This morning, the National Visa Center (NVC) responded to my plea to take the emailed I600 approval with a case number. We've been logged in! As soon as the approval is logged out, the final paperwork will be headed to Korea in preparation for Rai's Visa Interview! Woohoo!
Now back to folding tiny socks...
Friday, March 6, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
EP! EP! EP!
Record Time for EP Approval!
Rai's Emigration Permit (EP) was submitted on February 11th and was approved only 6 days later on February 17th. I am still in shock since we were originally told 3-4 weeks for approvals (but hoped for 2 weeks). This is WONDERFUL NEWS!
A Little Backed Up on the US-Side of Things
The US-side of the adoption process has put us through an emotional roller-coaster. As you recall, the Dallas Adoption Immigration Office (USCIS) went at a snail's pace and their change of offices didn't help either. Rai's I600 application was approved on February 17th (same day as EP) BUT that approval sat on someone's desk until Monday morning. UGH! Normally, USCIS would mail (or better yet email) the approval to the National Visa Center (NVC) to be logged in and logged back out, nearly finishing the US-side of things. When NVC hadn't logged in Rai's I600 approval last Friday, the operator asked that I verify when USCIS sent the approval. First thing Monday, USCIS emails a reply stating that they only send out approvals every few days, but it was sent March 2nd (the day they received my email, of course). Luckily, another adoptive mom learned that NVC will allow adoptive parents to email their I600 approvals for faster processing. I emailed ours on Wednesday and will keep our fingers crossed until they respond with updates.
To make a long story short...
As soon as NVC logs in and logs out Rai's I600 approval, we can begin calling the last office (DC) to receive updates on the final steps: Packet 3 (sent to Korean agency), Visa Interview, Visa Issued, Travel Call! (Actually, Holt makes the Travel Call but you get the drift...)
Updates on Rai
Poor little Rai was in the hospital with pneumonia for one week in February, which is really rough for a guy who still only weighs 20.9 pounds. We're hoping he feels better now and are sending our long distance hugs and kisses!
Back Home
For a while after the baby shower, Rai's room looked like Toys R Us blew up, but it is finally starting to come together. My friend, Heather, and I went on one last shopping spree and wiped off most of the registry, so this weekend is the weekend to finish up the room and baby-proof the house! I have to admit that it is a strange feeling to see diaper caddies and itty-bitty socks around the house. Speaking of baby socks, I've never had so much fun folding laundry! We have no idea what size shoe or socks Rai wears, but the 6-12 mo socks are SO little! Considering Rai weighs less than 21 pounds, they may just fit, but I bought one size larger just in case.
As for the two of us, the flu bug finally hit our house, so we've nearly lost a week. I was sick with the flu and bronchitis from Saturday through Wednesday, and although I feel better, my voice hasn't returned. (Not that Aaron is complaining...) Aaron just knew he wouldn't get sick even though our family doctor prescribed him flu medication to be on the safe side. Luckily, I talked him into taking it earlier this week because he came home sick from work today. Poor guy. At least we'll be over this before we travel. Poor Rai can't get sick again so soon. :-(
I think that sums up everything so far. I'll post pictures next week when Rai's room is finished and we're all feeling a little better!
Rai's Emigration Permit (EP) was submitted on February 11th and was approved only 6 days later on February 17th. I am still in shock since we were originally told 3-4 weeks for approvals (but hoped for 2 weeks). This is WONDERFUL NEWS!
A Little Backed Up on the US-Side of Things
The US-side of the adoption process has put us through an emotional roller-coaster. As you recall, the Dallas Adoption Immigration Office (USCIS) went at a snail's pace and their change of offices didn't help either. Rai's I600 application was approved on February 17th (same day as EP) BUT that approval sat on someone's desk until Monday morning. UGH! Normally, USCIS would mail (or better yet email) the approval to the National Visa Center (NVC) to be logged in and logged back out, nearly finishing the US-side of things. When NVC hadn't logged in Rai's I600 approval last Friday, the operator asked that I verify when USCIS sent the approval. First thing Monday, USCIS emails a reply stating that they only send out approvals every few days, but it was sent March 2nd (the day they received my email, of course). Luckily, another adoptive mom learned that NVC will allow adoptive parents to email their I600 approvals for faster processing. I emailed ours on Wednesday and will keep our fingers crossed until they respond with updates.
To make a long story short...
As soon as NVC logs in and logs out Rai's I600 approval, we can begin calling the last office (DC) to receive updates on the final steps: Packet 3 (sent to Korean agency), Visa Interview, Visa Issued, Travel Call! (Actually, Holt makes the Travel Call but you get the drift...)
Updates on Rai
Poor little Rai was in the hospital with pneumonia for one week in February, which is really rough for a guy who still only weighs 20.9 pounds. We're hoping he feels better now and are sending our long distance hugs and kisses!
Back Home
For a while after the baby shower, Rai's room looked like Toys R Us blew up, but it is finally starting to come together. My friend, Heather, and I went on one last shopping spree and wiped off most of the registry, so this weekend is the weekend to finish up the room and baby-proof the house! I have to admit that it is a strange feeling to see diaper caddies and itty-bitty socks around the house. Speaking of baby socks, I've never had so much fun folding laundry! We have no idea what size shoe or socks Rai wears, but the 6-12 mo socks are SO little! Considering Rai weighs less than 21 pounds, they may just fit, but I bought one size larger just in case.
As for the two of us, the flu bug finally hit our house, so we've nearly lost a week. I was sick with the flu and bronchitis from Saturday through Wednesday, and although I feel better, my voice hasn't returned. (Not that Aaron is complaining...) Aaron just knew he wouldn't get sick even though our family doctor prescribed him flu medication to be on the safe side. Luckily, I talked him into taking it earlier this week because he came home sick from work today. Poor guy. At least we'll be over this before we travel. Poor Rai can't get sick again so soon. :-(
I think that sums up everything so far. I'll post pictures next week when Rai's room is finished and we're all feeling a little better!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Baby Shower (Rai Day)
Saturday was the long awaited baby shower, or "Rai Day" as Aaron called it. We had a wonerful time visiting, eating, playing non-pregnancy-related baby shower games, and opening gifts. Thank you Mili and Biju for planning such a fun event and thank you to everyone who took part in this special day!
Here are a few pictures:
I'm not sure how we fit 29 people into our living room, but so far no one is sitting on the floor.
Let the games begin!
John & Sean's turn to play "I have never..."
Biju's Homemade Panda Cake
Opening Gifts (The silly, stacked hats only gets worse...)
Expert Baby Shower Planners: Mili & Biju
Here are a few pictures:
I'm not sure how we fit 29 people into our living room, but so far no one is sitting on the floor.
Let the games begin!
John & Sean's turn to play "I have never..."
Biju's Homemade Panda Cake
Opening Gifts (The silly, stacked hats only gets worse...)
Expert Baby Shower Planners: Mili & Biju
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
APPROVED I600! APPROVED I600!
WOOHOOOO!!!!!
Rai's I600 (petition to classify us as Rai's legal guardians) was approved Feb. 17th! We even got his legal paperwork back! I am still flustered that there are Dallas-area moms who still are pulling teeth to get their I600 paperwork processed, but I am so glad to hear that things were not nearly as backed up due to the move as we all thought they were. (I hope everyone else's approvals come in soon!)
The next step on the US-side is the NVC (National Visa Center) log in and log out to get Rai's Visa ready! From the Holt Bulletin Board, it looks as though most moms wait a week before they begin calling for a status. In the meantime, our process on the Korea-side is still moving along. Although the expected wait is another 2-3 weeks, many moms have been receiving their approvals 1 week earlier. (It's looking good for a possible Spring Break trip!)
Rai's I600 (petition to classify us as Rai's legal guardians) was approved Feb. 17th! We even got his legal paperwork back! I am still flustered that there are Dallas-area moms who still are pulling teeth to get their I600 paperwork processed, but I am so glad to hear that things were not nearly as backed up due to the move as we all thought they were. (I hope everyone else's approvals come in soon!)
The next step on the US-side is the NVC (National Visa Center) log in and log out to get Rai's Visa ready! From the Holt Bulletin Board, it looks as though most moms wait a week before they begin calling for a status. In the meantime, our process on the Korea-side is still moving along. Although the expected wait is another 2-3 weeks, many moms have been receiving their approvals 1 week earlier. (It's looking good for a possible Spring Break trip!)
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Stalking the mailbox this week!
In between grading 80 reports, I checked my email and double surprises!
USCIS Update
We received an email today which states that both the I600A and I600 applications were processed and mailed! I assume they were approved, so this is GREAT NEWS for possible quick travel! Now, I will be stalking the mailbox every day this week until our documented approval comes through. THEN, we can begin calling for statuses on the process. This means I'll be a bag of nerves nearly every day (and going to-do list crazy) until we travel.
Medical Update
Rai's February Well Baby Clinic indicated that he is now: 20.9 lbs, 29.9 inches (2'6"), has 8 teeth (4 on top and 4 on bottom), and walks alone! Everything looks great! We're also fairly certain that the agency received his care package before his WBC, so he should have received his package by February 2nd. It sends chills down my spine to think that he's staring at our picture and thinking, "Who are these people?!"
So it is still possible to travel by Spring Break if we are receiving the I600/I600A approvals and the Emigration Permit is processed as scheduled. Hopefully, the right columns will fill in quickly over the next few weeks and our new family picture will be posted before you know it.
This weekend is the big baby shower. I'm so thankful to our wonderful friends for planning this, and we can't wait to see everyone and share the updates thus far. I promise to update the blog by Sunday with pictures as well.
Have a wonderful week and check back soon!
USCIS Update
We received an email today which states that both the I600A and I600 applications were processed and mailed! I assume they were approved, so this is GREAT NEWS for possible quick travel! Now, I will be stalking the mailbox every day this week until our documented approval comes through. THEN, we can begin calling for statuses on the process. This means I'll be a bag of nerves nearly every day (and going to-do list crazy) until we travel.
Medical Update
Rai's February Well Baby Clinic indicated that he is now: 20.9 lbs, 29.9 inches (2'6"), has 8 teeth (4 on top and 4 on bottom), and walks alone! Everything looks great! We're also fairly certain that the agency received his care package before his WBC, so he should have received his package by February 2nd. It sends chills down my spine to think that he's staring at our picture and thinking, "Who are these people?!"
So it is still possible to travel by Spring Break if we are receiving the I600/I600A approvals and the Emigration Permit is processed as scheduled. Hopefully, the right columns will fill in quickly over the next few weeks and our new family picture will be posted before you know it.
This weekend is the big baby shower. I'm so thankful to our wonderful friends for planning this, and we can't wait to see everyone and share the updates thus far. I promise to update the blog by Sunday with pictures as well.
Have a wonderful week and check back soon!
Friday, February 13, 2009
EP Submitted!
Any day now, we should be receiving updates from Rai's well baby check appointment (from early February). In the meantime, we a little more news...
Yesterday afternoon, we received an email stating that Rai's EP (Emigration Permit) was submitted on February 11th and should be approved in 3-4 weeks. This is great news!
Here are the steps left in a nutshell:
US-side:
1. I-600A/I-600 Approval (USCIS)
2. NVC (National Visa Center) checked in and checked out to issue Rai a US visa
Korea-side:
1. EP (Emigration Permit) issued - gives Rai permission to leave Korea for the purpose of being adopted
2. Travel Certificate issued - like a passport but only one way
3. Visa Physical Exam
4. P3 (Packet 3) - paperwork sent from Embassy to US agency to obtain paperwork for Visa Issue
Once both sides are completed, Rai's visa is issued and then he is ready to travel!
Based on the "formula" created by an adoptive mom on the Holt BB, we could potentially travel as early as March 18 (if a miracle happens at USCIS and the I600 is approved quickly). If our I600 approval is delayed, we're looking at April 2nd or 9th. If USCIS loses our paperwork then it's a different story. :-)
Since I have my doubts about the speed of the I600 processing, I contacted the USCIS office this morning and hope to have a better idea by next week. There is an Asian Studies conference in Chicago in late March I would love to attend, but I'd much rather be in South Korea earlier if that's possible. If not, the conference will be a nice distraction.
As a side note, there are four other families on the Holt BB who received the same email notification on the same day. Although travel times vary considerably, it would be nice to meet some of these families while we are in Korea. Everyone has been so supportive and helpful in explaining this crazy process to us!
Yesterday afternoon, we received an email stating that Rai's EP (Emigration Permit) was submitted on February 11th and should be approved in 3-4 weeks. This is great news!
Here are the steps left in a nutshell:
US-side:
1. I-600A/I-600 Approval (USCIS)
2. NVC (National Visa Center) checked in and checked out to issue Rai a US visa
Korea-side:
1. EP (Emigration Permit) issued - gives Rai permission to leave Korea for the purpose of being adopted
2. Travel Certificate issued - like a passport but only one way
3. Visa Physical Exam
4. P3 (Packet 3) - paperwork sent from Embassy to US agency to obtain paperwork for Visa Issue
Once both sides are completed, Rai's visa is issued and then he is ready to travel!
Based on the "formula" created by an adoptive mom on the Holt BB, we could potentially travel as early as March 18 (if a miracle happens at USCIS and the I600 is approved quickly). If our I600 approval is delayed, we're looking at April 2nd or 9th. If USCIS loses our paperwork then it's a different story. :-)
Since I have my doubts about the speed of the I600 processing, I contacted the USCIS office this morning and hope to have a better idea by next week. There is an Asian Studies conference in Chicago in late March I would love to attend, but I'd much rather be in South Korea earlier if that's possible. If not, the conference will be a nice distraction.
As a side note, there are four other families on the Holt BB who received the same email notification on the same day. Although travel times vary considerably, it would be nice to meet some of these families while we are in Korea. Everyone has been so supportive and helpful in explaining this crazy process to us!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
One baby step closer...
Fingerprinting
At 12:04pm today, we finally received our letter for fingerprinting. YAY! I'm not sure if it was the I600A application (received in December) that they just began processing or the I600 application (with letter explaining or lack of updates since December) that moved things along, but I'm relieved! Hopefully, our fingerprints will be processed quickly so that we can get through his immigration paperwork and meet Rai already! :-)
It did bring a smile to my face to read that an adoptive mom on the Holt Bulletin Board received her I600 approval only 1 1/2 weeks after fingerprinting. She had also submitted their I600 and I600A together, so I'm hoping the efficiency of her USCIS office will rub off on ours! http://www.holtintl.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=91958
Rai's Room Update
Our project for last weekend was the fan for Rai's room. Aaron normally doesn't like to make any decisions, so I picked out a fan that I liked the last time we went to Lowe's. Then we received a Lowe's $10 off coupon, which was definitely a sign. :-) Well, as it turns out, Aaron wasn't impressed with the fan I had picked out and really liked another fan with palm-like blades. As I told our social worker, when Aaron does make a decision, it's hard to talk him out of it. :-) But what really tickled me was the $40 price difference in our picks. For once, Aaron's pick was $40 MORE than mine. haha So we got the palm fan and went home. To make a long story slightly less long, the fan looks great, but the globe is a bit dark and doesn't allow much light to pass through. We just laughed it off and decided that Rai doesn't need to have bright lights after sun-down anyway. It does look good in the room, though.
Biking in Woodbridge
Our neighborhood has several great walking trails, so I dragged Aaron away from his computer on Sunday for a bike ride. Aaron's bike must have felt the same as him because the tire and tube blew out before we approached the end of the block. Luckily, BikeMarts are not only open on Sundays but have double the staff as USCIS (haha), and I had a new tire and tube within an hour. It really was pretty outside. It also got us thinking about how nice it will be to ride as a slightly larger family in a few months.
Updates on other family members
My mom had minor surgery on her sinuses on Wednesday. In the recovery room, I read her the tips and warnings page to keep her awake and nearly feel out of my chair when I got to the following recommendation:
- Avoid being hit in the nose or face
What?! Isn't this a no-brainer of anyone regardless of having surgery? It just so happens that they were referring to being around small children. Ah! It's just another thing you don't think about until you have a child with arms. :-)
At 12:04pm today, we finally received our letter for fingerprinting. YAY! I'm not sure if it was the I600A application (received in December) that they just began processing or the I600 application (with letter explaining or lack of updates since December) that moved things along, but I'm relieved! Hopefully, our fingerprints will be processed quickly so that we can get through his immigration paperwork and meet Rai already! :-)
It did bring a smile to my face to read that an adoptive mom on the Holt Bulletin Board received her I600 approval only 1 1/2 weeks after fingerprinting. She had also submitted their I600 and I600A together, so I'm hoping the efficiency of her USCIS office will rub off on ours! http://www.holtintl.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=91958
Rai's Room Update
Our project for last weekend was the fan for Rai's room. Aaron normally doesn't like to make any decisions, so I picked out a fan that I liked the last time we went to Lowe's. Then we received a Lowe's $10 off coupon, which was definitely a sign. :-) Well, as it turns out, Aaron wasn't impressed with the fan I had picked out and really liked another fan with palm-like blades. As I told our social worker, when Aaron does make a decision, it's hard to talk him out of it. :-) But what really tickled me was the $40 price difference in our picks. For once, Aaron's pick was $40 MORE than mine. haha So we got the palm fan and went home. To make a long story slightly less long, the fan looks great, but the globe is a bit dark and doesn't allow much light to pass through. We just laughed it off and decided that Rai doesn't need to have bright lights after sun-down anyway. It does look good in the room, though.
Biking in Woodbridge
Our neighborhood has several great walking trails, so I dragged Aaron away from his computer on Sunday for a bike ride. Aaron's bike must have felt the same as him because the tire and tube blew out before we approached the end of the block. Luckily, BikeMarts are not only open on Sundays but have double the staff as USCIS (haha), and I had a new tire and tube within an hour. It really was pretty outside. It also got us thinking about how nice it will be to ride as a slightly larger family in a few months.
Updates on other family members
My mom had minor surgery on her sinuses on Wednesday. In the recovery room, I read her the tips and warnings page to keep her awake and nearly feel out of my chair when I got to the following recommendation:
- Avoid being hit in the nose or face
What?! Isn't this a no-brainer of anyone regardless of having surgery? It just so happens that they were referring to being around small children. Ah! It's just another thing you don't think about until you have a child with arms. :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)