WE HAVE AIDEN!!!!!!

This morning (Sunday evening for the U.S.) Aiden YinQiang McAfee made the long 2 hour trip from the orphanage in his birth city of Zhangjiagang to the Jiangsu Registration Center for Foreign-related Marriage and Foreign-related Adoption along with his friend YinTian, two caretakers, and WuWei Zhong the vice-president of the orphanage. Both boys were dressed in matching brand new baby blue fleece jackets and pants and brand new shoes as well as a few extra layers of brand new sweaters, turtlenecks, and pajama pants...LOL. His friend from the orphanage will be living with his family in New York, and they are staying in our hotel as well! We hope these two will have the opportunity to stay connected in the future. It seems they climbed back and forth between cribs at the orphanage, so they may be longtime friends!

The staff brought a bag of formula, snacks, lollipops, pullups, and wipes. They also brought a beautiful photo album of Aiden and the orphanage. I am so grateful for this! It is a tremendous gift and shows the love and care that they give the children in their care. We were told we will not be able to visit the orphanage because of precautions due to the flu this year. I am disappointed, but I also very much understand. The toys and photo album I had mailed to Aiden also came back with him. In that package to him, I had also sent a picture Kate had drawn for him. He seemed to recognize it! We showed him a picture of his new sisters, and he smiled and touched the photo. Somehow he knows they love him.

Aiden was handed off to me first. He let me kiss his chubby cheeks, touch his jet black hair, and whisper into his ear. Of course I was holding the cookies! He seemed easily convinced that we were his Mama and Baba, so soon he was playing with his new cars, eating cheerios, and agreeing to let us both hold him. No tears, no glances back at his former caretakers as they left the office, and no hesitation to hop in a cab and relax in his hotel room.

Aiden is wearing 24 months clothing which is exactly what I thought. So the few clothes I brought are 24 months and 2T. He definitely was smaller once we got all his layers off, but he loves to eat. He will fit right in at home. He is a gentle, quiet little boy. He is cuddly and soft, and I think you can tell by the photos that he is very sweet. He seems to be a thinker and is very quick to mimic ways to play with his toys. He can throw as straight and fast as any little league ball player.

His unrepaired palate seems not to be much of an issue, but I haven't gotten a good look yet. His lip was repaired flawlessly.

He and Baba have been sleeping soundly for the last 2 hours and 45 minutes. They had played a big game of toss and needed to rest. On the other hand I have been awake since 4:00 am this morning with no nap and what seems to be a slight fever. So, I will write more later tonight.
A happy day....this child has been kissed by an angel. And he is ours.
love,
amy