AN EXTRA GIFT IN CHINA

Yesterday we got the second most special gift from China. We got to go visit Emma's orphanage. Most of the time when you adopt from China, the chances of getting to see the orphanage are almost impossible. I tried very to make this happen before we left for China. I had contacted someone in China to help me out. As I think I said before that just two days before we were going to leave, I though that there might be a good chance that we could go. Then things started to unravel. I lost hope and thought that we wouldn't be able to get there. To my surprise the guide arranged it and before we knew it we were off.
This was the most amazing trip on my life. As we started out, we were in Nanchang. We were leaving the city and heading to the country. We were leaving the hustle and noises of the city and heading to the quiet country. Along the way we experienced all kind of smells that you would never smell here, well maybe some. The smells were everything from things burning to fish, manure and ones that you just can't explain. You would go through these remote villages along the way. Most were abandoned buildings, some were new but, not being used. The country side was something you would see in a National Geographic special on China. It put you back hundreds of years. The way these people live and work is just amazing. You would see them in the fields working and next to them are water buffalo. Then you would go up the road and see some new buildings. Along the roadside you would see people things on carts. There is so much to tell that it would take forever. Just let me tell you that it was a once in a life time experience.
As we arrived in Emma's town we drove into a downtown area. I didn't expect it. As we had been driving along country side roads for so long and out of no where is the town with a pretty big main road with shops and many other things. It was actually very pretty. We had to stop and wait for the orphanage director so that he could show us how to get to the orphanage. When the orphanage director arrived he escorted us to the orphanage. When we got there we were welcomed with open arms. We were treated so nice. As we went up stairs to the conference room people wanted to start taking Emma. She went right to them and looked so comfortable in their arms. You could tell she was so loved. She continued to be carried in different peoples arms. Occasionally they would give her back to us. After the meeting in the conference room they treated us to a very nice lunch that they made. Some things were very good. Emma couldn't get enough of the noodles,steamed eggs and the rice. She would let you know very loudly that she wanted more. I couldn't get the steamed eggs in her fast enough. It was time to go and she kept wanting more(you see she isn't a big eater) so our guide packed her up some so that we could take it with us. I guess this is her home cooking and loved it. It was the most she has eaten since we got her.
When we were done we were taking up to the third floor. That is where the baby rooms are. Emma was in room one so, that was the first room we came upon. As we were headed into the room Emma's caregiver came out. What an emotional time. To know that this is the women that has taken care of Emma her whole life, was one very special meeting. We are so lucky to have meet this women and have the chance to thank her for taking good care of Emma, it was one very special gift. She took Emma from our arms and carried her for the rest of the time we were there. Emma did very well and she didn't get upset. It was almost like she knew that she now belongs to us and that she loved this women very much and now it was time for a change.
We got to see Emma's crib that she slept in, her potty chair, the view from her room that she saw everyday and her little baby roommates. There were three other babies and one really little newborn in her room. I didn't think that was bad at all. The Nannie sleeps in the room with the children. It was a Fairley good size room.We continued on to all the other rooms and saw where Lily slept and Wren and all of the other babies. All of the rooms were a like, wooden floors lots of windows, about four cribs in each room, little wooded potty chairs with babies in them and some babies in baskets. It wasn't the The Plaza hotel but, it wasn't the worst place that they could be either.
We finally had to go and I wanted to go back to Emma's room. I took more pictures and got lots with her Nannie. She was still holding her. I wanted to give her a hug and thank her. I did and after I realized that Chinese people don't like affection that way. Oh well. We had our guide translate some things that I wanted to say. I wanted to tahnk her for taking such good care of Emma and some other things. She wanted to tell us that Emma was the smart one, she said, she really knows and that she was the older one and everyone loved her so she got a little more attention. One of our guides said that she mush have been the little Mayor. It was time to go now and her Nannie stood by the stairs waving goodbye until we couldn't see her. I just felt so much emotion. We are so very lucky to have had this cahnce. Not very many people get this cahnce. We have a part of her life that we can give her as she gets older that we wouldn' have if we didn't get this opportunity. It was the second greatest gift that we got in China an extra special gift.