It takes them two full weeks to process, and so on February 14 we will officially start waiting for our Travel Approval.
And be that much closer to seeing this...
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Cabled!
I know 90% of you have no idea what that means, but basically our paperwork has now been emailed to the US Consulate in China. They are still closed for Chinese New Year, but when they re-open their offices, our agency can deliver TaoTao's file for processing. Never mind that they got an email. They want that and a hard copy, plus a bunch of other paperwork. Yes, more red tape.
It takes them two full weeks to process, and so on February 14 we will officially start waiting for our Travel Approval.
And be that much closer to seeing this...
It takes them two full weeks to process, and so on February 14 we will officially start waiting for our Travel Approval.
And be that much closer to seeing this...
Saturday, January 21, 2012
An Update from China!
Chinese New Year starts on Monday, and one of the best traditions associated with that holiday is to finish up all your work before the holiday starts. They clean their homes top to bottom, finish any projects that need to be done, and clean their desks of paperwork. Kind of like an annual re-boot. (I have tried to adopt this CNY tradition in my own home with minimal success, but I'm going to keep trying.)
Anyway, our agency requested an update on Jack Yintao the first week of January. I had high hopes for an update this week because of CNY and everyone finishing their to-do lists, but yesterday morning there wasn't one in my inbox, and it was already the weekend in China. Boo.
I headed to Tara's house with the kids to start dinner for our own CNY celebration, and when I got there she said Tim wanted me to call him right away. I called, and he excitedly told me that we had an update. With a smile!
Of course, no smile for the first one. This boy does not warm up quickly to a camera. Plus, if you look closely, he has a big ole bruise on the left side of his forehead (your left, not his).
But then he got moving around, and a little grin peeked out.
And then a big smile for the last one. It's a little blurry, but I'm so glad to see it.
My first thought was that he has grown sooo much in five months! I checked the new measurements they sent, and sure enough, he is up from 18 lbs. in August to 22 lbs. He is almost to the 25th percentile, which is where my other two boys have been since they started walking - Woohoo! He has also gotten taller, going from 28.7 in. to 29.8. I really look forward to feeding this boy up.
We still can't tell much about his left ear, but the outer ear looks like it's in good shape.
All in all, it's a good update. He is growing, he looks happy, and he has a warm coat with a hood for winter. Good stuff.
Now can I get on the plane?
Anyway, our agency requested an update on Jack Yintao the first week of January. I had high hopes for an update this week because of CNY and everyone finishing their to-do lists, but yesterday morning there wasn't one in my inbox, and it was already the weekend in China. Boo.
I headed to Tara's house with the kids to start dinner for our own CNY celebration, and when I got there she said Tim wanted me to call him right away. I called, and he excitedly told me that we had an update. With a smile!
Of course, no smile for the first one. This boy does not warm up quickly to a camera. Plus, if you look closely, he has a big ole bruise on the left side of his forehead (your left, not his).
But then he got moving around, and a little grin peeked out.
And then a big smile for the last one. It's a little blurry, but I'm so glad to see it.
My first thought was that he has grown sooo much in five months! I checked the new measurements they sent, and sure enough, he is up from 18 lbs. in August to 22 lbs. He is almost to the 25th percentile, which is where my other two boys have been since they started walking - Woohoo! He has also gotten taller, going from 28.7 in. to 29.8. I really look forward to feeding this boy up.We still can't tell much about his left ear, but the outer ear looks like it's in good shape.
All in all, it's a good update. He is growing, he looks happy, and he has a warm coat with a hood for winter. Good stuff.
Now can I get on the plane?
Friday, January 20, 2012
The Name Game, Part 3
Remember the Name Game that we played back in November? And then again a few days later?
Well, we finally have one.
Drum roll, please...
Jack Yintao
The name "Jack" has always been at the top of our list. It is a nickname for "John", which is a name we love. But we already have 179 Johns in the family. (OK, maybe not that many, but I can think of 6 without trying even a little.) Most notably, Tim's middle name is John, so it was one of the first names we thought of. But honestly, we felt it would be a little confusing since another of the Johns is a major part of our lives, and he actually goes by that name (Hi, Dad!). So, we chose to alter it a little, and go with Jack.
And of course, we are keeping Yin Tao as his middle name. We chose to combine it into one word, Yintao, to make it easier. We live in a world where forms only have space for one middle name:)
We have been playing with the name for awhile now - "Jack Yintao, clean up your room," "Jack TaoTao, come give me a hug," "Jack Tao, come in for dinner." (Do all parents do this weird exercise of listening to what the name sounds like in different tones of voice, or is it just us?)
So there you have it. And we also got a little surprise tonight from our agency. I will leave you with a sneak peak of the first smile we have seen out of him.
You'll just have to come back later to see the rest of it.
Well, we finally have one.
Drum roll, please...
Jack Yintao
The name "Jack" has always been at the top of our list. It is a nickname for "John", which is a name we love. But we already have 179 Johns in the family. (OK, maybe not that many, but I can think of 6 without trying even a little.) Most notably, Tim's middle name is John, so it was one of the first names we thought of. But honestly, we felt it would be a little confusing since another of the Johns is a major part of our lives, and he actually goes by that name (Hi, Dad!). So, we chose to alter it a little, and go with Jack.
And of course, we are keeping Yin Tao as his middle name. We chose to combine it into one word, Yintao, to make it easier. We live in a world where forms only have space for one middle name:)
We have been playing with the name for awhile now - "Jack Yintao, clean up your room," "Jack TaoTao, come give me a hug," "Jack Tao, come in for dinner." (Do all parents do this weird exercise of listening to what the name sounds like in different tones of voice, or is it just us?)
So there you have it. And we also got a little surprise tonight from our agency. I will leave you with a sneak peak of the first smile we have seen out of him.
You'll just have to come back later to see the rest of it.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Better
I called USCIS this morning to ask if my file had been approved or not. The nice lady who answered the phone tried to transfer me to my officer, but I told her no, I would rather she check my status. She did, and then congratulated me, saying that our file was provisionally approved yesterday. Relief:)
Later, I turned on my computer and found an email from Ann at Red Thread. I had ordered a Chinese New Year's care package for Yin Tao, and she sent me pictures of the package. You can see candies for the nannies, a letter from us, a thumb drive for them to load any pictures of Yin Tao, a photograph of our family, a Spring Festival card, and a toy phone for him to play with.
We know from last time that Suzhou SWI doesn't actually allow the children to have any of the toys or other items until the day they go to Nanjing to meet us, so there wasn't much point in putting in a lot of toys and clothes. Much of the package is just to send good will to the staff, hoping to remind them who we are and who Kate NaNa is.
She said it should be delivered in the next couple of days. She is also going to try to get an update for us with photos. We have requested updates through three different sources - Ann at Red Thread, an American volunteer at the orphanage, and our agency. Anybody wanna take bets on who gets one first?
Anyway, these two things, along with some other good news, warmed my heart today.
Can I get on the plane yet?
Later, I turned on my computer and found an email from Ann at Red Thread. I had ordered a Chinese New Year's care package for Yin Tao, and she sent me pictures of the package. You can see candies for the nannies, a letter from us, a thumb drive for them to load any pictures of Yin Tao, a photograph of our family, a Spring Festival card, and a toy phone for him to play with.
We know from last time that Suzhou SWI doesn't actually allow the children to have any of the toys or other items until the day they go to Nanjing to meet us, so there wasn't much point in putting in a lot of toys and clothes. Much of the package is just to send good will to the staff, hoping to remind them who we are and who Kate NaNa is.
She said it should be delivered in the next couple of days. She is also going to try to get an update for us with photos. We have requested updates through three different sources - Ann at Red Thread, an American volunteer at the orphanage, and our agency. Anybody wanna take bets on who gets one first?
Anyway, these two things, along with some other good news, warmed my heart today.
Can I get on the plane yet?
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Bummed
As far as I can tell, at some point the post office lost our paperwork that left our hands, headed for Texas on December 23. It finally showed up at its destination on January 5. Thirteen days later. Then they had to ship it to Missouri.
I have tried to follow up with the USCIS to see if they have since processed our paperwork. Usually the officers are very nice. Our officer totally blew me off and told me she would notify me by mail. She has not answered subsequent communication. After she someday approves my file, she will then mail it to New Hampshire, where they have to approve our file again.
Because of the delay, there is no earthly way we will get our paperwork to the US consulate in China before Chinese New Year. Did you know that our consulates close for US holidays and foreign ones? Which means our paperwork will have been delayed for 4 holidays, one of which closes everything down for a week. That totals 8 business days where nothing is happening.
My goal at this point is to have it ready to be delivered to the consulate the day they open back up. Unless my file gets lost in the mail for thirteen days again. Don't laugh. It could happen. That last trip is all the way to China.
Sigh.
On the bright side, this total screw up bought us two extra weeks to decide on Yin Tao's name. It's a good thing, since that particular document with the new name needs to be mailed to China tomorrow, and we still don't have a name.
Sigh.
Stay tuned...
I have tried to follow up with the USCIS to see if they have since processed our paperwork. Usually the officers are very nice. Our officer totally blew me off and told me she would notify me by mail. She has not answered subsequent communication. After she someday approves my file, she will then mail it to New Hampshire, where they have to approve our file again.
Because of the delay, there is no earthly way we will get our paperwork to the US consulate in China before Chinese New Year. Did you know that our consulates close for US holidays and foreign ones? Which means our paperwork will have been delayed for 4 holidays, one of which closes everything down for a week. That totals 8 business days where nothing is happening.
My goal at this point is to have it ready to be delivered to the consulate the day they open back up. Unless my file gets lost in the mail for thirteen days again. Don't laugh. It could happen. That last trip is all the way to China.
Sigh.
On the bright side, this total screw up bought us two extra weeks to decide on Yin Tao's name. It's a good thing, since that particular document with the new name needs to be mailed to China tomorrow, and we still don't have a name.
Sigh.
Stay tuned...
Friday, January 13, 2012
Christmas Piano Recital
A few weeks before Christmas, Ben got an Unidentified Virus. It was not a big deal, but I felt like I should cancel his piano lesson for that week. When his teacher answered she said that we should really reschedule his lesson since his recital was next week.
Ummm, what? What recital?
She said that she had told Ben, and that he has been memorizing a couple of pieces since the fall.
(Further proof that I don't pay nearly enough attention.)
I asked Ben about this, to which he responded, "Oh, yeah. Didn't you know about that?"
Uh, no Ben, even though I claim to read your mind, I really don't know stuff like this unless you tell me.
And so began the week of 1-2 hour practicing every day to learn and memorize two pieces that he should have been actually practicing diligently months before.
The night before the recital, he finally got to the point he could play them without mistakes, but memorizing them without mistakes would have required more hours in the day than we had. Regardless, he performed them, sans sheet music.
So, for the grandparents and other relatives, here are "Oh, Come All Ye Faithful" and "Joy to the World."
Ummm, what? What recital?
She said that she had told Ben, and that he has been memorizing a couple of pieces since the fall.
(Further proof that I don't pay nearly enough attention.)
I asked Ben about this, to which he responded, "Oh, yeah. Didn't you know about that?"
Uh, no Ben, even though I claim to read your mind, I really don't know stuff like this unless you tell me.
And so began the week of 1-2 hour practicing every day to learn and memorize two pieces that he should have been actually practicing diligently months before.
The night before the recital, he finally got to the point he could play them without mistakes, but memorizing them without mistakes would have required more hours in the day than we had. Regardless, he performed them, sans sheet music.
So, for the grandparents and other relatives, here are "Oh, Come All Ye Faithful" and "Joy to the World."
Friday, January 6, 2012
Update, Post-LOA
I have a list of things I want to post about here (mostly Christmas related -recitals, programs, family events) but between having a bug at our house and the general busy-ness of the season, it hasn't happened.
However, I realized that I haven't posted in a long time, so I thought I would put out a quick update on the adoption.
You ready?
Nada.
That's it. I've got nothing. We sent in our I800 to the USCIS two weeks ago, and we are still waiting for receipt and approval. Normally I would've already called, but there were two major holidays stuck in there, so I figure there is a backlog. Actually, I know there is one because I keep up with the charts of how long this is currently taking and we are still 6 days under average. I plan to call them on Monday if I don't know anything by then.
After we get approval, that USCIS office (NBC) will forward that on to another USCIS office (NVC), where another letter will be issued, and then they will forward their letter on the the US consulate in Guangzhou. Two weeks later the consulate's letter of approval will be issued to the Chinese authorities, who will then issue a travel approval (TA).
Do you get the impression there is much redundancy in these steps? Government beauracracy at its finest, I tell ya.
We had our travel meeting with our agency yesterday. Travel Guy thinks we will travel in mid-April, but he also thinks it will take 5 weeks for China to issue our TA. On the other hand, I happen to know TAs are coming in at about 2 weeks right now, which would shave our travel down to the last week of March, which is what I am hoping for. He also says that mid-April to early May is a terrible time to travel because of the trade fairs in Guangzhou drive the prices up 2x as high, so he said if we get TA earlier then we can go earlier.
The kids spring break is that first week of April, so they would only have to miss seven days of school if we travel then. And it would be cheaper. Cheaper is good.
Unless of course they want us to wait for other families to travel. If that is the case I will scream and cry, but ultimately I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. We travel when they tell us to.
On the plus side, he gave us a list of forms to complete so that when the those steps come up we will already have them in hand. I would rather have something to do than this mindless checking of Rumor Queen every 3 minutes.
However, I realized that I haven't posted in a long time, so I thought I would put out a quick update on the adoption.
You ready?
Nada.
That's it. I've got nothing. We sent in our I800 to the USCIS two weeks ago, and we are still waiting for receipt and approval. Normally I would've already called, but there were two major holidays stuck in there, so I figure there is a backlog. Actually, I know there is one because I keep up with the charts of how long this is currently taking and we are still 6 days under average. I plan to call them on Monday if I don't know anything by then.
After we get approval, that USCIS office (NBC) will forward that on to another USCIS office (NVC), where another letter will be issued, and then they will forward their letter on the the US consulate in Guangzhou. Two weeks later the consulate's letter of approval will be issued to the Chinese authorities, who will then issue a travel approval (TA).
Do you get the impression there is much redundancy in these steps? Government beauracracy at its finest, I tell ya.
We had our travel meeting with our agency yesterday. Travel Guy thinks we will travel in mid-April, but he also thinks it will take 5 weeks for China to issue our TA. On the other hand, I happen to know TAs are coming in at about 2 weeks right now, which would shave our travel down to the last week of March, which is what I am hoping for. He also says that mid-April to early May is a terrible time to travel because of the trade fairs in Guangzhou drive the prices up 2x as high, so he said if we get TA earlier then we can go earlier.
The kids spring break is that first week of April, so they would only have to miss seven days of school if we travel then. And it would be cheaper. Cheaper is good.
Unless of course they want us to wait for other families to travel. If that is the case I will scream and cry, but ultimately I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. We travel when they tell us to.
On the plus side, he gave us a list of forms to complete so that when the those steps come up we will already have them in hand. I would rather have something to do than this mindless checking of Rumor Queen every 3 minutes.
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