Time to go!

The letter of invitation has been processed, the "number" is in the "system" and my Visa has been processed and in the Fedex box waiting to be delivered to me tomorrow morning! I am finally going! I leave tomorrow night and arrive in Kazakhstan Wednesday, then am hopefully off to meet my little on on Thursday! I am excited, apprehensive, and and happy. This is going to be quite a week!

Finally!

Finally, after 7 trips to the Ministry of Education by my coordinator, my Letter of Invitation has finally been signed! I am tentatively scheduled to leave this weekend, but that is dependant on getting my Visa in time! I am excited, nervous, happy...all at the same time!

WAITING IS HARD!

So Little One, it is Thursday and our Letter of Invitation has not yet been signed! Poor Dina is going every day to try and get a signature, but it is not working! Libby calls me every morning and tells me the bad news and I know i need to wait another 24 hours to know our plans. I am trying to be patient, but it is hard. It is hard for Annika , to, who runs out of school every day and asks did Libby call? WE have just gone into this mode of existence that involves waiting for 10 AM every day hoping for good news. I had hoped to see you next week, but it looks like we'll be waiting a little longer.

Love,

Mommy

New Things

Hi there, Little One, we are getting closer to meeting! Libby says we will get my Letter of Invitation next week. I think I am supposed to wait for her to call me, but I cannot see how I can wait much past Monday morning to wait for her call! I am just too excited. I'll have to call her Monday morning after our morning meeting! I am going to fill out my Visa application this weekend so we can be ready to send it off as soon as we get the LOI.

Annika and I went shopping to night and bought you some very cute clothes....little brown pants and a pink ruffle sweater! I have no idea how old you are or how big your, but I am bringing a few things in different sizes. I got you socks and onesies, a teething toy, a crab rattle, and a few other things. Annika was a big help choosing everything. She can't wait to see your picture!

2009

Well, Little One, as 2009 ends, I know we are getting close to being together! 2009 was a good year, but it was a long year waiting for you. I really thought you would be home by now. We are ready for you! I am ready to be your mommy! I am almost ready to come to Kazakhstan. I have finished your second dossier, I have been to the travel clinic and gotten all my shots and vaccines, I have bought everything I need to travel (I think) and I have gotten all my work for convention done early so I can come and meet you. Now I just need to be invited to travel. I call Libby every week and ask her "is it time yet and she tells me not yet...but soon!

Your sister is ready too! Everywhere we go she tells everyone she is going to be a big sister. She can't wait to hold you, to help you with your bottle and to play with you. She is disappointed she is not coming to Kazakhstan with me to meet you. but she has begun to understand that this may be for the best. She just can't wait until your home. She tells me that as soon as i leave for Kazakhstan she will become a big sister!

So you can see, we are very excited to have you home, are waiting very IMPATIENTLY, and have big plans for when you arrive home! As I write this, you have already celebrated New Years in Kazakhstan! I think you may be too young to know it, but I still want to wish you a happy day!

We are so looking forward to seeing what 2010 has in store for us! I hope to see you soon little one!

Love,

Mommy

Changing the Blog to Private

I haven't had any firm news on travel yet, but on the advice of my coordinator, the blog will be private until after the baby comes home, just to be on the safe side. I would be glad to invite anyone who has been following to join us privately, so please let me know if you'd like to continue on the journey with us!

A Bit of Frustration

I am feeling discouraged. Since I began my dossier last October and finished it in February, some of my documents are a year old now. Because I will most likely travel in January/February, this means that I have to redo most of my dossier. Of course this is almost routine with adoptions from Kazakhstan, but the list is long and so is the wait! I try to be positive and keep the attitude that every step of the way takes me to the child who is meant to be mine, but when I saw the number of documents on the list yesterday, I just wanted to give up! That only lasted for a moment, but I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all.

On a positive note, I am pretty much ready to travel. I have my packing list ready to go, I have my warm winter coat, and yesterday, my awesome boots were delivered. Except for my documents and plane tickets, I could be out the door in a few hours!

So frustrated and disheartened as I am, I went back to the computer and re-started my documents, and soon I'll be off to the notary! When I called my doctor about re-doing my physical form, it turns out he's so busy with flu patients, he doesn't even need to see me! I just need to send the form over with the traveling notary and he will complete it for me. I hope it all goes this smoothly!