Introducing the newest member of our family..

Amara Grace Yuhe Forbes!

Yes, I finally named this child! Even upon being presented with the form where I had to write her name on Monday I still hadn't decided. There were a few bouncing around my head and when they placed the form in front of me I panicked, counted to three, and when I put the pen to the paper it just flowed and this is what I wrote. I was waiting for a sign of some sort all along and in the end it was letting the decision go that made it perfect for me and her. It fits her. And Amara means unfading and eternal. Given everything she has been through I think Amara Grace is very fitting. And very mighty!

Monday we went to the Civil Affairs office where all of the other families (I think there were 7 of us total!) met their children that day. I came in later because her orphanage director's train was delayed. It was beautiful to watch all of the other families get to know their children. Amara watched quietly and then the wait got to be too much and she cried for about an hour and a half after the families left. We had arrived in Hefei at midnight the night before so the poor baby was exhausted.

Our guide, Ann (who has been amazing!) was very calm and sweet and tried to distract her and make her happy by reading her book to her. Nothing worked until the director came in and she was instantly quiet and moved over to him. Men seem to calm her. From what I have been told this is normal because she feels she is being disloyal to her "mama" (or nanny) if she allows me or any woman to take care of her. He made her so calm, in fact, that she fell asleep on a chair. Standing up.

We went back to the hotel after this and we all took a much needed 5 hour nap!

Amara officially became a part of the Forbes clan as of yesterday morning! Yesterday she and I also had to travel back to her birth city Huainan City to verify her identity with the local police station and apply for her passport there. Hers is one of only two cities in Anhui province that requires this extra step. With travel it took us 7 hours. We got back at 8 pm last night and crashed hard. Adrian decided to stay at the hotel as he hasn't felt well for a few days. He is starting to feel better now though! But still may be suffering from a case of culture shock... We have been nonstop for a week now and today is a free day for all of us. It feels great to relax. We did some swimming in the kid pool earlier and she loved it. A bit timid at first but by the end she was very relaxed and happy. And I daresay, even showing off a bit!

It is very hot here, in the 90s and oppressively humid. Except for the adoption stuff we are choosing to stick around the hotel. The Hefei Hilton is a very nice hotel and the staff speaks English well. I am hoping to visit Love Without Boundaries Anhui Healing Home tomorrow if it works out and Amara is having a good day. We fly to Guangzhou on Friday. I'm looking forward to the Victory Hotel and Shamian Island.

I'm happy to report that Amara is doing much better with me! She is asking to be picked up, will hug and kiss me if asked, and will hold my hand easily. She doesn't shake her head no to everything I say and will even look at me now when I speak to her. She loves to say "ni hao" to everyone she passes but if they engage in conversation with her she will look to make sure I'm right there. With her becoming more comfortable also comes some testing behaviors. Normal toddler stuff but we are working on being on the same page. I'm not sure but I'm sensing she may have been a little bit spoiled :-) She is starting to get a cold so that might make things a little more difficult in the next few days.  She does sleep soundly through the night which has been a great gift that I hope continues when we get home. But when she has had a good night's sleep watch out! 'Cause this girl runs circles around us. She eats like a bird and only likes fruit and dry corn flakes, and of course, cookies ;-) I've got to find a way to get some weight on this girl! She is tiny! I'm hoping Ava will give her some lessons on how to eat!

Until we post again! 

Will catch up on final days of Beijing and our Great Wall Trip later!