LIVING LIFE: December 29 - Today was the day.

Today was the day. We could all feel the energy; even the other families that have travelled with us. We were doing our best to keep things as calm and as normal as possible, to ensure Maelyn wasn’t feeling stressed the entire day.

Maelyn wasn’t as talkative this morning and seemed to be a little more introspective than normal. I keep sending positive and loving vibes her way, to help give her the strength for what was ahead. What an experience we were about to have, as a family.

It was about a two-hour bus ride from Shangrao to Wannian County, where Maelyn was found and where her birth family still lives. As we got closer, you could see the landscape change; more rice paddies, mountains, rural homes. We were getting closer to them and the nerves started to settle in.

We arrived at our hotel and checked in. I had been worried about the accommodations as there are not many hotel choices in the area, but in all, the hotel seemed just fine. The only issue we encountered is the amount of smoke; smoking is allowed in most public places and the more rural you go, the more smoking there is around us – and the hotel definitely doesn’t have a smoke-free room.

I was worried because Ailee woke up this morning and seemed to be coming down with a cold. What timing! I have been pushing her inhalers and lots of water, hoping to keep the worst of it at bay.

We had about an hour to settle in and rest before the family would arrive. Maelyn seemed agitated and didn’t want to be near anyone; she sat down by the window in the hallway to read quietly. We checked in on her, but let her be on her own. Eventually, she got up to play with the other kids again.

And then, it happened. The birth family was walking down the hotel hallway and there was Maelyn’s first mom, dad, and oldest sister. They walked up with big smiles on their faces and hugs for everyone. Our guides/interpreters helped us to greet one another and then we sat down in our hotel room together. This meeting was more formal; the parents discussed their decision to place Maelyn for adoption and how they did not have the money or means necessary to care for a baby with a cleft. They also discussed how difficult the decision was for them, with mom tearing up as she spoke.

Maelyn and her family kept smiling and grinning at one another; I have never seen Maelyn smile so much or so big in my entire life! Paul and I gave each other a smile, as we could see how happy our girl was to be meeting her other family. Mom kept stroking Maelyn’s face and holding her hands. It was as though she was trying to soak her in; see every feature of her child. Paul and I couldn’t stop commenting on how much she looked like her family; especially mom and her oldest sister! Maelyn sat on her big sister’s lap and we all talked. We talked about her cleft, the procedures she has gone through and what procedures she will go through as she gets older. We discussed life in Canada and answered any questions they had. At one point, dad went to get the other two sisters from school, as it was the end of the day. When he came back, everyone was happy to be together. Maelyn’s oldest sister then put a charm bracelet on Maelyn’s wrist, giving it to her as a gift.

Maelyn’s second oldest sister is very, very shy and had a hard time being in the room with everyone. We did our best to give her some space. Maelyn’s little sister is just like her – a little spitfire! Ailee came over to the room at this point, as she had stayed in Ella’s room playing, and asked Maelyn’s little sister to join them. They are only 7 months apart in age. She was happy to join, and they all started doing cartwheels and splits in the hallway. Then they started playing tag. Not that I was aware of any of this; Lori watched the kids playing so that Paul and I could concentrate on talking to her parents.

The family stayed for about three hours. Maelyn told us she was tired and ready for a break, so we hugged the family goodbye and told them that we couldn’t wait to see them the next day, as we would be visiting their home. We all breathed a sigh of relief that the first meeting was over and that all went well. Maelyn bounced off to play with her friends and we debriefed with ours.