Everyone's home

Gianna Mai is now our daughter! We are laying on the bed listening to her musical dinosaur. Today was very emotional for me. The ceremony took place in a small conference room. Mai's caretaker was holding her as we signed our names in a big book next to her photo. Then we took some pictures and the ceremony was over. I will post those pictures later because she is watching me type and I don't want her to see her caretakers again...not just yet ;-) We went out to the van and the caretakers said their last good-byes. I was crying and told her caretaker thank you in Vietnamese. They handed her to Dan and of course she was crying, clenching her dinosaur toy in one arm and a bag of veggie crackers in the other hand. Mai only cried for half the van ride home. I started waving to the motorscooters and saying hi to them in Vietnamese. That kept her entertained until we got to the hotel. The kids were mesmerized by all the mirrors and shiny metal in the lobby. Hang came up with us and Ryan came over for a play date. We got out all the toys and Linda had some balloons that went over very well. Dan was holding Mai the whole time, reading her books. Ryan et al. snuck out and there were no tears on either side. I prepared a banquet of Vietnamese kid-friendly food. In the end, all she ate was her veggie crackers from the orphanage and a "juice box" of milk. But that was enough for the first night! We gave her a bath in her giant inflatable duckie tub. She insisted on standing, fussed just a little but didn't cry. I treated her for scabies and she seemed to really like the massage. Then we put her in her Daisy Duck panties and skull romper that surprisingly fit just right (2T from Gap). OK, enough typing. Thanks for all your encouragment, thoughts and prayers.

There may be some delay in getting her passport...we will find out tomorrow if this will delay our return home. Dan is going alone with Hang to the passport office and I will stay with Mai at the hotel.