China, Day 2: Gotcha!

When we arrived at the Adoption Registry Center we were taken into a medium sized room with several couches around the walls and told to "wait here, we will bring your babies in one at a time." At first there were only Kelsey and me and Robin and her 11-yr old, Zoe. We thought it would turn out to be a semi-intimate meeting with our babies. But then the room filled with a bus load of other adopting parents - about 15 more couples. So much for a quite, intimate meeting.

Kelsey was excited and I just kept getting more and more nervous. I guess like many parents of new babies, newborn or adopted, I began to worry about all the little things. Will she be healthy, is she as cute as her pictures, will they give us the right baby, will she like me, will she be crying.

Even though we were the first in the room, for some reason the bus load got their babies first. The adoption guide for the bus load came to the door and called the first couple. "Paul and Linda Johnson." A dozen cameras turned and the crowd pressed toward the door as Paul and Linda tentatively moved toward the door. Their baby was brought in to lots of "Oohhs and Aahhhs." I don't remember any of the couples breaking down and sobbing, but most were visibly moved and a bit shaken by the moment.


After the bus load, Robin's 3-yr old was brought in. That was a completely different experience. Poppy (as she has been renamed) is walking, talking and quite active. When she realized that the woman from the orphanage was leaving and she was not going with her she wailed and wailed. It was like that for hours. (BTW, Poppy has quickly adjusted by day 4 and is having a great time with Robin and Zoe.)

Finally, it was our time. I was video taping for Robin when I realized they called our name. A baby appeared in the doorway and Kelsey and I both thought, "Hmm, she looks a little different than we expected." Then there was another baby behind her and we both instantly knew the second baby was Keira. The agent handed the baby to Kelsey and we both marveled at how much more beautiful and cute Keira is than we saw in her referral pictures.

Like many of the couples, Kelsey and I were not overly emotional with tears and all that. The director from the orphanage was there and we wanted to ask questions about little Jiang, Cheng-Ye. Did she have a special nanny at the orphanage? (Yes.) Does she say any words yet? Does she understand any? It was also a little surreal - they hand you a 10-month old and she is yours.

What were our feelings? I remember my mom telling me that when I was born the first thing she did was count my toes. I knew I didn't need to count toes, they would have said something in the medical report. But I was checking her out. I was still afraid something would be wrong. What amazed me and took away my breath was how beautiful and cute she was. The pictures we were sent were good, but she is far more beautiful in person. That's the thought and feeling I remember most - that she is more beautiful than I hoped.