My Mommy wrote this a year after we came home:

We stood in a cold registry office in Hefei, Anhui, PRC... waiting for the orphanage to bring our daughters to us.  We were nervous, tense, frightened, elated... just a few of our emotions.  We started on the paperwork.  We listened to every sound, was that a car door? .. is that the van with the girls?  The phone rang.  The van was delayed... there was quite a bit of fog over the Yangtze River.  It was a slow ride.  They had left at 6:00 a.m. for their three hour ride and would not arrive at 9:00  as expected. 

More tension. 

We had gotten up really early.  We arrived in Hefei late at night from Shanghai.  We packed Collette's bag and tried to sleep.  Sure, you try to sleep when you know you are going to be a parent the next day!  We got up and had breakfast with our travel mates.  They had left us a welcoming note and asked us to meet them for breakfast the next morning.  We saw them the minute we walked into the restaurant.  Recognized them immediately because they were the only other Caucasians there!  Other than the hotel manager, who was an expat.  He sat with us and I think tried to calm us down.  We cried and hugged each other, it was such an emotional meeting.  Of course, we had talked on the phone, but this was our first meeting up close and personal.  These are wonderful people who will be our friends for life.  We have such a special bond.  They were there when Collette was "delivered" to us.  I'm not sure I'll ever remember the entire conversation we had that morning.  We wondered if we had the right things packed for the girls, whether we were prepared for the conversations with the nanny's - did we have the questions we needed to ask about the first months of their lives?  I think we packed enough food and clothing for a month.  I don't think I really needed four diapers for this trip! 

We took two cabs to the Registry Office.  Scott is so tall that he practically took up one cab all by himself.  We were dropped off across the street from the road

 we survived that ordeal, and started walking down the street to the Registry.  It was so surreal.   I remember Scott saying "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore".  Leave it to Scott to release tension with humor!  There were open air stores lining the street.  We were certainly being watched as we walked down the street.  In fact, we passed the Registry and were directed back by some of the people on the street.  I think they knew why 5 Caucasians with two Chinese guides were walking down this street and where we were going! 

Finally, the girls came.  Up the stairs, we could hear them.  The nannies came in with the babies.  We just stood there, staring - butterflies jumping in our stomachs.  They started to announce the babies names.  First, Tong Miao (Rachael).  They tried to give her to Rachael Dennis, but she was the Levy's baby.  I remember Carol Levy saying, "my baby, that's my baby".  Collette was next - Tong Jia.  She was handed to me and all I could do was hug her and cry.  I spoke softly to her.  She clutched the collar of my coat.  She was fascinated with the zipper.   I tell you, I never wanted to let her go.  I had to, though, to finish the paper work.  Just bring it on and get us out of here.  I want to hold my baby.  While we did the paperwork, Scott slipped out and filmed Collette having her bottle.  They brought the girls back into the room with us so they could take a stamp of their feet for the documents.  They took Collette's shoes and socks off.  She giggled when they stamped her foot.  She is very ticklish.  Finally, we finished the paperwork and they presented the babies to us officially.  As far as China was concerned, we were her parents as of that point.  We had finally become a family.

We left the Registry and returned to the hotel.  As we walked down the street, I didn't even realize that we were being followed by an armada of Chinese.  They loved Collette's hat.  It was a cute pink felt hat I had
brought for her.  It didn't really go with the pumpkin colored outfit they had brought her in - but at least she was warm.  Scott said I walked right past a bunch of people trying to see Collette.  I was oblivious.  My focus was completely and totally on the child I held in my arms. 

Back at the hotel we had 20 minutes to change the babies and return downstairs to host a luncheon for the nannies.  It took us that long to take off the four layers of clothes that she had on.  This child that I thought was so chubby got smaller and smaller with each layer we took off her.  Some of the clothes were tied on.  We finally got down to the little 18 1/2 lb. peanut under the clothes.   I was a little annoyed that I had to go to the luncheon --- I just wanted to sit and stare at her, hold her and hug her.  Well, we had years for that... and her nanny was going to miss her - so off we went.   After lunch, we all went to our rooms.  We just wanted to spend time with our babies. 

A year has passed.  What a wonderful year.  We are truly blessed.  It has been a year of changes, transitions and adjustments.  It has been a year of absolute joy.

Our love to our family and friends on this very special day - our Forever Day.

Marybeth, Scott and Collette