Gotcha Day April 8, 2014!

It has been a long and amazing day!  Surreal is the word that describes Gotcha Day…we looked at the same picture of a little girl in China for almost a year wondering what she was like and how it would be to finally meet her.  We finally got to the orphanage after who knows how long…the traffic is crazy!  We briefly got a glimpse of the other little girl being adopted today as well.  Then they wanted us to move down the hall into a conference room.  On our way down the hallway, Chen Guo and some of the ladies that work at the orphanage were walking toward us.  We recognized her right away and she was very open to letting me give her a hug!  She had some new shiny shoes on and a new little pink coat.  She had the backpack that we had given her in her care package stuffed full of snacks from her foster mother.  We went into the room and did the paperwork and our guide was busy translating for us and the other family as quickly as she could.  We got to take a tour of the facility.  It was a very well run orphanage and smelled like lunch cooking!  We got to go see where the other little girl had been living and also got to visit with Lucy’s foster parents when she first arrived at the orphanage 2 years ago.  They knew she loves shrimp, so they made it for her!  The lunch they made was amazing and the kiddos eat like that everyday.  We did not get to visit where she has been living for the last 1.5 or so years ago and we did not get to meet her foster family.  She is a very petite little girl and loved the swimming pool today!  She has the cutest little giggle and it is very contagious because Abby is already giggling just like her!  Abby has not had time to process the day yet.  After we got out of the swimming pool, she came back to the room and vomited.  We will see if it will pass and if it doesn’t we have Cipro.  The guide thinks it will be possible for us to visit Lucy’s finding place.  We will also be going to the Panda Research Base and both girls want to hold a baby panda.  The guide will be arranging that!  I need to get some sleep…