INS

So I have an appointment at the INS office in New Orleans in the morning. We originally were only planning to get one child, so we have an I-171H approval for 1 child. Now that we are requesting a sibling group, we need approval for 2 children. I sent in the application to change that about the middle of February, and still haven't heard ANYTHING, not even a notice of them having received it. So I'm a little worried now. So I'm going tomorrow to try to get it done while I am there. Not too likely, but it's worth a shot. Pray. Pray hard...

I remember Kristen saying at the end of her time in Kazakhstan, that she was upset that, at the end, what held her up was our government, not theirs. I kind of understand that feeling now! They have not been easy to work with! Well, I won't gripe about INS anymore--at least not tonight! Now tomorrow may be a whole new set of complaints about them :)

Visa Invitation Number

So our visa invitation number came today. It was supposed to take 4 weeks, and it took 6 days! That's the first thing in this whole process that has happened FASTER than what was projected. Ooooh! We're really going in about 1 month. I'm so excited! And a little stressed by all that has to be done before then.

I have to amend my post from yesterday. Greg actually held the baby doll on his lap for a while while we were working on stuff last night...He's getting ready to be a daddy to a little girl (or two)! :)

Holding a baby doll

So I read an article about transition objects, and how you can use them to help your new children attach. So I've been sleeping with or carrying around a baby doll and a stuffed dog for about 3 days now. The thought is that they smell like you, which is a new smell, and then you give them to the child to have in the orphanage, and then by the time they get to leave with you, you don't smell strange any more. Not sure if that really works, but we're giving it a try. Using the word "we" loosely. Greg's only contribution to this idea has been to make fun of me. In love, of course. So as I type this post I have a baby doll in my lap. Strange but true.

The first post

I am officially starting a blog for all you AWAA friends who want to follow our adoption. Right now there's nothing to say except--wow--I have a lot of paperwork to get done! I decided to add in a pic of my precious boy...a great example of why adoption is a beautiful thing. And hey, it snowed in Louisiana in March. That's just weird! Not all posts will be this random, I promise! I really need to go to sleep now...