Saturday was the third anniversary of Jia’s Gotcha Day, the day when we first held her in our arms in China. It’s hard to believe that we’ve only had her for three years. It seems so much longer than that. I remember that day so well. We flew from Guangzhou into Nanning and took our bus to the hotel. After checking into our rooms, we met in the lobby and took the bus to the hotel where we would get to meet our babies for the first time. I remember sitting in that room, hearing that Jiang Xiao Shen would be the first baby to be brought into the room. I’m sure that the tears were in my eyes before I ever saw her as she walked into the room (like a small den) holding the hands of two of the orphanage workers. I remember busting out with “I love you” in Chinese as they placed her in my lap. She cried and cried, and her daddy held her as he handed her the little pink bear that she still loves.
That was the first of 20 long days in China. Each day, I continued to bribe her with Diet Coke and Skittles so that she would let me touch her for just a little while. She hated me and screamed for her foster mom. She would cling to Rowland, sleep on top of him, follow him everywhere. She wouldn’t eat for anyone but Rowland and even refused water from me when I knew that she was dying from the heat. Gradually, she began to warm up to me.
On the plane headed home to Little Rock, she and I were the only ones awake. I walked her up and down the aisle singing “Jesus Loves Me” softly in her ear. “Yes, Jesus loves Jia. Yes, Jesus loves Jia.” When we finally made it to the Little Rock airport, I was overjoyed that she allowed me to carry her down the terminal to our waiting friends and family. She’ll never know what those steps meant to this momma until she has a baby of her own.
As the tears come down my cheeks, I thank God for giving me a child who was born so far away and yet born from inside of my heart. Happy Gotcha Day, my precious angel! And many, many more!!!! Mommy loves you!!!!
Cydney Jia Xiaoshen on her 3rd Gotcha Day
Jia with her best friend Cayden