Hi Everybody -- WE GOT HER!!!! and she is BEAUTIFUL . . . . . . .
What an emotionally draining day!!
Started the day early, meeting the agency folks at 9:30 am in the hotel conference room for and hour to complete the locally required paperwork and got our first look at an updated picture of Meili – her new passport picture was in the paperwork – and she has hair!! Jacq started crying when she saw the picture (not that she’s excited or anything). After that we had a couple of hours and went to a local grocery store so folks could stock-up on water, diapers, baby food, etc. but still ended up with a couple of hours to kill until the magical hour of 3 pm and our appointment at the civil affairs office to get Meili. Well, 3 pm finally arrived and together with the other 4 families we took the bus to the civil affairs office. While not what we expected, it was a modern office on the 14th floor of a downtown skyscraper the only appropriate description of what we walked into was pure pandemonium!! There were at least 50 babies (most crying) with their nannies and all the adopting families in on large room. It was wild. When you first walked into the room everyone was looking around trying to spot their baby. It was cute how, in all that confusion, Megan actually picked Meili out of this mass of babies and was taking her picture before we were called forward to get her. Anyway, about 10 minutes after arriving they called us forward and handed Meili to Jacq. Tears were flowing along with hugs & kisses all around as everyone welcomed Meili into our family. We had the opportunity to talk to the director of the orphanage who told us that she was a bright, energetic, but shy little girl. He invited us to come out to the orphanage this week for a visit and we accepted. Looking forward to see where she came from and all the other babies still there. We were at the civil affairs office for about an hour and a half, but it went by in the blink of an eye. After completing all the paperwork we headed back to the hotel where Meili donned her first party dress and went to dinner. She was a big hit!!
Hard to believe after starting the adoption process over 2 years ago that we finally have her. It was certainly worth the wait -- she is beautiful!!
More tomorrow.
Jacquie, David, Bridget, Andy, Megan & Meili
Meili meets Jacquie
Meili meets David
Jacquie, David & Meili
Meili, Dad and BIG Sister Megan
It's Official -- She's Ours -- David, Jacquie, Bridget, Andy, Megan & Meili with the Official Adoption Certificate
