Dossier moving on...

We found out today that our dossier has passed embassy review and is now with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs!! This is the second to last step...from here it goes to the Ministry of Education, which is the government agency that issues our invitation to travel...we are really close!

It's unbelieveable and doesn't seem real yet - we should be getting our LOI in about 2-2 1/2 months - that's crazy!! I mean, not really when you consider we've been at this in one way or the other for more than four years, but still...when you're spent so long focused on achieving a goal, it's easy to forget about what happens when you actually achieve it! I know we're not in the clear yet, but we're getting so close - closer than we've ever been...

Next weekend its baby room furniture shopping with Grandma (or G. as I prefer!) and we also need to check on vaccinations (for us, not baby), buy some big luggage, meet with the pedicatrician, meet with the rabbi (about conversion), etc...

It makes my head spin!!

A boy???

Had a conference call with our agency yesterday...they said about 85 percent of those who adopt internationally will request a girl in their homestudy and since we did not specify gender, we will likely get a boy!! How exciting...three boys in the family - I'm outnumbered :)

No other news...hopefully we'll be hearing in the next week or so that our dossier has moved from the embassy to the first ministry...

Good news!!

We heard from our agency this week that our dossier has been translated and certified and sent on the embassy - which is step #2 of the process. There are four steps in total. From here it should be 3-4 months!! I can't believe it...I feel like we're really going to have a baby - it's a surreal feeling after trying for so long and going through all we went through and now we are the closest we have ever been to actually having a baby.

I bought a few things! I bought the cutest "Lifebook," which is like a baby book, but specific for adoption, rather than childbirth. It's adorable! I also bought special "Jewish" pages to go in it - so we can record the baby's first Passover, Sukkot, etc...I can't wait to start filling it out. I also bought a Russian phrase book - so far I've only learned how to say "Please," but that's probably a nice word to know. I also got a book on baby/toddler development stages and a Consumer Guide to baby things...it makes me smile to look at all of it...

We need to start preparing the room - taking the wallpaper off, going furniture shopping, etc...

The other good news is Steven's baby was born - David Seaver Rosenberg - 4/29/07 - he's adorable!! He joins Laurie's baby Spencer Adam Burckhardt who was born 4/2/07...so many baby boys...will we be adding one more??? We'll see...