Day 4: Gotcha day
We had
a delicious breakfast, with lots of choices. When we ate breakfast we ran into
several Americans who had Chinese children (through adoption). Some were
heading home, others were half-way through their journey, and others were
waiting like us. We met Helen there too, and she instructed us to be in the
hotel lobby at 2:15 sharp…..
Wow,
I’m in shock that it’s really going to be a few hours from meeting our
daughter! I’ve dreamed about this day for so very long. Emotions were running
high, Brian was slightly nervous, me an eerie kind of calm. I paced back and
forth, even checking the battery power on both the cameras several times. I
re-checked her diaper bag also. I prayed that God would help Hadley, and Evelyn
and whoever else accompanied her to the civil affairs office. My worst fear was
that she would reject me from the beginning! I’ve wondered time after time what
her first impression of me would be for her. Would she know just how much I
love her? Would she know that I have been waiting for her forever? Would she be
able to love me someday? Lots and lots of thoughts go through an adoptive
families mind when waiting for this moment.
2:00
sharp we went to the lobby, once there we met an incredible couple Michael
& Mary. They were from Ohio, and were close to our age. They too were an
AWAA family, and were going with us to the Civil Affairs Office for their
Gotcha Day. They were adopting a little boy, and had two children waiting on them
back home. We small talked during the ride over, and both shared how nervous we
were. 20 minutes later we were there and Helen rushed us inside and up to the
floor where the adoption center was.
When
the elevator door opened I noticed a girl that appeared to be about 5-6 years
old. She sat with a very solemn but serious look on her face. She was crying
and a lady (her nanny) was wiping her tears as they fell. My heart broke for
her. I can’t imagine what fear she had about what was about to happen to her.
Her whole world as she knew it was getting ready to be changed forever. When we went in Helen told us to sit down on
the couch and wait. Both Michael & Mary, along with Brian and I commented
on the little one crying in the hall, and Brian looked at me and said “I’m a
nervous wreck!” I wasn’t nervous! I was emotionally overwhelmed. The room was
full of families, some had gotten their children, and some were still waiting.
Everywhere I looked there was someone crying, either a parent, a nanny, but
mostly children. I remember prayer “God please help these little ones” Helen
came over and told us it may be awhile, our children were coming from a long
way away.
About 3
minutes later in walked a nanny holding a little boy, and behind them was our
daughter. I looked up and saw Evelyn and Earl, who was holding our sweet girl.
Hadley was just looking around and appeared to be calm and happy. I wanted to
jump up so bad and run to her and kiss her sweet face. But rules and policy
stood in my way. They were rushed back into this room. Then Mary and Michael
were given their little one. Jude did
have a emotional breakdown, but they handled it wonderfully.
Helen
turned to us and said “it’s your turn, come get your baby!” Out walked Evelyn and Earl and I reached out
for Hadley. Although she didn’t reach for me, she let me take her and hold her.
She doesn’t miss anything!!! I told her I had been waiting for her, and I shook
Evelyn and Earl’s hands, and told them “Thank you”. They both had tears in
their eyes…. I knew this was extremely hard on them. I held her for just a few
minutes, and then I handed her to Brian. His eyes were full of tears, she went
straight to him. We gave her a sucker and she took it and then tired to give it
to Brian to eat. Brian said “we are going to do just fine” I knew at that
moment she had Daddy in the palm of her hand.
Hadley
never had a look of fear, she laughed at Brian and I, and she wanted to get
down a play with the stacking blocks we brought for her. Earl and Evelyn had
brought all of her belongings. As we looked around the room we were humbled
that out of all of these children our little one had luggage. Most orphans come with nothing, not our girl.
She came with stuff, and more stuff. God has been so good to us and to our
little one. Perhaps just a preview of what he has in store for her, and for us.
After a
few minutes she fell asleep in my lap…I think that made walking away from her a
little easier for Evelyn and Earl (if there is such a thing). Hadley only slept
for a few minutes, and when she woke up she just looked around the room taking
everything in. I remember praying a prayer of thanks for God bringing this
sweet girl into our lives… Then we sign a few sheets of paper, and Helen was
telling us it was time to go. I was amazed at how that entire process went
down. Show up, show your passport, hand them a piece of paper, and they hand
you your child. Seems kinda simple don’t it?
We got
into our van and we headed back to the hotel. Hadley loved to ride in the car,
and laughed and giggled the entire way. Once we made it into our rooms we
started going through her suitcase. It is full of some amazing things. Videos,
toys, lots of clothes, books, and photos of our little one. In that suitcase
was most of Hadley’s history. What I feared I could never give her, was sitting
right in front of me. Thank you Baobei for providing us with such a priceless
gift!!!
We met
back in the lobby to go eat with Helen and Michael & Mary. Helen took us to
a nice restaurant, I’m trying to take the food here in but it’s just not
working out to well for me. The chicken Helen ordered had small tiny bones in
it. I ate one piece and thought “oh this had a little piece of bone in it”
after the second piece went in my mouth I spit it straight out on my plate. I
then just stuck with eating the rice and vegetables.
Bedtime
was easy, Hadley wanted me to take her shoes and socks off, she let me brush
her teeth, and then we laid her down. She never made a peep. She slept like a
baby until 7:00 a.m.
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