Gotcha Day!!

What an amazing day with sooooo many emotions. Let me start from the morning. We started the day walking to the back to exchange our massive amount of US dollars into Chinese Yuan. I can't stand carrying around this money, it makes me so nervous!! The bank was very nice, but a little scary. They had a money exchange at one point and guards/police men with machine guns came marching into the bank. I wanted to take a picture, but another adoptive dad thought I might get shot! Too crazy here, truly another world! The exchange process was very hectic and I breathed a bit easier once it was done. Then our guide said we had to hold onto the money for another day, WHAT! I thought we were giving the donation today and now I had to worry for another 24 hrs about it, oh well. A little while later Susie and I headed to a Chinese restaurant across the street. I know you must all think I am silly for saying that, but they call it that here too. Some restaurants are Chinese, Korean, Cantonese, Japanese and American. Anyway, lunch was great. I got a huge plate of Sechuan noodles and Susie had beef wantons. The bill came and it was 10 yuan (~$1.5). I couldn't believe it, but happily paid and on we went. At this point it was 1:00pm and we were to get Maeve at 2. Just as we got back to our room, our guide called and said there was a delay and we weren't getting her until 3pm. Once we have waited this long, what's another hour right? Well it felt like eternity.

We headed down to the lobby at 2:30 to catch our bus with the other 4 familes and headed to the Civil Affairs office. We were escorted to the 2nd floor into a very large conference room, the a podium and flags of the world around it. We were all very nervous and kept seeing nannies and babies being walked by the doorway, wondering if any of them were our children. We were told the giving of children would occur one at a time, so we each designated each other to take pictures for each other's families. Unfortunately the scenario didn't quite work out that way. I would describe it as unorganized choas to say the very least. The first family was called, then Susie immediately spotted Maeve. I could tell from across the room, then I started getting all emotional thinking it was her. Then our name was called and sure enough that was her. Susie walked up to the director as I tried to give our video camera to another family member. Well, of course it somehow got stuck to my backpack and we couldn't untangle it. I am very fumbly bumbly when that nervous. By the time I got up there, Susie was already holding her and Maeve was not happy. We did get it recorded, but of course I somehow managed to push the "night vision" button on the camera, so not sure how that will turn out. The room quickly became very loud with all the families and many crying babies. Then about 4 additional families (from Holland I think...though they didn't speak any English) somehow got pushed into our room too and their new children were very scared and crying too.

Maeve took awhile to calm down and Susie was not happy to see that she calmed once I held her. She still continued to fuss a bit and then fell asleep. I was able to pass her off to Susie at that point and get some more pictures. We then had the oppurtunity to ask her nanny some questions. We found out that she loves to eat EVERYTHING, especially sweets and congee (gelatinous type of rice grits, yummy!) She still takes a bottle with formula. At her foster home they call her "pretty lady." She was one of two children the family cared for and the parents thought Maeve was so pretty!! (We agree!!) She wears diapers. She can walk and babble a few words. They think she understands very well.

We had to wake her up shortly later for our official family photo. Once that was over it was back on the bus to the hotel. Once we got back and just sat and talked, held her. We gave her a bottle and she took about 4 oz. We started the unlayering of her 3 upper layers. She had 2 heavy sweat shirts and then a snowsuit type jacket on. Her pants were just the matching show suit bottoms. She also had socks and shoes. We decided to get the obligitory first bath over with and she did not like it one bit. She appearred terrified, so we were very quick (the benefit of having other children, you can bathe a child in about 3 minutes!) Once out of the bath, we redressed her and loved the feeling of having a little girl to dress. She continued to be very stoic and sad appearing. It was just breaking our hearts. As much as we prepared for the "toughness" of these first few days, it is very difficult to experience!!

We decided to go grab some dinner at the buffet in our hotel. This was a great decision and really turned things around. Once at the table, Maeve immediately started grabbing the chop sticks and playing with them. She has excellent fine moter skills with her hands. (Her fingers looked much better than we were expecting and she functions so well with them) By the end of the dinner, she was laughing, jumping around on the booth seats, playing kissy with Susie (very welcomed by mommy!!) and having a great time. She started babbling and boy did she eat. We got some congee, rice, ham, fried noodles, hashbrown things and ice cream and she ate all of it. It was such a relief to see her gobble it all down and the happiness on her face!!

After dinner we rushed back to the room and I headed out to go sign some paperwork. Once that was done, I went back to the room and sent Susie down to finish the paper work. Maeve started crying a little after I left the room, so that had Susie a little upset. She calmed once I was back, then cried again after Susie left. I think she is just so confused and I wish I could just hug her and make it all better. I can't imagine what is going through her mind today. She is so brave!!

Now she is asleep with Susie and life is good. I wish I could explain better the emotion behind today. It was everything we had dreamed about and more. The highs and lows of the day were truly AMAZING!! This has just been an awesome experience and we are so grateful to have this beautiful baby in our arms and in our family forever!!!