We are getting pretty far along in the process now. And while we impatiently waited during all the previous steps...looking back now, it seems as if the time has flown by! Audra already feels like a part of our daily life...
We talk about her everyday
We look at her pictures and watch the videos of her everyday
I have talked to our pediatrician about her
I have registered her for pre-school
I am noticing that I am faced with an unusual question quite often....sometimes from complete strangers, and sometimes from acquaintances.
"How many children do you have?"
While it seems simple, and I have answered this question a million times, it is different now...and it makes me stop and think.
My answer:
"Three...three at home and one waiting...no, FOUR!"
At which point people start to look down at my belly and congratulate me. Which then leads to a whole new conversation. And I'm okay with that. Because Audra IS my daughter. Maybe not legally just yet, but in my heart and mind...YES. I don't need a piece of paper to know or feel that.
I just received an email from our Immigrations Officer. Our I-800 was approved yesterday! This means that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has approved our petition to adopt Nan Qi Jia and for her to become a citizen of the USA!
Next Step: Apply for Audra's visa to enter the US. We have already submitted our visa applications for China. We sent everything...including our passports...to a courier who dropped it all off at the Chicago Chinese Consulate yesterday.
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