Expectations

Internet friends.

I am doing my best to sit serenely on my sofa, a cup of coffee and a beagle by my side. But instead I am kind of nervously clicking from one adoption forum to another trying to ferret out any new information about the current batch of emigration permit submissions.

We have been led to expect that the second batch (OUR batch!) will be processed within 4 weeks from submission date. 4 weeks from submission date is NOW. My phone is not ringing (yet).

Once we are notified that our emigration permit has been approved YH needs to have an embassy appearance and a visa interview and all kinds of other procedural boxes need to be checked. In the best case scenario that all takes a week or less.

And then the BIG phone call will come. The one that says "We invite you to come meet your son."

Sean and I have recently turned a corner in our travel plans. We decided to just take a risk and plan to travel in mid-May. We have reserved a hotel and were really close to buying tickets on crazy sale last night (alas, our return date made the whole thing invalid--boo!).

But, tickets on our preferred airline are still within reasonable range. Of course my definition of "reasonable" is based on what I've paid in the past to fly to South Africa/Mongolia/Madagascar so it's probably a bit skewed compared to most other travelers.

We finally put YH's room together. Sean converted the crib to a toddler bed and sweetly arranged the blankets I sewed  for YH last summer. During a commercial break on "Dance Moms Miami" (don't judge) he called me in to see his work.


And I burst into tears. YH's room (really a small nursery attached to our bedroom and closed off with french doors) looks so beautiful and cozy. There is enough room for his bed (although we anticipate co-sleeping for a while), a small plush bean bag to flop on, a bright rug to play on, and a cozy spot to look at books. We need to finalize the lay out and hang decorations--but his belongings are organized in bins on the built-in shelves. All it needs is the little boy who will *very soon* call the space his own.


Ring phone, ring.