So many emotions wrapped up in this video. I have a gazillion unwritten blog posts in my mind to describe all that we experienced while we were in India, but for now...
Much love to all of you who have followed along showering us with your love, support, encouragement, and prayers!
My poor neglected blog :(
My last post was in early November and highlighted the fashion show in which Munni participated. I was praying and hoping for court dates. Sure enough, I received written approvals on November 29th, 2014!!! I felt like shouting her name from the rooftops!!!!!!! This was the announcement I posted on Instagram and Facebook:
There is such a validation when you can be fully open about your child's picture and name! We hoped that we would be able to travel and be home before Christmas, but that wasn't the plan that was in store for us :) Instead, Munni and I celebrated one more Christmas as "MommyMunni."
We truly did enjoy Christmas together and I savored the last few moments of our "MommyMunni" era!
Right after New Year's, I got word from my caseworker that the orphanage where Roopa lived wanted to have a handing over ceremony. She was their very first international adoption and on top of that, they didn't think that she would ever find her forever family since many Indian couples passed her over due to her nose. They were very happy that someone was coming for her! The ceremony was planned for January 31st. She had told me that it was a big deal, but I didn't truly understand how big this ceremony was until it happened.
The first surprise was that they ended up meeting us at the airport, the day before the ceremony. I was completely surprised when sitting in the Mumbai airport, my in-country coordinator told me they would be waiting for us when we landed! My heart started racing and my mind was going a million miles a second! I couldn't believe that in 2 hours I would finally see Roopa face to face!
When we landed and gathered our luggage, we started heading for the exit. I was completely shocked, There were so many people there! News reporters, the people from the RIPA, other adoption VIPs, and spectators. It was completely bizarre. They kept asking me if I was a pop singer. My coordinator and I thought they were joking since I was an American adopting an Indian girl. Turns out there is a pop singer (who my friend Mer said looks like I must have looked in my twenties lol!) with my same name. Anyway, the scene was pure chaos. Roopa was extremely stressed and crying. Everytime she looked at me, she would freak out screaming, crying, and turning away from me. Not the "Gotcha!" moment you daydream about for the last 18 months. At first, I was told that they were just going to meet us there. But it turned out that they wanted me to take her with us back to the resort. I kept asking if that was ok because I wanted to do what was best for her. The reporters kept asking me questions and taking our picture all while I was trying to juggle making sure Munni was handling meeting her new sister and being sensitive to Roopa's emotional state. I felt pulled in a million different directions. We finally made it out of there and back to the resort. We were there for maybe 10 minutes before all the reporters showed up again. We were in such a remote place in Bhuj that it wasn't hard for them to find where we were staying. Roopa finally stopped crying and I actually was able to get a smile out of her due to my mad juggling skilz.
Forever Family!!
I was in disbelief that I was finally holding her in my arms!
The news story broke first on the local channels…
The next day, the orphanage called and asked if they could spend a few last hours with Roopa before the ceremony. How do you say no? So we dropped her off in the morning. They were all eagerly waiting for her at the gate. I know that she was deeply loved at her orphanage.
My coordinator had a friend with her who was visiting from Canada. This woman D was an incredible lifesaver for us. She and Munni hit it off from the start. I was very thankful because I did not expect the amount of grieving that Roopa experienced. D was able to give Munni an out and some normalcy to a highly stressful situation. In order to pass the time, we decided that we should all go out to the Great Rann of Kutch. It is on the border of Gujarat and Pakistan and is considered the largest salt desert in the world. It was breathtaking.
I felt like I was on the set of an Indiana Jones movie!
The world is her oyster!
After a few hours, we headed back to the resort to get ready for the ceremony. D was gracious enough to use my camera to document the ceremony. I'm so very thankful for her willingness to come along and be a part of such a special time for us.
Great friends!
Once we were ready, we headed to the RIPA for the Handing Over Ceremony. There were news reporters from all over, including London. I spent several hours giving interviews before the ceremony.
Some of the reporters who were covering our story
Meeting the VIPs of the adoption world
Waiting for the ceremony to begin
The ceremony itself lasted 4.5 hours. It was very hot and obviously, very emotional. Much of the ceremony was conducted in Gujarati, so I just sat there and smiled. I was fortunate enough to be seated next to the doctor who treated Roopa upon arrival and thereafter. Our conversation was invaluable but also extremely difficult to hear all that he had to share with me. I kept feeling like I was going to pass out, throw up, or have massive diarrhea. And then, at the very end, they asked me to stand up and speak. Oh my goodness, I prayed like never before that I wouldn't pass out and that I would make it to the podium! There were at least 300 people there, including the Parliamentary Secretary! He was seated on the other side of me. Please queue David Bowie/Queen "Under Pressure!" It was very difficult to articulate all I was feeling and at the same time be sensitive to the adoption community - there is always a fear in the back of your mind that you don't want to say anything negative that would jeopardize the program in any way. International adoption is by far the most stressful, taxing, anxiety producing, desperate, maddening, and feeling out of control experience that has ever happened to me. There are frustrations upon frustrations. With this in mind, I wanted to express my sincere gratitude that I was finally at the finish line but I also wanted to be a voice for these children. I had no idea that I would be asked to speak, so everything I said came from my heart. My in-country coordinator said that the translator did an excellent job and she thought that I nailed it. Thank you Jesus!
Wishing I spoke Gujarati!
At this point, they brought Roopa to the stage and handed her to me. I felt so badly because she was completely traumatized and clinging to her ayah for dear life.
She definitely wasn't feelin' the moment
I had reporters in my face asking questions, pictures being snapped, poor Roopa crying, and I was still trying to find Munni in all of the chaos. When I finally found Munni, she was running towards me and I towards her when a man put his arm in front of her to hold her back. I grabbed Munni's hand, pulled her towards me, and told him to never, ever put his hands on her or hold her back from me. Oops. They were a little stunned but then smiled and said something along the lines of how I'm a protective mother. Um, you could say that ;)
When we finally got the car, the reporters were still all around, shoving the microphones in my face, snapping pictures, and the children from the orphanage came running after us. They were all sobbing watching us drive away. It was surreal with such an extreme amount of emotions swirling all around me and in my heart.
When we got back to the resort, there was a women's group waiting for us. There were probably 30 women or so. They had gifts for Roopa, Munni, and me. They were so very kind to us! They prayed blessings over us and wanted to thank me for all I was doing for Roopa. This whole experience felt so weird to me - that people were thanking me. In my mind, I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to be Roopa's family! But this is where the cultural differences come to the surface. Based on my experience, it seems to me that the stigma of adoption is still so prevalent and strong that even for the Indians who are open to adoption, the tentacles of the stigma run too deep. Several Indians have told me that even though they were open to adoption, they couldn't do it because their parents weren't open to it. Or their in-laws weren't. Or their neighbors weren't. It's a very different culture in that regard. In the US, we don't care what our neighbors do. If our families disagree with our adoption plans, we keep pursuing it anyway. But in that culture, the families are so intertwined that even distant relatives have the power to make decisions for family members they barely know. I've thought about this stigma a lot and what I've come to compare it to how IN GENERAL people would react in the US to someone who adopts an HIV+ child. Even though HIV was once considered a death sentence, experts now call it a chronic but manageable condition; even though it is now considered easier to manage than diabetes; even though according to the US Center for Disease Control, the 3 main methods of transmission are unprotected sex, needle sharing, and birth/breast feeding; even though in the past 34 years since tracking the virus, there has NEVER been a documented case of the accidental transmission in a normal family environment; even though the many children who are on medication today have a medically defined "undetectable" amount of HIV in their blood; even with all of this progress, the HIV stigma remains. There is still to this day so much misinformation and ignorance out there about HIV. Stigmas are a powerful wrecking ball and it takes generations of education to overcome them. Unfortunately, adoption is still branded with a stigma in India. I could see by the conversations I had with many nationals, that their hearts were softened toward adoption. But, they are still chained to society's approval. The people who thanked me were truly grateful and touched. I could see it in their eyes. I pray that our story would give them courage to take more of a stand for the children still waiting for families and to be a catalyst in breaking down the walls of such a wrong mindset.
The next morning, our story was all over the printed news…
Everywhere we went from that moment on, people recognized us. They would ask to take a picture with us and thanked me profusely. It made me sad because I wish that the stigma with adoption didn't exist. There are so many children in need of homes and they are jewels just like my daughters! Probably the most impacting interaction we had was with an old man at the India Gate. He was dressed in tattered clothes, it was obvious it had been a long time since he had bathed, he was missing teeth, and extremely thin. He was begging for anything, really. He caught sight of us and a smile spread across his face. He came over to us and shook my hand and started talking very quickly. I heard, "Namaste, Baby Durga, television…." and he kept on and on in a language I didn't understand. It was clear he was thanking/blessing me and that Roopa's story brought him such joy. I got choked up, hugged him, and turned and walked away.
Many people have wondered why all of the news articles kept referring to her as Durga. The RIPA named her Durga- a very powerful Hindu name. Munni and I wanted to name her something that would have great meaning for our family and our journey to her. My very dear friend Jincy helped us with the meanings of the names we were thinking about. I had also been praying about her middle name. Munni's name and how she got her middle name was a very important story for us. When Jincy and I were talking about what to name my new little daughter and how I wanted it to represent who she is, she suddenly said, "I know! ROOPA!!! It means perfectly formed in beauty!" Roopa was a name on the list I had compiled - I couldn't believe it! I said it back, "Roopa!" and I heard God whisper, "Joy!" in my ear and I just knew that was supposed to be her middle name!
So while we were in India, we mostly called her Durga or Roopa Durga. She was grieving so much, it was hard to watch and not be able to take away her pain. Every day she sobbed endlessly. If she wasn't sleeping, she was crying. She would hold her few belongings from the RIPA in a ziplock bag I gave her and point to the door. Her whole world had just been ripped out from underneath her and she didn't want any part of this new life. It was such a different experience from Munni. In fact, Munni and I discussed it quite a bit. Munni told me that she was a little bit afraid but that she was excited to have a mom and new adventures :) I love her heart! It also shows the difference in their histories and the effects of that. Every day Munni and I would pray for Roopa. I will be honest, there were times when I thought I may have completely ruined Munni's life. There was absolutely no respite for Roopa's grieving. I kept praying that with each new day, there would be progress. But it never came.
The day before we left, I received a phone call from a reporter in London. We clicked right away and ended up having a wonderful conversation. She really wanted to share our story with her London connections. She did an excellent job interviewing me and was incredibly respectful. She asked if we could meet her photographers the next day; two Saudis who lived in India. I told her we had to leave at 9pm to go home. She said she could make it work.
Our last day seems like a whirlwind. We picked up Roopa's visa from the embassy, I re-packed the suitcases, and finally met the photographers at 5. These two guys were awesome! One of them had the nickname "Ziggybird" which Munni thought was hilarious since her nickname is "Munni Bird." They did such a great job with us and with the girls and it was the best time that I had in Delhi. It was fun to go where the locals go :) They took us to a beautiful park and then we walked through a village that reminded me of something you would find in Europe. Cobblestones, amazing architecture, cafes, the people who were there were on the trendy side… it was incredible. After the photo shoot was finished, we made it back to the hotel with an hour to spare!
Our new friends and Roopa's same expression for the entire time in India
We made it to the Delhi airport and after another grueling experience with the immigration people, we had 3 hours to kill before our flight left. This was not good since Roopa cried the entire time.
It was as if she had lost her will to live
She slept a little bit on the plane and then woke up and cried for the rest of the 9.5 hour flight to France. We had a 4 hour layover in Paris. The ceiling in the terminal was dome shaped, so that made for really great acoustics as she wailed the entire 4 hour layover. I got all kinds of stink eye but at this point, I was exhausted from all the grieving, the traveling, the not being able to comfort her, that I didn't even care. When it was finally time to board the plane, we had to take a bus out to the aircraft. I had a huge backpack, Munni had her backpack filled, I had a rolling carry-on and so did Munni and on top of that, Roopa was in the Ergo carrier on my front side and doing everything in her power to resist being there. A very kind Brazilian man asked if he could help me. I don't know why it was so hard to accept help, but I told him that I was fine and thanked him anyway. Apparently, my answer wasn't that convincing. He watched me for about a minute more and then just stepped in and grabbed the two carry ons. At that point, I had my meltdown :) In that high-pitched, squeaky voice, I told him, "It's just really hard" and that was all it took for the floodgates to open. I sobbed all the way on the bus out to the plane. Everyone was very nice and comforting to me. I think I had been holding it together in India for so long with no let up of her grieving that when a kind soul stepped in to offer some relief, I just lost it. He was in first class and came back to make sure we were O.K. He brought two of the comfort bags for the girls. This man was truly a godsend.
Roopa cried for half of the flight and slept for the other half. When we landed, the Brazilian came back and helped us off the plane. He even helped me get through immigration. While we were waiting, he told me that he travels a lot for his job and that his wife is a flight attendant. They have a three year old and when he saw me, he thought about his wife and how she has to manage when he's away on business. I was extremely grateful for his compassion!
Finally we were making that walk down the corridor to the baggage claim! Again, Roopa was crying the entire time. The airport homecoming for Munni versus the homecoming for Roopa couldn't have been more opposite. Munni was so incredibly ill, but happy. Roopa was perfectly healthy, but emotionally heartbroken.
28 hours of traveling later….
So very thankful for all my friends and family who came to welcome us home!
As soon as we got in the car and started driving home, Roopa went from crying to whimpering. We grabbed some take out and headed home. Oh my goodness it felt so good to walk through our front door!
The next morning, we woke up and I made pancakes. It was as if a switch turned on in Roopa because even though she was still sad, she didn't cry again. Our good friends had hung a welcome home sign, punctuated with red balloons. Those balloons were the catalyst to Roopa coming out of her grieving process. She started smiling. And then laughing. And then dancing…. and she has never looked back!
About 3 weeks after we were home, the London journalist emailed me to tell me that the article was published in the Daily Mail. Our story went viral! I started getting messages from all over the world- Serbia, Albania, Spain, Australia, Saudi Arabia, India, England, Italy, Russia… it was incredible! And then it was picked up by the New York Daily News! More and more emails flooded my inbox. The television show The Doctors emailed me and so did The Rachael Ray show. I was overwhelmed and humbled that our story had touched so many people.
The Doctors asked if we would come to Los Angeles to be on the show. I couldn't believe it!! It was such a blessing to be on the show! The entire staff was incredibly kind to us. As an added bonus, it was such a healing time for the three of us to be together like that. It was the tipping point in our bonding and I will be forever grateful!
Our segment is set to air sometime in May :) We were completely surprised by what the show has offered us! I won't spill any details until after it airs but believe me, we are beyond blessed!!!! I can't wait to see it myself!
Throughout this entire journey, God has never ceased to amaze me. He truly is the author of the most incredible stories. I think about all of the decisions I've made in my life to get me to where I am today. Not all of them were good. In fact, some of them were downright horrible. But that is where the beauty of it comes to light. Even in our darkest pit of despair, even when we think we have messed up to the point of no return, God has the miraculous ability to take our deepest regrets and bring forth beauty from ashes. Every night when I go to bed, I look at my two beautiful, precious daughters sleeping next to each other. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and humbled that I am so incredibly blessed to be their mom.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" - Ephesians 3:20
If I've said it before, I've said it a thousand times - the community of fellow adoptive mamas has been the biggest support system that continues to blow me away. I "met" Sara through the Congo adoption group. I had the privilege of watching Sara bring home from the Congo her beautiful daughter Emily a few months before I was finally on a plane to meet Munni Bird for the first time. Sara has been such an incredible supporter in both of my adoptions. So when she approached me a few weeks ago and asked if I would like her to throw me a fundraising party, I couldn't scream YES loud enough!!!! Sara has such a beautiful heart for adoption and has been involved in many projects that help orphans. Recently, she became a Designer for Origami Owl Jewelry. She wants the business to help families raise money for their adoptions. Isn't that amazing??!!!!! So here's the deal: This online "Party" will be open until Saturday, August 30th at 8 p.m. - short and sweet :) 20% of anything you purchase will go directly towards the last part of Baby R's adoption- THE TRAVEL PART!!!! But here's where it gets even better. If you purchase ANY part of one of the two Signature Pieces, I will receive 30%!!!! Isn't that incredible? Origami Owl has so many beautiful pieces and the possibilities and combinations are endless :)
I am going to get the girls matching "Gotcha Day" necklaces with charms of the elephant and their birthstones. If you are in the process of adoption and haven't figured out your Gotcha Day gifts, maybe you could create something meaningful here! Just please be sure to use this link when purchasing or else I won't get the credit :(
Here are the two Signature Pieces:
Or this one:
In case you were wondering what these pieces mean and why they are important to me :
Elephant- for those of you who know me well, you know that I've been crazy about elephants ever since I can remember. It probably sounds corny, but I have this strange connection to them Anyway, India is known as "The Land of Elephants"
The Heart- Spread More Love Last spring when I was praying about adopting again from India, God put that phrase on my heart one morning while I was in the basement taking clothes out of the dryer. God uses the most spectacular moments to speak It was a moment where I knew it was from him. I went and googled "Spread more love" and immediately popped up Mother Teresa's famous quote, "Spread more love wherever you go" Obviously, Mother Teresa had a huge connection to India serving and loving the orphans there
Milagro ~ One of my favorite words in Spanish. It means "Miracle." I started speaking Spanish when I was 26 and taught Spanish for 14 years. These two girls have been the biggest miracles to ever happen to me!
There it is!!! Thank you for all the support and encouragement you have given to me throughout this journey. It means more than I will ever be able to express in words!
One of the most thought provoking days I had in Munni's country was the day we went to the Taj.
It was a 5 hour car ride filled with the sights, smells, and sounds of India.
India has a very distinct smell of campfire, dirt, and spice that I would recognize anywhere.
The things I saw that day made a deep impression in my memory.
I saw...
Groups of families living under a bridge in the busy intersection, making food over a fire while the rest of the world went on its way.
Little girls smaller than Munni, weaving between cars begging for food. or money. or something that will bring their "overseer" profit.
Men peeing everywhere. Men in suits and men in rags. It makes no difference.
A motorcycle passes by with a man in front, a woman behind, a baby on her hip and two toddlers between them.
We slow down to weave around the herd of sheep, with no shepherd, as they make their way somewhere.
There are no lanes or traffic signs and it appears there is no rhyme or reason for how this all works but somehow, everyone understands this organized chaos.
Off in the field is an abandoned, half-built structure. Boys are playing a game of pick-up cricket. I smile and think of the basketball courts and baseball fields back home.
A man on the side of the road with a basket. He knocks off the lid and out pops a cobra. I recoil.
I think he may have gotten bit, but he goes about his business charming the serpent with his pungi.
A dog hobbling along on three legs. The fourth looks mangled.
A black, stinky, stream of sewage runs along the side of the road. People walk around it, over it, and through it.
A man, dirty and aged by weather, stands next to a wooden cart filled with colorful fruit, many of which I don't recognize.
Abandoned tires are formed into modern art structures.
Trash and debris are everywhere.
I look off into the field and see random people walking here and there.
A man stops where he is, squats down, and poops.
Another dog on three legs. This time it looks like an infection.
Off in the fields, another game of pick-up cricket. The boys are wearing rags and smiles.
Car horns fill my ears. They are used for navigation, not anger.
A rickshaw on my left slowly makes its way.
The farther out in the country we get, the dirtier the clothes.
Saris aren't as colorful, dulled by wind and dirt and washing by hand.
Several toddlers with no pants on, chase a rooster around. Their faces are full of joy.
A man showering himself on the side of the road. I'm glad he's wearing boxers.
A huge ox is pulling a cart stacked tall with some kind of long grass. An old man sits at the front of the cart with a long stick to keep the beast moving.
A pack of dogs, all but one are running on three legs.
Another motorcycle whizzes by with a family of four. The mom wears a full burka.
A baby is alone, trying to go down a set of stairs of an abandoned building. Where is his mom?
Another game of cricket is passing time for some young boys.
A dog lies in a ditch on the side of the road, bloated with death.
Off in the distance is a huge Krishna statue.
Its colorful and frightening stance commands attention.
Several cows with their hip bones protruding, wander across the street.
We come to a stop and a monkey jumps on our car.
Its teeth are bared as it performs tricks for money.
Munni and I look at each other and the monkey jumps off and runs to the next car.
A man with no legs and a tangled mess for arms, scoots his way among the cars.
I wonder what happened to him and how has he survived this long?
I notice that the children are smiling and laughing. The adults are frowning with looks of despair in their eyes.
A woman washing clothes on the side of the road. Her baby, wearing no diaper, is sitting in the dirt playing with a stick.
Off to the right, another man is squatting in the field.
A dead dog on the side of the road, its neck in an unnatural position.
A motorcycle "gang" goes by and they are all wearing bandanas across their faces. They look like bandits but instead are shielding their lungs from the pollution.
A mother sits on an old tire, breastfeeding her infant. Her face is vacant.
Finally, we arrive at the Taj. The guide hops in the car and "preps" me for the beggars who will attack me when we get out of the car. He tells me that he knows that white people want to give them money but it only makes it worse. This makes me so sad. We get out of the car and instantly are engulfed by a mass of children and disabled adults. All I can see are open hands. The guide turns to what appears to be a 2 year old boy. He asks where his mommy is and tells him to go away. I am holding Munni's hand and she is staring at the boy. I wonder what she is thinking. Does she have memories like these?
We get in the camel drawn carriage since everything has to be "green" once you are inside the Taj compound. It smells of urine. We arrive at the official gate and the guide stands in line to get our tickets. He is back in a few minutes and we walk to the entrance. It is Sunday so it is very crowded. We all huddle through the archway and as we walk through the other side, there is it.
In all its glory.
Majestic, Stunning, Shimmering, Peaceful.
There is an immediate sense of calm when you see it.
Even the birds seem to sense this as it appears they are flying in slow motion, circling this beautiful homage of love.
It truly took my breath away.
**My camera was in my carry-on that was stolen at the DFW airport on our way home :( I only have my iphone pics...
Today I had nothing to do. I didn't want to sit around the hotel because that's not my traveling style. Plus, I would have driven myself crazy knowing that Munni was only 10 minutes away! I dont get to meet her until tomorrow morning so the best thing was for me was to stay busy. After the most amazing breakfast ( I had orange juice that really tasted like fresh squeezed clementines!) I went to the front desk and asked them to get me a driver for the day. They gave ideas of places to go and set it all up.
25 minutes later I came down to lobby and it was as if a transformation had happened. I felt like I was famous. Everyone was calling me by name, opening doors, a bunch of "yes ma'am's" it made me feel like royalty!
Raja was my driver and adventure buddy for the day and he knew how to get it done! First stop was the Birla Mandir temple. This is absolutely breathtaking! It's made out of all marble like the Taj. I had to take my shoes off and go through it barefoot. I wasn't allowed to bring my camera in which was a huge bummer because the detail of the carvings are incredible. My blue eyes continued the famous tend I was feeling because whenever anyone looked at me they did a double take and giggled. Then some people started following me around. We went to where they were giving the blessings with incense but I got denied. I guess blue eyes can only get you so far;). After the blessing, which Raja received, we walked out and he told me to take this stuff that looked like rock candy. He said it was sweet blessings and you are supposed to eat it. I wasn't sure if I was allowed but he said I could so I did. It was sweet! When we got back outside, I started taking pictures with my real camera. That's when even more people started paying attention to me. Then they asked if they could get there picture with me- see why I was feeling famous?
After that we went to old Hyderabad to see Charminar. This section has a large Muslim population so the prayer calls were sounding while we were there. Between those calls and the crazy, crowded streets, I felt like I was in a Jason Bourne movie-I kept waiting for an awesome car chase to bust out of nowhere! We climbed the monument and the staring continued. I had my camera and was taking pictures the whole time. People kept following me and watching what I was photographing. It was a little weird. And then more people asked to have their picture taken with me. Every now and then someone would get the courage up to say something random in English to see if I understood. When I replied, they would giggle and run away!
After we left there, we went to Chowmahalla Palace. This place is so cool! It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and the official residence of the Nazim. First, the architecture is amazing. The grounds are huge and there are a lot of places to check out. They also have tons of artifacts from the royal family which I though was very interesting. One of the main entertaining rooms was so stunning. It was made of all marble and then had about 20 of the biggest, most elaborate glass chandeliers. The way the light came into the room made the chandeliers reflect the sun rays in an amazing way.
From there we headed to the Golkonda Fort. This was a serious workout!! The steps were so narrow, steep, and SO MANY of them I had to keep stopping on the "landings." People were still laughing at me but for some reason at this point I think it had more to do with my heavy breathing than my blue eyes :). We finally got to the top and I was doing the rocky balboa and gave Raja a high five, this made people want to know what was up so again, I had more followers! Then, four 20 something guys got the courage to ask me for a picture. It was hilarious because they were giggling the whole time and switching out who was getting their picture taken. Raja was acting like my bodyguard, which added to the Almost Famous element. After the photo op, they shook my hand and thanked me. I wonder what kind of story will be told about those pics!
Our last stop of the day was the Qutub Shahi Tombs that had the bodies of 7 of the last 8 sultans from that dynasty. The architecture is very cool as it is a mix of Persian and Hindu styles. It is a very peaceful place and the perfect way to end the day. I took so many pictures as today was a photographer's dream!! I was a little frustrated when we were driving because there were so many shots I missed. If we would have walked through the streets, I would have been in heaven! I am thrilled with the pictures ingot but wild have lived some more photojournalistic shots of the day.
To all you Hyderabad mamas out there, I really encourage you to take the time to see the city. It brought up a whole range of emotions for me from sadness, to thankfulness, to joy. I also found myself thinking about MG's birth mom a lot and the circumstances surrounding her, there were so many babies and little children I saw today with their families. I wonder a lot of things about her birth mom and today, it took it to a whole new level. I am very glad that I had the time to see what I saw as I think this will be important to MG as she gets older and has questions about India.
Tomorrow morning I finally get to meet her. I don't know if its because I'm so tired or if this whole thing just seems surreal, but I can't even imagine what it's going to be like! I'm hoping that be ause I'm so tired that I will sleep really well. And you know what's better? This is the last night I will be sleeping alone because tomorrow tha sweet pea will be right next to me!!!!!!!!!!
the time to see the city
I made it!!! And I know your prayers worked because through the whole flight I had an amazing sense of peace even though it was a recipe for major anxiety!
I got to Chicago fine and the layover wasn't bad. The airline lady hooked it up and made sure I had a window seat with an empty seat next to me:)
That made up for the little girl behind me who kicked my seat the whole time she wasn't sleeping. But before that, they taxied out onto the runway and then sat there for about 20 minutes. Then they turned around because they said there was a loose panel and they had to fix it. Say what ??? I really should have gotten those anti-anxiety meds!
An hour and a half later we finally took off. About 20 minutes in I pulled out Big Blue and started inflating him. My seat mate didn't even flinch but the flight attendant did a double take! I was definitely pleased with this purchase because i was able to manipulate it to whatever position i needed. I was able to sleep about 2 hours before they served dinner. My dad definitely could not eat the food on this flight because it was spicy!! I'm glad I like spicy food! I got the veggie option and it was good. However I worked in the restaurant biz long enough to know to stay away from produce so I didn't eat any of that. So far, so good.
I ate and went back to sleep. Then we hit turbulence. I kept praying and that's when the little girl behind me yelled out, "it's scary!" Her mom said something to her in Hindi and the little girl said, "BUT IT'S SCARY!" I was thinking the exact same thing. I was also very happy in that moment that back in CHI town they decided to fix that loose panel:)
We arrived in Delhi for the layover only those of us who were traveling on to H*derabad had to stay on the plane. So they cleaned and restocked while we sat there. I was able to catch up on the Jason Bourne series.
I was starting to get worried because I knew my last flight was about 2 hours and it was already the time the hotel was expecting me at the H*derabad airport. The repair in chicago really out us back. I kept wondering if they would wait 2 hours for me?
A new couple boarded the plane and sat next to me. They had an adorable 8 month little girl named Minu. She was such a happy baby and I has so much fun with her! I had to seriously hold back asking if I could hold her. Instead we just played peek-a-boo and things like that. It made the flight go by so quickly.
We finally got to H*derabad! The airport is very clean and going through immigration was pretty quick. Getting my luggage wasn't. I was stressing at this point because I arrived almost 3 hours later than anticipated and wouldn't you know my luggage was the last to come off that plane? Anyway, I had to go through another immigration check point and then out to where they were supposed to be waiting for me. Only no one was there with my name on a card. The a very official looking man walked up to me and asked if I was Kristen? Turned out he had been waiting for me that whole time. I guess he ditched the name card when I was the last one out!
The ride to the hotel was great. It took about 35 minutes. Traffic is different for the US but still none of my travels have topped the craziness of the traffic in Mexico City! It was dark so I didn't get to see much of the city. The hotel is very nice and everyone has been awesome. The guy who took me to my room noticed my necklace, it's Munni's name. I told him I was adopting and we had a great conversation. He said he could tell that I loved her very much by the way my face lit up when I talked about her. I may or may not have doubled his tip for saying that :). He said
When I bring her back to the hotel we will celebrate with a high five lol!
I finally got to take a shower and man was that the best shower I've had in a long time! One thing that I wish I would have brought with me was the ocean nasal saline spray. My sinus were so dry from the flight.
So tomorrow I have a day to myself. I may sightsee or I might just relax depending on how I feel. I'm starting to crash so hopefully I will sleep really well tonight!
One final thing, I should have listened to my neighbor and brought compression socks. I look like an old nun. I have no ankle bones, just tree trunks. I've been elevating them so I hope it goes away soon or else I won't be wearing any of those cool bangles they have here!!!
Tomorrow I will be waiting for the social worker to arrive to find out when I can go and meet my princess. Please pray that it would be ASAP!!!!
Thanks again for all your prayers so far-THEY WORKED!!!!
