Finally Meeting Our Girl

May 26, 2008
As you can imagine, Scott and I didn't get much sleep over the weekend. We wondered what our daughter would be like?...Would she like us?...Was she healthy? These are just a few of the questions that adoptive parents think of. Because we don't have the opportunity to bond with them from birth, it leaves you with many unanswered questions. We were both excited to finally have this day arrive!

We were picked up from the hotel at 7:30 and driven to the orphanage. Along the way, we picked up an additional translator. She would help with the medical records and family history. Our first impression of the orphanage was very positive and it looked nice. We were escorted into a large living room and we met the orphanage director, doctor, teachers, and assistants. The room seemed to quickly fill up. We had to have another interview with the local inspector before we could officially see her. This interview was again very serious and we answered all of the questions thoroughly.


Next, they brought her out! She was so shy at first and she was surrounded by so many strange faces. She began showing us that she had a good memory by reciting a long poem. Next she sat by us and the doctor went over her medical history. It was all very good and they told us that she had speech delays. That is very typical with children in this situation. Her social teacher talked with us next and told us that she was a leader, she was quick to learn, and that the kids love her at the orphanage. We looked at her background file next and found out that her family couldn't provide for her and that she had been in the orphanage for 2 years. All of this was great news and we were ready to spend time with her.

We started by coloring and getting closer to her. She loves to hug and she wanted Scott to run after her. She loves Scott and looks at him with such affection. She called him PaPa from the very beginning and it melts my heart. She has a wonderful laugh and she never seems to stop smiling. What a great fit for the Dierlam family. We also found out that she is left handed. By the end of the day, we were in love with this special little girl and we looked forward to spending more time with her over the next 3 days.