GOTCHA-DAY

Today was the day!! We were two families from Norway who where about to become parents. Our guide picked us up at 2.15 pm in the Hotel lobby and together we went to the Wuhan Registration Office. We entered the door to a room on the second floor and there she was! Sitting on the lap of the orphanage director, escorted by a Nanny. She looked so different from the pictures I had so I was not sure if she was our daughter or the daugther of the other family. But NO. It was OUR daugther they stated clearly.

Yasmin didn't smile, but she didn't cry either. Guess who cried?? Me, of course. I was so nervous before this meeting and suddendly she was here, she was for real. I cried my happy tears and she just looked at me!! Ole did the filming and Carina and Max watched the whole scene. I left her on the director's lap and pulled out my wonder weapon "cherios". She loved them. Carina and Max handed her some toys and she startet playing. Carina brought soap bubbles and she tried to catch them.

After 15 minutes the escort with the other child entered the room and a short while later the two kids were "playing" on the floor accompagnied by Carina and Max and the other families daugther.

The director informed me about her habits, her routins and she handed me a lovely photo album with pictures all the way back from the day Yasmin entered the orphanage and up to now. What a precious gift to have.

I handed over my gifts and after another 10 minutes I took my daugther for the first time up on my arm. It felt soo good. We then waved goodby to the Nanny and the director and left the building.

Yasmin followed along, no crying, nothing.

On the way back to the Hotel, we stopped and had a short trip to a supermarket to buy some diapers and milk powder and Yasmin fell asleep in the Ergo. When we arrived a the Hotel, we took her to the room, changed her cloths and diaper and went for dinner. And she LOVED eating. She ate soo much....unbelievable. And now we could see she was more relaxed, she smiled, even giggled with Carina.

After dinner we went back to our room, we gave her a bath and it seemed she liked it too. She started singing and clapping her hands on the changing table and we had soo much fun with her.

But, when I tried to put her to bed, she started crying. For the first time. Poor baby I thought, now she misses her foster home....but no, she wanted up, up, up. Once I took her up, she smiled and giggled. So she sat between us 4 on the double bed for almost 2 hours, laughted out loude, jumped up and down and tried to get our attention. Now at amost 11.30 pm i finally managed to get her to sleep. Of course next to Max and Carina, but in her bed.

What a wonderful day, what an adorable daugther. We love her already. She is quiet, but with a sense of humor, she is quick but carefull...we are so happy.

Tomorrow we have to get up very early to meet again at the registration office to finalize the adoption papers, so I guess I should say good night.

Lots of love from a family of 5 :-)