Gotcha Day!

One year ago today we walked out of the orphanage with Bennett in our arms. I can't believe it has already been a year!!!

Here is a portion of my journal entry that day:
We got him!! V. and A. picked us up at the hotel at 12:05. We drove to the Ministry of Education building and Social Services building so A. could take care of some paperwork. Then we drove to get Bennett's passport. A. said it usually takes a month to get a passport - This one took two hours. He said he had a good friend :). We stopped to get some lunch and then we drove to the orphanage. We gave the orphanage director the gift we brought. We brought reed diffusers and the orphanage director tried to drink the perfume through a reed. We all laughed. A caregiver brought me up to get Bennett. When we got there they showed me that he was still eating and I sat and waited on a couch. The room was very busy. There were 11 little children all around 1 year old in the room. Bennett was in a highchair. The caregiver was behind and to the side of him holding a bowl under his mouth and feeding him with a spoon. The raised playpen closest to me had 4 children in it. Mostly babies who played on their stomach or back. There was one child with a severe cleft lip sitting up in the playpen. One lady was possibly doing therapy with one of the little ones by putting his legs against a ball. Another lady was shining a red light into a little ones eyes. When she was done with that child she moved to the next little one and did the same thing. A little boy was on a changing table. He had some kind of rash or chicken pox all over his body. There were five babies sitting in the other playpen. The caretaker who was feeding Bennett brought him to the washroom and closed the door. Another lady brought the photo album and camara we left with Bennett. The monkey was not returned. The we brought Bennett to the changing table. He grabbed the little boys hand who was still up there but they took the little boy away then. The caretaker undressed Bennett and put him in the diaper, onsie, and sleeper that I brought up. The caregivers waved good-bye and mimed to send pictures. Bennett and I waved bye and I said I would send pics. We walked out of the room, down the stairs and to the music room where Aaron was waiting. We had one more pic (day zero) after putting Bennett in his snowsuit and then we walked out for the last time!

I am so thankful to be this little boy's mama. Bennett hasn't been feeling well lately and needed some extra rocking last night. He snuggled in close, looked in my eyes and played with my hair. He has come a long way from the little boy who didn't know how to cuddle or receive comfort. I sat there crying with happiness. God has blessed us with the most amazing gift!!