Today, we once again took a trip to be fingerprinted so we can get approval for our I-600A, which will turn into a I-171H once we are approved. This is the form that will allow us to bring an orphan into the U.S. Our fingerprints expire after 15 months, so let's hope we don't have to do this again. The hoops we have to jump through for our own government are crazy, but I know it will be worth it once Livi finally gets to come home.
Happy Easter everyone! It has been a long wait and I am hoping by next year Olivia will be home to celebrate Easter with us.
One of my friends got to meet her daughter, Melody, for the first time today. How exciting for Jamie, Steve and Melody!
I work with Melody's Aunt Lisa and she surprised me the other day with a poster to hang in my office during this long wait and a button to wear. I immediately hung the poster on my wall in my office. Thanks Lisa!
We have now been officially waiting for Olivia to come home for 23 months. I have no idea how much longer we will have to wait, but when she finally comes home I know every second of the wait will be worth it.
Unfortunately, our I-171H (the form that the U.S. Government makes us fill out to bring an orphan into the country) expired in November and we didn't get to renew it at that time. We finally received our homestudy update earlier this week, so today we mailed out the I-600A (along with a hefty check) to have our I-171H updated. Next, we have to head to either Cincinnati or Columbus to be re-fingerprinted. The bad part about all of this is that our fingerprints expire after 15 months and our I-171H expires in 18 months, so we will probably have to do this all again.
Yesterday referrals began to arrive for LID's beginning December 28, 2005-January 4, 2006. Thank goodness the CCAA has finally made it through 2005! There are now 92 LID's in front of us and if the CCAA continues to refer at least 8 days a month we have approximately 11 1/2 more months of waiting. But...we can always hope for a speed up.
Congratulations to all of the families who have finally seen their child's face for the first time.
