Doing the HAPPY DANCE!

To most, they have no idea what LOA or Letter Seeking Committment means. To those in the adoption world it means the final ok, and it is so coveteted!! It means that the adoption is real and is finally really moving forward. It is an important document. It is your approval from China.

We received our LOA today, on DAY 103!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Notice the excitement)Today we received an email from my our agency, FOI, that our LOA arrived at their office this morning, and that we should have it in our hot little hands by Monday!

So, this is the last piece of paperwork that we have to sign. We just check the Agree to adopt box, an sign our names. It goes back to FOI, and then gets forwarded on to China, along with one very much the same from the Ontario Ministry.

The next and final step is TA.... which means Travel Approval! This can happen anywhere between 2 to 5 weeks after the LOA/LSC is sent back. Which means, we are so close to getting Aidan!!!!!!!!!!!

We expect travel will be in about 8 weeks. We are looking at about the first week of August. It is so surreal to think that we are almost there!

Travel will be exciting and interesting. Dan will not be travelling to China to get Aidan. Things are just too complicated with the clinic, and we are not able to have locum asssistance this summer. So, we have more paperwork to do with respect to wills, powers of Attorney etc.. that the Chinese government will require before travel. But, Aidan will be home soon!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, everything else pales in comparison!

The Century Club!

Well, we made it! The century club. It has been 100 days since we sent in our letter of intent. It is the "point" when usually families are getting ready to travel. Can you feel it? The excitement and the terror!? That is how we are feeling these days... So excited about Aidan coming and at the same time terrified! We found out that he is now walking, and is still the strong quiet type! He is drinking juice from a sippy cup and is still enjoying bottles. He is doing great! But, we are going to have to start baby proofing now!

To our friends, in the club with us, Let's hope it is not for long! For those waiting for LOA's, let's hope you don't join the club! :)

Wait, What?

This is so how I am feeling these days. Had my first "day off" in a while yesterday, and only went to the office 3 times! We need to learn to slow it down a little bit in respect to work. It is keeping our mind off of the wait, but is not helping us health wise! I went out for a girls night out last night to relax, but was left feeling a little dazed and confused and out of the loop. Does everyone feel this way when the get towards the 100 day mark? Wait, what? 100 days... sheesh..... We are actually on day 98, but who's counting?

I am sure like many families out there, the frustration has set in a little bit. It looks like travel will be in August, (which is where the Wait, what? came in as our LOA's didn't arrive this week.) The pile on the directors desk must have been huge, and our group suspects that ours was at the bottom! We were secretly hoping that the LOA fairies would have been on our side and we would have them in our hot little hands this week. No go.

Our group of 7 have been emailing and calling our agency often, which profoundly always leads to more questions and the Wait, what? comes in. I think Bob, our agency contact will start drinking heavily if the group doesn't get LOA's soon... as in Monday or Tuesday!