6...5...4...3...2...1...GOTCHA!!!!

After 6 weeks of being home, we found out that our case was just submitted to the US Embassy and that processing could take another 5 weeks.  The staff at Hannah's Hope was working hard to make sure that they had every detail of JLukes case, witnesses, phone numbers, personal statements, all in hopes that just maybe it would not be sent to Kenya for further investigation.  We were glad that HH did such a detailed job but we were so discouraged that it could be another 5 weeks.  We just wanted to get back to Ethiopia to bring back our little man!  5 days later, I received an email saying that our case had cleared through the US Embassy.  I called Kierstin - our case manager, asking what this email meant, thinking there was no way everything had cleared so quickly.  She said that it did mean our case cleared and that we could be going back to Ethiopia soon. She said that she had not seen a case clear in 5 days.  Especially with the possibility of abandon cases being sent to Kenya for further investigation.  I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  Kierstin said she would get back to us in 24 hours to let us know for sure but that the email that I received was something to get excited about. 

24 hours later we got the call from Kierstin..."pack your bags, you need to be in Ethiopia in 4 days!" On March 13th, 2012, we started our trip to Ethiopia...3 days till we got to hold our son and this time, never let him go! We had 2 days of travel ahead of us. I can't explain the excitement and emotions we had. When we got to Ethiopia, we had 1 day before Gotcha Day! We couldn't sleep at all that night, we just wanted to go to HH and love on him!

Gotcha Day!!!!

March 15, 2012...What an exciting day it was!!  We left the hotel at 9:30am and had JLuke in our arms by 10:00am.  We GOT JLuke forever!!!  He currently weighs 13 pounds...what a little piggy.  He was full of smiles, was making great eye contact and interacting with us.  It was like he was saying, "finally you have come back to get me, what took so long?" 

We brought the donations to HH, which they loved and got to hang out a bit while we waited for the doctor.  Due to JLukes pneumonia and bronchitis, he had to be checked out before we could take him.  The doctor cleared him and we took him back to our hotel and settled in until our Embassy appointment.

We went to the US embassy and got JLuke's birth certificate and visa and then came back to the hotel and began our attachment and bonding process......I will say, it is harder than both Jeff and I imagined. :) The first evening he cried for 5 hours straight, that night he was up every hour. He had a blow out up to his armpits at 2 am, which required a bath. So Jeff and I are understanding the lack of sleep that all you parents talk about.  However, when we see his smile and twinkle in his eye, it melts our hearts and the sleepless nights seem to fade away. 

We are now in Seattle, the plane rides and layovers all went great.  JLuke did amazing and caught the eye of...pretty much everyone.  We are loving our time with JLuke!  We decided to do a little cocooning in Seattle while we wait for our international pediatrician appointment.  We are settling in to our new family, the cocooning process is going well and JLuke's sleep is getting better.  Tomorrow JLuke gets checked out by the doctor and then we will take our last plane ride home to Yakima. 

The last 2 1/2 years have brought a rollercoaster of emotions, but as I sit and hold JLuke, play with him, laugh with him, sometimes want to cry with him, love on him and he on me, I know that God's plan was perfect, his timing was perfect and He has given us the perfect gift!  I can't imagine life without him!