6 Months Since Gotcha Day!

March 2008 Leila's Forever Family

Wow. That is so hard to believe. Six months ago today we drove across the city of Chengdu and pulled up in front of a huge, beautiful building I had seen only on the internet. I hadn't slept all night---I just could not believe the day had finally come...the day when we would meet our sweet girl and bring her into our family. I remember walking into the room and suddenly feeling like everything was moving too fast. How is that possible after such a long, long wait? As Jason and I sat on the couch looking at the baby picture album the orphanage had given us, there the girls suddenly were, walking into the room hand in hand. As they handed Leila to me, she cried the hardest and didn't stop until she fell asleep in my arms on the bus. I remember just whispering over and over, 'You are so brave. You are such a brave girl,' and really not worrying because I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was meant to be ours.

Fast forward six months later...where do I even begin? Honestly, I've been trying to decide all day what to write about how everything is going 6 months later, but nothing really paints the picture better than the conversation Leila and I had just last night in her bed:

Mommy: Leila Grace, I love you so much.
Leila: I love you too, Mommy.
Mommy: I am so glad you came from China to be my sweet baby.
Leila: I missed you when I was in China, Mommy.
Mommy: You missed me?
Leila: Yes. When I was in China I missed you. I cried because I missed my Mommy.
Mommy: I missed you too, Leila. For 3 years I missed you.
Leila: But then you came and got me, Mommy!
Mommy: Yes, we did. And we love you so much!
Leila: I love you too, Mommy.

I couldn't really make that conversation up if I tried and honestly, I will never forget it as long as I live. It's one of those rare moments I wish I could have frozen in time. I don't know what Leila remembers or doesn't remember from China, but I do know that God has orchestrated the life of this little girl in a very intentional way, and we're just blessed enough to get to share in it.

So to sum it up---we feel like Leila's been with us forever, we love her to pieces, she is one happy girl, and seems to be picking up English like a champ! Thank you for following along in our journey...we love you!

Alissa, Jason and the kids

Leila Grace Potocnik, August 2008