Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Obsessive Verifying
By the way, happy Fat Tuesday!! In my next blog, I'll tell you about my business trip to New Orleans a week before Mardi Gras last year.
I had to create a new fedex airbill and I carefully double and triple checked the address and made sure to put on the envelope on a corner Orphan Petition as well as putting it on an address line.
I put a cover letter in my care package which included our social security numbers, and fifteen hundred different ways to reach us. I included the declaration saying they were true copies of the original. I also printed the I-600A application on salmon colored paper. I also enclosed a personal check for the application fee and fingerprints. I heard from someone on my local FCC- waiting yahoo group I can send a personal check instead of sending a money order. This person called the orphan officer in San Antonio a few months ago. I am still apprehensive about sending a personal check, but I don't want the hassle of standing in line at lunch to get a money order. Besides, I've been verifying and re-verifying I have crossed my "t's" and dotted my "i's" I have an obsessive compulsive issue of opening the unsealed fedex envelope and checking to make sure I have everything in there. I also keep surfing the net for any other tidbit of information I may have left off my cover letter. Scott is on a business trip and he told me over the phone that it is a "nesting" type of obsession. I'll check one more time before going to bed.
I received our employment verification notary certification from Colorado with "the great seal" WooHoo! I plan on Friday to send it to a courier in Chicago get it authenticated at the Chinese Consulate. Our employment letters are the only docs which need to authenticated out of state. All of our other documents will be authenticated in Houston.
I am still waiting for to receive Scott's Louisiana Secretary of State certified birth certificate. It will probably be delayed due to Mardi Gras.
Looking for Adoption Themed Song for Video
Scott is going to create an adoption video using Adobe Premiere when we return from China with our bundle of joy. He has left it up to me to find a few songs which can be used in the background. I figure I have a lot of time on my hands. Ha!Ha!
The list I have so far, in no particular order:
Three others I have not heard of, but found on i-tunes:
I really like Alegria, but the tone of the song may sound too serious. Baby Mine makes me boo hoo everytime I listen to it. Scott really doesn't like Celine's voice. I like Aria, but I don't know what the words mean since it is Italian (I think).
I am still not too sure whether we should use music with lyrics or only instrumentals.
The list I have so far, in no particular order:
- Swept Away by Geoff Moore
- Baby Mine by Bette Midler
- Alegria from Cirque Du Soleil
- Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
- A New Day Has Come by Celine Dion
- Aria by Yanni
- First Touch by Yanni (instrumental)
- Somewhere Out There by James Ingram
- Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel) by Billy Joel
- Lullaby by Bond (instrumental)
Three others I have not heard of, but found on i-tunes:
- Lotus by GuitarGarden (instrumental)
- Bird of Paradise by GuitarGarden (instrumental)
- Arms of Another by Susan Tedeschi
I really like Alegria, but the tone of the song may sound too serious. Baby Mine makes me boo hoo everytime I listen to it. Scott really doesn't like Celine's voice. I like Aria, but I don't know what the words mean since it is Italian (I think).
I am still not too sure whether we should use music with lyrics or only instrumentals.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Shopping For Little One
I couldn't help myself. I haven't purchased anything for our child since we are not sure if we are getting a girl or boy. Today I purchased some DVD's and a few girly clothes. The clothes were too cute to pass up. If we don't get a girl, I'll donate them to the orphanage.
Movies from Wal-Mart. A bargain at $5.50 each.
Cute pink outfit, two bloomers, and a ladybug bonnet.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Visit With My Neighbor
I saw my very pregnant neighbor walking past our house with her 2 year old son. I went outside to say "hi" and see how she was feeling. We both felt awkward at first, but we both settled into a friendly chat. Her son was trying to show me the ant beds in our front yard. Ha!Ha! He kept telling me "ouchy".
I finally opened the package Infamil sent to me. It had two half pint sizes of dry soy and regular formula. The expiration date had October of 2008. Well, at least they won't spoil. We have set our expectations set to travel at the very latest September 2007 to China.
My husband said our child will probably hate the formula and we will have to stock up on their preferred Chinese brand and bring it home with us.
I finally opened the package Infamil sent to me. It had two half pint sizes of dry soy and regular formula. The expiration date had October of 2008. Well, at least they won't spoil. We have set our expectations set to travel at the very latest September 2007 to China.
My husband said our child will probably hate the formula and we will have to stock up on their preferred Chinese brand and bring it home with us.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Homestudy Ready!
We received an e-mail from GWCA and our SW letting us know our homestudy is approved and ready. Our SW is going to get the set of documents notorized and she'll call me to go pick them up at her house. I told her I didn't want to take the risk of them getting lost in the mail.
I sent off our employment letters to the Colorado Secretary of State to get certified and Scott's birth certificate to the Louisiana Secretary of State to get certified. We had to have our employment letters redone because the first set was rejected. The notary's name didn't match what was on state records and they couldn't read the stamp because the notary pressed too hard. During that short time period, the company we work for transitioned the adoption benefit from the California HR department to the Colorado HR department. The only point of hesitation I have about the certification is the verbage for the notary. The HR dept in Colorado didn't change it to reflect the rules of Colorado. I am so tired of waiting for those darn papers I am crossing my fingers the Colorado Secretary of State will approve the certification.
Looks like we are going to part with over $500 this week to send off our I-600A. I never thought I would actually be glad to depart with money. I told Scott we will have to go celebrate because it will be a huge milestone in this adoption process.
I sent off our employment letters to the Colorado Secretary of State to get certified and Scott's birth certificate to the Louisiana Secretary of State to get certified. We had to have our employment letters redone because the first set was rejected. The notary's name didn't match what was on state records and they couldn't read the stamp because the notary pressed too hard. During that short time period, the company we work for transitioned the adoption benefit from the California HR department to the Colorado HR department. The only point of hesitation I have about the certification is the verbage for the notary. The HR dept in Colorado didn't change it to reflect the rules of Colorado. I am so tired of waiting for those darn papers I am crossing my fingers the Colorado Secretary of State will approve the certification.
Looks like we are going to part with over $500 this week to send off our I-600A. I never thought I would actually be glad to depart with money. I told Scott we will have to go celebrate because it will be a huge milestone in this adoption process.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Unwelcome Surprise
Today would be exactly one month to the due date of my son. I have been trying to put it at the back of my mind and not think about it. The only current reminder I have is my neighbor who's due date is the same week. She has been really sensitive toward our experience, but she has stayed away as her tummy grows. She doesn't want to upset me.
I arrived home this evening and checked the mail. Infamil mailed me a box of samples and other goodies to congratulate me on the impending arrival of my child. Just lovely! It is going to be a tough four weeks. Maybe I can bury myself by doing a lot of overtime so I can make extra money to help pay for the adoption?
At this time, I am not sad. I probably will take the day off on my due date and go to the spa.
I arrived home this evening and checked the mail. Infamil mailed me a box of samples and other goodies to congratulate me on the impending arrival of my child. Just lovely! It is going to be a tough four weeks. Maybe I can bury myself by doing a lot of overtime so I can make extra money to help pay for the adoption?
At this time, I am not sad. I probably will take the day off on my due date and go to the spa.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
How Will I Change
Becoming a parent is a scary and exciting event. I wonder if I am going to be a good mother? I try to imagine how my life will change. It got me thinking of some of the things that have changed over the last few years.
education & career
If you asked me seven years ago what I wanted to be, I would say, paralegal. I knew I would have to go back to school and get my bachelors degree. So, I did. I took an administrator position because the manager allowed me to work full-time, but he was flexible with my schedule so I could go to class. I graduated with a bachelors in business administration in 2003. During my last semester, I was accepted at Texas State University into their masters legal studies program.
Interesting how goals change. I was in my first semester of the legal studies program and realized how the job I am currently doing isnt' any different than legal studies. I got to know a lot of the students who were already working in law offices and was able to learn from their experience. Well, there were a few differences, but one difference made me rethink continuing my education. In my current job, I am not liable for billable hours. As a paralegal, you are a money making instrument for the law office. You have to be accountable for billable hours. So, it may mean you work a lot of hours. My current job, office administrator in marketing for a large corporation, well there are deadlines, but not the level of responsibility as in a law office. It is more of a team effort. When I realized that I was making more money than I would have as an entry level paralegal in a law firm, I decided to stay in my current profession.
The change I made was to become serious as an office professional. I started studying to become a certified administrative professional and read the litarature available. I didn't realize there was a career path. At the large corporation where I work I can move into various support areas with the level of education and experience I have. Granted, I am near the top of my salary cap for my profession but I am happy with the amount of money I make.
coffee
I hated coffee, but a few years ago, I tasted a cafe mocha from Starbucks and I was hooked. Scott was happy when I decided to buy a coffee maker for the house. Scott says I have expensive taste, so it is no surprise what turned me on to coffee was a $5 cup of coffee. Since we are trying to save money for the adoption, we went through many "cans" of coffee before I settled on Folgers gourmet blend. I like really strong coffee with a hefty dose of half and half cream. Go figure.
foods
I was pretty closed minded about foods until Scott started to make me try different things. I used to like well done steaks, now I like medium rare. I hated salmon and steak tuna. Love them now. A few other things I hated growing up which now I like: olives, asparagus, Chinese food, lobster, fresh green beans (I grew up on canned green beans), mushrooms, wine, various cheeses (grew up on American and yellow mild cheddar), pure maple syrup, breads other than white, diet soda, mineral water, over easy eggs, and gumbo.
shoes
I have really small feet. My shoe size is a child's shoe size. Needless to say, I am not a shoe fiend. My closet doesn't look like Emelda Marcos' closet. I should buy nice "adult looking" shoes even though they are really expensive. (remember I don't like to pay full price for clothing. Shoe shopping is painful to a person of cheap nature). About once a year, Scott and I drive to Houston to buy me a pair or two of shoes. There are not any shoe stores in Austin which sell my size. So, we make a weekend of it. We drive to Houston, I buy shoes, we visit family, we come home. Not sure what this has to do with changes, but maybe because I used to wear tennis shoes all the time. Now I have a reason to dress up and look my age.
cosmetics
Ditto here too. Not sure what it has to do with changes, but I used to not wear makeup. I hated the way it felt on my face. Now I wear Bare Minerals and other brands of mineral makeup. It looks more natural and it is quick to put on. Which will be important when the child(ren) arrive. I feel good when I put makeup on. It elevates my mood because I feel pretty.
hair
I used to have straight hair. Amazing what a good haircut and highlights do for my mood. A few years ago, it was not important area for me to maintain. Scott says I am a late bloomer. I must have come into feeling like a woman when I hit 30. He says I am more beautiful than when we first met because I am a lady not a tom boy anymore. I think I used to let my height be an excuse for not making myself look attractive. I was scared of my sexuality and of growing up. Amazing what one person can do. Scott made me see my inner beauty first. Once I learned to love myself on the inside, it moved to the outside. Of course ask him that when we are 30 minutes late to a family gathering because I can't find anything to wear, trying to cover a zit, or having a bad hair day!
seriousness
I used to be serious about life. Everything had to have a purpose. It is still important, but it is even more important to smell the roses and have fun. Scott has a funny sense of humor and it has rubbed off on me. I laugh more and try to not to take things so seriously. I try to roll with the punches. The word is "try". I am still working on it.
parenting
Scott and I have moms who had us when they were 18. Each of our moms told us while we were growing up to have fun first before having a family. We also had moms who were discovering themselves at the same time raising kids. Not all moms are like this, so I don't want to stereotype young parents. Our moms were different because their spouse's (our dads) were basically never at home. We felt our moms were disengaged from our lives because they were trying to find themselves.
According to our families, we were old when we got married. I was 28, and Scott was 27. Yep! I am the older woman! Ha!Ha! We are 11 months apart in age. We worked hard over the years, moved into a nice middle class neighborhood. Life has been good. The past five years we talked about having a family. About two years ago, we asked ourselves what were we waiting for? We were putting it off because we were waiting for the right moment. What is the right moment? We've traveled, we've had time to be together enjoyed each other's company and life together. We figured there is no right moment for us. We've accomplished most of our goals. Then about a year and half ago the biological clock started ticking loudly. This is the right moment. Ha!Ha!
I wonder how life will change as a parent? How will I change because I am parent? I l-o-v-e to sleep late on the weekends. This will probably be a luxury I will have to bribe Scott to allow me to do every now and then. I don't want to dis my parents. I believe they did the best they could in raising me, but I know I will be different. I know they will be different as grandparents than they were as parents because of the influence Scott and I have had on them. We have been fortunate to have them finally see life through their children's eyes, even though their children were grown. Will we have the same influence our children? What influence will they have on us?
A few years ago, Scott and I were the couple that would roll our eyes when we were placed near toddler children in a restaurant. We also would cringe of having airplane seats next to the screaming/crying kid. Flight attendant, drink please!
Amazing how things changed for us now that we WANT to be parents. When we are in a restaurant next to a toddler we make goofy faces at the child to attempt to make them grin. In stores, when a stroller passes by we can't help but look. We always say the same thing to the parents, "he/she is a cutie pie". In a plane, we offer to help give the parent a break and comfort the child.
When Scott and I were trying to have our biological children, we would imagine who our child would look like. A few days ago, Scott said when he daydreams, he now naturally imagines our children having Asian features. I admitted to him, I do to.
education & career
If you asked me seven years ago what I wanted to be, I would say, paralegal. I knew I would have to go back to school and get my bachelors degree. So, I did. I took an administrator position because the manager allowed me to work full-time, but he was flexible with my schedule so I could go to class. I graduated with a bachelors in business administration in 2003. During my last semester, I was accepted at Texas State University into their masters legal studies program.
Interesting how goals change. I was in my first semester of the legal studies program and realized how the job I am currently doing isnt' any different than legal studies. I got to know a lot of the students who were already working in law offices and was able to learn from their experience. Well, there were a few differences, but one difference made me rethink continuing my education. In my current job, I am not liable for billable hours. As a paralegal, you are a money making instrument for the law office. You have to be accountable for billable hours. So, it may mean you work a lot of hours. My current job, office administrator in marketing for a large corporation, well there are deadlines, but not the level of responsibility as in a law office. It is more of a team effort. When I realized that I was making more money than I would have as an entry level paralegal in a law firm, I decided to stay in my current profession.
The change I made was to become serious as an office professional. I started studying to become a certified administrative professional and read the litarature available. I didn't realize there was a career path. At the large corporation where I work I can move into various support areas with the level of education and experience I have. Granted, I am near the top of my salary cap for my profession but I am happy with the amount of money I make.
coffee
I hated coffee, but a few years ago, I tasted a cafe mocha from Starbucks and I was hooked. Scott was happy when I decided to buy a coffee maker for the house. Scott says I have expensive taste, so it is no surprise what turned me on to coffee was a $5 cup of coffee. Since we are trying to save money for the adoption, we went through many "cans" of coffee before I settled on Folgers gourmet blend. I like really strong coffee with a hefty dose of half and half cream. Go figure.
foods
I was pretty closed minded about foods until Scott started to make me try different things. I used to like well done steaks, now I like medium rare. I hated salmon and steak tuna. Love them now. A few other things I hated growing up which now I like: olives, asparagus, Chinese food, lobster, fresh green beans (I grew up on canned green beans), mushrooms, wine, various cheeses (grew up on American and yellow mild cheddar), pure maple syrup, breads other than white, diet soda, mineral water, over easy eggs, and gumbo.
shoes
I have really small feet. My shoe size is a child's shoe size. Needless to say, I am not a shoe fiend. My closet doesn't look like Emelda Marcos' closet. I should buy nice "adult looking" shoes even though they are really expensive. (remember I don't like to pay full price for clothing. Shoe shopping is painful to a person of cheap nature). About once a year, Scott and I drive to Houston to buy me a pair or two of shoes. There are not any shoe stores in Austin which sell my size. So, we make a weekend of it. We drive to Houston, I buy shoes, we visit family, we come home. Not sure what this has to do with changes, but maybe because I used to wear tennis shoes all the time. Now I have a reason to dress up and look my age.
cosmetics
Ditto here too. Not sure what it has to do with changes, but I used to not wear makeup. I hated the way it felt on my face. Now I wear Bare Minerals and other brands of mineral makeup. It looks more natural and it is quick to put on. Which will be important when the child(ren) arrive. I feel good when I put makeup on. It elevates my mood because I feel pretty.
hair
I used to have straight hair. Amazing what a good haircut and highlights do for my mood. A few years ago, it was not important area for me to maintain. Scott says I am a late bloomer. I must have come into feeling like a woman when I hit 30. He says I am more beautiful than when we first met because I am a lady not a tom boy anymore. I think I used to let my height be an excuse for not making myself look attractive. I was scared of my sexuality and of growing up. Amazing what one person can do. Scott made me see my inner beauty first. Once I learned to love myself on the inside, it moved to the outside. Of course ask him that when we are 30 minutes late to a family gathering because I can't find anything to wear, trying to cover a zit, or having a bad hair day!
seriousness
I used to be serious about life. Everything had to have a purpose. It is still important, but it is even more important to smell the roses and have fun. Scott has a funny sense of humor and it has rubbed off on me. I laugh more and try to not to take things so seriously. I try to roll with the punches. The word is "try". I am still working on it.
parenting
Scott and I have moms who had us when they were 18. Each of our moms told us while we were growing up to have fun first before having a family. We also had moms who were discovering themselves at the same time raising kids. Not all moms are like this, so I don't want to stereotype young parents. Our moms were different because their spouse's (our dads) were basically never at home. We felt our moms were disengaged from our lives because they were trying to find themselves.
According to our families, we were old when we got married. I was 28, and Scott was 27. Yep! I am the older woman! Ha!Ha! We are 11 months apart in age. We worked hard over the years, moved into a nice middle class neighborhood. Life has been good. The past five years we talked about having a family. About two years ago, we asked ourselves what were we waiting for? We were putting it off because we were waiting for the right moment. What is the right moment? We've traveled, we've had time to be together enjoyed each other's company and life together. We figured there is no right moment for us. We've accomplished most of our goals. Then about a year and half ago the biological clock started ticking loudly. This is the right moment. Ha!Ha!
I wonder how life will change as a parent? How will I change because I am parent? I l-o-v-e to sleep late on the weekends. This will probably be a luxury I will have to bribe Scott to allow me to do every now and then. I don't want to dis my parents. I believe they did the best they could in raising me, but I know I will be different. I know they will be different as grandparents than they were as parents because of the influence Scott and I have had on them. We have been fortunate to have them finally see life through their children's eyes, even though their children were grown. Will we have the same influence our children? What influence will they have on us?
A few years ago, Scott and I were the couple that would roll our eyes when we were placed near toddler children in a restaurant. We also would cringe of having airplane seats next to the screaming/crying kid. Flight attendant, drink please!
Amazing how things changed for us now that we WANT to be parents. When we are in a restaurant next to a toddler we make goofy faces at the child to attempt to make them grin. In stores, when a stroller passes by we can't help but look. We always say the same thing to the parents, "he/she is a cutie pie". In a plane, we offer to help give the parent a break and comfort the child.
When Scott and I were trying to have our biological children, we would imagine who our child would look like. A few days ago, Scott said when he daydreams, he now naturally imagines our children having Asian features. I admitted to him, I do to.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Homestudy at GWCA for Approval
Our homestudy was sent to us Monday evening. Scott and I made the corrections and e-mailed them back to our SW that evening. Our SW e-mailed it to GWCA for final proofing and approval this morning. I believe it takes approximately ten business days to proof and approve.
The one thing I haven't mentioned is Scott and I are requesting non-twin siblings in addition to twins. We know siblings are even more rare than twins. We also are open to either gender with minor correctable health conditions, but want as healthy as possible. Basically, we are asking "them" to surprise us. Yes, Yes. We know there is a high probability we will get one girl. It doesn't hurt to ask.
An adoption experience from a fellow blogger, was brought up at his adoption meet-up. It wasn't HIS adoption experience, but what he witnessed while in China. A few adoptive parents from his small group found out they had SN children. I won't go into detail because it is archived on his blog. The topic of SN had me thinking.
First, let me start with saying my brother is severely mentally and physically challenged. He was born with a translocated chromosome (also called unbalanced carrier). I happened to be a balanced carrier. Meaning, I'm not effected, but can pass it on to my children. I've known I could have an effected child since I understood the birds and the bees. It was not hidden from me. I knew the risk we were taking when Scott and I attempted to have our own biological child. Our first attempt at children resulted in a loss due to the fetus (a boy) having this genetic condition.
When I was growing up, my family didn't know the severity of the conditions an unbalanced chromosome would cause. My mother told me I could have a child missing a foot or arm. The child may be blind or deaf. So, I've grown up with this expectation. I told myself I could handle it because my brother's situation is so much worse.
When Scott and I were dating and contemplating getting engaged. I wanted him to know what it means to have a child with me. I didn't want to hide anything. I also wanted to learn more since science had made so many advances. So we sat down with the geneticist who I counseled with when I was a child. (By the way, she is big time famous now). I learned that the outcomes of a full term successful pregnancy with an unbalanced chromosome child would be severe to very severe mental and physical challenges . There were no "mild" cases.
Getting back to what I really wanted to write about. Would Scott and I take an SN child if we got to China and found out there was a problem with our so called "healthy" referral?. The whole reason we were adopting was because we wanted a healthy child. Its a tough question we can't really answer. I am leaning toward saying yes because it isn't as severe as what my biological alternative would have been.
The one thing I haven't mentioned is Scott and I are requesting non-twin siblings in addition to twins. We know siblings are even more rare than twins. We also are open to either gender with minor correctable health conditions, but want as healthy as possible. Basically, we are asking "them" to surprise us. Yes, Yes. We know there is a high probability we will get one girl. It doesn't hurt to ask.
An adoption experience from a fellow blogger, was brought up at his adoption meet-up. It wasn't HIS adoption experience, but what he witnessed while in China. A few adoptive parents from his small group found out they had SN children. I won't go into detail because it is archived on his blog. The topic of SN had me thinking.
First, let me start with saying my brother is severely mentally and physically challenged. He was born with a translocated chromosome (also called unbalanced carrier). I happened to be a balanced carrier. Meaning, I'm not effected, but can pass it on to my children. I've known I could have an effected child since I understood the birds and the bees. It was not hidden from me. I knew the risk we were taking when Scott and I attempted to have our own biological child. Our first attempt at children resulted in a loss due to the fetus (a boy) having this genetic condition.
When I was growing up, my family didn't know the severity of the conditions an unbalanced chromosome would cause. My mother told me I could have a child missing a foot or arm. The child may be blind or deaf. So, I've grown up with this expectation. I told myself I could handle it because my brother's situation is so much worse.
When Scott and I were dating and contemplating getting engaged. I wanted him to know what it means to have a child with me. I didn't want to hide anything. I also wanted to learn more since science had made so many advances. So we sat down with the geneticist who I counseled with when I was a child. (By the way, she is big time famous now). I learned that the outcomes of a full term successful pregnancy with an unbalanced chromosome child would be severe to very severe mental and physical challenges . There were no "mild" cases.
Getting back to what I really wanted to write about. Would Scott and I take an SN child if we got to China and found out there was a problem with our so called "healthy" referral?. The whole reason we were adopting was because we wanted a healthy child. Its a tough question we can't really answer. I am leaning toward saying yes because it isn't as severe as what my biological alternative would have been.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Final Docs Mailed to SW
What a tremendous burden lifted. I finally was able to get Scott's physical examination from the doctor fixed. I went in last Friday and the doctor still hadn't filled out the last two questions. In his defense, the questions are kind of nested. I think the layout could be a little more clear. He was in the office and answered the last two questions.
I mailed the docs yesterday to our social worker and she received them today. The envelope only had to go a few blocks from the post office, but I was too lazy to Mapquest her address. I was also in a hurry because I had to go grab lunch for the vice president who decided at 10:59am she wanted lunch by 11:15am. The post office was near the restaurant where she wanted her lunch from.
I do have go back to the doctor and get the physical examination noted with the year Scott had surgery "as an infant". As if he remembers what year it was. We are going to guess it was the year he was born. The doctor also has to note on the exam form that the surgery is common for infants (something about 1 in 500 babies are born with this problem). THANK GOODNESS we don't need to get a letter from the doctor. GOSH! That would just have made things more difficult.
We should have our draft of the homestudy by the end of this week or beginning of next week. Yipee! Then after our approval, it is off to the case worker at GWCA. Then we can start the process of sending in our I-600A along with our homestudy. [We decided to wait until we had all the forms]
I mailed the docs yesterday to our social worker and she received them today. The envelope only had to go a few blocks from the post office, but I was too lazy to Mapquest her address. I was also in a hurry because I had to go grab lunch for the vice president who decided at 10:59am she wanted lunch by 11:15am. The post office was near the restaurant where she wanted her lunch from.
I do have go back to the doctor and get the physical examination noted with the year Scott had surgery "as an infant". As if he remembers what year it was. We are going to guess it was the year he was born. The doctor also has to note on the exam form that the surgery is common for infants (something about 1 in 500 babies are born with this problem). THANK GOODNESS we don't need to get a letter from the doctor. GOSH! That would just have made things more difficult.
We should have our draft of the homestudy by the end of this week or beginning of next week. Yipee! Then after our approval, it is off to the case worker at GWCA. Then we can start the process of sending in our I-600A along with our homestudy. [We decided to wait until we had all the forms]
