getting closer

I won’t confuse you with all the terms and abbreviations; I’ll just say we’re getting closer. We have more paperwork out of the way and are now counting down weeks instead of months. How many? We’re still not sure and there really isn’t any time frame we can go by until we actually get a phone call telling us when Parker’s flight will be. We are currently waiting for 2 major things to happen; Parker’s visa physical then his visa interview. No, he’s not actually going to be at an interview. Once his visa application is filled out and he has his physical, the Embassy will go over everything to make sure all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. If everything is in order he will be issued his visa and be ready to travel. We are having him escorted so our agency will have to line up and escort and once that is done he will be on his way home. We are hoping that all of this will go quickly but are prepared for it to possibly be 4-6 weeks, or longer.

8 month check up

I can't believe it, Parker is 8 months old! He had his WBC a couple of weeks ago and he's doing great. Parker is 19 lbs, has 4 teeth and right where he should be developmentally. He is pulling himself up and walking while holding onto furniture!


We are moving right along with paperwork too. As far as I can tell there are only a couple more things that have to happen before we get a phone call telling us that our son will be coming home to us. Hopefully not too much longer.

I600!

Ethan emailed the USCIS this afternoon to check the status of our I600, which is the form we’ve been waiting on for approval from the US. We have been approved!!! This is a big step in the right direction.

We are still waiting for Parker to have his Visa Physical and Visa Interview so Korea can approve him for his emigration permit. That all can happen at anytime now, let’s hope it is soon and all goes well.

8 weeks...

If Parker comes home today, it will take approximately 8 weeks for him to bond with us. According to some experts on adoption it takes one week to bond for every month a child has been alive. Contrary to what some people may think, the hard part of this adoption is not just the waiting...that is just the beginning. After Parker is home, there is going to be a whole new and different set of ‘issues’ for us to deal with. I think the bonding is going to be the biggest of the issues, but there is also the possibility of his grieving the loss of his foster family, and of course the 13 hour time difference. I’m not saying that any of this will happen; it’s just a possibility. Some families are fortunate and are able to bond very quickly and have minimal issues. People that become parents through birth have bonding from the very beginning with the mother bonding for 9 months prior to birth, then bonding through breastfeeding and so on. With Parker, we don’t have the 9 months before birth to bond, and we haven’t had the 8 months to bond for the 8 months he’s been alive; he has bonded with his foster family. Don’t get me wrong, I admire the people that become foster families. I’m sure it is just as hard on them when they hand over that baby to their forever family; I know I couldn’t do it. It takes a very special person to raise a baby for 8+ months, watching that baby grow and learn then having to say good bye.

So, basically I’m praying that Parker is home soon, as 8 weeks is already too long.