An excerpt from my mother's journal
November 1st, 1995, 6:20 a.m. / Overseas Chinese Hotel, Hangzhou, China
[Note: The day after Jin Mei arrived. She came by train from Jinhua with five other little girls—and was brought to us in the upstairs room of the Overseas Chinese Hotel, where all six families waited. So excited.]
Wow. Who would have thunk it. The most beautiful days of my life maybe—long-awaited. Such a beautiful little daughter, her gentleness and her smile, her face when relaxed is so charming and softly aware. She’s asleep right now in the crib by our bed, arched back a little on her side with fingers in her mouth and her other hand (left hand) covering the fingers she’s sucking. Little soft snorting sounds. Covered with a purple fleece blanket I made for her before we came.
Neal’s outside watching the Chinese exercise—Tai chi and dance and so on—on the promenade next to West Lake. I stayed here as she was sound asleep. Good to have a moment to write, too. Haven’t written a bit since the afternoon we were all waiting for them to come. And here it is. The time of mothering I’ve hungered for—holding her to calm her down, walking up and down in the restaurant, accepting compliments –“beautiful!” –from dozens of strangers—holding her while she eats, changing her diaper and powdering her little purplish-red bottom—it’s such a tender, full feeling. Fun and kind of wonderful to start out parenting in a fancy hotel—they change sheets and towels, straighten and vacuum every day, deliver boiling water and bananas and cookies—no dishes to wash or meals to cook. We’ve been busy, not a lot of down time just with the family, doing paperwork and going out to eat, one shopping trip yesterday to the bookstores to get a few Chinese kids books and tapes. Also got a pinyin dictionary and a tour guide book to Hangzhou.
Neal loves China—I do too—though I’m more in love with the baby, who is starting to fuss and wake. Everyone is extremely kind and interested, hotel staff are loving, love to see the babies, and know her name.