Oh my goodness! I am freaking out!! I’m sitting in the hotel hallway as Shuler and Daddy take a little nap, and I cannot believe how perfect this day has been so far. If I had dreamt of the perfect Gotcha Day, it would not have been this spectacular, this smooth, or this fun. Thank you all for your prayers because we felt them every minute today.
Here is a little rundown of the day…
At 9:00 AM, we drove about five minutes from our hotel to the Office of Civil Affairs, and there were six families in one room (some from Italy, Canada, and Norway; we were the only Americans). When we walked in, some of the people had already been matched with their child, while other children were still arriving from orphanages all around the Hangzhou Province. Shuler had to ride in a van for two hours to get to the office this morning, and he wasn’t there when we walked in. So, we started completing paperwork and doing our fingerprinting as we watched the door, wondering when he would arrive.
After about fifteen minutes, he walked in with another boy from his orphanage. We immediately recognized him and I think he recognized us. We smiled and I got out the toys we’d brought for him. Shuler (Shu Xuan) just played with us and laughed with us as if he’d been doing it everyday of his life! It was unbelievable! He ate a TON of food and played and posed for pictures. He never cried. He never hesitated when we reached for him. It was so precious.
The Director and the Nanny both mentioned “all the presents” we sent him, and they said they have shown him our pictures for a long time. They also took pictures with the cameras we gave them, and they had already developed the pictures. PLUS, they made an additional album with photos they took at a local park. You could tell they had done a lot to prepare for this day, and I’m so grateful. They brought a big bag with many of the toys and clothes we’d sent him.
After all the picture-taking and signing was over, we went to our first family meal at this gorgeous restaurant. Rebecca (our guide here in Hangzhou) booked us a private room and ordered enough food for the king and his court. Shuler just sat in his special chair and ate so happily. He even went to the bathroom and did a little “poo” with very little help from Mommy or Daddy.
Clay and I just kept looking at one another as if to say, “Is this for real?”
After lunch, we returned to the hotel and changed Shuler into some comfy PJ’s for a nap. We placed him in the bed and he wanted his toys, so we gave him a few toys and he hid them under the blanket. He checked two or three times to make sure the toys were still there, and then he just closed his eyes and went to sleep. I want to take a picture but I don’t want to wake him. He is sleeping with the panda and blankie we gave him about a year ago.
So, every single thing that could have been difficult today was easy. I am truly overwhelmed with gratefulness to God for this day. Even if it had been tough, I would be ecstatic to have our son in our arms, but I must say, it’s nice to have such a smooth transition.
Tonight, we will have family time and then eat dinner in the hotel. Tomorrow, we are driving two hours to Ningbo City for the official Adoption paperwork to be signed. Then, we are visiting the orphanage. Please pray that Shuler does okay in the car (he seemed queasy in the car today) and that it will not be too traumatic to leave the orphanage again.
