Visa’s (tourist, not credit card) – Received from the NY Consulate on Thurs., March 6. Yay! I’m slightly concerned though because they left my middle initial off of it even though it’s on my passport and the Visa application we submitted. Our agency doesn’t think this will be a problem. I certainly hope they’re right!
“New Money” - Picked up from bank on Wed., March 5. We need this to pay our driver, translator, 8 dr. medical, IA doctor, yadda, yadda, yadda. Again, slight concern here because there are a few bills that have creases in the middle. None, however, have any weird stamps or writing on them so I’m really hoping they’ll all be accepted. There was chatter on the FRUA board at some point about people ironing their $$ to make it more crisp and to get rid of the creases. Ummm…I’m a little scared to actually try this myself. Norm is terrified at the thought of me ironing anything, much less money. I’m a bit of a clutz and with my luck, it would only end in catastrophe. Any suggestions or thoughts about the creases? Am I thinking about this too much or might I have problems once in Russia? The creases aren’t terrible but are noticeable.
Camcorder – Bought today! Quickly realized two things: how technically challenged Norm & I are…and how much reading instructions actually helps. Heehee! We’ll probably post a test video in a few days just to make sure we know what we’re doing BEFORE we get to Russia!
Groceries – Bought today! Thanks to Ana’s Notes on Trip 1, we bought tuna, Easy Mac, individual soup packs, coffee singles, granola bars, shout wipes, and a few other things. I didn’t get everything I wanted, but this is a great start.
Who Loves Baby translation – I’m meeting our volunteer translator at Starbucks Tuesday evening, with our albums and thank you cards in hand. She is also VERY familiar with Moscow and is going to give me tips about the areas our 2 apartments are in.
Pen Pal Letter – Written today! My church sponsors an orphanage in Sierra Leone, Africa, called the Child Rescue Center or CRC, and I belong to the Pen Pal Ministry. Every few months I write to an amazing and beautiful 14 year old girl named Alfreda, whose parents were killed in Sierra Leone’s civil war. She knows that Norm & I do not have children (yet) and has told me that she and her friends pray daily for God to bless and entrust us with the care of one of His children. I had the honor of writing Alfreda tonight and telling her that prayers are indeed answered, as Norm & I are traveling in 7 days to meet our child! I know she will be thrilled.
FBI Fingerprints Notarized! We actually had the prints taken back in January and received the clearance from the FBI in February. Somehow we overlooked getting them notarized & apostilled. Oops! No biggie since we don’t need them for the first trip, but we will for the 2nd/3rd. So, we had them notarized yesterday and one of us will drive down to Richmond for apostilling so we can hand carry them to Moscow.
Trip 1 Payment to CSS – another oversight! Notice a theme here? A small payment (relatively speaking) was due when we were told about our trip 1 dates…and I never sent it in! Doh! I did mail it Wednesday of last week and K. confirmed they received it Friday. Phew!!
Oh, and I also bought an English-Russian translation book today and have been having fun studying up on new phrases and words. Fun stuff! (seriously!)
After church tomorrow I get to engage in more retail therapy – I mean errand running – which every adoptive parent is subjected – I mean entitled – to!
Paka!
Kar
Prayers for our Children
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Comfort Zones
*Disclaimer - you might wanna grab a cup of coffee. This is a long one!*
I may have mentioned once or twice in previous posts that I’m a bit uncomfortable with the location of our 2nd apartment in Moscow. If you didn’t get that vibe, you must have been reading someone else’s blog! I don’t think I’ve been very subtle about my nervousness. Childish may be a more appropriate term…kinda like Danica Patrick stomping her feet at Michigan. My fellow race fans know what I’m referring to here! (Interesting side note, Danica & I are pretty much the same size but that’s about the only thing we have in common.)
I digress…sorry. I had one of those “A-HA” moments where I realized everything was going to be okay. I found myself thinking about times where I experienced either physical or emotional discomfort, or both. I’ll only share two for now because I don’t want to bore you to tears on this lovely Friday evening.
For our 5th anniversary we decided we would take a “real” vacation. We were going to start on Saturday by kayaking a 9 mile portion of the James River, and Sunday head up to the White Mountains in New Hampshire for a week of camping. I’ve been canoeing and white water rafting plenty, but never kayaking. We’re huge outdoor enthusiasts, so it would have been the perfect week for us…if only we’d been able to make it past Saturday. We each had our own kayak, which meant I was responsible for getting myself down that river all on my own. 9 miles is a heck of a long way to paddle if you’ve never done it before! (Oh yeah, and also if you’re feeling slightly lazy.) That, however, was not the issue. While we did remember to lather up with sunscreen prior to stepping foot into our OPEN kayaks, we failed to remember that we needed to reapply it throughout the day. ESPECIALLY to our feet, ankles and shins since they were continuously doused with water for 9 miles/4 hours – courtesy of the open kayaks and my obvious lack of paddling skills! The damage we did to the tops of our feet, ankles and shins wasn’t obvious until we pulled into our driveway Saturday evening…and couldn’t walk to our front door. Literally. Could not walk. The pain we both woke up to Sunday morning was excruciating, and it didn’t relent Monday - Friday. Finally the following Saturday we were mobile enough to make it from our couch to our garage, but that was about it. I will be shocked if sometime later in life we don’t end up with skin cancer on our ankles from this oversight. So, while our plans for our 5th anniversary were slightly thwarted and I was very disappointed at the beginning of the week, we actually were able to find some humor in our situation towards the end of the ordeal. We spent “quality” time together, made each other laugh, realized how pathetic we were, supported each other and sympathized with each other. Here we are, 8 years later, and I can admit that the week wasn’t so bad (if you don’t count our physical pain) but it certainly wasn’t how we originally envisioned spending our 5th anniversary.
When we went to Rome last summer, we stayed at the Borgo di Tragliata for the first portion of our trip and then switched to the Best Western Hotel Canada mid week. I was so excited to stay at the Borgo because the grounds fascinated me. Check out the link. This Inn is located in the countryside, probably about 45 minutes outside of the center of Rome. As beautiful as the buildings and grounds are, our stay was nearly intolerable at times. Like when we were awake or trying to fall asleep! Yeah, pretty much 24/7. The rooms had no A/C, no floor or ceiling fan, no radio, no TV, no clock. Nothing. It was well over 100 outside and with no fans/AC/cross ventilation in the rooms, it was absolutely sweltering. Taking showers almost made things worse because the bathroom didn’t have a vent for steam and we had a hard time regulating the heat of the water. Also, there were no vending machines, no ice machines, no soda or water available, no stores within walking distance. Again, nothing. Nada. Nyet. Only one employee spoke English, and thankfully she was extremely friendly & funny. She made sure we were taken care of as much as possible but in reality our lodging was, well, primitive and beyond basic! On the bright side, because there’s always a bright side, we were introduced to a side of Italian culture that we would never have had the privilege of experiencing had it not been for our stay at the Borgo. Our last night there we were invited to dinner with about 20 Italians, only 1 of whom spoke English & played translator for us. This dinner was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be totally immersed in another culture and it was fabulous. It was also Norm’s first experience with Espresso – the boy who has never even sipped coffee - and THAT is a story in its own right. Anyway, this dinner was definitely a highlight of the trip and made our sweltering room well worth the discomfort we endured.
When we booked our room at the Best Western Hotel Canada, we knew we would be away from touristy things, and slightly off the beaten path. We purposely chose this hotel because it was close to one of the outermost metro stops – so easy access to the heart of Rome - and also in the middle of a very cute, very Tuscany looking neighborhood. We wanted to see as much Italian culture as we could, and this hotel definitely allowed us to do that. It was great because we made friends with the guys at the pizza shop enroute to the metro, the guys at the trattoria’s we passed offered us gelato (yum!), and we really got to know the neighborhood well. It was truly amazing.
So my first point is this – I guess I can be classified as Type A when it comes to planning trips and when things don’t go as I plan, I get a little nutty. On the flip side though, the little surprises that came from having things NOT go my way introduced me to unexpected treasures and memories that will last a lifetime.
My 2nd point relates to our stay at the Best Western Canada. We purposely chose to stay away from touristy stuff because we wanted a true sense of Italian culture. We wanted to be on our own and explore to our heart’s content. By doing so we met some great people, became experts in reading Italian maps, enjoyed absolutely wonderful walks on beautiful Roman streets, and proved to ourselves that we could survive in a foreign country with limited language skills.
So what makes me think it will be any different in Moscow? Are we staying in an area I had originally planned? No. Does that mean it’s going to be miserable and unbearable? Again, no. It dawned on me today that I really shouldn’t think of our 2nd apartment as being any different from the Best Western Canada. Slightly off the beaten path but perhaps a step closer to the culture and lifestyle of my child and his/her birth family and caregivers.
I’ll leave you to ponder this entry and the opportunities that come our way when we step outside of our comfort zone. Thanks to the Discovery Channel and Man vs. Wild, I’m signing off for now because I need to hide for a little while. I have an eye phobia (which I may decide to share more about another day), and the main character in Man vs. Wild is enjoying a lovely meal of sheep eyes. And one just squirted when he bit into it. Lovely. I’m outta here.
I may have mentioned once or twice in previous posts that I’m a bit uncomfortable with the location of our 2nd apartment in Moscow. If you didn’t get that vibe, you must have been reading someone else’s blog! I don’t think I’ve been very subtle about my nervousness. Childish may be a more appropriate term…kinda like Danica Patrick stomping her feet at Michigan. My fellow race fans know what I’m referring to here! (Interesting side note, Danica & I are pretty much the same size but that’s about the only thing we have in common.)
I digress…sorry. I had one of those “A-HA” moments where I realized everything was going to be okay. I found myself thinking about times where I experienced either physical or emotional discomfort, or both. I’ll only share two for now because I don’t want to bore you to tears on this lovely Friday evening.
For our 5th anniversary we decided we would take a “real” vacation. We were going to start on Saturday by kayaking a 9 mile portion of the James River, and Sunday head up to the White Mountains in New Hampshire for a week of camping. I’ve been canoeing and white water rafting plenty, but never kayaking. We’re huge outdoor enthusiasts, so it would have been the perfect week for us…if only we’d been able to make it past Saturday. We each had our own kayak, which meant I was responsible for getting myself down that river all on my own. 9 miles is a heck of a long way to paddle if you’ve never done it before! (Oh yeah, and also if you’re feeling slightly lazy.) That, however, was not the issue. While we did remember to lather up with sunscreen prior to stepping foot into our OPEN kayaks, we failed to remember that we needed to reapply it throughout the day. ESPECIALLY to our feet, ankles and shins since they were continuously doused with water for 9 miles/4 hours – courtesy of the open kayaks and my obvious lack of paddling skills! The damage we did to the tops of our feet, ankles and shins wasn’t obvious until we pulled into our driveway Saturday evening…and couldn’t walk to our front door. Literally. Could not walk. The pain we both woke up to Sunday morning was excruciating, and it didn’t relent Monday - Friday. Finally the following Saturday we were mobile enough to make it from our couch to our garage, but that was about it. I will be shocked if sometime later in life we don’t end up with skin cancer on our ankles from this oversight. So, while our plans for our 5th anniversary were slightly thwarted and I was very disappointed at the beginning of the week, we actually were able to find some humor in our situation towards the end of the ordeal. We spent “quality” time together, made each other laugh, realized how pathetic we were, supported each other and sympathized with each other. Here we are, 8 years later, and I can admit that the week wasn’t so bad (if you don’t count our physical pain) but it certainly wasn’t how we originally envisioned spending our 5th anniversary.
When we went to Rome last summer, we stayed at the Borgo di Tragliata for the first portion of our trip and then switched to the Best Western Hotel Canada mid week. I was so excited to stay at the Borgo because the grounds fascinated me. Check out the link. This Inn is located in the countryside, probably about 45 minutes outside of the center of Rome. As beautiful as the buildings and grounds are, our stay was nearly intolerable at times. Like when we were awake or trying to fall asleep! Yeah, pretty much 24/7. The rooms had no A/C, no floor or ceiling fan, no radio, no TV, no clock. Nothing. It was well over 100 outside and with no fans/AC/cross ventilation in the rooms, it was absolutely sweltering. Taking showers almost made things worse because the bathroom didn’t have a vent for steam and we had a hard time regulating the heat of the water. Also, there were no vending machines, no ice machines, no soda or water available, no stores within walking distance. Again, nothing. Nada. Nyet. Only one employee spoke English, and thankfully she was extremely friendly & funny. She made sure we were taken care of as much as possible but in reality our lodging was, well, primitive and beyond basic! On the bright side, because there’s always a bright side, we were introduced to a side of Italian culture that we would never have had the privilege of experiencing had it not been for our stay at the Borgo. Our last night there we were invited to dinner with about 20 Italians, only 1 of whom spoke English & played translator for us. This dinner was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be totally immersed in another culture and it was fabulous. It was also Norm’s first experience with Espresso – the boy who has never even sipped coffee - and THAT is a story in its own right. Anyway, this dinner was definitely a highlight of the trip and made our sweltering room well worth the discomfort we endured.
When we booked our room at the Best Western Hotel Canada, we knew we would be away from touristy things, and slightly off the beaten path. We purposely chose this hotel because it was close to one of the outermost metro stops – so easy access to the heart of Rome - and also in the middle of a very cute, very Tuscany looking neighborhood. We wanted to see as much Italian culture as we could, and this hotel definitely allowed us to do that. It was great because we made friends with the guys at the pizza shop enroute to the metro, the guys at the trattoria’s we passed offered us gelato (yum!), and we really got to know the neighborhood well. It was truly amazing.
So my first point is this – I guess I can be classified as Type A when it comes to planning trips and when things don’t go as I plan, I get a little nutty. On the flip side though, the little surprises that came from having things NOT go my way introduced me to unexpected treasures and memories that will last a lifetime.
My 2nd point relates to our stay at the Best Western Canada. We purposely chose to stay away from touristy stuff because we wanted a true sense of Italian culture. We wanted to be on our own and explore to our heart’s content. By doing so we met some great people, became experts in reading Italian maps, enjoyed absolutely wonderful walks on beautiful Roman streets, and proved to ourselves that we could survive in a foreign country with limited language skills.
So what makes me think it will be any different in Moscow? Are we staying in an area I had originally planned? No. Does that mean it’s going to be miserable and unbearable? Again, no. It dawned on me today that I really shouldn’t think of our 2nd apartment as being any different from the Best Western Canada. Slightly off the beaten path but perhaps a step closer to the culture and lifestyle of my child and his/her birth family and caregivers.
I’ll leave you to ponder this entry and the opportunities that come our way when we step outside of our comfort zone. Thanks to the Discovery Channel and Man vs. Wild, I’m signing off for now because I need to hide for a little while. I have an eye phobia (which I may decide to share more about another day), and the main character in Man vs. Wild is enjoying a lovely meal of sheep eyes. And one just squirted when he bit into it. Lovely. I’m outta here.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Further evidence that I've lost it
If you were a can of gross/foul smelling/moist cat food, where would you hide...in the pantry to the left of the refrigerator, or in the small desk to the right of the fridge?
I kid you not, this evening I stood in front of that small desk for a good 3-4 minutes, with its miniscule drawer wide open, wondering why I couldn't find the cat food. Finally in a desparate attempt to get fed, Ivan (the Terrible) smacked me with his dagger claws and woke me from my trance, while screaming at the top of his little kitty lungs "Focus woman!"After their tummies were full and the cattitude gone, Ivan & Pogo decided to allow the paparazzi to snap a couple quick photos. Ivan is all black and Pogo has a bit of white on his chest. They're both 13 and we've had them since kittenhood. Oh, and apparently neither is impressed with the fact that I'm engrossed with the adoption/Baby C and not their food!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
New Found Appreciation
I have a new found appreciation for the families who only receive 1 week notice for their travel dates. How, how, how do you do all of this in a mere 7 days? It's insanity, craziness, scary, frustrating, nerve wracking, and oh yes, exhausting! My goodness...
Since my last post I've been dealing with a 2nd bout of the flu, 2 travel agents who don't return calls - thus "forcing" me to make my own flight and lodging arrangements (I really just wanted to see if they could get a better deal than we could), creating our 2 "Who Loves Baby" albums, buying luggage, trying to make some sort of sense out of the mess called a Russian Tourist Visa, getting invitation letters for said tourist Visas, arranging a person in Moscow to register said tourist Visas, getting money orders for said tourist Visas (can you say "ouch" for my wallet?), making lists of everything else we need to do and buy, making lists for the lists of everything else we need to do and buy, coming up with back up pet care in case our first plan falls through, trying to find out more about the Russian metro system since we're going to be pretty far from the center of Moscow and all the touristy stuff, praying that our flight on Aeroflot is both uneventful and safe, praying Aeroflot allows our new luggage to reach Moscow at the same time that we do, researching camcorders since we don't have one but would really like one, trying to track down "new" cash to carry over with us, interviewing international doctors via email to visit the orphanage with us, emailing a person in our community who volunteered to make cryllic labels for our "Who Loves Baby" albums so Baby C's caregivers know who all the people in the album are.....and lots, lots more. Oh, most importantly I found an international hairdryer at Wal-Mart today so that issue is taken care of as well!! Yay! (I MUST have a hairdryer if nothing else.)
If the paragraph above didn't make your eyes go all googley, you saw that we're flying on Aeroflot. Yeah...little scared about this I'll admit. At least it's a nonstop flight and was significantly cheaper than the other airlines. We got both our tickets for just a little more than the cost of one ticket on other airlines.
As far as lodging, we're renting 2 apartments from Peace Travel. Why 2? Well, we'll be in the first one for our first night only and then have to switch to the other for the rest of our stay. There is a convention of some sort in Moscow the week we'll be there so lodging was scarce. The first apartment we're staying in, the Double Decker, seems kinda cool and in a good area. I'm a little nervous about the 2nd one, the Loft Suite, only because it seems like it's in no man's land. Oh, and the decorator was apparently going for an Austin Power's look. Hmmm.....
That said, at least we'll be in the same country and region as our child! It could definitely be worse. We'll just have to make the best of it. I do like the balcony that the Loft has, and the park it overlooks seems very nice.
There is still a lot to do and I am just so grateful that we've been given a little extra time to take care of everything. For those waiting for travel dates, don't procrastinate when it comes to packing, making plans for you house, home & pets, etc. Once you get "the call" you're going to be a crazy person trying to mark everything off your list!
Since my last post I've been dealing with a 2nd bout of the flu, 2 travel agents who don't return calls - thus "forcing" me to make my own flight and lodging arrangements (I really just wanted to see if they could get a better deal than we could), creating our 2 "Who Loves Baby" albums, buying luggage, trying to make some sort of sense out of the mess called a Russian Tourist Visa, getting invitation letters for said tourist Visas, arranging a person in Moscow to register said tourist Visas, getting money orders for said tourist Visas (can you say "ouch" for my wallet?), making lists of everything else we need to do and buy, making lists for the lists of everything else we need to do and buy, coming up with back up pet care in case our first plan falls through, trying to find out more about the Russian metro system since we're going to be pretty far from the center of Moscow and all the touristy stuff, praying that our flight on Aeroflot is both uneventful and safe, praying Aeroflot allows our new luggage to reach Moscow at the same time that we do, researching camcorders since we don't have one but would really like one, trying to track down "new" cash to carry over with us, interviewing international doctors via email to visit the orphanage with us, emailing a person in our community who volunteered to make cryllic labels for our "Who Loves Baby" albums so Baby C's caregivers know who all the people in the album are.....and lots, lots more. Oh, most importantly I found an international hairdryer at Wal-Mart today so that issue is taken care of as well!! Yay! (I MUST have a hairdryer if nothing else.)
If the paragraph above didn't make your eyes go all googley, you saw that we're flying on Aeroflot. Yeah...little scared about this I'll admit. At least it's a nonstop flight and was significantly cheaper than the other airlines. We got both our tickets for just a little more than the cost of one ticket on other airlines.
As far as lodging, we're renting 2 apartments from Peace Travel. Why 2? Well, we'll be in the first one for our first night only and then have to switch to the other for the rest of our stay. There is a convention of some sort in Moscow the week we'll be there so lodging was scarce. The first apartment we're staying in, the Double Decker, seems kinda cool and in a good area. I'm a little nervous about the 2nd one, the Loft Suite, only because it seems like it's in no man's land. Oh, and the decorator was apparently going for an Austin Power's look. Hmmm.....
That said, at least we'll be in the same country and region as our child! It could definitely be worse. We'll just have to make the best of it. I do like the balcony that the Loft has, and the park it overlooks seems very nice.
There is still a lot to do and I am just so grateful that we've been given a little extra time to take care of everything. For those waiting for travel dates, don't procrastinate when it comes to packing, making plans for you house, home & pets, etc. Once you get "the call" you're going to be a crazy person trying to mark everything off your list!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Priceless!
- 2 round trip, nonstop tickets to Moscow: approx. $1530
- 6 nights lodging in the most expensive city in the world: approx. $1547 (if we get the apartment we want. Otherwise, $4500 or more!)
- Meeting our child on MY Birthday, Monday, March 17: PRICELESS!!
Yep - we’re Moscow bound! C from our agency called to confirm our dossier had been registered today and that we are officially invited to visit Moscow March 15 – March 22. We will meet, hold, play, love, hug and cuddle with our child for the very first time on Monday, March 17 which is my birthday! How wonderful is that?
We haven’t confirmed all of our travel (airfare & lodging) but will by Monday. Unfortunately there is some type of expo or conference in Moscow from 3/19 – 3/21 which is making lodging not only scarce, but EXPENSIVE as well. We’ll work it out though. I have lined up Dr. T to meet us at the orphanage on Monday the 17th to examine Baby C and give us an expert opinion as to Baby C's health, development, etc.
When we made our trip to Asheville back in January to meet C in person, I felt in the week leading up to that trip that we would be able to hand deliver our dossier to her despite the hurdles in our way. As it turns out, God provided the means for us to do that and I was absolutely thrilled! I have felt all along that we would travel on my birthday and today God answered that prayer as well!
Let the packing begin!
Prayer Request: Please pray with us for speedy return of our 171H, immigration approval. We can make our first trip without it, but we absolutely need it for our court date. The current processing timeline puts us as receiving the 171H around 3/14/08, but it may also take as long as 4/11/08. By traveling without the 171H, we are putting our trust in God that our paperwork will be processed without interrupting our potential court date in April/May. Also, please keep Baby C, the orphange director and caregivers, and our agency staff in NC and Moscow in your prayers as well. Finally, please pray this weekend that we will be able to find reasonable accomodations in Moscow. Thank you everyone, for joining us thus far on our journey!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tips for Baby Registration
We’ve already registered at Babies R Us, and I’m considering registering at Target. I’ll probably do that this weekend. Did I leave anything out? Did you guys register anywhere besides these places? I feel like I’m forgetting something…
Oh yes - MOSCOW!!
Thankfully that will be taken care of on Friday the 22nd! Woo-hoo!!!
We spoke w/ C at our agency twice today and found out that our dossier is finished being translated. We have tentative travel dates but I’m afraid to post them until they’re confirmed. We should know in about 48-72 hours. Woo-hoo again!
Yeah, I’m freaking out a little but it’s all good. Very, very good.
Oh yes - MOSCOW!!
Thankfully that will be taken care of on Friday the 22nd! Woo-hoo!!!
We spoke w/ C at our agency twice today and found out that our dossier is finished being translated. We have tentative travel dates but I’m afraid to post them until they’re confirmed. We should know in about 48-72 hours. Woo-hoo again!
Yeah, I’m freaking out a little but it’s all good. Very, very good.
Begging for Mercy @ 3am
That was me...from 3am-5:20am when I finally gave in & got out of bed, wanting so badly to scream "STOP!!" Why you ask?
Of all songs to wake up & have stuck in your head for nearly 2 1/2 hours, WHY did it have to be "La Cucaracha?" I mean, come one! How random is that? And it wasn't even the whole song; just "la cucaracha, la cucaracha" followed by 8 notes on the trumpet(?)...over and over and over and over again. Grrr.... Hopefully this isn't how the rest of my day is going to be!
On the adoption front, I found out yesterday that USCIS received clearance for our fingerprints sometime last week. Yay! This officially means our fingerprint drama is over. Thank goodness! I am so, so happy we have confirmation that we do not need to repeat these. (Beth & Becky, remember the email I sent you asking about the I797 Notice of Action thing? They claim they never sent it to me! Um, okay, I guess I'm imagining the whole thing! The envelope & piece of paper right in front of me aren't really there at all.)
Oh, and I recently joined the International Adoption Virginia Yahoo group and have been trading I171H timelines with other members. I received 2 emails this morning letting me know that members and friends of members have received their 171 4-5 weeks after their fingerprint appointments. If we get lucky & receive ours in 5 weeks, that means we'll have it by March 14...just a few days before my B-day! Hoping I can call Ms. B at the USCIS FFX office & thank her for the birthday card disguised as our 171H.
Of all songs to wake up & have stuck in your head for nearly 2 1/2 hours, WHY did it have to be "La Cucaracha?" I mean, come one! How random is that? And it wasn't even the whole song; just "la cucaracha, la cucaracha" followed by 8 notes on the trumpet(?)...over and over and over and over again. Grrr.... Hopefully this isn't how the rest of my day is going to be!
On the adoption front, I found out yesterday that USCIS received clearance for our fingerprints sometime last week. Yay! This officially means our fingerprint drama is over. Thank goodness! I am so, so happy we have confirmation that we do not need to repeat these. (Beth & Becky, remember the email I sent you asking about the I797 Notice of Action thing? They claim they never sent it to me! Um, okay, I guess I'm imagining the whole thing! The envelope & piece of paper right in front of me aren't really there at all.)
Oh, and I recently joined the International Adoption Virginia Yahoo group and have been trading I171H timelines with other members. I received 2 emails this morning letting me know that members and friends of members have received their 171 4-5 weeks after their fingerprint appointments. If we get lucky & receive ours in 5 weeks, that means we'll have it by March 14...just a few days before my B-day! Hoping I can call Ms. B at the USCIS FFX office & thank her for the birthday card disguised as our 171H.
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