It's official!

Today was the big day. We are officially a family of four!!! We went back to the Civil Affairs office this morning and were interviewed to ensure we were suitable parents for Mia with good intentions to adopt from China. We then had to fill out a document with the notary and then we received our adoption certificate about an hour later.

We saw the orphanage director and Mia's primary caregiver one more time this morning. We thought it was going to be a tramatic experience and we were going to have to start all over again, but Mia chose to stay in Nolan's arms even when they wanted to hold her. I really felt sorry for them because they have taken good care of her. We found out that Mia was a favorite at the orphanage and got lots of attention not only from her primary caregiver, but from all the caregivers. Plus, as a partipant in the Half the Sky Foundation, she also had a teacher that made frequent visits to her. From an institutional perspective, she received good care. She doesn't yet realize that the life ahead of her is a better one. She is still scared, but seems attached to her baba (daddy). I have read that some children may bond quicker with the opposite sex of their caregiver because they feel they have been betrayed by a woman. Whatever the reason, I just need to keep reminding myself that bonding is a process and we are taking baby steps towards progress. I am pleased she finds peace in the arms of Nolan and I look forward to the moment she places her trust in me.

We headed to a department store after the Civil Affairs offices. We spent about 1.5 hours there. I wish I took pictures. It was a huge store (6 floors) that had everything from high-end designer clothes to TONS of baby gear to groceries. We bought a stroller, diapers and toy... oh, and some Diet Pepsi for mama.