a little progress

I have progress to report at last!! Our Provisional Approval for the I-800 form AND our kids' passports finally arrived on Saturday. Our I-800 was only a few days later than average, but after so many things moving quickly, that felt like an eternity.

This means tomorrow I can do two things: apply for three visas and check with the NVC to see when they sent our Provisional Approval to GZ, China. It feels incredible to have something to do again. The "wait-and-do-nothing" times are really the hardest. Knowing that you can do absolutely nothing to get your child home faster is an awful, helpless feeling.

Everyone I've talked with in government processing has been polite and personable, but there's no way they can share the urgency I feel. It's sometimes hard for me to stay lighthearted and casual on the phone, knowing my child's life is limited by a folder of paperwork sitting on someone's desk, needing to move through a jammed system. Maybe it's pointless, but I haven't been able to resist attaching photos of Moses and the four of us to several forms... a silent plea for faces to be remembered amid the regulations.

One of my friends texted me the other day with a simple phrase, "Keep breathing!" She's adopted twice, so she knows the Lamaze of this process. It's seems basic enough, but I still forget. Breathe in, breathe out. Stay calm, and carry on.

I started making our clothing packing list today. It's going to be hot, and we might need to wash some laundry in the hotel room. I am drip drying a few shirts in the bathtub today, just seeing how long it takes sans Asian humidity.

The necklace supplies I ordered from ETSY have STILL not arrived. I've written them several times, and I contacted PayPal today. I hope they will let me know something soon so I don't have to file a dispute. The seller had five star ratings, but they've suddenly disappeared. Ugggh.

Today is Mother's Day. I'm thankful to have a mom and to be one. But I can't deny being a little sad, too. I wish Moses could be here. I heard that a friend of a friend had her 'gotcha' day today, though. So I am rejoicing that the adoption cycle keeps rolls along, and that days that seemed like they would never come do. I hope to stay caught in the current.

Our church 'needed' another adult in Kid's Community this morning, and I have to admit, it felt really good to be surrounded by 2-3 year olds. We put on weird plastic hats and butterfly wings, and we helped a plastic dolly that needed to go potty use the convertible VW bug roof as a toilet. That was amazing. It's such a beautiful age, where the line between reality and pretend matters very little. I really hope God's gift of imagination will sustain Moses somehow until we arrive.

The necklace giveaway closes at midnight tonight! Be sure and comment if you haven't already. And thanks for all of the reposts to facebook and blogs. I'm grateful.