GOTCHA DAY! Monday 12 May 2008

We have a wonderful new addition to our Duncan Family! We arrived Guangzhou yesterday easily. We are settled in at the Victory hotel located on a small island which is clearly westernized by thousands of adoptive families! We will post pictures and details on this wonder of an island later on this week.

At 2 p.m. today we departed for the Civil Affairs Office (Guangdong Adoption Registry Center) about 15 minutes down the road. I was expecting a boring office but was greeted with a beautiful center for parents to meet their new children. We waited for about 20 minutes watching other families receive their special babies. The emotions were genuine and surreal. We kept eyeing the elevators down the corridor watching orphanage workers walk in babies and children. At last two pretty workers walked in a few girls. I knew instantly En Xiao Mei had entered the room. They wisked her off to a separate waiting room. We knew in our hearts it was her. About 3 minutes later our guide, Bob, walked over some paperwork. We filled it all out and received our daughter about 10 minutes later. She was placed in my arms by her orphanage caretaker. We just held her calmly and close in a cool, quite corner because it was getting loud and very warm with all the families.

Xiao Mei is quiet and so tiny. She cries quietly, too, so far. We were able to feed her some rice cereal and water. She's on tablefood and juice. She still wears diapers. So far everything we learned about her has come true. Now we pray her body is healthy as we get to know her more. She's asleep right now in the crib. She's got her tushy stuck up in the air just like Simon use to sleep! Precious jewel she is.

We'll spend the evening taking her to dinner to eat baby congee and veggies. We'll take it slow one day at a time so this little girl will begin to love her new family.