What has to happen now?

Weekly calls! :)
Paperwork and appointments have been smooth sailing and then this past week happened.

Pink slips are never good. That's what showed up in our mail box from immigration (I800). We had left out a needed document. We quickly figured it out and got it mailed in. Thank goodness we had mailed out our paperwork before our first trip. Hopefully, this will meet their needs and we can get our much needed approval. This approval starts the chain reaction for getting our boy home.

Then, we needed updated physicals. I called the practice to set up the appointment and she assigned us a doctor. I never thought to ask whether the doctor was an MD. I arrived at the appointment only to realize this doctor was a DO. Not a big deal to me at all, but a big deal to Bulgaria when adopting. They require and MD and will not accept even a PA's medical review of us. So, I slowly walked up to the receptionist and asked to have a physical with an MD. She was frustrated and certainly defensive, explaining why this doctor was just as good as an MD. I get it, but I can't help Bulgaria has these rules. A DO in Europe does not have the same degree as a DO in the US. This article explains the differences! Fortunately, there was an opening with an MD while I was there and I could switch Kev's for later in the week appointment easily. 

So now we wait. We need to get fingerprinted...AGAIN! Then we have our Medical reviews, Income Tax report, Proof of Property, Home Study letter and Parental rights letter all notarized and apostilled. We send these to our agency.

Here are the next big steps that start the actual legal process.

Right now, we are waiting on our I800 provisional approval from the National Benefits Center (this is the approval we received a pink slip about). Then we mail a copy of that to our agency. Shortly after that we should receive our approval letter from the National Visa Center. On it is Little B's case and invoice number. I email those numbers to our agency for them to fill out his visa application. After that is completed, it is send to the US Embassy in Bulgaria. 

At that point it takes about five days for the Embassy to issue their approval called Article 5. This is when the legal process gets rolling. Our file is submitted to the MOJ for final review and approval. This takes about 4-6 weeks. Then the file is submitted to court for review and approval, another 4-6 weeks. Once the court approves, it takes about 2 more weeks to print out the court decree and birth certificate. THEN, we get travel dates to get our little boy! That puts us somewhere around September-ish traveling, give or take. 

This week we have been married 20 years. I am NOT old enough to have been married 20 years, at least not mentally. I'm pretty sure in my head, I'm still in my 20s! Years ago, did I ever consider the way we would celebrate 20 years of marriage would be by adopting a two year old child? Nope. Would I change that? No way! Sometimes I feel like we are just getting started with a new phase of our life filled with new ways God intends to use us to change not only one child's life and future, but multiple children. I have no idea what that looks like. I just know we are a willing family with an intense desire to give children a future and hope. We want them to know they are valued, loved and chosen. 

Last week in our phone call with Little B a pediatrician was with the psychologist for our call and she spoke English. She told us that we sparked something in Little B. He's happier, talking endlessly and trying constantly to walk. I feel like he has hope, like he knows he is chosen. Not that a two year old comprehends either concept, but maybe a small part. How can spending 17 hours with a little boy change him so much? Maybe he's getting more attention now? Maybe the phone calls help? Maybe it's the book with our voices or the photo album with our pictures? Maybe it's all of those combined! Maybe it's him feeling special and loved--this is my favorite possibility. I really don't care, he is growing, learning and developing--all things his diagnoses could have slowed or dramatically affected.

I am grateful that after 20 years, God is still giving us God-sized tasks. I hope He never stops. I love having a husband whose heart breaks with mine over children and teens around the world. I love having daughters who long to hold a little boy they call their brother, without ever meeting him in person. I treasure the moments we have now in a different way. Saturday at dinner we casually talked with the girls and stayed out a little later than normal enjoying eating dinner outside. I looked intently at each girl and soaked it in. Chloe is becoming more beautiful day by day, not just on the outside, but on the inside with a true desire to follow Jesus, share His love with others and be an obedient daughter to us (that's a big deal for a 9 year old). Violet's sweet smile and pure heart radiates out of her to everyone around her, whether she's in crazy Violet mode or sweet little girl mode. She is gorgeous inside and out and loves others with a deep powerful love that we all could learn from. I looked around at dinner and realized before long we will have a less flexible schedule, less individual time and a new cute little guy sitting with us playing his favorite game, "fall down." Those happy changes are coming and I want to make the most of our months.

Our t-shirt fundraiser ends Tuesday at midnight. Click here to see the many choices. Help bring our sweet little boy home!

Comments

KB said…
Continued reading of this blog and the practical information and jubilant enthusiasm gives us hope. We are three years into our Bulgarian adoption waiting game. Keep posting please!

K Nehman
em said…
Thank you soo much! I'm so glad our process can be an encouragement. It's not an easy wait! That's for sure!!!!
nicole said…
Loved reading your recent blog posts! We are right where you are with All God's Children and we also just took our 1st trip recently (in April) after waiting over 6 years! I'd love to connect through email if you would be interested. No obligation of course! :-) I didn't see any way to contact you on your blog... Blessings as you wait in this in between time! Nicole of VA
em said…
Nicole! Of course iloveredhair@gmail.com