Yes, it's Monday in Korea, but it's Sunday night in the US. So what's going on over there? I could really use some sort of news this week. Last week was Korea's (like-Thanksgiving) holiday, so their offices were closed all week. I didn't think too much about it (okay, I thought about it only half the time). : ) I worked a lot this week, which I was thankful for. It kept me very busy, I was so afraid the week was going to drag on and on and on....
I sent Aiden's care package on Sept. 13th. I would love to get a new picture with him and all his goodies! He's probably changed so much since the last pictures were taken. Would love that next Well Baby Check too!! Haven't had one since his July WBC was emailed to us. I think we're about due, don't you?
In talking with the girl from USCIS in Missouri last week, she gave me some hope that maybe our I600 could be approved soon! Would love to hear by this Friday if that was approved, but I guess I'd better not count my dad's chickens yet. (Yes, he really does have chickens!) <*)
I try not to get too excited most of the time, you never know when the rug will be pulled out from under you and you go sailing! And I hate to be tripped up and let down, so I try to stay more neutral. I know most people may not understand why I seem so quiet, and even calm. Everyone has their own way of dealing and I am no where near "normal"! ; ) I'd just like to hear something this week, that is my main thought for now....
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Well........we got 'em!! (fingerprints!) :)
Yep, that's right, we got 'em (fingerprints)! Mike and I left our house at 7:05 am this morning. We arrived at the Application Support Center at 7:53 am. For those of you who live near us, it's down and across the street from Nashville Airport. We stood outside with a few other people waiting to go in, the ASC opened at 8 am. While we were standing outside, I noticed an older couple waiting to go in also, they spoke with an accent, but I couldn't figure out where they were from. (After we were inside for a few minutes, the guard asked them about their weather in Belgium.) There also was a young man waiting. He was talking on his cell phone, he had an accent too. About that time they unlocked the door, a lady stepped out and said please turn off all cell phones. I left mine in the car, I didn't want to forget and accidently leave it on and then get kicked out because it rang! (They probably wouldn't have done that, but I didn't want to take any chances!! See? I'm schizo!)
We went in behind the others, waited in line and then a lady motioned for us to come around. We gave our appointment forms to her. (I stood there, just waiting for the, "your appointment isn't till Oct 7th" comment.) She asked to see our TN drivers license's, and then we each had to show her the palms of our hands. She stamped our papers, signed them, stamped today's date on them and said fill out the top part of this form and we'll call you soon. Holy cow! (as Mike would say!) We're getting them! Yah!!
We sat down and filled out the little bit of information they wanted. The guard called us up and checked our forms. I was beside myself! I put Davidson county in the blank where they were asking "country of birth" - duh! I thought it said "county of birth"! The guy just marked through it and put USA, no big deal. At that point I didn't even care, we were about to get them done early!
We waited another 5 minutes and the lady called my number. I stepped up, she scanned my fingers, asked about our adoption, what country, etc. She was super nice! She looked the prints over and said I was good to go! Mike was after me. Same thing with him. By 8:30 we were outta there! :) Needless to say, I was so relieved.
Mike went onto work, I left to go back towards home. I decided to stop at the Parent - Teacher store in Rivergate to find a map to give as a gift to the Foster girls in Korea. I hadn't given up on my original idea of a map of the US that had neat colors and all the states outlined. I found one! It was only $3.00, laminated, all the states were colored, outlined, and really easy to read the names of each state. It was a good size too, standard notebook paper size. On the other side of the map was a world map - I thought, even better!
I was headed to my mom and dad's house then. I got there, pulled up to their house and my cell phone rings. I looked at the display and it said "Unknown, No number". I thought - telemarketer! So I answered it. This girl asked if I was Leah, I said yes. Then she proceeded to tell me she was with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS, in Missouri. Another "Holy Cow" moment! I almost couldn't keep up with what she was saying. She spoke slow, I was just in shock! She said she needed a few things for our I600 that they received. I almost had to slap myself to reality! I said hang on so I can get something to write on. She said all they needed was a copy of our completed Home Study, and a copy of our I-171H (the approval notice we received from our I600A). She gave me a fax number and gave me the info to put on a cover sheet. I came to my senses pretty quick and asked her if she had any idea if/when they would get notice of our fingerprints. I told her we just had them done this morning and she said she would put a note on our file that our fingerprints were completed that morning. She said their office should see the approval of our fingerprints by Monday of next week - AWESOME! She said she tried our home number first, but decided to try my cell number to see if she could reach me, thinking I could get those papers for her sooner! She was awesome! I told her I was running home after the call and would fax them the papers! When we started this process I bought a fax machine, I figured we might need one. Best investment I ever made!! : ) I ran home, found the papers, filled out the cover sheet and fax those babies quick! I am so hoping this makes for a quicker turn around in Missouri! I can always hope right? At this point, it's all I have!
We went in behind the others, waited in line and then a lady motioned for us to come around. We gave our appointment forms to her. (I stood there, just waiting for the, "your appointment isn't till Oct 7th" comment.) She asked to see our TN drivers license's, and then we each had to show her the palms of our hands. She stamped our papers, signed them, stamped today's date on them and said fill out the top part of this form and we'll call you soon. Holy cow! (as Mike would say!) We're getting them! Yah!!
We sat down and filled out the little bit of information they wanted. The guard called us up and checked our forms. I was beside myself! I put Davidson county in the blank where they were asking "country of birth" - duh! I thought it said "county of birth"! The guy just marked through it and put USA, no big deal. At that point I didn't even care, we were about to get them done early!
We waited another 5 minutes and the lady called my number. I stepped up, she scanned my fingers, asked about our adoption, what country, etc. She was super nice! She looked the prints over and said I was good to go! Mike was after me. Same thing with him. By 8:30 we were outta there! :) Needless to say, I was so relieved.
Mike went onto work, I left to go back towards home. I decided to stop at the Parent - Teacher store in Rivergate to find a map to give as a gift to the Foster girls in Korea. I hadn't given up on my original idea of a map of the US that had neat colors and all the states outlined. I found one! It was only $3.00, laminated, all the states were colored, outlined, and really easy to read the names of each state. It was a good size too, standard notebook paper size. On the other side of the map was a world map - I thought, even better!
I was headed to my mom and dad's house then. I got there, pulled up to their house and my cell phone rings. I looked at the display and it said "Unknown, No number". I thought - telemarketer! So I answered it. This girl asked if I was Leah, I said yes. Then she proceeded to tell me she was with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS, in Missouri. Another "Holy Cow" moment! I almost couldn't keep up with what she was saying. She spoke slow, I was just in shock! She said she needed a few things for our I600 that they received. I almost had to slap myself to reality! I said hang on so I can get something to write on. She said all they needed was a copy of our completed Home Study, and a copy of our I-171H (the approval notice we received from our I600A). She gave me a fax number and gave me the info to put on a cover sheet. I came to my senses pretty quick and asked her if she had any idea if/when they would get notice of our fingerprints. I told her we just had them done this morning and she said she would put a note on our file that our fingerprints were completed that morning. She said their office should see the approval of our fingerprints by Monday of next week - AWESOME! She said she tried our home number first, but decided to try my cell number to see if she could reach me, thinking I could get those papers for her sooner! She was awesome! I told her I was running home after the call and would fax them the papers! When we started this process I bought a fax machine, I figured we might need one. Best investment I ever made!! : ) I ran home, found the papers, filled out the cover sheet and fax those babies quick! I am so hoping this makes for a quicker turn around in Missouri! I can always hope right? At this point, it's all I have!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Well........we'll see....
Well, tomorrow morning Mike and I are heading out to "try" and get our fingerprints done early. We did receive our appointment form from USCIS. We were scheduled for October 7th, which is not quick enough for me. Got a tip that we could try to go in earlier than that appointment time, so we're getting up early and heading out. Mike's dad is going to be at our house by 7 am to take Tay to school so we can leave and head out earlier.
This seems like the last "thing" we have to complete. Is that possible??? Of all the paperwork, tasks completed, and visits here and there, this is the last thing? I probably should stop asking or something will miraculously appear that says, "Please complete and return"! It's been 4 weeks since we sent our official paperwork to USCIS. I'm sooooo hoping our re-fingerprints in the system will speed up our one of many approvals we need. I really hope Aiden can come home before Christmas, and his first birthday, which is January 3rd! I love the fact that Aiden's birthday is 4 days after our daughter Taylor's birthday!!
I can't wait to get the reprints done, it will be such a relief! What am I saying!?!? I can't wait for Aiden to be home so we can start our new life together! We've been "in" this process for 3 & 1/2 years! I'm thinking it will be a long time before I know what it's like NOT to have the weight of this process hanging on my shoulders. I really can not imagine how that will feel.
This seems like the last "thing" we have to complete. Is that possible??? Of all the paperwork, tasks completed, and visits here and there, this is the last thing? I probably should stop asking or something will miraculously appear that says, "Please complete and return"! It's been 4 weeks since we sent our official paperwork to USCIS. I'm sooooo hoping our re-fingerprints in the system will speed up our one of many approvals we need. I really hope Aiden can come home before Christmas, and his first birthday, which is January 3rd! I love the fact that Aiden's birthday is 4 days after our daughter Taylor's birthday!!
I can't wait to get the reprints done, it will be such a relief! What am I saying!?!? I can't wait for Aiden to be home so we can start our new life together! We've been "in" this process for 3 & 1/2 years! I'm thinking it will be a long time before I know what it's like NOT to have the weight of this process hanging on my shoulders. I really can not imagine how that will feel.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
I am consumed....
I had a day off yesterday which was Friday - Yah! Got a lot done around the house and outside. We even got the final paperwork on our home computer for the lightening strike that took out all our electronics upstairs over a month ago - grrrrr. Now we've got to fill out another paper and send it into our insurance company and pray they give us enough to cover at least some of it what we lost.
Our dentist office called and wanted to verify that Mike had an appointment on Monday. I said I'd check with him and if there was a problem I'd call back. I emailed him at work and asked if he could make it then, told him a little of what I was doing around the house and waited for him to email back. I was in and out of the house, cleaning, picking up, etc. So he emailed me back and said yes to the dentist appointment, and some other things. I emailed back and asked if he wanted to ride the bikes this weekend and blow the cobwebs off of them. He emailed back and asked if Taylor would be going and if not what could she do instead, that the weather was going to really nice and it would be nice if we all went since I'm 'consumed with this adoption 90% of the time'. Hmmmm.... Didn't think too much about the comment right then, but it stuck in my head.
Today is Saturday, we all got up, none too early - it's Saturday - YAH! Took showers, had breakfast, did a few things and decided to go ride the bikes. So, Mike, Taylor, and I went down to Hendersonville's Indian Lake area and decided to eat at Red Robin. While we were waiting for our food, I asked Mike what he meant by that statement - "consumed 90% of my time", keep in mind I'm not angry or upset, just wanted to know his thinking at that time. He mentioned that I spend a lot of time on the computer in the evenings, notebook beside me, always thinking/preparing for the next 'step', and how much time I spend "thinking about the adoption of our little boy". In all fairness, he's right. I do spend a lot of time on the computer in the evenings (researching), uhhh the afternoons too, and yes a little in the mornings, in between checking on Taylor to see if she's getting ready for school. Am I consumed??? I asked him did he really think I was consumed 90% of the time? He said, it may just seem that way. Of course the only time we're all together is in the evenings after work, school, and before bedtime........when I'm on the computer. And yes it's true, I am totally consumed!
I think about this process close to 90% of the day, kind of a shocker to me! It's true though. But how could I not? It's all I have at this point, all my thoughts are surrounded by this process, what's next, what needs to be done, what we'll need in the close future. You start out this process with the "it'll happen one day". Then you move a little further with the "one of these days". Then you get to the "one day soon" to "is it ever going to happen?!" This process is not for the weak, not for the strong, not for the impatient, not for the sain. This is what we Adopted Parents go through to welcome a child into our homes. But it's so worth it in the end!
Our dentist office called and wanted to verify that Mike had an appointment on Monday. I said I'd check with him and if there was a problem I'd call back. I emailed him at work and asked if he could make it then, told him a little of what I was doing around the house and waited for him to email back. I was in and out of the house, cleaning, picking up, etc. So he emailed me back and said yes to the dentist appointment, and some other things. I emailed back and asked if he wanted to ride the bikes this weekend and blow the cobwebs off of them. He emailed back and asked if Taylor would be going and if not what could she do instead, that the weather was going to really nice and it would be nice if we all went since I'm 'consumed with this adoption 90% of the time'. Hmmmm.... Didn't think too much about the comment right then, but it stuck in my head.
Today is Saturday, we all got up, none too early - it's Saturday - YAH! Took showers, had breakfast, did a few things and decided to go ride the bikes. So, Mike, Taylor, and I went down to Hendersonville's Indian Lake area and decided to eat at Red Robin. While we were waiting for our food, I asked Mike what he meant by that statement - "consumed 90% of my time", keep in mind I'm not angry or upset, just wanted to know his thinking at that time. He mentioned that I spend a lot of time on the computer in the evenings, notebook beside me, always thinking/preparing for the next 'step', and how much time I spend "thinking about the adoption of our little boy". In all fairness, he's right. I do spend a lot of time on the computer in the evenings (researching), uhhh the afternoons too, and yes a little in the mornings, in between checking on Taylor to see if she's getting ready for school. Am I consumed??? I asked him did he really think I was consumed 90% of the time? He said, it may just seem that way. Of course the only time we're all together is in the evenings after work, school, and before bedtime........when I'm on the computer. And yes it's true, I am totally consumed!
I think about this process close to 90% of the day, kind of a shocker to me! It's true though. But how could I not? It's all I have at this point, all my thoughts are surrounded by this process, what's next, what needs to be done, what we'll need in the close future. You start out this process with the "it'll happen one day". Then you move a little further with the "one of these days". Then you get to the "one day soon" to "is it ever going to happen?!" This process is not for the weak, not for the strong, not for the impatient, not for the sain. This is what we Adopted Parents go through to welcome a child into our homes. But it's so worth it in the end!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
We finally received our fingerprinting appointment! They have us scheduled for October 7th. Hmmm ..... that's just NOT going to do, now is it?! I've read on the Forum that other parents have gone into their fingerprinting places and had them done early. I thought - YEAH! We're going do that too! We're going to try next week. I've been told if we get there early, a little before 8 am, maybe we can get them done fast and be out of there. But this place is very close to the Nashville airport, and Tay has to be taken to school, so not sure what we're going to do about that yet, but I'll figure out something. May have to call on a grandparent. ; ) I sure hope this helps move our I600 approval along.
I have been stalking our email every morning and afternoon waiting for anything really, a Well Baby Check would be nice! I've been told that August is a busy month over there and to not expect a WBC...... bummer. I'd so love an update on how Aiden is doing. Is he walking yet? How many teeth does he have? Is he eating good? I guess I really don't have to tell you I'm tired of waiting.
Just heard from Mike. We're going Thursday morning of next week to try and get fingerprinted! YES!!!
But...... next week is Chuseok in Korea, which is kind of like Korea's Thanksgiving. Their offices will be closed on Sept. 21, 22, 23. So it's VERY possible that nothing will be happening that whole week if workers take off Monday and/or Friday since Chuesok falls in the middle of the week. If you're curious about Korea's Thanksgiving, try this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuseok
I have been stalking our email every morning and afternoon waiting for anything really, a Well Baby Check would be nice! I've been told that August is a busy month over there and to not expect a WBC...... bummer. I'd so love an update on how Aiden is doing. Is he walking yet? How many teeth does he have? Is he eating good? I guess I really don't have to tell you I'm tired of waiting.
Just heard from Mike. We're going Thursday morning of next week to try and get fingerprinted! YES!!!
But...... next week is Chuseok in Korea, which is kind of like Korea's Thanksgiving. Their offices will be closed on Sept. 21, 22, 23. So it's VERY possible that nothing will be happening that whole week if workers take off Monday and/or Friday since Chuesok falls in the middle of the week. If you're curious about Korea's Thanksgiving, try this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuseok
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sent it today.....
I finished work today around 3:30. I ran down to Wal Mart to pick up the rest of our photos to put into Aiden's photo album. Ran back up to the post office, got there at 3:54. They closed at 4:00! Oh no, and there were 2 people ahead of me! I got the big flat rate box from the clerk because they were out of them on the shelf in the lobby. I packed that box as fast as I could, time - 4:06. The girl came around to lock the door, so no one else could come in, but I was locked in, no matter, I kept packing! I taped that box up, turned and looked at the clerk with a "please help me 'look' on my face and don't make me leave and come back tomorrow!!" Judy said,"I'll get ya right here at this window" -- YES!! She gave me a label to put the address of the Holt office in Seoul, Korea. I filled it out, then ran out of room at the bottom -- ugggg! Had to ask for another address label - time 4:10! I gave her the box and she said, "oh this is gotta go through customs." OMGosh, then she gave me this receipt to fill out with things like 'list items in package, the addresses', etc, time - 4:15! Judy never said anything, just kept working! I finally filled that out, gave it to her and she put all that info into her computer, time - 4:19!
Then she let me take a picture of it! Time - 4:22! Judy at the White House post office is AWESOME!!!!! She did all this and never complained. I thanked her twice and tried to hurry up and leave. I am going to drop by there in the next day or so and give her a thank you card and $5.00. She went above and beyond and she deserves something!!!
Yeah, Aiden's care package is on it's way! The next time Aiden's Foster Mother takes Aiden to Holt for his monthly checkup, the Holt workers will give them his care package. Most of the time when a child received a care package, Holt will take a picture of the child and his/her care package and send it to the adoptive parents! I will be stalking my email for the next month. (I do this already to see if we've gotten any notices from other things, waiting to be approved.) So now I'm on double duty checking email!! I am sooooo glad to have that on it's way!! Life is good! :)
Sunday, September 12, 2010
OMGoodness! Could this be?
Got a message on Facebook from a friend yesterday that made my day! I don't have time to explain it all right now, but I will try my best to get it on here as soon as I can! Wonders never cease! We may be able to get our fingerprints done without waiting on the notice letter of appointment time from the government! And yet again.....waiting.........
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