Travel Journal - Day 5

Sorry everyone about the delay for Gotcha Day. We are in a new hotel and I am figuring out their server/connections/etc.

Little Lani had a rough night. She slept from 9:30-midnight in her little crib ( yes, the orphanage had her in a crib!) and then she woke up very disoriented. I put her in bed with me and she had a fitful sleep until after 2am. She would sleep maybe 30 seconds to a minute and then wake up startled and let out a little whine, not even a cry. She would fall asleep and wake again. She did this for about two hours. Finally she fell sound asleep and we had to wake her up at 6:30 to get ready to go back to the Civil Affairs Office. Right when she woke up, I tried giving her some water and she drank half a glass! PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!! She ate several little Gerber crackers. We cleaned her up with a wet washrag and changed her clothes and that was traumatic for her. She held onto a little cracker the entire time. We got to breakfast and this little girl ate and ate and ate. We had to stop her because we didn’t want her to get sick. She ate two bowls of Congee, a soupy rice that she ate three times a day at the orphanage. I have to learn to make this before I get home! She had two helpings of scrambled egg and bananas and cantaloupe. She drank a juice glass of apple juice!

Now, here is the best thing I have ever written! Today, Lei Qing Juan officially became Elaine Qing-Leigh Goff!!!!! The orphanage reps signed over custody today at 10am and we signed to take custody! We have a picture of me signing the paper. Mike was trying to instruct Kara on how to use the camera! How amazing! The adoption is final and our family is complete!

We went to the supermarket and got water and bananas and M&Ms! Then we went to McDonalds for lunch and she slept until it was time to go and then she was not interested in eating anything. We went back to the room she slept for 4 hours. We are on our way to dinner and a walk and then hopefully she will sleep better tonight! She has not cried all day. Well, we tried to get her to use the western style potty in the hotel room and she freaked out. We bought a little stroller and she did not want to be put in that thing! Besides that, she just stares at us and takes in everything. The girls are a huge help! She loves playing with them!

Tomorrow is an easy day with just a group trip to a famous park.

Love to all! The Goffs!