We've got good news and bad news

Sorry I haven't posted for a while.  It's been quite busy in the Kim household.  Since the last post, we have had 5 editions to the family...Sydney (our dog) had 5 puppies on December 15!!  4 boys and 1 girl.  They are 2 weeks old and are darling!

On the adoption front, we've finally made some progress.  Actually we've made lots of progress!  After finally getting our LOA, and after I told our agency that we needed to be much more proactive, they allowed me to "take things into my own hands" and try to expedite Emma's adoption on my own.  That was the only green light I needed.  Since then, we've submitted our I800 forms, I spoke with the officers at the USCIS (multiple times) and was able to convince them of our need to expedite and they agreed!  Our I800 was approved in 8 days (not the usual 2-3 weeks)!  After that, it was on to the NVC (Nationa Visa Center) for their approval to allow Emma to be considered a direct relative apon adoption and grant her a visa.  I spoke to the folks at the NVC and our approval was granted 1 day after it was received!!  Thank God! The next step was to cable our paperwork to the US Embassy in China for our Article 5 (no idea where Articles 1-4 are but oh well!).  Our Article 5 had to be dropped off in person by our agency's in-China representative and then picked up 2 weeks later.  But they were willing to rush us through and we got our approval 2 days after it being dropped off and as of 12/29/2011, our paperwork is officially at the CCCWA (again) and we are waiting for our last (yes our LAST) approval - the Travel Approval!!  We requested expedition again but now we wait.  It may take 2-3 weeks and we are not so optimistic since it was the CCCWA that held on to our "expedited" LOA for 75 days but we still hope.  Things are finally moving faster...finally!!

Now here's the bad news.  The reason everyone was so willing to expedite was because Emma had a doctor's visit in China and she isn't doing as well as before.  Her color is less pink and her oxygenation saturations are now only 76%.  We are getting more worried for her and scared about her prognosis but have prayerfully decided that we would focus more on getting her home and seen by our docs than worry about the unkown.  Easier said than done, yes, but that's what we're going to have to do.  So, Lord willing, that's what we'll do...actually, it's the least we can do... 

So we hope to travel at the end of January or early February.  The only catch is that the last week of January is the Chinese New Year and many governmental agencies in China are closed for the week.  This includes the CCCWA.  We'll just have to trust in His timing and be ready to go as soon as they give us permission.  The whole logistic of travel is another chapter but for now, we'll just revel in the way He has carried us through this journey of hills and valleys and wait to see what He has in store for us.  God is so good.  He always has been.  He always will be - no matter what.  Happy New Year everyone - especially you, Baby Emma.  We love you and are on our way!

We hope

WE GOT IT!!

Our LOA finally arrived after 75 days of not so patiently waiting!!  Thank you Lord!  It's signed and sent back to our agency and now we wait for our I800 approval.  We are told to expect to travel in 10-12 weeks, that means we will be a whole family in February or March.  All smiles and gratitude (and a little embarrassed about my earlier doubtful days) in the Kim household.

Thanks everyone, for being the knot at the end of my rope!

Day 71 of our LOA wait...

Blue, melancholy, glum, depressed, sad and plain ho-dee-do.  That's how I feel about our perpetual wait for our LOA.  What should have taken 30-60 days for routine processing has taken 70+ days despite requesting to be expedited.  Unfortunately, our agency doesn't seem too motivated to inquire with the CCCWA why it's taking so long.  They said that they've called the CCCWA "a few times" to check on our file but they "never got an answer."  This worries me.  Shouldn't it worry them?  When I voiced my great concern to our agency, they told me they would call CCCWA again today and promised to call me back this afternoon but I still haven't heard from them and it's 10:30pm. Sigh.  Our latest pictures show that she seems to be well fed (in fact, we've started calling her our sweet chunky monkey!) but her lips are not as pink and her fingers look like they're starting to get clubbed - which is a sign of worsening cardio/pulmonary disease.  Every day lost is exactly that - lost.  If one more person tells me to be patient and that our wait is like the wait of being pregnant I might just crumble.  A pregnant mom is able to physically provide all the nutrients and safety a baby in utero needs to grow and get stronger each day.  The wait of an adoptive parent is the complete opposite.  Our babies are getting sicker, lonlier, and sadder each day. I feel helpless and alone.  Lord, how much longer must we wait?...