Four years ago, on this very day, my life was forever changed. Four years ago, on this day, Kylie Ying was placed in our arms in Kunming, China. How can that be four years ago? It seems like yesterday.
Steve and I awoke early that morning, too excited to sleep much. I checked and double-checked to make sure I had the red bags (gifts for the orphanage) and diaperbag ready to go. Neither one of us ate much at breakfast. After breakfast all the families met outside the hotel elevator to watch our guide show us how to prepare the bottle (cut a big slit in the nipple, use rice cereal and make it HOT!). Then the whole group met downstairs in the hotel lobby. We all were a site to see with our red bags, diaper bags and cameras. All of us were quiet, nervous.
We boarded the bus to head to the registration office. I don't know exactly what to expect, but I didn't expect the registration office to be on the first floor of a nice-looking apartment complex. A little girl in rollerskates whizzed past and gave us a curious look. I'm sure we looked strange to her.
The registration office consisted of a very small room with an American flag at the back of the room. The babies for our group were from two orphanages, Honghe and Yunnan. Originally the Kunming babies were going to be first, but the Honghe babies arrived early so they were first. The guide read the order of who was going to get their babies first. We were first in the Yunnan group! We sat at the back of the room and watched the Honghe babies be united with their parents for the first time. I had never heard so much wailing and crying. It was heartbreaking. Some of the nannies from the orphanage were there and were trying to take the babies out of the parents' arms. Our guide said something to them in a harsh tone. Many of the nannies were crying too.
Finally it was time for the Yunnan babies. Steve and I stood in front, in front of the American flag. The room seemed so quiet as we waited for Guan Hua Ying. I was so nervous I was shaking. After what seemed like an hour (but was probably only a few minutes) a smiling man entered the room holding our Kylie. She was wearing a red and white striped onesie, blue shoes (so big that they fell off her feet) and a soaking-wet diaper and that was all. I had prepared myself that she would be dressed in multiple layers, as most of the babies are, but all she had on was the shortsleeved, thin cotton onesie.
The man placed her in my arms and she didn't cry once. She looked up at me, then Steve, and then gave a big yawn! Since it was such a tiny room and there were many families we went outside in the courtyard. We went outside where the Honghe families were and the wailing and crying was still going on. I feared it would make Kylie cry, but she didn't. We gave her the orange rattle we brought and she shook it a little. I definately recognized her from the photos, but in person she had a little more hair and was such a PEANUT. She was sooo tiny!
After what seemed like forever we boarded the bus and went back to the hotel. After we'd been in our room for an hour, she started crying, LOUDLY! I remember Steve and I looked at each other like "Now what?!" But after a bottle and a change of clothes and a nap she was fine. She even let us bathe her that night. She was so tiny we bathed her in the bathroom sink in our hotel room.
Kylie is now 4, almost 5 years old and continues to be the light of our lives. She is a girly-girl, loves dressing up and having her hair done. And at the same time she enjoys tae kwon do, soccer, climbing and playing with all the boys on our street. She is independent, yet loves for us to hold her and cuddle her in our arms. Her favorite food is chicken nuggets with honey mustard sauce. She loves white milk. Her favorite thing to do at home is to play with her dolls (all 10 of them!) and change their clothes. Dora The Explorer, Diego, Barbie and Wonder Pets are all shows she enjoys watching in the morning while she eats her waffle. She made up her own language that she calls "Germany." And she is the best big sister to Sophie. Patient and loving, that's our Kylie Ying.
Happy 4th Family Day, Kylie!
2 comments:
Kylie Ying was a peanut. I remember seeing her the first time at the airport. Kylie was in the stroller and she was so tiny. She let all of us hold her which was a wonderful surprise. I thought she would cry but she just looked around and probably wondered why I was crying (happy Nai Nai tears).
What a very special day indeed!! She is such a beautiful little girl and wow has she grown in the past 4 years!!!!!!!!!!
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