Monday, October 31, 2005
Gotcha Day!!!!!

We have her now!!! And she is just as beautiful as in her pictures!!!

Okay, here is how our day went....

We met the rest of our group (858) in the lobby at around 9:00 am. There are only 5 babies in our group so it is very small. (Of course our group of 5 families there are 2 Mikes and 2 Marys!) We all went to the airport and flew to Lanzhou. We arrived here around 2:30 when we were met by our guide Sophie. She told us that the babies were already here and we would get them at around 4:30. Then she called the orphanage director and changed that to 4:00! By then it was already 3:00!!! Needless to say I spent a very nervous hour pacing around the hotel room.

At 4:00 we went to the hotel play room where the nannies were standing with the 5 babies. I knew right away which one was here! She was unmistakable. There is no missing those gorgeous eyes! Sophie called out the families to get their babies and I was just shaking! She was the third one called.

When we went to get her she came to us right away. She didn't cry or anything. She just stared at us in curiosity. She was very interested in Mike's beard. She is a very big baby! I am sure she weighs more than the 18 lbs we were told. She is chunk!

After that we stayed in the play room a bit and talked to the nannies. They gave us her feeding and sleeping schedule. She was named Rui Xue (Auspicious Snow) by the orphanage director because of her beauty and to welcome a good growing season. (ZhangYe is very agricultural)

She just played on the floor and was very calm. She was so cute! She is VERY active. She doesn't want to sit still at all. Ever!

When we went back to the room and she realized she was stuck with us she did start screaming. For about 1 1/2 hours. (She was sreaming for her Ne Ne which Sophie told me is the Chinese word for Grandmother) But she let me hold her and comfort her, she never once pushed me away. After that she just played on the bed. She has to get her little hands around everything! And she loves toys that make noise.

She didn't want to fall asleep, but once we turned the lights out she was out like a light. I know why she slept in a crib by herself though. She is a very restless sleeper. She had all the toys off the bed and was flipped completely around when she woke up around 6:30 this morning.

Today we go to the civil affairs office and do all our paperwork and hand over all the cash. We have until 10:30 this morning to decide whether or not we are going to keep her. Are you kidding me? ;-)

Here is a picture of everyone in the play room and Katie-Beth after her first nap.