Gotcha Day!

Tuesday, July 6th
8:30 Breakfast at Yebsabi Guest House
10:3o-12:30 Shopping at the square
12:30-1:30 Lunch @ Lucy's restaurant
2:00-4:00 Gotcha Day... Photos and care packages for other families, Donations, Goodbyes to Nannies, Brought Abenezer with us (at last)
4:30 Supermarket trip
5:00 Back to the Guest House
6:25 First Pharmacy Visit
6:45 First dinner with Abenezer at the Guest House
7:45 First bath time and bedtime routine
8:30 Betime for Abenezer, his first night away from the Transition Hom in over ten months.

Gotcha Day!
I have been dreaming about this day for a long time. On the other hand, Chaltu, one of Abenezer's nannies, has been putting this day from her mind. Keith and I finally stepped onto the van with Abenezer and left the Transition Home for good. It was terrible hard to say goodbye especially for Chaltu and Abenezer. Our little on has been loved on as if he were family to Chaltu, the other nannies, and the gate guard. "Mesgana!, "they all call him. His smile can light up a room. He loves everyone and engages them.
His sweet nanny, one assigned to the toddler room and not just "Mesgana," gave him a gift as they parted. This is not common, and I don't want to get her in trouble. However, I would like to document it. We took her photo with Abenezer followed by a photo of all four of us. This is a woman to be remembered and praised. I want Abenezer to know about her as he grows older. She loves him so dearly. He began to cry when we walked by his toddler room window and get in the car. I think he caught sight of her standing near the window. She stepped back into the room, but stayed close enough to capture his every breath goodbye. He cried. She cried. I cried. I think he understood that he was leaving.
Ultimately, he will be better off in our home. Loved individually with a forever family. He will have opportunities not possible as an orphan, an education, more medical attention. God did not intend for children to live apart from families.
I am so excited to return home and begin the transition period with Joshua. Anxious, but excited.