Gotcha Day!

Yesterday we participated in a rite of passage that all adoptive families enjoy--Gotcha Day. Adoptive kids are lucky for many reasons, not the least of which is the bonus birthday celebrating the milestone of finalization. Some families observe the day they first met the child, or got to take the child home. For our situation, it made sense to turn what could have been a mere formality into something special. So, we dressed up (I even ironed clothing!) and headed south to the King County Courthouse for our final hearing.

Here, Evie June and I wait in the lobby with a handful of other adoptive families.

Super Baby looks for signs of trouble on the busy Seattle streets as she awaits her day in court.

We were ushered unceremoniously into the small courtroom where we were asked to raise our right hands. Those of you that know me understand that this was the most difficult part of the day for me. Evie June got it right on the first try. Afterward, our lawyer asked us a few questions, the judge asked a few more, and then whipped out a big stamp, mumbled something official and invited us up for a family photo.

Clearly, our attorney is a better adoption lawyer than he is a photographer.

We took a moment to snap a photo of Evie and her counsel, Albert. He asked her if she wanted him to change her name to something cool (like Punkin or Sweetiebird or Switchblade). Luckily, she had no objections to Evelyn June.

We then spent an anticlimatic hour wheeling Evie June around as we waited for . . . copies.

She was obviously much happier to be outside. We rolled down the steep sidewalks to Pioneer Square and Magic Mouse toys. Jimmy knocked over a display and accidentally walked out with magnetic letters "I" and "L" in his pocket. (Don't worry, he returned them.) His daughter was much better behaved and walked out with a new friend (paid for and everything) to commemorate her first Gotcha Day.

It took a little while for her to warm up to little Al . . .

But we think the girls are going to be inseperable.

Because Evie June will always be adopted, Gotcha Day matters. It matters to us to celebrate her unique story and journey into our lives. But just as she will always be adopted, she's always been ours. Even before we held her just after her birth, she was our baby. Even before we first felt her kick inside her birth-mom's tummy, she's occupied a place in our hearts that is uniquely hers. And that's worth celebrating every day.
Jen