We have TWENTY-THREE days until we leave!
I suspect that will be a fast 23 days, given all that I have to do in that short time period.
By the time we meet Katie Ruth, it will have been 267 days since we started the adoption process. 267 days during which she had NO. IDEA. that a whole bunch of Americans were working so, so hard to get her home to her family. I cannot wait to get to see her!
I thought I would explain a little about this process, for those who do not know how it will work. Katie's country requires three trips before we can bring her home. Yes, I'm serious. We will go for our first trip, have some official meetings about her where we will learn about things like her available medical history, how long she's been in the orphanage, why she's there (um, duh. She has Down syndrome.), and things like that. We will have the opportunity to ask questions we may have about her, and I have plenty. Like, four typed sheets plenty. I see this as the only opportunity we will have to get the information from the people who have cared for her - I need to take the opportunity when I've got it. After all of that, we will get to the real reason we'll be there - meeting Katie and spending time with her. We will visit with her in the orphanage as much as they will allow. At the end of the week, we will come home, and Katie will stay there. And that, my friends, will be difficult.
We will make a second trip to her country to have our court hearing. That will be a hearing in which we will literally present to the court, in a foreign country, why we should be Katie's parents. Why we should be allowed to raise this child. To tell about the opportunities she will have here - for love, for education, for therapies and medical attention, for a family. And hopefully the judges will agree and will rule in our favor. At that point, we will legally be Katie's parents. And will come home, and Katie will stay there. And that, my friends, I suspect will be nearly impossible.
After our court date we will come back home and wait. There is a mandatory waiting period after the hearing, and when that has expired we will go back and get our girl.
Things could go quickly after our first trip, as our court dossier has already been sent to her country and translated. This should speed things up. Or, because international adoption is less predictable than the lottery, it could be a long time until we get to go back. I am so, so hopeful that's not the case.
So, now we prepare for our first trip. Our fabulous trip to meet our little girl. . .
I thought I would explain a little about this process, for those who do not know how it will work. Katie's country requires three trips before we can bring her home. Yes, I'm serious. We will go for our first trip, have some official meetings about her where we will learn about things like her available medical history, how long she's been in the orphanage, why she's there (um, duh. She has Down syndrome.), and things like that. We will have the opportunity to ask questions we may have about her, and I have plenty. Like, four typed sheets plenty. I see this as the only opportunity we will have to get the information from the people who have cared for her - I need to take the opportunity when I've got it. After all of that, we will get to the real reason we'll be there - meeting Katie and spending time with her. We will visit with her in the orphanage as much as they will allow. At the end of the week, we will come home, and Katie will stay there. And that, my friends, will be difficult.
We will make a second trip to her country to have our court hearing. That will be a hearing in which we will literally present to the court, in a foreign country, why we should be Katie's parents. Why we should be allowed to raise this child. To tell about the opportunities she will have here - for love, for education, for therapies and medical attention, for a family. And hopefully the judges will agree and will rule in our favor. At that point, we will legally be Katie's parents. And will come home, and Katie will stay there. And that, my friends, I suspect will be nearly impossible.
After our court date we will come back home and wait. There is a mandatory waiting period after the hearing, and when that has expired we will go back and get our girl.
Things could go quickly after our first trip, as our court dossier has already been sent to her country and translated. This should speed things up. Or, because international adoption is less predictable than the lottery, it could be a long time until we get to go back. I am so, so hopeful that's not the case.
So, now we prepare for our first trip. Our fabulous trip to meet our little girl. . .
Tickets? Purchased.
Visa Applications? Getting sent today.
Packing? Will start tonight.
Cold weather clothes? Notsomuch.
We live in the South y'all! Stores are selling swimsuits and beach hats now. . . Here's hoping a department store has some warm-ish clothes left!
Happy Thursday!
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