Travel Approval!!!!!!!

We got our Travel Approval today!!!!  We have requested a May 11 Gotcha Day and should find out Monday morning if that is ok.  Once we have confirmation we just book flights and start packing!!!!! Ahhhhh!!!!!  Hang on tight b/c we are getting ready to hit warp speed with bringing Owen home!

A5 (for Realz)

Right now, right this very minute everyone's day is starting in China.  Our in China rep. will pick up our paperwork from the American Consulate (for real this time, we have a confirmed pickup date) and we will officially be waiting on Travel Approval!!  That means it will be time to book flights!!!  This will greatly help Mark and I's anxiety as we watch the flights fill up and prices go up : (  TA's have been coming in 3-5 days recently so fingers crossed we will have approval by Friday and we can start booking our travel.  EEEKKK!!!

I started packing for Owen today, and I think all I need is a swimsuit, some overnight diapers and more formula.  Bottles are getting washed tonight so I can throw them in the bag tomorrow and then Owen's packing is done (as well as incidentals that we won't need before we leave).  Soooo close!

Soooo close! and an Update!!

Our agency informed us that our paperwork will be picked up from the US Consulate on Monday 4/20.  YAY!!!!!  So by time we wake up on Monday we will officially be waiting on Travel Approval (for real this time : )  We are still looking like a May 11 Gotcha Day so Ahhh, it is so close!

We were able to ask some questions about Owen to help us get to know him a little before travel.  He is 18 lbs 11 oz now and 28 ish inches, so basically he is tiny little dude!  Apparently he is not a very good eater which I will have no idea what to do with since his brother can eat by the pound.  He is a pretty good sleeper.  He can walk just a few steps unassisted, but walks all over the place holding onto things.  He has a foster sister and is very close to his foster parents.  When I asked about his personality they said:  Busy and Active!  Haha!  He will fit right in at this house : )  I picked up some formula the Pediatrician wants him on yesterday, sorted all Konnor's under 12 months clothes and have started our packing pile.  It's getting REAL in here folks.  Overall we are getting really excited.  Konnor seems to still be really excited about Owen coming home and due to some daycare changes I will be able to keep both boys home with me for most of the summer to help with everyones adjustments.

Soooo, I lied : (

Ok so our Article 5 should have been picked up from the US Consulate on Monday, but by Tuesday when they hadn't heard anything our agency checked on it and it turns our that it was never dropped off : (  There was an email that got missed that had our needed paperwork in it, and there was no way for the in China coordinator to know that it had been missed.  It was a mistake.  It happens, and honestly we have had so many setbacks with this adoption that it is almost comical at this point.  God has very special plans for this little guy and is just preparing him and us for our new life together.  They dropped the forms off on Thursday and we should be picked up in two weeks and THEN we will be waiting on travel approval.

On a TOTALLY AWESOME note....our agency visited Owens orphanage last week and were able to get some to cute for words pictures of our little man.  Here is our little man at almost 17 months old.  Enjoy!

Last step!!!!!

Are you guys ready for this?!?!  Our paperwork should have been picked up from the US Consulate in Guangzhou yesterday which means............................WE ARE OFFICIALLY WAITING ON TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!!!!!  Other than applying for Visa's to enter mainland China (which we will work on the next couple days) this is the very last step before we get on a plane.  We will be requesting an update on Owen soon so that we can get to know this little guy a little bit before travel.  We are still planning a May 11 Gotcha date so fingers crossed this TA comes quickly and we can get tickets booked.

Article 5

So last Thursday morning we got an email from the National Visa Center that Owen's information had been forwarded on to the US Consulate in Guangzhou for approval.  This letter went to our agency and they provided the Consulate with all the information needed regarding our case so that Owen could get approved for a Visa to enter the US.  This is currently where our paperwork stands.  This step takes 2 weeks and once we find out that he has been approved we will officially only be waiting on TA=Travel Approval!!!!  Yay!!!  So close.  We are keeping an eye on airline prices so that once we get the official TA we can book flights right away.  We are working on getting the last of the boy's room together.  Swapping carseats and just in general getting excited!!  Konnor keeps asking if it is time to go bring Owen home yet.  He seems to be willing to share everything except the bathtub.  Apparently we are to go buy Owen his own bathtub : )  We compromised on Konnor being able to take baths by himself if he wants to.  Overall things are going great!  I am going to post a few links to some fundraisers below.  Please check them out and spread the word.

Organic Essential Oils: this fundraiser ends 3/31/15
selah-essential-oils.myshopify.com/?ref=54a3408826d23

Our T-shirt Fundraiser ends this Sunday:
https://www.bonfirefunds.com/bringing-home-owen


A friend is hosting a Noonday collection party with proceeds going towards our adoption.  The party is on March 26, but if you purchase through this link we will get credit for the sale.

http://bit.ly/noonday_HendricksAdoption

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported us this far.  We are so close to bringing this precious boy home and making sure there is One Less Orphan in the world.  Please share our fundraisers.  Every dollar helps.

P.S.  Here are some pictures of what our Puzzle Fundraiser looks like completed

Immigrations Approval!!!

Look what came in the mail yesterday!!!  Just a few more steps and we will be booking travel for out little man to come home!!!