Our first day together

We arrived in Wuhan, where we would meet our daughter, in the afternoon and went straight to our hotel.  When I pulled back the curtains I saw a photograph that I had been looking at every day for months.  A family who had traveled to Wuhan before sent me some pictures so I could have an idea of what the city looked like.  One of the photographs I posted on facebook with the title, somewhere in this city is my daughter.  It took my breath away to be standing in front of the real thing.  An exact replica of the photograph.  Kevin and I were experiencing every emotion under the sun and trying to fill the hours until we would meet our daughter the next afternoon.  I was so much more nervous this time around.  And we were all alone.

When we went to Ethiopia we were with a large group of families all adopting, all staying together, all sharing each moment together.  Baby Camp is what Kevin and I called it.  I appreciated the support at the time, but have an entirely new level of appreciation for that experience after our trip to China.  We were doing this by ourselves.  We scouted the city that night trying to find things that we would do with our daughter in the week to come.  The choices were slim.

But we were confident that God was with us, that we were in the right place and the right time, and whatever was to come He would supply all that was needed.  The hours finally passed and the moment arrived.  The moment when we would meet our daughter. We walked into the Civil Affairs Office to a room full of children, adoptive parents, guides, orphanage staff and those working at the civil affairs office.  My eyes immediately scanned the room and I saw my daughter.  Our guide walked right past her and into the office to start paperwork calling us to follow.  But I didn't want to follow, I wanted to meet my daughter.  Everything inside of me wanted to run over and just scoop her up, but God told me instead to approach her cautiously.  I knelt down beside her and said, "Ni Hao, He Liang".  The staff member from her orphanage pulled out the photo album we had sent to her.  The pages were well worn.  They turned to the photograph of Kevin and me and said, "Mama, Baba", pointing to the photo and then to us.  She shook her head yes, she understood that we were her mommy and daddy.  I pulled out a bottle of bubbles to break the ice and her eyes lit up.  Here are a few photos of those first moments. She left with us willingly to begin our new life together.  A smile on her face and ours as we stepped into the unknown.

Once we reached the car and closed the door to head back to the hotel, she started to go into overdrive.  Our hotel room, that small little box we would call home for the next week, was turned upside down as she investigated everything on super speed.  We were not shocked, but that didn't make it easy.  This was the moment I began longing to be home.  Someplace safe and familiar.  And I'm sure in many ways she was feeling the same way.  But we had no way to share that emotion with one another.  I wonder what kind of memories she will have of that first day.  She saw the blue dress I wore that day set out for wash this week.  She said, "Mama, China" and pointed to me and then to herself.  She remembers.