Elliott is in our arms now!

Matthew typing tonight as Elliott is getting rocked to sleep in his mother's loving arms.  I think I'll let the pictures tell today's story and know that is has been a long day for the 3 of us.  We found out this morning from his orphanage teacher that he has been loved in a foster family for the past 2 years and only went to the orphanage during the day for socialization and learning classes.  This means he knows how to attach to a family and had a mother and father figure in his life already.  Yes he is grieving the loss of them today but it definitely has not been all sadness and tears.  He took to April right away and lets her do anything with him, me on the other hand he likes and laughes at but other times he cries when I try to hold or comfort him.  His first words came this afternoon when we told him we were going outside to the park to play and he let me put his coat and hat on and then choose me to carry him outsidae by saying his first words "Baa Baa" means Daddy in Chinese.  I carried him for quite a while in the afternoon sun on the boardwalk along the river and he seemed to enjoy and even laughed in my lap as we did some swings.  Oh yeah, we were gawked at by everyone who passed us but after a while I got numb to it and just smiled back. After dinner we took him on a toy shopping spree at Wallyworld but not even new rubber ducks would make the bath tub cool to him. Tonight he is well fed, washed from head to toe and back to head again, and going to sleep as a Beresford in mommy's bed.  Maybe it will be mine tomorrow???


We recognized XinRong the second he walked through the door, which was only moments after we had arrived.  We didn't even have time to have the camera ready to capture the first glance!  As soon as he saw us, he started crying.  That was a good sign, actually, because he has stranger anxiety and because he has most likely seen our pictures before.  We sent photos of our family and of our home to him about six months ago so that they could start preparing him for the big transition.  

Things calmed down a bit as paperwork was handled and he got to check out the new toys we brought him.  When I tried to interact with him, though, he got really upset and threw up the crackers we had just gave him.  Oops!

Doing paperwork with the orphanage adoption director, Susan, on left and our interpreter and guide, Lin, wearing the red jacket and holding Elliott.

After the puking incident, the lead teacher from the orphanage, who had brought him in today, took him back and calmed him down.  He took quite a good nap which gave us time to ask the list of questions we had prepared.  This was our one shot at getting as much informtion from his past as we could get.  It was obvious that they cared very much for Elliott, and that they were happy to see him go to a good home and have a forever family.

 

April carrying our new son out of the building.

Riding in the van back to the hotel.

Nap time with Mama.

He switched his hat at the hotel and wanted to try out the one we brought for him.

Happy dad, swinging with the son I was called by Him to find.

Afternoon snack with mom, yes that was the undershirt he was sent with and it will be saved but you will probably not see him in pink again!

Tomorrow we go back to the office building to make it official with the Director and the Heilongjiang provincial notary, stay tuned!