Faith of the Heart...A Journey to Our Daughter: We are home one week......

We are now home one week and it has been just wonderful...we feel that Gabriella Wenyuan has been with us forever. It has been a week of significant transitions for all of us, but Gabriella has taken it in her stride. She has been such a blessing to us; we have to keep pinching ourselves to believe she is finally here. The first night she slept in her cot I just stood at the end of it and wept...tears of joy and disbelief that after all of the 'waiting years' she was finally home and sleeping safe and comfortable in her own room. The first week of being home with Gabriella has just flown by. We have tried to instil some sense of schedule to each day...bath times, playtime, daily walk in her pushchair, daily nap (during which we run around by headless chickens trying to get some chores down lol). It has also been a week of more firsts and some of them are noted below:

First time in a plane (we thought we would start with a short flight to see how she liked it!!!)
First nights sleep in her own room
First meeting with Oscar & Mulberry....they are still adjusting to their new family member :)
First meeting with the grandparents and close family & friends
First outing to Church
First ride in her own car seat (with lots of tears during the first outing but which are now non existent as she has got used to it)
First tricycle thanks to her Auntie Andrea, and cousins Jill, Philip & Roslyn
First movie!
First new car - a mini cooper courtesy of Country Garages!!
First meeting with her Social Worker, GP & Health Visitor
First foot measuring for new trainers
First try of potatoes, gingerbread men, strawberries & yoghurt (to name but a few)

As each day passes our daughter is showing so much of her hidden personality. Her frequent tears that were so evident in the early days are now being replaced with smiles and laughter as she grows in self confidence and relishes her new life. Obviously there are so many more simple life experiences to enjoy with her but in one week Gabriella has truly embraced things in such a wonderful way....God is so good and we thank Him every day for her.