Five years ago, I looked into the eyes of my future.

Today is the five year anniversary of Maya's adoption day from China. Here is my account of that fateful day.

Five years ago today, we were sitting in the Jiangxi Adoption affairs office, waiting for the girls to arrive...when I realized I forgot the paperwork! HOW COULD I FORGET THE PAPERWORK??!!!?? My husband stared at me in disbelief...ME, the anal-retentive, organized, got it all together ME had forgotton to bring the paperwork! What did he expect, I was getting ready to give birth!!!!!!!!

SO, after about 10 minutes of TOTALLY freaking out that they wouldn't give me my baby, Joel talked to our guide and he said it would be fine. After all, I did remember to bring my passport so I had SOME form of identification. But I was in tears prior to being handed my daughter for all the wrong reasons! I, of course, can laugh about it now, but what a horrible feeling!

The girls arrived after we waited about 20 minutes. They were carried into the room, all in gorgeous matching quilted red jackets and black pants. They were all flush with red cheeks. All quiet and calm for just having endured a four hour bus ride. Would I recognize her when I saw her? Could I pick her out of just four girls lined up?? Of course I could, my beautiful daughter! I always hated having a last name near the end of the alphabet. We had to wait until last to hold our child. But what is a few seconds of wait when I had just endured years of waiting for my wonderful daughter.

She was very inquisitive. She came to me easily - just looking around, holding tight to her name tag and looking at it with wonder and awe. Looking at me with less excitement than that inanimate object. I handed her to her daddy. She gave him the strangest look, like "You're kidding, right? You're my dad? Well, okay." That picture is still my favorite.

She was calm on the way back to the hotel, calm when we sat her down, calm when we took off her outer layer. Joel tried to engage her first. I just watched her. She gave us each one slight grin, giving us hope. Then all hell broke loose. She cried and cried and cried.What a horrible, but yet beautiful sound. My daughter...grieving, yes, but MY daughter. How I had waited to hear that cry. Every ounce of power in it. She was truly mine.

She is still my beautiful, moody, intelligent, stubborn, dramatic, loving little spitfire. She is all I could ever have imagined and ten times more. What a wonderful day to celebrate.

Happy Gotcha Day to my Maya Grace MinXuan.