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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Good News x 2!!!

Just two weeks ago we had our fingerprints done for our I600A application. It was at this appointment that I was told my fingerprints were worn and the technician wasn't sure that the FBI would accept them. Fast forward to today, when I opened the mailbox and saw an envelope from the USCIS (immigration). My heart actually started pounding and my mind started racing. I assumed it was the letter telling me to come in to have my fingerprints redone. The thought of an approval didn't even cross my mind. After all, it had only been two weeks and an approval that quickly is almost unheard of! I tore open the envelope and my jaw dropped when I read the letter-APPROVAL!!!!! I must have frozen in shock because the next thing I knew, Graham was tugging on my leg and calling my name repeatedly. It's nice to know that the hassles of Jeff's improper left turn (aka criminal behavior) and my worn fingerprints are behind us! :) Now that we have our I600A approval, everything is in place for us to receive our referral....which brings me to my next piece of good news.

Since we got word of our approval today, I thought it was the perfect excuse to contact our agency and find out if we've moved up the waiting list. Four weeks ago, we were #48 on the list. Yes, it's a big number, but not having any idea how quickly things were moving, I was looking forward to getting another update so I would have a reference point. I got another happy surprise when I learned that in just four short weeks, we moved up ten spots on the list, making our new waiting list number.....
Things seem to be definitely moving! This evening I've found myself wondering when our little girl will be born, in a month or two or three, or maybe she's already made her debut to the world. It's probably a mistake, but I've let my mind wander and come up with all sorts of possibilities of moving through the waiting list at lightning speed. Even if referrals slow down and we only move 5 spots each month in the months to come, we could be hearing something by February or March...I'm sure I'm getting way ahead of myself, but a girl can dream, right?

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Bring on month #3...


It's hard to believe that tomorrow begins our third month of officially waiting for our little girl. It actually feels like much though longer since our application has been in the works since April, but it wasn't until the end of June we began our official wait. What may be even harder to believe is that I still feel like I'm 100% sane! :) At this point in the wait for Graham, I think I had already lost it. Granted, there was a lot more uncertainty regarding the timeline for his adoption, but still, I feel like I'm handling the wait much better this time around. When we were waiting for Graham, I desperately wanted to shop for baby things, but there was always this small piece of me that wondered "What if this never happens?". Certainly, at times it felt like it never would happen, but we all know how that turned out. This time around,I know that our daughter is at the end of this wait, so I know that it's ok to shop for her! :) It really is funny how much better I feel when I allow myself to pick up something for her. Growing up, my dolls always had quite the frilly, large wardrobes, so I'm excited that I'm now able to shop for my daughter! In case you're interested, pictured, are two of Princess Olson's newest dresses.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Fingerprints!

Today,we are able to cross one more "to do" item off of our adoption checklist...fingerprints! We're no strangers to fingerprinting, as I've actually lost count as to how many times we've had this done over the past few years. Each time is an experience and today was no exception. Depending on which level of government is wanting our prints, we either head to the county jail (good times!) or to the USCIS Office. Today, our fingerprints were being requested by the FBI so we headed off to the local USCIS office for our 11:00 appointment. Although this sounds like an important place, this tiny office leaves much to be desired. It happens to be located in a very rundown strip mall with a broken sign above the entrance that says "Application Center"....don't ask why it says that because I don't have a clue! Walking into that place is like walking into another country, and today, it felt a lot like walking into Somalia. Nobody spoke English, and I could tell the desk workers were relieved to deal with us since we were able to follow their directions without them resorting to giving instructions at a turtles speed with intense volume.

After sitting in the waiting room for nearly 45 minutes, Jeff was called back leaving me alone in the waiting room. Ten minutes later it was my turn and I was escorted back to the computerized machine. No ink pad and paper for the FBI-go taxes! The woman repeated several of my fingers then told me that many of my fingerprints have been worn down and that I shouldn't "freak out" if I get a letter from the FBI telling me that my fingerprints have been rejected. This lady obviously doesn't know me, because such a letter would definitely send me over the edge. We're talking about our daughter here, and rejected fingerprints mean a denied government approval (at least until this little fiasco is figured out). She then went on to say that she's seen "much worse prints be accepted" but that she couldn't guarantee anything. I questioned her about all the "what if's" I could think of and it sounds like if my fingerprints are rejected that I need to go back and have them redone so they can match my worn fingerprints from today with the new prints to verify my identity. Obviously a fingerprint hassle won't stop our adoption, but I'm not really looking to hassle with the FBI. Why can't anything adoption related by easy? Grrrrrrrr...........I think this calls for ice cream tonight!

PLEASE cross your fingers that the FBI accepts my fingerprints so that we can keep the ball rolling without a delay in our process.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Fit for a Princess!

Jeff's parents recently returned from spending a few weeks in Korea and delivered this special outfit to us. Jeff's Aunt (who lives in Seoul) heard that we're waiting to bring our daughter home and picked out a special hanbok and matching shoes for her! I love it all, but I especially love the little shoes! What little girl wouldn't love a pair of silk embroidered shoes? This outfit is definitely fit for a princess!