I’m sorry, my plan was to write down allll the words and document the trip in full detail. But then we got home and this little thing called… new child… happened.
We just can’t get enough of her. And honestly, the only time I’ve had to write was when she’s sleeping and when she’s sleeping… I have 3 boys who still need me VERY much. Haha!
But there is still a huge part of me that never ever wants to forget the memories and moments we shared in Iloilo City so I will just keep documenting when I get the chance.
Here goes Day 2.
We didn’t keep Janella overnight on day 1. When I shared my initial recap of day 1 I mentioned that we spent the day at her orphanage, but we did end up going back to our hotel that evening and Janella stayed at Dorcas House.
I think it was the best scenario for all of us. It gave Jeff and I a chance to finally rest (after 3+ days of travel and no sleep) and it gave her a chance to meet us, but not be thrown into going with us right away.
This act alone, made me realize that these caregivers have her 100% best interest at heart. And for that, we were grateful.
On day 2 the orphanage administrator, Michaela, brought Janella to our hotel to meet us. We stayed at Seda Atria in Iloilo City. It was a decent place… definitely the nicest place on the island. LOL!
Her island, in general, is VERY poverty stricken.
We didn’t have any plans for the day other than to bond with our girl.
We spent a good amount of time in the hotel lobby just getting to know each other.
It took her a couple hours to let me get near here, but guess what cracked the code? French fries.
I knew right away that her and Parker would be fast friends with the french fry obsession.
I was so thankful that Michaela encouraged her to “go to mommy”. Once she passed her off to me, she never went back. Even when Janella would reach for her… Michaela would turn away. It was so important for Janella to see that Michaela trusted me.
We had a videographer and photographer with us the first 2 days. They were absolutely amazing and truly treated our meeting with Janella as if they were meeting their own daughter for the first time.
In fact, they were both Filipino and spoke the language so they connected with Michaela and the caregivers instantly. They decided to take us to the shore that day so we could get some pictures.
They don’t do car seats there…. sooooooo, she got to sit on my lap the whole time.
Being the fact that people are crazy drivers in the Philippines… I was a little nervous. Haha! But, I didn’t mind having her on my lap and she even fell asleep.
Janella was pretty quiet and timid the entire 2nd day. I could see the confusion and fear in her face. It broke my heart for her.
She only cried a handful of times, but she was so nervous.
I tried my best to comfort her, but there’s not much comfort in having some stranger hold you and tell you everything is going to be ok.
One thing was certain, I became her safety person. She wanted nothing to do with Jeff at first. And she didn’t let me put her down that ENTIRE day.
It’s a good thing she’s light as a feather because oh my word… I think I held her for 8 straight hours without a break.
Our photographer had a twinkle twinkle app on his phone and she loved that. As long as it was playing, she was content. So we just let her carry it around the whole time.
Michaela took us to the local grocery store so we could get some formula and snacks that Janella was used to.
It was neat to see the local atmosphere, but it’s just so very different from what we have her in the US.
I love this next picture so much because that is the face she gave us for nearly the first 3 days straight.
Around 4:00 PM, Michaela took us back to the hotel and we stayed in the lobby for a bit. It was almost time for her to leave her with us and I was getting very nervous. Mostly that Janella was going to be very scared.
Michaela had me take her up to the room while she was sitting in the lobby and then she snuck out. I’m not gonna lie… she was afraid. And she clung to me even closer.
One of the first things we did was give her a bath. Well, not a bath because our hotel only had a shower. But we wanted to get her clean, especially because it is HOT there and we were all very sweaty from being outside. Plus, the first cleaning is like a cleansing of the orphanage.
We didn’t realize that she had never had a bath before, let alone felt warm water. She was not happy about it. LOL!
At her orphanage they didn’t have a tub or shower. They used a bucket and a cup and COLD water.
So, I feel like we traumatized her during her warm shower. Luckily, it was a handheld shower so it came off the wall and we tried to be as cautious as we could.
But still… it wasn’t her favorite moment.
But one thing was certain… she was CLEAN!!! YAY!
For most of the first night, she sat right between us and just looked at the toys. Her favorite was definitely the little book.
As soon as she realized Jeff was too close she would move over. I knew it would just take time for her to warm up to him. She has never had a man in her life.
Overall, her first night was amazing. She went to sleep around 8 PM and woke up the next morning about 5 AM. I gave her a bottle and she went back to sleep until about 6 AM.
Day 3 was a HUGE day… lots of amazing things happened. I’ll update on that next and include pictures of her orphanage. Stay tuned.
To read more about our journey you can check out our ADOPTION PAGE and also read about the rest of our trip…
I have absolutely loved following your journey. I’m 24 and know that one day, I would like to adopt as well. Your journeyhas truly touched my heart. You guys are giving this little girl a great shot at life. She is so lucky!
It is so amazing to be reading this! I have been following your story for a couple of years now and was so happy to hear about Janella coming into your life. That little girl is so lucky to have all of you x
Wow … I love your whole journey. I ve been following you since the happy mommy days and what an inspiration. My heart is happy for janella and you guys !!! God bless you family
Ps I miss the Tshirt shirt I would be in the lookout next time you guys have anything that can help that orphanage
Thank you for taking the time to recap your Day 2 at Iloilo. I feel like I’m feeling all the emotions you were experiencing and also Jamella’s emotions during all this. What a blessing you are to her and I know God has great plans for her life as you start teaching her God’s love for her through JC.
Mandy, back in 1983 my parents adopted my brother and I from Costa Rica. I read every day your fb and blog on Janella and keeping up with her warms my heart how you have been giving her a “new” life. My parents gave my brother and I a “shower” in the hotel we stayed at and we have a picture of us looking so sad in it. It was so strange to us, too. I pray the very best for your family and sweet Janella. You are so inspiring!
Thank you so much for sharing this journey with us!! My heart is so full of joy for your family!! She was meant for you. God is good all the time!
Wow. Seeing these pictures compared to her now, she is a different child!!!! Such happiness shines through her eyes now.
Just beautiful! Thank You for sharing your journey with us! May God continue to bless you and your family!
I am absolutely loving these longer updates, I follow you on instagram so I see all the little glimpses there but this definitly shows more of the reality. I am truly happy your all of you, God bless.
Oh goodness!! I just LOVE getting to read all the details!! What a joy this is! Can’t wait to read about day 3!
Thank you for sharing your journey. It is bringing tears to my eyes. She looks like she was made for your family. God bless!!!!
Thank you for sharing..I cried so much.You are truly amazing!! She has the best Mommy ever..
Incredible story, amazing memories!……she was meant for your family….I’m glad she has a real family now……I know she will grow with your family in true happiness…..
I am so happy for you guys. Thank you for posting your story. I can’t wait to hear more.
I’m so excited for you guys! Thanks for sharing these special moments.
What a sweet little girl. I can’t imagine how frightening it must have been for her. So many new people and things. I follow you on Instagram, so it’s fun to see how far she’s already come. Thanks for sharing your story with all of us!
Stephanie Jennings said it perfectly above!! What a blessing!! God is SO good!
Wishing you all and only the best throughout as you continue to be the best parents to Janella. She is a kind heart and as I’ve been following I’ve noticed that she already fits in just perfectly. Thank you for sharing!
So happy for you guys. She is beautiful!! I LOVE reading your story. What an experience of adoption. I am happy to see how much they want you guys to warm up to her first. That is wonderful! Cannot wait for the rest of the story!!
Thank you so much for sharing your amazing adoption story. How did you find the photographer and videographer – that is the neatest that they captured so many incredible pictures for her to look back on when she’s older. I love the book idea too for her to look at. You make adoption look incredible!! All the best!
Mandy I am just so happy for your family – and especially you. You have been so patient and faithful. I don’t comment as much on blogs anymore – just busy(: But I read yours and love following your journey. Mandy she looks like you guys!! She is beautiful like the rest of your clan. She will adjust and God has such a good plan for you all. DO you follow Mix and Match Mama? She adopted a precious girl and her journey has been amazing too(: Blessings, Susan
Love hearing your story. This just makes me so happy. Congrats to your beautiful family.
Thank you for sharing this. Lots of love and hope for a smooth adjustment for your baby girl and your family.
Hi Mandy,
Congratulations on your addition of Janella to your family!!
A number of months ago I randomly came across you on instagram. And one day while I was scrolling through my instagram feed I saw your post sharing that you were adopting a little girl and had finally been matched after 4 years of waiting. My husband and I have 2 boys and have been trying to adopt a little girl for 4 years as well. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you sharing about your adoption journey, as it gives us hope that it will happen one day for us too!! I also can’t get enough of looking at the photos of your precious little girl and reading your blog about her. Your story has given us a renewed hope and excitement for our adoption, as we have at times reached points where we feel like maybe we should just throw in the towel, that maybe we aren’t meant to adopt.
Please keep the photos and your blog posts about Janella and your journey coming, we love seeing and reading them!!
Blessings to you and your family!!
How hard it must be to move at her pace, but so wonderful for you to be able to read her cues and give her what she needed. I’m so excited to keep following your story.
Loved, loved reading this post. Keep them coming. 🙂