MORE Logistics....... and SURPRISE.. waiting!

DUDE'S & DUDETTE's.. can you believe we passed court on the first try.. this is "Like, Major HUGE" and yes that was in a valley girl accent!

What does Passing Court Mean? This means that legally he is ours and we are his. He's officially and legally our son!

So, what's next? Well.. remember a few weeks ago when we got our fingerprinting appointments and I said that we had the US Gov. approval that we were cleared to be parents.. well.. this paperwork has to be uploaded into the US Embassy in Ethiopia.

#1 We are waiting for Holt to verify that we're uploaded in the computer and then they can schedule an appointment for us to meet with the US Embassy in Ethiopia. The catch with this appointment is that they only allow 20 appointments per month, or so I've heard. Just so you know there were an estimated 60 referrals in March.. so that means there are 60 family's in front of us. Now, that number is pretty much speculation.. so I don't know the exact number.

#2 While we wait for the Embassy appointments.. Jo's birth certificate and visa/passport is being processed. (I'm not clear if it's a passport or visa? What's the difference anyway?)

#3 He also has to be given a final examination from one of the four US Embassy approved doctors.

#4 Then after all these things are finished the paperwork has to be translated into English.

#5 And finally.... after all these things are completed.. we get the call that it's time to travel.. I only hope that it's sooner rather than later.

Finding out that we passed court today was SO huge...we're definitely on the downhill side. There are still many things that we need to take care of on the home front before we can travel. I'm relatively calm about it all and just really enjoying this process. Knock on wood that the rest of the process goes by quickly!

I just can't wait for Jo to be home safe and sound.