Family Day

On Monday we drove down to Taichung to pick up Hsiu-Wen with Mei-Ru, an employee of our agency in the US. It is wonderful to have someone helping out who knows the ropes, where to go and what to expect from a newly adopted baby. We arrived at the Taichung Womens and Children Agency at about 11 am where we were joined by Samantha, a social worker for TWCA. We then proceeded directly to the nanny's house where we met our daughter.

We hesitated to hold Hsiu-Wen at first. She seemed so happy in her nanny's arms, and neither of us wanted to be first. But eventually I stepped forward and took her from the nanny. She came to me quietly, and seemed contented as the camera's clicked photos. We posed for a few, with C and with the nanny. And also asked the nanny many questions about our little girl - how many naps, what helped her sleep, if she has problems with diaper rash. The nanny clearly has cared for Hsiu-Wen very well.

Back to the agency to sign a few papers. Unfortunately the birth mother didn't want to meet with us. She did, however, send a big bag of gifts, along with some photos taken at Hsiu-Wen's birth and her umbilical cord. She had requested that she be able to keep the photo pages, which we of course assented to. In the package is a warm suit with a lined hood - I think she must have noticed the photos of us skiing, and pictures us taking Cara Hsiu-Wen up to the snow. It is clear she cares deeply for this beautiful little girl. Even if we never meet her, I hope our daughter does some day.

After picking up some necessities at the baby gear store, we stopped at a highway rest stop for lunch. C held her initially, then I took her to let C finish his lunch. And was soon baptised as a parent, as Cara Hsiu-Wen grabbed the (thankfully) almost finished bowl of noodles from in front of me and dumped the contents on to me and the floor. Artfully missing herself. She's a clever girl!

After I cleaned up C had the honor of performing his first diaper change and later gave her a bottle of formula as we were driving back to Taipei. She's a chugger - downed the bottle in under 10 minutes and soon fell asleep on my lap. We returned to the hotel room, tired but happy. And Cara Hsiu-Wen seemed remarkably content. Another diaper change, most of a bottle and we headed out for dinner, where she fell asleep in the rezobo a friend loaned us.

Sleep the first night wasn't quite as easy. The bath went well - she loves baths! But the rest was harder. We didn't know how to soothe her, and she was clearly both tired and uncomfortable being away from everything familiar. After several wakings, soothings and going back to sleep, she fell into a deeper sleep and we all got some rest. The midnight bottle and diaper change were a little traumatic too, mostly due to our ineptitude. Lesson two (one being what you have on the table in arms reach) - don't try to change a diaper in the dark if you aren't a diaper changing pro!