Chinese Anyone......

We're getting closer to the BIG wait....we received our translated home study in Chinese. We're hoping to be on the waitlist within 2 weeks...or maybe sooner. It's a wonderful feeling that were one step closer to our daughter. I'm attaching a sneak preview of her new room (waiting on her/our chair for those pictures) & a clue to her chosen name.....

Another Labor Pain......

The past 2 1/2 weeks I've left several phone messages and emails to USCIS to follow up with our INS approval..... And I have not heard anything from the USCIS office YET! So, I decided to take a drive down to their office to ask them in person "what's holding up my petition and when will I receive our invitations for fingerprints?" I'm sure anyone in the international adoption world knows that you need to have a infopass to get INTO the building...right? Well... the security guard ask if I had a infopass appt...and I said, no I did not. He ask why was I here for? I said, adoption. Then he said, let me see your ID. I handed him my ID and then he ran my purse & me through security ... and up I went to the second floor..yes! I walk off the elevator into lobby area where 200+ people sat waiting for their turn. I said to myself, this does not look good and this is not going to work out!! I went to the window (only window) for Citizen interviews to ask if I could get information on my petition, she ask "do you have an infopass appt"? No, I said. You need an infopass appt to speak to someone and you were not allowed by security without an appt. (thank you, God & guard). However, she had me to write down my name & number so she can hand deliver to the adoption unit. I continue to ask her a couple more questions, she made a phone call and could not reach anyone, so she said to me to have a seat. She was gone for 20 minutes and came back with good news about my petition. They received my home study and they would comb through my docs to see if anything is missing, then schedule an invitation for our fingerprints...may take 3 weeks for the invitations. Then, on my drive back to work, I received a call from the head officer to tell me the same thing. Now, I pray for a miracle, so we can get approval certificate from INS to get on the waitlist for Taiwan by end of July or may be until August. Keep us in your prayers...

Under Construction......

I also (not we) decided to repaint her room to match her new baby bedding .....OH, what a work out with my thighs, but I completed her room less than 5 hours. The only thing I have left to paint is the roof top of her doll house bookcase, which will be pink! I'm very please how everything is coming together nicely.

Outstanding Job Shutterfly...................

We received our photo album from Shutterfly for our adoption today. It turned out wonderful!!!!! I was so surprise how accurate the online preview on Shutterfly was compare to the real thing!! Were VERY pleased with our album!!!

New Look.....

When I got home from work this evening, I received our new baby bedding. Originally the baby's room was completed in 2004/2005 but we lost our adoption in 2006/2007....... So, her room has sat empty for almost 4 yrs....WOW, it's hard to believe we have fought this battle this long! I (not we) decided to redo her room.. I want everything to have a fresh start including a new name which we are still pondering on... and getting closer to a decision. I wanted to redo her room in something pink/green with a little pop to it....just could not find anything I liked online. I fell in love with a bedding set at Pottery Barn that I really liked, but the bumper was no longer available....bummer! However, I keep going back to the Pottery Barn site because I like their clean line look....AND I found her new bedding AND it's perfect!! It has cherry blossoms & Chinese people & stuff on the sheets...how neat, huh? And cherry blossoms in Chinese means: Feminine Beauty

And on the sad note, as I removed the old bedding and curtains. There's several areas where the sun has bleached the fabric. But her name (wooden letters) that was her original her chosen name is still in good condition....so I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the bedding, most likely yard sale it.

Sign, Sealed and Deliver......

It's a official, were one step closer to becoming parents. As of Friday, we have ALL of our seals on our home study. We should receive our photo album by next Monday from Shutterfly.....which is a WONDERFUL site to create a photo album, calendar ..you name it! We're waiting for our invitation from INS for our fingerprints....I'm praying soon! And that will be the final piece before the big WAIT.