GOTCHA DAY!!

Monday, May 9, 2011

WE HAVE MILO!! He is so HANDSOME!!!

We met our guide at 9 am & took off for the orphanage. Yes, we got to go to the orphanage. Unfortunately, we were only inside the business center area, which appears to be just outside of the actual orphanage. As soon as we entered, we began filling out paperwork.

Matt was ushered upstairs to the Finance Department to pay some fees. I later found out that the other parents that were with us began to pull out large sums of cash for the orphanage donation. Our guide had told Matt that we did not need & should not bring the donation today. Matt was incredibly embarrassed and very upset (rightfully so, in my opinion) with the guide.

Almost as soon as Matt returned after a few minutes, there was a commotion in the room. Literally, out of nowhere, 2 nannies carrying 2 little boys appeared. I instantly spotted Milo & turned Matt around to see his son. When Milo spotted us, and his nanny started pointing to us, telling him "Mama, Baba" Milo lost it. The nanny made a seemingly half-hearted attempt to hand him to Matt, but kind of changed her mind & held onto him for a minute or two more. She finally gave him to Matt, and our family was ushered out of the room.

I was called back a couple minutes later to receive Milo's things from the orphanage. We got an incredible book (like a child's board book) of Milo's baby pictures & development. We also received a chop with his name carved into a stone featuring an Ox (his birth year), 2 completely new outfits (the one he was wearing: a long-sleeved polo type shirt; dark, highly starched jeans, and a sweatshirt; a shorts & tee-shirt outfit featuring the logo for the Shanghai Expo; and a brand new pair of squeaky shoes), a brand new large canister of formula, some diapers, and the care package gifts we'd sent to Milo while we were waiting for him (including the 2 undeveloped disposable cameras – I can't wait to get those developed!!). I was rather overwhelmed with all the gifts we received!!

Milo had calmed down fairly quickly once Matt took him, but didn't show much emotion until we were back at the hotel. We pulled the Puffs out, and he devoured them! It was the most interaction we've seen from him so far. Matt or I would pull out a puff, Milo would open his mouth, and we would obediently put it in. He seems to have us trained already!! At some point, Xandra pulled out a purple marker (lid still on!), and Milo took it in his hand with a death-grip. We've taken to calling it his "magic wand."

Milo's eyes started to get that "heavy" look, and Xandra got really cranky- both of which are the nap-time queues. I attempted to lay Milo in his crib… totally didn't work. Matt grabbed him up & tried to lay him down on the bed… again, totally didn't work. I tried to hold him until he fell asleep, which he did, but the same result when I put him down (I did that with Xandra when she was little, too – why won't I learn this does not work???). Matt finally got him to just sit next to him on the bed, and slowly eased him down, until finally he fell asleep.

All of this was around 2:00. It's now 6:30, and both of our kids are still conked out on the bed… We'll see how dinner goes- if we get to have dinner tonight!! ;)