5 Year Gotcha Day Anniversary !!!

My life was good!

I managed, despite some nasty weather, to find happiness wherever I looked.

And I've had a lot of fun and laughs along the way....

but there was always something missing.

I've been blessed with the ability to do just about anything I set my mind to (except speak French very well....ahem......let me not get waylaid but plunge ahead). But of all the things I've loved being able to do - nothing compared to being a mother.

And after many years

it finally happened.

Five years ago, I finally became a mother and Danny and I the parents to an adorable baby girl from Hunan, China. The girls from Hunan are nicknamed "spicy girls" and that's what we got.

One gorgeous, hot, spicy, spectacular, loving

daughter.

Happy Gotcha Day sweet Dahlia!

We love you with all our heart.

I had to make the trip alone (along with some special friends) and this is a few days before Gotcha day in Shanghai at the Yu Gardens. (Interestingly, the Yu Gardens are the sister garden to the Chinese Garden here at the Montreal Botanical Gardens. Kinda like that connection!

My friend Helen and I both took pictures of eachother and the empty cribs in our rooms the evening before we were receive the babies. We were just nervous Nellys the whole time.
I prayed over this crib - that my little one would know how much she was loved.
And here she is - next morning.

Same crib - filled with a little love thing. All soft and sweet (and scared and confused). She stuck to my cheek for about 2 hours after our first moments together. My little love.



Here I'm trying to get her to laugh so I can send Daddy a happy picture at home.

She was just a butter ball really.

Below is one of my favourite pictures. Here we are with Helen and Angelo and their daughter (Dahlia's BFF) Angel, from the same place. Poor Angelo really had two wives (without the

benefits) during this trip. I'll be forever grateful to them both for making that solo trip so much easier for me. Danny and I were both heartborken when his doctors told him he couldn't fly for a 6 month period and I'll never really know how hard that was for him to know I was there, meeting our daughter while he was home alone. It was difficult for me to be alone but it must have been unbearable for him. Dahlia's and Daddy's gotcha moment was at the airport in Montreal - 2 weeks later.

And this is 5 years later (this past August) at the same spot but with Danny this time and our two newest ones.

My beautiful Dahlia!

The little girl who made me a Mommy five years ago.

I'm so proud to call you my daughter,

my first born daughter.

And I love you so much - to the ends of the universe

and back, my love!

Seven more sleeps til we hit the road...er......skies!

So, I was browsing through old pictures and videos last night and came across these 2 clips. Just days after arriving home from China back in December 2004. A good reminder just how squirmy and wormy my little Dahlia was.

Which then reminded me to get my head in gear for the possiblity of another squirmy, wormy little bundle of energy.



Seeing Baby Dahlia this tiny makes my heart just lurch with anticipation.

I'll never get over this fact: China is giving us a human being, an actual person, a little bundle of beauty and love and all that good stuff (oh, and some nasty too...let's call it like it is).

No bigger gift than this!

:)

Dahlia's Story..........

Day 3 with Dahlia - Nov 10, 2004

This little caterpillar was her very first toy. Her cheeks are a bit pinkish in this picture. Could be from all the munching on them. :-o

The first time she opened her mouth wide I was shocked to see all those teeth. Even though she was 20 months on gotcha day, she still was so babyish (the quantity of hair may have influenced that perception slightly.)

Here's my 2nd e-mail home with more glowing reports of our new little love.



Subject: Ahhhh......Dahlia!!!!! Update
November 10, 2004

Hi everyone. Just schlooged through all your e-mail responses to my
last posting. Wow.......I feel so lucky to have so many who care and
are with me (read us) in this journey!!!!

Well............how can I put this succinctly. Dahlia is an utter joy!
She loves to eat (yes....this is in order of importance!!) she loves to
play, she loves her mama, she sleeps pretty good when she gets really
pooped, she has had 4 poops now (wow). I can't quite believe how we
lucked out. SHE'S SO GOOD!!!! She can sit and amuse herself (Hello) yet
she plays well with me and all the other kids ( I didn't mean to put
that in the same sentence......ok, maybe I did!!)

But the best is - yesterday she looked me in the eyes and said her first word
"MAMA". Can you believe it!!!!!! Already!!!! Then I said "chin chin"
(Chinese for kiss) and she leaned forward with her mouth open and
kissed me real sloppy. Wow!!!!!!!! I cried.

I could go on and on but the truth is she taking her nap (Helen is
watching her) and I'm so tired I could use one too. Every muscle in my body
aches. Oh,we all have colds which adds to the fun!!!!

This is for the Formons group. Everyone in the group are doing really well.
Karen N is having an easy time with Abby. She is so quiet and delicate
and is crazy about her Mom and sister. Kisses and hugs all the time.
Helen and Angelo are totally devoted to Angel - can't get enough of
her. The 3 day adjustment period has gone so well we're almost holding
our breaths for fear the spell will be broken. Really the kids are
adjusting great. We're all so happy (albeit really really tired).Can't
wait for you all to meet them!!!

The Zhuzhou orphanage is so great. They were so clean and dressed so
pretty - they even gave 'us' gift baskets!!! What's that!!?? We are so blessed!!!!

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and good wishes. Talk to you soon.

Hugs to all,

Wanda (Mama)

And now, almost 5 years later, I still have to pinch myself.

This little girl is mine!

And I am her mama.

It's June !!!

......and this is the month when we will meet our little Milana (after more than a 3 year wait) and Dahlia will finally get her little sister! Well - actually we will receive her picture and finally know who she is - travel will likely be later in the summer.

So, a little walk down memory lane is in order. The following is the first e-mail I wrote after receiving Dahlia ( our long awaited first daughter {the delay was short then, it was us who were delayed.....but, that's a whole "nother" story} ).


DAHLIA’S GOTCHA DAY – November 8, 2004



(My first e-mail I sent from the hotel office in
Changsha, Hunan, China, after receiving Dahlia.)


Well...........Joy unspeakable!!!!! As I write this, Dahlia is in my lap staring
at the screen – all fascinated! (Any spelling mistakes are hers!!!)

We picked up the babies at 11 this morning. Dahlia was the first to
walk in (yes....walk!) and I knew her instantly. By the time all the babies
were in (17 of them) with nannies and parents - sheer bedlam broke out.
And the scream fest began.

When they handed Dahlia to me she was crying (I think she may be an
opera singer - what a set of lungs) - actually we were both
crying - and I just cuddled her and softly sang to her in her ear (“Nature boy”
only I changed the words). She stopped crying - WOW. She just clung
to me and cuddled and sniffed and only cried if I stopped singing.
What a doll!!!! She is so beautiful I almost can't take it. I just can't believe
they are giving her to us. I love her so much I think my heart will burst.
(Shhhhh..............she just fell asleep in my arms.)

And guess what? She likes me...............she's so cuddlely and clingy and
soft and spongy..........I'm chopping on her cheek right now.

And what cheeks. She is really big and healthy with great color and
beautiful eyes !!!What a doll. Sorry if this is too much for some of
you.............I just can't help it. Just a few more details. She took her bottle,
had some crackers and then had a great poop!! Pretty good for the first
day. (Ahem......Dahlia was the first to have a poop in the group!!! Big news.)

We called her Daddy on the phone (I’ll explain below) as soon as we got back
to the room and she gave a good cry for him. Tash, I can't wait for you to meet
your new sissy. And everyone......prepare yourselves to fall head over heels.
This little gift from God is a blessing for everyone!!!!

I'll write more later. Love to all

Wanda (Dahlia's mommy)

P.S. She's still asleep in my arms...actually my arm is asleep too (LOL)

Daddy had to stay home and it broke our hearts. He had recently had a health issue and his doctors forbade him to travel. So Mommy went alone to pick up our sweetie. I was however, surrounded by “angels clothed in flesh” on my trip which made it so much easier. So for our second trip to China for Milana – the plan is WE ARE ALL GOING!!
(Ahem….God willing.)

Dahlia on Gotcha Day (Nov 8, 2004)

My head swims when I think we will soon be repeating this life-changing event (biggest adventure I can imagine) and this time I want to savor every moment. Hey, there's another positive for this agonizing wait. If I had returned for Milana when the timing was only a 6-8 month wait - I would have missed most of it 'cause I still had major baby-brain and now that I'm so brilliant and vibrant I can capture it all, fully there. (Anyone sensing some sarcasm here?)

Stay tuned - I'll be posting lots more on Dahlia's beginnings in the next while. I've got to get most of it done before the 2nd act begins. :-)