Gotcha Day!

Gotcha!  Today was awesome.  We have Maya in our arms for real!  She is soooo cute!  We can't believe how well she is behaving with us.  At the registration office, she didn't cry once.  She let Sheila and I hold her without any fuss. We video taped the whole thing.  I think we were both in shock when we walked into the room and saw her with her nanny.  We had to wait in the room for about 15 minutes before they handed Maya to us.  She was very curious and not at all apprehensive.  We only had to stay there for another 20 minutes or so before we went back to our hotel.  

At the hotel, we went up to our room and just took turns holding her.  We gave her a quick bath.  She didn't mind at all.  When we started to put a fresh diaper on her, she cried for the first time.  We've changed it again, same result.  She doesn't want us to put her down at all.  She loves to be held close.  Sheila got her to laugh a little by lifting her up and down above her head.  Mostly, she has just been looking around and looking at us.  She fell asleep for about 10 minutes in my arms around 6:30 p.m.  She woke up already and is again asleep in Sheila's arms while I write this.  We were given a small crib in the room, but she starts to cry when we try to put her down.

We fed her some congee (like a watered down rice with bits of chicken) and some formula.  She seems a bit constipated and has 4 teeth starting to come in.  We hope this isn't a problem for long.  (The poop I mean)  Our guide said it was pretty normal for the kids to be a little constipated for a day or two at first.  We bought some banana baby food to help, but I think it may be too sweet.  We are going to add some rice cereal to it tomorrow to see if it helps.   

Tomorrow we have to go back to the registration office for the passport photo and some more paperwork.  We have to sign that we want to still adopt her.  This evening is called the "bonding time" and we can still change our minds.  As if.  

Maya is still very tiny, all of the size 3 diapers are a little big and her 9 month clothes are big too.  We plan to shop a bit after the meeting tomorrow morning so we can get a better size of diaper and some clothes that fit.  Our biggest challenges so far are changing diapers without the crocodile tears (and getting her to fill them) and getting her to eat a little more food and formula.  

We are so in love with this little girl already and can't wait to share her with our loved ones.  We are truly blessed to have this little girl.

Thanks again for all the comments and love and support back home.

Tim, Sheila, and Maya