All I can say to those of you waiting, get rid of any notions of what you think the first meeting with your child is going to be like. I had done that for the most part after reading so many blogs of those who had gone before us so I felt a tiny bit prepared. But in reality all the years & months of prep don't get you any near ready for such a moment as this.
Our arrival from the hotel to the airport was a little chaotic as our plane had been delayed by about an hour so we had very little time to prepare. When we got to our hotel Matt & I discovered that our room had not yet been cleaned (which added to my already mounting anxiety). Thankfully Dan & Renee were right next door and they let us put our bags in their room and quickly get ready to go.
The van ride from the hotel to the Civil affairs office was one of the quietest rides for our group of the whole trip. Just 2 days earlier on the way to & from the Great Wall our ride was full of energy, laughing & joking around but on this day is was quite the opposite. When we piled into the elevator you could see all eyes on the lone button that was pushed for the 26th floor where our babies waited for us. Our guide quickly got off & told us to wait as she checked out the scene. She came back & informed us that just beyond the door ahead our babies were all dressed in red waiting for us.
As soon as we walked thru the door, we saw our babies & the nannies sitting on the left. We saw Maddy right away & I think my heart must have skipped a beat as I saw live the face that I had only been able to see in pictures the 2 previous months. One by one we were called up to confirm our identity and take our precious daughters. We were #4 of 5 so the waiting was a little hard. Finally our girl was handed to us and then started the almost 3 hours of crying. We were rushed thru to get pictures for official documents and poor Maddy was crying in all of the photos (including her passport).
Here are a couple of photos from the van ride back where we managed to get her not to cry for a few minutes:
Once we were able to get her in the room and settled down for the night, I remember just sitting in our hotel room at the table crying. All of the years of waiting & knowing the grief Maddy was experiencing being separated from her foster family just kind of overwhelmed me. It's so hard to believe that it's been one year since that day. We are just blessed to have been chosen to be Ms Le Ping Yi's parents.
Maddy's very first bottle that we fed her
She finally wore herself out to sleep
16 comments:
Wow, what a great post! It bought back so many memories of our time on the 26th floor, just one week before you!!! Your Maddy looked so tiny too, as did our Alice. Isn't it amazing how much they have grown and blossomed in a year??!!!
Cristina xxx
Precious memories. I remember the sad cries we heard from Hope too...and tears after bedtime from me as well. I agree about the fact that we all read so much, but nothing can prepare us for the overwhelming experience of meeting our babies. The realization of all their life experiences and sadness is incredible. Great update and photos. I love the one of Maddy looking up at you in the bus. Congratulations on this day!
Jodi said...
I love reading back on your post...I remember following your blog when you were in China even though we had never me you guys but you were from Minnesota and I always loved following the blogs of those close to us...now I've actually gotten to know you guys it's even more enjoyable to read about your trip. The picture of Maddy looking at you on the bus is priceless.
(typing too fast, had to delete the first one)
Happy Anniversary!
God knew so long ago that precious Madison would be your daughter. He patiently waited with you as He prepared your hearts and stretched your faith to get you to where you are now. I know that your life is richer, and more blessed because of your personal journey to Nanchang. I will never tire as long as I live of seeing forever families brought together. Thank you for sharing this very special day with me!
Blessings for another great year with your special little girl!
Hugs,
Diana
Congratulations on one year as a family! What a great post! Thanks for sharing.
Tanya - congrats on one year! How cool that you and I (and our hubbies) went through such crazy emotions only one day apart. And yes, that moment when your baby is handed to you is a once in a lifetime moment - so amazing. I cannot believe how tiny Maddy was! Happy Forever Family Day to you, Matt and Maddy!
Tracy
PS - it has been fun seeing some new pics in your blog from last year that I had not seen before.
Thanks for sharing, again! I love hearing the recaps. Maddy is so cute.
Thanks for sharing this with all the details! How exhilarating and exhausting! She was and is so precious!!
You are so right as a family - the love that flows between the three of you is palpable. It has been such a joy to be part of this journey with you, and to be a part of your lives. Reading the latest post and seeing the new pictures brought tears to my eyes.
Love to you all! Aunt Shanita
Congrats on 1 year...hard to believe its been that long already!
What a wonderful post!! Congrats on 1 year as a family. It's amazing how many of us had our lives changed in that room.
Amazing post. I am impressed you had the presence of mind to take a photo in the elevator! I loved your post, I felt I was right there with you. We are celebrating our one year today too.
Cheers, Kiy
Wow that takes me back. I felt as though I was alongside you! Great post!
It's with a lump in my throat I read these last few blogs. Blessings to the 3 of you.
Congratulations on your forever family day Anniversary!
Amy S.
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