He's Doing What?

This week friends of ours are visiting their child at our son's orphanage. They were kind enough to take a gift for him and even received permission to deliver it to him in person. After our friends saw our son, I got an email from them and guess what they told me: Your little guy is walking! I was so thrilled to hear these news as an update at the end of May indicated that our son was still just cruising along furniture and walls and seemed afraid to let go and walk. Here's a photo of him we received about a month ago:I have been talking to our little guy from afar, telling him that it's okay to let go and take those unassisted steps. Isn't it great that he already listens to his Mama?

And, might I just point out his confidence? He's totally rocking that pink turtle neck or as they say on one of our favorite sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother, "Pulling [it] off!"

IAC 183 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 183 which was held on 05/20/11:

1) Norwegian dossier from 2007 referred a child female, aged 2 years and 10 months with a family history

2) U.S. dossier from 2008 referred a child male, aged 2 years and 2 months

3) German dossier from 2008 referred a child male, aged 4 years, with features in health status, subject to hotfix

4) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child, male, aged 5 years

5) U.S. dossier from 2010 referred two children, male and female, aged 6 years and 2 months and 3 years and 6 months, with features in health status, subject to hotfix

6) French dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#1275) with a profile on the MOJ site

7) Italian dossier from 2011 referred a child, male, aged 8 years and 4 months with data for family history

8) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#95) with a profile on the MOJ site

9) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1132) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred two waiting children (#1265 & #1266) with profiles on the MOJ site

By my count, of the 401 adopters confirmed with MOJ as of 12/15/10 and registered from 2005 through 2009, 85 have now received referrals. That’s roughly 21% matched in the five month period from mid-December to mid-May.

Singing Through The Wait

It’s been seven months now since we left our son in Eastern Europe on a mild November day. The wait is oppressive and permeates every aspect of our life, but sometimes we try, despite the pain, to lighten the mood around here. Recently, one such moment happened when I changed the earworm in my head by just one noun, replacing every “baby” with the word “mommy”:

Give me a ticket for an aeroplane
Ain't got time to take a fast train
Lonely days are gone, I'ma goin' home
My [mommy] just wrote me a letter

I don't care how much money I gotta spend
Got to get back to my [mommy] again
Lonely days are gone, I'ma goin' home
My [mommy] just wrote me a letter

Well she wrote me a letter
Said she couldn't live without me no more
Listen mister can't you see
I gotta get back to my [mommy] once more, anyway

At first it was just me mumble-singing The Letter in the kitchen, but then suddenly Craig and I were both belting it out, letting catharsis take over and thinking of our son who will receive a card and a gift from us in a few days via another adoptive family that is visiting his orphanage. And we knew as we were singing that if all goes well from here on out, he could be home with us before the end of the summer. The wait is almost over!

We Got Them!

The I-800 provisional approvals for both of our children arrived in the mail today. I can hardly believe how quickly our applications were processed. After it took us nearly a month to get them through the TX lockbox facility, it's been less than three weeks now to receive these approvals. I am so thankful to our NBC officer for her speedy and efficient work. I think I might send her some flowers.

IAC 182 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 182 which was held on 05/12/11:

1) French dossier from 2009 referred a waiting child (#1271) with a profile on the MOJ site

2) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a waiting child (#749) with a profile on the MOJ site

3) Italian dossier from 2010 referred two waiting children (#1525 & #1526) with profiles on the MOJ site

4) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#1045) with a profile on the MOJ site

5) U.S. dossier from 2010 referred a waiting child (#1441) with a profile on the MOJ site

6) Italian dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1338) with a profile on the MOJ site

7) Swedish dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1230) with a profile on the MOJ site

8) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#271) with a profile on the MOJ site

9) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1098) with a profile on the MOJ site

10) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#912) with a profile on the MOJ site

11) U.S. dossier from 2011 referred two waiting children (#1212 & #1398) with profiles on the MOJ site

Another Hurdle Overcome

After two failed attempts at getting our children’s I-800 applications past the automated scanner at the USCIS Texas lockbox, we finally got notice today that our third crack at it succeeded and our kids’ paperwork is now in process. According to our NBC agent, we are setting a precedent at USCIS adopting two unrelated children from two different countries on two separate I-800A approvals at exactly the same time. Sadly, this fact has cost us an entire month in our adoption journey because the scanner/staff at the lockbox simply couldn’t compute/comprehend the situation. Oh well, I am just happy we are one step closer now to bringing our little ones home. Fingers crossed that the provisional visa approvals will be issued in the first half of June.

IAC 181 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 181 which was held on 04/26/11:

1) French dossier from 2008 referred a waiting child (#1276) with a profile on the MOJ site

2) French dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 7 years and 5 months, male

3) Italian dossier from 2009 referred a child aged 8 years and 7 months, female

4) Italian dossier from 2010 referred a child aged 7 years and 8 months, male

5) French dossier from 2010 referred two children, male and female, aged 7 years and 11 months and 7 years

6) U.S. dossier from 2010 referred three children, male and female, aged 6 years and 5 months, 8 years and 7 months, and 7 years

7) Italian dossier from 2011 referred two waiting children (#1399 & #1400) with profiles on the MOJ site

8) Swedish dossier from 2011 referred a waiting child (#1241) with a profile on the MOJ site