11 months and one week.....

Today marks the day that Jocelyn has been my daughter as long as she was in the orphanage in China. Tomorrow I will have been her mama longer than she was in China. That got me thinking about her life in China and I wanted to share some of the photographs that the nannies took of her with the camera I sent in her care package. This picture is taken not to far inside the gate of the Wanzai Social Welfare Institute where Jocelyn was found on the 11th of April 2007, the day after she was born. She is layered with clothes as the Chinese think that the children are cold and need to be covered.

These are some of the nannies that took care of Jocelyn until I came to bring her home.

This shows the front of the orphange where Jocelyn spent the first 11 months and one week of her life.

A better picture of one of her nannies.

I think that this picture is taken inside the orphanage front gate but I am not sure.

I found out from my travel sister Stephanie that this is a stroller/potty chair that you could slide a container in the bottom.

Here Jocelyn has the lamb and pictures that I sent her in the care package. Unfortunately we did not come back with any of the items that I had sent in the care package. I know Jocelyn is saying "This is my new mommy and soon she is going to come and get me and take me home"

Again per my travel sister Stephanie I found out that this building is where the nannies and foster mothers live.

Thank you Wanzai Social Welfare Institute for keeping my daughter safe and happy until I could come and get her and thank you for the wonderful glimpse into Jocelyn's life in China.

Jocelyn's first trim...

On Valentine's Day this year Jocelyn got her first "trim". I know she doesn't have much hair but the back and over the ears was uneven and some of her hair was getting long and others weren't. I decided that she needed to have a trim to make it look more even. This is a picture taken before she had any hair cut off. I only had them trim around the ears and the back . She was so good. Once they made the first cut and she saw it didn't hurt she was a trooper.

This isn't so bad mama. Do I get a treat for being so good?

I had the stylist keep some of her hair and I am going to put it in her scrapbook. Yes, I have actually started her scrapbook. I still have a lot to do but I can officially say that I have started.

Happy belated Valentine's Day to everyone. I know I enjoyed my first one with my daughter.

I will try to get some after picutres and post them and she didn't want to have anymore pictures taken that day.

My Puddin face......

My mom gave Jocelyn an individual container of chocolate pudding and she loved it. She decided that the spoon wasn't fast enough so she put the container up to her mouth hence the circle of pudding on her face and nose.

I can do this mama.

See I told you. Oh no I am spilling some on my dress!

What makes you think I need a bath mama? I'm not dirty and its not bedtime yet. As you can see we have an Elmo bathtoy that she has to have every night when we take our bath.

The after picture. Doesn't she look fresh and clean?

Jocelyn has learned so much in the "short" time I have had her. But she has taught me even more. The meaning of love and joy and yes even sometimes frustration and what I can do when I get little or no sleep. But you know what I wouldn't trade any of it for anything in the world as it is priceless.

God bless.

Jocelyn and her man.....

We had to take my mom do the doctor this morning and guess what? She has bronchitis AGAIN. This is the third time in a month. While my mom was with the doctor Jocelyn and I were in the waiting room. She asked to be put in the chair and then said book. I got her one and she was so intent in "reading" that I had to snap a few pictures. She just looks so grown up in these pictures.

She kept pointing to the pictures of gogs or dogs as you and I call them.

What does this say mama?

I can do this by myself mama!

JOCELYN'S NEW MAN IS ELMO.

This is last night as Jocelyn was getting ready for bed. Guess the picture says it all. Elmo is her new best bud.

"The Call"......

One year ago today I got the "call" that would completly change my life forever. At 15:45 at work the call came from my family coordinator Leah at AWAA stating that she was looking at a picture of my daughter. She told me that she had no hair and brown eyes and was born on 04/10/07 and that she was from the Jiangxi province and had been in an orphanage called the Wanzai Social Welfare Institute and was on the chubby side. She also let me know that they would be fedexing her pictures and bio information and I should receive it the next day. They were right on all counts weren't they? As soon as I got off the phone with Leah I immediately called and let my mom know. I don't think you could have dynamited the smile off my face that day. This is the first picture that I ever got to see of Jocelyn.

This is the most recent picture that I have of Jocelyn. My has she grown!!! Her hair has grown some too.

Happy one year anniversary of the call to everyone in Travel group 132.