Mackenzie's Moment

We arrived to the Shanghai Civil Affairs Office around 9:15am.  My heart was pounding out of my chest, and my eyes kept welling up with tears.  We got on the elevator with a family who was also carrying red gift bags.  It turns out they are from Edmonton, Canada.  I am so glad they were there, and that we got to meet them and their precious daughter Lanae.  This sweet family was adopting their fourth child, an adorable boy named Bennett.  It turns out they are Christians!  We exchanged information, and plan to keep in touch.  Such a sweet family!!!

At one point our guide turned to me and said, "Don't worry, I am more nervous than you?"  I asked her why, and she said because the children were running late and probably sitting in bad traffic.  She was worried they would arrive angry and tired.  I happened to turn around, and out of nowhere Mackenzie walked into the room holding her Ayi's hand.  My heart absolutely soared!

Sweet Mackenzie looked terrified and confused.  The Ayi was just dropping off some gift bags, and briskly took her out of the room.  What a tease!  Then our guide had me fill out paperwork, which was really difficult since all I wanted to do was hold my baby girl.  I signed Jacques' and my name various times, paid the orphanage donation, and then it was time.

Then I was told that Mackenzie was coming...

The Ayi walked in holding Mackenzie's hand.  I walked over to them, squatted down low, and told her, "Ni hao Nianshu" (Hello Nianshu).  The nanny told her that I was "mama" and Mackenzie repeated, "ma".  The Ayi pushed her toward me, and I picked her up.  Wow, I don't think I have ever held such a STRONG, petrified child before in my life.  Mackenzie instantly went stiff as a board, threw her head back, and was not having any of this!  She was angry, had a mouth full of stinky sausage, and was sweating profusely.  The Director of the orphanage came over to her and told her in Chinese to "Stop crying, or your new mama will not like you".  Uggghhhh...that made me so mad.  I held my screaming, sweating, terrified daughter and kept repeating over and over, "Howla, howla Nianshu" (Everything will be ok).  I brought her over to the couch and gave her a sucker, a light up ball (best $1 Target purchase EVER), and rubbed her tiny boney back.  Mackenzie settled down a bit, and then the Ayi came back in and the screaming started up again.  The Ayi took her from my arms.  It turns out that she took her to change her diaper so the Orphanage Director and our guide could explain to me that Mackenzie was admitted to the hospital on 4/27 and was just released on Friday, 5/4 for Gotcha Day.  She had an ear infection for a month, and was diagnosed in the hospital with a severe double middle ear infection.  They handed me a bag full of medicine, all written in Chinese, and tried to explain to me what to do with everything.  There is a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to clean her ears with, some antibiotic ear drops, and two small vials of white powder.  Our guide told me those white vials of powder were not necessary to give her, and that she did not know what I was supposed to do with them.  I am not a doctor, but I figured those vials were a powder antibiotic, and that they needed to be mixed with a liquid and given to Mackenzie orally.

We made our way back to the hotel...

   

Drank a bottle...

Had a bath...remember the stinky sausage and sweating bit?

And then didn't waste anytime getting "girlie"...

Mackenzie weighed 18 lbs on Gotcha Day...she is 3!  The nanny told me that the only two words she says are "ma" and "ga".  She is severely developmentally delayed, and it is obvious that she was deprived of calcium since her legs are bowed and I suspect she has rickets.  But do you know what?  None of that matters at this very moment.  Mackenzie has a family now that will love and nurture her back to health.  Mark my words, in just a few short months she will be unrecognizable!!!!

Praising God for my beautiful blessing #3, sweet Mackenzie Ty...