Tentative date...

So the tentative encuentro date is April 18th (my birthday)!  What an amazing gift!  Today we got an email from the agency saying that it looks like April 18th might be the day we get to meet our daughter.  The day is not confirmed yet, but they wanted us to know that it might be that day or week.  We're hoping to hear more as this week progresses so we can get a confirmed travel date, buy our airline tickets, finalize our lodging in Bogota, and go get Mark's visa....HOOORRRAAYYY so exciting!

Nursery almost there...

Mark stayed home today and finished up the moulding in the nursery.  I headed out to buy new curtains and a quilt for tiny A.  We then had a family party so I was pleasantly surprised when I got home tonight and saw the nursery starting to look like Tiny A's room and not Alejandra's OLD room.  It made it so real to look and see these 2 rooms for our 2 girls...amazing!  We are so incredibly blessed to have these girls in our lives.

When we bought this house in 2007 one of the selling features was the Jack and Jill bathroom adjoining the two rooms.  Mark and I had already started planning our family back then.  But, to now really see this come true is just to awesome for words.  It is greater than I could have ever dreamed it!

New week tomorrow full of possibilities!  Could a travel date be in our future this week?  We'll have to wait and see!

Nesting

Just like pregnancy, adoption does have a "nesting" period.  Currently, this is where we are at.  Last weekend Mark and I cleaned out our closets.  We also got rid of all of the under 9 mos. clothing because we know we won't be needing that size for tiny A.  Mark painted the nursery (moulding goes up on Sunday).  I have been purchasing things like crazy!  We've had Amazon deliveries for about 5 days straight.  I bought wet bags, a headphone splitter, portable high chair, inflatable tub, travel utensils for the girls, and packing cubes.  Tonight we booked our apartment rental in Bogota with the best estimate of May 1st.  Thankfully we can adjust that date around.

 Abuelita and I will be doing some shopping of our own this next week for clothing to wear in Colombia.  We have a few other purchases that will have to wait until next weekend because I officially start spring break on Friday!  I'll be packing up a storm starting that following week.  I've got my packing list on my night stand and every night I add a few more things.  It sounds absolutely crazy to me that I'm packing without having an official travel date yet.  But, I am an obsessive packer.  It all has to be put in a pack-it cube or a plastic bag and labeled.  I mix the clothes in each bag up, just in case one gets lost.  I LOVE to pack actually and over spring break I will have enough time to do it slowly and methodically...just the way I like it.  Yes...I am over the top with this...I realize this about myself.

Off to bed....and probably no sleep.  Still having trouble getting to sleep.  Too much on my mind these days.  Thank goodness I can spot a glimpse of spring break from here!

"In a few weeks..."

So today we got a not so exciting email from our agency that said "Great news getting the receipt that the I800 was sent to Bogota.  Now we will wait to find out your travel date in a few weeks."  Not the timing we had planned, why have we not learned our lesson yet?  In adoption it is never the timing you think....some times it shorter and more often than not....LONGER. :(

I800 sent to US Embassy in Bogota

We got another great letter in the mail today!  Our approved I800 petition was sent to the US Embassy in Bogota last Wednesday!  We HOPE to hear something this week about a travel date!

We spoke with a man today that will rent us an apartment in Bogota for 5 weeks.  He has 5 units available for us and they are all pretty spacious.  I told him we are just waiting for a travel date and we'll get back with him.  We're excited to get more than 1 room to live in and we also will have someone to cook and clean for us...BONUS!

Debi

Nursery

So this weekend Mark decided to paint the nursery and it ready for tiny A.  He diligently prepped and then painted all day Saturday.  Today he went and bought the moulding for the chair rail so guess what is on tap for next weekend?  Painting and installing said moulding.  He loves to do this kind of thing so he is happy and a little sore....but mostly happy.  We are hoping for news from our agency this week regarding our travel date.

We've been checking out the flights and looks like we will fly American through Miami or Continental through Houston.  Hoping this week brings more news!

I800 Approved!

Today started out as a very sad day as we watched footage from afar of Japan.  It is absolutely devastating to see so many lives lost and families forever impacted by the earthquake and tsunami.  Our hearts were heavy this morning thinking about children that could have lost their parents today.

After a very busy day we came home to find a wonderful little blue and white envelope from USCIS (Department of Homeland Security).  Mark opened up the envelope and yelled "Good News Friday!"  We were approved by USCIS to bring our tiny A home...."HOOWAY" little Alejandra cheered!

So next we wait for USCIS to "cable" (who cables anymore?) the U.S. Embassy in Bogota and then they will issue a document called the Article 5.  Our agency in Colombia will pick up that Article 5 and then present it to ICBF so that they may set-up our "Entrega" date.  Looks like we are on track for the last week of April or first week in May.  Did we mention that April 28th is our "Gotcha Day" anniversary with Alejandra?  Pretty cool, isn't it?