with her sisters!!! Do you think there could be a family picture with the 5 of you for Christmas? That would be so awesome!
ReplyDelete