Hello from Changsha

Hello from Changsha We haven't been able to post or view the blog since arriving in Changsha on Monday. Phil is posting this for me. We will be in Guanghzhou on Saturday so hopefully I'll be able to post more pictures and updates then.We received Sarah Mei on Monday afternoon. Words just can't express the emotions when you are handed such a gift!! She is beautiful, of course and seems quite healthy. We can feel her heart murmur (which the cardiologist told me about.) She also labors to breath if she cries but other than that she is doing wonderfully. She's a very easy baby...playing non-stop when she's not being held. Until today, she wanted me to hold her all the time. Of course I love that!! Today she's getting a little more adventuresome and will let Torie hold her. She can walk 4 or 5 steps on her own and has an award winning smile She has slept great although she insisted on being in bed with me all last night. Every few hours she would wake up, check to see if I was beside her and drift back to sleep.We filled out paperwork on Tuesday and are now waiting to receive her passport and official documents before traveling to Guangzhou.We have been enjoying our stay at The Dolton Hotel. We had to travel around the world to get an opportunity to stay in a 5 star hotel. It is beautiful. The staff is excellent. And the hotel is like a city onto itself. It has it's own high-end, designer stores, full size tennis courts (inside), an indoor swimming pool, weight room, gym, etc. It also has a bowling alley, so we'll go try our hand at that this afternoon.To Sarah Mei's Chenzhou sisters...we will not be able to visit the orphanage afterall. The guide said that the train is not a good way to travel. I fear that the 9 hour round trip drive might be too much for Sarah Mei. On a positive note, the assistant orphanage director brought Sarah Mei to us. She is excellent and everything that we had sent to Sarah Mei was given to us. The director also gave us a chop with Sarah Mei's name, her finding ad, the clothes she was found in, and leaves from a tree at the orphanage. I was overwhelmed with this thoughtfulness and am encouraged by the love and care for the children. I had also sent 2 cameras, via Adele Hall's service. Both of these cameras were returned to us with 72 pictures taken. I can't wait to have those developed.Hopefully I can figure out how to attach some photos. Thanks for all the prayers and blog comments.Everyone has been so encouraging!Elaine, Torie & Sarah Mei

PS. Elaine has been able to check her email consistently, unlike the blog site.