Madalyn Made Me a Mama.....

Six years ago today. She was placed in our arms at exactly 11 months old. Wow. She is the baby that made me a mama, made us parents for the first time. She was delightful. She was quiet and reserved but didn't grieve in the same way as Kenzie did, less traumatic. We later learned that she had been taken from her foster mama two weeks ahead of us getting her while Mackenzie had been removed just that same morning. She began bonding quickly to us. I had so much fun dressing her and making her cute. She was just this itty bitty thing, only 15 lbs when we brought her home. She had these tiny, petite features and just the sweetest smile with one tooth. Those early days in the hotel in Wuhan were some of the sweetest ever for Matt and I. We were first time parents, excited, nervous. But we knew she was ours, that God had picked her specifically for us. Its funny because the day after you are given your baby, you go back to complete the official paperwork with civil affairs. One of the questions they ask is, "are you sure this is the baby for you?". What?? You couldn't have pried her from our arms with any amount of force. Of course she was ours. We had been in love for months with the idea of her, then her sweet referral picture, and now, the very essence of her......



Our Gotcha Moment. Love how she is checking out Dada.


She was so serious. Proud Dada.


Oh, those fingers.....they were in her mouth from the minute we had her. Her two sweet little fingers. They still find their way into her mouth in the middle of the night.

There she is....the One Tooth Wonder. Do you see it? This was our first breakfast together.

Love this pic....

Matt picked out that little stuffed lamb for her and she still occasionally sleeps with it and understands that Daddy picked it for her.

She had a sweet and warm disposition.

We spent Halloween in China.

One of my favorite pics.

This was a common scene.....as Americans, you draw quite a curious crowd wherever you go.

Madalyn Grace Xiao....how we love you. She is our sweet, tender-hearted, intuitive, thoughtful, creative, bossy, fashion conscience, friend to everyone, girl. My first born, my first dream come true...........