Introducing Hannah!

What a day - I don't think words can describe. I woke up at 2:00 a.m. this morning, ready to go get Hannah. I didn't know it was 2:00 until I looked at the clock. Our guide was picking us up at 9:30. Do you know how SLOWLY seven and a half hours go when you're waiting to meet your daughter for the first time!

When we made it to the Civil Affairs Office, the other family had already met their daughter and were playing with her. I took some photos for them, because Hannah wasn't there yet. As I'm taking pictures, in walks a lady carrying her. I handed the camera back to the other family and said "sorry - gotta go!". :-) I followed Hannah in the room and talked to her. Then, the other family and I were asked to sit down in the front of the room and the nannies took care of the children in the back of the room. We signed a 24 hour agreement to take care of the children and listenend to some instructions. We were then given our children. Hannah cried, but stopped before we left the room. What actually made her stop crying was giving her a sucker. The orphanage director gave me back the things I had sent in her care package, along with a very nice photo album of pictures from her time in their care. I was also given a bag of her favorite snacks. He answered some questions, and then we left. Hannah did not cry on the ride ride back to the hotel room. She sat in my lap and was very quiet. She held my hand and walked to the hotel room with me. THEN, she started crying. It was hard and she cried for about an hour. Nothing would really comfort her, but she seemed to instinctively know I was the one who was suppossed to care for her. She would push me away and pull me close at the same time. When I set her on the floor, she jumped back in my lap. After about an hour, she stopped crying. She drank some yogurt that our guide had helped us pick out. She would not enter the room however, she just wanted to stand in the doorway. We walked outside, and then she came alive. She loved the little playground here by the hotel, and by 12:00 (2 hours after meeting her), I got to see that beautiful smile I was looking forward to. She smiled and laughed and played for a long time.
We went back to the room and I ordered her some rice congee and Beth and I a sandwhich for lunch. When the food came, she let me feed her. And then, she very easily let me put her down for a nap. She is alseep now. I have learned that she is a typical 2 year old. She can stomp her feet in a tantrum with the best of them! She has a great 2 year old pout. And she has an amazing laugh!! She is potty trained, and will pull on her pants when she needs to go.
She sings as she plays outside. And I love her!

Tomorrow we go to officially complete the adoption. And tomorrow afternoon I will get to visit her orphanage. Please continue to keep us in your prayers - tomorrow has the potential to be tough on her, but yet I think it's important for us to see the orphanage together and for her to leave with me. Thanks for your prayers so far - I definately feel them. Beth is amazing too - she handled 2 cameras and a videocamera today AND managed to get some photos for the other family as well as help carry all my stuff. I'm lucky to have her here. ANd equally lucky to have my supportive friends at home as well! I'm headed back upstairs - I want to be there when she wakes up and our guide is coming in a little while to go over paperwork for tomorrow with me.

I'm trusting you're all seeing the blog - I can post, but can't pull up the blog myself.
Oh - Tara, I do have some shopping tips. I'll try to post them tonight or maybe tomorrow sometime. You'll love it here though!

love, DeEtte