I think my sister-in-law, Heather, said it perfectly when she reminded me that next to Tara, today I would be meeting the most important person in my life. Truer words could not have been spoken!
This morning we had an appointment with Svetlana, the department head of the Ministry of Education to obtain permission to visit the orphanage where Benjamin is. This process took approximately one hour. It was completely painless and actually very pleasant. Upon receiving permission to visit the orphanage we traveled across town to the place where Benjamin has been staying since June. Once we arrived at the orphanage we spent what seemed like an eternity listening to the medical history. Then suddenly, the door opened up and there he was! Tara told me later I never stopped smiling from the moment we met. It was amazing! Tara and I both fully expected Ben to start crying but he warmed up to us very quickly. I loved watching Tara hold our son. That’s right. Our very own baby boy!
We will have a chance to spend more time with Ben tomorrow before returning to Moscow on Thursday.
Tara and Eric,
Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this journey through the blog. What a great idea. Benjamin is a doll and I can't wait to meet him in person. I'm so excited for you all.