Introducing Cora Marie

Well the day has finally arrived that we have been waiting for since September...Cora Marie has officially joined our family! Us and the lovely couple that is with us in Hebei province left at 9 am for the civil affairs office to meet our kiddos. It was a very small building, with a VERY small waiting room. Not exactly what I had been picturing all these months, but I'll take it!

TJ and I were asked to come to the next room to start our paperwork. We hadn't even gotten our names both wrote down on the first piece of paper, and the orphanage staff walked in with the kids. The other couples little boy started crying, and I turned around and there was Cora right behind me! The orphanage staff handed her over immediately. She did not cry at all. She had fallen asleep on the 2 hour drive from the orphanage....so she looked a little bewildered.

She has been very quiet. The staff told us that DongYu (Cora) does not really ever cry. She is very "mild tempered." I am hoping that when she wakes up from her nap she will warm up to us more. She is making good eye contact, snuggles with us, and we have even gotten her to giggle a few times... but she seems a little indifferent about the whole situation. Please pray that this transition will be relatively easy for her.

She is small. I would say more the size of a 1 year old or younger not a 17 month old, of course I am comparing her to kids in the US. Developmentally she is behind her age also...but we were expecting that. Her lip repair looks pretty good, but does have a noticeable scar. I have not really been able to look at her palate...didn't want to push her to much.  None of that really matters to us though....we think she is absolutely perfect!

And without further ado....here she is, Cora Marie!

-katie