Es schneit in Alabama! Da seht ihr Dada und Toti gehn kurz einkaufen. Hier wenn es ein bisschen schon schneit steht die ganze Stadt auf'm Kopf, vieles hat zu und Menschen muessen nicht in die Arbeit gehn, und Kinder nicht in die Schule. Drum waren wir heute, ein Freitag, zu Hause und haben uns ausgeruht und ein bisschen abgespannt. Jalen had sogar, wie schon laenger nicht mehr, ein 2-stuendigen Mittagsschlaf gemacht.
Tasting a snowflake. [Toti probiert wie Schnee schmeckt.]
Well, it is a problem now, and I knew it, and I should've known better, and I should've listened to my better judgement ..... and now I hate that I was right .... and have to fix something at the last minute ... one month before tentative travel. This is one stress I was trying to avoid, hence even being proactive about our fingerprints. They would've expired March 19, our visa appointment would be March 18. So I didn't want to risk it. I like taking care of stuff in advance so as to not stress about it at the last minute. However,
The problem now is: our new I-171H lists us as being approved for one girl 0-48 months. Well, this is a problem and if not fixed, we could be in Ethiopia sitting in front of the Visa Officer telling us that we came all this way for nothing because we cannot take Hanna home because she was older than 48 months at the time of referral. She was 50 months ... 4 yrs and 2 months. Our homestudy approved us for a little girl 0-4 years ..... we were thrilled when we received Hanna's referral, but after a few weeks once my excitement wore off a little and I returned to my rational common-sense self, I got to thinking and inquired from our agency if I needed to possibly change our paperwork since Hanna was older than 4 years at the time of our referral. Back then when I still had plenty of time to get this done and wait around on even the slowest people at homestudy office/ICPC/USCIS to get our paperwork done, I was told not to worry about it. Now I have to worry about it and get it done, and hope that everything comes back right in just a month. Yesterday our social worker updated our homestudy to show approval way beyond 50 months so that our Hanna's age at time of referral falls within our age range. I was truly grateful she took care of this so quickly even though I still don't have it in my hands, and it has to go through ICPC before it even gets sent to USCIS. This is completely wearing me out, and stressing me out because now I don't know if all of this will get done in time for us to leave mid March.
So, in conclusion, I don't know how all of this will ultimately play out .... but even though I don't wanna acknowledge it, there is a real chance that if I don't get the 'right' I-171H in time, we won't be able to leave mid March and pick up Hanna. So we wait some more. Hanna waits some more ..... watching all her friends leave the HOH one by one wondering whether she's been forgotten .... I'm hoping this is not the case and that she's happy and unaware of the time passing by and .... this might sound selfish and some of you may not like it .... I hope that all her friends don't get to leave that soon, so she still has some familiar faces to play with. I swear to God, I could cry every day if I'd let myself. I have seen people pass court and leaving to get their precious bundles or about to get their precious bundles, having received a referral after us ..... and us .... still here .... not even sure if we can even go mid March. I'm happy for those families because I know how they must feel, but at the same time I'm mad wondering ... why not us too? So I keep it together the best I can knowing that I need to function and keep on keeping on for my son's and husband's sake, for my job's sake, etc..... but noone - unless you're an adoptive parent - really knows the agonies, fears, anxieties you're going through ... and even if I attemted to tell anyone, whose not an AP, about how I feel (and believe me I tried) they wouldn't get it .... they just don't get it .... and only upset me with unnecessary, insensitive, and even down-right stupid comments or questions .... which I'm tired of answering!!! (I know generally people mean well and try to be understanding and think they know ... but to be honest, they have no idea. And that's just how it is - unless, you've been through an adoption process already.)
Can you tell I'm frustrated? I needed to vent .... thank God for Blogland!!!
Please keep us in your thoughts and pray for us that everything will work out fine and we can go pick up our Hanna mid March.
In adoption news, nothing new to report other than still waiting to hear something in regard to whether we can travel mid March or not. We received the new I-171H in the mail reflecting our new fingerprint expiration date, but my happiness about this was only short-lived as I soon realized a problem which I meant to fix back in Nov/Dec '09, but was told not to and that it wouldn't be a problem.
Well, it is a problem now, and I knew it, and I should've known better, and I should've listened to my better judgement ..... and now I hate that I was right .... and have to fix something at the last minute ... one month before tentative travel. This is one stress I was trying to avoid, hence even being proactive about our fingerprints. They would've expired March 19, our visa appointment would be March 18. So I didn't want to risk it. I like taking care of stuff in advance so as to not stress about it at the last minute. However,
The problem now is: our new I-171H lists us as being approved for one girl 0-48 months. Well, this is a problem and if not fixed, we could be in Ethiopia sitting in front of the Visa Officer telling us that we came all this way for nothing because we cannot take Hanna home because she was older than 48 months at the time of referral. She was 50 months ... 4 yrs and 2 months. Our homestudy approved us for a little girl 0-4 years ..... we were thrilled when we received Hanna's referral, but after a few weeks once my excitement wore off a little and I returned to my rational common-sense self, I got to thinking and inquired from our agency if I needed to possibly change our paperwork since Hanna was older than 4 years at the time of our referral. Back then when I still had plenty of time to get this done and wait around on even the slowest people at homestudy office/ICPC/USCIS to get our paperwork done, I was told not to worry about it. Now I have to worry about it and get it done, and hope that everything comes back right in just a month. Yesterday our social worker updated our homestudy to show approval way beyond 50 months so that our Hanna's age at time of referral falls within our age range. I was truly grateful she took care of this so quickly even though I still don't have it in my hands, and it has to go through ICPC before it even gets sent to USCIS. This is completely wearing me out, and stressing me out because now I don't know if all of this will get done in time for us to leave mid March.
So, in conclusion, I don't know how all of this will ultimately play out .... but even though I don't wanna acknowledge it, there is a real chance that if I don't get the 'right' I-171H in time, we won't be able to leave mid March and pick up Hanna. So we wait some more. Hanna waits some more ..... watching all her friends leave the HOH one by one wondering whether she's been forgotten .... I'm hoping this is not the case and that she's happy and unaware of the time passing by and .... this might sound selfish and some of you may not like it .... I hope that all her friends don't get to leave that soon, so she still has some familiar faces to play with. I swear to God, I could cry every day if I'd let myself. I have seen people pass court and leaving to get their precious bundles or about to get their precious bundles, having received a referral after us ..... and us .... still here .... not even sure if we can even go mid March. I'm happy for those families because I know how they must feel, but at the same time I'm mad wondering ... why not us too? So I keep it together the best I can knowing that I need to function and keep on keeping on for my son's and husband's sake, for my job's sake, etc..... but noone - unless you're an adoptive parent - really knows the agonies, fears, anxieties you're going through ... and even if I attemted to tell anyone, whose not an AP, about how I feel (and believe me I tried) they wouldn't get it .... they just don't get it .... and only upset me with unnecessary, insensitive, and even down-right stupid comments or questions .... which I'm tired of answering!!! (I know generally people mean well and try to be understanding and think they know ... but to be honest, they have no idea. And that's just how it is - unless, you've been through an adoption process already.)
Can you tell I'm frustrated? I needed to vent .... thank God for Blogland!!!
Please keep us in your thoughts and pray for us that everything will work out fine and we can go pick up our Hanna mid March.
5 comments:
Oh, Alida!!! I'm so sorry...I had no idea you were going through this!!!!!! (((HUGS!!!)) to all of you.....it will work out!!
Alida.....my heart is just aching for you! We are almost complete on our HS update/171h extension. Navigating this paperwork mess is exhausting, stressful and understandably NOT what you want to be dealing with right now. Now you have to spend the time "working the phones" to get that update processed. Good luck juggling it all and don't forget to breathe......sending you hugs!
Tegan
I'm sorry about this, Alida. Things will work out. Just work through it, like I know you will, and you'll have everything you need in time. I'm here if you need to vent.
I'm sorry Alida. I know exactly how u feel though. It is quite a dichotomy; youre so happy children are being placed with forever families; but you're so frustrated that it's not you. ESPECIALLY since your referral came first. I think it's normal feelings. It will work out and we will all be in ETH March 15th meeting our precious babes. We wil, we will, we will!
Praying for you here! I gotcha back girl! It will all be a memory soon. Seriously!
Post a Comment