Article 5 Drop Off

Lots has happened since I last blogged, lots yet not a lot! We finally received the official word that our paperwork that is required for our Article 5 was dropped off by our agency rep at the US Consulate  in GZ China on Monday March 13, china time. It is scheduled to be picked up March 27, china time, and then sent hopefully quickly to the CCCWA in Beijing. This will begin the official wait for our TA. Yeaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been one stressed out individual this past week, probably the worst I have been through this whole process. I don't know if it is all the other stuff going on in our lives or just that fact that we are getting so close to finally meeting our daughter. This week I waited to be cabled, waited for a pdf, sent a care package complete with photo album and letter introducing ourselves to Jing Jing and filled out and sent away 3 Visa applications, complete with our passports for our trip.  This was by far the most difficult bunch of paperwork that I had ever filled out. I think that all the other paperwork you complete either in the hope that you will find your child or with the prospect of traveling to meet your child far off in the distance. This set and the care package were done with travel not too far off in the future. I was so afraid of messing something up that would delay us even farther that I think I had a complete mental breakdown. I couldn't concentrate and I would just freeze up every time I tried to move forward.

I was at the post office on Monday to send my care package to Sofie as a way to introduce us to her. It had to fit in a manila envelope. It basically was a photo album of us, Ainsley, our house, her room, the dogs and the grandmas and grandpas.  All was complete with labels in Chinese characters provided by our agency. They were also nice enough to provide us with a letter from us to the orphanage and Sofie, from us translated into Chinese. We had no input into the letter. Don't get me going on this one!!!! There was also the list of questions for the orphanage and a stuffed teddy bear that Ainsley had picked out for her sister. This was the hardest package to let go of. I must have checked it a thousand times to make sure I didn't forget anything and then I took a million pictures of it in case it doesn't come with Sofie on Gotcha Day (that is the day that we meet her in china). I also thoroughly quizzed the US Postal Service worker on the details of the package delivery, told him how important it was and who it was going to. I then gave him the evil stink eye in case they thought of losing said package!! I know, I have become a crazy person. Just imagine, you have been staring at a picture of a little girl for months now and this is your one chance to make a first impression with her.....nobody had better lose my package or my passports. Talk about weird......imagine putting the passports of your entire family in an Fedex envelope and sending them to a stranger in Chicago who now has to take them to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago so they can issue all of us travel visas. At least we don't have to be fingerprinted for this one :) You have to read the fingerprint post to understand this one. It is very funny :)
Here is the care package:

Yes, the photo album is in the form of a little pink clutch purse complete with a rhinestone clasp :) Ainsley helped pick it out!

I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders today. Everything else is out of my hands and I can just sit back, relax, enjoy the wait for our daughter and try to get the gazillion to do lists completed. Someone remind me of this zen moment about 3 days from now when I am freaking out again about something :)