More of forever family day

Well, it's just before 9 p.m. on Monday and the kiddos and big daddy are asleep. I probably should be sleeping but I wanted to relive the day by looking at pictures and then I decided why not take a few minutes to blog some memories and pictures.

It's been an incredible day in so many ways. Ren is amazingly cute and so incredibly sweet. He still has only uttered a couple of words (not sure what they were but a beautiful red dress in a shop window seemed to inspire them!) and he has not cried one bit. I wonder when the floodgates will open! He's very engaging, though, in that he is seeking and maintaining eye contact, looking amused quite often (although still too cautious for a true smile) and being ever so watchful of his jie jie, Claire. We were done our paperwork by 5 p.m. so we had time for dinner and a nice bedtime routine. We went for dinner in a restaurant called "Paradise" on the 39th floor of our hotel - a fitting name for a place for us to share our first meal as a family of four. It felt so easy and natural to have the two kids with us. Granted, Ren is still quite withdrawn so 'easy' might very well be a temporary thing!

As for Claire, she is an absolute hoot. Many people comment about how shy Claire is, and she certainly can be, but when she's comfortable, she can be such a clown! She has been a little entertainer for Ren. She's also been very nurturing, which is no surprise given her loving and gentle nature. So far she doesn't seem to be jealous of our attention to Ren but Paul and I keep reminding each other to be mindful of giving her plenty of attention too.

I'm really blown away by Ren's orphanage. We received back every item we sent and much, much more. We got an extra camera (a real 35 mm one, not a disposable), plus clothing, plus snacks and milk powder, plus gifts for him and us, and the greatest treasure for Ren and us, a CD of photos containing nearly 200 photos of Ren with his caregivers and little buddies. We received other items too but I can't remember everything at the moment. I am incredibly grateful to them for the good care he evidently received and for the gift of his past through photographs.

We were also blessed today to see Marvin and Carolyn with Jaida. We received Ren first and unfortunately I missed their moment receiving Jaida but I'm grateful for the opportunity to spend this entire week and next with them.

I also met up with Bernice, mother to little Yao Yao from Ren's orphanage. Yao Yao, now known as Olivia, is just a bit older than Ren and the two were brought together today from Zhuhai. We took a bunch of pictures of the two together but I didn't ask Bernice's permission to post the photos so I better not do so. Now I'm especially glad we took the pictures of the two kids together because the CD from Ren's orphanage contains many photos of Ren and Olivia together.

Well, I probably should get to bed. But before I sign off, here are some more long-awaited photos!

Last pic as a family of three:

Note that Paul is wearing his 'receiving shirt', the same shirt he wore when we received Claire!

First glimpse of our golden boy:

Ren wasn't too sure of me at first but once his caregiver Kitty helped move his hand from hers (in addition to whatever words she was speaking), he let me hold his hand and soon, he was leaning into me.

One happy pop:

Our little nurturer feeding cheerios to her brother:

I'll do another post with a few more photos right away.

Thanks again, everyone, for wishing us well!