It's hard to believe that Hailey Jane was placed into our arms exactly four weeks ago today. What an indescribable four weeks! It still sounds strange when I hear myself talking about "our daughter" or "our three kids!" This is real! When I think about the fact that Hailey was truly an abandoned orphan with no permanent home, my heart breaks. She fits so perfectly into our family. She is a Ramsey. Is it really possible that she was a statistic just one month ago? And as I gaze upon her squishy-cheeked face, my hearts aches even more for the 149 million orphans with no permanent home today. I often think of the babies that we saw in the "baby home" in Korea, and pray that more families will respond to the need and open their hearts and homes to these beautiful children.
The last four weeks have definitely been a major transition for our family and we've all had a few meltdowns. But our constant response? She's worth it! We are trying to ensure that the boys don't get lost with all of the attention focused on Hailey. We have been giving them intentional "one on one" time when she's napping and they love that. Aidan and I even went to the movies last weekend!
Hailey has adjusted and attached to our family very quickly and we are so thankful for her easy going personality, her attachment and desire to be held and touched, and her huge smile, which lights up the room. She's gotten used to many new things like cars, car seats, bibs, shoes and American food. She no longer screams in horror at the dog and cat, and actually loves them! Although Hailey is still a bit clingy and hesitant at times, we see a little bit of progress each day.
Hailey recently attended the boys' Cotillion (manners and etiquette) course and all three kids looked so adorable!
Hailey loves meeting new people! Her referral papers stated that she was very shy and cried around strangers. We were concerned about her transition and wondered how quickly she would attach to us and how she would react to new people in her life. She has clearly become a Ramsey because she LOVES being with people, and does great when we go to school, the store, restaurants and church. She smiles at everyone and people are drawn to her everywhere we go. She especially loves her grandma!
Last week we attended The Irvine Global Village Festival with our close friends, the Booys, who have two adopted daughters from Ethiopia and China. We visited the Korean booth and the Korean women fell in love with Hailey. They kept kissing her and thanking Jesus for her (not even knowing that we were Christians). They were curious about our adoption and thanked us over and over again for bringing her into our family. Needless to say, it was an unforgettable experience!
Although Hailey loves to be held, she is finally becoming comfortable enough for independent play. She will sit on the floor and play with toys, as long as we are close to her. Of course, like every other child, she often prefers the DVD and TV buttons over toys!
Last week Jordan spoke in his Sunday school class about adoption. The Bible lesson was on how God chooses and adopts us into his family. It was so moving to hear the leader use our family's adoption as a picture of God's predestination into His family. I was so proud as Jordan spoke strongly and clearly about his personal adoption journey. He is a natural communicator and really engaged his peers. Way to go Jordan!
The past month has been filled with some unexpected stress, including a major water leak in our ceiling (due to the air conditioning unit), which is still being restored, and Blue Shield's decision to deny Hailey health coverage until her adoption is finalized. We have purchased traveler's insurance for Hailey until her adoption is official (we hope to go to court for finalization in March, 2013). In the midst of these stressful circumstances, we have been extremely blessed by the outpouring of love from family and friends. Our home is filled with cards and gifts from all over the world welcoming Hailey. We have been overwhelmed with delicious meals from families in our school and local community. We are so grateful for the ongoing support that we have received and we feel deeply loved.
One of my favorite things to do each day is to pick out Hailey's outfits. The photo above shows one of her dresses which I purchased in El Salvador. She looks great in yellow, and just about every color! I LOVE all of the girly stuff - ribbons, bows, flowers, cute shoes, purses.... and am having so much fun with my baby girl!
Welcome to our world, Hailey Jane. We're so glad that you're finally here!
