First 48

We started the day at Eastern Social Welfare Society (Dillon’s co-op agency), there we received the documents that would allow us to leave the country with our son.  We also met with the president and had lunch with her.   Our highlight at Eastern was the opportunity to hold some babies that needed to be soothed.  Crying babies were instantly comforted.

We then took a van ride to our one hour destination - Suwon.  The rain was pouring outside and the mention of it, our daughter Brooke said it made it more memorable, such the romantic.  When we reached the orphanage, we were met with warm staff members who had been preparing for our arrival.  The director met us with an embrace and asked us to sit in the room where we had seen two videos made of Braeden.  The girls instantly recognized the blue chairs with the yellow cushions.  We made small talk and I couldn’t stand it anymore, I asked when we were going to meet our boy.  The director instructed her staff to bring him in.  Within moments, while holding hands with his “mother” he walked in, it was a surreal.  He gravitated towards Brooke and made a connection with her first and then to Britney.  His two “mothers” did a wonderful job preparing him for his new family; they spoke to him every night about him going to his forever family and to America.  When we felt he was acclimated we asked my parents to come in, all instructions were thrown out the window because they ran to him and scooped him up and squeezed him.  They both said they had been waiting for him and asked if he waited long--he said, “yes!”  He held onto my mother, who at this point was crying-my dad (the weeper of the family) was also making tears as well.  My sweet boy held their face and wiped their tears.  The director at this point too was crying and saying to Braeden, how rich he was now.  I was observing all this in disbelief, but when I saw how our son was soaking it all up, all theories went out the window and I thought to myself just feel the love my son-we are all here for you.  

While holding onto his sisters hands we took a tour of the orphanage where he lived since he was 16 months.  His little peers were all shouting and asking if we were his family.  As orphanages goes, it was clean, well staffed, wonderful extra-curricular activities for the children, and the environment was warm.  When it was time for us to leave he jumped in the van and motioned for his sisters to join him.  He didn’t say good-bye to his “mother” or the director; they were surprised, but the director said she was glad he was ready to leave.  When the van left the grounds of the orphanage, he asked where we were going and we told him we were going to the hotel.  I made the mistake of leaving my cell phone and so we had to U-turn and go back--he anxiously asked why we were going back and held onto us.  

Our little guy eats well, sleeps well and is appropriately affectionate.  He prefers his sisters, but when he hurt his hand and bit his tongue (eating meat-his favorite) he came to me; when he needs to go to the bathroom he goes to his dad.  When either Jeff or I need to go out to get something, we give him a choice to stay or go with one of us, he chooses neither of these two choices, but asks the whole family to go.  The first night we gave him a choice of who to sleep with, he chose to sleep with both his sisters.  The second night, he chose his dad.  Its an out of body experience and we still have not caught up to our bodies yet.  We are set to arrive home on Monday and we can’t wait for our rhythm of our lives to begin.