My Gotcha Day

Our very first picture together

In the Chinese adoption world, "Gotcha Day" is the day the new adoptive parents meet their babies for the first time. I like that term, so I decided to steal it. Yesterday, Friday November 30, 2007 was my Gotcha Day... Here's how it all went down:

I went to work in the morning, waiting for "the call." At about 10:30, Martha, my baby's social worker called me and said she had the baby and was on her way to my apartment with her!! So I flew out of work and went home to wait. At around 11:00, in the pouring rain (of course the one day it decided to rain here in San Diego) Martha pulled up in front of my apartment complex, with a sound-asleep Elizabeth Chanel in the back. Oh, she is beautiful...I can't even describe what that moment was like, when I first got to see her and hold her. I brought her up to the apartment wrapped in a blanket in the rain. Martha, and my social worker Ann spent about an hour with us, doing paperwork and chatting. Of course, I barely paid attention to what they were saying, because I couldn't keep my eyes off Elizabeth. But I signed the paperwork, and she's all mine (well as a Foster child at this point, at least). In the midst of all this, Elizabeth woke up and was smiling and gurgling, and so cuddly!!

Ann and Martha with Elizabeth


After the social workers left, Auntie Julie came over to meet Elizabeth, and brought delicious FOOD!!!! Yay Julie, you rock!!!!












Checking out her new crib

I love my swing Mommy!

She loved her bath until water got in her eyes!

Last night was long...She woke up about every hour, until about 3AM, then slept for almost 4 hours and woke up this morning very happy!!