GOTCHA-DAY!!!! 2 years ago!

I can't believe that it has already been 2 years that this little guy has blessed our hearts. I can remember this day 2 years ago like it was yesterday, and I cannot even remember what I had for lunch today. This picture was taken for our first meal as a FOREVER FAMILY! We of course had to dress him in a Cubs outfit. Mike and I arrived in Guatemala that morning around 6 am, we were so excited and so tired all at the same time. We checked into the hotel and thought maybe we would be able to get some breakfast and then a short little nap before Evan's arrival. He was due to be at the hotel around noon. I ate pancakes, that always makes me tired. Then we went to the room and both just laid on the bed, I don't think either one of us thought we would fall asleep. At 10:45 am the phone rang, I couldn't figure out what that noise was. Finally I grabbed the phone. It was our attorney Heidy, she was in the lobby with Evan and the foster family! Mike and I showered in 2 minutes, we were in the lobby at 11:00. I was so excited, nervous, anxious, ready, but most of all happy to be seeing our little guy again. The foster mom was sitting on a couch with Evan all wrapped up in about 6 blankets, the foster dad was kinda pacing around. Evan was sleeping. Heidy greeted us and re-introduced everyone. The foster mom had big sunglasses on, I think she had been crying. I was trying to hold it together. I had a pen and paper ready for taking notes about our new baby, what did he like, how did he like to be held, what was he eating, did he like to be rocked. I tried to pay attention to Heidy as she told me everything the foster mom said. But all I was thinking was, 'I want that little baby under the blankets'. I was writing all kinds of things down, for the life of me, I don't have a clue what I wrote, or whatever happened to that paper. Finally Evan started to stir. He kinda popped his head up, and he was so cute! He just looked around and watched. Finally after what seemed like 10 hours, I said to the foster mom 'can I hold him', can I hold him like for the rest of his life!!! She slowly unwrapped him, it took her about an hour. Finally he was handed to me! His mom! Oh My God, I thought I was gonna die right there! He just laid his head down on my chest like he totally knew that I was his new mama! In the blur of things, I heard Mike trying to figure out how to turn on the camera, I heard the foster dad snapping photos of Evan and Mommy, I heard the attorney say, 'look, he knows that is his mama'. Then I don't know what happened. I just remember I was holding on to him like I had never held anything before. I know that I thanked the foster mom a million times for taking care of my little boy, for loving him and kissing him until I got there. Then in a blur Mike and I were up in a hotel room with a little person, who we knew liked formula, who needed 2 naps a day and needed our attention. We quickly dressed him in his Cubs outfit and then went to lunch. When I look back at that part, I am still amazed. We show up in Guatemala as husband and wife, now 5 hours later we are a family! I do remember that first time going down to the lobby with Evan, thinking that someone was going to come up to us and take him away. Like we made a mistake, we checked your paperwork, you need to give him back.

Our lives are wonderfully better since we had these babies. Evan is such a sweetheart. I love just to look at him. Even when he is having a fit about something, I still think he is the sweetest thing ever. March 28 we accepted his referral, July 16 we met him for the very first time, September 23 he was placed in our arms forever. I hope this blog is still on line when he gets his first girlfriend, she had better love him like his mama does!

We are so blessed! I think about how long it took to bring him home. We were so lucky with both of our boys to be able to bring them home so soon. So many families have the dreaded waiting game, that last forever. We waited, but we were so lucky. Somebody must be looking out for us.

Evan is napping right now, so when he gets up, we will have cake and balloons and Mike and I bought him a new James engine with bees on it. He loves James. Don't worry it's not a recalled one. Then he will just spend the rest of the day running around the house, tormenting Nick and getting into everything possible.

One Happy Mama.