We walked into the Civil Affairs Office this afternoon and saw 2 little girls sitting on a couch, and 1 of them was Luci. The orphanage worker picked her up and handed her to Jesse, and she went right to him! She played with Daddy while I asked the orphanage worker a million questions about Luci. We signed some papers, had our family picture taken, and were out the door in about 30 minutes. Luci cried for about 30 seconds total. We came back to our hotel room and have been playing all evening. She is happy, cuddly, active, and giggly. She seems very emotionally healthy. Developmentally, she seems more like an 8-9 month-old (she is 16 months), which is normal for institutionalized kids and she should catch up pretty quickly. She fits into 6-9 month clothes. She has had her first bath with us; she has been eating well (Puffs, french fries, apples, and yogurt); and she babbles and chatters a lot. I found out from the orphanage workers that she has been living with a foster family who lives near the orphanage for over a year. We will hopefully meet her foster mother when we visit the orphanage on Wednesday.
An orphanage worker named her ChenChu, and they call her "Chu-Chu." Our guide said that is a common, affectionate nickname for a little girl in China.
Looking forward to her meeting Joya and Gus. When I asked the orphanage worker what her caretaker does when she cries, the worker said, "Hug her and give her sugar." I think she and Joya will get along just fine!
We are just incredibly thankful and in love with her. She will legally and officially become our daughter tomorrow! Now we'll see how she sleeps for us tonight!
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