Pictures

Here are a few pics of the little guy.  Not too happy!  We'll all get there eventually.  Did I mention lack of sleep makes your brain work slowly?  Wow, it's been a long time since the Jenna days...

On the ground in Fuzhou

After more than 24 hours in airports or planes, we've arrived in Fuzhou.  A very, very long day.  It is currently 11:15 a.m. local time, and we meet Will in approximately 4 hours.  Panic would set in, but we are too tired for panic.  :)   I would offer insight, or at least observation, about Fuzhou, but we are too tired for that, too.  For now, we are here.  We are safe.  We are hungry.  And we are excited about meeting Will.   A reminder that we are posting to the blog via email and cannot read comments.  If you wish to send us a message (and we hope that you do) please do so to either gregbeth2004@yahoo.com or to gregbeth@cebridge.net.  Please do not comment on the creativity of our email account names..    Our next post will be all about meeting Will.  I promise that it will be more informative. Greg

Away We Go!!!

This is it - the final post stateside. We leave for the airport in just a few minutes....and can't believe it!! 2 big suitcases, 2 carryons, and 2 backpacks. Man.

One thing has made the day difficult, my dad had a heart attack this morning. It was not severe, and he is ok after having 2 stents put into his arteries. We'll miss you dad!! I joked that he was just trying to get out of taking care of Jenna for a week. Hopefully our little energizer bunny won't complicate his recovery. They have a very special relationship, so I know she'll keep PopPop's spirits up.

I want to thank everyone who has wished us well on this trip. It means so much to know we have friends and family looking out for us!! We hope to post from Fuzhou, including some pictures.

Off to China we go.........

The final week

Here we have reached the final week of preparations. Are we done? Not by a long shot. It seems like there is way more stuff to worry about this time around. Our entire load of travel gear (minus clothing) is spread out on the dining room table. How is it all going into the suitcases exactly??

One piece of good news - we received our updated approval for a special needs child from USCIS. Truly amazing - they got it back to us within a few days! Who says a gov. agency can't move when they want to! It is a huge relief, because we won't have to worry about our consulate appt. in Guangzhou on the 5th.

Jenna got a very special gift from Auntie Ruth - a Big Sister necklace that she just loves! A big thank you to Ruth - we love you! We ordered a personalized Big Sis t-shirt for her to wear when she meets us at the airport, and she was very excited. Now if we could just carry that excitement over to get us through our first week back home.....

10 days and counting.....

So we got our documents to our local USCIS office - hopefully they will expedite the process so Will can get a visa for his return trip to the US!

My anxiety level has definitely stepped up a notch. I have lists and more lists - things to do before trip, things still to buy, things to pack....endless. I think I'll feel better once I'm on the plane, but wow, that is still down the road a bit. Oh, and luggage. We'll definitely have to pay for too much weight and/or too many bags. Some people do this trip with carry ons only - are you kidding me? I don't WANT to wear the same pair of underwear every single day! LOL

Yet another hurdle....

Let's throw one more curve ball into the mix, shall we? The American Consulate in Guangzhou (our last stop before coming home) has decided NOT to accept any homestudy updates from parents. It can only come from US Citizenship and Immigration - where we got our fingerprints and original approval to adopt an orphan. What does this mean? Our social worker had to be very specific about Will's special needs in the update, and we have to get a copy to our local USCIS office, so they can enter it into the system, where it will hopefully end up at the Consulate - sometime before our Aug. 5th appt.!!!

How crazy is that?? I feel like I should be getting paid for the circus hoops I have jumped through.

On a happier note, when we arrive in Fuzhou on Sun. 7/26 at 9:30am, we have only a few short hours until we meet our son! That's right - jet lag and all, we will be a family at 3:30 that day. That is seriously overwhelming, since we will be zombies later in the day.... I predict lots of crying from everyone.

WE HAVE TA!!!!!

We finally got our TA on Friday!!!!

I was hoping it would come in, but when it didn't come on Thursday, I was a serious grump all day....then voila....it arrived. The agency has to confirm our appointment with the American Consulate, and then we would travel on Friday, 7/24. Just 3 weeks from now!

The clock is ticking, and this stuff is for real! We will meet our son by the end of the month. I can hardly wrap my brain around it.