Hello from India!
I know we left off on a somewhat dismal note, but we have had some big news over the last 4 days, and some hectic scrambles after weeks of waiting. First things, first; On Friday morning, our judge finally signed our court order and we legally became a family. That. Is. So. Crazy. We have been thinking about this day since we started this process and almost can’t believe it finally happened. We decided not to try appearing this time and found out when we were changing after hanging out at the pool. We were/are thrilled! We had had some visitors at the hotel from various adoption entities and the orphanage two days before who were concerned that the judge would not sign the order Friday (which was the last possible day before our agency closed) and they had gone over our options (which were not great). We decided to stay the course, pray for the best, and start the process of switching agencies (which would add weeks to our stay) in case it all fell through.
Well, the best-case scenario happened!!! We received word that our case was passed AND that we had a birth certificate (which usually takes a few days). I believe reaching out to many different people helped us pick up some speed and we are so thankful that they stepped in and advocated for us. Saturday, I received a note from our orphanage director that we had a passport appointment on Monday (super-fast) but I misread it and thought it was on Thursday for a whole day. When we realized it was actually Monday it was already Sunday, so we scrambled to get a passport photo and arrange a ride to Raipur, the capitol of Chhattisgarh and where the passport office is.
Monday morning we started out early with the family from Spain for the passport office. The passports usually take 3 days to process and 2 days in the mail (they are typically unwilling to have families pick them up in person). We weren’t sure how he would handle being in the car since we assumed he had not spent much time in them in his life. Gaurav did really well on the two-and-a-half-hour car ride (we did a practice car trip the day before to the botanical garden) and he even took an hour nap.
Once we arrived, we had 7 hours of rushing around between 2 different passport offices 25 minutes away, waiting in non-air-conditioned waiting rooms for hours with a toddler on a 105 degree day, and not understanding anything that we were being told. It was madness and there was even and heated fight between one of the passport officials and one of the adoption representatives working with us. This all went on while we tried to entertain an almost two-year-old, he did better than we could have hoped, but it was still a lot.
It was almost funny how strange of a day it was. Almost no one talked to us during the whole ordeal, so we never were really sure what was going on. But, at the end of the day, thirty minutes after the third passport office had officially closed, they handed us Gaurav’s passport. WHAT?!?!? We got a miracle and seriously did a happy dance out the door with the other family despite being disgustingly dirty, smelly, and tired. It turned out to be a 13 hour day, but it was so, so, so worth it. In retrospect, it all is pretty funny. We waited four weeks with no movement or progress toward going home. Then, in four days we complete everything we needed to get done in Bilaspur. I guess we reached out to the right people, and here it seems to be all about who you know.
We are now planning our Delhi leg of the trip and leave Bilaspur tomorrow morning. Gaurav will be leaving his home town and the only place he knows. We were thinking about this when we made our last trek to the orphanage this morning to exchange some paperwork. We have made that trip so many times and the fact that it is the last feels strange and almost sad. The staff were so excited to see Gaurav again, passing him around and pinching his cheeks. He was less excited today then our last visit, but it was a very hot walk so that may have played a part. We tried to keep the visit short and promised to call when we return home and send updates. I am sure it is a bittersweet moment for them, having raised and loved him for the first 20 months of his life. But, being closer to bringing our son home is such and exciting feeling.
So, let me tell you more about our son, Gaurav. Since many have asked, his given name is pronounced something like “GORE – AHV” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGoh0TmT5Tc). He currently only has one name legally, just like Madonna or Prince. But when we get home, we will be able to change his name to Ravi Gaurav Stenjem. I am sure we will still call him Gaurav or Gauroo (his nickname at the orphanage) while we transition home. He is a very smart boy and like all toddlers, loves getting into everything. He has a fascination with spoons and carries one along most places we go. He is always thinking about food (much like me) and is luckily not a picky eater. He dances pretty much anytime he hears music or anything that resembles music (fancy horn blasting, ring tune of the passport official as he was yelling at our guide, etc). He enjoys climbing all the things and being thrown around by dad. He waves at most people, and since we are in India there are people everywhere, so sometimes it looks like he is in a parade, waving as he goes. He loves the pool and floating around in it with us but hates bathing. He loves animals and “meows” at all the cows and dogs we see (also everywhere in India). He is a silly and happy guy most of the time and he has made this transition much easier for us than we could ever expect. Of course, he has his cranky moments (mostly around snacks, like me) like everyone else but we are so lucky he is our son.
Well, that is the current status for us, now off to go pack for Delhi tomorrow! I am sure Gaurav will be super helpful with packing :D
Love,
Leah, Ryan, and Ravi Gaurav
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