Eight Years Ago Today

we became parents on Mother's Day 2005. We walked into the Civil Affairs office in Guangzhou as two and left as a family of three with a 10 month old baby girl. My original posting on events that day is here.

I somehow missed writing that when Chloe was handed to me she took one look at me and tried to do a backflip out of my arms!! That was my first welcome to motherhood.

Here are some "scenes" from our first meeting that I don't believe I have ever put on the blog---

We flew from Beijing to Guangzhou, went straight to the White Swan Hotel and started getting ready to meet the babies. When we walked into the hotel room, it became really real--there was the crib all set up. You can see the shirt we had made with Chloe's referral photo on it.

On the bus over to the Civil Affairs office from the hotel. Lots of nervous energy and smiles and people frantically trying to put together gifts.

The moment when you are waiting and your heart is pounding and you are trying to stay cool under pressure so you nervously take photos.

Waiting. Everyone was prepping the video cameras and pacing and trying to get the gifts together and toys out of the backpacks. You could cut the tension with a knife!!

Completing the paperwork before the arrival of the children. This is where we officially named Chloe.

Chloe with the orphanage director. She was his favorite--I didn't think he was going to give her back to me!! He is telling us that Chloe ("Wen Wen") would sit on his desk and play when he would work. She was trying to grab the pen that was in his pocket.

And the entire ordeal wore her out. She was asleep before we left the Civil Affairs office.