We are ready to hop aboard a plane for Xi’an right now, but there is still a lot that needs to happen. The next step in the process is our I800 approval. Back in March we were fingerprinted for a general I800A, which is essentially the immigrant visa that brings L home (he travels home on a Chinese passport, and becomes a US citizen when he crosses through Customs in the US). The original approval was for a child between ages 1 and 5. Now that we have approval from China for a specific child, we need the US to approve a visa for him in particular. This should take 3-5 weeks at current timeframes. Our paperwork was submitted on 7/10.
Most likely we will travel in October. L’s birthday is 10/15, and I admit I’m pretty fixated on being there by that date, if not sooner. We’re not sure that will happen, but have hope.
So, we’re good. Waiting is hard, but at this point everyone who got to have an opinion on our ability to parent little L (our agency, the Dept of Homeland Security, and the Chinese government) have made their decisions. The rest is just processing, and so far seems to be a bit easier to take than will they or won’t they question.
In the meantime, we are re-motivated to finish our library of parenting and adoption-related books, getting our condo ready for a toddler, and figuring out leave/work issues for when the time comes (we both work for teensy companies, so don’t qualify for any leave time per FMLA. Tricky stuff.)
Thank you all for your kind words and emails. It means so much to know we have folks in our corner.
J
Waiting must be hard, but it sounds like you're doing all right. When will you post pictures?
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I'm so excited and I can't wait to meet him!! Are you sure you don't want all of us to come to China and help out???
ReplyDeleteAmy x
It is so, so hard, this waiting thing. And it seems never-ending. I found my anxiety went up a notch when we started to have an end in sight, where I had thought that would help me feel some relief. I hope you are hanging in there!
ReplyDeleteOf course we're all in your corner sily :)
ReplyDeleteSo happy you are getting so dang close.
I was pretty 'meh' on a lot of those adoption books, so don't stress if you haven't read them all. I mean, not that we've been a stellar success at everything we've done, but sometimes I think reading it just doesn't really help and in the end, your own instincts will be just fine :)
We were in Xi'an in October for our first adoption (in-country from 10/6 - 10/22). The weather really is lovely there that time of year! I would say from Beijing, to Xi'an, to Guangzhou, it's the perfect time of year to travel. I hope you're there then, too!
ReplyDeleteI agree the "endgame" of waiting is so nervewracking! But, wow, an end in sight...Just curious, what parenting books/adoption related books you are reading?
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