Quite A Day!!!

I'm not sure how to describe our day today, but I will say it was about what we had expected. I didn't sleep all that great last night- awake from 1-2:00 and tossing and turning the rest of the night- and we got up a little earlier than we needed to. We went down for breakfast, anxiously walked around outside the hotel a little bit, and then went upstairs as we waited for 9:45 to roll around. When we got downstairs, the other two couples and social workers were already there, so we went on into the meeting room to review the schedule, watch a video, and prepare for the kids to come. 10:30 was the magic minute when they started to come in! We heard one child out in the hall crying, and guess who that was?! Our dear Olivia was letting all know how she felt about what was going on! She stopped crying in a couple of minutes and came on in behind the other two children and their workers. She still had tears in her eyes but was calm. Then it wasn't any time until she got fired up again. One of the other two children was also crying off and on. We tried playing ball, blowing bubbles, looking outside at the trains, and pushing buttons on books. Finally, she calmed enough to play a little bit but would easily start crying again. After quite awhile of this, they had me go ahead and take her from the social worker. She cried off and on, and Brian tried holding her but she also cried with him. By the time we went to lunch, around 11:30, she was calm and went to sleep in my arms in the hotel restaurant. After lunch, we went up to the room (the two social workers with us) and showed her our room, and before long the social workers left and we were with her by ourselves for awhile. At 2:00 we were to be back downstairs to go to the foster mother's home, which was about 1 1/2 hours outside Bangkok. Olivia was good all the way out there- she slept most of the time- and she was so happy when we arrived.


The family was very friendly, and we enjoyed our time with them. The social workers acted as translators, and we were able to ask as many questions as we wanted. The foster mother asked who the primary caretaker would be and if we would send pictures over the years. Olivia was her first foster child, so I'm sure it is going to be especially difficult for her. We have been told she has been the "little princess". Olivia seemed to feel comfortable and happy, but still wary of what we were doing there. When we prepared to leave, she began to cry a little. I am sure she was afraid we were going to take her away.


Fortunately, we were not surprised or devastated with her behavior. We were prepared for anything to happen, and I was able to cuddle with her, and she did lay her head on my shoulder and snuggle up to me, so she definitely was not crying ALL the time, but off an on- except when she was asleep. It was a long but exciting day, and it looks like we're going to have our work cut out for us. She is so beautiful though, and I know in time she will be a totally different child. We did get a glimpse of that while we were at the foster mother's house.


I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, and although I know we will experience some of the same things, it should be better, and I'm anxious to see her again. We are taking the kids to a big shopping center, having lunch there, and then coming back to the hotel for awhile. Then all three kids will return to their foster homes for one last night. Wow, that's going to be tough on the foster parents.


I am posting pictures from today, but unfortunately they aren't too smiley. Maybe tomorrow!


Brian is about to fall asleep on me and we're downstairs in the lobby, so I'm going to have to get off. I'm tired too! Will write more tomorrow.



Leah