The day after we received Malissa, we went back to the Civil Affairs office to complete the paperwork that was required from the orphanage. Here Malissa is being held by the head nanny. We were told this was the nanny who named Malissa and all of the children who are initially enrolled in the orphanage. As you can see, Malissa is very content here (quite different from the night before since she cried nonstop until she fell asleep on the bus taking us back to the hotel). She is even leaning into me as if she needed to feel me near her. I tell everyone that the bonding for her began as soon as we started to feed her that first night. She loved food, and anyone who was willing to give it to her.
These two photos were actually taken by the staff at the orphanage. We sent a disposable camera before we flew to China. We received the camera back when we received Malissa. We are assuming this is the room where Malissa slept. If you look closely in the bottom photo (sorry it is so blurry-that is how we got it) it looks like there is more than one baby in each crib. If that is the case, we hope to find out who was Malissa's crib mate when we revisit the orphanage. Unfortunately, the orphanage in the photos above is no longer the same building that is being used today so we will not be able to visit this actual building. We have found out, though, that a lot of the staff that was there are still present so we are hoping to meet most of them and thank them for loving and taking care of our Malissa.
The photo used for her adoption announcement was actually taken the night of "Gotcha Day." After being fed and given a bath she fell fast asleep in Mike's arms. She did not even wake up while we dressed her in her pajamas. I love her sweet and peaceful face in this photo. What an angel she was and still is today. The love we felt for her that evening has grown exponentially. I often tell people that the love a mother feels for her child is nothing compared to the love God has for each one of us. It is difficult for me to fully comprehend that fact since my love for Malissa and all my children seems overwhelming.
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