Sunday,
August 8, 2010
FOREVER FAMILY DAY!!!
Well the day has arrived!
Todd and I woke up at 4:00 am so excited to meet our baby girl!
We tried to eat breakfast but my nerves kicked in high gear! I
had major butterflies in my stomach. We were originally told
that the babies would arrive at 3:30. There was another family
from our agency that was adopting a child the same age at Harper
but they were from different orphanages. We started getting
ready around 12:00 and by 1:00 Todd and I just sat staring at
each other. He began to loosen his nerves by reading a book
about fathers and toddlers and I just paced and paced...and
paced! I must have done my hair about four times and then my
nails over and over again. I didn't know what to do with myself.
We received a call at 2:30 and jumped up...it was the other
Madison family. Brandon and Robin were just a few doors away so
we went down to meet them. We felt instantly like old friends --
how lucky for us to travel with such a wonderful couple. This is
their second child and it felt great to know there would be
somewhere here that we could rely on if we needed any help with
our parenting skills. They were just as excited as us. We then
found out the babies would be brought to our rooms at 4:00. It
was now 3:00 so we went back to our rooms and sent up the
camcorder and camera. I double checked everything was in place
for the 100th time! That hour felt like forever! Todd and I were
a bit panicky thinking about what was going to happen. We felt
so scared but were so excited just to see her face! I spent the
next two hours (yes she was late) staring outside of the peep
hole of our hotel door! We were so frazzled by any sound we
heard! At 4:30 I saw a baby with our guide and then they turned
and went down to the hall. Our friend's were getting their baby,
which meant for me a longer wait! I was sick to my stomach with
my nerves while Todd sat calmly and quietly on the chair reading
his book! Oh the difference between men and women! Finally I
said, "Todd here they come..it's happening!" Todd jumped up,
there was a knock on the door and oh no our camcorder wouldn't
turn on right away. I said, "One minute please!" (I can't
believe I actually even said that considering we have waited so
long to see her but I wanted to capture this moment on video). I
opened up the door and then saw our guide, a lady, a young girl
and two men and a baby! My baby! I will never forget her look.
She looked so sad with tears in her eyes clenching the man that
was carrying her. I just thought to myself thank you God for
this precious child. She kind of looked like her referral
pictures but now she had longer hair and she was ever more
beautiful then I could have imagined. It was amazing seeing her
-- I just stood still in awe. I couldn't believe I was so lucky
to be her mommy forever! They entered the room and the guide
introduced them. The Director of the Fengcheng orphanage, his
wife and their 11 yr. old daughter drove Harper here. The other
man carrying her was in charge of all the Jiangxi adoptions. I
just stared at her and she stared at me wondering who the heck I
was! The guide said, "Take her, she is yours now!' My face lit
up but Harper's didn't! I took her and she screamed and screamed
and then a high pitched shrill echoed! Oh no, I thought, she was
definitely going to have a hard time. They said she was upset
all day because she left her foster mom that morning. My heart
broke for her and her foster mom. After she left her foster mom
they took her back to the orphanage, took a picture of her and
changed her clothes. I can hardly imagine how she felt being in
that long car ride with strangers. She came to us with little
white socks, red shoes that look like crocs, a yellow striped
short sleeve and short outfit that had a car on it. She also had
a plastic name tag with her picture, name, birth date and
adoption date. It was kind of sad to see and hard to explain the
feeling of knowing this child didn't really belong to anyone
until we came along. I asked if the foster mom had a hard time
giving her up and they said yes, but that foster families know
they can't keep the child and must sign an agreement beforehand.
It is customary to give gifts in red bags in china to the
orphanage staff so we handed them out. We gave them American
T-shirts, instant Starbucks' coffee packets and red scarves.
Apparently all things they enjoy and appreciate! Harper was
still screaming at the top of her lungs 5 minutes later and the
guide asked if we had any questions. I could not think of
anything but just holding her. It was just a rush of emotions
and Todd couldn't seem to put two words together either. They
told us that one of us would have to go to the end of the hall
in ten minutes to sign the adoption paperwork. It was obvious
Harper was only going to stay with me since she clung to me even
though she was screaming, so Todd decided to do all the
paperwork. We all sat at the edge of the bed for a few minutes
and nothing comforted her. She would give Todd this mean face
through her sobbing, so I asked him to back away for a minute. I
grabbed a few toys -- a little Asian doll and a red flower
rattle but she did not care for anything. She would push
everything away and scream even louder. As Todd left to do the
paper work, her an I just sat on the bed, both of us in tears
for 30 minutes. I was already overwhelmed and I had only been a
parent for a half an hour! I gave her some Gerber sweet potato
puffs and she began to take some. I am so glad I brought them!
It has been a lifesaver and it was a last minute purchase before
the trip! I think she likes the container just as much as the
food! Todd came back 15 minutes later and said it was my turn to
sign a few documents as well and and stamp them with my red
thumb print. Harper would not stay with Todd so I took her with
me as she screamed down the hallway. Robin, the other mother,
adopting was signing her paperwork as well and her and the guide
helped soothe Harper a bit. It was like magic because once I
signed the paperwork Harper saw the pen and tried to take mine.
The guide gave her a pen and she pretended to write like me. She
must have seen it before! It is so cool to see the little things
she already knows! She is super smart. I know every parent says
that but really she follows everything and imitates very well.
The guide told us we had to check every part of her body to make
sure everything was okay and that were sure we were happy with
our baby. We said, "Don't worry, no matter what she is ours!" We
came back to the room and tried to play with her. Her crying
subsided a ton and the guide told us that we should take her out
to dinner downstairs. I was planning to follow all the adoption
books I read which said to keep the child in your room and just
bond with her but when you are placed in this situation you have
to go with what makes the child comfortable and happy...at least
that is how we fell right now! We were able to change her outfit
and sealed the outfit she came in for a keepsake. We dressed her
in her pink and white monogrammed "H" dress and she even let me
put on a headband with not to much of a struggle. She looked so
cute and has these eyes that just glare at you! You don't know
if she is going to burst into tears or laugh. When I was holding
her she would just put her cheek next to mine and stare up at my
eyes! She was so curious! We went to dinner and then came back
and tried to Skype the new grandparents, godmother and uncles!
She just loved seeing everyone and all of a sudden became very
active. She was into everything. Todd and I were exhausted
moving things up and away from her little hands. She found my
Chinese herbs which are tiny and in a child proff bottle. She
loved them and it is her favorite item to hold on to and shake.
Todd and I realized the inevitable -- we had to change her
diaper. It has been so long since I changed a diaper and Todd's
only and last experience was with my nephew nine years ago --
and that did not go so well. He ran out of the room...ha! So we
made it through even through we realized later we put it on
backwards! Now we know why she kept graping it! I guess Harper
will be teaching us the basics! We gave her a bottle at bed and
she was pretty calm. When we finally turned out the lights at
9:30, she was sleepy. I put her in her crib next to our bed and
she just stayed really quiet. She didn't really want to be
touched so we let her just play in her crib with her feet and
shake the bottle of Chinese herbs!!! Eventually at around 10:00
she was sound asleep and so were her mommy and daddy. She looked
like a little angel and after just a few hours of sleep, mommy
and daddy just watched her for the rest of the night listening
to her breathe!
It was an amazing day that we will treasure in our hearts
forever. We are so excited just to finally have her in our arms
safe and sound! |
Waiting for the
door for her arrival...here she comes!!!
They said, "She is yours...take her!"
She was not happy to be in my arms.
Screaming occured for the next hour - poor baby!
She finally let me sit but clung to me.
She still would not let Todd near her.
I was so happy and tired...
We felt like we went through a birth...ha!
Our first family picture
I got a smirk finally!
Trying to decide if she likes the outfit and hairbow!
Signing the adoption paperwork with the red stamp
-it is final!
Yum pasta! |
