Letter of Acceptance

I fedexed the Letter of Acceptance today. This is what China sends to us approving us to adopt Amelia. We’re one step closer!!!!!!! Hopefully I will travel soon.

Adoption "Shower"

Surprise! An adoption shower for our daughter by the pathology department! We received so many wonderful gifts. Everyone was so gracious and we really appreciate everything. Amelia is loved by so many people.

Addendum

We received the I-171 extension today. Still, we need to do the addendum. What can I say? 好事多磨。

My Trip to China

I got a email from USCIS Sacramento with regard to my I-171 extension. It's going to be mailed to me the end of this week. I keep my fingers crossed.

I know my trip is a long way off, but I wanted to get ready. I keep telling myself: Don't get too excited! It will be a while!

Waiting

It's been four weeks since we mailed the Agreement of Placement. It's hard to wait. I started packing, one suitcase for Amelia, and one suitcase for mom - me.

Test of Faith

I suppose it would really be too much to ask to just be able to get excited about my trip to China ....every day actually is bringing new stress....and new tests of faith.

For the past month or so, I have been fearful of the fact that in China they are still coming on to every plane and taking every passenger's temperature. If you are within 3 rows of anyone with a temperature, you get quarantined for 7 days while they see if you have the swine flu. This has happened to at least two adoptive families that I know of...probably more. Anyway, yesterday it was announced that China would be relaxing its policies regarding the quarantine. Not that the possibility is totally eliminated, but....a least less threatening. That was a big boost to ease some stress about the trip....

Then yesterday, I learned that the US consulate is implementing a new policy. The following is the extent of what the policy is:

Information regarding Home Study AddendumsPlease note: if there have been any major changes to the adopting parents’ circumstances since the most recent I-600A approval, or if the child to be adopted does not meet the criteria as shown on the current I-600A approval notice (for example, they were approved for a healthy child but are now adopting a special needs child, or they were approved for a child under 18 months and are adopting a four-year old), the parents must contact USCIS for an updated I-600A approval notice. Failure to ensure a valid I-600A approval prior to travel could lead to significant delays in issuance of the child’s visa.
Let me tell you what that means. In most cases, before a person is able to adopt internationally they must get pre-approval from the U.S. Citizens and Immigration Service (USCIS). This is the agency that deals with immigration issues (and we all know how messed up that system is....just to give you some background with where I am going with this).

The pre-approval form is the I-600a. You go through a process of a home study, fingerprinting, criminal background checks, etc. etc....when you have all that paperwork together you submit it along with the I-600a. The USCIS then determines whether you are 'qualified' to adopt a child from abroad. You have to get this pre-qualification before you can send your request to China to be matched with a child. The pre-qualification only lasts 18 months. If you don't finalize an adoption within those 18 months, you either have to file a renewal or start the process over.
Well, since China is taking so long in getting 'healthy' infants placed with families, I am renewing a second pre-approval. I was matched with wonderful Amelia!

So, I have to do what is called an addendum. A social worker has to review your info, and the things that have changed and write an addition to your home study. OK. No big deal. Done. Well, in the past, when you had to have an addendum, you could just take that hard copy to China, present it to the consulate and they would process your adoption application based on your pre-approval, plus this new information that still includes a recommendation for you to adopt, but just that the circumstances have changed a little.

Now, all of a sudden, like as of this week, you can't just show up with your addendum. According to the consulate, now you have to get your pre-approval updated with the addendum information. In other words, I have to send it back to the USCIS office here in the US, have them approve it, then they send it to the National Visa Center, then the National Visa Center send the information that you have been pre-approved on to the consulate in Guangzhou. Well, all that would be great....except that process could take anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months!

I am beyond concerned.

Our Daughter

Amelia (Lu Anhong 陆安红) was abandoned at the gate of Social Welfare Institute of Liu’an City, Anhui on Jan.28, 2008. She has black hair, ptosis of left upper eyelid, and esotropia of left eye. The police failed to find the birth parents and then sent her to the orphanage. Based on physical examination, the estimated date of birth was Feb. 1, 2004.

She was named Lu Anhong. “Lu” is the partial tone of “Liu” in “Liu’an”; “Anhong” implies that her life would be full of ease and happiness.

Anhong is 5 years old now. She is fairly extroverted. All the teachers in the kindergarten like her. She enjoys dancing. When hearing music, she would twist her body and dance. She also enjoys drawing pictures, and often uses her watercolor pen drawing pictures on paper. Though she is still not good at drawing, but she is very earnest. She also puts away toys after playing. Kids in the orphanage like her very much. She is able to count from 1 to 100, without any help. She is also able to tell simple stories, though not the whole story sometimes.