After just 7 weeks, our dossier is in or hopefully has made it to the Philippines. By some miracle we were able to complete our home study and dossier in just 6 weeks, which is pretty much unheard of. I know our agency was pretty surprised when we sent it to them last week. We have also mailed in our I-800a which begins the immigration process for bringing Annabelle home. That is also kind of a pre-approval thing which I will never fully understand, but nevertheless is necessary to complete. After we get our official match we will complete the I-800 which will start the process for getting her visa so we can bring her to the US. We are really hoping the I-800a process goes quickly, because we cannot be matched with Annabelle until that is approved. I heard from someone recently who said that theirs only took a month, so that is what I will be praying for.
Now that all the paperwork is done I need to find things to do to keep busy as we wait for our official match. We are really hoping to hear something by the end of March, but there are no guarantees. Our agency told us that ICAB is taking 2-5 months for match approval. That is not exactly what I wanted to hear, but it is good to know what to expect. I am just hoping and praying that ours will be closer to the 2 and not the 5 months. At least I do have plenty of things to keep me busy. I have been learning, or I should say trying to learn, Tagalog. Since Annabelle will be older then Joshua was when we bring her home, I imagine that she will understand a lot more Tagalog and will most likely be speaking it some. My hope is that I will be able to communicate with her at a basic level and help her retain some of her native language. I know the little ones pick up English so quickly, but the first few months can be pretty frustrating when they can't understand or communicate. Joshua likes doing "Tagalog Lessons" also, but his idea of lessons is to sing songs in Tagalog. He actually has a few Filipino songs memorized now, so I guess his lessons are working.
Another thing keeping me busy is doing research to find things that will help Annabelle when she comes home. The greatest help I have had in that area is from other moms who have children with missing limbs. I am amazed by all the new connections and friends I have made since we started this process. I no longer feel alone on this journey. Adopting a child with special needs can be intimidating, but when you are surrounded by others who are going through and doing the same thing it makes it so much easier. Their stories and experience inspire me and lift me up. I have been amazed by their kids who are thriving and doing everything that they want to do despite having a disability. There is one unmistakable connection between all of them that I have noticed - their contagious smiles. They are the happiest kids I have ever seen. They don't see themselves as having a disability. They see themselves as normal kids who just have to do things a little differently. I am amazed at how they have learned to adapt and have found ways to do whatever it is that they want to do. I know Annabelle will be just like these other kids. The first thing we saw when we looked at her picture for the first time was her beautiful smile. I can't wait to get to see it in person! We are so in love with this sweet baby girl and can't wait for the day to get here when we can finally bring her home!
