Finally, our I800a paper came back from immigration with approval to adopt. We turned this paper work into them late March and had to wait until July 15th before we were allowed to get finger printed because of the Covid-19 shut down. Shelly and I took our form over to our dear friend, Peggy to let her Notarize it for us so we could get the ball rolling on this last paper we needed. Peggy happily stamped our form and we sat and talked about life for a little over an hour before heading home. The next day I took my papers with me. I was going to go by CCAI and drop off some sealed forms and then head to the county office to get the I800a notary stamped certified and then put in the mail to go to the Secretary of States office to have the county’s stamped verified. I had been holding my Home Study and Shelly’s Birth Certificate to send with the I800a when it goes to the Federal State Department and Embassy for there final seal of approval at one time. CCAI asked me while I was there about those two papers and what were the dates on them? That’s when my happiness turned to self disappointment. When I pulled the birth certificate out and looked at the date it was issued on March 20th. We only get 6 months to get a paper sealed by the Chinese Embassy. I had waited to long to send it to the State Dept in Washington. It took 6 weeks to get my other papers thru them last time and I now only have 17 days. What does that mean? Well it’s an unneeded delay. I now have to request a new birth certificate from Texas for Shelly, then send it back to Texas after I receive it because it has to be stamped by the Sectary of State’s office in the state it was issued in.
Jaime with CCAI told me not to worry about it. It was something that could be fixed with a little time. Time, that is what hurts me the most. She is absolutely correct. It is a small delay that will be over come but it is one that I brought onto not only Shelly and I but onto our sweet Wei Wei. The idea that I have extended her stay in an orphanage pains me severely. I have pushed her out of our grip for what sounds minor but feels major. Even though she does not know, I feel that I have hurt her. That she will have to lay in her bed for even more nights wondering if we are ever coming, that just tares at me. I know there is nothing I can do to change the mistake I have made and all I can do is be diligent as we move forward. I am sorry Wei Wei that baba has delayed the inter-sectioning of our lives. Wǒ ài nǐ !
