First Day with Lilly - 11/20/06

Hi all:

Here's more about our first day with Lilly.

This time around was very different from when we got Abby in February 2004. That was in Nanning, Guangxi Province, so I don't know if that makes any difference.

Then we had to wait in a hot hotel hallway while the group ahead of us finished their adjustment period. So the anticipation and anxiety level had time to mount. Then we were ushered in. A few minutes later all the nannies and babies (10 families that time) marched in at once and our guides started matching up the babies. Then a female government official came in and stood at a podium surrounded by Chinese flags and made a government speech. We had an hour or so for the babies to adjust to us, but the next hallway over the hotel was doing construction so it was very noisy.

This time in Guangdong province we walked up to the 5th floor adoption center and were brought to a colorfully decorated and air conditioned room. Within 10 minutes we saw the nannies and babies walk past in the hallway. And 5 minutes later they started handing over the babies one family at a time. Again we had about an hour to adjust, but it went very quickly because Lilly was very good and the room was air conditioned. No waiting. No government ceremony. Very different.

More comfortable and efficient for us. But kind of disheartening to think how slick the process now is for the Chinese government to give away its next generation of baby girls ...

Both times the new parents could ask questions of the nannies about their babies.

Here are Pete & Gail talking with Lilly's nannies through our guide, Amy (in foreground):

Here's another view with a better view of Amy interpreting:

Here's a picture of our group with the nannies:

Here's one of all the new Moms (and one Dad) and their Guangdong babies (Gail & Lilly are third from the right):

For the story from the new adoptive family's perspective, visit their site and click on "Our Journey to China".

Take care,

hrh