Boy, things are moving fast!!

August 3, 2012

You know that point in your dreams where you know you're going to wake up? I have to admit... I kinda feel like that is going to happen with us and we'll be right back to where we've been for so long... waiting. But, we have a name and pictures now to put with our waiting, and it has suddenly made it so much harder. I've heard so many adoptive parents say that this phase of the adoption is the hardest since we now know who our little girl is. This week has been phenomenal in that we've not only received updated pictures of Mia Jin Guo (see above), but we've also received the official Chinese approval letter for her adoption!!!!!!! So within the span of 24 days, we've gone from seeing our little girl for the first time in photos, to submitting our official acceptance (EA), to China sending us our pre-approval (PA) and also issuing their official approval (RA). Like I said... it's been almost like a dream. 

Since we are now official in the eyes of the Chinese officials, we are now permitted to send Jin Guo a care package - so if you know my wife Ginny - is JUST up her alley. :) We are sending her a bunch of new clothes, a birthday cake with her birthday coming up this weekend, a red China doll, an Ultraman action figure, a translated letter from us as well as a photo album of all of us and our home. The package should also include a disposable camera for the orphanage workers to take pictures when she receives the package and the cake.

At this point, we are now waiting on the US government to issue the 1st of their approvals (I-800a) - which our family coordinator at America World is hopeful will be within the next week since we've already had an approved I-800a prior to now - coupled with now having received our China approval. Once we get that back, we will then file an I-800 form. Apparently, the little "a" after the form ID makes all the difference. The I-800a is a blanket approval for us to adopt someone from China - the I-800 is the US approval for us to specifically adopt Jin Guo.  

In the meantime, we will do what we can (apply for a passport for Ashlyn, sign and return the RA, and shell out a few $$'s) and continue to wait. We are being told to expect to travel sometime hopefully in October or November - which now seems to be an eternity away.