Gotcha Day

Well, it definitely wasn't like it is in the pictures....

We arrived at the civil affairs office here in China at 9:30am and I could see her screaming thru the glass walls in the lobby from our van. We went in to get her and she was wigging out... I couldn't even hold her b/c she's so strong! DP had to try to hold her and comfort her, but to no avail. Other people's children were fine, on at least whimpering silently, but Miss Alba lost her freaking mind.

We were there about an hour and a half and she never quit screaming, she never quieted down and she never gave up. She's a Phillips. She's definitely got Deda's temperament. :) Once we got to the van she passed out, then woke up 30 minutes later screaming. And so the day went....

Lots of screaming for her grandmother, crying and repeating herself over and over, serious grieving, but it's natural and healthy, just hard to watch. She also has a HORRIBLE rash on her lower half which they said was a seasonal allergy rash, but I don't know. SO, I think that made it even worse. AND, the translator said, "I don't know how they raise her. She raise differently. She spoiled."

awesome.

At one point she woke up from one of her passout sessions screaming her guts out and dragging me to the door. She wanted me to take her home. I told her we could go outside or go to the park, but she could not go to nana... mama and baba are home now. She agreed, I thought, but as soon as we got outside she was on a mission...

I mean, you should have seen her, this little two year old dragging me by the hand walking around, she was determined. When we got back to the hotel, all hell broke loose again. She thought she was getting to go home and when it didn't happen she was mad all over again.

After trying to console her over and over and saying "Boo Nana" which means "No Grandmother" (we had already had the translator explain several times that grandmother was taing care of her until her American mother and father could get here to take care of her. Now we are here and nana's job is done. Mama and Baba will never leave you , they are your forever family.") I said "Boo Nana" very firmly and walked off. I just picked up the markers and stickers and started coloring. She calmed a bit and accepted she wasn't going to get what she wanted, for that night at least. Then, it was bath time. I had to wash her b/c she was stinky. I did it as quickly as I could, she screamed some more, and then i got her out... when that happened, a switch flipped. She let me put medicine on the rash and she liked it when I "blew on it" :) Then she finally ate. First thing she had eaten all day. Guess what she ate? Baby puffs. We had no idea what she would want and spent about $50 on every noodle and fruit on the menu so she could pick what she wanted. She wouldn't touch it. But then, the can of generic walmart baby puffs I brought from home made her happy. She ate 3/4 of a can telling me the whole time how good they were... then she spoke to me without screaming for the first time and she slept!

She slept from about 9-4 then again from about 4:30 until 8. The poor baby had to have been exhausted.

Anyway, she just woke up and is staring us both down, so I better go. But, I wanted to update you on what's happening. If I could sum up the first 24 hrs in one word I would say "scream". I wish it could be something more poetic, or insightful. But, when I think about it, that's all I can hear. It's the only word that come to mind.

But, this face is definitely worth it....