Heard from our courier

Our courier in Chicago submitted our document to the Chinese Consulate for authentication, today.  We are on course to have it back in our hands a week from tomorrow.  I hope to turn it around and FedEx our dossier to our adoption agency that same day, depending on what time it gets here.

I feel so desperate to be done with this part of our journey!  I know there is a lot more to come and I’m looking forward to certain parts of it (not necessarily the heart-wrenching parts).  Again, I find myself soaking up any information I can find about adopting from China, special needs, attachment, etc.

I am thrilled God is taking us on this journey!!

It’s here! It’s here!

I can’t believe I forgot to watch for the mailman, today!  Wouldn’t you know, the day I forget to run out and check the mailbox is the day our I-800A approval comes?!  I didn’t think to check it until 4pm and was thrilled to see our approval!  I ended up having time to copy it and get the copy notarized and FedEx'd to our courier in Chicago.  She will get it state certified and then authenticated at the Chinese Consulate.  I’m hoping to have it back sometime next week.

While we wait for that, I will send Kevin to get his extra passport style pics and double check my stack that I have ready to send to our adoption agency.  Once we get our authenticated I-800A approval (otherwise known as the I-797) back, I will do a few quick copies and slide it into my already prepared FedEx envelope, headed to our adoption agency!

Along with our dossier, we will be sending our second agency fee and the CCCWA (China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption) fee.  I can’t believe we are almost done with our dossier!! :)

This past weekend, I finished painting our new guest bedroom.

I put our extra twin bed and nightstand in there.  Now I just need some bedding that won't clash with the walls (the only twin size bedding I have is kid colors/themes) and it will be useable.  We would still like to get a daybed with trundle, but I’m super happy to be this far!

The girls have all-day dance camp this week.  I think Nathan is enjoying full reign of the TV.

I think I’ve achieved stalking status

Yeah, I’ve started running out to the mailbox as soon as I see the mail truck go by!  Nothing from USCIS as of yet.  I am REALLY hoping our I-800A approval comes this week!  If it doesn’t, I won’t panic too much (easy to say now).  I am now wishing I had sent the form that asks them to text you when they finish reviewing your file. :/

My church is having a rummage sale to raise money for various missions projects throughout the year.  I am using this as a wonderful opportunity to sort through some things in our basement.  Last night, I sorted through the baby gear and baby toys.  I didn’t have nearly as much as I thought I did.  I guess I got rid of a lot last summer.  I just have a few basics for each age level and that is it.  I have still found plenty to donate, however!

I am keeping myself busy between the basement and now painting another bedroom!  I decided to go ahead and paint what will become our “guest” bedroom.  Today, I did a second coat of white on the ceiling.  I will probably need to do 1 more coat.  I haven’t chosen the wall color just yet.  I’m thinking something in the brown family but not sure.  Once I get the room painted, we will go ahead and set it up as a guest bedroom with the various pieces of furniture we have.  At some point I would like to buy a day bed with a trundle, but I guess that will have to wait!

I can’t believe we have less than 5 weeks until school starts!  These last few weeks are going to speed right by with the activities and camps we have planned!  I will have an 8th grader, a 3rd grader and a kindergartener!  My baby boy will be riding the bus for the first time and going off to school!

Room done for now

I finished painting the ceiling and walls in the boys’ room, last weekend!  We even moved Nathan’s furniture into the room.  He is excited but wishes Little Brother were here to share it with him RIGHT NOW.  In the meantime, he continues to sneak into Rebecca’s bed during the night, each night.

Empty room

Closet- Little Brother’s bedding & stuffed robot on the top shelf.  Wow, I think this qualifies as the first thing(s) I’ve bought for LB!

I am going to hold off on any wall hangings for the time being.  Without knowing the age of our new little one, I can’t really go any further in my room preparations. I think we could add a crib/toddler bed if we move a couple of things around.  If he needs a twin size bed, I’m not too sure what we’ll do.  I would like to hold off at least 1 more year before allowing Nathan to sleep on a top bunk bed.  And it goes without saying that Little Brother will be welcome in Mommy & Daddy’s bed as needed during his transition into our family.

I have started “eagerly” checking the mailbox each day.  I’m not quite to stalking status just yet- trying to hold off til next week. ;)  Our courier in Chicago is on vacation, anyway, so we wouldn’t be able to send her our I-800A approval copy for state certification and Chinese authentication until next week.