Monday,
May 17, 2010
EMMA LYNN DAY AND DADDY'S BIRTHDAY AND
EMMA'S 2-1/2 BIRTHDAY!
We were up early is an understatement…I
woke up at midnight and could not sleep on this hard bed…my
bones ached and one of my pillows was literally beans in a
case…so I piddled and piddled and before I knew it 6 am arrived
and then I went back to bed until maybe 7:30…we headed for the
breakfast buffet where we met up with several other families
also here for adoption. We decided to venture out to Wal-mart
for a few supplies as if over the 100 pounds or more in our
suitcases was not enough…We found a taxi and in 5 minutes we
were in Walmart. Up the escalator and then the smell hit us, but
it soon passed we found snacks and milk for Emma and then found
the 3rd floor and found wipes and a stroller. Mission
accomplished…now to find another taxi…we did but out of all 3 of
us we could not fold the stroller up and finally Mel figured it
out…YEAH!
Back at the hotel, we had the big fall where Mel didn’t realize
there was a step and ended up with 2 bellman hovering over him
ready to recessitate and a female cab driver so scared and me
saying get up your okay. He was okay after a hot bath and a few
band-aids. Then we had lunch another cheese pizza and then the
time had come…our guide met us at 2:30 and we went over a few
things then off we went…to meet Emma.
We arrived at this hotel/building and went up to maybe the 3rd
floor and then sat in a room decorated with kid toys and
appliqués on the wall. We were the first ones there, then our
guide said they are here and I could hear Emma walking around in
her squeaky shoes but couldn’t see her. I want to peak into the
hall so badly but was afraid it might cause a problem. Then our
guide came in and presented us with a bag with 4 disposable
cameras for us hopefully with many photos of Emma. Also a little
Mickey Mouse backpack with lots of Chinese sweets in the main
part and a little photo album with maybe 25 photos of Emma and
her foster family, be still my heart I nearly lost it. Her
family was the one in the photos I have and they have a daughter
who is maybe 12 and in one photo a little girl who they must
also foster as well. I could not look at them all until later as
I didn’t want to cry…what a gift.
Soon the room was filled with other families it went from the
quiet of me and Mel anticipating our daughters arrival to
somewhat chaotic with first time parents scurrying around to
extended family and siblings talking louder and laughing louder
than normal…I wished for a peaceful room for our first meeting,
but before I knew it the Orphanage director peaked around the
corner and began to walk toward us and right below I saw a child
scurrying toward the slide…”Jing Jing” wanted to slide…zoomed
right past me and climbed the slide as I shook the Orphanage
directors hand and took a photo…I glanced over and she was on
top of the slide taking in all that was going on. Two nannies
coached her to slide down and come to me, she would have not
part of it and soon begin a very sad cry/whimper for her foster
Momma. Anytime someone would say go to Momma she would shake her
hand and whimper “Momma”, it was very sad. Finally the Nanny
took her and tried to make her come to me she reach for the
Orphanage director who was male, finally they asked that I take
her after a few minutes. She cried and tried to climb off of me,
not in a forceful way but in a way that said I am not ready for
you. I tried to comfort her and she would not have it and then
amazingly she saw Mel and reached for him…the tears stopped, the
thumb went into her mouth and she clinched on to him as if to
never let go. I think Mel was relieved as her grieving was so
sad we just wanted her to cling on to something and know that it
would be okay.
We then left the room with all the noise and several
families…down the hallway, to the elevator she caught glimpse of
herself in the mirror…possibly her first mirror image she was
curious. We waited in the cool air for our guide to get the
driver and then Mel entered the van with Emma “Jing Jing” clung
to him like a vine to a tree. Within a minute or two she was
asleep in her Daddy’s arms with thumb in mouth and the beauty of
it is not an image I will soon forget. Thank God she has found
comfort and security in the arms of her Daddy…I knew then it
would be okay. We still had a long road ahead of us but I knew
she was capable of trusting and loving us in her own time.
We arrived at the hotel and again Mel navigated getting out of
the car with Emma clung to his neck and asleep, I steadied them
both and soon they were both out of the van. We again walked
thru the lobby this time full of the love that comes with adding
a dear little one to your family. The elevator was waiting and
very quickly we were in our room….Daddy and Emma on the
couch…”two as one” and me with the guide signing all the papers
and checking them for correctness, when it was time for Mel to
sign we created a makeshift desk and Emma sat on his thigh
leaning against him watching his every move and she watched me
like a hawk…I believe mostly so she could ensure I kept my
distance. I smiled at her, motioned at her and she did not
acknowledge me, but she also didn’t close her eyes or turn her
head….still hope for me!
Once the paperwork was complete the photographer came and took
our first family photo it took quite a bit to get Emma’s thumb
out of her mouth and for her to take her head off of Mel’s
shoulder and look at the camera, after about six tries they were
able to get a photo they could use. The photographer took our
disposable cameras and will develop the photos and we will have
them Wed or Thur….can’t wait.
Our guide left reminding us of meeting him at 8:30 am for the
finalizing of the adoption…we would travel to 2 other buildings
and sign paperwork and notarize all the forms. Once he left I
put on a video “Eebie” for Mel and Emma and then went to the
gift shop to find a child safe cup, she won’t drink from a sippy
of any sort…I have several. I also found a rubber ducky and we
were told she loves to play with “ducky” in the bath. When I got
back Daddy and Emma were much more at ease and Emma had showed
Daddy she needed to potty and let him put on a new pullup,
actually insisted on it even though hers was dry. They had all
the toys out playing without abandon…Daddy said she even laughed
as in “hee haw” laughing while I was gone…. I put in another
video “Sesame Street” and went to fetch dinner for us all.
Down in the restaurant I was able to pictures and body language
and broken mandarin to order cheese pizza for me and Mel and
chicken congee and noodles for Emma, then I went next door to
check out an all Chinese restaurant off property and they had
photos of all items so I pointed to the dumplings and ordered
those. This place was huge ½ a football field in length and of
course everyone was curious of me…a cook engaged me in English
his name was Qin Wen Jun, he had traveled to the US to New York
and said “America is a GREAT country”, “do you like China?” We
chatted until the dumplings were nearly done, I watched them
cook…meanwhile some high school girls came in about 6 and
flocked to me and quickly said “hello, how are you?” Their
smiles would like up a dark city as they were so excited to see
and American and use their English they waved as they left the
area to begin their work, I was told they are practicing being a
restaurant server.
At last I had my dumplings and then I dropped back by the hotel
restaurant and they agreed to bring our food up. Back in the
room Emma was stacking cups, playing music, folding a cloth
diaper “bee bee” over and over and all was good. Mel had been
able to get her to drink some milk from a cup. We began to eat
but she would have no part of anything we offered, she would
shake her head no, which is pretty normal…although she really
watched us eat our pizza. After dinner I sat in the floor and
she began to let me play at a distance and we all laughed, then
I blew up a ball and we tossed the ball and again laughed. She
let me put sunglasses on her too. We ran a bath thinking she
might want to take one but she whimpered and clung to Mel so we
let the water out and dried off the toys and continued to play.
Soon she became a one girl wrecking crew taking her arm and
literally clearing any level surface of toys or anything on it
and she also would throw anything she felt was not needed. I
took this as a sign of being too sleepy she could not contain
herself. She seems to understand us somewhat as Mel has told her
no and she would stop and she also brought a ball to him when he
said bring me he ball. Daddy said “let’s put her pajamas on…so
Daddy got into his comfy clothes, I had been in mine for about
an hour and the two of us sat on the couch both taking off
Emma’s clothes…she did not want her shoes off and would point to
the door and say Momma I think she still thought if she stayed
ready she could leave at any time. Mel took off the shoes and
socks to reveal a silver anklet on one foot and a red anklet on
the other…both indications of the love her foster family had for
her. Mel unsnapped her top and I took her arms out…she is
little. Then I began to put her shirt on and she seemed proud
and watched everything I did…she did not fight us but helped.
The size 18-24 month pajamas are very generous on her. She then
clung to Mel again so I pulled back the bed as we were told she
had slept in the bed with her foster family….Mel layed back and
she whimpered so sadly and pointed to the door and said Momma.
After a few minutes I moved next to them on the side of the bed
and would try to comfort her…finally I just picked her up and
she kept whimpering but I felt her body surrender and almost go
limp and she layed her head on my should and I sang and hummed
to her….”rock a by baby”…”I love you …you love me” and in the
background my computer hummed some lovely song over and over.
She put her thumb in her mouth and I felt her nod off to sleep
and soon she was in a deep slumber. I sat on the couch until she
was in a really deep sleep and then I placed her in her bed and
she rolled over and took a deep breath and it was a site I had
long dreamed of….my second daughter sleeping after being rocked
and cuddled by me. |
Journey to Walmart..
Happy Birthday Mel...
Last photo together before Emma
The room
The backpack
The Director
Our first glimpse of Emma
Daddy and his girl
So sad...
Clinging to Daddy |
