Happy Gotcha Day!!!

Hey Everyone,

Brian here. That's right, we were sucessful! Today, after exactly 40 days of visits (stangely Biblical, we know) and one day after our 4th wedding anniversary, we obtained a shiny new birth certificate, and got our son!

We told ourselves the entire day, that it wasn't actually going to happen until Tuesday. Nice of them to try and everything, but we've gotten our hopes up before and things haven't worked out. Then suddenly (well actually after about an hour and a half wiating at the Shchushinsk City Hall), there we were with the birth certificate (and other associated paperwork) and Jen and I looked at each other and were like "Oh crap, we're actually parents! Okay, then. Wow. Well, let's go get him!"

So, off to the babyhouse to pick him up and take him home! You know, it's strange running up and grabbing someone you love so much, knowing that today is going to be unlike any day they've ever experienced (or us for that matter), but then you try to tell them, and realizing that they're 15 months old, they don't have any idea what you're talking about. "Why are we spending so much time waving at these people?" "Where are we going?" It must have been quite puzzling.

But the car ride home was smooth and uneventful. We expecting a tantrum, but there was none. He would have fallen asleep if the road weren't as bumpy as it was, nor our driver as much of a maniac.

When we got to the apartment, he was happy to see that we were still with him and the pile of toys he knew so well was sitting there waiting. He talked up a storm and started walking and crawling around everywhere we let him, excited every time he saw us, and thrilled with each room he saw.

Then dinner. A delight. Evan often has a little tantrum (really the only time we've ever seen him have one) when meal time is over. Not tonight. He ate well and kept right on having fun.

Then it was bath time! I was a little nervous about it myself, but I'll let the pictures tell the story. He absolutely loved it!

Then it was time for bed. He laid down in his crib right away, sluggling with his new Pooh Bear, looking up at Jen and I, smiliing. We sat with him for a bit, but he didn't fuss. So we snuck into the next room. He started talking and rolling around, but still no fussing. (Right now, it's about 45 minutes later, and we're still waiting for him to fall asleep.)

He's an amazing child. And, now, after all the talks I had with him over the past several weeks about how we were going to take him home with us, knowing full well that he didn't really get it, I am now truly delighted to see that, so far at least, it would appear that he's totally on board. And now, Jen just reported, he's also asleep.

Brian

And from Jen...

GOTCHA GOTCHA GOTCHA!!! We are SO thrilled (and completely mystified) to finally have the little guy here with us. As Brian said so succinctly this morning, "It's like going to the zoo and taking home the elephant. I mean, I know that it's what we've been working for, but you're not REALLY going to give us the elephant, are you???" That really is exactly how it feels, as strange as it may sound. After FORTY days of the same thing, again and again, you sort of start to think that this is parenthood: I will live in Kokshetau for the rest of my life and make this drive every day to see my son. To think that they actually intended all along to give him to us is strangely unreal.

But there he is; the baby elephant is asleep in the other room and we have magically become parents. As scary as it is for everyone, even Evan, at least he seems to really be enjoying himself. The bath was everything I had hoped for, a happy kid who had never sat in a tub of water before, delighted with bubbles and surprised to find himself in there with mom. I can't WAIT to get to the Hyatt in Almaty and take him swimming!

More tomorrow when we figure out what to do with him on our second day!

Jen