Home Sweet Home

September 20th, 2012 was a day to be remembered for many reasons.  This day was filled with so many emotions.  Sadness to be leaving such a magnificent country filled with so much culture, memories and such an incredible chance to witness it's vast population.  As we departed from China, we had such immense gratitude from its greatest blessings that have filled our hearts and completed our family...our two precious Girls.  We were excited to be going home and starting a new stage of our lives.  A sense of celebration of our new family especially because on this very special day we were also celebrate Timmy's birthday.   When the flights were originally booked it seemed like such a wonderful idea to be celebrating his birthday with his new daughter's home coming.  Well, in retrospect, what were we thinking?

Our day started with a final attempt to pack and hope that we were within our baggage allowance.  Somehow, we had managed to add another suitcase and yet we had not done much shopping as I had expected that would require a new suitcase.  Since we did not have enough time to shop during out stay, we agreed to do a final visit to the Pearl Market in the morning.  

When we flew from Guangdong to Beijing, the 3 hour flight was not a pleasant one for Rebecca so we were already anticipating a rough time.

It all started off well as I had her strapped to me in a snugly but once the seat belts were buckled Rebecca became agitated and the screeching started.  She would not sit still and squirmed enough to almost loosen herself from our grip on several occasions.  Tim was great in offering to hold her during take off.  Right away the passengers in our area started glancing our way with some disapproval.  I looked right at them and asked them what their problem was.  It infuriated me because they had no idea what my baby had just gone through in the last two weeks and that this behaviour was due to such drastic changes in her little life.  Yes! if someone handed me over to strangers who didn't speak a language I'm familiar with and I could not understand why they were taking me from hotel, on an air plane to another hotel and then once again on an air plane...I would definitely be screaming for help too.  

Nonetheless, we had expected this so we were somewhat prepared for a rough time, but no matter how bad I imagined it would be....it was far worse to actually see my baby in such distress.  To make things worse, no sooner was the air plane moving, Ms Rebecca pooped and it was a foul smell that started to spread throughout the plane.  Tim and I couldn't help but laugh because her timing couldn't have been more perfect.  I will admit, I was cynical as I smirked at the complaining passengers and saw their faces.  Tim tried everything to calm Rebecca down and thought that tapping his knee would do it.  Nope, it didn't, it only made it worse because her soiled diaper was now leaking right onto his pants and we had not even begun our 13 hour flight.

Once the flight was on its way and Tim was able to get up and change Rebecca, off he went into the tiny toilets to clean up a big mess.  I was worried and hoped he would be OK doing this but then all of a sudden we hit turbulence and it was rough stuff.  I was anxious as visions of him in the toilet during the turbulance bouncing around with the baby in one arm.  It worried me but at the same time could not contain the laughter that hit me at the visual of my poor Timmy and the baby bouncing around in the tiny space.  I'm sure the passengers thought I was losing my mind because I honestly got the major giggles with tears streaming down my face.  It took him almost 30 minutes to return.  Just as I had calmed myself from laughing I looked back and there he was with a frazzled look on his face, holding Rebecca who was no longer wearing any pants.  The poor guy looked distraught and made me laugh even more as he described how he was all rattled up in the tiny room.  I had given him a brand new package of wipes and he brought back less than half the package as he had practically ended up cleaning the toilet room......and then I laughed even harder, especially to see Rebecca all smiles and looking so innocent.  As for the pants, I washed them and had them hanging in the side of my seat.  Believe it or not, they were dried by the time we began descending in Toronto.  

 

The whole flight was horrific with only a couple intermittent hours of silence only when Rebecca slept.  I dared not move to avoid her waking up because the screeching would start all over again.  Not only did I not get much rest but having her strapped to me in the snugly didn't leave me much room to eat, but that was ok because all I really wanted was to make time go by quickly and quietly and get off the plane.  

Bethany was fantastic on the flight, once she put her headphones on and had her TV screen on her cartoon movies she didn't even bother with her hysterical sister.  Even when she fell asleep and lay her head on lap and her sister continually kicked her, she was so tired that she slept right through it.

Once we finally arrived at Pearson we faced 2.5 hours of immigration line-ups.  Customs was quick but as Rebecca was a new comer to Canada we had to complete immigration paperwork and that's where it took the longest because there was only one person handling a very long line-up.

After all was done we literally ran out of the immigration office and down to gather our luggage which was waiting for us and finally walked out to meet my family.  It was the most incredible feeling to finally see their faces in person rather than on skype.  Even at my age, and I believe forever, there is just nothing like seeing your Mom and Daddy's faces smiling at you and giving them the biggest hug that says so much from I missed you, welcome home, I love you and congratulations Mommy.....and of course, then I cried.

Not only were we greeted by my family but also by our loving and amazing friends who are our extended family and were there to welcome Bethany home 3.5 years ago.  Galito & Senora Teresita Maldonado were also waiting for over 2 hours to welcome us home.  There is nothing like their friendship and love as they share the great joy with our family once again.

When we arrived home it was almost 10:30.  My family had welcome banners, balloons, a gorgeous cake and dinner for us.  They had also tidied up the house and most importantly put their loving touches on Rebecca's room.  As we walked around the house with Rebecca to show her around, her eyes were as big and beautiful as the first day we met her.  She still looked concerned or scared but clung on to us tightly.

It was so surreal to be standing with her in her very own room, freshly painted by daddy and Abuelito as well as beautifully decorated with little butterflies, not to mention the dresser and closet filled with clothes.  Even today, five days later, I still get emotional to walk into her room and see her in her warm soft crib sleeping so peacefully.  It's such an incredible feeling to actually have her home.

Upon meeting my family, Rebecca seemed to be comfortable with them, especially with her Abuelito.  It wasn't long before she was smiling as she curiously looked at everyone's faces.  Undoubtedly, she saw and felt the happiness and love emanating from her Abuelitos, her Tia and big Brother.  Cristian was instantly in love with this little beauty in front of him.

There is no place like home and family.

 On September 7th, we left as a family of three....

Departing at Beijing Airport on September 20th

 

 As we boarded the flight, Bethany intently studied the flight instructions

As Daddy began the long difficult flight, Bethany was in her own little world 

with her headphones on.  She did fantastic for the 13 hour long flight.

A proud moment for me as I walked out to greet my family and friends 

after a long rough flight and slow immigration process.

A loving welcome home!!!

 On September 20th, we arrived as a family of four

Thank you Guangzhou

Our stay in Guangzhou was very busy in getting all the paperwork done to finalize our adoption and to obtain Rebecca's passport in order for her to fly back to Beijing.  Thankfully, everything went smoothly and quickly without delays.

Alot of our time was also spent getting acquainted with out little baby.  After 1 1/2 weeks I can proudly say that she has come a long way already as she has adapted and slowly showing some signs of trust in us.  In comparison from the first time we had met her, Rebecca is growing stronger each day.  With the help of her daddy and big sis she has done more standing, taken a few extra steps each day and has even started crawling rather quickly although still taking breaks in between to sprawl out on the floor.  Not to mention that she has also been smiling and laughing much much more.

The little frown on her face is slowly disappearing and her eyes are still as big and beautiful as the first day we saw her. 

Rebecca has been sleeping very well and fortunately for us she sleeps through the night most of the times.  On the first night she slept without waking up once.  However, on the second night it took almost one hour for her to settle down in the crib.  Tim and I had a very disturbing time watching as she thrust herself around the crib at times hitting her head, arms and legs while crying out.   After witnessing such disturbing behaviour I promised her, as I had done with Bethany from the very start, that she would no longer have to cry herself to sleep anymore.  I know many would consider me spoiling my girls to run when they cry at night but they have already spent many nights crying in need to be comforted or held but eventually just crying themselves to sleep.  It breaks my heart to think of those lonely nights that they had to endure at such tiny age when newborns/infants are held without hesitation....my girls never had that and now their mommy won`t let that happen ever again.

I will also say that despite her enthusiasm with her baby sister, Bethany has been having a very tough time adjusting to the arrival of her baby.  There are moments in which she adores and continually hugs and kisses her, as well as commenting how happy she is and can`t believe that she finally has a baby sister.  However, as the days have passes there has been more animosity towards the baby.  We knew to expect this but what we have noticed is that Bethany has become more inquisitive about her birth parents.  She has even commented that she knows we don`t love here anymore and she wants to go find her other mommy and daddy to love her.  Many would say that all kids go through a rough time in accepting a sibling, however, adopted children are not like all kids and it is painfully real to me that this journey has made Bethany more aware of adoption.  I have had many heartbreaking moments and talks with Bethany and realize it will be more difficult once we get home.  As a mother you do everything you can to protect your child from insecurities and difficult life circumstances but adoption is a whole new world of it`s own....one that my girls will question in many aspects looking for answers; many of which I do not have or will ever know.

Despite being half-way across the world in such a beautiful country with so much history and sights to see, we did manage to get our for a trip to the zoo.  You see, we are not on a vacation.  We are on a special journey with the main focus of becoming a family of four and ensuring all our T`s are crossed and our I`s are dotted in the mountain of paperwork that we have had to do.  It is also a critical time of making it a smooth transition for our little baby whose life has changed in a matter of hours which is more than any adult can get used to if it were to happen to them.  So, despite our Tim & Liz adventure travels, we spent alot of time in the hotel room so as to keep Rebecca`s surroundings as minimal as possible until she becomes accustomed to her new family.  We did manage to get out to the shopping strip known as the Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street in the city's bustling retail and shopping district but despite the countless little shops, we did not buy anything as we found prices to be comparable to ours and fussy-shopper Daddy could not make up his mind on many items he liked. 

We ended our stay with a night cruise along the Pearl River and took in the spectacular lit-up scenic path.  It was the most  beautiful and colourful display of lights and quite a fascinating experience. 

Leaving Guangzhou was different than it was with Bethany.  When we left Guangxi in 2009 I had such a fear that something would go wrong and would cause a delay or prevent me from taking Bethany home.  This time, I felt confident that I was taking my baby home very soon and that we were just accomplishing yet another step along our journey.  I still felt the overwhelming sadness of saying good bye to her home as well to her birth mother.  Praying that she too will be given the peace in knowing through trust in God that her baby is in the loving arms of her forever family who have fallen deeply in love with her in a matter of seconds and will carry out her wishes for a happy and loving life.  I hate good byes in person but saying good bye to someone who you've never met or will never meet and saying thank you for such a wonderful gift of a healthy child is unexplainable. 

We left Guangzhou for now but with every intention to one day return with Rebecca to visit her home as we will do with Bethany as well.

Big Sis Bethany playing with her baby

The sweetest kind of kisses

 

Passport application day

 

Going for a late night swim at the hotel roof top pool

 

Rebecca watched Daddy and big Sis intently as they played in the pool

 

Taking a stroll along `Pet Alley`just outside our hotel

 

The busy streets of Guangzhou

 

 

Getting read to board for our night cruise along Pearl River

 

Night cruise

 

The Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street

September 11 -- We are Fami-LEE

After we left the Civil Affairs office on September 10th, we headed straight to the hotel where we were to acquaint ourselves with our baby Rebecca.  We fed her and changed her and Bethany was able to spend some time to finally get to know her baby Rebecca.

As we did with Bethany, we stayed in our room and ordered room service in order to avoid overstimulating our baby, considering this was her first time out of the orphanage and everything around here was all new to her, especially us.

We had the chance to just stare at her and we could see how scared and tiny she was.  I was in a panic when I realized that other than three 9-month outfits I had brought for her nothing would fit this tiny little body.  I was completely horrified that the onesie she was wearing was actually size 6-9 months and it was still not fitting well.  That's how small she is.

I really wanted to give her a bath to freshen her up but we had been told she had a cold last week so I decided not to bathe her for another couple of days because even giving her a bath would be too much distress for her right now.  Not to mention the fact that she was also getting over a cold. 

It was amazing to see how Bethany interacted with her right away.  Tim and I had been concerned about her reaction to having a sister and that night we had some emotional moments just watching her take over and do the introduction and welcoming speech to her new family.  She actually introduced us by saying a few times "My mommy is Elizabeth Galarza-Lee and my daddy is Timothy Lee and I am big sister Bethany Lee Galarza because we are your fami-Lee (emphasis on the Lee)".  I was able to capture one of those moments on video and it melts my heart to see it over and over again.  I know one day Rebecca will see it too and know just how much we loved her from the very beginning.

We have realized that this incredible journey is just as big a blessing to Bethany as it is for us.  I could not fight back the tears when Bethany said with a big huge grin "I can't believe it Mommy and Daddy, I have a baby sister".  She saw me cry (again) and as I held out my arms to her she came to me and I hugged her and cried.  Now, I realize that in the beginning my precious baby will have a difficult time sharing her home, her family and her belongings with her little sister and we are in for some rough times ahead; but, I strongly believe they will have the same adoration for each other as I have for my little sister who is not just my best friend but also my better half...my right arm....my life saver...the wind beneath my wings....well, you get the picture.

September 10th was the day considered to be a day of fostering our baby.  The following day we had to return to the Civil Affairs office for the official documentation that would sign, seal and pronounce us a family. 

September 11th is a day of great sorrow as the world remembers the devastation suffered not only by those who lived the tragedy but all of us who also watched it.  It has been a solemn day for us ever since it happened and yet on the 11th year anniversary this day has now taken on a new meaning for us.  It is the day we became a family of four as we were granted legal custody of our Baby Rebecca. 

We will never forget September 11th, 2001 nor will we forget the personal joy September 11th, 2012 brought to us. 

Bethany teaching her baby sister how to eat spaghetti after doing the family introductions

 

 

This is Rebecca telling big sis she understood

 

Our first breakfast together the morning of September 11th

 

 

Bethany helping her sister eat breakfast 

 

Bethany patiently waiting

 

Daddy and his girls patiently waiting

 

The newest little Lee Galarza

 

 I am finally holding my baby....forever

I have two strong arms to hold my two little Angels close forever

 

 Somebody pinch me please.....I so happy and blessed

 

After a very tiring day, Rebecca exhausted from the life changing experience in 24 hours and my girl and Daddy still exhausted from jet lag.

 

As part of the process, a family picture is taken by the Civil Affairs office that completes the legal documentation.  This is our FOREVER FAMI-LEE!

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank all our family and friends who have supported and shared our great family moment from the beginning.  Your kind and loving thoughts and prayers mean the world to us.  You are the family my girls will treasure forever.

About Rebecca.......

They say first impressions leave lasting impressions, well once again it was love at first sight.  For the past six months I've had nothing at all but two pictures of my little girl and now I was holding her in my arms and within minutes I was in love again.  I hugged and kissed her over and over.  I know we've been told and I've read that we have to avoid smothering the child as we are strangers to her and we must not overwhelm them in the transition.  Well, once again, I heard about it and read a million pieces of advice about it......but my heart took over and wanted to let her know I'm your Mommy, We are your Family and you have been and will be loved forever.

I was holding a very small little girl who at 13 months was so light in weight with big beautiful eyes that darted all around her surroundings, an obvious sign that everything around her was new to her.....and that she was very scared.  She kept grabbing everything she could with a death-grip as if to hold on for her dear life.  My heart was crushed to see how thin she was and how wobbly and long she was.  After reading about institutionalized children who have little to no stimulation or human contact in comparison to fostered children, I had expected to see a small child.  But there is a difference between expecting and thinking about it and actually holding her and realizing that I could literally put my hands right around her waist.  That bit of reality-check was not just hard to fathom but also heartbreaking; not to mention the fact that the 12 month old clothes I had bought and brought are far too big and do not fit her at all.

I immediately found myself doing what I have said to my Mom at least a million times while we were growing up.....do not compare bananas to oranges; my sister was the banana and I was the orange, of course.  Well, here I was already doing a comparison of my two girls; Bethany is my orange and  Rebecca my banana.  Bethany was a rolly-polly bundle of rambunctious joy and Rebecca is the total opposite.  Bethany  had been in foster care for four months so she had the luxury of being held, caressed, fed and undoubtedly hugged and kissed quite allot.  From what our Guide told us, Rebecca has been in the orphanage since she was one day old and because there are so many children and not enough nannies she spent 80% of her days in her crib.  This is why my little Rebecca appears, as Tim describes her, malnourished both physically and developmentally. 

She has four baby teeth, two at the  top and two at the bottom with two more coming out at the bottom.  So she is in the teething stage and drooling allot.  She sucks her thumb quite a bit and as much as it disturbs Tim he also understands it's her way of comforting herself so we do not plan to stop that habit anytime soon.  She has the most delicious cheeks that make you want to squeeze them all the time and she has a frown on her face that in time will go away.  I believe once she has grieved the loss of what she knew was her life and when the realization that we are not going anywhere anytime soon (or ever) has set in, she will lose the frown just as Bethany lost her sad turned down lips after a few months of being home.

She is definitely not your average 13 month old as she is not walking or crawling; however, like Bethany, she appears to have strong legs as she can push herself up and can stand.  There is an obvious delay in her motor skills development because she is not able to pick things up although with a bit of struggle she is learning to pick up baby corn puffs that I had brought for her.  Again, in comparison to Bethany at 10 months old who was able to pick up cheerios and put them directly in her mouth, Rebecca struggles to pick up a corn puff and then does not appear to know to put it in her mouth; but when I hold it in front of her she darts her head forward and opens her mouth to eat it.

In saying all this please understand I am in no way discrediting the care she has received in the orphanage.  I know from other adoptive parent's experience of orphanage visits that the nannies they have met are the most loving and that the children are genuinely happy to see them again upon their visit.  I have nothing but the utmost respect and gratitude for the work they do with so much love and attention to our children while they wait for us to come and take them home.  It is just that no matter how much I read in preparation for our meeting, reality hits home when you see that even by giving all they can there is without a doubt nothing like the undivided love and affection of a mother to a child.  They have done a great job in caring for her and now it is finally my turn to take over and do the job I love the most....to be her Forever Mommy.

With regards to her special need, we were advised she had a mild case of cleft palate and as with everything else we did our research and even goggled images of what we would expect to see with her condition.   It turns out that her condition is mild in comparison to the other cleft lip and palate children from the orphanages but from the little bit Tim was able to see he has told me it is not necessarily a mild case and we need to get her assessed right away as she may require more than one surgical procedure to repair her palate.  Even with this news I am still amazed at how blessed we are.  You see, when we were in the meeting room at the Civil Affairs office the other children adopted that day had obvious special needs that in truth were alarming and heartbreaking to see.  The images of those precious little children will be part of my memory when I think back on our big day.  As Tim and I looked around the room we both observed that Rebecca was the only child in the room who did not cry and did not have any visible special need.  We also felt humbled to be in a room of other families who willingly accepted to adopt the children who will require countless medical treatments for their special needs.  Once again, the Hand of God has brought Rebecca into our lives to make our family complete.

I am writing this entry two days after our Forever Family Day and since then, Tim has been teaching her to walk, we have sat her on the bed and had her reach for items in front of her, Bethany has helped by feeding her infant corn puffs and teaching her how to hold it and put it to her mouth.  So as a family we are instinctively already in action. 

 

This is within hours of being with us and in the room checking out her new crib.  Aside from the socks, this is how we received out little girl....with literally nothing but the clothes, or onesie, on her little back and nothing else.  No favorite little stuffed buddy or even her comforting blanket as it was forgotten at the hotel that morning.  Sadly my baby had nothing to her name or with her as a keepsake for us to pass along to her one day as a memory of the first year of her life.

My first smile on the second day as I was having our very first little one-on-one Mommy-Rebecca talks to introduce myself.  Needless to say this precious little smile turned into her frown when I got this response and could not contain myself.....and then I cried. 

Among many, this is my favorite picture.  This is the second night as I just stared at her, thanking God for bringing her into our lives and realizing this is not a dream.

 

This is my baby on September 11 as we completed our final interview by the Civil Affairs Designate Official and were officially pronounced a Fami-LEE. 

 

 

 

We have allot of care and nurturing to do with our little baby girl and I can't wait to get her home and get her caught up to the development stage of her age group.  There is no doubt we will have a very healthy thriving and loving little girl in our home in no time and I honestly believe she will allow us into her little heart when she slowly realizes that we have been and will be a constant in her life as we have been since the first time we met.

September 10 -- Our Forever Family Day

We are now in the province of Guangdong, in the city of Guangzhou staying at the Holiday Inn Guangzhou Shifu and it is a nice hotel with a nice spacious room for the girls but NO drawers or cupboard space. So, we are literally living out of our suitcases....but in the grand scheme of things that's a minor price to pay considering the reason for our stay is to finally meet and bring our baby home. 

With great anticipation and having used up all the patience in me, our big day arrived on September 10, 2012 at 2:15 pm.

We started the day off by having a great buffet breakfast that consisted of everything from french toast, milk & cereal to BBQ steamed buns and some amazing congee.  My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach since it was full of butterflies and I wasn't able to truly enjoy the incredible buffet.  Not to worry though because since then I have made up for it this morning..LOL.

Since we had some time before being picked up Tim took Bethany to the outdoor pool to keep her entertained.  I stayed behind getting ready and trying to sort through the clothes I had brought for our baby. I sorted through her things over and over as I was wondering how big she is and if anything would be either too small or too big.  In fact, I was really just trying to kill time and it seemed that in such a short period of time I was able to do so much....time literally stood still for me.  I guess it would not have felt that way if I had not been looking at the clock every minute.  I remember being anxious as we waited for Bethany and then I'm certain that day I had an anxiety attack to some degree.  As anxious as I was, having Bethany with us this time made a huge difference.  She was a great distraction and in a way helped calmed my nerves quite a bit.

Bethany was so excited to finally go meet her baby sister and as soon as I got her ready to go she quickly made sure to grab Pinky, Rebecca's little bear.  She also made sure to get her purse and when I asked her why she said it was because "baby Rebecca may want to wear lip gloss".  You see, Bethany brought lip gloss to China as gifts for her new friends Lilah & Phebe as well as for her baby sister Rebecca  because she says she has to teach her how to put on lip gloss.   As a big sister we had told her that she can teach her sister alot of things and right away she said she was going to teach her how to put lip gloss on.  When we said she was too little for lip gloss she responded "ok, so then I can teach her how to chew gum"......hence why she needed the lip gloss.

On our drive to the Civil Affairs office I looked out the window and people watched as I hugged Bethany.  It felt so surreal that 3.5 years ago we were on the same drive to a location where we were to meet Bethany for the first time so holding on to her made me feel less anxious.

When we arrived and walked into the office I couldn't believe I was actually walking into a room I had seen on numerous Forever Family day videos on you tube.  This was the infamous office with the red seating all along the one wall surrounded with large black and white pillows.  Tim and I had talked about how we felt at that moment and we both felt as though we were having an out-of-body experience and in total disbelief because we waited so long for this moment and now we were living it. 

The room was empty except for one other family.  At this point I was in tears especially seeing the big huge smile on Bethany's face.  There were some nannies and children in the Play room but our Guide Cathy told us that our baby had not arrived yet.  She apologised because she was late but Tim and I laughed as already she fit right into our family considering how "punctual" we are...NOT.  I had my video camera ready to film her entrance.  How hilarious is that?  Each time the elevators opened I started shaking and would look to see if I could it was her.  So, the only clip of her coming in is blurry and shaky.  At that point all I wanted to do was just follow that lady holding my baby and take her into my arms. 

By the time she arrived the room was now full of other anxious families.  We stood in front of the playroom as each child was announced and set their adoptive parents.  When it was our turn the official who was doing the announcing was wrapped up in conversation with someone and the Vice Director of the Yangxi SWI walked out with our baby and stood in front of us.  Cathy told her to wait and told us to wait as well until the official called her name.  Ok, so picture this, I'm shaking and tears are streaming from my eyes and she is right in front of me and I could not hold her.  I kept looking back at the official and he kept on talking.  After what seemed like a very long time, remember I've had time issues all day, I finally just walked back and tapped his shoulder while Cathy our Guide was saying "no no no no Elizabeth don't do that, we just wait for him".  I heard her, but I really did not hear her.  The official turned around and then walked over, said her name and I was holding my baby.

I finally had her in my arms as Tim was holding Bethany and we stood together looking at her.  Tim had made a plan on how to receive her to make things easy for Bethany and again...I heard his plan, but I really did not hear his plan.  What can I say?  I waited long enough for her, I was not about to give up the opportunity to hold her first despite his well-thought out plans A to D.

We walked over to sit down and then I started to realize that in my arms was a very very fragile, frail and scared little girl who had no idea what was going on and did not share in my moment of exhilaration.  What turned out to be the moment I've been waiting for was probably a very terifying moment for her.  Thankfuly she is still young enough to adapt to the major changes she her little life was going through in the last 24 hours.

Big Sister with Pinky and Marmaduke are so excited and ready to meet Baby Rebecca

On our way!!!!!

 

Arriving at the Guangdong Civil Affairs office.  Can't believe I'm finally in the meeting room.

Bethany all ready with half a tube of lip gloss on in order to give her baby sister bubble gum flavoured kisses with sparkles.

So happy to finally meet you my little Princess Rebecca.  You have just filled another void in my heart and from this day forward you will know and feel so much deserved LOVE....this I promise you from this day forward.  With all my love, your Mommy.

 

Just the moment Bethany was waiting for....to entertain her baby sister. It's incredible how much more at ease Rebecca was with Bethany's presence. She did not cry at all and she even had a bit of a smile as she watch Bethany jumping around and making faces at her. Not to mention her sweet baby voice and giggles. Bethany started off with her hair combed back nicely and by the time we left the room her hair was all over her face because she wanted to be so close to her baby sister that she was in arms length to have her hair pulled. As I worried that Bethany would get upset or cry from having her hair pulled she just look up with a big smile, brush her hair away from her face and give the thumbs up that she was "ok because it didn't hurt". Right from the start she was proving to be a great big sister.  See what I mean...  

 

Not to be left out is our amazing Daddy who was just as nervous and anxious to see, meet and hold his newest little Princess. The look in his eyes and the smile on his face was Priceless!!!

I am so happy I was able to capture these pictures of his proudest moments of our trip as a Daddy.

 

I'm greatful to God not only for one but two precious angels whose paths were meant to meet mine in our journey of a life time!