GOTCHA!!!

This should be longer... after 2 1/2 years of waiting there should be some sort of cerimony for Gotcha day no??? But, I'm exhausted, I've sent emails, finally figured out how to move photos from one camera to a memory stick to my laptop to the stick to sort to attach to emails... I'm spent... and I only had about 4 hours sleep last night...
So for those of you who already got the readers digest version - I apologize... this won't be much better!  Like I said, everyone who has walked these miles talks about the big moment... the one where you drive away, the one where there is no one who can unring the bell... that there is a certain something... a perfectness in it - they are THE right child for you, THEY - the one and only them is meant - scripted somehow in time to become your child - the angels sing, the choirs ring out... yeah - exactly like that... and nothing like that all at the same time.  The bumps in the preverbial road are now expected and almost laughable really (like getting a phone call to say "take a cab to the bus station for your 11:30 pm departure please, or the driver fee has suddenly increased from 3 weeks ago from 2000 rub to 3500 rub, or when I ask as we leave the social worker building, "do we have another copy of the birth certificate - we will need it for boarding the train..." "yes - I have one" only to find out as we are checking in that she asks my friend who knows NOTHING about adoption (Love her for all the other reasons though) if she thinks we'll need a copy of the birth certificate... cuz she doesn't have one and will have to go back to the exact spot that I asked her earlier to retrieve one... oy yoi yoi) but the parts that need to go right continue to do so.  We arrived at the baby home at 12:20 - right when I knew the kids would be going down for their nap... I was prepared to have to wait until he woke up but was gladly given the opportunity to tip toe into the crib room and pluck him from his crib in nothing but his skivvies.  He was surprised... not quite sure what to make of it... but happy and clung to my neck with hugs and kisses just the same.  I dressed him, he was weighed and measured, cards were signed (for any PAP's out there I can't recommend enough taking a couple of greeting - Good luck - Best wishes type cards to have the workers write in for your child), photos were taken, donations handed off... and we left... baba's waving from the step.  In the cards, there are words of encouragement, enderment, and love  (be good, try hard in school, be healthy, play hockey :) we'll miss your smile and laugh, always stay the same happy, funny, curious boy you were here, listen to your mom...) type sentiments... so nice to have for him.  We busted out of the baby home at about 1:30 and headed back for Komsomolsk.  The only good thing about a stop over at "The Visit" hotel is the redeeming proximity to the central park where there is a small amusement park, lots of pigeons, electric cars, and of course, the fan favorite MACHENA!!!  Corbin ran and ran and played - toes in the sand for the first time.  He drove a car, rode a race car "train" and smiled like he thinks he just won the lottery.  Photos attached :)  Everything is so wonderful... and boy does he LOVE baths... had 3 before we left "the Visit" - one because he smelled a little like Kieffer or however you spell it, one because he was full of sand from the park and the final one - a functional bath as a result of a "poo-nami" after dinner... I can now officially identify with the gag reflex required to clean a child up in a humid, small, no window, no ammenities like paper towel type of bathroom... Corbin left dressed in a t-shirt and pull up.  His tummy troubles were the only indication (OK - now that I look at the pictures the trepidation is clearly on his face) of his troubled little mind.  Today, every moment was a wonder... For me, we arrived home to Anna - wonderful Anna who had prepared our celebration with home made apple lemon pie, personalized balloons (you did it Stacey!) enough food to feed us for a week and just her warm welcoming "he's beautiful Stacey... followed later by - he seems so smart - he speaks very well - very clearly... and for him - new words (Bus, big bus, little bus, up, down, all done, all gone, puppy, bird, Peas Mama... the best one of all) and just general wonder to the world.  I told the story to my friends and family about how it feels to have him fall asleep every time on my chest... he comes to me and crawls up, lays his head on my heart and falls asleep... I'm in heaven.  I could ramble on and on... instead, I'm sure you will appreciate the overwhelming desire to go kiss my son and tuck myself in beside him for the night.  Tomorrow is another wonderful day... can't wait to get up to see him smile.
With love from the BOTH OF US!!!
Stacey & Corbin :)