It’s a boy!

At approximately 2:30 p.m. Malawi time on Tuesday, June 1, 2010, the High Court of Malawi approved our petition to adopt Vasco. Today, the court issued it’s formal adoption decree.

Vasco is our son. Legally and forever. Now to get him home to Laguna …

I cannot tell you how full our hearts are, how amazing this adventure has been, how much we’re looking forward to being home in “the Shire” again – three American citizens, one happy family.

Forgive us for not posting yesterday. It was, in the words of Vasco’s Uncle Veen, an “epic” day. Also, the Interweb in Blantyre was down most of yesterday and today. I was about to hit the hay and thought I’d try one more time and poof! Interwebness!

We spent a large part of today with Vasco’s extended family in Chileka, just outside of Blantyre. Tomorrow we head up to Lilongwe to begin and/or continue our application process with the US Consul in Malawi to be able to bring Vasco back to the States.

We have a zillion pictures and videos and and and, but the bandwith is such here in Blantyre that we just can’t get them up on here. As soon as we find a stronger/wider/better connection, we will.

Until then, thank you for all of your prayers, love and support. We absolutely felt them. And the stories of God’s hand in our journey continue to astound us. More “God nods,” Auntie Jen. Amazingness.

Vasco is super happy. We’ve learned much more about his “real” history here in Malawi (more on that later but we won’t be referring to him as an “AIDS orphan” any longer as according to his aunt and uncle today,  Vasco’s mother, Edina, died of meningitis in 2003; and his father of unknown causes  — quite possibly AIDS/HIV— in 2006.) Vasco’s maternal grandmother, we were told today by extended family, died in 2007, shortly before we met Vasco in Blantyre, it would appear. Vasco’s mother is buried in a cemetery on the outskirts of Blantyre. We will take him to visit the grave site before we leave for home.

Also, as it turns out, the truth about his tenure on the streets is much different than we were led to believe. According to the family, he ran away from home in Chileka and was on the streets in Blantyre for a month or two. Still a terrifying thought for such a small, sickly child at the time. But not the two-or-three-years that we had been told by his medical escort to the US and the man who introduced us to him back in October 2007.

He was born in a hospital here in Blantyre and so we’ll be heading over there asap to look for his REAL birth certificate.

More and more later.

For now, to bed. Vasco is fast asleep and his Mum and Dad aren’t far behind.

Love to all of you and for those who know and love Kimmy Day, here’s another picture of us just after the adoption was approved on the steps of the courthouse. Kimmy was waiting for us when we got out. We love her so.