The Turner Family Expansion: June 2013

What is "gotcha day"? Exactly what it sounds like, the day we "got" Ephraim. It is a term widely used in the adoption community and the anniversary can be celebrated as much as a birthday. Often times in international adoptions, the child's birthday can be unknown, guessed or given by social worker. Gotcha days are a date you KNOW is accurate and are worth celebrating.

Let me begin by sharing our ~~little~~ journey to our gotcha day. Saturday, February 23, 2013, we hopped on a plane from KC to Chicago to DC. We spent the night in DC (no sight seeing for us, we didn't leave the hotel!). The next morning we took the shuttle to Dulles airport and got on another plane straight to Addis Abeba, 12 hours. Not too shabby considering the last trip! Our plane landed on Monday morning around 8am Ethiopia time on February 25th. By 9am we were through customs with our visas, exchanged our money, got our bags and headed to the guest house.
While still in the states, we were given a vague itinerary of "day 1: spend a few hours with child. day 2: spend time with child and bring back to hotel..." and so on and so forth. WELL, we get to the guest house and the Holt driver turns around and hands us our itinerary, "day 1: 10am-12pm spend time with child. 12-2:30pm lunch on your own 2:30-4:30pm farewell ceremony at care center and bring child back to hotel with you" UH WHAT?! Um ok, not tomorrow, in an hour.
We were hoping for a night's sleep in a bed and a day of shopping without the rudeness of toting around our new child on the streets of Addis. Nope, sorry! It's like going into early labor.

"No, wait Doc, I still have to wash the crib sheets and hang up cute pictures!"

So we hurried up and took showers and got ready. Chris unpacked his backpack that he used as a carry-on to convert it to a day pack. "I think I got everything we need in there..."
There we are, about to REALLY be parents. I practiced the phrase "Nah-fih-keh-HAH-loh!", "I missed you!" over and over but when it came time to say it....I don't know if I was too nervous I would mess it up or just too choked up to talk so I just hugged and kissed him all over.

There were about five other families there but they were Italian so we didn't have much to talk about....

We played soccer (of course) and watched him play with the other kids as well.

I have a ton more photos from this day but I have to show discretion and not show other children.

After playing for a couple hours, we went to lunch at Yod (or Lod) Abyssinia. No show this time but still delicious food. :) We were picked up and taken back to Miskaye for the farewell ceremony. Often times children are put in a traditional outfit for this provided by the care center or sometimes parents. Whoops. I didn't even bring a change of clothes with us. He still wears those clothes.

The party started with music and lots of dancing!

He is a very serious dancer. Barely stopped once the music started and kept a serious face the whole time.

A party wouldn't be complete without coffee, cake and popcorn!

It was more like a slightly sweet bread than a cake but the kids loved it.

After the party food and a lot of dancing by all (there are kids in the photos of me dancing, oh darn), it was time for good-byes. The children formed a half circle around Ephraim. The tiny ones were dressed in yellow and black t-shirts and shorts, the older ones in red and black, the big ones, in whatever they were wearing. Then it began, the song. I knew it was coming. A friend shared her video with us so that we could see Ephraim. I had the camera, Chris the video camera. Again, I am so thankful for my large sunglasses.

"The time we had together, I will never forget forever. Thank you all my teachers, thank you all my supporters, thank you all my friendses. It was so you so precious, we will never forget forever."

I'm guessing on the last line but needless to say it leaves you bawling. These kids know this song by heart, they sing it so often and say goodbye to so many.
Once it is over, Ephraim gets three kisses from each child, one on each cheek and the forehead. There are many children and it goes on for quite some time. No one cries but us.
He gets kisses from all the nannies, these women who have been his parents for the past seven months.

After the kissing is done, they sing the song again and he walks straight to the van. Just like that. We are in the corner on the inside of the half circle of children. I quickly hug the children who's faces I have come to know from photos on my fridge and tell them that their Mama's and Papa's are coming soon. We rush to the van through the chaos and drive away. I am stunned and in shock. It is so very hard to process. I stifle my tears and hold my child. He has a face of excitement, wonderment and a bit of caution as we drive back to the guest house.

Once at the guest house we show him his things and attempt to communicate through a second language for both of us. He enjoyed the coloring book and car as we knew he would. And was kind of amazed that he got his own bed.

It wasn't too long before he fell asleep. The emotions of the day took a toll on him as well. He slept for three hours.

We had our dinner brought up to our room and ate at the tiny table while he slept. He was grateful for the burger and fries upon waking. What kid wouldn't? ;)

I'll leave you with some close-ups of the day.