I am a daddy again-via Todd!

She's almost here!

I was a little late meeting my guide this morning. Today's agenda: go to Bank of China to exchange money for donations and spending money. Then off to Walmart for some additional supplies for Talia. The jet lag has caught up to me and part of me wants to still sleep, but an overwhelming other part of me is saying no way! Get yourself ready to hold your little girl! So I feel like a rookie already: I'm late to meet David our guide; I forgot to change some money over at the hotel to cover taxi rides, etc. and I locked my hotel key in my room! Good start today, right?

We first go to the bank. It takes about 20 minutes for them to exchange the money. Redundant forms and long processing times. We get to Walmart on Monday morning and thankfully there are very few people there. So we grab some milk, fruits, rice snacks and juices for Talia and then grab a bite to eat (I opted for KFC since we ate there right after our first Walmart trip with Harper). Back to the hotel we go where housekeeping has to verify my passport since I locked my key in my room. Now we translate Talia's daily routines/schedule, likes and dislikes, etc.

So now I know what her typical day looks like, I get another quick lesson in Mandarin. I was under the impression Talia had her our dialect that was different from both Mandarin and Cantonese. But, she apparently knows mostly Mandarin with some Cantonese. My guide, David, gives me a handful of words, but I want more. I fill up a couple pages in my journal of words and he keeps saying, are you sure you're ready for this word? I want to know how to connect with her no matter what. I figure I can use the words initially and then rely on the energy from my body language to do the rest.

David's phone rings and his face suddenly has a big smile. With a quick conversation in Chinese, he says it's time. The butterflies kick in and he opens the door to let her walk in. We got Skype to work (after some connection jitters and work-arounds) and have Mary Jane on the window ledge watching the whole event as it happens!

She suddenly turns the corner and she's in the room! She's is wearing a dress her foster Mom made for her with a popular lamb cartoon character in China pronounced "She-young-young". She's smiling and not crying! I kneel down and say "Ba ba ai ni" which means "Daddy loves you". She smiles and I see that she seems comfortable. She notices the toys and goes to town picking up everything and playing. David says, "Look, there's Ma Ma" and points to the computer. She wastes no time. She climbs up on the chair grabs the computer and continuously says, Ma ma! Ma ma! I melted. Mary Jane kept repeating hello to her and she repeated it back! I noticed she's quick and has a certain sparkle in her eye. She's a fighter for sure or else she wouldn't be here. At the same time, she seems to have very gentle, calming way about her. I can't wait to get to know her more! All this waiting is finally done and here we are together thousands of miles away from home.

We played with toys for a little while longer before I noticed one of the Nannies talking with David. Then I noticed the orphanage director, her assistant and the driver. The nanny gives us a bag of clothes, food and toys from the foster mom! Harper came to us with just the clothes on her back, but Talia is lucky to have these keepsakes from her time with her foster family.

After a quick bath, we try to go to dinner but it seems all the drinks she had caught up with her and in the elevator I can feel her dress is wet! So we go back to the room and David ruffles through all the clothes and picks out his favorite-basically the one that covers Talia up the most! This is the outfit that back home we would put Harper in during the winter time! We go back down stairs and as soon as I put her in the high chair I looked over and saw tears streaming down her face...silent tears.  Mary Jane told me that I should not have put her in the high chair the first few nights for attachment purposes and she was right! Oh it was so heartbreaking. I didn't have tissues on me so I went to the bathroom and by the time I came back she was in David's lap and crying loudly! I brought her upstairs and David was so great he got our food to go! Once in our room I did not change her. I just held her close, sang to her and rocked her to sleep! She is so precious! She went to bed the first night in her Mickey outfit! She's been sleeping for 12 hours without a peep. I've been checking on her periodically throughout the night and she looks so angelic all hunkered out in her bed. It's truly a miracle that she is here with me-That we figured out how to get Skype to work and have Mary Jane witness this moment half-way around the world with me; That she will have a family to love her unconditionally forever and a big sister to mentor her. I couldn't have asked for a better Father's Day gift.

My little sleeping girl!

First Family Picture

Red stamp comfirms "Yes, I want her to be my daughter forever"

Blowing bubbles with Daddy! I love her!