Harmonious Period-successful!!

In China when you adoption, you receive your baby on day one. She or he stays with the family for the night, a sleep over if you will. This time allows you, as the potential parents. to decided whether or not you want to complete the adoption. This period is called the harmonious period. Our harmonious period was extremely successful, so successful that we adopted her today! In the eyes of the Chinese government, we are now Lin Zi Fan's parents. Her name is now Flora Josephine ZiFan Bondi. We were interviewed twice. We signed multiple pages of multiple documents, sealing each one with our red thumb print. We were then presented with the official Chinese adoption decree. The orphanage director came to see ZiFan once more. He touched her head, kissed her hand, and looked longingly at her. Through my tears, all I could do was tell him thank you and promise him that we will love her forever. It was such a sweet moment that I will never forget. He then gave each one of his former wards a gift bag. In the bag was a red folder expressing thanks for the monetary gift donation we made to the nannies, a beautiful silver bracelet, engraved with many Chinese characters, including her name, and a CD of 59 digital photos of Flora while she was in the orphanage and in her foster home. It was truly a gracious and appreciated gift.
Saturday we head to Guangzhou, where the US Consulate is located, to complete the US end of the adoption.
But first, tomorrow we head to Wal-mart to do some shopping for baby, aka drop some coin in this province.
Flora's firsts today:
1. She ate watermelon and enjoyed it!
2. She spent 2 hours in her baby hawk carrier and was completely content.
3. She attempted to hold her bottle.
4. She waved to her grandmother over ichat.
5. She enjoyed a walk in the park with her dad and her sisters.
6. She ate meat congee and loved it (she had eaten it before with us, but seemed less than enthusiastic about it).
7. She started looking for me, if I left a room, but not to the point she was crying. (She was more bitching than crying about my leaving.)
8. She ate rice cereal and bananas. She LOVES bananas!
9. She continues to smile and seems to be happy.
10. First bath with us~not quiet the happy experience!
11. First Bowel movement! That is a HUGE hurdle, she's comfortable and her plumbing is working!

We ALL continue to fall in love with her daily. She has most definately captured our hearts. Emily and Claire are engaging her, caring for her, and generally just loving her! They are so great, and I am so thankful that they traveled here for this most amazing trip and experience.

Here are some photos Joe took shortly after her bath!