Gotcha Day (part 2)

What an incredible day! I think the last time I wrote, it was about 8:00 a.m. and now it’s closing in on 6:00 p.m. And during that time I became a dad (and of course Jennifer became a mom). Noelle JiaZhen Johnson came into our lives at about 9:10 a.m. Like most babies, she came screaming –which was quite intimidating for first time parents. I know you kind of expect kids to cry when they’re first delivered, but then they settle down and sleep twenty hours a day for the next three months (OK, maybe it’s not quite that easy). Noelle cried and screamed non-stop for the first twenty minutes and then on and off for the next four hours. Jennifer tried to entertain her while our guide translated orphanage instructions and showed us how to prepare a formula/rice kind of bottle. Once we got a bottle into her, she started to relax. Next we changed her out of the confining snow suite she came in (this was a two-person job as Noelle wasn’t sure she wanted to let us get that close) then a diaper change (which was another two-person job and quite the introduction into parenthood). Once she started to feel more comfortable, Noelle let Jennifer hold her and then walk with her and finally she let me carry her back to the room. By 4:00 we were ready for a nap (only 3 hours off her schedule). Now she’s sitting next to me and playing with her stacking cups, content as can be. I’m amazed at how quickly she’s settling into life with us. It’s great being a dad!

P.S. I know that you miss Jennifer's attention to detail and style. She just seems incredibly distracted today and didn't have time to write. We'll see if we can get her to check in tomorrow! -evj