APPROVED!!

Today we received our approval from the USCIS! I have to mail some documents off and in about 10 days we will be completely ready to go to China. We are thinking we are at about one month until travel. Makenna here we come!!!!

So much to do....

Update on us.

We were fingerprinted and it went very smoothly! The officer assigned to our case at the USCIS is just waiting on them to wrap up our approval. The passports were sent off to get our visas and I am working on the" one spouse travel" documents. It is all really happening fast now. This weekend my family is hosting a shower for us and I am really excited. The more baby things we have in our house the closer we feel to having our baby! I can't believe in just a few weeks we could be heading to China. After over three long years it is hard to feel like it is real. We all talk about Makenna and what it will be like when she is home. Jackson can't wait to be a middle child, and Olivia can't wait to show her off to her friends. I have been really overwhelmed with everything that has been happening in our lives but I am hoping I will get everything under control when I start my adoption leave from work. Everyone who knows me in real life knows I am a total procrastinator, but I work well under pressure:) It will all come together when it needs to-I promise.

Fingerprints

We now have our fingerprint appointment with USCIS!!! We are now in the final stretch of things we need to get before approval. Hopefully our I800a will be approved quickly and the

@$%#* Trade Fair in Guangzhou will not delay our travel too long. Things are moving along slowly but surely. Next step- to get our visas for travel and the power of attorney I need for only one spouse travelling.

Don't You Have Children of Your Own?

Four Adoption Terms Defined
Natural child: any child who is not artificial.
Real parent: any parent who is not imaginary.
Your own child: any child who is not someone else's child.
Adopted child: a natural child, with a real parent, who is all my own.
(Rita Laws)

Just found this online and I love it.
I have already encountered several (unintentional-I'm sure) comments that just don't sit right with me but I'm not sure how to respond. Because I have biological kids I get the "children of your own" comment. As in, "So you're adopting?" "Yes, we are" "You have children of your own though, right?". How exactly do you answer this? Yes, I do have other children? I know some of the things I think in my head can easily come off as rude. Most of the time the person is just ignorant about adoption and doesn't really deserve a rude answer. I have read tons of information on this subject but somehow when you are in the moment, every well thought out answer just flies out of your head. I guess I will continue to think about it and work on it as Makenna gets older.

Map of China

This map shows the provinces in China. When we travel we will go to Beijing, then on to Jiangxi (Makenna's province), then to Guangzhou to complete the adoption. The capital city of Jiangxi is Nanchang and that is likely where we will stay. I hope we are able to visit Fuzhou and the orphanage on our trip. I am sure I will take tons of photos but it will never be enough. I am so glad my Dad will be there to help me document every moment of the trip, especially when we meet Makenna. Sorry, there is no new news so I thought I would just show some pictures of where she lives now. Just click on the map and you can see it larger (and actually be able to read the words!).

Now we are waiting on USCIS

Our application for government approval is on it's way to Chicago (or possibly already there). This is the big hurdle that we have to get through before we travel to bring Makenna home. Processing times at the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) have been speeding up so I am hoping for a quick turnaround. After they process our application we will be contacted for a fingerprint appointment. At that time I can go ahead and apply for visas and start on the next round of paperwork for travel. After all this waiting, once that approval comes through things will move quickly. I still don't know when we will travel. I hope it is no later than May, but would be thrilled if it was April!

I have contacted several people who are travelling to Makenna's province ,(and who have children from her SWI )in the next few weeks and asked them to take pictures if they are able to visit the orphanage. I hope someone is able to bring us some new photos!

Updated Measurements

Ann at Red Thread did manage to get some updated size info on Makenna but sadly no new photos. I was sooooo looking forward to seeing more pictures of our baby girl! Anyway we found out how big she is now and that she has two top teeth and three bottom teeth. I know it is a little thing but any tiny piece of information keeps me going! I just thought I would share with those of you that are following along.