As you know my husband is doing his last bit of shopping to get ready to leave tomorrow for Paris en route to the US. Needless to say, if he makes it here on Tuesday night, I am sure I will be in tears all the day. I just called him... He tells me he is "shopping"for Zahra and his friend is driving him all these different places to drop off his house key, pick up last minute stuff,say goodbye to this person and that person. He told me STOP TREATING ME LIKE A BABY...I AM MAN. Because I keep thinking of different things he needs to remember. How to call me in the airport when he arrives because his POE is not here. How to check baggage. Dont forget your USCIS envelope. Dont forget to change money. ETC ETC. I think I actually lost track of the huge sacrifice he is making selling everything he owns, renting out his beloved apartment which he really loves so much, selling all his furniture which he worked years to earn. His tvs.. All the small things he had in his life when he met me. I think sometimes I got so focused on immigration and everything I had to do to bring him here... a person who hasnt left his home town much at all, to throw his whole life away to start a new life in the USA.

I remember a cold night in Algeria in December ( it was like 40) He has no heat or air or shower in his apartment and the gas range is just a cook top. I tried to go into the closet ( where there is a hole in the middle of a tile area to go to the bathroom) I was trying to heat up his apartments cooktop so I could boil water to wash my face because it was so cold. I was stumbling around and fell. He got up from the mattress and said This is like the movie LES MISERABLES. I told him no, I am with you, I like your apartment ( which honestly it was horrible and cold and dark and dogs barking and garbage strewn in the street) It was his apartment. And no matter how we as Americans see our life, for them this may be their whole life and its their friends and their source of support and love and happiness.

I know as much as they drive us crazy, even those of us that have had to say goodbye for a little while ( Jackie) or goodbye forever,,, this time of our lives is amazing and changing..I cant wait to see his face the first time he gets off the plane after transiting through OHARE which in my opinion is a ZOO airport. I cant wait to take him to Disney for the first time or to show him a movie theatre ( INDIANA JONES) and buy popcorn. I love him. We argue. We bicker. I love him. He loves me. I wouldnt change these days and these things for everything in the world because he has been an amazing chapter in my life. Its got to be mind altering to leave your whole world behind and exciting for everyone who has known him his whole life to watch him leave the only life he has ever known to come to the US.

Being pregnant and alone has been so tough.. especially with no family close by. I havent had one spoiled pregnancy moment... just working all the time and driving myself to my amnio and everything...I am just looking foward to not having to face all of this alone anymore...Being sick pregnant and alone has been overwhelming

I am just happy he is shopping and he is leaving Algeria tomorrow for a new life with me

I hope you have a wonderful reunion. Did you prepare him for what happens at Ohare? He will have to leave the International Terminal (5) and take a shuttle bus/train over to the large terminal.

What are you going to wear to the airport? Will you bring flowers, a stuffed animal, a balloon?

Enjoy!

I am so excited for you, you have been so strong through this whole process especially since you came back from Algeria with your pregnancy and asthma, so happy now that finally you will both be together - I will be thinking of you and wishing you both the best on Tuesday even though I might not be online for a while - I imagine you might not be either....

Wowowowowwwwwwwww Love and Hate -- deep deep lyrics from one of the greatest reggae singers of all time....



Dennis Brown
Here I Come

Love and hate can never be friends
Oh no, oh no

Here I come with love and not hatred
Surely goodness and mercy
Shall follow I all the days of I life

Envy no one, no wish to be with no evil man
For there'll come the day
When you'll be whipped by the father's hand

Live up roots children
Live up rasta children

My head is annointed and my cup runneth over
Surely goodness and mercy
Shall follow I all the days of I life

Lovely post. Wishing you a very happy reunion!

I wont be there in Chicago. Thats where he is landing. I will be in Florida after he has changed planes . I have no idea what I will. I left him like a week pregnant. I am picking him up with a pregnant body and his stepdaughter Zahra and lance and I am sure they will be running all over the airport yelling and screaming. i think he will just want to go to sleep by the time he gets here. At least he will have 3 days in Paris to rest up for the additional 2 flights. He has a 5 hour layover in chicago because of connections so I am sure Chicago airport will be his first American memory without me there. He will have to change terminals alone and his english is not understandable by anyone but me LOL so I am sure that will be interesting.

Average sentence

Why you close the phone?
Why you treat me like baby, I am man
I cleaning my house now, after you call me

Like our own version of English that doesnt make a whole lot of sense to anyone else... He speaks broken English and I break mine down so he can understand me.. LOOL

How well I remember this happening about 3 years ago for us. You are both going to enter a whole new world together. Just keep communication open and be there for each other. There are so many different adjustments that both have to go through. It's all worth it. Good Luck and Best Wishes.

Doreen

Wow, I can not imagine how excited you are right now. I think it is a feeling that is unexplainable, in any post that could be written. I am right there with you being alone during your pregnancy and not having any help at all. Spoiled pregnancy moments, I am not sure what it is, every doctors visit and test doing it by yourself is extremely overwhelming. I am so happy that you two will be together again, I wish you both so much happiness as this next part of your relationship begins.

It may not matter that he speaks little English. When Abdel was at JFK there were plenty of Moroccans on his flight who helped him through customs. Many of the customs workers are also at least bi- if not tri- or more lingual. Abdel didn't speak Spanish, but one of the Moroccans he met on the plane did, so was able to speak to a customs person for Abdel in Spanish and help him get in the right line and then moved to the front when the realized he was going to miss his next flight if he didn't get moving sooner. Customs even got someone on a golf cart to take him to his flight, only they took him to the wrong one and he found himself on a plane to Boston (we're in Georgia) but one of the Moroccans was there and helped him find the right plane.

It is good you realize what he is giving up to be with you. That thought is going to have to stay in the front of your mind for the next several months as he goes through the adjustment period. Even if he has a smooth adjustment he will still probably miss his family some and his life there. There is also a lot of frustration for them since everything is a little different and if he's careful like Abdel and doesn't want to break anything, he will probably not touch much of anything until he checks with you to make sure he does it right. That can be almost as frustrating as them doing it wrong and breaking it because they didn't ask.

You might feel like you've adopted another kid for a long time, but you're obviously good at putting yourself in his shoes so when it gets frustrating just imagine how it would be if you were the one adjusting. From what you've said you've already been over there a lot, so you have some idea of what an adjustment it would be if it was you.

Enjoy having your husband here. I wish for you that he will love you and spoil you as much as Abdel does me. I never in my life thought I would find a love like this and sometimes I'm still a little afraid I'll wake up and it was all a dream.

awwwwwwwwwwww

That was sooo sweet

So happy for you, you love him for a reason, and always keep that in your mind. Enjoy your husband, you deserve it.

Congrats hon! I'm sure you are full of so many crazy emotions right now!!! Best of luck and be blessed!!

Make sure he has your address on him for POE cuz they're going to ask where he is staying and he can't enter without answering that.

Congrats. I hope your life turns out to be everything you hope and dream!

I wish the best and brightest future for you both. Your wait has been long, but I hope it will all be worth it. Remember to take care of yourself and enjoy your time together.

This is one of the sweetest posts have seen in a long time. As long as you understand his pain he will understand the times you need him most. I wish we will all find happiness in our lives, no matter how much the struggle.

May God bless us.
Tammy

I just wanted to tell all of you my husband is here and safe. He had his first McDonalds today. I had my first kiss 2 days ago in 5 months and everything is ok. we are running around so I dont have alot of time to log in and visit /// Things are actually BETTER than I expected lol

Wahrania, I am soo happy for you! I wish you and your husband only the best!

Good for you, Wahrania! Happy to hear it!

ah cool you updated this thread:) I've been thinking about you and hoping everything was ok with you. Glad to know he got here safe and all is good. Best of luck

Great to hear he is safe and sound with his love. Best wishes always!

Glad to hear he is here safe !

But I don't understand the attraction of McDonald's. My husband hates it.

I am soooooooooooooooooo happy for you both! Now on to birthing that baby together!

Yay!