While trying (rather unsuccessfully) to prepare for the coming blizzard, I got an email from our adoption facilitator. I’d been sending her questions all week about Ana-Sophia’s measurements and trying to get a grip on how the adoption proceedings will go. She answered all my questions in one big swoop and dropped a bomb. The good kind! She wants us to travel on March 10th. Yep, you read that right. March. The Tenth. As in…four and half weeks from now. Can you believe it? I am waiting on our last few apostilled documents to be returned and we are still waiting on word from USCIS, but we are actually about to go get our daughter. I immediately sat down and wrote a letter to USCIS requesting that they expedite our application. Pray that it is received well!
Today I got another email laying out exactly how the adoption will take place. I think I’ve written before about the fact that we are the first family to adopt a child out of the foster care system in Serbia. If not, well, we’re the first family to adopt a child out of the foster care system in Serbia. Being the first has left us with quite a few questions. We’ve read lots of other adoption stories from Serbia, but all the children have come from the orphanage in Belgrade. We were told that our daughter is not in Belgrade, but until today we did not know her exact location. Now I’m obsessed with this little small Serbian village with a population of 14,000 that is approximately 67km from Belgrade. It is divided from the city by acres and acres of farmland. I have scoured the images on Google Earth with wonder over which tiny house she is sleeping in tonight. We will go to this village for a few days and attempt to establish a positive relationship with her in visits that will take place twice a day. On or around the 4th day we will head back to Belgrade to complete the adoption. When we leave there, she will be with us. For good. Throughout the adoption proceedings we will have our daughter. Well, actually, we’ll have both of our daughters, and both of our sons, and our dear friend Charity. Our family will be whole. In four and half weeks. OMG!!!
Lux, Libertas 
Oh, I’m so happy for your family right now. What wonderous news!!! You must be on pins and needles right now. My son was from Bor, Serbia. I’m never forget traveling up those snowy mountains to his birth place. You’re setting new ground adopting out of their foster care system and so glad. This means more children in the future will be able to do the same. You will love your time in Serbia. The bread is just fantastic! We stayed w/ a host family and enjoyed our time. Do take the time to take it all in. It will go by faster than you think. I can not wait to hear & see more entries about your daughter. Congratulations! Enjoy & get packing.
Great news!! I am very excited for your family and little Ana-Sophia.
Vickie H.
mama to 5 homegrown h’s and 2 wonderful h’s adopted from Serbia
Oh my gosh! Yay! I hope you get your USCIS approval by then! Do you have the email address for the adoption contact there? I used to email that person. 🙂
Bethany,
I don’t have any contact information for USCIS. I sent them a 10 page request for expedition last week and was told by someone at their military hot-line that we would hear something within 5 days of them receiving the letter. Now I’m praying HARD! I’ve been back and forth emailing our facilitator in Serbia and I’m kind of freaking out about all of the work I still have to do. We are rearranging bedrooms and I have to paint and move furniture and AGGHHHH!!!! I WILL MEET MY DAUGHTER NEXT MONTH!!!