Gotcha Day!

Our day started out leaving for the Beijing airport at 6:30am. We arrived into Changsha at 10:30 am. Changsha is very different from Beijing, it has cleaner air (still quite poluted) and is much greener. The buildings are much better maintained.

We got to the hotel and set up our rooms in preparation for the babies. We left at 2:30pm to go to the Civil Affairs Office where we would meet Zoe.

We were there for about 5 minutes and taken to the waiting room. Less than 5 minutes later, they started calling family names and bringing in babies. It was an incredible experience!! Emotions were high, to say the least. All the women were crying as each family received thier baby. Some cried, a few whimpered some, one or two were indifferent and just looked around at everything.


Zoe was one of the whimper's. She immediately clung tightly to my arm. She was limp in my arms, I don't think it was because of the situation, but because she is so malnurished. At any point that I would change which arm I was holding her in, or did anything to make her think I might put her down or give her to someone else she held me tight and started to cry.

Once back at the hotel her and Daddy got acquainted, very well. She then would cry if she thought he was going to put her down. It seems as though the bonding process has begun!


She is very very small. Her skin is loose in a few places and her bones are evident. She is much smaller than and less active than most of the babies from her group. Our goal now is to get her thriving and gaining weight.

Here are the pictures - enjoy!!