We went to the adoption center to get the babies. There are 11 families in our group all getting little girls from the Hunan Province, our tour guides call them "spicy girls" because the area is known for the spicy food. It was very exciting and emotional. When we got to the 3rd floor of the adoption center we could hear babies crying. We entered the waiting room and there they were. Half of them were crying...it was pretty loud. They called each family up by name to get their daughter. I think we were about the 4th ones called. She was crying.
I'm sure the whole thing was traumatic for the babies. They had all been in foster homes and had been way from their families for a whole day already as they had an 8 hour bus ride from the other side of the Province (they are all from Yuanling). They had stayed in a hotel with nannies from the orphanage the night before.
Each set of parents and baby then had a photo taken for the adoption file. We all then returned to the hotel for some bonding time. Later in the afternoon we returned to the adoption center to complete some paper work for the adoption. When the paperwork was completed she was officially our baby.
Allison cried and cried, but it was not a hard cry or a screaming cry like some of the babies. She settled down on the bus and was very good. We went up to our room right after getting back and got to know each other. She is warming up to the girls, Kimberly and Auntie but she cries every time Ken looks at her and especially if he tries to talk to her.
Emily and Abby were a little disappointed that Allison is not warming up to them faster. She mostly wants Kimberly to hold her close. She isn't eating too well yet, but she did eat a little rice cereal and had some formula in a bottle. She did have a very good nap. I think she cried herself into exhaustion.
