I am a few weeks late on this but things have been hectic and I have neglected my posting duties.
Our passport application was submitted at the end of October to Haitian immigration for Hugo's passport. Based on other timelines and families that have been going through this process ahead of us, we didn't really think that we would be hearing about Hugo's passport for a couple months. Plus, in this process, nothing has happened in the timeframes we have been given. It is the world of adoption. Internationally. Our experience has taught us to have hope but not to have true expectations for when things might happen. Because nothing goes as planned.
So the Tuesday before Thanksgiving we were getting ready to head to Disneyland with Adriana for the holiday. Adriana and I were heading to have lunch with my mom and I got a phone call from our agency. First off, they never call so when I saw CCAI on my phone, I panicked. I can count on 1 hand the times I have talked to them on the phone. It isn't bad, we just do most communication through email. So when I saw them calling, I got super nervous. Just panicky. (I should also tell you they have never called me with bad news. I just always assume it is.)
I answered and heard on the other end, a truly excited voice from our wonderful dossier manager, Kim. She said she didn't want to share this news over email so she called. Then told me that Hugo's passport had been printed! She was sending me a picture of it but wanted to let me know as soon as possible.
I can't really describe what I felt in that moment. 3 weeks to get a passport was seriously not heard of. I wasn't expecting it. And I was so happy, shocked and just overwhelmed. My head just kept repeating "he will be home soon! It is coming true. It is happening." I felt so happy. But couldn't really talk or function. Just silent. I truly wonder what I will do when we find out it is time to go get him. Pass out? Wreck my car? I better pull over before I take that call.
So this phone call has truly been my favorite one so far. We are so much closer to getting our boy home.
We have 1 step left. We just have to get the US immigration to approve our petition and get Hugo a VISA appt so we can get his VISA to get him into the US. This step shouldn't, in theory, take too long. But as we learned, nothing is what is expected. We were told about 3 weeks ago that our file was going to be submitted to the Embassy in Haiti. And here we sit 3 weeks later and that still hasn't happened. We truly hoped for a end of the year homecoming, but at this point, that will not happen. We found out last week there are mistakes in our file and that it has to be fixed before the US will accept. We truly have no idea what they are or how long it may take to fix them.
So now we sit and wait. We pray and hope for good news to come that our file will be submitted. And we hope it comes soon. Until then we will be thankful we are this far. And that Hugo is our son. I can't ask for a better gift than that.
