May WBC

We received Brandon's 9 month well baby check today! He is just over 18lbs and is 27 inches long! He is in the 10-25th percentile for weight and the 25-50th percentile for length.

In addition to the 2 bottom teeth he had last month, he now has 1 tooth on top! He is standing but not walking yet...we are sort of hoping that he can wait to take his first steps when until he gets here!

No more news on WHEN he will come home. If you could, please pray that it is soon!!!!

Never been so glad to be fingerprinted!

We just got home from the Omaha USCIS office where we were (finally) fingerprinted for our I-600! I have been waiting for this day for over a month and am so glad it is finally here. Now we just need to wait for the I-600 approval (I am told it will take 2-3 weeks). I am praying we are on the short side of that wait (or even a little earlier, 3 days would be nice! ha!).

So, after we get the I-600 approval then USCIS will send it to the National Visa Center (NVC) and we will be logged in and out of there. NVC will then send our approval to Korea!!! Please join me in praying for a quick processing of all of this, the sooner this gets to Korea the sooner this baby will be home in our arms!

We leave for Florida in 16 days!!! I can't believe it and I can't wait! So much to do between now and then but I know we will get it all done. The most trying of which is that I must get a bathing suit! Yikes! I don't think the people in Florida are ready for my pale self in a bathing suit on the beach! :)

Besides that nothing too much exciting around here, busy getting the house ready for Brandon and trying to get a garden planted. For those who know me, a garden is probably the last thing you would expect from me but I am trying to save some money, eat better,etc. and I figure a garden would be a good start!

We are almost finished decorating Brandon's room and I will post pictures once it's finished!

Update: I just got an email from Lisa at Holt with Brandon's 8 month check up! Woo hoo! He is "cute & fine" and is still pretty tiny! 27.2 inches long and 17.6 lbs!!! He has 2 lower teeth and is crawling and walks with holding! Ugh...I need him to be here with ME! I want to be there for all of this, I am missing so much in his little life, this is so hard!

An award and an update!

I just found out that I got a blog award, thanks Sunny Mom!!!



For this award you are supposed to list 7 random facts about yourself and pass it on to 7 other people. Since I'm not 100% certain 7 of you even have blogs, this should be interesting! :)

1. I am a mother without a child, my daughter Madelyn died in my arms in August of2006 and her death was the HARDEST thing I have ever been through in my life

2. I love my husband so much, he is so amazing! I couldn't have gotten through the past 2.5 years without him

3. I am married to a pastor; God has a sense of humor!

4. I have won $500 and a Wii from contests on the internet

5. Even though I hate writing my feelings down I have a blog

6. I miss living close to home and wish HERE was closer to THERE

7. I was a math major in college and worked as a systems engineer for 8 years until we moved to Nebraska. Now I only work 3 days/week at an insurance agency!

And now to pass on this prestigious award! :) And I do realize that there are only 4 of you but all the rest of my blog followers don't keep blogs! :)

Lauren @ The Holy Lands

Mary & James @ Heart and Seoul

Rach @ In His Hands

LuAnn @ Daily Grace & Mercy

Ok, now onto the update!

I have been a little stressed out because we hadn't heard from USCIS about our fingerprints. I emailed the Omaha USCIS office last night and heard back from someone before noon today. She informed me that our fingerprint date is May 4th! I freaked out a little at this point because that is almost an entire month away. I prayed (a lot) and tried to calm myself down. Well, God always has a way of reminding me that He is in control so not even an hour later I got an updated medical report for Brandon (his 7 month Well Baby Check)!!!!

He is doing really well and is on track, developmentally, for a 7 month old. He is 26.5 inches long and weighs 17 pounds. According to the US height/weight percentiles he is between the 10th and 25th percentiles for both! He's a tiny little guy and so stinking cute! The WBC says that he has 2 bottom teeth erupting and he is shy to strangers! I can't wait to love on him, he is just the most beautiful baby I have ever seen!

We just got the April monthly update from the Holt Korea program and they are moving along matching families in the regular program! As part of the update they defined some of the steps that need to happen before we get the much anticipated travel call so I thought I would share some of them here:

P3-The packet that Holt-Korea submits into the Embassy for the one way travel visa. This packet contains; I-600, I-864, birth/marriage/divorce certificates of adoptive parents, 1040, W2,legal document of child, vaccination certificate, visa physical examination, medical acceptance letter (if needed), photo of child and IR4.

VI-Visa Interview (there is not a actual visa interview with the child)

Visa Physical Exam-this is done once a month by an outside Doctor and is usually done after EP

NVC log-in-National Visa Center has received your approved I-600 from your local USCIS office and has logged into their system

NVC log-out-National Visa Center has sent your approved I-600 to the Embassy is Seoul

EP-Emigration Permit

I600-Holt-Korea does not need your approved I600 until the very last stage of the process (submitting your P3 into the Embassy). Your I600 will only have an effect on your travel time if one, you delay in filling once you receive your Legals, or two, if USCIS needs additional paperwork once you have submitted or if they are back logged therefore it takes them awhile to approve the form.

Whew! I know that's a lot but did you catch the last one???? "Holt-Korea does not need your approved I600 until the very last stage of the process" Praise God that the step I thought was THE ONE we were waiting on is actually not. There are other things taking place at the same time!

Praise God!