Meeting Miss Rosie on Monday

I met my little girl for the first time on Monday September 14th, 2009.
Elizabeth and I were told that our driver would pick us up from our guest house at 10:00. We were assured that he would most definitely be late and not to worry when he was, he would eventually arrive.
Ok...we were ready to wait patiently when he arrived early. He was to take us to the orphanage where she had lived for the past year or so. As our van pulled up to the guest house the gates opened up and I recognized her immediately. She was being held in the arms of one of the nannies...tiny, perfect and dressed all in pink. Big brown eyes, cute little braids... frightened little face staring in shock and disbelief. Poor little peanut. I didn't want to scare her more or to have her burst into tears so I tried to make myself smaller and talk to her in my nicest mommy voice. Before too long her nanny got impatient and kind of shoved her in my arms and there she was. Wow. After almost two years of worrying and paperwork and forms and imagining and memorizing every detail of every one of the photos of her cuteness... here she was in my arms. Just like that. A real little person- not just a picture of one... a little like meeting a celebrity or a public figure. Someone you feel like you should know because of the photos, but in reality you haven't a clue.I was overwhelmed with gratitude for her little self... she was ok, she seemed healthy and I am the person who gets to be her new mom. Someone gave me flowers... roses wrapped in cellophane and I had trouble holding her and the flowers. Her little body was tense, but she didn't cry. We are quickly ushered upstairs to see her room. It looks clean and bright... 7 cribs in a semi-circle. 8 or more baby roommates. There is a photo of my family that was taken from our home study report taped to the wall over her crib... someone from the orphanage has photo shopped a photo of Rosie in with the rest of my family, which was nice, but looks a little surreal.
No time to linger, we are hurried out into the van and to our agencies office building to finish up with more paperwork. Onward from here.