"Gotcha Day!" (Family Day) - Day 5 / August 15, 2011 (Monday)

We were all so excited & nervous this morning.  We have all been waiting 6 years for this day!  We met in the lobby at 8:50 am & walked to the bank.  We need Chinese currency.  At 10:30 we met to discuss adoption and safety.  Then, at 2:00 pm we all met in the lobby.  No one was late!

We took a bus to the Provincial Civil Affairs Office.  When we got off the bus there was a van with nannys getting out of their van with babies.  Are those our babies?!  There are 6 families getting children from this region today.  Everyone else went to different regions yesterday.  One family is adopting a 10 year old girl.  The other 5 families are adopting babies from the same orphanage.  Our babies are all  within weeks of the same age.  Emotions were running high.  When we saw the babies, we had to keep walking but many of us were in tears.  We wanted our babies!

When we walked into the room there was a baby about 1 1/2 screaming and crying.  It was too hard and tears were running down my face.  Others were in tears too.  They then said that our babies were already there and we would get them in a few minutes.  They would bring the children out one by one and give them to the parents.  They would go in alphabetical order by parent's last name.   For the first time ever  Daniel & I were first!  Others all took pictures & recorded it for us.   Then a nanny walked out and handed me Katie.  Daniel & I were both crying but Katie just looked very calm.  She rested her head on my face and then on my shoulder.  She just cuddled into me.  I just couldn't believe she was our baby!  We were then able to sit down with the nannies for a few minutes and ask questions.  Her orphanage had one nanny for 40 babies. Daniel & I were so overjoyed and thankful. All the babies were beautiful and they all seemed so healthy.  It was a wonderful, wonderful day!!!

Our group is also very fortunate to have Dr. Jennifer Shu as one of the adoptive parents. She came over immediately and checked on Katie.

Daniel & I just held Katie and stared at her for the rest of the day!  We are now a family!  :)  She seems so sweet & patient.  She would just watch us as if she was thinking, "These people are clueless but trying very hard so I am going to be patient with them."  She kept cutting her eyes to look at us.  It was like she was thinking, "Are these people still looking at me?"  Yes, baby girl.  We are still looking at you!  She drank her bottles and slept for 9 1/2 hours.  I think I checked on her almost every hour during the night.  I just wanted to make sure she was breathing and alright.  She never cried and seemed very contend.  She can sit up, roll over and crawl across the bed.  She also looks like she weighs more than the paperwork told us she weighed.  She is absolutely perfect!!!!!  We are so in love with her!