Gotcha Day

Today is April Fu's Day, the day we adopted Fu Xiao Zhen 11 years ago, along with her Fu sisters: Angelica, Samantha and Emily. It was a rainy evening in Nanchang. Here is my journal for that day:
Stephanie, we’re on our way to get you! Today is finally the day.

We left Beijing this morning about 8:30. I loved watching all the bicycles and hearing the traffic noises. At the airport, our group waited together while our guide Cynthia took care of our tickets. Dad, Denee and I walked by the vendors who sold everything from Mao cigarette lighters to pearl necklaces.

Soon, the group split up. The group going to Nanchang was Mark and Denee Frazer of Sherman, TX; Lauri Heczko and her teenage daughter Morgan of Comfort, TX; Sally Bradford of Pennsylvania; and your mom and dad. We were able to follow the signs which were clearly marked in Chinese and English to wait for a shuttle bus to take us to the China Eastern plane. The bus was very wide and low to the ground, with few seats. It looked to me more like a subway car than a bus.

On this flight, we were the only non-Asians except for a couple of blond heads several rows in front of us. The flight attendants gave us newspapers in Chinese or the China Daily in English. Lunch was beef, rice and dim sum, prawns and something I didn’t recognize, like a slice of cold cut; a pork bun and fruit. I didn’t eat any.

The baggage claim area of the Nanchang Airport was in a small, cold, gray room. We spoke briefly to the other couple, who were from North Carolina and here to pick up their baby, too. Our group was met by Irene, a young, slender woman with short black hair who would be our interpreter during our stay.

The airport was in a pretty run down section, several miles from the city. The bus driver from the Lake View Hotel went very, very fast — passing other vehicles in what would seem to be a very reckless game of chicken. Your dad (he’s a claims adjuster, remember) laughed so hard tears ran down his face. Irene asked me if he was all right.

Irene pointed out things along the way and tried to answer our questions. We were concerned she didn’t know the answer to a lot of our questions. Mr. Qian was also on the bus, she introduced him as the director, but we weren’t sure exactly of what. He told us the babies would arrive at the hotel at 4 p.m.

We arrived at the hotel about 2 p.m. It was very beautiful. It is round, with the rooms circling the atrium. The lobby has a huge chandelier and a beautiful camellia tree (carved out of jade, I think) in the center. Irene gave us our keys and registrations forms to fill out. All four of us had rooms on the 14th floor. Our room was 1413 — thirteen has always been a lucky number for us (we were married on July 13). We went to eat a late lunch at the restaurant downstairs. On the way, we met two other adoptive moms, from New Jersey and Florida. The mom from Florida, Julie Chin, said her husband was a doctor and we could call him if you were sick.

After lunch, we hurried back to our rooms to be ready when the babies arrived. I mixed up a batch of formula. My stomach was doing flip flops. We went into the walkway outside our rooms and soon all of the adoptive families were there. The two women we had met before joined us and we all held their babies. We watched anxiously as a bellhop delivered a message to Mr. Qian’s room.

After about 45 minutes, we went to Mr. Qian’s room and Irene told us the note said they were stuck in traffic. Finally, it was after six. One of the adoptive moms’ sister was our “lookout” in the lobby—she called Mark and Denee—the babies were on their way! We got our cameras ready, pointed at the elevator. But the orphanage director and foster moms came from the opposite side and went straight to Mr. Qian’s room. Irene soon came out and called Lauri, and the director and foster mother went into Lauri’s room. Next she called Mark and Denee, then told Sally and Dad and me to come. Outside of Mr. Qian’s room, your foster mom was holding you, our dear Xiao Zhen. She gave you to me to hold. You were like a little ball, with so many layers of clothes. Your face looked exactly like your referral picture. I was too overwhelmed to cry. Your foster mom followed us to our room and we changed you, which wasn’t easy with so many layers of clothes.

The foster mom and Dad and I tried to get you to stop crying, but tears ran down your cheeks. You knew something was happening. We tried to give you a bottle I had prepared, but you didn’t want it. Your foster mom kept trying to tell us to do something—finally we figured out she said you wanted something hot. We made another bottle with hot water but you did not want that either.

We gave your foster mother a small photo album and I asked Irene to tell her it was hers to keep. I leafed through it, telling her these were pictures of our home, your room, your crib, your books, your new family and friends who were waiting for you. Your foster mom listened as Irene translated, nodding her head. Later I saw your foster mom in the hall showing the pictures to the other foster moms. I think she was happy for you that you would have a forever family in America.

Finally, we decided we would take off the many layers of clothing you were wearing. Because we did not want to offend your foster mom, we didn’t do this immediately, we tried to wait until she had left because we knew she would be very concerned that you were warm.

But because you had traveled all day, some of your clothes were wet with perspiration and urine. We took off layer after layer. You had on five pairs of split pants, two of which were hand knit. You had on five shirts, a jacket and the pink bib you were wearing in your referral picture. Under all of that was a tiny but healthy baby. You were clean and your skin was soft. It was obvious your foster mom had taken good care of you. We couldn’t see anything wrong with your chest — we don’t know why your medical report said you had chicken chest.

All this time, you continued to scream, and so did the other three babies. We put you in a soft yellow footed sleeper and put you in bed. You cried for a while, then finally went to sleep for about an hour, then woke up and smiled. We held you and fed you about an ounce and half of formula, then back to sleep.

About 3 a.m., everyone was awake again. We checked your diaper (dry), fed you the rest of the bottle and played with you a bit. Then it was back to sleep for everyone.