One Year Ago Today.....

on January 26, 2010

Long Xiao Hua became part of our family.

Something she wasn't sure she wanted.....until the next day. And she's never looked back.

It is still surreal to me that my little girl comes from a very distant land.

The love I have for her is fierce and abundant, deep and overwhelming.

I am privileged to be her mama.

I've been reading back through my journals of how this day played out.

Here is what I wrote one year ago.....

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Didn't get much sleep.

Up early-bed late. Didn't get here until 11pm. Bed at 1am and up early to eat breakfast at 8am.

We needed to be ready to go at 1:30pm. Rosa is young and very sweet.

We needed to bring XiaoHua's backpack, $6,000, passports and extra passport pcitures. Coudn't find extra passport photos and had a little panic. Rosa said it was ok and that we could get them taken at Civil Affairs office. Trey was so upset with me because he thought they wouldn't let us have her. He was in tears.

We went to the bank across the street from the hotel.

TR took a picture of Rosa and I and the bank police jumped up and started talking Chinese to us.

Scary!

We then went to the Civil Affairs - drove a little ways down some alleys- got out and walked down several more alley's.

Went into a nice building, rode elevator to 8th floor, got out turned left and went into a nice area.

Red cushion seats with black and white polka dotted pillows. This was the Adoption Registry of Guangdong Province.

We didn't know that XiaoHua was in the next room. All of a sudden she came out and it was so surreal!

Like meeting someone you've always wanted to- not really sure what they would look like in real life!

Two pig tails and in the most gorgeous pink coat! PINK! She is definitely my daughter!

She was with the two nannies and the director.

They said to her, "This is MaMa", she looked at me and said, "MaMa" and looked at Trent and said, "BaBa"

and smiled. When they told her to come to us she walked toward me and then she changed her mind.

She clung to the leg of one of her nannies and cried, "No!!" The all wanted her to sit by me. I got out a few

of her things for her- none of it worked.

She did take the suckers and cheerios from me.

She was very upset.

After awhile the orphanage workers left- I didn't know they were leaving until I saw them standing at the elevator.

I did not get to ask any questions at all.

XiaoHua cried, yelled, kicked, arched her back and threw her suckers. She wouldn't even listen to Rosa-

but definitely preferred her over us.

I picked her up and went into the other room (holding room) with her and just held her while she cried. She didn't like it at all.

I tried talking chinese to her, singing to her, looking out the window- nothing helped. I had Trey

bring in her bag that she came with. She didn't want me touching any of her things. I opened it to

distract her and she was furious! She put her things back in and wouldn't let go of her bag.

Trent came in to take over while I signed the paperwork. She tried to dodge Trent and Trey to get out

of the room. It was horrible and I felt so bad for her!

At one point she got her bag and decided she wasn't having any part of it and was leaving. She walked behind

the front desk wall where the bathrooms are to leave. Rosa went to get her- was pretty much dragging her out.

I went to see if I could help- she put her hand up to her face and shut me up and

shut me out yelling, "no, no, no, no, no!!!!"

After this, we decided to leave and finish paperwork tomorrow because she was so upset.

The whole time we were there, there were two ladies cleaning the room. They watched as they cleaned.

When XiaoHua realized we were leaving she quit crying and let me carry her. I remember smelling her hair.

A strong, pugnant, stinky smell. Hard to take, but did so anyway, because it's her and I want to remember

everything about this day.

*Continued tomorrow because it's long and I have to go to school and pick up my wonderful (now sweet smelling)

Isabella Hope XiaoHua!!