Hana

I remember the day like it was yesterday.
I was sitting at the computer, Skyping my mom, letting her know that in about 6 hours
Hana will be delivered to us at our hotel.
When all of a sudden, I heard a knock.
My heart skipped a beat. I had a feeling Hana was early.
I quickly logged off with my mom and Mike and just looked at each other for a moment.
This was it. We knew nothing was on time or predictable in China, so this had to be her.
We walked to the door of our hotel room opened the door, and there she was. Hana.
Our translator, Mary was with her, an Orphanage Director and what looked like to be her Nanny.
They looked at us and asked "is this your daughter?"
She was so beautiful with a beautiful beaded hat on her head.
We had no doubt this was our daughter.
We said yes.
They walked into our room and Mary told the other 2 ladies that I was the Mamma and to give the child to me.
Hana was handed over to me. She was very quite and very light. She looked into my eyes then reached out her hand and traced over with her little fingers my "Faith Hope and Love Tattoo.
They quickly told us about her schedule and gave us some paper work and a gift from the orphanage, 2 silver baby bracelets with her given name and given birthdate engraved on it.
Mary had let us know that this gift is unusual and that she must have been taken care of well in the orphanage.
Then they all left. Mary went out to get us some diapers as we lost everything in a fire that happened 24 hours earlier in our last hotel room.
Then it was just us. The three of us.
So much emotion. So many feelings, we were Stunned, Shocked. Excited. Nervous. I assumed all the usual feelings that go with being parents.
We laid her on the bed and she just stared at us and the room and her surrounding.
She slept a bit and we just sat on the couch, staring at her.
When she awoke, we decided to go out.
Nanchang the capital of Jiangxi Province, where Hana is from is a beautiful small city. With only 5 million people, it felt so much more peaceful than Beijing. It is green and lush and very little smog which we were grateful for.
We decided to go for a walk and put her in my carrier that we had brought with us.
She fit in there just perfectly. Snuggly and all.
We ventured out to get some coke and snacks and get some fresh air.
Hana seemed ok just curious about her surroundings and every once in a while looking up at me and I assume, wondering who on earth we were.
We came back to the room and I attempted to make the formula they left me, trying to copy the consistency of the rice formula. I think it worked as she ate almost the whole bottle.
Then we all went to bed.
Hana fell asleep almost instantly.
We laid there for a while not talking just breathing and finally fell asleep.
Tomorrow is a long day in court and loads of paper work to fill out.
Tomorrow she legally becomes our baby.