In Our Arms Forever!!!

This morning we left our guesthouse at around 9 AM to head to visiting hours at Nati’s orphanage. We still did not know if we would be able to take custody of him today because we did not know if the translation office was open. At around 10:30 we received a call from our agency rep that she had been able to get the translated document and that we could take Nati at the end of visiting hours. We would just need to come by the office to get a copy of the court decree. I cannot even explain how excited we were to know we would not have to leave him another night.

We spent the next couple of hours eating cookies with the kids at his orphanage, playing in his familiar space with his friends and taking pictures. About 30 minutes before it was time to go we pulled out the outfit and new shoes we had brought to change him into before we left. I had prepared myself for some tears but instead he was all smiles. He walked around the orphanage showing all of the nannies who told him how handsome he was, how much they loved him and that they would see him later. I felt like I was the only one holding back tears. The nannies and older kids all smiled bravely and waved and cheered him right out the gate and into our car.

This was not the final goodbye. We will go back on Monday for a farewell ceremony. Yet still, it will never be the same. The nannies that have tucked him in at night, fed him, changed him, cared for him and loved him for the last several years have now handed the privilege off to us and there is something so bittersweet about that. How do you adequately thank someone for doing that for your son. I am still not sure I know but I do know that I will be eternally grateful for the way they cared for and loved my son knowing the loss that would be coming at the end.   

So at approximately 1:15 today Nati stepped out of the orphanage compound and his life changed forever. Of course, he is unaware of all the changes still coming but he has handled today so much better than we could have expected. He smiled, waved and yelled "chow" as we walked out of his old life. He took in all the sights of the city nestled between Brandon and I and eventually climbed up on my lap.

We know this is the honeymoon stage but man is this kid awesome. Today, he has let us hold him, feed him, bathe him, play with him, cuddle him and eventually tonight he climbed up in my arms and let me rock him to sleep. What a brave boy to allow us to do all these things already. That is exactly what I told him today even though he could not possibly understand what I was saying. I told him how long we have waited for this moment, that we love him and always will and that he is such a brave boy that we are proud to call our son.

While this is the most monumental part of this process to date there were other exciting things that also happened today. Before I can come home with Nati there are so many other things that need to happen. When we arrived at the office today to pick up his court decree we were told that MOWA had issued the 3 letter needed, the Birth Certificate had already been issued and that we were going to file for Nati’s passport this afternoon. We did file for it and it will be ready to pick up on Monday morning!!!

I know for those of you outside the adoption community this might not seem like that big of a deal. Let me tell you it is nothing short of a MIRACLE. We will book our medical appointment for the embassy on Monday. After we find out the medical appointment date we will have a pretty good idea of when I can come home. God is so good. We continue to stand in awe of the fact that he has chosen us to parent this boy who is fearfully and wonderfully made. He is so good and his plans are better than we could have ever imagined.