Our boy has grown!!

February 2010

Year of the Tiger!!

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.
~Confucius


Happy New Year, sweet Daniel.

Feeling prayerful

Prayer of a Waiting Parent

Bless our child, so far away,
Keep him safe and warm we pray.
We count the days 'til we're together,
United for always...
A family forever.
(Borrowed from a fellow blogger.)


We are currently waiting for our Article 5 to be issued. This is the last step by the US Govt before our paperwork is shipped to the CCAA. Once the CCAA confirms our boy is still available for adoption, and all the paperwork is in order, they will issue a Travel Approval document. It will be a few weeks (at least) before this is all completed. I am praying this all goes smoothly with no further hiccups in the process!!!

Got It

We never did receive the NVC letter via mail. It took a call to Washington and I had it the next day (yesterday.) Now our agency can send our paperwork to the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China, which they will overnight on Friday. This paperwork will be combined with our I800 that was cabled to become our Article 5. This is the final sign off by the U.S. that we are fit and ready to be Daniel's parents!! This process takes approximately two weeks. After that, the information is sent to the CCAA which is the Chinese agency that will give us final approval from China. They will then issue our TA or Travel Approval. Times vary on how long travel approval takes. Step by step, we're slowly getting there.

Hum Dee Hum Dee Hum

I haven't blogged since the 15th because unfortunately there's been nothing to blog about. My agency declined to send the email copy of our Cable to Guangzhou. The Consulate in Guangzhou has been mum about letting agencies know if these email notices are acceptable. So, our paperwork languishes in Oregon while our "letter" languishes somewhere in the bowels of the NVC or out somewhere in a USPS truck!!! Any ground I may have gained - poof - gone! This is the hardest part of the adoption game. Learning to accept that you have absolutely no control over certain parts of your destiny.

In the meantime my dear kiddos have kept me busy with homework, going to doctors visits and getting orthodontia treatment off the ground. Seems like some months we have 2-3 visits per week!

Can't think of anything else to blog about right now other than I have become an RQ addict and I can't stay off these sites !!

Hallelujah !!!

I was told that it takes approximately 48 hours to have our I800 provisional approval entered into the National Visa Center (NVC)  system.  Then it takes an additional step to get the information cabled to the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China.   At that time, NVC generates a letter to the adoptive parents stating that their case has been forwarded, i.e. "Cabled" to the Consulate.   Effective January 15th,  the process changed for Hague convention cases.   The letter to the adoptive parents must now be sent to the adoption agency then sent by them with the LOA and other Visa paperwork to the Consulate.

So what's a girl to do??   Our paperwork arrived at the NVC at 10 am on Friday.   I spoke to a very nice supervisor who flagged our account after I begged her pleaded our case at around 3pm.   Called back at 6:45 pm - nothing yet, but spoke with another helpful supervisor.   In the meantime, I "met" another adoptive parent thru R.Q. who had their I800 approved on the same day as us.  We were able to exchange ideas on how to get our Cables completed.    Ok, 10 pm -- (NVC is open until midnight) --  Our paperwork has been entered into the system but not Cabled.   Spoke with one of the same nice supervisors and groveled asked if he would help me get our paperwork Cabled as well.   Additionally asked him to please email me to notify me that our paperwork was in fact Cabled.    11:30 -  Called back again (btw, why can't they have a toll free # ??)   CABLE !!  We have a CABLE !!  11:47 - we have the NVC letter via email.  Yippee!!!  1159 - R.Q. buddy has her Cable too!!!  Woo Hoo!!

Help for Haiti

Help is needed due to the utter devastation in Haiti. If you or someone you know thinks you can help, please call or pass this information on to someone who might be able to help. There are orphans in Haiti too!!

****Red Cross needs Creole and French speaking volunteers for a 24-hour bank. Call 305-776-6900 ASAP. American Airlines is taking doctors and nurses to Haiti for free. Please call 212-697-9767.****