Our adoption journey...

Today we were moving room so we decided to pack before breakfast. J of course thought we were going in the airplane but we explained that later today we will have a new room. During breakfast everything was fine, it doesn’t help that the swimming   pool is right outside the breakfast room and he loves the swimming pool so already he started saying I want to go to the swimming water as he calls it. We told him we will go later, he did run off a few times to go and look through the window but all in all it was fine. Today we had an appointment at the orphanage with the doctor, we need a medical certificate for his visa file and we wanted to meet his doctor. On the way to the orphanage we asked him if he wanted to go to school, first he was excited but when we got there he did not want to go in. I think he thought we were bringing him back. It broke my heart and in the midst of it all I walked into a low hanging roof with my head. Man did it hurt!! Luckily I got kisses from ...

Where to start, our day yesterday did not set off well. We ordered a taxi that didn’t come and we ended up being late to the orphanage! After 5.5 years it felt like every minute was too much, it was not a good way to start the day as I was already stressed before we arrived. When we finally set off it took only 30 minutes although the taxi driver said it would take one hour! When we arrived we first went to the office to meet the staff of the orphanage, it felt surreal to be there, I tried to focus and listen to the conversation but I was just waiting for him to come up. He was like a little bullet that entered the room, he flew into my arms shouting mommy mommy, he was soooooooo excited! I was worried I was gonna cry but I was so pleasantly surprised I was just happy and didn’t cry J He soon got obsessed with my camera and went around taking pictures of everything and everyone which was great as I was planning on doing that anyway J He then showed us around the orphanage, ...

We started our “Indian experience” already in the air J We flew Air India to Delhi and from there on to Bangalore. The flights were excellent, service was great and food was tasty and Indian of course J and believe it or not but I managed to sleep! It was only 7.5 hours to Delhi from London (not 9.5 as we’d been told) and another 2.5 hours to Bangalore. We arrived at the airport where we were picked up by what we thought was our taxi which we had booked on line but turned out to be a driver sent from the hotel so there may still be someone at the airport trying to find us. It was all very confusing once we discovered that we didn’t actually take the taxi we booked. The drive was amazing, there is not 1 minute that goes by without a car honking and I am astonished at how many people they can fit on a scooter J There are no traffic rules, everyone just drives wherever they want. The area around the airport is very manicured but once you leave the perimeter of the airport you find...

Yesterday I received the article 23, this is a very important document as without it we would not be able to leave India, apply for his visa, have the adoption recognised at home, apply for his new passport when we come back etc... This document is issued by CARA and confirms that all the rules under the The Hague Convention have been followed during the adoption. I was a bit worried. Although CARA were always very friendly in the past, they weren't always very efficient. But low and behold... the article 23 has already been issued :) I've been spending the last two weeks visiting family and friends. It has certainly helped in making time fly by! Everybody is incredibly excited about J's arrival. Everybody wants to know how I'm feeling... well.... it's hard to describe. I feel remarkably calm at the moment although from time to time I have moments of realisation that finally it's happening and then I get all excited but in a good way. I might feel different ...

Yesterday I was chatting with a dear friend of mine who is expecting her first baby. Both of us have been on a long journey to motherhood. I think it’s pretty cool we are both arriving there at almost the same time. We were discussing what an emotional roller coaster this all has been. I look back on those five years and actually compared to what I’m feeling today those five years are really that first part of the roller coaster. When you take off and it slowly grinds its way up and you are full of anticipation. Today I feel I’m at that moment where your insides are twisted, your knuckles are white and there is a huge grin on your face because you are scared and excited and have no idea what’s coming. Today I’m at that point where my little cart is about to plunge down. The ride is only beginning... I’ve had more time to prepare than most but still can you ever be prepared? Can you ever read enough blogs, books, articles... I don’t think so because we don’t know how our son will rea...

My heart is beating like a jungle drum... today I received the written court order! Only two weeks after the judgement, believe me this is fast, some families wait a lot longer. That means.... that yes we are flying to India on the 16 th of February. We already booked our flights last week when they told us the judge passed the order. It was a gamble as we didn’t know when the written order would come through but it seems like it was a good one. The orphanage can now apply for his passport and hopefully this will arrive by the 16 th or shortly after. It doesn’t matter we are travelling regardless. We have booked for 5 weeks but it is possible we will stay longer, depending on how long it takes us to organise visa’s etc... I have reread the written order so many times already but this is my favourite part: First and second petitioners (that would be us J ) are permitted to take the minor child outside this jurisdiction for minor’s upbringing, education and establishment in l...

To my son, 15 years ago I met an extraordinary man. A father of two, intelligent and charming he swept me right of my feet. We talked about kids and both of us were drawn to the idea of adoption. 10 years later, we felt the time was right. You were not born yet when we started our journey. In four weeks our life but yours even more so will be turned upside down. We will take you away from everything you know, your foster family, your friends at the orphanage, your country... You are not young enough not to realise it and too young to fully understand it. The orphanage has prepared you and when you see our pictures you say mommy and daddy but yet I do not think you realise what is about to happen. When I think of you my heart swells with love and pride. You had a rough start in life but you are a joyous boy with a zest for life. I know things will be very hard in the beginning for you but I can tell you that on the other side there is a world full of love waiting for you. There ...