September 22nd, 2005
Today has been a very long, exciting and exhausting day. It started over 24 hours ago when we left my parents in Southampton to go to Heathrow Airport. Our flight was at 4.40pm. Gwion was very excited and loved watching the planes.
Gwion at Heathrow Airport
The flight was 10 hours long. We had met up with the other two families in our group and spent some of the flight getting to know each other. Gwion fell asleep at the beginning of the flight, but we made the mistake of waking him up for his food, and then he spent the next six hours bouncing around the plane, even though he was really tired. He finally fell asleep for the last three hours of the flight, but neither Rhodri nor I managed to sleep!
We arrived in Beijing at 9:30 this morning. We were met by Cecilia from BLAS who took us through to our next flight to Nanchang. Beijing was very hot and sunny. Our next flight was only two hours and Gwion slept most of the way. When we arrived at Nanchang airport we were met by our guide for the week, Wenda. We had a 1/2 hour bus journey to the hotel. Nanchang was cooler than Beijing, but very overcast and very humid.
On the way to the hotel Wenda told us that we would be meeting our babies in one hours time, at 4:30 pm. That gave us an hour to have a shower and change.
Waiting for Ceinwen
Meeting our daughters for the first time was a very emotional experience. Cameras and videocameras at the ready.
Director Lu and three carers from the orphanage brought our babies to us in the meeting room in the hotel. They had said goodbye to their foster mothers only that morning, and were now about to be given to strangers. Ceinwen was the only one that didn't actually cry. She was handed over to me and just watched everything that was happening and took everything in. Gwion was very busy running around the room pretending to be a steam train!
Meeting Mammy
Meeting Daddy
Meeting Gwion
We were given photos of Ceinwen's foster mother. She has been fostered with two other babies, who are also about to be adopted. One goes to the USA on 28th September, and the other to Spain in October. Ceinwen's foster mother also has her own daughter, and her mother helps her out. So Ceinwen has been in a family situation.
Back in our room Ceinwen was busy watching Gwion. He was fascinated by her and kept bouncing around the bed by her. He wouldn't sit still to have photos taken with Ceinwen.
Gwion and Ceinwen
Ceinwen is quite a chunky, pretty baby. We weighed her on the scales in our bathroom, and she weighed just over 7kgs. Her report said 7.5kg from this week, so quite accurate!
She loves her food, just like Gwion and watched everything, just like Gwion! She sits up, and will stand if you hold her!
First Bottle
Ceinwen Playing
Mammy and Gwion
Daddy and Ceinwen
She seems to have settled with us quite well, so far!
Next......September 23rd, 2005