Day 4 - Gotcha Day!

Our day started at 5:30 am at the local bed and breakfast...no wait...we only had bread for breakfast!  Caught our 7:20 flight to Nanning and arrived a few short hours later.  Met up with our new local guide, Mary.  Checked into the hotel and began the waiting game.  I don't recommend playing if you ever get a chance!  Then we unpacked and got settled into our cozy adjoining rooms...how convenient...for Mei Lin and Monica at least!!  Met back up with our guide at 3:30 to go get our daughter.  Traveled to a different hotel and met up with another adoptive family who was waiting for their child as well. We compared notes and pictures with the other while we were waiting because the civil affairs official was running a tad late.  As anxious as we were, we would all  jump when we heard footsteps in the hall to see if they were coming with our child.  And finally the moment arrived and so did the entourage of caregivers and information.

Mei Lin was on a rocking horse in the room, happy with her caregiver, when we arrived.  She has longer hair than we expected and it's a little curly in the back. She has several teeth and a great smile!  We learned, to our excitement, that she had been in foster care for the past 9-10 months and had a foster mother and father, as well as a 5 year old foster brother.  She can sit up, grab food, put it in her mouth.  She can bang objects quite well.  She is anxious to stand up, likes pulling up with help and we predict she will be walking in no time at all.  She also enjoyed all the toys we brought for her to play with.  We had an opportunity to ask the orphanage worker several questions about Mei Lin as it pertained to her sleeping habits, eating habits, and all around, general welfare condition.  So after having several moments of playful interaction and questions answered, we left the hotel with Mei Lin in our arms!

We came back to the hotel for a little more paperwork and settled back in our room(s). We played with her for awhile on the floor with some of her new toys.  As the excitement wore down so did she.  So we put her in a new set of pj's and then she fell asleep in Monica's arms!

It's been a great day.  Thanks for your prayers.  We're getting the comments and are greatly enjoying them.  God has been good.  And to all a good night - including us, fingers crossed!