Guanglan has landed

Well, it's the middle of the night and Rachel is fast asleep. She had a very rough first couple hours. She was there already when we arrived at the appointment. At first she was OK holding my hand and even being held, but once she figured out her auntie was not staying, she freaked out. She had just left her foster mom that morning -- the same woman who has raised her from the age of 2 months, even longer than we'd thought. The grieving process is going to be rough.

However, after doing some more paperwork with our guide back at the hotel, during which she cried to go back home, I took her for a walk in the lobby. I think she thought we were leaving at first, so she was in a good mood, and then we ran into the other Holt family in our province, who were getting ready to go to supper in the lobby restaurant with their cutie. Rachel tried to DRAG me into the restaurant, so after popping upstairs to tell Daddy we were going to try to eat, we went back and got a table.

She instantly transformed -- she ate up two little bowls of soup, a plate of fresh fruit, and a good portion of my noodle dish. All the while she was flirting, teasing, and finally REALLY smiling. Her mood continued even back up in our room, where she showed new interest in the little toys and gadgets we'd brought. We waited a little while then Skyped with Lillian, Grandpa and Grammie, and while we were talking, she fell asleep on my lap. She woke up a little while as I put jammies on her, but went right to sleep between us in the bed. (We did too, which is why we're now wide awake in the middle of the night!)

We're preparing for lots of mood swings, and it may be tough today when we go back for the finalization, where she'll see an auntie again. Her grieving may take a while, but at least we know she can be comfortable with us. She is so darling, and it tears your heart to see her so sad, but she has a big capacity for love.

The other photo is what the check-in line at the Beijing airport looked like at 6 a.m. before our flight. Our guide was our hero, though, as she made the process smooth for us.