NEW PHOTOS :)

i had a lovely little surprise in my inbox today. what a perfect end to my day. we can't wait to meet and hug and love you forever miss stella! we are hoping for PINK next week sometime! prayers welcome!

fingerprints . . .

just got off the phone with KC USCIS . . . YAY! our fingerprint renewal was completed TODAY and will go out in the mail tomorrow! one less thing to worry about! i can't believe we will have our daughter in a matter of WEEKS.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand . . .

2nd dna - CHECK! stella's dna was taken last friday, feb 22. WOW. that was really FAST! any of you that know our story know that we have been trying to have a baby for the past 3 (almost 4) years. we have done more waiting than i care to even say. now that this process is coming to a close it feels like things are happening SO FAST! it's so odd. i can't believe it's really going to happen. i feel like i should be doing more to get ready. i feel like i should have more lists or more things to buy or more things to do?!?!?! i do need to work on another list of final things to buy for our trip. however, i'm not entirely sure what else i need?!?!?! i feel so unprepared for this entire thing?!?!?! is this normal? any other adoptive moms out there feel this way when it was almost time for pick-up? anyone have any suggestions of things they didn't take but wish they would've had or things they absolutely could not live without???? suggestions would be fabulous people!!!

NEWS!!!

we have ORANGE! our case worker emailed me from home today :) they don't know yet when the dna sample is scheduled to take place . . . but it should be early next week. hopefully we will get our pink slip (aka embassy appointment date / aka dates we have to be in Guatemala) in the next 2 weeks!!!!!! WOW!!!!!

and nothing . . .

we are having another ice storm today. it's cold and messy outside. i am SO ready for spring. no updates. we were told last week that our file was to be submitted to the Embassy early this week. it is now thursday and we know nothing. our agency is closed today due to the weather. i feel like we should've already had our orange slip by now?!?!?! it's been 2 weeks since the birth certificate was issued! i want to know what is going on?!?!?! AAAAAHHHHH.

2 more updates :

yesterday we drove up to Kansas City to have our fingerprints re-taken. HOPEFULLY we will get our re-approval SOON. it looks like we will be traveling around the time our previous approval is set to expire (3/13/08) . . . so we REALLY need the re-approval SOON. i HATE this last minute stuff. it's possible that we might travel earlier and not even NEED the re-approval, but that's not something i want to chance!

we also received a medical update yesterday. stella now weighs 20 lbs. she is crawling and walking if led by the hands.

i'm a little sad that she is walking . . . sad that we are missing so many things. i am praying that we get down there before she takes her first steps on her own.

only a few more steps to go. we are coming baby girl!!!!

BIG UPDATE!

we found out today that stella's new birth certificate was issued on Feb 8 AND that her new passport was issued today!!!

it was an exciting day!!!

now i have stack of travel paperwork to complete and need to start looking at flights.

so much to do. and YES. we are SO SO SO excited!

wow. we are officially parents. stella has our last name now :)

congrats and other notions . . .

first off : CONGRATULATIONS to Courtney, Rich and Stella. they received their PINK slip on tuesday 2/5. they will be traveling to the mala on 2/18 and will receive Stella on 2/19. i am SO SO SO excited for them :)

as for me . . . well i have some rather exciting news myself! michael finished the crib!!! we got it put all together in her room last night. we have 2 more tasks to complete in stella's room, then it will be COMPLETELY FINISHED!!! wow. last night we just sat in there and talked. it is my favorite room in the house now. it's so warm and cozy in there. soon it will be filled with laughter and screams . . . and i can't wait.

i still need to post our to-do list, but we've been so busy marking things off of it that i haven't had a chance to post it :)

more later.

fingerprints update AGAIN.

wow. i actually already got an email FROM AN ACTUAL PERSON in the KC immigration office. our notice was mailed out Feb 1 . . . so we should be getting it any day now . . . i'm totally impressed with their promptness to my email!

fingerprints update.

great. houston, we have a problem.

so, our fingerprints are set to expire March 13 (i think). we need to get them renewed (just in case). one would think this would be easy. we mailed a letter mid-January to USCIS in Kansas City requesting the one-time free renewal . . . . nothing. no response at all.

i'm starting to get a little nervous because it is entirely possible that we could travel in 4 weeks!!! although it will probably be longer. i just really want to be SURE all our bases are covered just in case. so i called our sw today and she was totally concerned we hadn't heard anything! she gave me an email address so i sent an email today. we shall see . . . . . . she said the KC immigration office is TERRIBLE about responding . . . . . . so hopefully we will hear something back via email in the next 2 days.

YIKES. i would hate for something to go smoothly for us.

updates.

i have 2 updates i have not yet posted . . .

medical + Stella went to the dr on Jan 4. she weighed 19.8 lbs and was 69 cm tall. she is eating well, cooing, sitting well, active, healthy, points to things and takes objects with hands.

case + YAY! our case entered the civil registry on Jan 30. hopefully we should hear about her birth certificate the end of this week.

gotta love progress!

in other news Miss Stella turned 10 months old on Friday. we can't wait for our forever family day to get here!