Gotcha Day for Chapman

After a restful morning in our room, and a little indoor baseball game with Maryn and her daddy, we carefully packed our bag full of everything we could possibly think of to take to meet our little girl.  We were all so ready for this day!  We drove for a bit, stopped the van in the middle of a street, got out and proceeded to walk in the street around a construction site, mind you, cars, motorcycles, mopeds, and bikes were all swarming towards us and around us.  And the dust is amazing here - this area of China is known for coal mining and, on top of that fact, there is construction everywhere.  I have never thought of wearing a mask in China until yesterday when I desperately wanted to just hold my breath until we got inside of a building.  We rounded a corner and heard a loud noise only to look to the side and see a huge bulldozer pushing four huge concrete barrels right at us - yikes.  He yelled something and stopped long enough for us to pass by.  Phew.

We were making our way to the Civil Affairs office to meet Miss Chapman and finally I spied a building that looked a bit official and asked the guide if the girls were inside.  She said probably but she wasn't sure.  We walked inside and right as I was about to ask how we would meet the girls - together or separately - I saw her!  She squeaked right across the room from me behind a door.  And as soon as I said, "That was Chapman!" she came back and made her debut.  We scrambled to get the camera and she walked out holding the hand of a lady from the orphanage who she had traveled with for her big day.  They were telling me "mama, baba..." and she just looked and looked all around not knowing exactly what or who she was to fix her eyes on.

Chapman was ours in that moment.  She is so dainty, much smaller than I had imagined.  Not a tear was shed.  She allowed us to chat with her and she willingly gave Maryn her hand to walk around.  I picked her up and though she looked a bit concerned, she took it all in stride.  We eventually gathered into a smoke filled room with several other families from other agencies as well to sign papers stating that we would love her and protect her and never harm her.  

After signing, we ventured out a bit more for a walk thru more construction to a little building that reminded me of a Hansel and Gretl type cottage type place to take the official adoption photo, just the parents and the child who is being adopted.  This is where Maryn lost it and was highly offended that she was not to be included in the picture.  Bless.  She eventually gathered herself and we found ourselves ready to make our way back to the bus and then finally back to our hotel.

From the time we first met Chapman, though she didn't cry, she didn't smile either.  Really, she showed very little emotion.  We walked into our room and we pulled out all of our tricks.  Little by little she began to open up laughing and smiling and playing peek-a-boo and babbling....and then I said thank you in Chinese to her and she smiled and said it back!  I melted.  It was the cutest thing ever.  And then it became a game....she would give me a toy, I would say thank you and she would say it back and laugh! Our guide was in the room at the time and she said Chapman was also asking for her drink and then there was just a lot of babbling....music to my ears!  We eventually made the decision to try out a bubble bath.  Chapman was a bit hesitant and her little lip went out a few times but she allowed us to bathe her well and I feel like she will be a bubble bath indulger in no time at all!  Then it was pizza time!  After not eating really anything since before we even landed in China, I was READY for this moment.  I did take it easy and only eat one piece, a little nervous about how this was going to turn out but also starving and craving some comfort food.  And we learned Chapman loves pizza too!  She has probably never had it but she definitely didn't say no to it!  So thankful she was open to eating with us!

And then it was time for bed!  Bless her little heart, she sucks her thumb.  And we laid her down in her bed next to Maryn and there she stayed with those eyes looking around the room as she laid flat on her back with her arms down by her side surrounded by all things new. It honestly makes me so sad that she did this.  It gave me a vivid recount of our mission trip days seeing the babies laying there in their cribs, crying out but not moving and not being held.  I said a quick prayer over our girl and gave her a big kiss on her head.  She turned to the side and the only peep we heard from her all night was a barking cough here and there.  On that note, please pray for her health.  She does not have a fever but she is certainly very congested and the cough is not the best sounding one I have heard.  

And that was Gotcha!  A blessed day for sure!  Cannot wait to see this girl blossom into her own little Drafts self!  It's going to be good, ya'll!