Blessed Beyond Measure: Gotcha Day and Hanging in Henan...

October 14, 2013 will always be a day to remember in our family. Sam will have two special days, his birthday (November 17) and his forever family day or “gotcha day.” I wasn’t sure how gotcha day was going to go. Of course he would be scared and confused and we would be overjoyed to have him... kinda conflicting emotions. I don’t think it could have gone any better. I think it’s a combination of his easy-going personality and the way the foster home prepared him to come into our family... our prayers have been answered and Sam is doing amazingly well.

On Monday morning the seven families from our agency piled on a bus and went to the government building where we would receive our children. There were other families from other agencies there that morning as well. The room was pretty open with some couches and a little play area. When we arrived it was already very busy with families who already had their children and then several children from our group were there as well. Fred and I saw Sam as soon as we got off the bus and started walking to the building. He was wearing a red shirt and standing in front of the large glass doors. The other boy who was with him at the group foster home was walking around with him.

We just walked in and let our agency guide officially introduce us to him and we dropped everything and proceeded to smile from ear to ear and try to comprehend what was happening. He kinda looked at us like, “Yeah, I’ve seen pictures of you two, you’re what they call ‘mama’ and ‘baba.’ Hey, those crackers look yummy.” Yes, we bribed him with food and after taking a look at his cheeks and belly, we have determined that food is the way to his heart:)

His foster brother was doing well at first, but then melted down. He was very upset because he was well aware what was happening. He is truly an “old soul” and very bright and perceptive. Sam was just kinda walking around the joint, checking out the play place. He would go back over to his nanny who brought him, and check in with her. At one point, his shoe fell off and he wouldn’t let me put it on, but her to. Things were chaotic. Some kids were quiet, some were screaming, there was paperwork being signed, official pictures being taken... it was an overwhelming scene. Sam seemed to like Fred to hold him more at the time. I was just happy he wanted one of us to hold him. His nanny and I exchanged some emotional eye contact and I thanked her for loving him. I knew she was sad to see him leave, but also happy that he would have a family. I could see in her face how much she loved him and how much it hurt. She left quietly without him noticing, but by the time he noticed he didn’t cry or become upset. Fred sat down on the couch with him and he was tired and sucking his thumb. They looked like they were watching a football game on Sunday.

He fell asleep in Fred’s arms and slept the whole way back and we put him in the crib and he slept for another 2-3 hours. (He’s definitely a Dri, he likes to eat and sleep! LOVE IT!!) I thought he might be upset when he woke up in a strange hotel room, but no. We needed his hand print on an official document so we had to wake him up, change his diaper, and whisk him down the hall. He saw his good buddy, now called Elias, and they played for a bit. :::This is too easy. It’s going too smoothly:::: I feel like we’re waiting for the bottom to fall out. With each passing moment we feel closer and more bonded with him. He is really coming out of his shell around us and is thriving with this one on one attention (he has been sharing his nanny with his foster brother.) He’s easy-going, silly, likes cartoons, enjoys sweet carb puffs, likes to be sung to and likes to sing, and knows how to have a ton of fun with a beach ball. He already seems to know that we are his daddy and mommy and he’s comfortable with both of us.

This blog is taking me a while to finish, so now we’ve made it through Wednesday. We left this morning for a 2.5 hour ride in a van to his hometown, Anyang. All families have to travel there with their child to get his passport photo taken and apply for his passport. The passport will be ready by Friday. It was a long ride and a long day, and he seemed to come down with a fever and some diarrhea on the way there. Seems like he’s got a little virus, poor buddy. But he did sleep most of the long trip, so that was good. After we finished the paperwork at the govt. Office, we went to visit the orphanage where his story began. He was not there for too long, only 4 months, but I wanted to see it and I had to check on some babies for their waiting mommas:) Fred had already decided he didn’t want to go inside, so he and Sam hung out around the van while I went in. It was what you would think an orphanage would be I guess. Not as bad as some, but not as good as it should be. I hope many of those little ones will be adopted soon. That’s all I’m going to say about that. And after leaving there I realized even more profoundly how blessed we are that he was at his foster home.

While in Anyang we saw several weddings taking place and Fred commented to our guide that it was unusual to get married on a Wednesday. She said they don't pick a day of the week, but a date. Apparently the 16th is very popular. Anything with 6 and 9 is good luck I think. I snapped a picture of some fireworks going off. They really go all out for the weddings!

When we got back and he had a couple of blow outs in his diaper and was feeling pretty crummy with his fever. Luckily our awesome friends and travel companions hooked us up with some children’s Tylenol. And now he is feeling much better.