LOA!!!!

Thursday afternoon I received the best e-mail of my life- our LOA arrived at our agency, 68 days after we received pre-approval  to adopt Ben!  Our agency told us to expect 90-120 days, but (unfortunately for my psyche last week) I realized via a Facebook group I joined and the popular China adoption "Rumor Queen" website that lately these have been coming in much faster. After weeks of obsessing other people's "stats", I realized last week that there was a chance ours may come that week.  All week I checked my e-mail hourly (even though my phone beeps when I have an e-mail..) and checked the Facebook group about every 20 minutes to see who had received theirs.

By Wednesday I was a mess.  Instead of thinking, "well, ours should be here soon.."  I kept thinking, "There is something wrong with our paperwork. No, our paperwork is lost. We will wait for 120 days.  No, we made a mistake.  No, THEY made a mistake. Maybe someone else is adopting Ben. This is never going to happen."  Everyday began and ended with a backache, headache, neck ache.  I couldn't sleep but was exhausted all day.  I thought I was going to lose my mind.

Then Thursday, at about 2:00p.m., an e-mail with the subject line:"Your LOA is HERE!!!!!"  I broke down into crazy sobs, and now, well, I feel like a million dollars! We are going to Ch*na in about 2 months, most likely in December! Knock on wood, we will home before Christmas!  I feel like someone has opened all the windows in my life and fresh air is filling my house.

So our hard copy LOA, actually called a "Letter Seeking Confirmation" arrived by FedEx yesterday, which we signed, confirming that yes, we would like to adopt Min Yong, and FedExed back to our agency with several other papers, including our I-800 application which they will hopefully FedEx to USCIS Monday.

SO, what's left in the next 2+ months?

1) The US Center for Immigration Services has to approve our I-800, or "Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative." This is immigration's approval to consider Ben our son.  He will be a U.S. citizen on entering U.S. soil. 

2) The approval is sent to the National Visa Center, who cables the approval to the consulate in Ch*na.

3) Our Article 5 letter is generated at the consulate, picked up by our agency's courier, and delivered to the government agency in Ch*na who handles all Ch*na adoptions.

4) Ch*na issues us Travel Approval.

5) We request a consulate appointment.  The appointment will take place at the end of our trip, so that date will determine when we travel.

In the meantime we may start making out some packing lists!