Remembering Gotcha Day!

April 27th of last year was the day that Blake said goodbye to the Artem baby home. I have mixed feelings as I reflect on this day. Of course the most overwhelming feeling is gratitude. We are so blessed to have Blake with us. I can remember the relief we felt when we had him buckled in the van and we were backing down the bumpy drive. He has the biggest smile on his face, and he left no doubt in our minds that he was more than ready to begin his new life as an Overstreet. We were also very excited to finally have a webcam session with Brady and Maddie. They were more than ready to see their new brother. Mostly today I am grateful!

The other feeling that I can’t help but to have creeping up is a bit of sadness. Justin and I can vividly remember the faces of the other children in the Bee Groupa. We can’t help but wonder what has happened to them as they moved from the baby home into an orphanage. I think about the caregivers and director of the baby home. I pray that they have the supplies and staff they need to care for the children. I pray that they know how important their jobs are in the lives of the children. I pray that they aren’t stressed and taking their frustration out on the children that are so hungry for their attention….

We spent some time last night talking about the importance of this day with the kids. We looked at pictures and shared stories. That will be how we celebrate Gotcha Day. Many adoptive families celebrate this day like a birthday. I think that is a wonderful way to mark such a memorable moment. Justin and I feel that for the dynamics of our family we are going to always remember these important milestones and talk about them freely, but as far as having a party or gifts we will stick with the birthday celebrations. While each child is special and different in their own right, we want to create a sense of continuity and ‘sameness’. We of course know there is very little that is the same about any member of any family.  (o:

Now that this blog is set to private, I thought I would post a couple of pictures from the baby home today that we haven’t shared in the past.

Here is Blake getting changed. We had to leave every piece of clothing he had on at the baby home. It was great to get him out of the tights he had on and into shoes that fit his little feet!

We were ready to go within 10 minutes of being there that day! We filled the time playing in the visiting room with the signature brown couch one last time and taking self portraits.

Justin and I talk about this moment a lot. On one of our visits we were able to go outside. Victoria and Blake enjoyed the fresh air. As we walked around the building, the children on the inside would come to the windows to watch. It is a sad memory. It is like the free bird vs. the caged bird….

 

Here are a couple of the sweet faces that we remember.

I wish we could have spent a little more one-on-one time with some of the children. To make them feel special at least for a moment….

The Bee Groupa with two of the caregivers in December of 2008. Blake is the one in all blue in the back row – second from the right.