Three boys, but three different gotcha days. Today is the last one. It's Sergei's gotcha day. Four years ago we picked up Sergei from the baby home in Zavodskoy. What a day that was! But I must be honest, that night at the Vlad Inn was insane. We were not yet in a suite, just a regular room. The boys were so excited to be together, it was impossible to get them to settle down. Sergei made noise ALL NIGHT LONG. We all got very little sleep. It was that night that I laid there and wondered if we had done the right thing. Is this now our life? Well, I went to the front desk the next morning and begged for a suite. Thankfully, they had one available. And from that point on, Clarion and I began our strategizing for finding ways to calm the boys down before bedtime. It all went pretty well, actually. And the last four years, while not without challenges and other crazy days and nights, have been a great blessing. Sergei loves life with so much passion. While I am often frustrated with how boisterous he can be, it's actually amazing sometimes to watch his zest for life. Even when he speaks he does it with such gusto that the veins in his neck tense up. I can't imagine life at all without Sergei. We love you, buddy. As per the last couple of recent gotcha days, here are some then and now pics...
Artem Baby Home - Sept. 2008
Gotcha Day - Hanging out at the Vlad Inn - Sept. 5, 2008
Sergei's 7th Birthday - August 9, 2012
At the Festival of Nations in St. Louis - Aug. 2012
Picking up Olya, our new Russian exchange student, at the airport - Aug. 2012
