January 19~ Gotcha Day

Our meeting at Civil Affairs to pick up Ephraim was at 230pm.  So we attempted to sleep in (we made it til 3am!) and then to breakfast around 7.  We hung around again, took a nap, went walking around, and did generally nothing much until 2, when we met in the lobby and headed to the Civil Affairs office. 

It was kind of a weird experience.  It was just a big room filled with many families who were waiting for their kids, or had just gotten them.  Lots of dazed and crying babies and happy families, and just kind of semi-organized chaos everywhere.  They have the babies all in this back room with a curtain, and they lead them out one by one, and you just stand there and wait for it to be your turn.  I’d glimpsed Ephraim walk by when they took him back to the room.  He was all bundled up in a snowsuit and cute as a button.

So they brought him out to us, and he kind of just looked confused.  He didn’t really cry, but just sat there and whimpered occasionally.  He ate some baby yogurt bites if I fed him, but wouldn’t take anything in his hands, or feed himself, or do anything really.  Just kind of sat there being kind of floppy and looked around and wondered what the heck was going on.  He doesn’t seem to like John much.  And isn’t a huge fan of being held.  Maybe it’s just beause he doesn’t know me.  He plays well by himself, and once he had the room to explore, he’d play in the suitcase, checking out the diapers and bottles and everything, and he’d toss stuff around and giggle.  He crawls well, and pulls himself up next to furniture, but doesn’t walk.  He babbles, but the nannies said he’s not really a talker either. Alert and aware of what’s going on, and understands everything, but just doesn’t say much.  If you try to stand him up, he pulls his feet up.  In his own time, I guess.

Anyway. So we got to ask the nannies some questions.  Seems like he gets up around 6, naps after lunch.  Takes a bath in the afternoon, and goes to bed at 9. Takes one bottle at bedtime, and eats meals mostly of rice and congee.  I don’t know what congee is, but apparently it’s something mostly made of rice.  So… a rice-only diet.  Perfect.  No wonder he's tiny.  Kid needs some meat and vegetables!

Oh and the funniest thing was when I asked the nannies what they called him.  Apparently they all agreed that he looked like that movie star, because they all call him that name.  Regularly enough, in fact, that he doesn’t respond to his given name.  Only to his movie star name.  lol.  Awesome. 

Cutest kid since... my other kids.  :)

with his orphanage director lady at Gotcha Day