One More Step Forward!

The next step in the adoption process was for the girls' birthmother to go to the US Consulate for the orphan investigation. This is a basic interview with the birthparent to verify that she placed her children of her own free will, that she was in no way coerced into doing it. The Consulate also verifies that the children also qualify as an orphan under US law based on the information the birthmother provides. Well, I just got an e-mail from GLA telling us that the girls' birthmother went to the US Consulate for the orphan investigation interview last week! This is a huge relief as her original appointment was on the 22nd of September and she did not go. The appoitment had been rescheduled for today and I have been on pins and needles all day. Here it was done last week! We should be receiving a notice from USCIS in a week or two with regards to the orphan investigation. I guess that will be the next step!

I had sent an e-mail to the Toddler House asking how the girls' did after we left. In addition to answering the questions, I got some new pictures. I will share them with you as I share their story.



Here are the girls with Jeff and I.














Here is the infamous Chester. This dog is so great. Half of the kids love him and swarm him with hugs and kisses, while the other half run in terror if he so much looks in their direction.








The girls are doing well. They all had various reactions to resuming life as normal after a weekend with mom and dad. Neissa did very well, she needed some distraction the day we left but then seemed to fall back into routine.

Chalinda had the hardest time. Joyce and Molly both sat and talked with her many times trying to help her process the visit and the time between it and when we would return for her. It seemed to help at times and she would want to just sit and cuddle in silence after sometimes with tears sometimes just silent. Other times after a talk she would just stick her noise in the air march up to her room and close the door. She is not over the injustice of having to wait to go home yet (as that is what she feels it is), she’s still trying to find peace in the knowledge that she can’t begin her new life with us yet but she is doing much much better than the first two weeks after we left.

Neissa and Chalinda both received a package we had sent prior to traveling and that was something that helped them. Chalinda immediately started writing letters back to us, with Joyce’s assistance. We received these only yesterday. She wrote all 6 of us a personalized letter! It is all I can do to get my kids to write the same letter three times to each of their sisters! We were thrilled and all walked around last night with goofy grins on our faces.

Neissa asks about us when someone or something reminds her. The other day Chalinda was trying to set up a relay race and it jogged Neissa’s, she came over and reminded Molly that that was something Jeff did with them while he was here. She seems to have been able to handle the visit and going back to orphanage life okay. She shed a few tears when we left and wanted to know over and over again why she wasn’t going too. But after some cuddling and talks the girls and Molly made cupcakes and by the time that was over she was ready for a nap and done with her sadness.

Sonise tells Chalinda that she wants to be a part of our family, wants a home, and a place of belonging. She looks forward to starting life in the US though she is also very scared and unsure if she will feel accepted.

What else can I say!?! My heart aches for them.



Here is a picture of the girls' making cupcakes after we left.