Paperchase: Not a very exciting post.

We are pushing the paperwork update as fast as we can, the stopper right now is the fingerprinting update at USCIS. We are scheduled to get re-fingerprinted on 3/4, but hoping we can do it tomorrow, 2/27. The question really is how can we get them to expedite the processing after we get re-fingerprinted. Adoption Ark (our agency) has been very helpful, and gave us a letter that we passed on expressing how we could travel at any time. Hopefully we can lever this to get processing expedited.

Doc appointments next week to once again confirm that we are in good health. Also need to make sure our "in country" folders are in order.

We have found so many other people who are either traveling to or have traveled to Aqtobe, and all have such great positive stories to tell - this has been a great comfort to us.

Our extended families are supportive and nervous at the same time. As much as this whole process is an unknown to us, it is much more so to them. We have faith that ultimately everything will unfold as it is meant to in this process, and all the work will be a very small price to pay for the end result.

Dan

First Week since Region Assignment

It has been a good week or so since we received our region assignment on Feb 8th...so much to do and so much to learn in probably just a few months. We are having lots of fun looking at other adoptive families' blogs and websites and learning about their experiences. Everyone we have reached out to in the adoption community has been so generous in offering their help.

The paperwork review is in full swing, we are double checking things and updating anything necessary. We need to get our fingerprints on our I-171H updated, hopefully that will happen this week. Also we schedule doc appointments for updated physicals for Allison and I in early March - the timing is per our agency's recommendation.

We have also started talking to our boys about this a bit more. They know, more or less, what we are going to do, and they also know that while we MAY do this sometime soon, it also may not happen soon. Don't want to get them too worked up and the let down if there is a delay for some reason.

At this point we are planning on taking the boys. I think it could be a great trip for all of us, an adventure undertaken for the best reason possible, and one we'll always remember.

On the more mundane fronts, it is back to paperwork reviews...fun fun. Need to check international health coverage, travel insurance, and other relevant items. This week need to have a pretty concrete list of anything we need to put in force before the trip.

Dan

Anticipation

Went to talk to the international adoption clinic at Children's Hospital today. They gave me great advice for travel and are willing to help with any health questions we have here, in Kazakhstan and if we bring a kido back. While we are in Kaz we can get them information and they can get back to us within hours. They suggested some antibiotics to bring for us and the kido. We are also working with homeland security to renew our fingerprints. We can't call or go so we have an appt on Tuesday.

When researching Kazak culture I learned the Kazak people are of Turkish, Uzbek, Chinese, Mongolian and Russian decent. Makes researching ethnicities a little difficult. On the upside I learned something cool. According to "Amazon Warrior Women," a PBS "Secrets of the Dead" episode, there is evidence that some of the Kazakh population are descendants of the culture which spawned the Amazon Warrior myth within Ancient Greek literature (wikipedia).

Seems perfect for my daughter.