We received news that our Article 5 was picked up at the U.S. Consulate on Thursday and sent on to the CCCWA in Beijing! This is thrilling news as it means that now we wait for travel approval for the CCCWA. Once we receive travel approval, our agency will apply for a consulate appointment and then we can book flights and go bring our boy home!
We could wait three days or we could wait two weeks for travel approval. Regardless, due to National Day in China which is a "Golden Week" where government offices close, we are hoping for a family day of October 16th.
While we are still playing the waiting game, our end date is feeling within reach, and I am starting to think more about planning our trip, the kids' stay at my parents, and our return home to life as a family of six. My amazon cart is starting to fill with travel necessities such as Tide-To-Go, money pouches, and travel games for Eli. The basement storage area is packed fuller than Christmas with little gifts for the kids while we are gone. I am on the lookout for "travel pants." But, perhaps most exciting of all, as I'm sorting the kids clothes for fall and winter, I get to check and see if we have a winter coat in a size three, if we have enough socks in his size, and I get to agonize over whether to buy him diapers or pulls ups. These little purchases remind me that he really does get to come home. We may not know the exact date yet. We may not even know his exact size shoe. But, we do know that soon the clothes that are carefully folded in the dresser will be worn. Soon there will be a little black-haired boy to tuck in at night with his brothers and sister. And, because we are realistic and have three other children, we realize that soon we will likely no longer sleep through most nights.
Friday, September 8, 2017
This is What it is Like
I wake up and check my email on the off chance that someone was working really, really late or really, really early and sent us an email in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning that China has confirmed we can adopt this child and sent us our LOA (letter of acceptance).
No email, so I creep my way downstairs to sip some coffee and read my Bible. In those quiet minutes a mixture of emotions flood me.
I can wait and trust in the Lord. His timing is perfect.
But, I want the LOA today.
It will come when it is supposed to.
But, if it is today... I usually spend a good chunk of time calculating possible scenarios. If the LOA came today, then our i800 can be sent tomorrow. Those are taking two weeks on average to be returned. Then, we can fill out the DS-260. That is taking a week on average to be returned. Article 5 drop off and pick up is running two weeks. Then, we wait for travel approval, which could take two weeks. If we got our LOA today, we could travel...
And, then I pray some more.
By now, the kids are usually up, so I move on with our day. Around 9 am I start to get antsy, knowing our agency is open. I check my email. Just in case.
We do our school work. I start the laundry. I fix lunch, and though I try to put my phone away when we're at the table, I keep it handy, just in case.
I check my email again.
I start to wonder if something has gone wrong. Has China closed down adoptions? Have they realized how perfect this little guy is and decided to hang on to him? I check the Facebook group for waiting families to see if anyone else has received LOA today.
We read stories. We build a city with Lincoln Logs and Legos. I wonder if we'll have to put the Legos up when our little guy gets here. Has he ever played with blocks? Does he know how to build a tower? A home? I snuggle my little ones extra close. I hold on a little tighter. I am so grateful for them, even in my longing for our fourth.
The phone rings, and I jump. It's some solicitor calling to let me know I am prequalified for a business loan. I decide to check my email one more time.
The kids and I make dinner together and my heart sinks as I realize the agency's office is closed. It's nighttime in China. There will be no LOA today. My mind races back to the calculations I did earlier. If we got our LOA tomorrow, when would we travel. I try to stay focused on dinner, but I have a hard time. I wonder what our little guy ate today. Is he sleeping peacefully? What will he think of our dinners?
We eat. I bathe the kids while Rustain does the dishes. We squeeze onto the couch to read stories. I think about what it will be like when there is another little body beside us. Will he want to sit on my lap? What stories will he like to read over and over and over? Please God, I pray, let him not love Dinosoccer. I am not really serious. I will love him even if he loves the Dino sport books as much as my boys.
I kiss three sweet little heads good night. I tuck them in. Except the youngest. He hates covers, so I just give him a kiss and rub his sweet little back.
I check my email once more. Just in case.
Rustain listens as I share all my irrational worries about China closing adoptions. A domestic family being found for our guy. China saying we aren't good enough parents for this precious boy. Something. My sweet, patient husband reassures me that none of those things are actually going to happen. Although, he admits, the thought has crossed my mind that one of the nannies may want to adopt him. He is so loved. And we are grateful for that. But we are so ready to be the ones to love him. So we wait...
No email, so I creep my way downstairs to sip some coffee and read my Bible. In those quiet minutes a mixture of emotions flood me.
I can wait and trust in the Lord. His timing is perfect.
But, I want the LOA today.
It will come when it is supposed to.
But, if it is today... I usually spend a good chunk of time calculating possible scenarios. If the LOA came today, then our i800 can be sent tomorrow. Those are taking two weeks on average to be returned. Then, we can fill out the DS-260. That is taking a week on average to be returned. Article 5 drop off and pick up is running two weeks. Then, we wait for travel approval, which could take two weeks. If we got our LOA today, we could travel...
And, then I pray some more.
By now, the kids are usually up, so I move on with our day. Around 9 am I start to get antsy, knowing our agency is open. I check my email. Just in case.
We do our school work. I start the laundry. I fix lunch, and though I try to put my phone away when we're at the table, I keep it handy, just in case.
I check my email again.
I start to wonder if something has gone wrong. Has China closed down adoptions? Have they realized how perfect this little guy is and decided to hang on to him? I check the Facebook group for waiting families to see if anyone else has received LOA today.
We read stories. We build a city with Lincoln Logs and Legos. I wonder if we'll have to put the Legos up when our little guy gets here. Has he ever played with blocks? Does he know how to build a tower? A home? I snuggle my little ones extra close. I hold on a little tighter. I am so grateful for them, even in my longing for our fourth.
The phone rings, and I jump. It's some solicitor calling to let me know I am prequalified for a business loan. I decide to check my email one more time.
The kids and I make dinner together and my heart sinks as I realize the agency's office is closed. It's nighttime in China. There will be no LOA today. My mind races back to the calculations I did earlier. If we got our LOA tomorrow, when would we travel. I try to stay focused on dinner, but I have a hard time. I wonder what our little guy ate today. Is he sleeping peacefully? What will he think of our dinners?
We eat. I bathe the kids while Rustain does the dishes. We squeeze onto the couch to read stories. I think about what it will be like when there is another little body beside us. Will he want to sit on my lap? What stories will he like to read over and over and over? Please God, I pray, let him not love Dinosoccer. I am not really serious. I will love him even if he loves the Dino sport books as much as my boys.
I kiss three sweet little heads good night. I tuck them in. Except the youngest. He hates covers, so I just give him a kiss and rub his sweet little back.
I check my email once more. Just in case.
Rustain listens as I share all my irrational worries about China closing adoptions. A domestic family being found for our guy. China saying we aren't good enough parents for this precious boy. Something. My sweet, patient husband reassures me that none of those things are actually going to happen. Although, he admits, the thought has crossed my mind that one of the nannies may want to adopt him. He is so loved. And we are grateful for that. But we are so ready to be the ones to love him. So we wait...
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