April Adoption Update

  It's April, and I'm getting questions almost every day.  The silence has been deafening especially since I had really hoped to travel this month.  Yesterday we finally got an email from ICAB (the adoption board) in the Philippines but it was not the email we wanted.  It told us that Shelby did have her medical appointment at the clinice for her visa.  We knew she would need this and thought it would be her last step in getting her visa approved to come home with us to the U.S.  However that doctor wanted her to have another developmental assessment which was scheduled and did take place on April 1st.  I don't know why I didn't expect this; I really should have.  We have known from the beginning that she was diagnosed with global development delay.  In every day language, she was behind in sitting up, crawling, walking, speech, etc.  We've known this, and we've also gotten positive reports of the progress she has been making with therapy.  So now, in my mind, it only makes sense that this doctor would want her reassessed to show where she has progressed and where she is still behind.  By the way, we will probably do the same thing with an organization called First Steps as soon as we get her home. 

The hold-up now is that the paperwork takes one to two weeks to be made into a report which will then be sent back to the first doctor at the clinic.  That doctor will see her again and (hopefully) sign the papers for her visa.  Then it could take another week or so for her visa to be issued.  Therefore we were informed kindly to not make travel plans yet (ha,ha).   All that being said, I hope that report and second doctor's appointment is being done later this week or early next week.  It's still my prayer.  I am still hoping to get our travel approval by the end of April.  We will definitely not be flying until May, and realistically it may not be until the second or third week.

There is a silver lining in this delay.  You know me: the glass is usually half full.  It gives us a few more weeks to get things settled at Scott's job, where there has been quite a bit of job-shifting and contract negotiations going on.  Hopefully that will resolve within the next week or so.  It will make my husband less stressed and more able to focus on our family.   It also gives us a couple more weeks to work on our house.  We've been pushing hard and a couple more weeks may let us be almost ready to have Shelby in her own room instead of cramming a crib in Hunter's room, although which situation works better for her will end up being the deciding factor, I'm sure.  Also it gives our daughter one more special holiday time with the family that has sponsored her for the past 18 months.  She will hopefully get to spend time with them at Easter like she has every Christmas and Easter of her life.  They are a neat family that is stationed there with the US Army and have really invested in her little life.  It puts my mind at ease to know that she will enjoy family time with them and blossom under their care while she is waiting another few weeks for us.  By the way, they have five children to get her used to the loudness and high activity level of our son. (Oh, did I say that out loud?  Shame on me!)

So that is where things stand.  I'm still busy with preparations.  I've contacted a couple of different places to stay in Manila that both look promising.   I've started packing a suitcase full of little clothes, toys, diapers, and meds to take with us.  I even found an Asian dolly at a resale recently.  It is sooooo cute and it's small.  So I can take it with us.  Most importantly, I still have the most incredible sense of peace that God is in control of this whole crazy wonderful thing, and His timing will be and is perfect.