The orphanage visit (part 1)

How to even begin?  This was absolutely one of the hardest days of my life.  I will put what I can in words but I can't really begin to get the feelings of the day across.
We got up early because the orphanage is about 4 hours away and we were supposed to be there by 11 or so.  We had to pack with 8 hours of travel with an active 3 year old in mind.  We whittled down what we needed to A SUITCASE and 2 backpacks.  :)  Yes we were only going to be gone about 10 hours total.   I realized later that Jaden may have been thinking that he was being returned.  We had asked our guide to explain to him several times already that this was the day that we would visit but that he would be with us forever and this would only be a visit but I'm not sure that he really believed that.  We found out during the course of our visit at the orphanage that the head Ayi takes Jaden home every weekend to live with her and so his time with us must have seemed much like one of those "passes" out of the orphanage.  Fun, food and games but ultimately never permanent.
Jaden travelled very well for a 3 year old.  He loved watching the trucks fly past us and loved it even more when we flew past other cars.  He would scream "kan, baba; kan!"  (look, daddy, look!)  My American-self just tried not to freak too much at letting a 3 year old have the run of the the vehicle.  There are no car seats in China that I have seen and no lab belts either.  He is going to have such a rude awakening on the way home from the airport!
When we got to Haimen City, he got very solemn and like a little turtle, pulled back into his shell.  Haimen is a "little village" of over a million people, so even once we arrived there it took quite a while to get to the SWI, (orphanage).  When we pulled up, several of them were standing at the gate waiting on us.  I had to wonder how long they had been standing there?  Jaden just looked at us with big eyes.  All of the caregivers (Ayis) came running and calling out his name.  He smiled and hugged them and was passed one to another until all had hugged him and checked his clothes to be sure we had dressed him warmly enough!
The director took us to his office and he had a buffet of fruit laid out for us.  Fruit is so very expensive here, I know this was a great gesture of hospitality.  Jaden ate something that looked like an eyeball once it was peeled to me, maybe some of my more China educated friends can help out on what it was, and loved it.  Mr. Shi offered Tim a cigarette and gave us both some green tea.  Then came the best moment of the day.  He brought out Jaden's birth note!  I was thrilled!  They had told us at adoption day that they weren't sure where it was but would look.  It was a small note on red paper that we are told says that they hope someone with kindness in their hearts will be able to adopt and take care of their child.  I just looked at that note and couldn't imagine the pain and desperation they must have been feeling to have had to write that and pin it on their 12 day old child.  I feel so blessed to have the note to be able to show him one day that he has been loved by two sets of parents, even though only one was able to keep and care for him.

This was the easy part of the visit but I'm going to stop here for now.  My sweet son just woke up and shined his flashlight on me.  I think that means "come play"!  :)