Sweet little charmer..

Tonight we are packing our bags and making preparations to return home. Eman and I are so ready. China has been fun - it has been so good to experience the culture that our sweet girl has come from. Lord willing we will return to visit again when Naomi is older and able to experience the culture too.

Here are some things we need you to know and understand about Naomi.

She has lived in an orphanage all of her life with a rotating staff of caretakers. She has never had a single person (or set of parents) to love her, teach her or take care of her. Because of this, Eman and I are working hard on our bonding with her - to form a parent/child relationship. We will need your cooperation and help in this endeavor. 

Our little delight has a smile that will melt the hardest of hearts (and I'm not just saying that because I am her mommy). If you catch her eye, she will turn on her charm with her sweet smile and probably  reach her hand out to you. You can say hello and touch her hand, but please do not let her touch your face. Once you have greeted, please ignore her, especially if you are a man. Men are fun and exciting to Naomi as she has not had many interactions with them growing up. I know that sounds a bit harsh, but we need to teach her appropriate boundaries as she does not have any. We need her to find her love and acceptance from her parents - not strangers (or even friends). These boundaries will loosen with time, as Eman and I see fit.

Until we feel like she has formed a true bond with us as her parents and understands appropriate boundaries and relationships, we ask that you do not pick her up, rub her back, tickle her, give her anything (including food or drink), change her diaper or anything else you would do for a friend's child. Believe me, I KNOW this is hard. If she needs any of these things, please either let me know or direct her to me (or eman). As her parents, we need to be the only ones supplying her EVERY need. 

For a few weeks (or longer) we will be staying home and keeping things very low key. This will be a time for us to introduce Naomi to our routine as a family. I expect her to regress a little bit once we are home. While Eman and I will still be with her, everything else will be completely different - smells, sounds, sights, food, the language. Everything! If you are bringing us a meal please only stay for just a few minutes (I am already grateful for those of you that are bringing something!). If you would like to come by and say hi, text or call first. If we say no, do not be offended. Eman, Naomi and I will be jet leg and exhausted for quite sometime and we may just not be up for visitors. We will also be making the rounds with Dr visits too, so may just be busy. Please be flexible and gracious with us.

Please also continue to pray for our family as our adventure is really just beginning. We are all finished (mostly) with the paper chase, but now we get to start the adventure of being a family of five and learning what that is all about. We will be continuing to learn who Naomi is while she learns who we are. 

Thank you for your support, prayers and understanding! Eman & Megan