I800 APPROVAL & TENTATIVE TIMELINE!

The last snail mail of 2018 included our I800 approval - not a shabby way to end the year.  With the holidays' observed days off, and knowing that many people would likely be taking extra time off, I tried not to expect much as far as our paperwork moving through the system.  Getting that piece of mail on New Year's Eve was a heart version of a fireworks show for me.

Why?  Because we're getting seriously close, people.

Here is an estimated timeline for what remains before we can travel to China (disregard all the acronyms and just look at the weeks):

1-800 to NVC & DS-260: 1-2 weeks  <-- We are here!
NVC to Article 5: 2 weeks
Article 5 to TA: 1-3 weeks
TA to departure: 2 weeks

Are you for real??  We are already a week into I800/NVC/DS-260 and approval for that will come as an email so you can be sure I've been checking my email an unhealthy amount of times per day.  I want to tell my iPhone that the reason my screentime is up from last week is because we're adopting and she should just stop judging me and lay off, okay!?  Get it together, Brooke.

While my heart is getting really excited about meeting Benjamin for the first time, my mind is becoming anxious with thoughts of international travel.  The last time I had a baby, we drove to a hospital that is literally 1.3 miles from our house.  I could have walked there... kinda, I was in labor, but you know what I mean!  This time, we will be traveling literally halfway around the world and my mind cannot process it.  I keep reminding myself that thousands of others have done this before me and everything has turned out okay.  Again, get it together, Brooke.

With all that's been swirling through my mind, I am so thankful that you guys have allowed cost to be one of the things sitting peacefully outside of the whirlwind.  We're only $3,479 away from being able to travel fully funded.  This. is. incredible.  Thank you soooo much for helping us get to China.  If you're interested in helping to close the financial gap, you can donate to our GoFundMe page here!

2019 is definitely going to be a year for the books!

Much love!
Brooke