So When do we Bring Jamesy Home & What's Next?

I think this is the question we have been asked the most since being officially declared Jamesy's parents on Tuesday (I love, love writing that!). I wish we knew exactly when we were going to travel to bring Jamesy home to his forever family, but I don't. What I do know is that our agency now is in the process of collecting documents and getting papers signed (MOWA is once again involved in this - UG.) and ready to submit to the US Embassy in Ethiopia. Our agency is permitted to submit paperwork to the US Embassy only on Wednesdays. Our travel coordinator told me to expect our paperwork to be ready to submit on Wednesday, February 23rd. However, I am praying that God would allow things to come together really quickly, so that we could be submitted on February 16th - this Wednesday. AWAA has not, at all, indicated this is even a possibility, but I am still praying and will manically be checking my email this Wednesday!

The US Embassy then typically takes 7-10 days to review all of the documents. Their role is to scrutinize everything to make sure that the adoption is legal both under Ethiopian and US law. After the documents are carefully checked and any orphan investigations take place that may need to take place are done, we will be notified with what available appointments the US Embassy has open for a visa interview for our family. (This is our final hurdle to bringing Jamesy into the US. As of right now we are his legal parents, irrevocably, in the eyes of Ethiopia, but US has to see us that way, too.) We will choose an appointment - most likely the soonest one available. Then we will fly to Ethiopia, pick up our son (!!!) and attend the visa interview before flying back home! This will most likely be a shorter trip - just a couple of days from what we understand.

So this is the timeline we are expecting. Realistically we will probably not be going back to Ethiopia until the first part of March, but this Mommy who is aching to get her hands back on her brown-eyed boy is desperately praying for the end of February. But in the meantime we have so much to do!! One of the last things Jim whispered to Jamesy (which we have on video, but it's probably too raw and emotional to share) was that we would not leave him as an orphan and that we were preparing his room. And we need to do that! I had a sweet friend give me a crib set that she used for one of her boys. I love it, and am so thankful for it. However, now I am having second thoughts. I kind of want to tie Jamesy's birth country into his room, and cannot do it with a trucks and cars theme. {grin} I had grand plans to buy fabric in Ethiopia and somehow sew a crib set - didn't happen. And now with limited funds..... I'm not really sure. I think we are going to at least paint an Acacia tree on his wall with paint we already have. We are thinking that on Valentine's day we will have our date in his room! Ha!

We also need to pick up some 12 month winter clothes. Scotty's 12 month clothes are all summer (so we are all set for the summer!), and with Jamesy's thin, African blood - they are not going to cut it in our frigid climate! I have a few that I picked up this summer, and I am keeping my eyes on ebay and thrift stores. I have been given oodles of baby leggings - that makes me so happy! Cannot wait to see those little chocolate legs all decked out! We also need a car seat and to figure out what bottle he is using at the Transition Home and what formula we are going to try him on. (Yes, he is 14 months next week, but for attachment and nutritional purposes we plan to bottle feed him another year). Fortunately Scotty and Jamesy are both in size 3 diapers! So this works wonderfully! I may just pick up a small package of size 4 for the trip home in case he has tummy troubles.

We are also expecting and praying that God will provide all of the finances for our second trip, as our well is now dry! I know He will, and honestly I am not the least bit worried. God has gotten us this far, and I know he will provide a way for us to bring our son home!

I feel like there is a lot to do, but I am really excited to have something to do as we wait to hear when we can travel. I cannot wait! I get nervous butterflies just thinking about how close it really is. I miss that darling boy like crazy, and am anxious to have all of my children under one roof! Typing that makes tears sting my eyes.

Until then .... staring at photos like this. {grin}