Well yesterday marked a month since we got our referral call. I was thinking today how fast this month has gone and that while I am still tense through this process, I have felt a relief knowing that I am not waiting and wondering everyday about the referral. We have had a lot of decisions to make in the past month, we have had a lot of paperwork to fill out in the past month and we have dreamed about our new son. We did make the a decision of a name for our little guy, we are naming him Charlie John-Hanung Cook. It's a wonderful feeling having a name and a picture!!
We have learned a few things about what lies ahead for us and what the process now looks like. I thought giving a quick update was a good idea because so many people have been asking:
Steps:
1. Paperwork gets to Korea and needs to be translated - can take up to 6 weeks.
2. After translated our paperwork goes to the Ministry of Welfare and Defense for review- Although our paperwork may be ready to be looked at, the ministry only takes a certain number of cases at a time, when one is finished then they will accept another case. So basically our paperwork could sit and wait for who knows how long until approved.
3. Once approved our paperwork heads to a judge in the court system - It's the same system with the courts as with the ministry. If the ministry is done with our paperwork but the court has their case load at a maximum then our paperwork will wait until a spot is open.
4. Once approved by the judge we get a court date - We have about 3-4 weeks from the court date to travel. We will be in Korea for about a week and meet Charlie and go to court. Then we go home -empty handed...
5. Our paperwork then goes into a cooling off period ( no idea why) for two weeks, then basically gets approved and we get our Visa's from the US/Korea. We are told this can take 3-8 weeks and then we go back to Korea for another court visit and to take him home!!!
So ya know just a few things... This is why it takes 6-9 more months before we can go. It is such a strange process to me. We had two weeks to accept the referral and a week to get our paperwork done and sent over but then after all that hurrying up, now we wait. It's hard!
We have been told that we will most likely get one more update regarding Charlie around his one year birthday but besides that we don't get to hear anything about him. It is a little surreal to wake up and wonder what your child is doing today, did he sleep well, did he get an ouchie and cry, was he happy or did he discover how to do something new??? Most mom's get to experience all of these things with their children and bond with them in the process. I do not, for now I do not get to kiss his tears or rock him to sleep or see him walk for the first time. I just try not to dwell on it and thank God that he is healthy and from the pictures he looks happy!
We did get to send him a package and that is fun! Ron videotaped Greyson and I reading a book and then we made it into a DVD, we sent a disposable camera so that hopefully his foster family will catch some of the "firsts" we will miss and for Charlie that he will have pictures of his life before we came to us. A recordable photo album was also sent and we all said hi to Charlie including Marge who barked for him. A blanket, toy and an outfit plus some coffee and mugs for the foster family. We will get to send one more package but that is all we can send. Thankfully his birthday is near Christmas so we are planning to send him a birthday gift and Christmas present at the same time.
Fall is just around the corner and so we are entering a busy, busy time of year. Greyson started school last week and turns five in a few weeks. Ron has a conference in Las Vegas at the end of the month and I am going as well, then it's our anniversary, Thanksgiving and Christmas. As you can tell I am trying to fill my time(and my thoughts) and hoping this next part of the process flies by. I can't wait until he is home with his forever family!
Thank you all so much for your excitement and encouragement! We have a ways to go but at least we are moving. Currently, we are praying specifically for the hearts of those who are involved in our paperwork/process, that they be used by God and if they do not know Him that through our adoption they might come to know Him. Because really that is what life is all about...Him!
