Gotcha Day!

Gotcha Day started bright and early due to sharing a hotel room with kids and the anticipation of meeting Owen.  Aaron and I hired a driver who he had met on a previous trip to the city to take us to the spot where Owen was found.  We wanted to engage his story and this was our chance.  It was an emotional trip and I can't even process it all yet but we got back in the car, looked at each other and said, "We're ready to meet Owen now."  As we were pulling back into town we got a message from our guide saying that the orphanage had to bring another child to Xi'An that day for an appointment so they wanted to move up the time to 2:00 instead of 4:00.  We rushed through lunch and hopped in the van.  We were all nerves on the way over.  Evie prayed, "aaaaaaand I pray that Owen would not be upset.... aaaaaaand that he would know that we looooooove him."  We pulled up to the office and right as we got out of the van, our guide pointed him out sitting in an adjacent van with one of the orphanage workers.  I could just see his cute little face through the door- so sweet and somber... not knowing what was going on.  We were rushed over to the van before I could even collect myself.  As they shuffled him from the back seat, they shoved a toy in his hand (that he did not let go of until he fell asleep tonight).  The ayi set him down on the ground and we were all gathered around.  Emma gave him a stuff monkey they had bought for him.  He just stared at us not sure what to think.  Our guide said it was time to go in and so after a moment's hesitation, wondering if he would cry, I snatched him up and kissed his cheeks and loved him up.  He just took it all in.  It was a bit of a shock to feel how light he is- he felt so small in my arms.  When we got inside I began asking the orphanage worker lots of questions.  Aaron took him from me, Owen did not protest.  Evie gave him the blanket that Grandma Lynne had made for him.  They set him down, he grabbed Aaron's finger like a ninja and off they all went to the window.  Everyone held his hand, held him, gave him things, running back and forth between them and me reporting on everything he did.  We signed some papers and hopped back in the van to go to the photo shop.  He fell asleep in the van on my lap and it was so so precious.  After the photo we came back to the hotel room.  Jaman wanted to play with the monkeys and the blocks and every toy we had brought for him.  Owen just watched us, taking it all in.  After awhile we got out the bubbles and taught him how to pop them.  The girls brought him the biggest bubbles and he popped them with the toy in his hand.  At this point we had not heard a peep from him and the most emotion we had seen was a few silent tears when Aaron stepped out of sight for a moment.  As he popped the bubbles there was the smallest beginning of a smile.  I can't wait to see the real thing!  As we got closer to dinner there were a few more tears.  He downed his noodles like a champ, cried again very quietly and fell asleep on Aaron's shoulder.  He woke up shortly afterwards and we gave him a bath- he had a real cry then- it was a relief to see the tears flow.  I can't imagine what a shock this all is- if I were him I would have been crying all day.  He chugged a bottle and is now out for the night.  I don't know what to say other than we feel so blessed- we love him with our whole heart and our whole family is gaga over him.  I'm so looking forward to seeing him laugh and play.