Obstacles Removed!

On February 14th, Valentine's Day, I finally received the news I have been waiting for since October of 2010.  The efforts that we made to fulfill the US government's requirements for further evidence on Ritesh's status as an orphan were determined to be successful and I received a preapproval of my I-600, Petition to Classify an Orphan as a Relative.  This means that when I go to request the Visa for Ritesh to come home with me in Kathmandu, there will be no obstacles from the US government!


I am so grateful that this period of waiting and focus on bureaucratic processes is largely over, and I can now focus on the beautiful little boy who I will be meeting in mid-March for the first time.  I am starting to learn more about what his daily life is like in the orphanage from other families who have visited and the kinds of experiences he has probably had during his first two years of life.  I don't know if Ritesh has been told anything about me coming to meet him like other mommies and daddies have with other children at the orphanage.  It must be interesting and confusing to him to see other Western adults coming to play with them and then to see some of his playmates leave with them.  I hope this experience will make my arrival and our meeting less of a strange happening.  But either way, I know that the transition will be tough for him.  I want to do everything that I can to show him that I have come to offer him love, affection and tender care.  I want to try to think about how things will be from his side, and be gradual and gentle and playful so he is able to feel an ease with me.  I want to give him some time so he is also deciding that he is ready to be with me. 


While I am nervous, I am overjoyed by the idea that we will soon be together.  It is remarkable how you can have such strong feelings of love for someone who you have not yet met.  I feel overwhelmed by the power of the maternal feelings I have for Ritesh and my deep longing to hug and kiss him, and do what I can to bring him joy.  I am esctatic at the idea of being his mommy.  I feel that all that has come before in my quest for family was pointed towards this moment.  I wouldn't want it to be any other child who was about to be my son.  I hope that at some point he also comes to feel the same way that I was meant to be his mommy.