Travel Plans

We've got our itinerary and tickets!  Here's the scoop:

-We depart Friday, 4/3 and arrive in Hanoi late Sunday night 4/4

BOSTON to JFK to Seoul, Korea to HANOI (25 hours of travel)

-leave Hanoi late at night 4/16 and arrive back home Fri. evening 4/17

HAN to SEOUL to CHICAGO to PROVIDENCE (19 hours of travel)

We anticipate having Beatrice in our arms on 4/6 or 4/7, but we won't know that for sure until next week.  It may be later, but should at least be the same week.   

So, in the next 6 days we have to pack, have a travel meeting with our pediatrician, make appointments for when we return, fill the oil tank, pay bills ahead, do the official paperwork for my leave of absence, vacuum the cars, clean the house, get a haircut, go over "house stuff" with my sister who is dog-sitting while we're gone, bring down and clean the car seats and toys that have been waiting in the attic for far too long, and TRY to stay healthy and get some sleep, which has eluded me the past 2 nights. I know I should get it while I can, but right now my brain is on overdrive!

Yup, THE EMAIL has finally come!

Hanoi Adoptions Unit 
United States Embassy Vietnam

Dear Mr./ Mrs. Foronda:

Greetings from the Hanoi Adoptions Unit at US Embassy Hanoi.

As you can see in the attachment, based on a preliminary determination of orphan status by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service you are now authorized to travel to Vietnam to complete the adoption of N*** M*** H***.

March Madness

There's really nothing to say, but blogging about Beatrice reminds me that she really exists and makes me feel like there's at least something I can do. Today marks Day 51 since acknowledgment came from the US embassy, and that letter stated that "most cases will be processed within 60 days." Of course, in times when it goes beyond, they conveniently tell people that they meant 60 WORKING days, which doesn't come for us until, gulp, April 15th. No cases in her province have gone more than 60 days in ages and none have ever been denied, so we have no idea what the holdup is. Our agency has contacted the USCIS office in DC and they're supposedly looking into it, so we'll see what, if anything, next week brings. Beatrice is nearing ten months old. What we've missed in her life could fill several books and reduce me to tears if given more than two seconds pondering; instead, I'm trying to focus on the benefits of bringing home an older infant/near-toddler. Here's the list...

-shortened bottle cleaning time
-less formula expense
-less diaper expense
-better sleeping habits (in theory)
-less big equipment (swing, jumperoo, plastic tub, etc.)
-less teething time (?)
-stronger immune system (?)

My quest to stay positive is more successful some days/moments than others.

9 months old

New photos arrived yesterday.  Our girl looks strong, healthy, and alert.  Thank God.  My prayers are always for that first, and getting her home second.  

That's My Name!

I know I should stop buying stuff until she's home, but I have to fill my time somehow!  I couldn't resist this "letter tee."  I wanted to get every size they had so she'd always have one, but I settled on just the 2T for now.  Now Beatrice can just point to her chest when someone asks her what her name is...