Gotcha Day April 3rd

Please forgive me for not posting the past couple of days. It's been crazy but all good. Bear with me as I attempt to play catch-up: We were back in court the next day at 10 am. Surprisingly, I wasn't as nervous as I was in pre-court--maybe because I was battling a cold and other assorted ailments. We were all waiting in the hallway (us, our three agency reps, the orphanage director, the social worker from the Dept. of Education, the woman from Vital Records and the prosecutor) when out of the blue this little old grandma shows up. Now mind you, this judge only oversees international adoptions, so my mind starts racing. Could this woman be Garrett Nurlan's long lost granny? Does she want him back? All it takes is one relative to show up to put our adoption in jeopardy. She sat with us for one hour. Finally I shared my fears with Yulia. She laughed and told me this was a closed session, which meant no one knew about it. Talk about breathing a BIG sigh of relief.

Finally, the judge appeared and we started our hearing. Bob prepared a written speech to read to the court. (In Kaz, the men do all the talking--I'm supposed to just stand and say that I support my husband. Those who know me will get a chuckle out of that--Karen had to keep her big trap shut.) When he stood up and started reading, Yulia told him to just speak from the heart--plus, he had to make 5 vital points--which was easier said than done. And he did it perfectly. I was so proud of him. Next the prosecutor asked us questions (she was very gentle on us) and then the director of the orphanage and the social worker had to state to the court why they thought we'd make great parents. Nurlan has been institutionalized his entire life. The records showed that not one single person in 5-1/2 years ever paid him a visit. When I heard that it broke my heart. (Think about it, we were his very first visitors.)

After everyone spoke, the judge announced a 3-hour break to review the recommendations and our dossier for one last time. We'd meet again at 3:00 for his decision. Everybody congratulated us (even though it felt rather premature to do so).

We got back at 3:00 and this time everyone stood for his decision. He spoke for about 10 minutes. The entire time I was fighting back tears. I was so overcome with emotion--it was finally happening after 20 years, I was going to be a mother. By the time he was done, my tears were gushing over like Niagara Falls. I'm a mother to the sweetest, most loving little boy. What more can I say? It's the greatest honor I've ever received.

We were scheduled to pick up Nurlan 5:30 pm that same day, so we rushed to buy cakes and treats for his group. It's customary to throw a little going away party. In the end that party had to be delayed for the morning. The social worker at the Dept. of Education had to be present and she was called away for a late meeting. Turns out the meeting was about MORE new rules from Astana for international adoption. (I can't even image what.)

Next day, we got to the orphanage and Nurlan was super excited to see us. He took us up to his group (8 boys and 5 girls) where they were waiting for cake and treats. I have the most adorable pictures I promise to share (again I can't until I can find a way to download photos to a CD). Each child stood up and said his/her speech to Nurlan. Some said he should be a good boy and mind his mama and papa. Others told him to not to forget him. Most wished him a good life.It was heartbreaking to watch. The party was all too brief--we were told the orphanage director wanted to see us. In the end, each child planted a kiss on his cheek. We finally got to see where he slept and took showers (even his little cubby).

We said our goodbyes to all the staff and jumped into the car. He did good most of the day until we hit late afternoon. That's when it hit him, he wasn't going back to his group. Understandably, he had a mild melt-down. (I think it didn't help that he went without a nap and that we couldn't understand a word he was saying.) By 9pm, he had cried himself to sleep. He awoke this morning at 7 am and was as happy as a clam. Today so far, he's been as good as gold.

We booked tickets to Almaty for next Wednesday, the 9th. It's a late flight and will arrive in Almaty around 2 am (yikes). Our U.S. Embassy appointments are for Thursday and Friday. If all goes well (we get Nurlan's visas and exit paperwork in time) we should be able to depart Almaty on Sunday, the 13th for the long trip home. If not, we'll be here longer.

I'll try to post as often as possible, but it's more difficult now that we no longer have a driver at our disposal. (How it works: You lose your driver and interpreter after you take custody of your child. Didn't know that until we got here.) Taking taxis and attending to Nurlan (he doesn't like hanging out at internet cafes as much as his mama) makes it harder to keep in touch.

Thank you to everyone for checking in on us. The beginning of this trip was hard and although it's not over yet we really appreciate your encouraging words and comments. We are truly far from home, but in the last couple weeks I've actually grown to like Uralsk. We've met some really cool locals who've helped us understand what life is like here.

So I will end here. Life is good for us. Hope the springtime is bringing warmth to your hearts.

Paka-paka,
Mama & Papa Williams