Kaitlynn's Gotcha Day!

She’s home!

We grabbed a cab to avoid the horrendous parking downtown. Instead of waiting in gridlock we decided to scuttle our kids along the last two blocks. Leaping over excrement and weaving through the sidewalks crowded by vendors, students, beggars and businessmen we made it to the elevators with three minutes to spare. We got to the front of the line to ride up and crammed our kids into the little box. Pushing the button didn’t work. Two gracious gentlemen decided to wait for the next lift and got off allowing the doors to close so we could get to our floor.

Kaitlynn, the social worker, the child defenses representative and our lawyer were already there waiting. It would be another antsy, hall pacing twenty minutes until they called us back to the judges chambers. Our family, now seven strong, turned quite a few heads this day. The Washingtons all sat on the little couches along the wall. The two littlest on the laps of the parents. The three big ones listening intently to the proceedings. Squinched up faces and giggles were discreetly dismissed with a gentle grin and raised eye brows from mama as their precious names were mispronounced by the clerk more than once. The judge gave her approval and dismissed us all. Much happiness and congratulations ensued.

We were given permission to bring Kaitlynn home!

The Washingtons, seven strong, with our lawyer in front of the courthouse on Kaitlynn's gotcha day, May 26, 2010

Gathering up our kids, all five of them, we followed our lawyer to her office a couple blocks from the courthouse. She explained the following steps. There will be quite a few people visiting our home in the next two weeks to monitor our bonding and make reports. Then we will make arrangements for the final court hearing and sentence of an official adoption. This could take up until August. No matter. She is home!

The lawyer is helping us all the way through all these steps, including the issuance of the new birth certificate with the name we have chosen for her. This was a pleasant surprise for us to know that the name change is taking place right now. She had us write the name clearly, since it is foreign.

After that little meeting was done we went out to the street to flag down a cab. Raimy and Gabrielle in the front seat, Kaitlynn on Papas lap, Tyler on mine and Timothy squished between us.

First order of business at home: a quick tour. Then she was hungry! The social worker said she hadn’t touched her food at lunch because she wanted to see her papa and mama. Gabrielle and her made a game of eating. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening playing, hanging out, talking and trying to help her get used to her new name. We also started speaking English along with the Spanish. Tone carries alot of weight so it seems to be working well. She even is repeating some of the English with a eagerness to learn.

Chicken and Rice, yum.

Tyler and Timothy were happy to see she likes Legos.

Only twice did she try to eat the crayons. She is a very reasonable child.

Getting ready for bed was easy. Getting into bed was another story. Bed was unwanted, made clear by the quivering lip. I didn’t want to force anything. So there was singing, and rocking, and cuddling in her blankets on my part. Then beloved papa walked with his youngest laying her head on his shoulder into the bedroom to lay her down. No nap and an emotionally charged day makes for a tired two year old.

Photo by Raimy

Our first time checking in on our sleeping baby girl. Good thing we did! Adjustments quickly followed the photo, no worries.

Her first sleep at home... so sweet.

I am very curious what waking up will be like tomorrow morning, May 27th, which happens to be the Bolivian Mother’s Day. Should be fun! What a nice gift I got.

Quotes from the day…

Timothy: Tomorrow is an exciting day. Not only because of mother’s day but because Kaitlynn will wake up here and I wonder if she will run to find someone to hug.

Raimy: Mama, I just remembered that we adopted Kaitlynn! I thought that she had been with us from the very beginning.

Tyler: Oh Kaitlynn! She so tute!

Gabrielle: She can call me Gabriela for now and then Gabrielle later.

I am going to go check on her one last time before I put my tired but happy head to bed.

Tagged as: adoption