Good Grief and Gotcha Day

Hell - O

This was another day for the memory books. We all got up and met in the lobby of the hotel promptly at 10:15 for our 11:00 appointment.

We took the tour bus and placed our lives in the hands of what, I am assuming, was a not too long ago releasee from a mental institution and headed towards the civil affairs office.

We were there right on time and waited for about 20 minutes when two ladies walked in with two babies right at 11:00. We are a group of 6 families from one orphanage and two from the other. This was very exciting as we knew who these two must belong to and were all taking pictures and oohing an awing over the adorable babies.

We sat, and we sat, an nobody was allowed to get up, and nobody came out to explain anything.
This went on for about another 20-30 minutes, and then the two families were called forward and signed some papers and were handed over their babies.

Meanwhile, we were all scratching our heads wondering where our six babies were? The guide came out and told us our bus was stuck in fog and would be delayed another hour.

Somebody kick me hard in the head, because nothing has gone as planned in this entire adoption. We all got back on the bus for with two extra this time and were told the babies would be brought to the hotel, in the hallway outside of the elevators on our floor!

I had two thoughts:

a) the lighting in there will make for some pretty crappy gotacha day photos.

b) if this is an option, why don't you always bring the babies to the hotels; so we don't have to travel the roads of China and challenge death to a dual?

So we all went back to the hotel, and waited for another hour until 1:00, we all headed out to the hallway, like some sort of sick emergency drill....and stared down 6 elevators; we stared at elevators until 1:30, then DING.....off come 6 people, men, women and some Hotel Good Will Host we all call Mr. Happy who is on some sort of mood altering drug, cuz there just ain't nobody that freaking happy all the time.

We were all anxiously waiting to hold our babies, but wait where was our guide....we called the lobby, her room -nothing. Mr. Happy called, and then pulled out his cell and called a top secret number....nothing.

Somebody give me another quick kick to the skull because how hard is it to get up the elevator and start the proceedings?

Finally she arrived...and slowly started to call each of us forward. After about 20 minutes of dealing out babies...she informed us; We have to be back at the Civil Affairs and will leave at 3:00 to complete all of the paperwork usually done 24 hours later!!!!

We had about an hour and a half to assess our child and then get back on the Bus of Doom to compete the "RED" tape.

Whatever, the babies were all beautiful and seemed very healthy.

So back on the bus, and then one by one we were called to the various departments to pay the individual fees. I had instructed my husband to grab the cash out of the safe and I did EVERYTHING ELSE.

They called for the final department where you swear to love and educate the baby and hand over the orphanage donation when G discovers he can't find the $3,000 cash!!!

OK - I am not a violent person, but except for the threat of life in a communist prison....I would have done things to that man that are usually reserved for the criminally insane.

I just sat there - utterly defeated, thinking well this is it; I now know that the way I will die is going to be spontaneous combustion in the middle of a Chinese Civil Affairs office.

Everyone reassured us this was not a big deal - WTF???? I don't know about you, but I don't have a whole lot of extra bundles of new, crisp hundred dollar bills lying around.

We were somehow allowed to take Aubriana back to the hotel with us, where I was trying to figure out how much money G's kidneys would garner on the open market.

LOOOONG story short, we found the money in the diaper bag (?) and everything worked out in the end - if you don't consider high blood pressure and increased risk of stroke a high price to pay.

She is BEAUTIFUL - SWEET - AND AS OF THIS MOMENT A COMPLETE MAMA'S GIRL! (she may be miffed that Daddy almost cost her her US Citizenship.

We proudly introduce Aubriana Rose: