As we wait

We're waiting on one last important phone call.  A call that will let us know we're ready to travel again, for the last time, to get our little guy and attend our appointment with the US Embassy to get his Visa.

I've had a ton of questions lately about this so I'll try to lay it out as clearly as possible, remembering all the while that we're dealing with the government of a third world country.

Feb. 14:  Attend court in ET.  There was missing paperwork and his birth mother wasn't there because of a holiday mix-up.  She went on the 16th.

Feb. 28:  Passed court!  Now the 3-6 week wait begins.  (Should have begun 2 weeks ago when we were there.  This was heartbreaking because we're wanting to have him in our arms SO bad!)

We're waiting on him to get his birth certificate, his Ethiopian passport, go for his Visa medical exam, and then our paperwork is submitted to the US Embassy.  They have been asking for more, extra documentation lately that they have never requested before.  This is taking longer for families to pass on to get their Embassy appointment.  It's taken families anywhere from 2-6 weeks to receive this call.  We really just have no idea.  Please pray they do not request anything else from our agency.

I hope all of this makes sense.  If I had it my way...ha, yeah right...I'd like to be traveling around Spring Break.  I'd have a few days at home to get everything ready and spend my birthday with my little man.  I doubt it works out that beautifully, but we'll see.  I just hate that it's been almost a month since we've been with him and we should be much closer to having him in our arms forever than we really are.  I know that in the grand scheme of life, two weeks is a drop in the bucket.  But when it's my baby we're talking about, an extra two weeks feels like an eternity.  I just have to keep reminding myself that I serve a steadfast and sovereign God.  He is in control and knows the plan.

Luckily, there have been a few families who have traveled lately and others who are about to travel...all taking pictures for us!!  Here are a few moments of sweetness...

Through the bars of his crib...sweet dreams.

Check out the haircut.  I almost cried when I noticed.  

No one called me to authorize the cutting of my baby's hair!

Don't worry.  He's not really big enough to pull up.  He was far from being able to do this when we were there a few weeks ago.  I think the nanny propped him up like this.  :)