What Now?

Many people have been asking what our next step will be in the adoption process. Unfortunately, it is WAITING.:( Here is what we have to wait for:
1. Documents from Estonia
When we receive these we can then file our I-800 with USCIS.
2. Approval from USCIS
When we get this form we send it back to Estonia.
3. A court date for the adoption
When we get this, we pack up and go to Estonia for 2-3 weeks. While we are there we will have Andreas with us, but we will still be waiting for his paperwork so that we can legally bring him home.

Please pray for us! This is going to be the hardest part. Now that we have had him with us, it is amazingly hard to be away from him!! I am thankful that we got to spend time at his orphanage. I know he is loved and adored by his caretakers and older brothers. I know he is well fed, that he is clean and dry and warm. He is quite happy and content. So I can't really worry about him.

Please don't think for a minute that he is better off there, though. He had a small taste of having a Daddy and he LOVED it!! He also loved being held and cuddled for as long as he needed/wanted to be. It is hard to know how much he understands, but I am convinced that he knew he couldn't have us and his "home" at the orphanage. As excited as he was to return to his comfort zone, he was still sad to leave us.

To cope with the waiting, I have a list of things to keep me busy. Wanna see it?
1. I am knitting a shawl for the caregiver we spent the most time with. She loves those boys so much!! She deserves something special.
2. I will have to knit pretty scarves/shawls for the other 3 caregivers who most likely love the boys just as much.
3. Re-read Our Own, a great book on older child adoption.
4. Check out and possibly join a yahoo group for parents of Ds kids.
5. Find a few good books about Down syndrome.
6. Check into the school programs that will be available to us once we get Andreas home.

That ought to keep me occupied when I am not homeschooling or transporting kids. Thank the Lord, I have four great kids at home to keep me busy!